Peaceful Nature

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[Click image above to go to full sized image.]

My tutorials presume that you have a working knowledge of Paint Shop Pro. This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tube... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

This tutorial was written on February 25, 2010 using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X2, from Corel.

You will also need:

Animation Shop. This is now a pay-for product, through Corel. That changed a while ago. I don't know why!!

A tube of choice. I'm using the artwork of Angie Monasterio. You must have a license to use her artwork. You may get that license and art at C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit is by Heike, of Fantasy Dreams Designz. This is a FTU kit, called "Natural." Leave some love for Heike for her lovely freebies!!

Filters: dsb Flux > Bright Noise

Font: I'm using GoodVibrationsROB Script.

Supplies: The mask, which you can find here. This mask was shared with me by Nik, in a Yahoo group that was hers, about five years ago. There is a similar-looking group that you could find here. I've just joined, and she's given permission! She also asked for me to mention her site, Nik's Nik Naks.

But let's get this puppy done!

Open a new canvas, 700 x 700, white.

Begin with your tube. Copy and add as a new layer.

Creating this frame took me quite some fiddling, so I do hope I've captured every step! Let's try....

Open Element64. Resize 85%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Kind-of put it in the bottom left corner of your canvas. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Merge these two layers down. Duplicate this layer. Image > Flip. Merge these two layers down.

Now, resize the whole thing by 85% again. I *think* that's how I got to how it looks now. If I missed a step along the way, I have faith that y'all will fiddle with it 'til it looks right. I'm sorry if I'm letting you down on this one. It's just that I had to keep making it and then deleting, then making and deleting, to find the right look. By the time I had it, I couldn't recall how, exactly, I'd gotten it.

In your layer palette, drag this layer below your tube layer. Resize, position, and drop shadow your tube layer to your taste.

Remain on your tube layer.

Since the frame we just created is soft and complex.... the normal rules don't apply. So I took my lasso tool, set on freehand, feather at 10, and drew a smile-type selection at the bottom of my tube.



Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Open Element59. Resize 85%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Duplicate this layer. Image > Flip. Merge these two layers down. Drop shadow. In your layer palette, this should be just above your frame.

Open Elements5 & 6. Resize 40%. Copy Element6 and paste as a new layer. Position at the bottom left corner of the tag. Drop shadow.

Copy Element 5 and paste as a new layer. Rotate 90° left. Position next to the first flower. See my example for placement reference, if you like. Drop shadow.

Copy both flower layers and Image > Mirror, Image > Flip on them both. Rotate these flowers 45° right. Arrange on the top right corner of the frame.

You can now merge down the flower layers if you like. It's not necessary. I don't know if you like a clean palette or not!

Open Element7. Resize 30%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position at the bottom left, above the two flowers already there. Drop shadow.

Open Element51. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. I added the following bevel:



Hit okay.

Arrange this so that it looks as though it's falling from behind the top set of flowers. Drop shadow.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open Paper23. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply your mask. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group.

Resize your mask layer by 95%.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color #eee4da as the fill, #6c6246 as the stroke, stroke set at 1.5.

I added the following bevel (not the same as above, but almost):



Hit okay.

Drop shadow your name. Arrange your name as you'd like it.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you are comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, you're now done, and you can merge your layers and save!


A N I M A T I O N


At this point, you *could* merge down your Element59 and your mask layer if you like. I didn't do that, only because I didn't know beforehand that I was going to apply the filter to both layers until I'd already just done one of them. So I don't know if it's going to change the look of the tag or not. I'm writing this as I *did* it, not necessarily the easiest way. LOL! Just a warning.

Highlight your Element59 layer. Duplicate this layer twice, for a total of three Element59 layers.

Now highlight your bottom Element59 layer.

Effects > Plug-ins > dsb Flux > Bright Noise with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Highlight the middle Element59 layer.

Add Bright Noise again, and click on the "mix" tab a couple times.

Hit okay.

Highlight the top Element59 layer.

Add Bright Noise once more, again clicking "mix" a couple times.

Hit okay.

Close out your top two Element59 layers, leaving the bottom layer open.

Now!!

Highlight your mask layer. Duplicate this layer twice, for a total of three mask layers.

Now highlight your bottom mask layer.

Effects > Plug-ins > dsb Flux > Bright Noise with the same settings as before.



Hit okay.

Highlight the middle mask layer.

Add Bright Noise again, and click on the "mix" tab a couple times.

Hit okay.

Highlight the top mask layer.

Add Bright Noise once more, again clicking "mix" a couple times.

Hit okay.

Close out your top two mask layers, leaving the bottom layer open.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Open Animation Shop. Right-click on the desktop area and paste as a new animation.

Return to PSP. Close out your bottom Element59 AND mask layers, and open the middle layers on both.

Edit > Copy merged.

Back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP. Close out the middle layers of both the Element59 and the mask, and open the top layers.

Edit > Copy merged.

Again, back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

View > Animation.

There you go! Another completed tag! I'm sorry for the hassle in the animation. If you did it the easier way, could you tell me if it looks any different at all? I bet it doesn't!! I hope you enjoyed it.

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Kiss Me I'm Irish (again)

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[Click image above to go to full sized image.]

This tutorial was written on February 24, 2010 using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X2, from Corel.

This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tube... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

You will also need:

Animation Shop. This is now a pay-for product, through Corel. That changed a while ago. I don't know why!!

A tube of your choice. As it turns out, I did a tutorial last year with this same name, and lo, and behold! I used the same tube! Weird. Anyway, I'm using the artwork of Suzanne Richards. You must have a license to use her work. You may get that license and her art at C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit I used is by Doris, of Scraps Dimensions. This is a FTU kit, called "Cead Mile Failte." I have no idea what that means. I tried several on-line translators without success.

While waiting for your download, leave Doris some love for all her great work for this community. On her new blog header, it says "Freebies made with Love." I'm sure she'd appreciate a comment!!

Filters: dsb Flux > Bright Noise [NOTE: If you are not using a tube with a mug of beer, you won't (in all probability) be needing this filter.]

Font: I used Celtic Script.

Supplies: Are located here. There is the mask, by Becky, and the sparkle used, which is by Yoka -- who used to be quite active online but I tried to search for her and could not find her. Thank you to both Becky and Yoka for all they contributed to the PSP community in the past.

Okay then, let's begin! This basic tut is quick-n-easy. The animation is a lot of steps, if you've got beer to sparkle. LOL!

Open your supplies in PSP and minimize. You could also file them in the appropriate PSP files on your computer for use at a later date.

Open a new canvas, 700 x 750, white.

Open FRAME 2. Resize 65%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Add your tube. Resize, position, and drop shadow to your taste.

Highlight your frame layer. Grab your magic wand, and click inside the frame.

Selections > Modify > Expand by 1. Selections > Invert.

Highlight your tube layer. Grab your eraser brush, and erase any of your tube that you don't want overlapping the frame in any way.

Selections > Select None.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open PAPER 5. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply your mask. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group. I moved my mask layer JUST A BIT. I just didn't like how it looked in its original position. I don't know if that is just me or not, but know you can do that if you want.

Open "PotOfGoldSampler." Resize 40%. Copy and paste as a new layer. With my tube, I wanted the strings of her bow to "float" over the gold, so in my layer palette, I put mine between the frame and tube layers, to the left of the frame. Drop shadow.

Open GLASS CLOVER 3. Resize 35%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Place where you'd like it on the frame, as if it's dangling there. Drop shadow.

Open WA 1. Resize 25%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 25° right. Position where you'd like it. Mine is to the right of the bottom of the frame. Drop shadow.

Drop shadow your frame layer.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color #fbe260 for the fill, color #013d01 for the stroke, stroke set at 2.

I added the following bevel:



Hit okay.

Drop shadow your name.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you are comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, you're now done, and you can merge your layers and save!


A N I M A T I O N


If you're using a tube with a beer mug, this animation goes in two steps. Well, two steps that take some more sub-steps! LOL! First, we'll work on the pot o' gold sparkles.

Open the Yoka star file included with the supplies. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position over a portion of your gold coins.

Do this again, three more times, for a total of four sparkle layers. Place them randomly over the gold. Label them, if you like, sparkle 1, sparkle 2, etc.

If you do not have a mug of beer in your tube, the following doesn't apply. If you do, then....

Highlight your tube layer. Zoom in a BUNCH, focusing on the mug of beer.

Grab your selection tool, set on point-to-point, and carefully draw a selection around the liquid part of the beer (as opposed to the foam). Once the selection has been completed, you can zoom back to normal size.

Duplicate this layer three times, for a total of four tube layers.

Effects > Plug-ins > dsb Flux > Bright Noise with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Highlight the next tube layer up.

Add Bright Noise again, this time clicking on "mix" once or twice.

Hit okay.

Highlight the next tube layer up.

Add Bright Noise once more, clicking on "mix" a couple times again.

Now, highlight the top tube layer.

Add Bright Noise the last time, clicking "mix" a couple times again.

Hit okay.

Selections > Select None.

Close out your top three layers in each group (the sparkles and the Bright Noise), leaving the bottom two layers open.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Open Animation Shop. Right-click on the desktop area and paste as a new animation.

Return to PSP. Close out your bottom layer in each group, and open the next layers up.

Edit > Copy merged.

Back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP. Close out the layers just used, and open the next layers up, in both groups.

Edit > Copy merged.

Again, back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Back to PSP one last time! Close out the open layers in both groups, and open the top layers in each.

Edit > Copy merged.

Finally, back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Edit > Select All.

Right-click on the top bar of your animation, choose "Frame Properties," and change this number to 30.

View > Animation.

If you don't like the look of your animation, whether it be because the beer isn't sparkling right, or your sparkles aren't in the right order on the pot of gold, change things around until you like them. To make the beer fizz like normal, you would NOT change the Frame Properties to 30, but then the sparkles would be WAY too fast. So fiddle with things. It's okay to do -- just time consuming!

View > Animation again!

Et, voila! We've finished another! LOL! I appreciate so much that you like my tuts. Leave a shout out if you're feeling chatty!!

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I Enjoy Being A Girl

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[Click image above to go to full sized image.]

This tutorial was written on February 23, 2010 using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X2, from Corel.

This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tube... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

You will also need:

Animation Shop. This is now a pay-for product, through Corel. That changed a while ago. I don't know why!!

A tube of your choice. I'm using the artwork of Alayna Magnan. You will need a license to use her art. That license & art may be found at My PSP Tubes.

The scrap kit is by Clarey. This is a PTU kit, which she made back in November, as a matter of fact. It can be found at Clarey's Designz Digital Scrapbook Shoppe. The kit is called "It Girl," and is available for $3.00 USD!!

Now, if you go to Clarey's blog, and go straight to her announcement of the kit, you will also find there a couple of freebies: An alpha, which I used in this tutorial, and a double frame, which I did not.

Filters: No outside filters used in this tutorial!

Font: I used the free alpha supplied by Clarey on her blog.

Supplies: You may find here. This file includes another great mask by Becky, and the music notes used in the tag. I don't know from where I got the music notes, so if you know, or they are yours, let me know, and I'll give you proper credit! I thank you both for your contributions!!

Let's try this puppy!! It's pretty much a cut-n-paste tut, so it shouldn't be much of a problem!

Open your supplies in PSP and minimize. You could also file them in the appropriate PSP files on your computer for use at a later date.

Open a new canvas, 750 x 700, white.

Open your tube and add it as a new layer. Resize, position, and drop shadow to your taste. I realize, since this is the first addition, positioning isn't permanent at this point! It sure wasn't for me!

The following elements/layers can be done in any sequence, and placed in any way you prefer in relation to your tube. I'm just giving you the way I completed mine, okay?

Open eyeshadow. Resize 65%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 25° left. Position as you like. I put mine to the left of my tube, a bit below. Drop shadow.

Open stereo. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position as you like. I put mine to the right of my tube, also a bit below. Drop shadow.

Open the Music Doodles included in the supplies. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position a bit above the stereo. Rotate 20° right. Drop shadow.

Open mascara. Resize 65%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position where you like. I put mine toward the top, on the right side of the tube, again -- a bit lower in the layer palette. Drop shadow.

Open headphones. Resize 45%. Rotate 35% left. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position as you like it. I put mine to the top left of my tube, again, lower in the layer palette than the tube. Drop shadow.

Open handbag. Resize 65%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 20° right. In the layer palette, this one's above the tube, toward the bottom middle. Drop shadow.

Open lipstick. Copy and paste as a new layer. This one is not resized nor rotated! Position where you like. Mine is a bit to the left, above the handbag. Drop shadow.

Highlight the white background layer.

Open paper5. Resize to 750x700 pixels. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply your mask. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group.

Duplicate your mask layer. Merge these two layers down.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used Clarey's freebie alpha to go with this kit.

Open the alpha you wish to use (if using one! lol!). One by one, using your selection tool set on rectangle, draw a small rectangular selection around each letter you need for your tag. Edit > Copy. Then back to your tag and Edit > Paste as a new layer. Position where you'd like your name to be on your tag. Go back to your alpha and Edit > Undo Selection. Then go to your next letter and do the same thing, and so on.

When done, merge down all your letter layers for your name.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you are comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, you're now done, and you can merge your layers and save!


A N I M A T I O N


Highlight your name layer. Duplicate this layer twice, for a total of three name layers.

Now highlight your bottom name layer.

Adjust > Add/Remove Noise > Add Noise with the following settings:



Hit okay.

[Please Note: There is no "a" in the example, because at first, I had the "a" in "Clarey" positioned right below the tube's hand. So I saved the letters together in one layer that were above the hand, and did a separate animation on the "a." I know, it's a bit OCD, but that's why!]

Highlight the middle name layer.

Add Noise again, this time changing the setting to 45.

Hit okay.

Highlight the top name layer.

Add Noise once more, this time changing the setting to 50.

Hit okay.

Now, drop shadow your name, all three layers.

Close out your top two name layers, leaving the bottom layer open.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Open Animation Shop. Right-click on the desktop area and paste as a new animation.

Return to PSP. Close out your bottom name layer, and open the middle layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

Back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP. Close out the middle name layer, and open the top name layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

Again, back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

View > Animation.

There you go! Done with yet another masterpiece! LOL! Thanks for choosing to do one of my tutorials! I appreciate it so much!

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Sparkly Sweet

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[Click image above to go to full sized image.]

This tutorial was written on February 22, 2010 using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X2, from Corel.

This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tube... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

You will also need:

Animation Shop. This is from now a pay-for product, through Corel. That changed a while ago. I don't know why!!

A tube of your choice. I'm using the artwork of Elias Chatzoudis. You will need a license to use his art. That license & art may be found at My PSP Tubes.

The scrap kit is by Bel Vidotti, and is available exclusively at Galeria Free! This kit is called "Sweet Rose" Leave some love for this collaboration of talent!! Lots of free stuff available there!

Filters: Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow, Eye Candy 4000 > Bevel Boss, VM Natural > Sparkle

Font: I used Berthold Script BQ.

Supplies: Just the mask used, which can be found here. This is a Becky Mask. Becky has departed the PSP scene, but I do greatly thank her for her contributions while she was here!

Let's do it!!

Open a new canvas, 750 x 700, white.

Open Elemento64. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Effects > Plug-ins > Mura's Meister > Copies.

The following actual settings are different than the numbers I've typed in. That's because after starting this tag, I decided that the resulting frame should be rotated 90° either way. This could be done more easily by just using different settings in Copies. So, the settings you should use to get the up-and-down frame are typed in by me:



Hit okay.

Add your tube. Resize, position, and drop shadow to your taste.

I didn't want all of the bottom of my tube to disappear, and it was made so intricately that I couldn't, without much time and patience, get the exact result I wanted. So I opted for this. If you want to get a feathered out look on the bottom of your tube, then grab your lasso tool, set on freehand, feather 15, and draw a smile-looking freehand selection at the bottom of your tube.



I had to do this about five times to get it right for me. Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open Papel10. Resize to 750 x 700 pixels. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply your mask. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group.

Now, I had problems, also, with this next embellishment!! LOL! So...

Open Elemento14. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize again, 85%. And again, 95%. There! In your layer palette, drag this below your mask layer.

I did the following on the top layer. I find it easier to do this way.

Open Elemento30. Resize 57%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate left 45°. Move this up a bit on your canvas. Position where you'd like it. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Image > Flip. Position this layer lower than middle. Position where you'd like it. See my example for placement reference, if you'd like. Merge these two layers down.

Add the following bevel to these beads:



Hit okay.

Add a small drop shadow. In your layer palette, this layer should be above your mask.

Open Elemento04. Resize 15%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position where you'd like it on your tag. I chose the bottom right area of the canvas. See my example for placement reference, if you like. Drop shadow this rose.

Open Elemento02. Resize 10%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position this somehow in combination with the previous rose. Drop shadow.

Open Elemento12. Resize 7%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position this to the right side, but below the first rose. Drop shadow. Duplicate this layer and Image > Mirror. Bring this one back to the second rose, on its left side, and below. You can merge these two layers down if you like.

Open Elemento57. Resize 10%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position where you'd like it. I had it a few places, until I decided to put it just above the first rose. You choose your place! Drop shadow your butterfly.

Be sure you're on the top and add your name. I used color #f5cbdd as the fill and stroke, stroke set at 1.5.

Effects > Plug-ins > Eye Candy 4000 > Bevel Boss with the following setting:



Hit okay.

Now this is the only setting I played with in Bevel Boss. Perhaps you have different settings elsewhere on yours, I don't know. But this is, like I said, the only thing I set on mine.

Effects > Plug-ins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set on 4-0-100, color #772a5f.

Drop shadow your name. Arrange your name as you'd like it.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you are comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, you're now done, and you can merge your layers and save!


A N I M A T I O N


Highlight your Elemento64 layer (the frame we made in Copies). Duplicate this layer twice, for a total of three frame layers.

Now highlight your bottom frame layer.

I suspect this next filter does not re-adjust itself back to any default settings between uses. This first setting could just be what I last used, I don't know. So I'm not sure if it's important which settings your start with first. lol.

Effects > Plug-ins > VM Natural > Sparkle with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Highlight your middle frame layer.

Add Sparkle again, this time moving your "size" and "random" seed settings to something different.

Usually I say that you can watch your choices in the preview window as you change your sliders in this filter. Unfortunately, with this particular choice of element to which you're adding sparkle, it makes it difficult if not impossible to see the changes. So I was going blind on this one. I'm telling you this just in case you're not feeling quite adept at what you're doing. When I put this in Animation Shop the first time, the results I got from these changes were awful. I went back to PSP and did "Undo" about 15 times to re-apply, again blindly, to get a different result. So don't feel blind! It's just the qualities of this particular element!

Hit okay.

Highlight the top frame layer.

Add Sparkle once more, again moving the "size" and "random seed" settings to something different.

Hit okay.

Now, with Sparkle, I always (yes, always) go back and repeat on all three layers, so I'll get more sparkle. So go back to the bottom and start all over again, applying Sparkle to all three layers and changing the settings (blindly lol) as you go.

Close out your top two frame layers, leaving the bottom frame layer open.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Open Animation Shop. Right-click on the desktop area and paste as a new animation.

Return to PSP. Close out your bottom frame layer, and open the middle layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

Back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP. Close out the middle frame layer, and open the top frame layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

Again, back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Edit > Select All.

Right click on the top bar of your animation, and choose "Frame Properties." Change this number to 30.

View > Animation.

There you go! Another completed tag! I do hope your sparkles came out right the first time!! And as always, I hope you enjoyed it. I'd love to see your results! Or to hear from you in my shout box! Thank you for doing my tut, and have a lovely rest of your day!

.

Pot O' Gold & Some Beer

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[Click image above to go to full sized image.]

This tutorial was written on February 20, 2010 using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X2, from Corel.

This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tube... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

You will also need:

A tube of your choice. A sitting tube might be best, but is not required. I'm using the artwork of Tom Hoover. You must have a license to use his art. You may obtain that license and his art from My PSP Tubes.

The scrap kit was done by Cora, again. This was a PTU kit last year, which she is now offering as a FTU. So I thought I'd take advantage of that for you! This one is called Just My Luck. Be sure to thank her! Leave a little love for the freebie!

Supplies: Okay, in the file, found here, you will find a mug of green beer, a mug of regular beer, some word art, and my favorite mask. I don't know anything about the mugs of beer nor the mask. BUT! The word art was done by Melissa, of Sentimental Style. Back when I got this particular word art, she was "Scrappy Expressions," and I can't find anything that old on this blog. She's also seemingly lost her mojo (and her PC), which is a shame. But I thank you SO much, Melissa, for all the enjoyment you've given me over the years!!

Filters: Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow

Font: I used Brahn Mufun.

The map I got from iStock Photo. This will cost money, to get this particular map. I used to be at StockXpert.com, but they closed up and transferred my credits to iStock Photo. If you go for it, I'll make your search easier than mine was - whew! The image is called "Mid-Victorian map of Ireland." Good luck!

Now, let's try this, shall we??!

Open your supplies in PSP and minimize. Alternatively, you could place them in your PSP folders for future use.

Open a new canvas, 750 x 700, white.

Open irish-ale. Resize 200%. Adjust > Sharpness > Sharpen. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position where you think this will go. I moved stuff all over in this one, so just put it someplace! LOL! Drop shadow.

Add your tube. Resize, position and drop shadow to your taste.

Open pot-o-gold. Resize 250%. Adjust > Sharpness > Sharpen. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position this wherever you'd like it. Drop shadow.

Open Rainbow. Copy and paste as a new layer. In your layer palette, drag this down so it will be behind both your tube and your pot of gold, and position it so that it appears to end at the gold, like the legend says.

Open both the beer mugs that came in the supplies. Resize them both 50%. Mirror one of them. Place them where you'd like them on your tag. Drop shadow both.

Open the word art included with the suppies. Resize 85%. Copy and paste as a new layer. I gave this a gradient glow of 5-0-100 in white. Then I drop shadowed both directions set at 3, the opacity at 40 and the blur also at 3.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open pp10. Resize to 750x700 pixels. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply your mask. Delete the mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group.

Now, apply your mask again on the same layer. Delete, answer, and merge.

If you were able to locate a map of Ireland or something like it, this is where you'll copy and paste it as a new layer. This should be just above the paper layer.

Grab your pick tool



And pull the top, bottom and sides until you have the map filling your entire canvas as you'd like it to.

Apply your mask to this layer, as well. Twice!

Go to the top layer and add your name. I used color #04561e as the fill and black as the stroke. Stroke set at 1.

I added the following bevel:



Hit okay.

Effects > Plug-ins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set at 3-0-100, color white.

Drop shadow your name.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you're comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

Layers > Merge > and save! We are done!

And there it is! Another finished tag! I hope you liked this tutorial, and I thank you SO much for choosing to work with it!!

.

At One With Nature

.



[Click image above to go to full sized image.]

This tutorial was written on February 19, 2010, using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X2, from Corel.

This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone may not beusing the same tube... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

You will also need:

Animation Shop. This is from CNET, so it's a safe download. However, it costs. That changed pretty recently. I don't know why!!

A tube of your choice. I used the cute-n-sexy artwork of Dominic Marco. You must have a license to use his art. You may obtain that license and his art from C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit is by Cora, from Pimp'd Designz 4 Taggers. This is a FTU kit, called Carefree. PLEASE leave some love and appreciation to Cora for the freebie!! She used to do them a lot more. I'd like to see her do that again!

Supplies: I'm supplying the mask, about which I know nothing except that I love it! If it's yours, let me know so that I may give you props!! I'm also supplying the animated butterflies. Another file picked up along the way, no idea who made it. I've revised it a bit for this tutorial. If these butterflies are yours, then YOU let me know, too! I'd like to give credit where it's due! Thank you ladies, whomever you are! You can get these files here!

Royalty-free stock photo came from iStock.

Filters: Mura's Meister > Copies, Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow

Font: I used Neville Script.

Okay, let's get this started! This is a pretty "fiddly" tag. There's a lot of this-n-that going on. Please bear with me!

Open the mask in PSP and minimize. Alternatively, you can file it with the rest of your PSP masks, for future use! File the butterflies animation to where it will be handy when we get to Animation Shop.

Open a new image, 750 x 700, white.

Open stitching-01 (frame). Copy and paste as a new layer.

Add your tube. Resize, position and drop shadow to your liking.

Figure out how you may be aligning these two parts of your tag. I wanted my frame and tube to be on opposite sides of the canvas. You may want something different.

Open flower-04. Resize 37%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Effects > Plug-ins > Mura's Meister > Copies with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Move this circle of flowers over so that it is directly over the frame. The frame is quite erratic, so it's not going to be perfect. As a matter of fact, the flower isn't perfect, either! Go figure with Mother Nature!

Drop shadow the flowers.

Open greens-02. Resize 37%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Effects > Plug-ins > Mura's Meister > Copies with the following settings:



Hit okay.

In your layer palette, this layer should be below the flowers layer and above the frame layer. In other words, in the middle. LOL!

Drop shadow the circle of greens.

You'll notice that now, there's a circle of stems sticking out under your flowers. To rid yourself of these will take zooming in and selecting a circle around the greens, so....

Grab your lasso tool, set on point-to-point, and carefully draw a circle around the frame layers. You don't have to be *real* picky on this part.

It's not REAL easy to see, but here's how mine turned out:



Highlight your greens layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Now, find yourself a photo that you'd like to use with whatever theme or concept you've imagined for your tag.

Copy and paste your photo as a new layer. Mine was wide but not tall enough, so I resized it a bit until it would all fit into the circle. Position the photo so the part that you want will be showing from within the frames.

In your layer palette, this photo layer should be below all the other layers, just above the white background layer.

This is almost a repeat, but a bit different due to how erratic the "stitching-01" frame layer is.

Grab your lasso tool, set on point-to-point, and carefully draw a circle around the "stitching-01" frame layer. You can see as you go how erratic this is as a frame, so choose wisely as you go!

When done, be sure you're on the photo layer.

Selections > Invert. Hit delete. Selection > Select None.

Whew! Glad that part's done!

Highlight the white background layer.

Open pp-02. Resize to 750x700 pixels. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Now, I colorized mine, to have it blend more easily with the photo I'd chosen. The settings I used were:



Hit okay.

Open grass. Copy and paste as a new layer. For my purposes, I wanted the grass in the foreground, so I put this as the top layer. In order to have it blend well with the rest of the tag, I colorized it with the following settings:



I took that color from the leaves in the "greens-02" layer. Hit okay, if you're following me...

Duplicate your grass layer, and place each layer to the sides, so it covers the entire width of the tag. You'll find there is a darker area at the corner of the new layer. Grab you select tool, set on rectangle, and draw a little rectangle around that darker area. Hit delete. Selections > Select None. Merge these two layers down.

Now, I wanted the grass to cover a larger (higher) area on the bottom, so I duplicated that grass layer a couple of times and positioned them a bit higher, one after the other. If you do this as well, you'll notice that the bottom of each layer is darker, as well. Do the same thing you did before with your rectangular selection tool and hit delete, then select none. Like so:



Another thing I found different in this tag is that it looked better (IMO) if I put the newer layers of grass, in the layer palette, below the first one. When you're done duplicating and positioning your grass layers, merge them all down to one layer.

Highlight your pp-02 layer.

Apply your mask. Delete the mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group.

Highlight your grass layer.

Apply your mask again. Delete the mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group.

I found I liked the color better on both of these layers when I duplicated them. I duplicated the masked grass layer about three times, and merged them down. I then duplicated the paper layer twice. This is up to you!
Go to your top layer to add your name. I used color #f5d284 for the fill and stroke, stroke set at 2.

Effects > Plug-ins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set at 5-25-100, color #67804c.

I added the following bevel:



Hit okay.

Drop shadow your name.

I rotated the name 25° left.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, you're done! Merge your layers and save!! Congrats!


A N I M A T I O N

Edit > Copy merged

Open Animation Shop, right-click on the desktop area and paste as a new animation.

Duplicate this frame until you have a total of 8 frames. Move your slider at the bottom back to the first frame.

Locate and open your butterflies animation. Edit > Select All. Edit > Copy

Return to your animation that you're building and Edit > Select All. Edit > Paste into Selected Frame.

Hover your mouse over the area you would like your butterflies to be. Release the mouse button.

Edit > Select All.

Right-click on the top bar of your tag and choose "Frame Properties." Change this number to 23.

Animation > Resize Animation. Resize your tag to a size with which you are comfortable.

View > Animation. Save as .gif and, again! We are done!! Thanks for taking it on! I hope you enjoy your results!


.

Irish Bling II

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[Click image above to go to full sized image.]

This tutorial was written on February 17, 2010, using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X2, from Corel.

This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tube... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

You will also need:

Animation Shop. This is from CNET, so it's a safe download. However, it costs. That changed a bit ago. I don't know why!!

A tube of your choice. I'm using the artwork of Bam Bam. You must have a license to use his work. You can get that license and art at My PSP Tubes.

The scrap kit is once again by the very talented and prolific Sylvie, of Fantasy Moments. This is a FTU kit called "St. Patty." Leave a "thank you" for her where it has room for comments!!

Filters: Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow

Font: I used Script-P720-Swashes.

Supplies: May be found here. This includes the mask, which appears to have been made by the wonderful Sugar. She was quite prolific in her PSP days, but disappeared about two years ago. I hope you're doing well, Sugar, and know you are missed! The bling is also supplied in this file. This was done by Roberta. Roberta almost started the bling fling single-handedly! But it was soon taken up by many more. I don't know where Roberta's gone, but she, also, is truly missed. Thank you, legendary ladies, for sharing your talent with us while you were around!!

Okay, here we go!

Open your mask and minimize in PSP. Alternatively, you could save it in with those already in your masks file, for use at a later date! Put Roberta's bling where it will be handy when you get into Animation Shop.

Open a new canvas, 800 x 700, white.

Open Element-78. Resize 90%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position to your liking. Mine is on the right portion of the canvas. See my example for placement reference.

Open Element-50. Resize 87%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position directly over the previous frame.

Merge the two frame layers down.

Add your tube. Resize, position, and drop shadow to your taste.

Highlight your frames layer. Grab your magic wand and click inside the frames. Selections > Modify > Expand by 1. Selections > Invert.

Highlight your tube layer.

Grab your eraser brush and erase any part of your tube that you don't want overlapping the sides and/or the bottom of your frames.

Selections > Select None.

Drop shadow your frames layer.

Open Element-54. Resize 57%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position as you'd like it. Mine is on the left portion of the canvas. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow.

Open Element-72. Resize 20%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position at the very top of the hanger that holds the banner. Drop shadow.

Open Element-44. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position kind-of between the frames and the banner, toward the middle of the canvas. Drop shadow.

Open Element-19. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position close to the green pot o' gold, in the front. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow.

Open Element-60. Resize 35%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 25° right. Position in the front. Drop shadow.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open Paper-18. Resize to 800x700 pixels. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply your mask. Delete the mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color #007d00 as the fill and the stroke, stroke set on 2.

Effects > Plug-ins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set on 3-0-100, color black.

I added the following bevel:



Hit okay.

Drop shadow your name.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you are comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, you're now done, and you can merge your layers and save!


A N I M A T I O N


Layers > View > None.

Open the bottom two layers. This should be your mask layer and the white background layer.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Open Animation Shop. Right-click on the desktop area, and paste as a new animation.

Duplicate this frame until you have a total of 21 frames.

Drag your slider on the bottom back to the first frame.

Locate and open the shamrock bling I included in the supplies. Delete frame 1 (this should be the black frame). You should now have 21 frames.

Edit > Select All.

Animation > Reverse Frames.

Edit > Select All. Edit > Copy.

Return to the white & green animation you have just built.

Edit > Select All. Edit > Paste > Into Selected frame.

Hover your mouse until you have the shamrock placed where you'd like it. This is a tricky thing here. I had to do it about four or five times, undoing the paste and redoing the paste until I had it where I wanted it. When you find it, HOORAY!!

Return back to PSP.

Layers > View > All.

Close out the mask and white background layers.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Return to Animation Shop. Right-click on the desktop area, and paste as a new animation.

Duplicate this frame until you have a total of 21 frames.

Drag your slider on the bottom back to the first frame.

Edit > Select All. Edit > Copy.

Return back to the main animation, where you've just pasted your shamrock bling.

Edit > Select All. Edit > Paste Into Selected Frame.

Hover your mouse until you have your tag situated just right. Then release your mouse button.

View > Animation.

If you don't like the placement of your bling, you can Edit > Undo and then redo until placed to your liking.

Et, voila! We're done! I hope you're happy with your results! And thanks for stopping by!

.

An Irish Blessing

.


[Click image above to go to full sized image.]

This tutorial was written on February 15, 2010 using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X2, from Corel.

This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tube... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

You will also need:

Animation Shop. This is from now a pay-for product, through Corel. That changed a while ago. I don't know why!!

A tube of your choice. I'm using the artwork of Scott Blair. You will need a license to use his art. That license & art may be found at My PSP Tubes.

The scrap kit is by Artmama, of Artmama's Studio. This is a FTU kit, called Feeling Lucky. This is part of a blog train, so go ahead and pick up more if you're feeling like it. But be SURE to leave Artmama some love!!

Filters: Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow

Font: I used CelticMD.

Supplies: NO outside supplies used in this tutorial!

Let's do it!! This one turned out a bit differently for me. I'm not sure I like it. But let's get it done!

Open a new canvas, 700 x 700, white.

Open embellie 29. (This is the background.) Copy and paste as a new layer. Give it a small drop shadow.

Add your tube. Resize, position, and drop shadow to your taste.

Open embellie 13. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position where you'd like it, in relation to your tube's placement. I duplicated this twice, to get it darker. Merged those layers down. Then resized 110%. Give this a slight drop shadow as well.

Open embellie 01. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 25° left. Drop shadow.

Open embellie 05. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position as you'd like it. Drop shadow.

Open embellie 33. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 120%. If you're following all my placements, then place this in the middle, but more to the left, so the left arm of the cross is *just* overlapping the embellie 01.

Duplicate this layer. In the layer palette, drag this layer below the embellie 01 layer. Drop shadow.

Now, go to the top clover/cross (embellie 33) layer. Grab your selection tool and crop off the bottom of the cross. This is to make it look like the left arm of the clover/cross is above the patch, for lack of a better term, and the bottom of it is below. Gosh, I hope I'm explaining this right!

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color #458237 as the fill, and black as the stroke, stroke set at 1.

Effects > Plug-ins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set on 4-0-100, color #c0c0c0.

Drop shadow your name. Arrange your name as you'd like it.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you are comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, you're now done, and you can merge your layers and save!


A N I M A T I O N


Highlight your embellie 29 layer (the background). Duplicate this layer twice, for a total of three embellie 29 layers.

Now highlight your bottom embellie 29 layer.

Adjust > Add/Remove Noise > Add Noise with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Highlight the middle embellie 29 layer.

Add Noise again, this time changing the setting to 50.

Hit okay.

Highlight the top embellie 29 layer.

Add Noise once more, this time changing the setting to 40.

Hit okay.

Close out your top two embellie 29 layers, leaving the bottom layer open.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Open Animation Shop. Right-click on the desktop area and paste as a new animation.

Return to PSP. Close out your bottom embellie 29 layer, and open the middle layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

Back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP. Close out the middle embellie 29 layer, and open the top embellie 29 layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

Again, back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

View > Animation.

There you go! Another completed tag! I hope you enjoyed it. I'd love to see your results! Or to hear from you in my shout box! Thank you for doing my tut, and have a lovely rest of your day!

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Terms of Use

.
Two things happened today, February 15, 2010, that have led me to the decision that although I don't, for the most part, use things of my own to create my tutorials, I do need to include a Terms of Use policy on my blog.

This posting is duplicated on my side column, right under my blinkie, which is right under my profile. I thought I should state this in a post, with a label "Terms of Use," for those who might search for such a thing when here.

Groups and sites that are 100% copyright compliant may link to my tutorials if they like. I'm very flattered when I'm asked about this and very excited to be included in groups' activities.

I was asked permission today to include a link to one of my tutorials, and an example of said tutorial was attached with the inquiry. This example had no artist's credit listed. This led me to inspect the group itself. MANY examples of not being copyright compliant were present. I had to refuse permission for that group to link to my tutorials.

The other thing that led me to this decision is that someone looked specifically for my TOU today. I had none listed. "Hmmm, maybe I ought to look into that," thought I.

So here I am. *IF* you are 100% copyright compliant, you are welcomed to link to my tutorials for your groups' activities. You MAY NOT copy them and post them elsewhere. If I find this has been done without my permission, I will take the proper measures to get this stopped.

I have given permission to Jannie's group to translate my tutorials into Dutch. I have had a boo-boo of my own pointed out to me by Ruth, who could not link to me while I had a link to where one might find Animation Shop for free. Shame on me! I thank both of these wonderful women!!

Any questions, drop me a line. I do hope I've been clear!
.

Devil In Her Heart

.


[Click image above to go to full sized image.]

This tutorial was written on February 15, 2009, using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X2, from Corel. Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

You will also need:

Animation Shop - I've found it here! This is from CNET, so it's a safe download, too!

A tube of your choice. I'm using the great artwork of Dave Nestler. You must have a license to use his work. You may purchase that license at C.I.L.M.

Scrap kit is by Hezalin, of HezaScraps. It's a FTU kit, and is is called Dark Cravings. This is but one part of a blog train, so feel free to get more parts if you like! And be sure to leave some love if you download this great kit!

Filters: Alien Skin Eye Candy 5 > Impact > Bevel, Eye Candy 4000 > Fire, dsb Flux > Bright Noise

Font: I used Blackadder ITC.

Supplies: These include the mask and the little red sparkly dot. The mask is by Ali, from Dezigns by Ali. Thank you so much, Ali!! The dot is labeled, but I could not find "Inc or "lnc" through search engines that had anything to do with scraps, so if you know whose it is, please let me know so that I can give proper credit! Thank you ladies!! You can find the supplies here!

Okay now, let's try this, shall we??

Open your mask and "diamond" in PSP and minimize. Alternatively, you can load them into the PSP files where you keep such things for use at a later date. :)

Open a new image, 700 x 700, white.

Open Devil Heart 2. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 115%.

Effects > Plug-ins > Alien Skin Eye Candy 5 > Impact > Bevel with the following series of settings....

Profile:



Lighting:



Basic:



Hit okay.

Add your tube. Resize, position and drop shadow to your liking.

Open Heart Decoration. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position on one or the other side of your canvas, however you'd like them to be. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Merge these two layers down. Drop shadow.

Adjust > Hue and Saturation > Colorize these hearts as below:



Hit okay.

Now, Adjust > Brightness and Contrast > Brightness/Contrast with these settings.



Hit okay.

Do take into consideration that I colorized and darkened these hearts to go with the tube I've used. Your tube may not have the same colorization as mine. Do what you feel is best for your tag.

Grab your lasso tool, set on freehand, and feather set on 17. Draw a small curve over the top of the strings "holding" these hearts, so they won't just disappear into the edge of your canvas. Hit delete. Selections > Select none.

Open the "diamond" included in the supplies I provided. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position this over the top of one of the strings holding the heart decorations. Repeat this for all six of the strings. Merge these layers down with the heart decorations layers. You should have one layer for all these items.

Open Candle 1. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position where you'd like it. Duplicate this layer and resize by 90%. Position this where you'd like it, making a cluster of candles sitting together. Duplicate the original candle 1 layer again. Resize 80%. Position this in the cluster as well. Drop shadow all three candles. Merge these three layers down.

If you're using a tube that's in the middle of the tag, as I did, duplicate that candle layer and Image > Mirror. Position them as you like them. Then merge those two layers down.

Highlight your white background layer. Open Paper 4. Resize to 700x700 pixels. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply your mask. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color#b8250d as the fill, and #dfc146 as the stroke, stroke set at 2.

I added the following bevel:



Hit okay.

Drop shadow your name. Position as desired.

Resize your tag to a size with which you're most comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, at this point you could stop!!! Just merge your layers and save!



A N I M A T I O N


I applied the Bright Noise animation to the round "diamonds" on the top of the strings on the heart decorations. It's VERY VERY subtle. To the point of being unseen. I'm going to include those instructions, but seeing as how it's barely there, you may just decide not to do it.

I'm also going to explain the candles flickering, so there will be two types of animation here. Please bear with me!

Diamonds:

Zoom your canvas quite big, to make this easier to do.

Highlight your layer with all the "diamonds" on top of the heart strings.

Grab your lasso tool, set on point-to-point, feather set back to zero. Draw a selection around each of the diamonds. All 6!



Zoom out.

Duplicate this layer twice, for a total of three diamond layers.

Selections > Select None.

Highlight the bottom diamond layer.

Effects > Plug-ins > dsb Flux > Bright Noise with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Highlight the middle diamond layer.

Add Bright Noise again, this time hitting "Mix" once or twice.

Hit okay.

Highlight the top diamond layer.

Add Bright Noise again, and again, hit "Mix" once or twice.

Hit okay.

Close out the top two diamond layers, leaving the bottom layer open.

Candles:

Highlight your candles layer.

Again, zoom your canvas quite big, to make this easier to do.

Grab your lasso tool, set on point-to-point, feather still set at zero. Draw a selection around each of the flames. Again, all 6!



When done, zoom back out. Duplicate the candle layers twice, for a total of three candles layers.

Selections > Select None.

Highlight the bottom candles layer.

Effects > Plug-ins > Eye Candy 4000 > Fire using the flicker setting:



Hit okay.

Highlight your middle candles layer.

Add Fire again, this time hitting "Random Seed."

Hit okay.

Highlight your top candles layer.

Once more, add Fire, again hitting "Random Seed."

Close out the top two candles layers, leaving the bottom layer open.

Edit > Copy merged

Open Animation Shop, right-click on the desktop area, and paste as a new animation.

Return to PSP. Close out the bottom layers of both the candles and the diamonds. Open up the middle layers of both.

Edit > Copy merged.

Return to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Back to PSP again. Close out the middle layers of each group, and open the top layers.

Edit > Copy merged.

Finally, back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Edit > Select All.

Right-click on the top bar of your animation, choose "Frame Properties," and change this number to 27.

View > Animation. And you're done! I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial! Thanks for stopping by!

.

Masquerade

.


[Click image above to go to full sized image.]

This tutorial was written on February 14, 2010 using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X2, from Corel.

This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tube... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

You will also need:

A tube of your choice. I'm using the fresh, new artwork of Deborah Greives. You must have a license to use her art. You may obtain that license and her art from My PSP Tubes.

The scrap kit is by Sylvie, of Fantasy Moments. This is a FTU kit, which is called "Mardi Gras." Keep on leaving lots of love for the freebies!!

Supplies: The mask, which you may find here. This is another beautiful mask by Essex Girl!! Thanks so much for your great masks, Essex Girl!

Filters: Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow

Font: I used Vujaday Flourish.

Now, let's begin, shall we??!

Open a new canvas, 700 x 775, white.

Open Element-24 (frame). Resize 85%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Add your tube. Resize, position and drop shadow to your taste.

Highlight your frame layer. Grab your magic wand and click inside the frame. Selections > Modify > Expand by 1. Selections > Invert.

Highlight your tube layer. Grab your eraser brush and erase any of your tube that you don't want showing along the sides and/or bottom of your frame.

Selections > Select none.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open Paper-3. Resize to 700x775 pixels. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply your mask. Delete the mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group.

In order to make the edges more uneven, I took my lasso tool, set on freehand, feather set to 17, and drew curvy selections around the outside edges of the mask layer. Selections > Invert. Hit delete. Selections > Select none.

Open Elements-37 and -38. Copy and paste as new layers. Mirror one of them. Position as you like them. I dropped this layer below the frame and tube layers, but above the mask layer. Drop shadow your balloons.

Open Element-45. Resize 50%. Image > Mirror. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position it towards the bottom left of your frame. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow this layer.

Open Element-8. Resize 35%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 30°left. Position this on the "stick" portion of the mask layer you just put into place, looking somewhat as though it came that way, with a bow on it. Drop shadow your bow.

Open Element-77. Resize 85% Copy and paste as a new layer. Position as though the beads are hanging on the upper left corner of your frame. See my example for placement reference. I chose to drag this layer below the bow layer, but above the mask element layer. It's your choice here. I had to drag it up and down a few times to figure out how I ultimately wanted it to look. Drop shadow this layer.

Change the opacity of your beads layer to somewhere around 50-60.



This way, you can see through the beads to the rest of the elements, to make the following steps easier.

Grab your lasso tool, set on point-to-point, changing feather back to 0. Draw a selection around the mask where the beads are layered over them



Hit delete.

Now draw a selection around the bead that overlaps the frame at the top, to make it look as though these beads are actually hanging from the corner



Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Bring the opacity for this layer back up to 100.

Go to the top layer and add your name. I used color #dfc146 as the fill and black as the stroke. Stroke set at 1.5.

I added the following bevel:



Hit okay.

Effects > Plug-ins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set at 4-25-100, color #f9dddf.

Drop shadow your name.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you're comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

Layers > Merge > and save! We are done!

And there you go! Another finished tag! I hope you liked this tutorial, and I thank you SO much for choosing to work with it!!

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Twinkling Beauty

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[Click image above to go to full sized image.]

This tutorial was written on February 12, 2009, using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X2, from Corel. Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

You will also need:

Animation Shop - I've found it here! This is from CNET, so it's a safe download, too!

A tube of your choice. In this case, a laying down posture would work best. Or, you could rotate the frame 90° either way and use an upright tube! I'm using the gorgeously feminine artwork of Karen Middleton. You must have a license to use her work. You may purchase that license at C.I.L.M.

Scrap kit is by Lisa, of Frosted Illusions. It's a FTU kit, and is is called Dusky Days. Be sure to leave some love if you download this great kit!

Filters: Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow

Font: I used Mea Culpa.

Supplies: I've supplied the two colored twinks, the frame and the mask. You may find them here. I don't know the origin of either of the twinks, but the mask is by Essex Girl! The frame is by Donna Rafferty. I couldn't find any frames in ANY of her blogs, nor her store. I did write her an e-mail for permission. As of yet, I've not heard back from her. So I'm using it, hoping she'll say it's okay. Hoping, too, that I used the right e-mail! It wasn't returned, so .... Thanks to all of those who give their art freely to the PSP community!!

Okay now, let's go for it!!

Open your mask and frame in PSP and minimize. Alternatively, you can load them into the PSP files where you keep such things for use at a later date. :) Put your sparkly files wherever they will be handily available when you're in Animation Shop.

Open a new image, 775 x 700, white.

Open the frame included with the supplies. Resize 25%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Add your tube. Resize, position and drop shadow to your liking.

There's some repetition coming up, but it's painless. Just warning ya'!!

Highlight your frame layer. Grab your magic wand and click inside the frame. Selections > Modify > Expand by 1. Selections > Invert.

Highlight your tube layer. Grab your eraser brush and erase any of your tube that you don't want showing on the bottom or sides of your frame. In my case, I was only worried about the far right side. I wanted her hair, etc., to stay put for some depth.

Selections > Select None.

Highlight your white background layer and open Paper 5. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Highlight your frame layer. Grab your magic wand and click in the middle of the frame.

Selections > Modify > Expand by 10. Selections > Invert.

Highlight the Paper 5 layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select none.

Highlight the white background layer one last time!

Open Paper 4. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply your mask. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group.

Okay, now! Back to the top layer!!

Open Blossom 4. Resize 65%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position on the bottom left corner of the frame. I chose mine to be below the tube layer. See my example for placement reference.

Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Position as you like it on the other side of the frame. Merge these two layers down and drop shadow.

Open Blossom 2. Resize 65%. Position above the previous blossom layer on the left lower corner of the frame. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Arrange these two Blossom layers until they are in a position that satisfies you. Merge them down and drop shadow.

Open Flower 3. Resize 55%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position in the center of the bottom of the frame. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow.

Open Flower 6. Resize 45%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position to the left side of the first, center flower. I chose to drag this layer below the first flower layer. It's up to you. When you've got it as you like it, duplicate this layer, and Image > Mirror. Merge these two layers down and drop shadow.

Open Butterfly 3. Resize 65%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 30° left. Position toward the top right of the frame. See my example for placement reference, if you like. Drop shadow.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color#6b2c40 as the fill, and #db9eb2 as the stroke, stroke set at 1.5.

Effects > Plugins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set at 4 - 25 - 100, color #c0c0c0.

Drop shadow your name. Position as desired.

Resize your tag to a size with which you're most comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, at this point you could stop!!! Just merge your layers and save!



A N I M A T I O N


Edit > Copy merged

Open Animation Shop, right-click on the desktop area, and paste as a new animation.

Duplicate this frame until you have 8 frames. Move the slider at the bottom of your animation to the first frame.

Open the pink twinks file. Edit > Select All. Edit > Copy.

Go back to the animation you are building and Edit > Paste > Into Selected Frame.

Continue doing this until you have the twinkle effect you want. Alternate between the pink and the silver twinks. It doesn't make MUCH of a difference, but there is a subtle difference.

View > Animation. And you're done! I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial! Thanks for stopping by!

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Love Is In The Air

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[Click image above to go to full sized image.]

This tutorial was written on February 9, 2010 using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X2, from Corel.

This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tube... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

You will also need:

Animation Shop. This is from now a pay-for product, through Corel. That changed a while ago. I don't know why!!

A tube of your choice. I'm using the great artwork of Dominic Marco. You will need a license to use his art. That license & art may be found at C.I.L.M. I used a laying down, or leaning back (or both lol) tube. This might work the best for you. I started with tubes in the frame, and ended up liking this better.

The scrap kit is by the very smart and talented Clarey. This is a PTU kit, available through her shop, Clarey's Designz. The kit is called Love Is In The Air. Pick it up for your Valentine's Day tags! She's included a LOT!!

Filters: Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow, Alien Skin Eye Candy 5 > Textures > Texture Noise

I was looking for a different filter to use, and all I ended up doing was finding version 5's HSB Noise-like filter! Go figure!

Font: I used Love.

Supplies: NO outside supplies used in this tutorial!

Let's get it on, so to speak!! LOL!!

Open a new canvas, 750 x 700, white.

Open heartframe. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Open heartofhearts2. Copy and paste as a new layer. In your layer palette, drag this below the frame layer. Using your move tool, move it around so it's kinda-sorta lined up with the heart of the frame. (See my example for placement reference, if you like.)

Effects > Plug-Ins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set at 4-0-100, color #f9e9ea.

Drop shadow the heartofhearts layer.

Add your tube. Resize, position, and drop shadow to your taste.

Open champagne. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position where you'd like it. Drop shadow.

Open balloons-sh. Resize 65%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position this so the bow is just right over the little curlycue part of the heartframe (upper right -- see my example for placement reference). I did not drop shadow the balloon layer... made them too dark IMO. You may certainly drop shadow if you'd like to!

Open cupcake. Resize 25%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position this where you'd like it. Drop shadow.

Open engagementring. Resize 40%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position where you'd like it. Drop shadow.

Open loveletter-front. Resize 30%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 35° right. Tuck it in or around your collection of goodies. Drop shadow.

This next part will depend upon the tube you've chosen. I'm putting the rose into her hand.

Open rose. Resize 30%. Image > Mirror. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Effects > Plug-ins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow, this time set at 3-0-100, same color we used previously. Drop shadow the rose.

Now, if your tube has a hand that looks like it could be holding something, position the rose over the hand as you'd like it to be positioned.

Zoom in a LOT on your canvas. I was at 500%.

Lower the opacity on your rose layer to 59 or thereabouts.



This way, you can see the hand through the rose and know what you're doing!!

Grab your lasso tool, set on point-to-point, and draw a selection around the portion of the rose you don't want showing. The example below isn't a good example. LOL. I realized after getting that screen shot that I didn't get all her fingers. I had to go back again to get the whole area.



Hit delete. Raise the opacity of the rose back up to 100, zoom out and see how it looks!!

The following will be easiest if you do it on the top layer.

Open scatteredhearts3. Copy and paste as a new layer. Move it so the top hearts are in the upper left corner of your canvas. Duplicate this layer and Image > Mirror. Duplicate *this* layer and rotate 45° left. Using your move tool, move this layer so that the top hearts are in the middle. Merge these three layers down. Duplicate again. Image > Flip. Merge these two layers down.

In your layer palette, drag this layer down below the heartofhearts2 layer.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color #7e2a2b as the fill AND stroke, stroke set at 2.

Effects > Plug-ins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set on 4-0-100, color #d49592.

Drop shadow your name. Arrange your name as you'd like it.

Open wordstamp10. Resize 55%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position where you'd like it. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow the wordstamp10 layer.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you are comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, you're now done, and you can merge your layers and save!


A N I M A T I O N


Highlight your scatteredhearts3 layer. Duplicate this layer three times, for a total of four scatteredhearts3 layers.

Now highlight your bottom scatteredhearts3 layer.

Effects > Plug-ins > Alien Skin Eye Candy 5: Textures > Texture Noise with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Highlight the next scatteredhearts3 layer up.

Add Texture Noise again, this time clicking on "Random Seed."

Hit okay.

Highlight the next scatteredhearts3 layer up.

Add Texture Noise once more, clicking "Random Seed" again.

Highlight your top scatteredhearts3 layer.

Add Texture Noise one last time, and yes, click on "Random Seed."

Close out your top three scatteredhearts3 layers, leaving the bottom layer open.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Open Animation Shop. Right-click on the desktop area and paste as a new animation.

Return to PSP. Close out your bottom scatteredhearts3 layer, and open the next layer up.

Edit > Copy merged.

Back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP. Close out the prior scatteredhearts3 layer, and open the next scatteredhearts3 layer up.

Edit > Copy merged.

Again, back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

One last time, back to PSP. Close out the prior scatteredhearts3 layer and open the top layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

Finally, back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

In Animation Shop, go Edit > Select All.

Right-click on the top bar of your animation. Choose "Frame Properties." Change this number to 27.

View > Animation.

There you go! Another completed tag! I hope you enjoyed it. I'd love to see your results! Or to hear from you in my shout box! Thank you for doing my tut, and have a lovely rest of your day!

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