Sweet Dreams Fairy

YOU WILL NEED:

* Tube of choice - I have used Suzanne Richard's art work which you can purchase at CILM

* Font/s of choice - I used Adorable and Kismet

* Muras Cloud filter

* Xenofex Constellation filter (can substitute any sparkle filter)

* Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop (or similar). This tag was made in PSPX but should be able to be made in any version.


LETS START!

1. Set up your supplies ready for use. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background. Choose two complimentary colours from your tube. I used #4e3360 (dark) and #c2a7c7 (light).

2. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with your dark colour. Apply the MuRas Cloud filter at the settings given below. Resize the layer to 80% and duplicate.

3. On your top layer, apply the Constellation filter at the settings given below. Lower the opacity of this layer to 60%. Merge with your cloud layer and duplicate.

4. Again on the top duplicate layer, select all - float and defloat. Selections - Modify and contract by 6. Hit delete. Apply Inner Bevel at the settings given below.

5. Add a new raster layer. Activate your selection tool and make a custom selection. Floodfill with your light colour and deselect. Image - Free Rotate - 45 degrees left. Select all - float and defloat - Modify - contract by 6 and hit delete. Modify - contract by 6 and floodfill. Contract by 6 and hit delete. Contract by 6 and floodfill. Contract by 6 and hit delete. You should have 3 bands at this stage. Add a new raster layer. Select the foreground background gradient on your materials palette and using the settings below, floodfill on your new layer. I put my light colour in the middle. Apply Inner Bevel to your frame layer (3 bands) at the same settings as before.

6. Drag the gradient layer to below the frame layers. Duplicate your dark frame layer and place it top and bottom of the light frame layer. On the top dark frame layer, carefully erase parts of the frame so it looks like your frame layers are woven together. Use my finished tag as a guide. Merge your frame layers together.

7. Add your tube to the canvas. Resize and sharpen if necessary. Apply drop shadow to your tube and frame layers at the following settings.

8. Duplicate your cloud layer again and apply Gaussian Blur at the following settings to the bottom cloud layer.

9. Activate your top layer and using your text tool at the following settings type your name. I used white for background and foreground colours. Convert to raster and apply Inner Bevel at the settings given below. Apply drop shadow at the same settings as before. Add your copyright information and watermark at this point.

10. Merge your layers together and save as an Animation Shop .psp file.

11. Open your file in Animation Shop. File menu - New with the following settings.

12. Effects Menu - Insert Text Effect using the settings below. I used white for the Text Custom colour. Click on the Font button to bring up the second screen. I ended up using size 36 for my text - too lazy to redo the screenshot lol. Click OK when all is to your satisfaction. Delete frame 1.

13. Edit menu - select all. Animation menu - Rotate - 45 degrees left using the settings below.

14. Activate your original image and duplicate the frames so that you have 9 to match the animation you just made. Click on your Propagate Paste button. Make sure all frames are selected in both animations. Click on frame 1 of your text animation and holding the mouse button down, drag it to frame 1 of your image. Do not let go of the mouse button until you have the text where you want it. I placed mine at the top of the frame so you could just see the first few letters of Sweet. If you mess this up, just click undo for both animations and go again.

15. Edit menu - select all. Animation menu - frame properties. Change the number to 25. View menu - Animation. If you don't like the direction your text is going in, then Animation menu - Reverse Frames. Save your file as a .gif file using the settings below and you are done.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!