Interview

Patti is  49 years young and has lived in Southern California for the past 3 years with her better-half, Larry. They have 3 cats, 10 lovebirds, several goldfish in their backyard pond, and lots of wildlife visits. Originally from Minnesota, she really enjoys the warmth and sunshine of California. Patti's son, Thom,  is 29 and lives in Tucson, AZ. Thom works for Miraval Resort, is an EMT and is going to school to become a massage therapist.

Patti says she started with PSP when she downloaded the trial version this past February.  It didn't take her long to become addicted to the program and Larry bought her the boxed version for a  birthday present. Patti says "If it wasn't for the wonderful tutorials and groups out there I wouldn't be where I am at today. I started writing tutorials June 21st and have written 27 tutorials."

I have always liked the name of your site, Moon’s Designs, is there a story there?

When I got my first PC, and knew nothing about the Internet, I started to learn with AOL and had the screen name of Moonbrrz. I ran an online Newsletter called Moon’s Inspirations so when I applied for my own domain Moon’s Designs came to mind and fortunately it was available.

What comes first when you do a tutorial..the vision of the finished product, or the process to create it?

That’s kind of 6 of one and half a dozen of another **laughs**. The majority of my tutorials revolve around different filters so the process of creating them comes from experimenting with the different effects. Then there are times that I will see something in a magazine, at the store, or will have a dream about a finished product and try to recreate it. I do try to use free filters so everyone can enjoy what they can do. I did just complete a tutorial that uses Eye Candy 4000 but I also offered an alternative showing them a way they could get a similar effect by using the demo of EC4 Glass, and that comes with JASC’s anniversary edition **smiles**.

I understand that you have joined Designing Dames.  What does this involve?  And what changes does this bring?

I was very excited and quite honored when Roxanne invited me to join the Designing Dames. When I first started with PSP it was one of the first tutorial sites that I discovered and I was in awe of Roxanne’s talent. When I first heard from Roxanne I wasn’t sure I could live up to the Dames reputation but she quickly reassured me. The only thing that it involves is to continue to write tutorials and upload them to the Dames server. I keep “Tutorials by Moon’s Designs” index page updated with the new tutorials and link them to the Dames url. The biggest change is that many more people are now seeing and doing my tutorials and I get a lot more mail LOL.

What was the motivating factor for you to write tutorials? 

In writing my first tutorial I would have to say that Sue, from Webart by Sue and now a Designing Dame also, offered a lot of encouragement and help and kept prodding me along <vbg>. What has motivated me to continue writing tutorials is the tremendous response that I had from my first one, and the continued response still astounds me. When someone says, “I’ve had such and such filter for a long time and didn’t know what all could be done with it”, or “thank you, I finally know how to get my filters to work in PSP”, it makes me feel good that I am helping others to learn. As long as I am helping others learn about PSP and the different things that can be done I will continue to write tutorials.

We have been corresponding for the last few weeks, and you have agreed to unveil a tutorial here that is also being used as the COW in PSPmadeEZ this week.  Would you go into the background about the tutorial?

I am so excited about this newest tutorial that is being unveiled today that I can hardly stand it! Not only is it going to be used as the COW in PSPmadeEZ this week but it is also being unveiled as The First Element in PSP Imaginarium’s Intermediate Group.

Vicki C., the owner of Imaginarium, first approached me a few weeks ago and asked what I thought about writing a tutorial on “How To Write A Tutorial”! I told her I would think about it and that night I sat down at the computer and my fingers started to fly on the keyboard. I sent her a rough draft the next day and she was amazed how much I had to say in such a short time. The more I wrote the more things came to mind. Also being a Co-Founder of TWU (Tut Writers Unite) and having all of the tutorial thefts come about in the past month helped me in putting together the Do’s and Don’ts of Tutorial Writing, especially when it comes to copyrights and using other artists graphics. I also wanted to explain how to set up their webpage for writing a tutorial so there is a full page just on how to do that.

There are so many out there that have such wonderful imaginations. I have heard so many say, “I’d write a tutorial on this if I knew how”. Now they have something they can look at, as a guideline, and can go ahead and share with the rest of us just how they created that something special.

Is there any one piece of advice you would care to give to a budding tutorial writer? 

Have confidence in yourself and remember YOU are your own worst critic, you can do it if you really want to. Of course there is a lot of other advice but they can’t read about that in the tutorial **grins**.

Patti, could you tell me a little about TWU?

Tut Writers Unite was founded by Roxanne and myself to help the newer tutorial writers in having a place to go to ask questions, to have a place for the seasoned tutorial writer go for help when they are stuck on an idea or need a tutorial tester, and for the writers to be united in a firm stand against tutorial theft. I do go into more depth about TWU on page 4 of How to Write a Tutorial.

I see that you are considering adding linkwear sets to your site.  Any other changes/additions we can look forward to?

 The tutorial index has just undergone a major face lift and now the Graphics part of my site will also be going a facelift. I am also going to include some graphics for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Thoughts

Hit the Buildings, Missed America . . .

Posted by Charles Brennan

Date: 9/11/2001

An open letter to a terrorist:

Well, you hit the World Trade Center, but you missed America.  You hit the Pentagon, but you missed America.  You used helpless American bodies, to take out other American bodies, but like a poor marksman, you STILL missed America.

Why?  Because of something you guys will never understand.  America isn't about a building or two, not about financial centers, not about military centers, America isn't about a place, America isn't even about a bunch of bodies.  America is about an IDEA.  An idea, that you can go someplace where you can earn as much as you can figure out how to, live for the most part, like you envisioned living, and pursue Happiness.  (No guarantees that you'll reach it, but you can sure try!)

Go ahead and whine your terrorist whine, and chant your terrorist litany:  "If you cannot see my point, then feel my pain." This concept is alien to Americans.  We live in a country where we don't have to see your point.  But you're free to have one.  We don't have to listen to your speech. But you're free to say one.  Don't know where you got the strange idea that everyone has to agree with you.  We don't agree with each other in this country, almost as a matter of pride.  We're a collection of guys that don't agree, called States.  We united our individual states to protect ourselves from tyranny in the world.  Another idea, we made up on the spot.  You CAN make it up as you go, when it's your country, if you're free enough.

Yeah, we're fat, sloppy, easygoing goofs most of the time.  That's an unfortunate image to project to the world, but it comes of feeling free and easy about the world you live in.  It's unfortunate too, because people start to forget that when you attack Americans, they tend to fight like a cornered badger.  The first we knew of the War of 1812, was when England burned Washington DC to the ground.  Didn't turn out like England thought it was going to, and it's not going to turn out like you think, either.  Sorry, but you're not the first bully on our shores, just the most recent.

No Marquis of Queensbury rules for Americans, either.  We were the FIRST and so far, only country in the world to use nuclear weapons in anger. Horrific idea, nowadays?  News for you, bucko, it was back then, too, but we used it anyway. Only had two of them in the whole world and we used 'em both. Grandpa Jones worked on the Manhattan Project.  Told me once, that right up until they threw the switch, the physicists were still arguing over whether the Uranium alone would fission, or whether it would start a fissioning chain reaction that would eat everything.  But they threw the switch anyway, because we had a War to win.  Does that tell you something about American Resolve?

So who just declared War on us? It would be nice to point to some real estate, like the good old days.  Unfortunately, we're probably at war with random camps, in far-flung places.  Who think they're safe.  Just like the Barbary Pirates did, IIRC.  Better start sleeping with one eye open.

There's a spirit that tends to take over people who come to this country, looking for opportunity, looking for liberty, looking for freedom. Even if they misuse it.  The Marielistas that Castro emptied out of his prisons, were overjoyed to find out how much freedom there was.  First thing they did when they hit our shores, was run out and buy guns.  The ones that didn't end up dead, ended up in prisons.  It was a big PITA then (especially in south Florida), but you're only the newest PITA, not the first.

You guys seem to be incapable of understanding that we don't live in America, America lives in US!  American Spirit is what it's called.  And killing a few thousand of us, or a few million of us, won't change it. Most of the time, it's a pretty happy-go-lucky kind of Spirit.  Until we're crossed in a cowardly manner, then it becomes an entirely different kind of Spirit.

Wait until you see what we do with that Spirit, this time.  Sleep tight, if you can. We're coming.

NOW that the President has called us to prayer.....

NOW that Congress has called us to prayer.....

NOW that our Governor has called us to prayer....

NOW that the city Mayor has called us to prayer....

NOW that the "liberal" media and most other branches of
our American society have called us to prayer.....

AND NOW that our churches are assembling in special prayer....

"Honorable" Justices of the Supreme Court, I have only one
question......Would it be okay to pray in our schools........??

Sites to visit:

Val's Email Support Pages

Fighting Back - 10 Things You Can Do Now

American Tragedy - How To Help

God have mercy on the terrorists...

For we won't.

Tip of the Week - Clean up Video Images

Video images can contain visible scan lines caused by TV signals.  Often every other line is missing.  To restore the missing lines, make sure your image is at least 24-bit color or greyscale.  Choose Effects..Enhance Photo...Deinterlace. Try both the Odd and Even option as one may look better than another.  I have also found this tip to work on some digital photos as well when the quality is not all you could wish for.

Looking forward...

Next week I will be interviewing Nancy of ChooChoo's Designs, an up and coming tutorial writer IMHO :)  I'd like to thank you all for allowing me to share this time with you.  As we have all learned this week time is precious and I am humbled that you choose to read this newsletter.  I would like to close on a lighter note, so for those of you who enjoy Victorian, or just well designed pages, be sure to check out Emily, " The Governess " in her new location:)

Questions, comments or if you would like to submit an article or special tutorial please contact me,   

Connie

www.pspmadeez.com

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