Article: This should be the photo you plan on overlaying on top of your base photo: Click File Click Open... Select the photo. Click Open This will allow you to save the cropped portion of your photo as clip art rather than as a cropped photo on a white background: Click Layers Select Transparency Click Add Alpha Channel Either press "M" on your computer's keyboard, or do the following: Click Tools Select Selection Tools Click Free Select Click and drag your mouse around the section of the photo that you want to add to your base photo. Repeatedly clicking in a line around the selection instead of dragging will help achieve greater accuracy. You'll need to connect the end of the line to the beginning of the line before you can continue. To highlight everything but the section you want to keep, press M to select the section, then press either Ctrl+I (Windows) or Command+I (Mac). Press Del on a Windows computer, or press Command+X on a Mac. You should see everything but the selected portion of the photo disappear, leaving behind a checkerboard background. Since you want to save this photo as a GIMP file rather than as a JPG or PNG, you'll use the Save As feature: Click File Click Save As... Enter a file name, then select the same save location as your base photo. Click Save Click the X in the top-right corner of the project window (top-left corner on Mac) to do so. The GIMP window should remain open and blank while the photo disappears. At this point, you can proceed with overlaying your pictures.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Open the photo you want to crop. Add an alpha channel to the photo. Open the "Free Select" tool. Draw around the section you want to keep. Select the inverse. Delete the inverse. Save your photo. Close the current photo.

Problem: Article: Do not tape the paper down. This will allow you to rotate the paper as you work on your design, which is easier than curling your hand to get to it. If you don't have an embossing mat, you can use a dense, rubber mat instead. The white lines will "disappear" as you emboss the parchment paper. This is because parchment paper automatically turns white when you emboss it. Do not emboss over any black lines, however. If you are doing a card, emboss the center guideline with a mall, ball point embossing tool. If you are doing a card, you will need to do the outside/left side of the card first, then flip it over and do the inside/right side next. This is great for borders within your frame. For example, if you created a floral design, you could create a heart shape around it. When using such tools, you'll want to rock them top-to-bottom and side-to-side. This ensures that each part of the design gets embossed. This is great for delicate area, such as petals, leaves, or baskets. Press down with the tool, then lift it away as you finish the stroke. Work in layers and rotate the parchment paper a you work; don't curl your wrist to fit the design.
Summary: Transfer the paper to an embossing mat with the back side facing you. Trace the white outlines with a small, ball point embossing tool. Use star and sun shaped embossing tools to create scalloped borders. Use a ball-point embossing tool to create graduated embossing.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Asking questions is one of the best ways to improve conversation with your partner. You should ask each other questions every day about how work went, how you both are feeling, and other day-to-day "updates" about one another's lives. You should also ask questions to clarify something that was said, or to dig deeper and get your partner to open up more. Use prodding questions. Start out with larger, more general topics, and work your way down to more specific revelations. You might start by asking your girlfriend how her day was, then ask about an incident that was unpleasant or a happy moment at work. Once your girlfriend starts to talk about the specifics of her day, you can try applying the things she says to other conversations you've had. For example, you might ask, "That's happened before, hasn't it?" or "Wow, I can't believe that happened after _____ told you something different last week." Ask your girlfriend how she feels about the events she describes. Let her know you care, and offer her your support. A big problem in relationship communication is one partner not feeling heard or understood. Rephrasing what your girlfriend just said in your own words shows that you are listening to and processing everything she's saying. It can also be a useful way to help mentally ground yourself in the conversation if you find that your thoughts are racing and you're having a hard time focusing on what's being said. Use a natural conversational tone. If your partner interprets your rephrasing as mocking, the conversation can go bad very quickly. Try to limit your use of rephrasing. If done too often it can be distracting or irritating. Put your girlfriend's words into your own words when you rephrase them. This shows that you're processing everything she says, and not simply repeating it word for word. You might try using a transitional phrase to begin your rephrasing. For example, try saying something like, "So what you're saying is..." or "I think I understand where you're coming from. You're saying ________. Is that right?" Body language often speaks just as loudly as words. The way that you and your girlfriend position yourselves during the conversation can send signals that may be unintentional, or may reflect your subconscious mood. Try not to read too obsessively into your partner's body language, but if it seems like there is a problem, try asking her if she's upset and let her know that you noticed her body language. If your girlfriend crosses her arms, she may be feeling defensive, distant, or emotionally closed off from you. Avoiding eye contact may indicate a lack of interest in what you're saying, shame over something that was said or done, or feeling distracted or uncommunicative. Turning the body away during a conversation may suggest that your partner feels disinterested, frustrated, or emotionally closed off. A loud, aggressive tone might indicate that the conversation has escalated or is about to escalate, and emotions are running high. Your girlfriend may also feel that you're not hearing her or understanding her. Some body language positions are incidental, so don't "accuse" your girlfriend of secretly being upset or closed off. Ask in a caring way by saying something like, "I noticed your body language seems to suggest that you're upset, but your words are contradicting that. Is something on your mind?"

SUMMARY: Ask questions. Rephrase to reflect. Look for nonverbal signals.

Don't use water balloons, which are too thin and weak for this purpose, and will easily burst. For a typical palm-sized stress ball, you'll need approximately 160 to 240 grams (5.6 to 8.5oz) of filling. Any of these will do: For a firm stress ball, use flour, baking soda, or cornstarch (a white powder called cornflour in the Commonwealth). For a looser stress ball, use dry rice lentils, small beans, or split peas, or fine play sand from a hardware store. Mix a small amount of dried rice into flour for something in between. This is also more durable than flour alone.
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One-sentence summary --
Gather an uninflated balloon. Choose a filling.