#gem's guides

[d4isywhims]

hello friends! 🌷

recently i got an ask on how i edit my instagram screenshots and here in gemville, all you have to do is ask and you shall receive my child

fun stuff under the cut!

this guide will be divided into two parts: how i take & edit my gameplay screenshots and how i edit my simstagram posts

before we get into the actual tutorial, here are a list of things that i use to help me take better screenies :)

gshade

i'm using an older version of gshade because - thanks to my procrastination - i never updated the version before everything went to shit.

2. presets!

i switch around between presets a lot lmao but for the most part, i use ellcrze's gshade preset for my family dynamics save, sunset n vinyl for my globetrotter save & sim download pictures and a modified boho dreams for my tjol legacy save (first post coming up soon!) sometimes i use lithium for cas pics too :p click here for a somewhat detailed explanation lol

3. tab mode camera mod

this camera mod is a godsend and makes taking screenshots soooooo much easier! 😌 i highly recommend getting this mod!!!

i think i mentioned this before in an ask - i edit my screenshots in photoshop before posting them on tumblr :D i don't really do much, just running a few actions and cropping my screenies. gshade does most of the work for me lol

this tutorial by @buglaur is insanelyyyy helpful omg i based my entire editing process on her tutorial, except for the colouring part because i'm lazy hehe

here's an example of my screenshots before and after editing (cropping the screenshot and running some actions)! there’s not much difference because as i said earlier, gshade will basically carry your entire editing process 💀

sometimes i put text in my pics like these screenies below :) i mainly use these two fonts - winkle and lemon milk :D

and that's about it for part one! now it's time for

here's what you neeeeeed

1. photoshop

i'm using a 🏴‍☠️ version of photoshop that i got from a somewhat sketchy website but it runs great so i'm not complaining 💀

2. instagram post template and instagram story template

a HUGEEEE thank you to @windslar for sharing the instagram story template link 😭 she is such an inspiration to me 💛

3. the actual instagram app

this is how i add text and emojis to my simstagram posts lol

disclaimer: i am NOT a photoshop expert. there's probably an easier way to do what i'm about to show you, but this works for me and i don't really mind the steps hehe

first things first, you're gonna want to open the psd files on photoshop and it'll look like this, depending on which file you opened

i usually just hide the layers that i don't need so in this case i'll hide the tagged users layer from the story psd and the bg layer from the post psd.

these are the layers that i hide but you can also leave them on if you want hehe totally up to you my dude. then you'll end up with something like the pics below

now we move on to the profile pictures! so what i do is i click these layers (shown below) and go 'file > place embedded > selected picture'

once you do that, you'll end up with something like this (below)! use 'ctrl + t' to resize your picture to fit into where the profile picture would go.

right click on the layer of your selected picture and click 'create clipping mask'. then you can hit 'ctrl + d' to adjust the picture to your liking!

now for the actual pictures for the posts. click on these layers (shown below) and go 'file > place embedded > your selected picture'

now all you have to do is 'ctrl + t' to resize your pictures, right click on the layer of the selected picture and click 'create clipping mask' then 'ctrl + t' again to adjust the pics!

after this whole process, i'll export my pics to my family dynamics folder on my desktop and queue it up on tumblr! :D sometimes my simstagram story posts have text and emojis like these ones below

all i did was upload the pics to google drive, download it to my phone, add text/emoji on the actual instagram app then saving the story to my phone... a lot of work but i don't really mind <3

aaannnnddd that's it!!!! i can't believe i made this guide 😭 hopefully this helps :D english isn't my first language so apologies for any grammar/spelling mistakes i've made in this post 🙈 feel free to ask any questions and i'll try my best to reply to you asap!!

[4dkellysworld]

luvcompass highlights: Surrender

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. ♡ .* :☆ﾟ.･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. ♡ .* :☆ﾟ.･･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. ♡ .* :☆ﾟ.･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.♡ .* :☆ﾟ

We think that we are our mind/body (identity) and we try desperately to get away from "it" - that leads to questions like "How do I change my awareness?". By society, we're taught to make effort, try harder, do this, do that. But the funny thing is, what's required is "no" effort - the watercourse way - no effort from the side of the mind. Because "trying to change" is the equivalent of trying to fight a shadow. The identity is a shadow, it is not us. Analyze your mind briefly, and you will find that it is nothing but a byproduct of societal conditioning, peer opinions, books, movies, whatever content you've most willingly consumed. The mind is incessantly thinking 24/7, it never stops. It drags you into its each and every thought. It's not really you thinking, you are being thought. "I want to change my awareness" - who does? The mind? It is not even you. You merely believe it to be yourself, and let yourself get dragged away by the thought. How do we stop this? There's only one way: surrender. Stop fighting. You cannot fight a shadow, you will only look like a fool. When you surrender, you go beyond and you re-realize yourself. Surrender. Surrender to however you are, whatever state you are in. Surrender to whatever is going on, whether you believe it to be good or bad, it does not matter, because it is the mind putting these labels on it. Stop chasing, because there is nothing that you need to achieve. Not even awareness, because you already are. There is no need to "go beyond the mind" because you already are beyond it. Do not try to intellectually understand this, just accept it, because it is truth. Your blood is flowing now, but your mind is not controlling that. What is? Awareness. You are already aware. So leave it. You are perfect as you are, perfection, godliness, divine.

Source

[pink-onyx-au]

Meet Pink Onyx!

As celebration for our 2000th follower, here is Onyx’s "Guide to the Crystal Gems" fanon entry!

Feel free to use this post as a FAQ and I will answer most-anything about the character for all to see!

Thank you everyone for your continued support! Much love! 🧡💕♥️

[whamcaked]

My personal Gemsona and original Steven Universe character, "Coral" Pearl! Decided to create some new art and a proper profile for her!

"Guide to the Crystal Gems" Bio template created by Beedalee-Art on DeviantArt: Steven Universe: Guide to Gemsonas (Bio Template)

[albaandbatty]

Carla Gugino and Gaite Jansen filming LEOPARD SKIN (2022)

[mazojo]

2022 Anime Recommendations

In no order in particular, anime I enjoyed that were aired in 2022 ^^

Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru

Spy x Family Part 1 & 2

Blue Lock

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Season 3

Cool Doji Danshi

Tiger & Bunny 2

Kaguya-sama: Love is War - Ultra Romantic

Heroine Tarumono! Kiraware Heroine to Naisho no Oshigoto

Fantasy Bishoujo Juniku Ojisan to

Sasaki to Miyano + OVA

The Little Lies We All Tell

The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting

Dr. Stone: Ryusui

[conejomermelada]

*Jumps into the Steven Universe Tumblr train several years later*

I now give you…

Lilac Pearl

Not my first gemsona but the first gemsona I post on Tumblr, since he’s based on myself he goes by he/him pronouns but doesn’t have a problem with getting called by any other pronouns.

[mystery-of-arkham-asylum]

A list of books I have read this year. Will reblog everytime I update as I read more. Doing this a a bit of fun and to hopefully motive myself to read a bit more like I used to.

(I would like to state that I do not share/approve of the views or opinions of a certain author on this list. I just enjoy the books and won't let some poor excuse of a human being ruin them for me.)

First time reading | Reread

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K.Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- J.K.Rowling

The Sheep-Pig - Dick King-Smith

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K.Rowling

Cirque Du Freak - Darren Shan

The Vampire's Assistant - Darren Shan

Tunnels of Blood - Darren Shan

The Tale of Peter Rabbit - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin - Beatrix Potter

The Tailor of Gloucester - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Benjamin Bunny - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Two Bad Mice - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of The Pie and The Patty-Pan - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher - Beatrix Potter

The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit - Beatrix Potter

The Story of Miss Moppet - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Tom Kitten - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or the Roly-Poly Pudding - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Ginger and Pickles - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Mrs Tittlemouse - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Mr. Tod - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Pigling Bland - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Little Pig Robinson - Beatrix Potter

Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes - Beatrix Potter

Celily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes - Beatrix Potter

Winnie-the-Pooh and some Bees - A.A.Milne

Pooh Goes Visiting & Pooh and Piglet nearly catch a Woozle - A.A.Milne

Owl becomes and author - A.A.Milne

Eeyore has a birthday - A.A.Milne

Kanga and Baby Roo Come to the Forest - A.A.Milne

An Expotition to the North Pole - A.A.Milne

Piglet is entirely surrounded by water - A.A.Milne

Christopher Robin gives a Party - A.A.Milne

Eeyore loses a tail - A.A.Milne

A House is Built at Pooh Corner - A.A.Milne

Tigger comes to the Forest - A.A.Milne

A Search is organdized - A.A.Milne

Tiggers don't climb trees - A.A.Milne

Rabbit has a busy day - A.A.Milne

Pooh invents a new game - A.A.Milne

Tigger is unbounced - A.A.Milne

Piglet does a very grand thing - A.A.Milne

Eeyore finds the Wolery - A.A.Milne

Christopher Robin and Pooh come to an enchanted place - A.A.Milne

Pooh's Poems - A.A.Milne

Christopher Robin returns to the Forest - David Benedictus

The Spelling Bee - David Benedictus

Rabbit organises almost everything - David Benedictus

It Stops raining for ever - David Benedictus

Pooh goes in search of honey - David Benedictus

Owl becomes an author - David Benedictus

Everybody learns something - David Benedictus

The Game of Cricket - David Benedictus

Tigger Dreams of Africa - David Benedictus

The Harvest Festival - David Benedictus

Yellow Submarine - The Beatles

The Answer - Rebecca Sugar

Guide to the Crystal Gems - Rebecca Sugar

Keep Beach City Weird - Matt Burnett and Ben Levin

Young Zaphod Plays It Safe - Douglas Adams

Vampire Mountain - Darren Shan

Trials of Death - Darren Shan

The Vampire Prince - Darren Shan

[acidheaddd]

Heads up the rest of this week and next week are gonna be a bit chaotic for me as my birthday is next Friday and I'll be helping Julie move on the weekend. I still am going through CC as well, so I haven't been in my Crain save in... weeks at this point. I dunno how much I'll be posting, but I'll try whenever I can. Just letting everyone know in case I don't get a chance to come on here and like and reply to things as I normally do!

[katvantassel]

Happy 9th aniversary to Emily giving us a guide on how to get through the holidays!

[spindashes]

jewel/rouge would be such a funny idea for crackship. like, obviously the whole “Rouge is a treasure hunter with a fondness for jewels. Jewel’s name is, well, Jewel.” But also the idea of Rouge flirting with someone who spends most of their time doing paperwork is really funny to me.

[puellamagi101]

Witchhunting

The method I’ve devised for witch hunting is the most reliable I’ve found. Sensing energy manually can be harder in bigger cities, as it gets disrupted by crowds and can be hard to sense or track unless you’re already quite close. Hunting witches, while they exist in the astral, does require literal legwork as you need to seek out their barriers, where the astral and material planes intersect. So put on some comfortable and practical clothes, keeping in mind that you could end up in a variety of out of the way places on your search.

Bring your phone as well for safety, witches are dangerous, but people you could find in their vicinity could provide a much more pressing danger to your physical form and your magic will be ineffective against the kinds of shady characters you could encounter in your search. 

There are hotspots for witch activity that are worth checking out, places where people go to commit suicide, hospitals or the center of disappearances and other tragedies. (Be mindful of your own safety when doing this!)

But if that is a loss, this is my go to method. 

As magical girls, we can sense the energies of a witch. Maybe a specific spot feels strange upon passing by, or you can more distinctly feel the negative energy emanating from the space. This is the barrier to the labyrinth, you can either connect to the space in person at the area, or connect remotely through the astral.

Then, once you've found the barrier, you need to enter the labyrinth. Sit by wherever the barrier is and begin to meditate. If it is not safe to sit for a potentially prolonged period of time, you will have to leave and find the witch again at a later date, likely through the astral. If it is safe to do so, however, sit down, get comfortable- maybe bring a cushion.

This next step is the same whether you're in person or not.

Focus on the point of contact, the area in which you sensed this energy until you can see a clear picture in your mind's eye of the sigil of the witch. Now, you can engage your henshin and enter the labyrinth as your magical girl form. Simply letting your astral body step through. From here, you can go off and fight the witch. All of this engagement takes place within this astral bubble, so your body will be left prone at the entrance while your astral body enters the labyrinth. 

While hunting witches, it's important to manage how much magic you're using and to think quickly. It is a fight after all and preliminary training is always a good idea. Your first labyrinth will always be overwhelming, so it's good to have a solid footing on your skills in that kind of environment.

Make sure, before the labyrinth and your place in the astral dissipates that you grab the grief seed and purify your soul gem. As when it disappears, as your focal point into the astral, your henshin and the grief seed will fade along with it. Those with more prominent witchsight will be able to collect and store grief seeds, but for most of us this isn’t an option. 

So I’ve briefly already touched on the fact that Witches exist solely within the astral plane, hidden away. It is important to note, that all magical girls will become witches, but not all witches were once magical girls. Most are built up negative energies given form and influence, but not all of them. So, what does this mean for you and I? As magical girls, we are destined to become witches. How can we become something that solely exists in the astral plane? 

For one, this does not kill us by default. It is more akin to a prolonged mental breakdown, and one can have awareness as a witch. What it means, is our astral and metaphysical form will permanently change to that of our form as a witch. It will separate from our conscious control to a degree and hide off in a labyrinth, while our bodies will continue on going about our day. Sounds pretty sweet, right? Unfortunately, that is not entirely the case. 

Our bodies and consciousness, whether during meditation, in our dreams, present in our bodies or if our despair led us to take our own lives and is separated fully, will become compelled to bring despair and ruin to those around us. For every person we’ve saved from a witch's influence during our time as magical girls, we will drag down and destroy in turn. Be it strangers or friends or family, the details do not matter to the universe’s equilibrium. 

In dreams, our witch form will wander and cause destruction and in our waking lives our bodies will become volatile, influenced by the new nature of our souls. Usually, the manifestation of this despair is dependent on our original temperament and what pushed us into becoming a witch. Our magic will change as well, flipping on its head to the abilities of a witch. Seeding despair with our magic, stealing energy and the like. Some will remain somewhat conscious and aware of their state, others will not realize what has happened to them, others will be dragged so deeply into their transformation that they become locked into the delusions of their own labyrinth. 

Frankly I don't have a clue what happens to the girls who get their witch forms destroyed.

Granted, take this information about our witch transformations with a grain of salt as it is information obtained from the incubator, so it might not be entirely accurate. 

Who knows we might just drop into a coma or die. Maybe that would be preferable, but ah well. Being meguka is suffering, after all. 

[littlemousejelly]

finished rereading row and once again i just need like. 1000 more pages of navani and raboniel doing science together

[geminison]

DEATH STRANDING IS A STEALTH GAME?? *surprised Pikachu face of a guy who forgot for a minute who's the man behind the wheel*

[bitchapalooza]

Honestly don’t get why other people are laughing at what kind of made my day yesterday; this mom asked me to wipe the table for her and I said sure! Of course! So I got to spraying and was about to wipe it down when her little boy who was playing on the phone went “now lick it up!” And giggled. It goofy, it was cute, he was being a little silly. Everyone at the table including me laughed. Then as his dad was putting the tray of food down on the table he went “thank you grandma-mama!” Again, it was really cute! He was being a silly kid! I laughed again along with the rest. It was most I had laughed at work because of guests in a bit(except for the old lady in the ECV who ran into the steel table and drove it nearly to the middle flowerbed; now THAT SHIT was hilarious!). Like??? The kid was just being a silly little kid and I thought it was adorable!

[gemwolfz]

ive got a critical case of sleepy bitch disease today, can i interest you in gay people and other assorted frogs