Thoughts and Art

A Pause for Something Political: Bill Maher Knocked it Out of the Park -- Again!

2010-10-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

Transcript from Bill Maher's New Rule of last night, October 1, 2010 follows. Unfortunately, I can't get you a link directly to the video. At the end of this transcript, there is a link in the name "Barry Whitehouse." Video courtesy Heather at Video Cafe, and Crooks & Liars.

Maher: Why can't the Democrats get props for what they've achieved? Oh, I know... I know. Obama's black. He's used to being denied credit. And there's nothing wrong with being hard on him. He's the president and it's our job to keep him honest.

But when it comes to voting, when we only have two choices, you've got to grow up and realize there's a big difference between a disappointing friend and a deadly enemy. Of course the Democrats are disappointing. That's what makes them Democrats. If they were any more frustrating they'd be your relatives.

But in this country they are all that stands between you and darkest night. You know why their symbol is the letter "D"? Because it's a grade that means good enough, but just barely.

You know why the Republican symbol is "R"? Because it's the noise a pirate makes when he robs you and feeds you to a shark.

The truth is the Democratic base is still way larger than the Republican base. The reason why they're losing is something called the enthusiasm gap. Yeah. And the voters that Obama and the Democrats have really lost are the women. Women like Velma Hart are just not getting enough love from the president.

So tonight I thought I'd try to make their fantasies come true and speak to you as Barack Obama's alter ego, Barry Whitehouse.

Welcome Home

2010-06-18T12:23:00.001-07:00

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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 tubes... 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 June 18, 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 X3, from Corel. The release of X3 is new to me, so hopefully Corel hasn't changed things up too much!!

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 again using the pin up art of Jessica Dougherty. You must have a license to use her work. You can get that license and artwork from C.I.L.M. I tend to like these forward-leaning, coming-out-of-the-frame type tags. The tube used is a pretty specific posture again, so here is the tube I used! Hope that helps!

The scrap kit used is by the extremely talented Bel Vidotti, from Bel Vidotti Scraps. She put this great kit together a few months back, and it is available exclusively at Galeria Free. The kit is called Oh Lamour. This kit is full-sized, so there are multiple downloads. It's BEAUTIFUL, though, so I hope you don't mind the wait! Thanks, Bel!

Fact is, I d/l this kit and made this tag three months ago. I just went through and did it all again as a refresher course, so I could post the tut!

Supplies: Just the mask, which you can find here. It's another mask by the infamous Becky. Thanks, Becky, wherever you may be!

Filters: Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow, dsb flux > Bright Noise

Font: I used Balmoral LET.

Okay, let us begin!

Open a new canvas, 800 x 700, white.

Open elemento 104. Resize 30%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

If you'd like your tube to appear to be "comin' at ya'," here's what you do:

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

Selections > Modify > Expand by 2. Selections > Invert

Highlight your tube layer. Grab your eraser brush and erase the parts you don't want showing in front of the frame. For my particular purposes, this just meant the heels on the shoes.

Selections > Select None.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open Paper13. Resize to 800 x 700. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Highlight your frame layer. Grab your magic wand and click inside again.

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

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

Again, highlight your white background layer.

Open Paper14. Resize to 800 x 700. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

I always work on the top layer when arranging the background stuff, so I think it's easier if you now go back to the top layer.

Open elemento 108. Resize 35%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Image > Mirror. Position to the left side of the canvas. See my example for placement reference, if you like. Position above center.

Duplicate this layer. Image > Flip. Merge these two layers down.

Drag this layer down below your solid paper, but above the mask layer.

Apply a small, but dark drop shadow. I used the following:

Back again to the top for working purposes.

Open elemento 095. Resize 13%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 10° left. Position in the upper right area of your canvas. See my example for placement reference.

Duplicate this layer. Rotate 20° right. Drop shadow both of these layers.

Open elemento 085. Resize 20%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Bring this element up to the right corner of the canvas, so it looks good with the leaves. *chuckle* Drop shadow.

Open elemento 096. Resize 25%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 20° right. Position with the rest of the group, in the upper right of the canvas. Drop shadow.

You can merge all these layers down for ease of movement, if you like.

Drag these element layers down to below your solid paper layer, but above the doodle layer.

Drop shadow your frame layer.

Back to the top and add your name. I used color #f7f1ee for the fill, #fa7c78 for the stroke, stroke set on 1.5.

I added the following bevel:

Hit okay.

I then added a Gradient Glow of 5 - 25 - 100, color white.

Drop shadow your name to your liking.

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

Highlight the bottom doodle layer.

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

Hit okay.

Highlight your middle doodle layer.

Apply Bright Noise again, but change the number to 50.

Hit okay.

Highlight your top doodle layer.

Again apply Bright Noise, this time changing the number to 55.

Hit okay.

Close the top two doodle layers.

Edit > Copy Merged.

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

Return to PSP.

Close your bottom layer and open the middle.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Go back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP.

Close out the middle doodle layer, and open the top.

Edit > Copy Merged.

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

We are done!

Now, View > Animation.

If you like what you see, save as a .gif file, and we are, indeed, done! Thanks for stopping and trying this tut! Would love to see what you've made, if you want to share it, and I hope your weekend will be whatever you want it to be!

.

Happiness Twinkles

2010-06-17T13:59:00.001-07:00

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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 tubes... 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 June 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 X3, from Corel. The release of X3 is new to me, so hopefully Corel hasn't changed things up too much!!

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 great artwork of Jamie Kidd. You must have a license to use her work. You can get that license and artwork from C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit used is by Twinky, of Twinky Dezines, and is called Happiness. While waiting for download, be sure to give Twinky lots of love for her freebies!

Template is by Yvette, from Essence Of Creativity,, and can be found there if you scroll down a bit on the right column to where it says "downloads." We're using template 80. Thanks, Yvette!!

Filters: Alien Skin > Xenofex 2 > Constellation, Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow

Font: I used 25.

There's really not much, supply-wise, to this tut. But I did a lot of fiddling with settings 'n' stuff. Okay, let's get started!

Open Template 80. Duplicate template and close the original. Delete the top layer -- the one with the credits.

Resize template, keeping aspect ratio, but making it 800 pixels wide -- all layers.

The order in which I accomplished this one may seem weird to some of you, but this is how I did it!

Open the tube that you're going to place in the square. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize, position in the square and drop shadow to your taste.

Highlight the "square" layer in the template.

Open Paper4. Copy and paste as a new layer. Move this paper so it covers the entire square.

Highlight the square layer again.

Grab your magic wand and click OUTSIDE the square.

Highlight your tube layer. Hit delete.

Selections > Modify > Contract by 2.

Highlight the paper layer. Hit delete.

Selections > Select none.

Delete the square template layer.

Highlight your tube layer again.

Change the blend mode on this layer to "Burn."

Drop shadow your square paper layer.

Highlight the dotted square layer of the template. Add a small, dark drop shadow. This is what I used:

Hit okay.

Highlight the rectangle layer in the template.

Open Paper3. Copy and paste as a new layer. You could either resize this layer wider, or choose your pick tool

and widen it that way -- so that it covers the rectangle completely.

Highlight the rectangle layer again.

Grab your magic wand and click OUTSIDE the rectangle.

Selections > Modify > Contract by 2.

Highlight your Paper3 layer. Hit delete.

Selections > Select none.

Delete the template rectangle layer, and drop shadow your rectangle paper layer to your taste.

Open the other (fuller?) copy of your tube. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize, position over the doodle, and drop shadow to your taste.

If you don't want this tube or its drop shadow to just be "sitting there," take these steps:

Grab your lasso tool, set on freehand, with feather set at 15. Draw a "smile" shape at the bottom of your tube.

Hit delete.

Selections > Select none. There!

Highlight your doodle template layer.

Adjust > Hue and Saturation > Colorize, with the following settings:

Hit okay.

Add the same small but dark drop shadow to the doodle as we did with the dots:

Hit okay.

You can choose to keep the text template layer or not. I just left it in.

In order to fit the name at the bottom, I moved my layers up a notch. Click on each layer, one at a time, and hit Ctrl + the up arrow. I left the tube on the left alone -- didn't move that layer up.

Go to the top layer and add your name. I used color #bdc9da for the fill and stroke, stroke set at 2. I drew this one out wider and squished it down a bit while it was still a vector layer. Wanted to make it look "right" in the tag. You may choose not to -- up to you!

I added a Gradient Glow of 5 - 25 - 100, color white.

Drop shadow your name like we did with the dots and the doodle.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you are comfortable. My larger size ended up 600 x 389.

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 the dotted square layer. Duplicate this layer three times, for a total of four dot layers.

Highlight the bottom of the four layers.

Effects > Plug-ins > Alien Skin Xenofex 2 > Constellation, with the following setting:

and the following numbers:

Hit okay.

Highlight the second layer up of your dot layers.

Apply Constellation again, but this time click on "Random Seed."

Hit okay.

Highlight the next layer up.

Again apply Constellation, again clicking on "Random Seed."

Hit okay.

Finally, highlight the top layer of the four.

Apply Constellation one last time, again hitting "Random Seed."

Hit okay.

Close the top three dot layers.

Edit > Copy Merged.

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

Return to PSP.

Close your bottom layer and open the next layer up.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Go back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP.

Close out the current layer, and open the next layer up.

Edit > Copy Merged.

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

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

Edit > Copy Merged>

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

We are done!

Now, View > Animation.

If you like what you see, save as a .gif file, and we're done! Thanks so much for trying out this tutorial! Would love to have some feedback, now that I'm in the groove again!! I hope you're having a spectacular day!

.

Ritual

2010-06-16T10:19:00.001-07:00

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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 tubes... 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 June 16, 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 X3, from Corel. The release of X3 is new to me, so hopefully Corel hasn't changed things up too much!!

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 understand that the one I'm using is quite specific, but there are a lot of candles included in this scrap kit, so you could put something together with a bit of imagination!! I'm using the great artwork of Martin Abel. You must have a license to use his work. You can get that license and artwork from C.I.L.M.

The animation in this tutorial relies upon the fact there are flames included in my choice of tube. For instance, the candles in this kit do not include flames. The tube does. You will need the flame to get the effect. If you wish to purchase this tube, you may find it here. Hope that helps!

The scrap kit used was made by "Peace" of Scrapin Designs. This is a FTU kit, called Colors of Martin Abel. As soon as I found this kit, I grabbed it. I've found Martin's tubes some of the most difficult around which to design. Be sure to leave some love for Peace, for making us this fantastic FTU kit!

Supplies: No outside supplies used in this tutorial!

Filters: I used a couple! Alien Skin Eye Candy5 > Impact > Extrude and Eye Candy 4000 > Fire

Font: I used Parisian.

Okay, here we go!

Open a new canvas, 700 x 700, white.

Open the element simply called, "element." If you're using a different tube, there are other elements of the same design, but in differing colors. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Adjust > Brightness and Contrast > Brightness/Contrast, with the following settings:

Hit okay.

Drop shadow this element.

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

Open candle2. If you're using a different color scheme, there are other candles from which to choose. Resize 45%.

Grab your lasso tool, set on Point-to-Point, and draw a selection around just the body of the candle.

Adjust > Brightness and Contrast > Brightness/Contrast with the same settings as above.

Hit okay.

Now, Adjust > Hue and Saturation > Colorize, with the following settings:

Hit okay.

Copy and paste as a new layer. Position this candle as you'd like it on your canvas. Drop shadow. Now, duplicate, or use others of differing colors if you like, and set them around.

Open bubble3. Resize 35%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position where you'd like it. I gave the bubbles a small but dark drop shadow. Duplicate this layer and position where you'd like. I put three of this bubble around the canvas on differing levels and positions on the canvas.

Open bubble. Resize 35%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Use this in the same way as your other bubbles. Drop shadow, duplicate, and position where you'd like them.

Open boxes4. Resize 65%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position on your canvas where you'd like them. Drop shadow.

This was easiest for me by going back to the top layer:

Open doodle. Resize 160%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position so the part you want will be sticking out behind the first, round element we used. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Merge these two layers down. Drag this layer down to the bottom (just above the white layer). Drop shadow.

Back to the top and add your name.

I then extruded the name. This isn't necessary, but it was just something I wanted to try. Here are the steps:

Position your name where you'd like it.

Effects > Plug-ins > Alien Skin Eye Candy 5 > Impact > Extrude, with the following settings:

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

The following animation is possible only if you're using a tube with the flame drawn in. For example, the tube I used has flames on its candles. The candles in the kit do not. So if you have flames, let's animate them!

Highlight your tube layer. Zoom in close.

Grab your lasso tool, set on point-to-point, and draw a selection around each of the flames on your candles.

This screen shot only shows three of the four in the tube I used, but I did do this with all of them.

Hit okay.

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

Highlight the bottom of the four layers.

Effects > Plug-ins > Eye Candy 4000 > Fire, with the following settings:

Hit okay.

Highlight the second layer up of your group of four.

Apply Fire again, but this time, click on "Random Seed." You can watch the effect in the preview window as you click "Random Seed." So you can click it until you like what you see!

Hit okay.

Highlight the next layer up.

Again apply Fire, again clicking on "Random Seed."

Hit okay.

Finally, highlight the top layer of the four.

Apply Fire one last time, again hitting "Random Seed."

Selections > Select None.

Now, close the top three tube layers.

Edit > Copy Merged.

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

Return to PSP.

Close your bottom layer and open the next layer up.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Go back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP.

Close out the current layer, and open the next layer up.

Edit > Copy Merged.

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

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

Edit > Copy Merged>

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

We are done!

Now, View > Animation.

If you like what you see, save as a .gif file, and we're done! Thanks so much for trying out this tutorial! Have a GREAT rest of your day!

.

Dougherty's Dolls

2010-06-15T14:21:00.001-07:00

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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 tubes... 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 June 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 X3, from Corel. The release of X3 is new to me, so hopefully Corel hasn't changed things up too much!!

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 (or two) of your choice. If you're going for the same "vibe," a laying-down posture would work best. I'm using the fantastic artwork of Jessica Dougherty. You must have a license to use her work. You can get that license and artwork from C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit used was made by Vabys of Designs by Vabys. This is a FTU kit, called Gold Rush. This kit is chock full of stuff! I only used a small amount of it! Be sure to leave some love for Vabys, for making us a great FTU kit!

Supplies: Just the mask, which can be found here. I do not know from whom I got this mask. I only know it's really handy! If you know who made this mask, or if it is YOU!, then let me know so that I can give you credit where it's due!!

Filters: Mura's Meister > Copies, dsb flux > Bright Noise

Font: I used ViceroyJF.

Okay, let's try this again!

Open a new canvas, 800 x 700, white.

Open frame (21). Copy and paste as a new layer. Move it down from center a bit.

Open your (first, laying down) tube and add it as a new layer. Resize, position, and drop shadow to your taste.

Highlight the white background layer.

Open paper (11). Resize to 800x700 pixels. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

I duplicated the mask layer twice, for a total of three mask layers. This is up to you. If you do the duplicates, merge your layers down.

Open element (65). Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

Hit okay.

Position this as you like it. I moved mine down and over to the left a bit. Totally up to you! Drag this layer below your frame layer, but above your mask layer. Drop shadow.

Add your second tube here, if you're using one. This layer should be below the first tube layer, but above the frame layer. Resize, position and drop shadow to your liking.

Open paper (15). Copy and paste as a new layer. Drag this layer below the frame layer, but above your circle of flowers layer.

Grab your selection tool, set on rectangle, and draw a selection around the outside of the frame. Like so, if you can see it. It's kinda hidden here. :)

Selections > Invert.

Make sure you're on the paper (15) layer you just added. Hit delete.

Selections > Select None.

Drop shadow your frame layer.

Open element (40). Copy and paste as a new layer. This should be above your newer paper layer, and below the frame layer. Give this a small drop shadow. Lower the opacity of this layer to 65.

Go back to the top layer.

Open element (54). Resize 65%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position as you would like it. Drop shadow.

Back again to the top layer, and add your name. I used color #f6c112 as the fill, black as 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

I started this out intending to just animate the wire heart element. When I had it all done, it was barely visible. So I went back and animated the flower oval afterward. So both those layers are animated in my example. You may choose to do that, or not. I am including all the steps for both. You don't have to do it if you don't want to. :)

Highlight your element (40) layer. Duplicate this layer three times, for a total of four element (40) layers.

Now, highlight your element (65) layer. Duplicate *this* layer three times, for a total of four element (65) layers.

Go to the bottom layer of one of those groups of four.

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

Hit okay.

Apply this plug-in to the bottom layer of your other element grouping, as well. Hope I'm saying this well enough for you to follow!!

Go to the second layer up of your group of four. Apply Bright Noise again, this time with the setting at 45.

Hit okay, then go to your second grouping of four and apply this effect to the second layer up in that group.

Now, go to the third layer up in that same group.

Apply Bright Noise again, this time with the setting on 50.

Hit okay, and go back to your other grouping of four layers, highlight the third layer up and apply the effect the same way.

Finally, now open the top layer of that grouping. Apply Bright Noise again, this time with the setting on 55.

Hit okay. Find your other group of four layers, and highlight the top layer. Apply Bright Noise with the setting on 55.

Whew!

Now, close the top three layers in both groups of four.

Edit > Copy Merged.

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

Return to PSP.

Close your bottom layers and open the next layers up in each group of four.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Go back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP.

Close out the current layers, and open the next layers up, in both groups.

Edit > Copy Merged.

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

One last time, back to PSP. Close out the open layers and open the top layers in each group of four.

Edit > Copy Merged>

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

We are done!

Now, View > Animation.

I hope you like what you see (and I hope I explained that well enough)!! If so, save as a .gif file, and we're done! Thanks so much sticking with it!!

.

Hello, There!!

2010-06-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

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As you can see, I've changed my look. I actually put together a tag the other day. I don't have it all written up as a tutorial yet, but it's coming.

I have to tell you, it's been so long that I have allowed myself to FORGET how to do stuff! I feel so awkward, just trying to put stuff together. That's just WRONG! I need to get back into this. I need my mojo to come home.

Let's hope it happens! I want to thank all of y'all who've still been coming back. I need to apologize to you, too, though. I've been gone THREE months! What's up wit dat??

Until next tut!!! Hang in there, I'm comin' 'round!!

P.S. As it turns out, the first tut is below this post. I started writing it on the 10th, so I guess Blogger goes with the original date! Thanks for stopping by!

kajira

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Elegance in Black & White

2010-06-10T16:04:00.000-07:00

...

[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 tubes... 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 June 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 X3, from Corel. The release of X3 is new to me at this time, so hopefully Corel hasn't changed things up too much!!

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 fantastic artwork of Jennifer Janesko. You must have a license to use her work. You can get that license and artwork from C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit used was made by Tina of Tina's Magical World. This is a FTU kit, called Eleganzia. This is the 10th kit down on this post. Tina created this to answer a challenge from Creative Misfits. Be sure to share the love with Tina for this great black & white freebie!! Snag some of the others if the mood strikes you! Thanks to Missy and Yvette for making the challenge!

Supplies: Just the mask, which can be found here. The mask is by the wonderful-yet-still-missing Becky!! Thanks go out to Becky for her fabulous contributions to the PSP cause!

Filters: No outside filters are used in this tutorial.

Font: I used KB ChopinScript.

Okay, let's see if I can still drive this thing! LOL! I started out reallllllly slow, because three months off made everything really foreign to me!

Open a new canvas, 700 x 700, white.

Open RopeFrame1. Resize 87%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Open your tube and add it as a new layer. Resize, position, and drop shadow to your taste.

Highlight your frame layer. Grab your magic wand and click inside the frame. Make sure you get all the little nooks & crannies in this one!! Selections > Invert.

Highlight your tube layer. Grab your eraser brush and erase any portion(s) of your tube that you don't want showing underneath or to the sides of the frame.

Selections > Select None.

Highlight the white background layer.

Open Paper22. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

Now, you could open, resize and use any of the elements if you wanted. Here's what I did:

Open ElegantFlower1. Resize 70%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position to the left side of the frame. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow.

Open ElegantFlower2. Resize 75%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 10° left. Position to the left portion of the frame, on top of the previous flower. Drop shadow.

Open Flower1. Resize 65%. Rotate 20° right. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position on the right bottom corner of the frame. See my example for placement reference, if you like. Drop shadow.

Highlight your mask layer.

Open SeedBeads2. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position to the left center of the canvas. Drop shadow. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Merge these two layers down.

Open Doodle2. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 35° left. Position above center. See my example for placement reference. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Merge these two layers down. Drop shadow. Duplicate *this* layer. Image > Flip. Merge those two layers down.

Drop shadow your frame layer.

Go back to the top layer and add your name. I used white as the fill, no stroke.

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

On your name layer,

Grab your magic wand and carefully click inside the open areas on your name.

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

Highlight your bottom name layer.

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

Hit okay.

Highlight your middle name layer.

Adjust > Add/Remove Noise > Add Noise, changing the setting to 48.

Hit okay.

Highlight your top name layer.

Adjust > Add/Remove Noise > Add Noise, this time changing your setting to 53.

Hit okay.

Selections > Select None.

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

Edit > Copy Merged.

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

Return to PSP.

Close your bottom name layer and open the middle layer.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Go back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP.

Close out your middle name layer, and open the top layer.

Edit > Copy Merged.

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

View > Animation.

Save as a .gif file, and we're done! Thanks so much for trying my tut!

.

Rainy Day 'Me' Time

2010-03-25T13:06:00.001-07:00

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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 tubes... 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 March 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 your choice. Obviously, a bathing-type tube would work best. Also, if you're stumped for ideas and using the exact things I'm using, a sitting, bathing tube would be best. I'm using the art of Rion Vernon, of Pinuptoons. You must have a license to use his artwork. You can get that license through C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit is by Jen, of Jen's Sweet Temptations. This is a FTU kit, called Rainy Day Driz.

[PLEASE NOTE: This tut came down more to the bath components than it did the scrap kit. I only used one paper from the kit, so it wouldn't be mandatory to get the kit if you didn't want to.]

If you choose to use that kit, be sure to leave Jen some love for the freebie!!

Supplies: Oh, boy. There's a bunch of stuff here. First, to my file of the supplies. Now, for most of the bath components, you'll go to this forum page. There are three sets, I think it is, of bath graphics on this page. The ones I used and to which I will be referring was the third file down. It's vague as to whom to credit for these graphics. The post was made by someone known as "Biggi." I just Googled for bath PSP tubes, and this is what I found. I did *not* have to join to get these files, so I don't think you will, either. They're available as .psd files or .psp files.

As for the contents of my .rar file: There is a bath brush and window. There is also a rain animation. The rain is obviously made by someone named Laura, but which Laura in the world, I don't know, unfortunately. If this is yours... let me know!! PLEASE!! So I may give you proper credit! I don't know the origins of the bath brush nor the window. Also included in the file are two masks. One I've used often, and I don't know from where I got it, either. Finally, the last mask was created by Chelle, or Wee Scots Lass. Thank you for sharing, Chelle! I appreciate your contributions to this community!!

Whew!

Filters: No outside filters used in this tutorial.

Font: I used Impact.

Okay, let me start off by telling (warning) you that this is a very "fiddly" tutorial. Lots of steps. So not much of the scrap kit -- just one sheet of paper -- but lots of parts, and most of the screen shots, of which there are many, are of the fiddling once we get to Animation Shop. I *am* including a *lot* of screen shots for that. I hope I can translate the steps and screen shots into something coherent!! Prior to Animation Shop, there will be "fiddly" stuff with the masks, as well. Tagger beware!! LOL! And thanks for trying it!!

Open your supplies provided and minimize. You could also file it all in the PSP files on your computer for use at a later date. (Just a suggestion: I created a file called "Bath Supplies" in with all my other tubes and things.) Open the rain animation and put where it will be handy once you get to Animation Shop.

Open a new canvas, 800 x 700, white.

The beginning of this tutorial is just choosing which bath elements you want to use and placing them where you'd like them. To tell you the honest truth, I took my lead from the preview shot of the bathroom elements where they were offered for download. If you compare the two, it's very evident. So this is not all from my head! The ambiguous "Biggi," who offered the bath elements for download, actually put this together.

I will be referring to the elements I used. You may have downloaded the first or second files of elements, whereas I am using the third file. This is all up to you!!

From the bath elements file, open 0027. Choose the "Ebene4" layer. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 35%. Position where you think you might want it. Use my example (or Biggi's lol) for placement reference. Drop shadow. It would be a good idea for you to label this layer in some way that it will be easy for you to reference as we get further on in this tutorial. There were three layers that I labeled in this way. I just used A, B and C, and this is how I will be referring to them when we get to that spot.

Open 0031. Choose either the "Ebene10" or "Ebene11" (the tree) layer, based upon the coloration of your tag. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 30%. Image > Mirror. Place over on the right of your tag, so that it's actually falling off the right side of the canvas. Again, see my example for placement reference. Drop shadow. Label this layer so that it will be easy to find later in the tutorial.

Open 0030. Choose the "Ebene (must mean layer?) 4" layer. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 35%. Position on the left side, opposite the tree, so that it's now falling off the left side of the canvas. This will be below center. Drop shadow. Label this layer for ease of finding later.

This would probably be a good time to add your tube. Resize, position and drop shadow to your taste.

Open 0033. Choose the towel layer that again, color-coordinates with your particular tag. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 29%. Position where you would like it. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow.

Okay, we've got our basics. Now, we need to do the "nesting." LOL!! Choose which lotions and potions, etc., you'd like in your bathroom. Here's what I did:

Open the bath brush that was in your supplies file. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 65%. Position where you would like it. Drop shadow.

Back to the supplies downloaded from that forum. Open 0039. Pick your color choice in the tall bottles. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 7%. Position where you'd like it. Drop shadow.

Back to 0039. Choose your color choice in the squatty-type bottles. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 7%. Position where you'd like it. Drop shadow.

Re-open 0031. Pick the towel of your choice. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 7%. Position and drop shadow.

Highlight your white background layer.

From the scrap kit (or a color and texture of your making), open Paper 4. Resize to 800x700. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply the WSL_Mask83. Delete the mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question and merge group.

At this point, I took my pick tool

.. and dragged the sides and top out to a place I wanted them. This is up to you.

Now, from the supplies file I gave you, open the window1 file. Edit > Copy merged. Paste as a new layer. Position where you think it looks best. If your tag's coloration is differing from mine, then use Adjust > Hue and Saturation > Colorize to get the right color tone. In your layer palette, this layer should be dragged down to just above your mask layer.

Go back to the top layer and add your name. I used color #d4fbfd as the fill, color #84bca6 as the stroke, stroke set on 4.

I added the following bevel:

Hit okay.

Drop shadow your name.

Now is the time we're going back to those layers I said earlier to label for ease of finding!!

Find your "A" layer. Apply your Edge Texture mask. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question and merge group. Duplicate this layer.

Find your "B" layer. Apply your Edge Texture mask again. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question and merge group. Duplicate this layer.

Find your "C" layer. Apply your Edge Texture mask one last time. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question and merge group. Duplicate this layer.

Now! *chuckle*

In your materials palette, close out the fill color and change the stroke color to something dark, so you can see it. Line width is 3.

Select Preset Shape > Rectangle

Draw a square around the window frame, as is depicted below:

Convert this to a raster layer. In your layer palette, drag this below the window and above the mask.

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 three layers. This should be your white background layer, your mask layer and the preset shape you created. It should look somewhat like so:

Edit > Copy Merged.

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

Duplicate this frame until you have 3 frames. Move the slider at the bottom of this animation to the first frame.

Open your rain animation file from the supplies. We're going to be doing a bunch of tweaking to this file, because it is (A) too big and (B) not dark enough to show up against your background.

Edit > Select All.

File > Export Frames > To Paint Shop Pro.

Go to PSP. We are going to adjust the brightness and contrast on all three layers. So, starting on the bottom layer, Adjust > Brightness and Contrast > Brightness/Contrast with the following settings:

Hit okay.

Highlight your middle layer, and apply the same brightness & contrast. Then your top layer. When done, click the "x" on the top right corner to close out the file. You will see the following:

Answer "no."

Now, there is another question:

Answer "yes." Your frames are now back in Animation Shop, just darker than they were in the beginning.

Animation > Resize Animation

Set this to percentage, 45%.

Hit okay.

Edit > Copy.

Back to the animation that we are building into your finished tag.

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

Hover your mouse until your rain file is centered in the square you created with your preset shape. Release your mouse button.

Now, go back to PSP.

Layers > View > All.

Close out the bottom three layers. This will be the white background, the mask and the preset shape layers.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Duplicate this until you have three frames.

Edit > Select All. Edit > Copy.

Back to the tag we're building and Edit > Paste > Into Selected Frame.

Position your window so that it's right over the preset shape you made. Release your mouse button.

WHEW!! What a hassle, right??

View > Animation.

Save as a .gif file, and finally, we're done! I hope with all I've got that I explained this well enough! It's been a long time since I've made a tag this way. I do hope you're happy with your results. Thanks so much for trying my tut!

.

Dreaming of You

2010-03-24T11:17:00.001-07:00

Angelic Cravings

2010-03-22T14:53:00.001-07:00

Turbulent Heart

2010-03-19T13:43:00.001-07:00

That Seductive Look

2010-03-18T13:17:00.001-07:00

Sittin' Pretty

2010-03-16T14:29:00.001-07:00

I'm Late!

2010-03-15T13:39:00.001-07:00

A Berry St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-11T13:49:00.001-08:00

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

This tutorial was written on March 11, 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.

My tutorials are written for those with 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.

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 am using the great work of Keith Garvey. You must have a license to use his artwork. You can get that license at My PSP Tubes.

The scrap kit is by Steph, of Digital Art by Steph. This is a FTU kit called simply "St. Patrick's Day Freebie." Leave Steph some thanks and love for sharing her work with us!! Don't forget!!

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

Font: I used AlsaceLorraine.

Supplies: Again, just the mask, which you can find here. Scroll down the page, it is the third mask down. Left click on the image. When it opens, right click, then save as. As you can see, this mask is by Monti, of Monti's Pixel Playground. Thanks, Monti, for sharing your great work with all of us!!

This tutorial came together by hit-and-miss. Some of it (which you will recognize when you get there) happened by accident, as I tried things and then sometimes forgot to delete them if I decided against them. So bear with me, please!

Open your mask and minimize in PSP. Alternatively, you could file it away with the rest of your PSP mask files, for use at a future date!

Open a new canvas, 800 x 700, white.

Open frm5. Resize 30%. Copy and paste as a new layer. I needed to move this one down a bit. It will depend upon the tube you use.

Add your tube. Resize and position to your taste.

Duplicate your tube layer. Have one tube above and one below the frame layer. Drop shadow the tube layer that is below your frame.

Highlight the top tube layer. Temporarily reduce the opacity on this layer, so you can see the shamrocks below.

[This screen capture was done for a prior tutorial. I'm just using it now to help y'all locate the opacity thingamajiggy. lol Truth is, I lowered mine to the 40s when doing this one.]

Now, this was very tricky for me. It took me a lot of time and patience, and I STILL didn't get it quite right. Perhaps it would be much easier if I'd used a different tube. What I was trying to do was to get the extended arm to appear as if it were coming from the midst of the shamrocks included with the frame.

Grab your lasso tool, set on point-to-point. Carefully -- zoom in a bunch if it will help, it did for me -- draw selections around the shamrocks that you want to be showing. Hit delete. Continue doing this until you are satisfied with the results. I would bring the opacity back up, take a look, then lower the opacity and try, try again. So, if you're using the same tube and want the same effect, it could be a laborious process.

When satisfied, return the opacity to 100°. Drop shadow your frame layer.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open ppr1. Resize to 800x700 pixels. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply your mask. INVERT TRANSPARENCY IS CHECKED! Delete your mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group. Resize your mask layer 105%.

Open the rowanberry. Resize 25%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position so the berries will be coming out from behind the top right corner of your frame. Duplicate this layer and Image > Mirror. Arrange the duplicated layer so the berries will be coming from behind the upper left corner of the frame. See my example for placement reference, if you like. Merge these two layers down. Drop shadow. In your layer palette, drag this layer below your mask layer.

Open frm3. Resize 23%. Copy and paste as a new layer. In your layer palette, this should be below your bottom tube layer, above the mask layer.

Highlight your main frame (frm5) layer.

Grab your selection tool, set on rectangle, and draw a square selection around the inner portion of the frame (not inside the frame, but around the frame itself....)

Highlight your frm3 layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Yes, that was the mistake. I discovered that I liked the extra shamrocks around, so I just left the frm3 layer there and deleted the parts I didn't want!

Open bow7. Resize 20%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position over the bottom right corner of the frame. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow.

Go back to your top layer and add your name. I used color #d55f53 as the fill AND stroke, stroke set at 1.5.

Effects > Plugins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set at 5-25-100, color #285b1e.

I applied the following bevel:

Hit okay.

Add Gradient Glow once more, this time set at 3-0-100, color is white.

Drop shadow your name. Arrange your name as you'd like it. I rotated mine 30° left.

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

Highlight your bottom rowanberry 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 rowanberry layer.

Add Sparkle again, this time moving your "size" and "random" seed settings to something different. You can watch your choices in the preview window as you change your sliders in this filter. Just keep moving the slider settings until you like what you see.

Hit okay.

Highlight the top rowanberry 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 as you go.

Close out your top two rowanberry layers, leaving the bottom rowanberry 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 rowanberry 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 rowanberry layer, and open the top rowanberry 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 35.

View > Animation.

Another tag, done in time for St. Paddy's Day! Thanks for choosing to do one of my tuts! Leave a "shout out" if you're feeling talky! Have a GREAT rest of your day!!!

.

Chatzoudis Rainbow

2010-03-10T14:28:00.001-08:00

Only a Teenage Crush

2010-03-09T12:32:00.001-08:00

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

This tutorial was written on March 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(s)... 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 (or tubes) of your choice. I chose to use the great artwork of Dominic Marco. You may have noticed I like his work. LOL! You must have a license to use his art. You can get that license at C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit is by Doris, from Scraps Dimensions. This is a FTU kit, called Teenage Crush. I chose to copy the title used for this tutorial from an old Average White Band song that went on and on in my brain as I put this together lol. (Although I think theirs was "schoolboy" instead of "teenage.") Again, Doris puts a lot of love into her absolutely free kits, so leave some for her in return!!

Filters: VM Natural > Sparkle

Font: I used BoogieWoogieHmk.

Supplies: Just the mask, which can be found here. This is obviously a mask by someone named Angie. I have no idea Angie "who," nor do I know where to find her. If you know who this is, or if this is yours, let me know so that I might give credit where it's due! Thank you!

This is another copy-n-paste a lot type tutorial, like my recent "I Enjoy Being a Girl." It takes a lot of repetition and resizing, but let's do it!!

Open your mask and minimize in PSP. Alternatively, you could file it away with the rest of your PSP mask files, for use at a future date!

Open a new canvas, 750 x 700, white.

Open DRESSER. Resize 65%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Drop shadow.

Add your main tube. Resize, position, and drop shadow to your taste. Arrange with regard to your dresser as you like it.

Either add your secondary tube, or duplicate the one you're using and mirror. Position so that the face of this tube is how you want it to show in the "mirror" portion of the dresser. Drop shadow the tube. Lower the opacity on this tube to 55.

[PLEASE NOTE: The above screen shot was done when I was going to be using a mirrored duplicate of my main tube. As I went on, I felt I needed a male image in there (to go with the "crush" theme), and vaguely remembered that Dominic Marco had done some male artwork. So, I went looking for that, and luckily I had it. I changed it out after the screen shots were done.]

Highlight your dresser layer. Grab your lasso tool, set on point-to-point, feather set at 17, and carefully draw a selection around the "mirror" portion of the dresser. See the above screen shot for an example. Your selection will not be exactly as you drew it, due to the feathering. Selections > Invert.

Highlight your secondary tube layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Adjust > Brightness and Contrast > Clarify

with the following setting:

Hit okay.

Open the VASE. Resize 20%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position on top of the dresser. Drop shadow.

Open WA 3. Resize 15%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position as though it's hanging from the mirror. Small drop shadow.

Open MASCARA. Resize 15%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position on top of the dresser. Drop shadow.

Open LIPSTICK. Resize 17%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position on top of the dresser. Drop shadow.

Open LIP GLOSS. Resize 15%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position on top of the dresser. Drop shadow.

Open JEWELRY BOX. Resize 17%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position on top of the dresser. Drop shadow.

The following may not pertain to your tag. If you're using a mirror image of your main tube, perhaps you don't want lips on the cheek, I don't know.

Open LIPS. Resize 7%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position on the cheek of your image in the mirror. Small drop shadow.

Open WA 2. Resize 30%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position in the center bottom (to the left a bit, above your tube) portion of the canvas. See my example for placement reference. Rotate 20° left. Drop shadow.

Arrange the elements on the dresser to your liking. You can use my example for placement reference, if you like.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open PAPER 8. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

Open DIARY. Resize 20%. Copy and paste as a new layer. In your layer palette, this should be above the dresser layer. Rotate 17° right. Position at the middle-right of the dresser. See my example for placement reference, if you like. Drop shadow.

Go to your top layer and add your name. I used color #d927b8 as the fill, and #c1c342 as the stroke, stroke set at 3.

I applied the following bevel:

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

Highlight your DRESSER layer. Here comes a repetition!

Grab your lasso tool, set on point-to-point, FEATHER SET AT ZERO, and carefully draw a selection around the mirror portion of your dresser.

Duplicate the DRESSER layer twice, for a total of three DRESSER layers.

Now highlight your bottom DRESSER 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 DRESSER layer.

Add Sparkle again, this time moving your "size" and "random" seed settings to something different. You can watch your choices in the preview window as you change your sliders in this filter. Just keep moving the slider settings until you like what you see.

Hit okay.

Highlight the top DRESSER 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 as you go.

Selections > Select None.

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

Done with another tag! I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for doing my tut, and have a lovely rest of your day!

.

Irish Flirt

2010-03-05T16:12:00.001-08:00

Clubbin'

2010-03-04T12:52:00.001-08:00

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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 March 4, 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!!

Five tubes of your choosing by the same artist. I used the great work of Dominic Marco. You must have a license to use his work. You can get that license at C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit is by Tina, of Tina's Magical Scrap World. This is a PTU kit, available through Exquisite Scraps, as well as Sophisti-Scraps and Just 4 Taggers. This kit is called I Love Music. Only $3.00 USD! It's a PACKED kit... I actually used just a few things from it. Beautiful!

The template used is by Missy, of Divine Intentionz. She's contributed a BUNCH of templates to our little world. Look in the left column, scroll down a few, and all her templates are linked there. You want number 183. Thanks, Missy!!

Supplies: Just the teeny-weeny little diamond file, which you can find here. I don't know who made this image, so cannot give proper credit. If you know from whence it came, let me know, and I'll make sure to put it here!! Thank you!!

Filters: Eye Candy 4000 > HSB Noise

Font: I used Tiamaria Script.

I remember when I did template-involved tuts (before I was writing them), they seemed so easy. This one took me a long time! So I'm not sure if it's easy to follow, but difficult to write, or what. Let's see where it takes us...

Open your diamond file in PSP and minimize.

Open your template.

Window > Duplicate. Close out the original template. Resize to 700x526 pixels.

Highlight the white background layer.

Image > Canvas Size as per the following:

Hit okay.

Grab your flood fill tool, and fill in the background with white.

Add your tube. Resize and position to your liking. In the layer palette, drag this below the "bars" layer.

Duplicate your tube. Drag this layer ABOVE the "bars" layer.

Highlight your "bars" layer. Grab your magic wand and click inside the bar on the bottom.

Selections > Modify > Expand by 1. Selections > Modify > Smooth:

With these settings:

Hit okay.

Highlight your top tube layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Highlight your bottom tube layer. Drop shadow.

Now, to soften the bottom edge of your tube (if you're using a 3/4 tube as I have), grab your lasso tool, set on freehand. Set feather to 17. Draw a small smile with your freehand tool.

Hit delete until you have the effect you want (on BOTH tube layers). Selections > Select None.

Highlight again, the bars layer. Grab your magic wand and click inside one of the vertical bars in the layer. Selections > Modify > Expand by 1. Selections > Modify > Smooth, with the default settings.

Copy and paste another of your tubes. Position so that it shows in the bar you've selected.

Selections > Invert. Hit delete. Selections > Select None. Change the opacity on this layer to 65:

Adjust > Brightness and Contrast > Clarify:

With the following setting:

Hit okay.

Repeat the above steps for the remaining three vertical bars on the "bars" layer.

[PLEASE NOTE: The following steps (the choices of the papers) were based upon the tube *I* chose to be the main focus of the tag. You are most likely using a different tube. You can skew your tag to pink if you like, by using different choices of papers. This is just a guide!]

Highlight your "bars" layer again, and again, using your magic wand, click on the horizontal bar at the bottom. Selections > Modify > Expand by 1. Selections > Modify > Smooth with the default settings. Selections > Invert.

Open Paper33. Copy and paste as a new layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Drop shadow the bars layer.

Highlight the "music note" layer. (It's actually the treble clef.) Grab your magic wand, and click inside the treble clef. Selections > Modify > Expand by 1. Selections > Modify > Smooth with default settings. Selections > Invert.

Open Paper 7. Copy and paste as a new layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Delete the "music note" layer from the template. Drop shadow your paper treble clef.

Highlight the "circle" layer of the template. Grab your magic wand and click inside the circle. Selections > Modify > Expand by 1. Selections > Modify > Smooth with the default settings. Selections > Invert.

Open Paper21. Copy and paste as a new layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Delete the "circle" layer from the template. Drop shadow your paper circle.

Highlight the "stars" layer in the template. Grab your magic wand, and click OUTside the stars. Then click again in the middle of each star. Selections > Modify > Smooth with the default settings.

Open Paper5. Copy and paste as a new layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Delete your "stars" template layer. Drop shadow your paper stars.

Open MusicLoveChain2. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position at the tip-top of the treble clef, as if it's hanging there. Drop shadow.

Open the diamond I supplied in the beginning. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position at the tip-top (lol) of the MusichLoveChain2 element, as if it's holding it in place.

Open MusicNoteDoodle3. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 25° left. Position in the bottom left corner of the canvas. In your layer palette, this should be below the circle layer. Drop shadow.

Open CrystalNote3. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 20° right. Position where you'd like it. I have mine down below the circle layer, and in the right upper corner of the canvas. Drop shadow.

Open CrystalNote2. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 20° left. Image > Mirror. Position as you'd like it, next to CrystalNote3. Drop shadow.

Open Glitter1 and Glitter2. Copy and paste them as you'd like them to be arranged. I have Glitter1 on the top right area of the canvas, and Glitter2 on the top left. Position them as you'd like. Duplicate them both. For each one, Image > Mirror. Image > Flip. Position these layers as you'd like. Now, merge all four layers down to one.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color #0b4567 as the fill and #76c6c7 as the stroke, stroke set at 1.5.

I added the following bevel:

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

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

Now highlight your bottom Glitter layer.

Effects > Plug-ins > Eye Candy 4000 > HSB Noise with the default settings, and hit okay.

Highlight the middle Glitter layer.

Add HSB Noise again, and click on the "Random Seed" tab.

Hit okay.

Highlight the top Glitter layer.

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

Hit okay.

Close out your top two Glitter 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 Glitter 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 layer, and open the top 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, choose "Frame Properties," and change this number to 23.

View > Animation.

And there it is! This was much easier to type out than I thought it would be. If I've left anything out, PLEASE let me know!! LOL! I proof-read all of these things, but sometimes.... ya' never know! Have a great rest of your day!

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A Proud Irishwoman

2010-03-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

Eclectic in Black-n-White

2010-03-01T15:08:00.001-08:00

Peaceful Nature

2010-02-25T11:36:00.001-08:00

Kiss Me I'm Irish (again)

2010-02-24T09:10:00.000-08:00

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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

2010-02-23T09:51:00.001-08:00

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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

2010-02-22T13:39:00.001-08:00

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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!

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Pot O' Gold & Some Beer

2010-02-20T14:32:00.001-08:00

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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!!

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At One With Nature

2010-02-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

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[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!

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Irish Bling II

2010-02-17T12:02:00.000-08:00

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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!

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An Irish Blessing

2010-02-15T15:34:00.000-08:00

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[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

2010-02-15T13:48:00.001-08:00

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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!
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Devil In Her Heart

2010-02-15T11:51:00.001-08:00

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[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!

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Masquerade

2010-02-14T12:50:00.001-08:00

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[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

2010-02-12T13:35:00.001-08:00

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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

2010-02-09T13:03:00.000-08:00

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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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Flirtatious Butterfly

2010-02-04T16:11:00.001-08:00

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

This tutorial was written on February 4, 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!!

Four tubes of your choice by the same artist. I'm using the art of Paul John Ballard. You will need a license to use his art. That license & art may be found at C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit is by the very talented Bel Vidotti. This is a FTU kit, but it is a FULL SIZED kit, as opposed to being tagger sized. This means a bigger download, but I love, Love, LOVE this kit, so I endured the larger files because I wanted it so much! The kit is called Lust. It is not in English, but she offers a translation tool at the top, if you need it. Thank you, Bel, for coming back to life and offering this BEAUTIFUL kit! Ladies, leave your love!!

Filters: Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow, Eye Candy > 4000 > HSB Noise

Font: I used Alexandra Script.

Supplies: Two masks, which may be found here. One of the masks we'll be using was created by Vix! Thank you, Vix, for everything you've done over the years for the PSP community! The other mask was created by SophisticatSimone. Thanks go to you, too, Simone, for your contributions to us PSP people! How about that, people? I knew who made them and credited them on BOTH items! HOORAY!!

Let's do it to it!!

Open your masks in PSP and minimize. Alternatively, you can save them to your PSP mask files, for use at a later date!

Open a new canvas, 800 x 700, white.

Start with your main tube. Resize, position, and drop shadow to your taste.

Open element 40. Resize 18%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Arrange your tube and triple frame the way you'd like them.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open papers01. Resize to 800x700 pixels. Copy and paste as a new layer. Twice. You should have two layers of this paper.

Go to the bottom layer of the paper.

Apply the SophisticatSimone-Mask15. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question and merge group.

Highlight your top layer of the paper.

Apply the Vix-Mask_Valentine13. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question and merge group.

Open your tubes that you intend to be in the frames. Resize as needed.

Highlight the tripleframe layer. Grab your magic wand and click the opening of one of the frames. Selections > Modify > Expand by 10. Selections > Invert.

Place your first tube into your first frame. This layer should be below the triple frame layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select None. Drop shadow this tube.

Repeat the above with the other two frames.

Drop shadow the triple frame.

Open element01. Resize 13%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position over the loop above the triple frame. Drop shadow.

Open element23. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. In your layer palette, drag this below your tube layers. Rotate 20° right. Drop shadow.

Open element14. Resize 15%. Copy and paste as a new layer. I rotated mine 20° left. Position the butterfly where you'd like it. Drop shadow. Duplicate this layer and Image > Mirror. Position where you'd like.

The following may not pertain to you. It depends upon your main tube. This is about getting the string around her finger.

Open element27. Resize 10%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position as though the string is wrapped around the finger.

Reduce the opacity on this layer to 55.

Grab your lasso tool, set on point-to-point. Zoom in on the hand area and draw a selection around the part of the string that is over the finger.

Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Bring the opacity on this layer back up to 100. Drop shadow.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color #913359 as the fill, black as the stroke, stroke set on 2.

I added the following bevel:

Hit okay.

Effects > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set on 4-0-100, color #e7b2c7.

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 papers01 layer that gave you the scattered hearts. This should be the one on top. Duplicate this layer twice, for a total of three scattered hearts layers.

Now highlight your bottom scattered hearts layer.

Effects > Plug-ins > Eye Candy 4000 > HSB Noise with the following settings:

Hit okay.

Highlight your middle scattered hearts layer.

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

Hit okay.

Highlight your top scattered hearts layer.

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

Close out your top two scattered hearts 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 scattered hearts layer, and open the middle layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Return again to PSP. Close out your middle scattered hearts layer, and open your top scattered hearts 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. Choose "Frame Properties." Change this number to 27.

View > Animation.

Et, voila! Another completed tag! I hope you enjoyed this one. Thank you so much for stopping by! Leave a shout out if you're so inclined! :)

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Fat Tuesday

2010-02-02T10:44:00.001-08:00

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

This tutorial was written on February 2, 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 again using the artwork of Jamie Kidd. You must have a license to use her work. You can get that license and art at C.I.L.M. When I saw this tube was available yesterday, I immediately thought of using it with this kit!

The scrap kit is by Doris of Scraps Dimensions. This is a FTU kit called "Mardi Gras." As always, be sure to leave some love for making freebies available to us!!

Filters: dsb Flux > Bright Noise

Font: I used Byron Bold.

Supplies: Just the mask, which you may find here. I don't know who made this mask, so if it is yours, please let me know. I'd love to give proper credit where it's due! Thank you!

Let's do it to it!!

Open your mask in PSP and minimize. Alternatively, you can file it in with your other PSP masks for use at a later date.

Open a new canvas, 700 x 750, white.

Open Frame1. Resize 75%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 90° right.

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 part of your tube that you don't want overlapping the frame.

Selections > Select none.

Open Feather6. Resize 35%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position on the right bottom corner of the frame. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow.

Open Feather5. Resize 35%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position next to the Feather6 layer. Drop shadow. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Position this one on the left bottom corner.

Open Feather4. Resize 35%. Image > Mirror. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position this next to the Feather 5 layer on the left bottom corner. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow.

Open Beads. Pick a color. LOL! Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 90° right. Resize 75%. Image > Mirror. Position so that it looks as if the beads are hanging from the top right corner of the frame.

Zoom in on the beads in the top corner. Using your lasso tool, set on point-to-point, draw a selection around the beads on the inside area of the frame, so the string will look like it's draped over the corner.

Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Now, copy and paste another color of beads as a new layer. Resize 65%. Rotate 90° right, then another 15° right. "Drape" these beads on the corner of the frame with the previous beads. Zoom in again, deleting the beads showing on the inside of the frame.

Drop shadow both layers of beads.

Open Coins. Resize 25%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position where you like under the frame. I chose to put mine to the right a bit. Drop shadow.

Open Crown. Resize 25%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Arrange this with the coins along the bottom of the frame. Drop shadow.

Open Mask2. Resize 25%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 15° left. Arrange to the left along the bottom of the frame. Drop shadow.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open Paper2. 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.

This will leave your mask nicely fading, but still, the color will come to an abrupt stop on the edges. To fix this, I did the following:

Grab your lasso tool, set on freehand, feather on 17. Draw a freehand selection around the edges of the mask layer. Selections > Invert. You should have something a bit like this:

Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Open Fireworks1. Image > Mirror. Copy and paste as a new layer. In your layer palette, drag this layer below the frame layer. Give this a small but dark drop shadow.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color #eadd26 as the fill, #2c9280 as the stroke, stroke set on 2.

I added the following bevel:

Hit okay.

Drop shadow your name. I rotated mine 30° to the left. 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 Fireworks layer. Duplicate this layer three times, for a total of four Fireworks layers.

Now highlight your bottom Fireworks layer.

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

Hit okay.

Highlight the next Fireworks layer up.

Add Bright Noise again, this time hitting "Mix" a couple times.

Hit okay.

Highlight the next Fireworks layer up.

Add Bright Noise once more, hitting "Mix" again, about three times..

Highlight your top Fireworks layer. Add Bright Noise again, again hitting "Mix" a few times.

Close out your top three Fireworks 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 Fireworks 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 your open Fireworks layer, and open your next Fireworks layer up.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Once more, back to PSP. Close out the currently open Fireworks layer and open the top layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

View > Animation.

There you go! I do hope you like this tutorial and I'm glad you stopped by!! Have a great rest of your day!

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Sweet As Sugar

2010-02-01T15:25:00.001-08:00

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

This tutorial was written on February 1, 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 Jamie Kidd. You must have a license to use her work. You can get that license and art at C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit is by Artmama. This is a FTU kit called "Pour Some Sugar On Me." As always, be sure to leave her some love for making freebies for us!!

Filters: Mura's Meister > Copies, Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow, dsb Flux > Bright Noise

Font: I used Cancellaresca Script LET Plain:1.0.

Supplies: No outside supplies for this tut!!

Let's do it to it!!

Open a new canvas, 700 x 700, white.

Open embellie 18. Copy and paste as a new layer. Drop shadow.

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

Highlight your white background layer.

Open embellie 67. Resize by 90%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Drop shadow.

Open embellie 26. Resize by 35%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

Hit okay. Drop shadow. Drag this layer down so it's the bottom layer (above the white background layer).

Open embellie 43. Resize 120%. Copy and paste as a new layer. This layer should be below your pink flowery frame layer (embellie 18).

I found this next part easiest to do by closing the tube layer first.

Grab your selection tool, set on Circle.

Set your feather setting to 17. Center your cursor in the middle of your CD layer (embellie 43). Draw a circle selection to just before it hits the edge of your CD layer.

Selections > Invert.

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

Re-open your tube layer.

Highlight your embellie 18 layer (the flowery frame layer - first item we put on the canvas). Since we've already given this layer a drop shadow, we'll have to play with the selections again.

Grab your magic wand (make sure you keep feather at 17) and click inside the frame area.

Selections > Invert. Selections > Contract by 35.

Hit okay. Your canvas should look something like this:

Highlight your tube layer. Grab your eraser brush, and erase any portion of your tube that you don't want showing below the frame area. Selections > Select None.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color #fa788a as the fill and stroke, stroke set on 2.

Effects > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set on 4-0-100, color #fceae0.

Drop shadow your name. I rotated mine 20° to the left. 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 67 layer. Duplicate this layer twice, for a total of three embellie 67 layers.

Now highlight your bottom embellie 67 layer.

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

Hit okay.

Highlight your middle embellie 67 layer.

Add Bright Noise again, this time hitting "Mix" a couple times.

Hit okay.

Highlight your top embellie 67 layer.

Add Bright Noise once more, hitting "Mix" again, about three times..

Close out your top two embellie 67 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 67 layer, and open the middle layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Return again to PSP. Close out your middle embellie 67 layer, and open your top embellie 67 layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

View > Animation.

And there you are, done with another tag!! Thanks so much for trying one of my tuts! I appreciate it! Leave a shout out if you feel so inclined!

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Sparkle Garden

2010-01-31T14:28:00.001-08:00

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

This tutorial was written on January 31, 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 fantasy artwork of Kathleen Lowe. You must have a license to use her work. You can get that license and art at C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit is by Seachell, at Seachell's Scrapz. This is a FTU kit called "Magical Day." This is a kit she made last year, but it's still a good one! Be sure to leave lots of love for the freebies!

Filters: No outside filters were used in this tutorial!

Font: I used Andrea Cursive SSi.

Supplies: You may find the file here. This file includes the mask, the sky, the grass and the clouds. Wow! The creation! LOL. Just kidding. I honestly don't know where I got these files. They were collected over the years of playing with PSP. If these are yours, or you know who made them, PLEASE let me know so that I may give proper credit. Thank you!

Let's do it to it!!

Open your supplies in PSP and minimize.

Open a new canvas, 800 x 700, white.

Open element9. Resize 85%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Drop shadow.

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

Highlight your white background layer.

Open the sky, furnished in the supplies. Resize to 800x700. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Open the grass, furnished in the supplies. Colorize slightly to blend with the greenery already present:

Hit okay.

Position the grass where you'd like it. Duplicate as many times as you like to get the effect that you want. I duplicated and rearranged three times. This is totally up to you. Merge down all your grass layers.

Open the CloudFormation1, furnished in the supplies. Position where you'd like it. Slight drop shadow.

Open element1 (the unicorn). Resize 85%. Copy and paste as a new layer. I mirrored mine. It depends upon where you're putting your pond. :)

Duplicate your unicorn layer. Drag one of these layers to just below the pond layer, the other just above the pond, but below your tube layer. Drop shadow your lowest unicorn.

Highlight your top unicorn layer and draw a rectangular selection around the legs, etc., that overlap the pond. Hit delete. Do this as many times as you need to get the desired effect. Selections > Select None.

Now, we're going to use your mask over and over until you get the shading you desire.

Highlight your sky 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, just as above.

If your tube is off to the edge of your canvas like mine was, highlight your tube layer.

Again, apply your mask, delete mask layer, etc.

Highlight your pond layer.

Apply your mask once more, deleting the mask layer and etc.

If this looks good to you, you may quit with the mask. LOL! I actually applied it once more to both the sky and the grass layers. This is totally up to you.

Open element10. Resize 20%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position where you'd like it. Mine is on the right side of the garden. Drop shadow.

Open element11. Resize 20%. Mirror. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position this one where you'd like it. Drop shadow.

Open element2. Resize 30%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position to where you'd like it in the garden. Drop shadow. Duplicate this layer and position this one where you'd like it, as well.

Open element3. Resize 30%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position this one to where you'd like it in the garden. Drop shadow. Duplicate this layer, too, and position in another place in the garden.

Open element5. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position where you think it looks best. Duplicate this layer and Image > Mirror. Position this layer where you think it looks best. Merge these two layers down. In your layer palette, drag this layer to just above the clouds.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color #80956f as the fill #7c1339 as the stroke, stroke set at 1.5.

I applied 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

Highlight your element5 layer. Duplicate this layer twice, for a total of three element5 layers.

Now highlight your bottom element5 layer.

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

Hit okay.

Highlight your middle element5 layer.

Add Noise again, this time changing the "Noise" setting to 40.

Hit okay.

Highlight your top element5 layer.

Add Noise once more, this time changing the "Noise" setting to 45.

Hi okay.

Close out your top two element5 layers, leaving the bottom element5 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 element5 layer, and open the middle element5 layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Return again to PSP. Close out your middle element5 layer, and open your top element5 layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

View > Animation.

Finis!! You're done! Thanks so much for trying one of my tuts! I appreciate you stopping by!

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Bad Girls Have More Fun

2010-01-30T13:44:00.001-08:00

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

This tutorial was written on January 30, 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. Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

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!

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. A reclining or sitting tube would work best. I'm using the sexy-cute artwork of Dominic Marco. You must have a license to use his work. You can get that license and art at C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit is by Ziggy Fan! This is a FTU kit called "I Love Chrome." Leave lots of love for the freebies!!!

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

Font: I used Curly Cue.

Supplies: Two masks, which can be found here. I don't know where I got the brick mask, but the other is from Boundless Bliss, which seems to have disappeared off the 'Net. Pity. But thanks go to the creator of each of these masks!!

Okay, let's get this done!!

Open your masks and minimize in PSP. Alternatively, you could save them in with those already in your PSP files, for use at a later date!

Open a new canvas, 750 x 700, white.

Open Frame3. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

Highlight your white background layer.

Open Paper2. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Highlight your frame layer. Grab your magic wand and click inside the frame. Selections > Modify > Expand by 15. Selections > Invert.

Highlight your Paper2 layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Highlight you white background layer again.

Open Paper4. Resize to 750x700. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

Now apply your boundlessbliss_grungemask_1, INVERT TRANSPARENCY CHECKED! Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group.

Open Plate. Resize 65%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 20° left. Position in lower left area of the frame. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow.

[NOTE: At about this time, I realized I wanted everything moved a bit to the left. You may not feel this way, but I did. What I did was to highlight each layer and hit shift+left arrow once.]

Open Tag. I chose to add the word "bad" to the tag prior to adding it to the canvas. Choose your font. Color #ac2c2e as the fill, black for the stroke - stroke set on 2. Type your word of choice. Drop shadow your text. Merge this layer down to the tag layer. Resize 35%. Copy and paste as a new layer. I chose to have this dangle from the tube's hand.

Position where you want the tag. If you're using the same or similar tube, to get the appearance the tag is dangling from one finger, I first reduced the opacity on the tag to 36, so I could see the hand in the background:

I then zoomed in on the hand, and drew point-to-point selections on the hand, to erase those parts of the ribbon. See below:

Hit delete. Selections > Select None. Return the opacity to 100.

This next step was done hit-and-miss, so I'll describe exactly how I did it. LOL.

Open Gem2. Resize to 400x400. Adjust > Sharpness > Sharpen. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize again, by 120%. Drag this layer below the Paper2 layer but above your mask layer. Drop shadow.

Drop shadow your frame layer.

Go back to the top and add your name. Again, I used color #ac2c2e for the fill, black for the stroke, stroke set at 2.

Effects > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set at 3-0-100, color #e1cac7.

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

Highlight your Gem2 layer. Duplicate this three times, for a total of four Gem2 layers.

Now highlight the bottom Gem2 layer.

Effects > Plugins > VM Natural > Sparkle

I wanted the sparkles to be larger than normal on this one, so I started like so:

Hit okay.

Highlight the next Gem2 layer up.

Add Sparkle again, this time moving the "random seed" and/or the "max size" to something different. You can watch on the screen provided in the plug-in to see the effect you're getting, so move the sliders 'til you get what you like.

Hit okay.

Highlight the next Gem2 layer up.

Add Sparkle again, and again moving "random seed" and/or "max size."

Hit okay.

Highlight the top Gem2 layer.

Add Sparkle once more, again moving "random seed" and/or "max size."

Now, whenever I use this filter, I give it a double dose, to get more sparkles. So go back, layer by layer, and do the sparkle thing again. You don't HAVE to, of course. Just what I do! When finished, then:

Close out the top three of the Gem2 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 Gem2 layer, and open the next mask layer up.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Return again to PSP. Close out the Gem2 layer you just worked with, and open the next Gem2 layer up.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Finally, return to PSP one last time, and close the current Gem2 layer and open the top Gem2 layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Still in Animation Shop, Edit > Select All.

Right-click on the bar above your animation and choose "Frame Properties." Change this number to 27.

View > Animation.

Et, voila! Done with another one! Thank you for using my tutorials! I appreciate you for it! Leave a shout out if you're feeling talky! :)

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Be Mine

2010-01-30T11:01:00.000-08:00

Love In Violet

2010-01-28T13:33:00.000-08:00

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

This tutorial was written on January 28, 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. Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

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!

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 wonderful artwork of Anna Liwanag. You must have a license to use her work. You can get that license and art at My PSP Tubes.

The scrap kit is by Hezalin, at Heza Scraps. This is a PTU kit, available at Treasured Scraps, and is called "Violet Love." This kit is currently on sale for a mere $0.35!! Get it while you can!

Filters: No outside filters used in this tutorial.

Font: I used 41.

Supplies: Just the current favorite mask, which you may find here. Once again, it's by the wonderful Becky, who has dropped off the Internet so far as I can see. Thank you, Becky, for all you did for the PSP Community while you were around!

Let's start on this one! It's a bit labor-intensive. I hope I explain it well enough!

Open a new canvas, 700 x 700, white.

Open Ellie 6 (white round frame). 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 part of your tube that you don't want showing outside the bottom/sides of the frame.

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 a teensy bit to the right. You may not like that. It's up to you!

Open Ellie 3. Copy and paste as a new layer.

I chose to write the word "Love" on the heart area. I used color #d1c1d0 for the fill, color #61385d for the stroke, stroke set on 1.

Position your text so it looks best on the heart area. Give this text a small drop shadow.

Merge this text layer down to your Ellie 3 layer.

I applied the following bevel:

Hit okay.

Resize the Ellie 3 layer by 50%. Position on the left side of the frame, so it looks as though it's attached to the frame. Drop shadow.

Open Charm. Resize 30%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position over the top of your Ellie 3 layer. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow your charm.

Open Bow 4. Resize 20%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position this over the charm layer. Again, see my example for placement reference. Drop shadow your bow.

Open Flower 1. Resize 30%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position this flower on the right side of the frame. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Position these flowers however you like them best. Drop shadow your flowers.

Open Doodle 2. Copy and paste as a new layer. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Merge these two layers down. Duplicate that layer. Image > Flip. I found I had to fiddle a bit with the placement of these two layers to get them to a place I liked them. Drop shadow both doodle layers.

Drop shadow your frame.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used the same colors as above: #d1c1d0 as the fill, and #61385d for the stroke. Stroke set at 2.

Drop shadow your name.

Open Flower 2. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. I put this flower behind the name. This is not a necessary step, but just something that occurred to me while putting this together. Drop shadow the flower.

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 Ellie 3 layer. Duplicate this layer four times, for a total of five Ellie 3 layers.

I don't know why, but I find that it's easier for me if I position the original layer in the middle. Like so:

This is just a convenience thing. It's totally up to you how you arrange your layers. Just know that you'll have to keep track of them closely.

Choose one of your copied layers. Rotate 20° left.

You'll notice that this causes the Ellie 3 to go off-center with regard to the point from where it's swinging.

Grab your move tool and move this layer so that the top of the ribbon appears to be coming from the same point of origin as your original Ellie 3 layer.

Highlight another copied Ellie 3 layer. Rotate 35° left.

Again, this throws the "point of origin" off. Move this layer to again, look as though it's coming from the same place.

Highlight a new copied Ellie 3 layer. Rotate 20° right. Repeat your moving of the ribbon until it appears the point of origin is the same.

Highlight your final copied Ellie3 layer. Rotate 35° right. And again, use your move tool to center that point of origin.

I *do* hope I explained that well enough! Let me know if you have trouble. I might be able to help...

Close all but your original Ellie 3 layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Return to PSP. Close the original layer and open the 20° left layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

Go back to Animation shop and Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Again, return to PSP. Close out the 20° left layer and open the 35° left layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

Go back to Animation shop and Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP. Close the 35° left layer and open again the 20° left layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

Go back to Animation shop and Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Again, to PSP. Open the original Ellie 3 layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

Go back to Animation shop and Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return to PSP. Close out the original Ellie 3 layer, and open the 20° right layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

Go back to Animation shop and Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Once more, go to PSP. Close out the 20° right layer, and open the 35° right layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

Go back to Animation shop and Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Finally, return to PSP. Close out the 35° right layer and re-open the 20° right layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

Go back to Animation shop and Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

You should have 8 frames.

View > Animation to make sure it's all smooth.

Move the slider on the bottom of your animation so that it's set on the first frame.

Edit > Select All.

Right-click on the top bar of your animation and choose "Frame Properties." Change this number to 20.

View > Animation.

Et voila! You are done! Thanks so much for trying my tut! I appreciate you stopping by!

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Valentine Sweets

2010-01-27T14:13:00.001-08:00

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

This tutorial was written on January 27, 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. Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

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!

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 fantastic artwork of Keith Garvey. You must have a license to use his work. You can get that license and art at My PSP Tubes.

The scrap kit is by Bluey, at Bluedream Designs. This is a FTU kit called simply "Valentine." This is a kit she made last year, but it's still a good one! Continue to leave lots of love for the freebies!

Filters: Mura's Meister > Copies, Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow, dsb Flux > Bright Noise

Font: I used A&S Christmas Script.

Supplies: Just the mask, which you may find here. First time in my recollection that I've used this mask. That doesn't make sense, but I don't remember it! lol. I don't know who shared this mask with me, so if you do, or if it's yours, let me know so that I may give credit where it's due! Thanks!!

Let's get this baby rockin'!!

Open a new canvas, 800 x 700, white.

Open FlowerPearls2. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

Hit okay.

Effects > Plug-Ins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set at 3-0-100, color #e6dede.

Drop shadow.

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

Highlight your white background layer.

Open paper8. Resize to 800x700. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

Back to the top of your layer palette -- This part might be weird, if you're not using the same tube. But again, tutorials are a guide. Hopefully this will help?!?!

Open FlowerRose, FlowerRose1 and FlowerRose2. Resize all three by 50%. Copy all and paste as new layers. Duplicate FlowerRose1.

FlowerRose1: Rotate 75° right. Position toward the bottom right area of your canvas. In your layer palette, drag this layer below your tube layer. If you're using the same (or similar) tube, position it so that it will stick out from under the candy box. Drop shadow.

FlowerRose: Rotate 65° right. Position just above the previous rose. Drop shadow.

FlowerRose2: Rotate 50° right. Position just above the previous rose. Drop shadow.

Second FlowerRose1: Rotate 40° right. Position in your tag so that it is just below the FlowerRose2 layer. In your layer palette, drag this layer below the FlowerRose2 layer. Drop shadow.

Open Flower4. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 130%. Position in the center of the FlowerPearls2 circle/frame layer that you created with Copies. Drop shadow.

Open Butterfly4. Resize 65%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Image > Mirror. Position to the side of your canvas. See my example for placement reference. Add the same Gradient Glow as before. Drop shadow.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color #721927 as the fill. No stroke was used.

No bevel! Surprise! LOL!!

Again, apply the same Gradient Glow as before to your name.

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

Highlight your name layer.

Grab your magic wand and click inside each of your letters. Make sure you get all the swirls and swashes that your particular font may include.

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

Now highlight your bottom name layer.

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

Hit okay.

Highlight your middle name layer.

Add Bright Noise again, this time changing the "Intensity" setting to 47. Click "Mix" once or twice.

Hit okay.

Highlight your top name layer.

Add Bright Noise once more, this time changing the "Intensity" setting to 52. Click "Mix" again, once or twice.

Selections > Select None.

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 your middle name layer, and open your top name layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

View > Animation.

Finis!! You're done! Thanks so much for trying one of my tuts! I appreciate you stopping by!

.

Lovey Dovey All The Time

2010-01-27T12:20:00.001-08:00

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

This tutorial was written on January 27, 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. Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

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!

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 wonderful artwork of Elias Chatzoudis. You must have a license to use his work. You can get that license and art at My PSP Tubes.

The scrap kit is by Doris, of Scraps Dimensions. This is a FTU kit called "Lovey Dovey." Leave lots of love for the freebies, ladies!

Filters: No outside filters used in this tutorial!

Font: I used Headache Normal.

Supplies: No outside supplies for this tutorial!

Okay, let's begin...

Open a new canvas, 700 x 800, white.

Open Frame 1. 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 portion of the tube you don't want showing at the sides or on the bottom of the frame.

Selections > Select none.

Highlight your white background layer.

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

Again, highlight the frame layer. Grab the magic wand, click inside the frame. Selections > Modify > Expand by 15. Selections > Invert.

Highlight your paper layer. Hit delete.

Selections > Select None.

Again, highlight your white background layer.

Open Doodle Heart 2. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 75%. I moved this layer up a bit on the canvas. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Merge these two layers down.

Back to the top of your layer palette.

Open Calla Lilly 3. Resize 40%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 23° left. Place on the bottom left corner of the frame. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Merge these two layers down. Drop shadow.

Open Cushion. Resize 20%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position over the Calla Lilly on the bottom right corner of your canvas. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Merge these two layers down. Drop shadow.

Open Rose 2. Resize 20%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position in the middle, between the two cushions at the bottom center of the frame. Drop shadow.

Open Heart 8. Resize 20%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position along one side of the frame. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color #f75b9b as the fill and #a6ca3b as the stroke, stroke set on 3.

I added the following bevel:

0

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

Highlight your Doodle Heart 2 layer. Duplicate this twice, for a total of three Doodle Heart 2 layers.

Now highlight the bottom Doodle Heart 2 layer.

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

Hit okay.

Highlight the middle Doodle Heart 2 layer.

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

Hit okay.

Highlight the top Doodle Heart 2 layer.

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

Close out the top two Doodle Heart 2 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 Doodle Heart 2 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 Doodle Heart 2 layer, and open the top Doodle Heart 2 layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

View > Animation.

Once more, we are done! Thanks for using my tutorial! I hope you'll come back soon! Leave me a shout out if you're feeling "talky." LOL!

.

Cupid's Arrow

2010-01-27T10:24:00.001-08:00

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

This tutorial was written on January 27, 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. Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

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!

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 Greg Horn. You must have a license to use his work. You can get that license and art at C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit is by Artmama, of Artmama's Studio. This is a FTU kit called "Kisses." Leave lots of love for the freebies, ladies!

Filters: No outside filters used in this tutorial.

Font: I used Karnac Two.

Supplies: Just my current favorite mask, which you may find here. It is again by Becky, who has dropped off the 'net, it seems. At least in PSP form. So thank you once again, Becky, wherever you are!!

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!

Open a new canvas, 700 x 700, white.

Open embellie 08. Rotate it 45° right. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

Highlight your emb 08 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 portion of the tube you don't want showing at the sides or on the bottom of the frame.

Selections > Select none.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open paper 08. 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.

Open emb 17. Copy and paste as a new layer. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Merge these two layers down.

Open emb 10. Resize 65%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position this on the left side of your frame. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Merge these two layers down. Drop shadow.

Drop shadow your frame.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color #5a1c1e as the fill and #e8bec8 as the stroke, stroke set on 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

Highlight your emb 17 layer. Duplicate this twice, for a total of three emb 17 layers.

Now highlight the bottom emb 17 layer.

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

Hit okay.

Highlight the middle emb 17 layer.

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

Hit okay.

Highlight the top emb 17 layer.

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

Close out the top two emb 17 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 emb 17 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 emb 17 layer, and open the top emb 17 layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

View > Animation.

YAY! You're done! Thank you for using my tutorials! I appreciate that you appreciate it!

.

You Me Us

2010-01-26T12:43:00.001-08:00

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

This tutorial was written on January 26, 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. Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

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!

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!!

[Please Note: The animation in this tutorial is minimal: The sparkle in the eye. You can very easily go without the animation if you choose not to do it.]

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

The scrap kit is by Sylvie, of Fantasy Moments. This is a FTU kit called "For Your Love."

This kit is available through Rapid Share, a site with which I have numerous problems. It took me about 15 tries to get this kit. So if this happens to you, too, please know that you can use ANY kit with this tutorial, or even just use your flood fill tool with your chosen colors.

The template, which I got from Trish at Dreamland Designs. This particular template was offered a year ago, and you may find it here.

Filters: Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow

Font: I used Arial.

Supplies: The mask and the sparkle, both available here. The sparkle is obviously from someone named Laura, but I don't know exactly WHICH Laura, so... basically it's another "unknown" file. And the mask is by the wonderful-yet-MIA Becky! Thanks so much to both these lovely ladies for their contributions to the PSP community!

Okay... I have a feeling this is going to be difficult to put into words, so please bear with me!

Open your supplies and minimize in PSP. Alternatively, you could save them in with those already in your masks file, for use at a later date!

Open the template. Window > Duplicate. Close the original template. Resize to a width of 650 pixels, a height of 548 pixels.

Hit okay.

Change your canvas size to 800x700.

Hit okay.

Highlight your white background layer. Grab your flood fill tool and fill the background with white.

Delete your copyright layer (on top), and the Frame2 and BLACK SHAPE 1 layers (just above your white background layer).

Highlight your Large Hearts layer.

Open Paper-12. Copy and paste as a new layer.

[Please Note: If you're using just your colors of choice, be sure to add a new raster layer, then flood fill this area with your color as a substitute for the paper. This holds true with all the paper layers in this tutorial. And face it, most of this tutorial is reliant upon paper layers....]

Again, highlight the Large Hearts layer. Grab your magic wand and click on the canvas outside the hearts. Selections > Invert.

Highlight your Paper-12 layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Reduce the opacity on this paper layer to 70.

Merge your paper layer down with your Large Hearts layer. Drop shadow.

Highlight your Little Hearts layer.

Again, open paper-12. Copy and paste as a new layer. Highlight your Little Hearts layer again. Grab your magic wand and click on each of the little hearts. Selections > Invert.

Highlight your new Paper-12 layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Reduce the opacity on this paper layer to 70.

Merge this paper layer down with your Little Hearts layer. Drop shadow.

Highlight your Frame 1 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 portion of the tube you don't want showing at the sides or on the bottom of the frame.

Selections > Select none.

Highlight your TOP SHAPE 1 layer.

Open Paper-30. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Back to the shape layer. Grab your magic wand and click outside the shape.

Highlight your Paper-30 layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Merge these two layers down.

Highlight the RECTANGLE SHAPES layer.

Again, open Paper-30, copy and paste as a new layer.

Back to the RECTANGLE SHAPES layer. Grab your magic wand, click outside all the rectangles.

Highlight your new Paper-30 layer and hit delete. Selections > Select none.

Merge these two layers down.

Highlight your Rectangle Frames layer.

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

Back to the Rectangle Frames layer. Grab your magic wand and click inside AND outside the four rectangle frames.

Highlight again Paper-4 layer and hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Merge your Paper-4 layer with your Rectangle Frames layer. Drop shadow.

Highlight your Frame 1 layer again.

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

Back to the Frame 1 layer. Grab your magic wand and click inside and outside the frame.

Return to your new Paper-4 layer and hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Merge this Paper-4 layer down with your Frame 1 layer. Drop shadow your frame.

Highlight the white background layer.

Open Paper-15. Resize to 800x700. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

I found I wanted to move the mask layer a bit to the right at this point. You may, or may not. Up to you!

At this point I went to the top and started adding my text. I used Arial and just typed out something simple. You may use "You Me Us Love" or anything you like. I used color #ab2927. Drop shadow your text.

Go back to the top again and add your name. I used color #ab2927 again as the fill, no stroke.

Effects > Plugins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set at 4-25-100 with color #e8a3b6.

Hit okay.

I added the following bevel:

Hit okay.

Drop shadow your name.

I rotated mine 25° left. Position as you like.

It was at this point, with the drop shadow already in place on all of my text, that I decided to add the above bevel also to the "You Me Us Love" text. That, again, is up to you.

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

Go again to the top layer of your tag.

Open the SparkleLauras I included with the supplies. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Position over the eye area of your tube. (Actually, it doesn't need to be positioned correctly at this point... but I just did it. lol.)

Making sure you're on that sparkle layer, Edit > Copy.

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

Effects > Insert Image Transition with settings like so:

Hit okay. You should now have 18 frames.

Go back to PSP and close out the sparkle layer. Edit > Copy Merged.

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

Duplicate this frame until you have a total of 18 frames. Make sure your bottom slider is positioned at the first frame.

Go to the sparkle animation you created and Edit > Select All. Edit > Copy.

Return to the main tag you just duplicated and Edit > Select All. Edit > Paste > Into Selected Frame.

NOW!! lol. Position your sparkle in the area of the eye on your tube. Release your mouse button.

View > Animation.

Lookie there! You're done! I sincerely hope I was able to put this into words well enough for you to follow and understand! Thank you for giving this one a try!!

.

Team Edward

2010-01-25T13:39:00.000-08:00

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

This tutorial was written on January 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. Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

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!

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 Twilight artwork of Irene Shpak. You must have a license to use her work. You can get that license and art at My PSP Tubes.

The scrap kit is by Stina, of Designed by Stina. This is a FTU kit called "New Moon." Leave lots of love for the freebies!!!

Filters: VM Natural > Sparkle

Font: I used Penhurst.

Supplies: Just this mask. I've been using this one quite a bit of late!

Okay, let's begin!! It's been 10 days since my last tut post! BAD!!

Open your mask and minimize in PSP. Alternatively, you could save it in with those already in your PSP files, for use at a later date!

Open a new canvas, 800 x 700, white.

Open Glitterheart02. Resize 75%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

Highlight your Glitterheart02 layer. Grab your magic wand and click on the inside.

Selections > Modify > Expand by 1.

Selections > Invert

Highlight your tube layer. Grab your eraser brush and erase any portion of the tube you don't want showing at the sides or on the bottom of the frame.

Selections > Select none.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open paper01. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

You may want to keep this layer from coming to an abrupt stop at the edges. To accomplish this, I used my lasso tool set on freehand, feather set at 17. Draw freehand curves around the outside edges of your mask layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select none.

Open Moon. Resize 35%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position in the top right area of your Glitterheart02. See my example for placement reference. It's up to you and your choice of tube as to where to put it. Drop shadow.

Open Hearts. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 35° left. Position on the upper left portion of your canvas. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow.

Drop shadow your Glitterheart02 layer.

Open Tree02. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. In your layer palette, drag this layer below your tube layer. Position this tree as you'd like it. Mine is in the lower left area of the canvas. Duplicate this layer and position to the right a bit, and up or down a little from the first. Drop shadow both these trees.

Open Tree01. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position this tree as you'd like them all to look together in that same area. Duplicate this layer and move it to a place you like for your tag. Drop shadow both these trees.

You can merge down all your tree layers if you like.

Open Wolf. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Image > Mirror. In your layer palette, this layer should be above the rest. Position this to the lower left area of your canvas. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow.

Open the "Team _______" heart. (Choose your team! lol) Resize 50%. In your layer palette, this should be below your tube layer but above your Glitterheart02 layer. Position this sort-of in the upper center area of your canvas. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color #eaca92 for the fill, color #cea870 for the stroke, stroke set at 4.

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

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

Now highlight the bottom mask layer.

Effects > Plugins > VM Natural > Sparkle

Use the default settings. Mine started like so:

Hit okay.

Highlight the next mask layer up.

Add Sparkle again, this time moving the "random seed" and/or the "max size" to something different. You can watch on the screen provided in the plug-in to see the effect you're getting, so move the sliders 'til you get what you like.

Hit okay.

Highlight the next mask layer up.

Add Sparkle again, and again moving "random seed" and/or "max size."

Hit okay.

Highlight the top mask layer.

Add Sparkle once more, again moving "random seed" and/or "max size."

Now, whenever I use this filter, I give it a double dose, to get more sparkles. So go back, layer by layer, and do the sparkle thing again. You don't HAVE to, of course. Just what I do! When finished, then:

Close out the top three of the 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 the bottom mask layer, and open the next mask layer up.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Return again to PSP. Close out the mask layer you just worked with, and open the next mask layer up.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Finally, return to PSP one last time, and close the current mask layer and open the top mask layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Still in Animation Shop, Edit > Select All.

Right-click on the bar above your animation and choose "Frame Properties." Change this number to 27.

View > Animation.

Et, voila! We're done! Thank you for using my tutorials! I appreciate you for it! Leave a shout out if you're feeling talky! :)

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Crawling Into the Night

2010-01-15T11:20:00.001-08:00

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

This tutorial was written on January 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. Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

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!

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 glamorous artwork of Jennifer Janesko. You must have a license to use her work. You can get that license and art at C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit is by Vivian, of Sinfully Blissful Scraps. This is a FTU kit called "Into The Night." This is was previously a PTU kit, which Viv put on FTU status. It's the third one down in that post. Click the image to download.

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

Font: I used SecejaPL.

Supplies: The mask and the sparkle, which you may find here. The mask is from Boundless Bliss, which has recently dropped off the face of the blogosphere. I don't know where she went, but I thank her for her mask!! The sparkle? I don't know the origin. I have many sparkles, all the same basic look, just differing colors and sizes. I don't know where most of them came from. If anyone knows (somehow), let me know so that I may give proper credit and thanks!!

Okay, let's do this!

Open your supplies and minimize in PSP. Alternatively, you could save them in with those already in your PSP files, for use at a later date!

Open a new canvas, 700 x 700, white.

Open frame. 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. Be sure to click in both the empty areas: the top and the bottom!

Selections > Invert

Highlight your tube layer. Grab your eraser brush and erase any portion of the tube you don't want showing at the sides or on the bottom of the frame.

Selections > Select none.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open paper4. 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.

Open nightcharm. Resize 40%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position in the top right area of your frame. See my example for placement reference. It's up to you and your choice of tube as to where to put it. Drop shadow.

Open bow2. Resize 40%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position as though the bow is holding the nightcharm onto the frame. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow.

Drop shadow your frame.

Open the sparkle provided in your supplies. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position this sparkle as close to the center of the flower in the frame as you can. This is just meant as an accent.

Duplicate your sparkle layer and Image > Free Rotate 90° either direction. Merge these two layers down.

Okay, here's a long and drawn out process. You have been warned! I find it easier to do these things on the top layer. Your process may be different. These layers are going to eventually be merged down and dragged below your mask layer.

Open doodle. Resize 150%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Duplicate this layer. Rotate 35° right. Duplicate *this* layer (Copy of Copy). Rotate 35° right.

Duplicate *this layer* (Copy 2 of Copy). Rotate 35° right. Duplicate *this* layer (Copy 3 of Copy). Rotate 35° right.

Finally, duplicate *this* layer (Copy 4 of Copy). Rotate 15° right.

Merge all these doodle layers down. Drag this layer below your mask layer.

You may notice it's not exactly centered. It pokes up toward the top more than it shows on the bottom. Move your doodle layer to your taste.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used black, as you can see.

Effects > Plugins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set at 4-0-100 with color #c0c0c0.

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

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

Now highlight the bottom mask layer.

Effects > Plugins > VM Natural > Sparkle

Use the default settings. Mine started like so:

Hit okay.

Highlight the next mask layer up.

Add Sparkle again, this time moving the "random seed" and/or the "max size" to something different. You can watch on the screen provided in the plug-in to see the effect you're getting, so move the sliders 'til you get what you like.

Hit okay.

Highlight the next mask layer up.

Add Sparkle again, and again moving "random seed" and/or "max size."

Hit okay.

Highlight the top mask layer.

Add Sparkle once more, again moving "random seed" and/or "max size."

Now, whenever I use this filter, I give it a double dose, to get more sparkles. So go back, layer by layer, and do the sparkle thing again. You don't HAVE to, of course. Just what I do! When finished, then:

Close out the top three of the 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 the bottom mask layer, and open the next mask layer up.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Return again to PSP. Close out the mask layer you just worked with, and open the next mask layer up.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Finally, return to PSP one last time, and close the current mask layer and open the top mask layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Still in Animation Shop, Edit > Select All.

Right-click on the bar above your animation and choose "Frame Properties." Change this number to 27.

View > Animation.

Et, voila! We're done! Thank you for using my tutorials! I appreciate you for it! Leave a shout out if you're feeling talky! :)

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The Craving

2010-01-12T14:50:00.001-08:00

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

This tutorial was written on January 12, 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. Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

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!

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 Jay Trembly. You must have a license to use his work. You can get that license and art at C.I.L.M. If you notice I put an MPT license on mine. I bought this tube from MPT when Jay was with them. He has since moved to C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit is by Hezalin, of Heza Scraps. This is a PTU kit, available at Treasured Scraps. This kit is called "Craving a Dark Heart." This kit is currently on sale for $1.00!! Get it while you can!!

Filters: Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow, Eye Candy 4000 > HSB Noise, dsb Flux > Bright Noise

Font: I used Anglia Script Enhancements.

Supplies: The mask is all for this one, found here. I do not know from whence I got this mask. If anyone knows this info, PLEASE let me know so that I can give proper credit! Thanks a bunch!

Okay, get going!

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!

Open a new canvas, 700 x 800, white.

Open Frame5. Rotate it 90° either way. Resize 80%. 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. This is a very tricky frame! Be sure to click in all the little nooks and crannies that the swirls cause in the frame!

Selections > Modify > Expand by 2. Selections > Invert

Highlight your tube layer. Grab your eraser brush and erase any portion of the tube you don't want showing at the sides or on the bottom of the frame.

Selections > Select none.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open Paper19. Resize to 800x800 pixels. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

Open Rose. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 45° right. Position in the bottom left corner of your frame. See my example for placement reference. It's up to you where to put it. Drop shadow.

Open Flower3. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 45° right. Drag this layer below your first rose layer. Drop shadow

Drop shadow your frame.

Open PearlCurtain1. Copy and paste as a new layer. In your layer palette, drag this below your frame layer. Position it so that it looks as though it may be attached to the inside top of the frame.

Adjust > Brightness and Contrast > Brightness/Contrast with the following settings:

Grab your pick tool...

...and squish together the sides, then pull the curtain downward until you get it to fit in the frame's area, and you feel you like the length.

Highlight you white background layer.

Open GlitterDoodle1. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 20° left. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Merge down these two layers.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color #b65e92 as the fill and the stroke, stroke set on 2.

I added the following bevel:

Hit okay.

Effects > Plugins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set at 3-25-100 with color #c0c0c0.

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

I've animated two layers in this one. The GlitterDoodle1 layer and the PearlCurtain1 layers. The PearlCurtain1 layer doesn't really show up well. I'm including the instruction for both, but you don't have to do the PearlCurtain1 if you don't want to.

Highlight your PearlCurtain1 layer. Duplicate this three times, for a total of four PearlCurtain1 layers.

Do the same with your GlitterDoodle1 layer.

Now highlight the bottom GlitterDoodle1 layer.

Effects > Plugins > Eye Candy 4000 > HSB Noise

Use the default settings. If you're not sure what they are, they are listed under "Settings."

Hit okay.

Highlight the next GlitterDoodle1 layer up.

Add HSB Noise again, this time clicking on "random seed."

Hit okay.

Highlight the next layer up of the GlitterDoodle1 layers.

Add HSB Noise again, clicking again on "random seed."

Hit okay.

Highlight the top GlitterDoodle1 layer.

Add HSB Noise once more, again clicking on "random seed."

Go to the bottom layer of the PearlCurtain1 layers.

Effects > Plugins > dsb Flux > Bright Noise with the following setting:

Hit okay.

Highlight the next PearlCurtain1 layer up.

Add Bright Noise again, this time clicking on "mix" a couple times.

Hit okay.

Highlight the *next* PearlCurtain1 layer up.

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

Highlight the top PearlCurtain1 layer.

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

Close out the top three layers of the GlitterDoodle1 and the PearlCurtain1 layers, leaving the bottom 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 the bottom Glitter Doodle1 and PearlCurtain1 layers, 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 you just worked with, and open the next Glitter Doodle1 and PearlCurtain1 layers up.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Finally, return to PSP one last time, and close those two Glitter Doodle1 and PearlCurtain1 layers, and open the top layers.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

View > Animation.

Phew! You're done! Thank you for using my tutorials! I appreciate that you appreciate it!

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Painting the Town Red

2010-01-11T15:10:00.001-08:00

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

This tutorial was written on January 11, 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. Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

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!

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 Elias Chatzoudis. You must have a license to use his work. You can get that license and art at My PSP Tubes.

The scrap kit is by Tina, of Tina's Magical Scrap World. This is a PTU kit, available exclusively at Sophisti-Scraps. This kit is called "Sophistication." This kit was used in my previous tutorial, "Seduction," as well. It's also on sale right now (January 11, 2010). The store sale was scheduled to end, but I connected with Tina and I think it's been extended!! Hurry while the gettin's good!! :)

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

Font: I used Brock Script.

Supplies: Just the same Becky mask that I've been using a lot of late! You may find this here. Again, if any of y'all know where Becky's gone, let me know please!! Thank you very much!

Okay, let's do it again!

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!

Open a new canvas, 700 x 700, white.

Open SpecialFlower1. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Effects > Plugins > Mura's Meister > Copies with the following settings:

Hit okay.

Open SpecialFlower2. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply Copies to this one as well, same settings.

This should be below the red SpecialFlower1 layer. Position this layer just slightly to one side or the other so that it looks like it's "shadowing" the red one. See my example for placement reference.

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

Duplicate your tube. Mirror and resize to your liking. Position so the face is in the middle of the circle of RED SpecialFlower1 layer.

Highlight your red SpecialFlower1 layer. Grab your magic wand, click inside the center of the circle.

Selections > Modify > Expand by 15. Selections > Invert.

Highlight your enlarged tube layer, the one that you mirrored. Hit delete.

Selections > Select None.

Drag this layer to below both SpecialFlower layers. Lower the opacity to 70.

Drop shadow both SpecialFlower layers.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open Paper4. Copy and paste as a new layer.

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

Open WomansBag1. Resize 40%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Arrange to your liking. Drop shadow.

Open Boots2. Resize 35%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Arrange to your liking. Drop shadow.

Open Bottle2. Resize 40%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Arrange to your liking. I rotated mine 15° left. Drop shadow.

Open Lipstick2. Resize 30%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Arrange to your liking. Drop shadow.

Open Perfume1. Resize 30%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Arrange to your liking. Drop shadow.

Go back to the top and add your name. I used color #d00000 as the fill, black as the stroke, stroke set on 2.

I added the following bevel:

Hit okay.

Effects > Plugins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow set at 3-25-100 with color #c0c0c0.

Drop shadow your name.

I rotated mine 20° left. Position as you like.

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 SpecialFlower1 layer. Duplicate this four times, for a total of five SpecialFlower1 layers.

Now highlight the bottom SpecialFlower1 layer.

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

Hit okay.

Highlight the next SpecialFlower1 layer up.

Add Noise again, this time changing the intensity to 40.

Hit okay.

Highlight the next layer up of the SpecialFlower1 layers.

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

Hit okay.

Highlight the next SpecialFlower1 layer. Add Noise once more, this time changing the intensity to 50.

Hit okay.

Highlight the top SpecialFlower1 layer. Add Noise one more time, this time changing the intensity back to 45.

Close out the top four layers of the SpecialFlower1 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 SpecialFlower1 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 layer you just worked with, and open the next SpecialFlower1 layer up.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Return again to PSP. Now close that SpecialFlower1 layer, and open the next SpecialFlower1 layer up.

Edit > Copy merged.

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

Finally, return to PSP, closing the layer you've just worked with and opening the top SpecialFlower1 layer.

Edit > Copy merged.

Last time to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

View > Animation.

You're done! I hope you're happy with your results! And thanks for trying my tutorials!

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