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  • Entry posted Nov 25 by sparkcreative

    I just posted a new Photoshop CS4 tutorial on my blog at:

    http://www.solsistershandbags.com/2009/11/photoshop-tutorial-high-contrast.html

  • Entry posted Nov 18 by sparkcreative

    Here's the PDF from my Social Media Presentation given at last month's meeting. Please feel free to use it for personal use ONLY.

    more...

  • Entry posted Nov 16 by sparkcreative
    Title:
    VegasPUG & VegasAUG November 16th Meeting - rm 511
    Date and Time:
    November 16, 2009 from 7:00pm - 9:00pm
    Address:
    851 E Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89119
    google map
    Speakers:

    Find Your Tribe: Social Media and Meaningful Customer Connections for Business Professionals

    Presenter:  Krystal Hosmer, VegasPUG

    This presentation covers the questions of just what is social media, how it has vastly changed the marketing landscape, how its various tools work and how business people can use these tools to make one-on-one connections with customers. The presentation  features examples from the presenter's own practice as well a case study showing the thinking behind the strategy.

    Demonstration of Artisteer: The Automated Web Designer

    Presenter:  Jeff Foster, Extensoft (developers of Aristeer)

    Artisteer allows designers to create CMS themes and templates with no coding knowledge necessary.  Artisteer is software for Mac and PC that allows non-technical and print designers to easily create website templates, Joomla templates, Drupal themes, Wordpress themes, DotNetNuke skins, and Blogger templates in minutes. http://www.artisteer.com

    Basic Server Communication with Flash CS4 Professional

    Presenter: John Olson, VegasAUG

    After learning the basics of Flash and ActionScript, the next thing that most people tend to want to know is how to have Flash talk to the server, usually involving a contact form.  This presentation will focus on getting started using Flash and a little bit of ActionScript and some pre-built server scripts to send information from Flash to an email form handler (we'll be using GoDaddy's gdform).  In a more advanced example, we will send and load information with the server without that typical HTML page refresh. 

    Agenda:

    Snacks & goodies will be provided at the meeting so don't eat too much before coming to the meeting.

    Attending our meeting gives you points for our semi-annual SOFTWARE RAFFLE - which is NEXT MONTH! So come on down!

  • Entry posted Nov 03 by sparkcreative

    Ross Kimbarovsky is the co-founder of crowdSPRING, a community of 43,000+ graphic designers that helps small businesses from around the world with graphic design needs. You can follow Ross on Twitter @rosskimbarovsky and @crowdSPRING.

    Capacity – especially to plan and execute effective marketing strategies – is a big challenge for every small business. In this post, I’ll offer 10 suggestions for how small businesses can supercharge their marketing efforts by leveraging social media. For each suggestion, I will discuss a basic strategy – for those who simply want to get their toes wet, as well as an advanced strategy – for those who want to spend a bit more time and go a bit deeper in their social media marketing efforts. These tips are based on my experience leveraging social media marketing for my company, crowdSPRING.

    Read the rest of the article containing the tips and hints n using each of the big social media apps at Mashable

    20 ways businesses use Twitter from Businessweek

  • Entry posted Oct 28 by sparkcreative

    Just added another Photoshop tutorial onmy blog. This is for beginners and was done in CS4.

    http://www.solsistershandbags.com/2009/10/tutorial-dull-color-fix-with-duck-girl.html

    more...

  • Entry posted Aug 15 by sparkcreative
    Event posted Aug 03 by John J Olson in Event Calendar public
    Title:
    August VegasPUG & VegasAUG Meeting
    Date and Time:
    August 17, 2009 from 7:00pm - 9:00pm
    Agenda:

    "Create a Quick Interactive Portfolio Using InDesign"

    InDesign CS4 provides new interactive buttons, hyperlinks  and page transitions to quickly provide pizzazz  to your print documents.  Great fix for non-Flash developers.

    Presenter: Deb Havre 

    "Staying in form-ation using InDesign and Acrobat Pro"

    No one likes forms and we like them even less when they must be filled out by hand and then deciphered by some unlucky data entry person. Learn how to create an attractive form in InDesign then convert it in Acrobat Pro to a fillable form that can be emailed out, filled in by your customers electronically and then emailed back to you. End Users only need the free acrobat reader to open and fill out the form. You'll also learn how to replace pages in your form and set up or change fields.

    Presenter: Krystal Hosmer

    "Create Quick Image & Video SlideShows with SlideShowPro"

    Use SlideShowPro to quickly place images or videos online.  SlideShowPro is a flash-based slideshow application that requires very little setup to create slideshows with images or video.  It is very customizable and can work with Flash, Lightroom or just Dreamweaver.  

    Presenter: John Olson

  • Entry posted Jul 11 by sparkcreative

    Hi everyone,

    I'm teaching a 3 hour workshop on understanding and using the CURVES command in Adobe Photoshop through UNLV Educational Outreach next Saturday, July 18th. There is still space available. You can register here.

    Workshop Description

    Curves (when used with adjustment layers and masks) are the most powerful and flexible, but least understood, editing feature in Photoshop. By the end of this workshop, you will understand exactly what the lines mean and how to analyze a photo to create a curve to fix common photos issues such as underexposure, color casts, dull color, washed out skies, faces in shadow, and a myriad of other problems in a few clicks.

    THIS IS NOT A FREE WORKSHOP.

    Also Coming up:

    Manufacturing Beauty with Martin Lapid

    Into to Lightroom with Nate Ludens

    Our Dreamweaver Group Co-Manager Jill Merk is also offering a workshop this summer.

    Designing a Website from Concept to Completion Workshop

  • Entry posted Jul 11 by sparkcreative
    July 20th User Group Meeting:
    Using Adobe Lightroom 2 and Introduction to After Effects

    Date and Time:
    July 20, 2009 from 7:00pm - 9:00pm

    Address:
    UNLV Paradise Campus, Room 511
    851 E Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89119
    google map

    ALL MEETINGS ARE FREE TO ATTEND.


    Speakers:

    Lightroom screen

    Adobe Lightroom 2 Presentation, by Nate Ludens

    Proofing photos after a session has never been easier. Using Adobe Lightroom 2, I'll show the group how to quickly and effectively sort images and create a batch of photos into a customized online photo gallery.

    Nate is also giving a more in-depth workshop on using Lightroom through UNLV educational Outreach. Info will be at the meeting.

    You can download a 30 day trial of Lightroom from the Adobe Website

    Lightroom e-seminars from Adobe

    Lightroom on Adobe TV

    After Effects Screen

    Introduction to Adobe After Effects, by Nick Merk

    ... detail coming ... 

    download 30 day AfterEffects trial

    Aftereffects e-seminars from Adobe

  • Entry posted May 14 by jmeBEE

    Semi-Annual VEGAS USER GROUP joint meeting.
    Come join all 4 Vegas Groups June 15, 2009 @ 7:00-9:00PM.

    VegasPUG - Photoshop & Print User Group
    VegasAUG - Adobe User Group with Video & Design
    VegasFLEX - Flex, Flash, Flash Catalyst & Rich Internet Application User Group
    VegasDUG - Dreamweaver & Web User Group

    Located at the UNLV Paradise Campus
    851 E. Tropicana Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89119

    FREE Pizza!  FREE Soda! 

    Come. Eat. and Enjoy the Raffle for 4 FREE Adobe CS4 Packages!
    FREE Linda.com Accounts! FREE Tshirts, Pens, Stickers, and more!!

    Join the groups. Bring a friend. Bring a co-worker.

    Spread the word and we will see you there!

  • Entry posted Jan 17 by jmeBEE

    My name is Jamie Lea Braithwaite {{jamieBEE}}. I was born & raised in Las Vegas, Nevada.  I now serve as the Manager of the Adobe Las Vegas Photoshop (& Print) User Group {{VegasPUG.org}}. All my hopes and dreams are to share techno-geek skills with the world!

    I started my graphic design career at the age of 7 making birthday cards, posters, and flyers on our Apple IIe and dot-matrix printer. I have always been “that girl” that can help get something done on the computer.

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