Bluebird's Tuts

Saying Thanks

2009-07-28T22:11:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop.
* Tubes of choice. This tag needs a main tube and a flower vine tube for the background. I am using the art work of Erin Ewer, the vine is in the element pack. You will need a license to use this art work and tubes can be purchased from MtA.
* Super Blade Pro and preset made by me DOWNLOAD PRESET HERE.
* Font of choice - I am using Shangri-La.

Lets Start

1. Install your SBP preset ready for use (save to SBP Environments and Textures folder in your Plugins folder). Open your tubes in PSP. Open a new image 500 x 300 with a white background.

2. Using the settings below, activate your text tool and type the word thanks. I had #b5c2d4 as my foreground and background colour.

3. Stretch your text out until it is the same size as in my tag. Convert to raster. Select - Float - Defloat your text and apply Super Blade Pro using my glass preset.

4. Duplicate this layer and resize the bottom layer to 90%. Cut this layer and paste as a new layer. Apply Gaussian Blur at 20 to the bottom layer. Delete the blank layer. On the text layer apply drop shadow at the following settings -

5. Copy and paste the fairy tube to the canvas and resize to 40%. Mirror and position to your liking. Sharpen using the settings below and add the same drop shadow as before. Hide this layer for now.

6. Copy and paste your flower vine to the canvas and resize to 60%. Duplicate layer. Image - Free Rotate - Right 90. Position vine layers to your liking using my tag as an example. Erase any excess. Merge the vine layers and duplicate. Drag one vine layer below your text layer and apply the same drop shadow as before. Activate the top vine layer and carefully erase the parts of the vine over the text to give the impression of the vine weaving through the text.

7. Add your copyright information and watermark. Make the fairy layer visible and close off the white background and blur layers. Make sure you are satisfied with the position of all the elements then merge visible. Make the background and blur layers visible.

8. Activate your blur layer and change the opacity to 75%. Duplicate so that you have three layers. Apply twirl (Effects - Distortion Effects - Twirl) to each blur layer, changing the degrees so that layer 1 is 360, layer 2 is 540 and layer 3 is 720. Promote the background layer and duplicate so that you have three layers. Merge a blur layer to each background layer. Duplicate your tube layer and merge to each background layer.

9. Activate the top layer. Using your text tool with the size changed to 36 and stroke to 1, type your name and the word says. Stretch the text if required. Apply SBP glass as before and the same drop shadow. Duplicate this layer and merge to each background. Save as an Animation Shop .psp file.

10. Open in Animation Shop and change the frame properties to 40. Save as a gif using the Median Cut settings and you are done. I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial.

Pink Roses

2009-07-28T22:02:00.002+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* A good knowledge of Paint Shop Pro (or similar).
* Tubes of choice. This tag needs a main tube and a flower (or other object) tube for the background. I am using the art work of Italia Ruotolo. You will need a license to use this art work and tubes can be purchased from MtA.
* Gold Bead pattern tile and pink gradient (made by me in PSPX) DOWNLOAD HERE.
* Font of choice - I am using Bickham Script.
* Eye Candy Gradient Glow

Lets Start

1. Install your gradient ready for use (save to My PSP Files - Gradients). Open your tubes and gold bead pattern in PSP. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background.

2. Using your selection tool, create a custom selection using the following settings -

3. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with your gradient at the settings shown below. Duplicate the layer. Deselect and apply a Gaussian Blur of 20 to the bottom layer. Apply Blinds (Effects - Texture Effects - Blinds) to this layer using the settings below -

4. Activate your top gradient layer and apply sunburst (Effects - Illumination Effects - Sunburst) at the settings below -

5. Add a new raster layer. Using the same custom selection as before, floodfill with the gold bead pattern, Selections - Modify - Contract by 3 and hit the delete key. Deselect and apply drop shadow at the settings below -

6. Copy and paste your flower tube to the canvas and resize to 80%. Position to your liking. Create the same custom selection as before and invert. Hit the delete key. Change the layer blend mode to Lighten (or your preferred blend). Select none and drag this layer below the gold frame.

7. Copy and paste your main tube to the canvas and resize to 80%. Sharpen if necessary. Position to your liking and duplicate. Apply the same drop shadow as before to the bottom tube layer. Drag the top tube layer above the frame and using your Selection tool roughly select the part of the tube that covers the top of the frame. Invert the selection and delete the excess.

8. Using the settings given below, add your text to the canvas. I used #d64179 for the foreground and background colour. Apply drop shadow but change V to 1, H to -1 and Blur to 1. Apply Gradient Glow to highlight your text on the canvas. I used a glow width of 10 and opacity 45.

9. Add your copyright information and watermark. Save as a jpeg and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Oriental Beauty

2009-06-28T23:36:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro. I used version 10 but you should be able to make this tag in all versions.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Mark Wasyl and you can purchase his art from CILM.

* Oriental Beauty Scrap Kit by me. This kit is available in all my stores as a full size kit or a taggers kit, you will find the links on My Blog. I used the taggers kit for this tut.

* Font of choice - I used Shangri-La HERE (SHANLNC.TTF)

* Vine brush freebie by me, also available from my stores or on my blog.

* Smudge mask by me HERE.

NOTE It is possible to make this tag using the free Oriental Beauty Add on which is available in all the stores, example below. If you need a free glitter tile for the brush, the free Glitterbug 04 download from all the stores has a set of 20 glitter tiles which includes suitable colours for this tag.

LETS START!

1. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background.

2. Open your scrap kit and decide which two colours you are going to use. I went with the beige and the red. Copy the darker paper (in my case red) to your canvas and apply the smudge mask. Merge the mask group. I used the paper that matches the fans.

3. Copy and paste the two fans that you wish to you to the canvas. Image - Free Rotate - Left 35 degrees for each fan. Sharpen using the settings below. Place the darker colour at the back and using my tag as a guide, position your fans. Copy and paste your tube between the two fan layers.

4. Copy and paste the flowers to the canvas. Duplicate and resize some of them to 80% to get variety, resize some of the ones already resized and sharpen. If using the Pay kit, mirror and flip the flowers to get variety as well. Place your flowers around your tag (will refine later). The main function of the flowers in my tag is to hide the edge of the geisha tube. Adjust your flower layers so that some are above and some are below the front fan. Sharpen any resized flowers that may require it. Apply drop shadow to the flower and fan layers at the following settings -

5. Activate your mask layer and add a new raster layer. Have your glitter tile open in PSP. Click on the materials palette and select patterns. Find your tile in the drop down list. Scale the glitter to 50%.

6. Open the png for the brush you wish to use (I used vine 15) and export it as a custom brush (File - Export - Custom Brush. This is for PSPX, not sure what other versions require). Change the brush size to 300. Paint the vine pattern on your new raster layer. Change the rotation of the brush to have different parts of the vine peeking out from under the fans and tube. Erase any parts you don't want showing as you go otherwise it will overlap your next brush stroke. When satisfied with your brush work, sharpen and add shadow using the same settings as before.

7. Arrange your flowers where possible so that they look like part of the vine. Copy and paste the dragonfly or other accent to the canvas and position to your liking.

8. Add copyright information and your watermark.

9. Activate your preset shapes tool and draw an ellipse using the dark fan as a guide. We are going to use this to create the curved text but you wont get it perfect because the fan is not a perfect circle - we just want the basic curve for the text. Have the colour for your text as the background on your materials palette. Select your text tool and using the settings below type your name. Your text icon will be on an angle if you have done the vector correctly. It may take a couple of attempts to get the text on the right curve. When satisfied, promote the selection to layer and select none. You can adjust the text slightly when done by using your raster deform tool to tilt your name. Sharpen and apply shadow as before.

10. Save as a .jpg file and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Sunset

2009-05-21T20:26:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro. I used PSPX but you should be able to make this tag in other versions.

* Animation Shop.

* Photograph of choice. I am using a photo by Elizabeth Halverson. You can purchase a license to use her work from Mistaken Art.

* Font of choice - I used A & S Snapper Script.

* Eyecandy Gradient Glow Filter. You can substitute a white drop shadow if you do not have this filter.

* Xenofex Constellation Filter. Any sparkle filter will do.

* Mask made by me - right click and save

LETS START!

1. Set up your supplies ready for use. Have your mask and photograph open in PSP. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background.

2. Resize the photograph so the height is 500 pixels. Copy to your canvas and position so that the focus of the photo is in the centre.

3. Apply the mask to the photograph ie Layers menu - New Mask Layer - From Image. Find your mask on the drop down menu and click OK. Merge group and duplicate the layer.

4. On the bottom mask layer, Adjust menu - Blur - Gaussian Blur at the settings given below. If your photograph has fairly light colours you may want to change the blend mode to darken on the layer palette.

5. Duplicate your blur layer twice (so that you have 3) and apply the Constellation filter at the following settings. Change the random seed for each layer. If you are using a different filter a smaller sized star looks better.

6. Duplicate the white background layer twice (so that you have 3) and merge a blur layer to each background.

7. Activate the top mask layer and resize to 90%. Sharpen if necessary. Duplicate twice (so that you have 3) and merge to each background layer.

8. Select your text tool and making sure the top layer is active, add a quote of your choice and position. Text settings are below. I used #676470 as the background colour with the foreground closed. Convert to raster.

9. Apply the Gradient Glow filter to your text using the settings below. If substituting a white drop shadow then have Vertical and Horizontal at 0, Opacity at 100% and Blur at 20. Apply the drop shadow twice if your text doesn't stand out enough. The first settings are EC4 and the second EC5.

10. Change your font size to 72 and type your name as a new layer. Convert to raster and apply glow to your name.

11. Add copyright information. Merge all your text layers together and duplicate twice (so that you have 3) and merge a text layer to each background layer. Save as a .psp Animation Shop file.

12. Open your file in Animation Shop. Select all frames and change the frame properties to 15. Save as a .gif file using the settings below and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. NOTE since changing to a widescreen digital monitor I have noticed that the Octree settings leave a noticeable background where the median cut doesn't. Experiment and choose what suits you best.

Radiance

2009-05-21T20:17:00.005+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop. I used PSPX but you can make this tag in other versions.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Myka Jelina and you can purchase her images and tubes from CILM.

* VanDerLee's Unplugged Effects Filters. This is a free filter which you can download from HERE.

* Font of choice. I used Chocolate Box

* My Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow kit HERE.

* Mask by me HERE.

LETS START!

1. Open a new image 500 x 500 and floodfill with white.

2. From the scrapkit copy and paste paper01 to your canvas. Apply the mask and merge the group. Change the layer blend mode to darken. Duplicate this mask layer twice (so that you have 3 layers). Apply Unplugged Effect Laserrays to each layer, changing the Control for each layer. Layer 1 = 64, layer 2 = 54 and layer 3 = 44. Duplicate your white background so that you have three and merge a laser layer to each white layer.

3. Copy and paste the oval frame pieces that you want to use to the canvas. I used the frame01, goldframeback and pearlframeinsert02. Merge the frame pieces together and resize to 80% and sharpen. Image - Free Rotate - 90 degrees (direction doesn't matter).

4. Copy and paste your tube to the canvas. I resized to 80% and sharpened. Position the tube to your liking.

5. Copy and paste the gemstones you would like to use to the canvas. Position and size to your liking.

6. Open the doodles from the scrapkit. Shift D and close the original. Open the glitter tile you would like to use (I used glitter-02) and set this as your foreground colour in the materials palette and scale to 70%. Make your background black. Use your colour replace tool to glitter the doodles. Cut and paste the doodles you want to use to your canvas. I used the smallest one and the last one on the right side. For both doodles I resized to 80%, Image Free Rotate - 30 degrees Right and sharpened. The smaller one was positioned above the frame. The larger one was flipped and mirrored and dragged below the frame.

7. Apply drop shadow at the settings given below to the gem stones, the frame and the tube layers.

8. Use your preset shapes tool to draw out an ellipse to cover the frame. Activate your text tool using the following settings. I set #381c72 as the background colour on the Materials palette (foreground closed). Position your cursor at the edge of the flower decorations (if you have done your frame the same as mine) and type your name. Promote selection to layer and select none. Apply drop shadow using the same settings as before but change the colour to white.

9. Add copyright information and your watermark. Close off the three background layers and merge visible. Duplicate twice and merge each tube layer with a background layer and save as an Animation Shop .psp file.

10. Open your file in Animation Shop. Edit - Select all. Animation - Frame Properties - change to 60.

11. Save as a .gif file using the settings below and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. NOTE since changing to a widescreen digital monitor I have noticed that the Octree settings leave a noticeable background where the median cut doesn't. Experiment and choose what suits you best.

In the Pink

2009-05-21T20:14:00.000+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro. I used version 10 but you should be able to make this tag in any version.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Marjolein Gulinsky and you can purchase her tubes from My PSP Tubes

* My In The Pink Scrap kit HERE.

* Font of choice - I used Adine Kirnberg Script.

* Eye Candy Gradient Glow (can substitute white drop shadow).

* Glass filter of choice. I used Super Blade Pro (can substitute PSP inner bevel).

* Round mask of choice. I used Mask 208 from Weescottslass (click on navigate then downloads).

LETS START!

1. Open a new canvas 500 x 500 with a white background.

2. Copy and paste Paper01 from the scrap kit to your canvas and apply your mask. Merge group.

3. Copy and paste Frame2 from the scrap kit to your canvas.

4. Copy and paste your tube to the canvas. Place under your frame and resize and sharpen if necessary. If you want part of your tube to overlap the frame as I have, then duplicate the tube layer and place the copy above the frame. Carefully erase any parts of the top tube to reveal the frame. Make sure on both tube layers that none of your tube is outside the frame.

5. Close the white background layer and merge visible. Resize to 85% and sharpen if necessary. Duplicate and apply Gaussian Blur of 20 to the bottom layer. Change the blend mode for the blur layer to Darken. Open the background layer again. I moved my frame and blur layer slightly towards the bottom right of the canvas so there will be room to build up the frame with flowers. Be careful not to move it too much or it will show in your blur layer when you are done.

6. Now comes the fun part! Copy and paste the accents you want to decorate your frame with to the canvas. I used Flower Accents 1 and Gem accents. Select the items you want using your freehand selection tool and copy them as individual layers to the canvas. I started with the flower branch and resized to 80%. I placed in above my blur layer at the top of the canvas. I then copied each of the flowers to the canvas and resized to 80%. I duplicated the pink flower several times and resized in increments of 80% to get a variety of sizes and placed them around the frame. With the pearl strand I copied it to the canvas and placed it above the blur layer. It was duplicated several times and moved around by use of Flip and Mirror and Free Rotate to place bits of the beads around the frame. Excess beads were erased - be careful not to leave any half beads on your canvas. Finally the small pearl flower was copied to the canvas. I applied a light drop shadow to make it stand out more and duplicated it several times. I placed the flowers to fill any obvious gaps. Move your layers around so beads or flowers are showing through the transparent flowers. Once you are satisfied with your frame, merge visible.

7. Activate your text tool and type your name. I used Adine Kirnberg at size 100. Apply glass filter (or effect of choice). Apply Gradient Glow (or white drop shadow) using thin setting. Position your name to your liking.

8. Add copyright information and your watermark and you are done. I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial.

Vintage

2009-05-21T20:03:00.002+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro. I used version 10 but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Selena Fenech. You will need a license to use Selena's work and her tubes are available at CILM.

* Scrap Kit by Yvette from Misfits Scrapz. I used the Kinda Vintage kit.

* Font of choice - I used Honey Script.

* Gold bead pattern (right click and save)

LETS START!

1. Open a new canvas 500 x 500 with a white background.

2. Copy and paste Doodle 2 from the scrapkit to your canvas. Resize to 85% and position in the bottom left corner of your canvas (use my tag as a guide). Duplicate, mirror and flip. Merge the 2 doodle layers together and duplicate.

3. Click on the bottom doodle layer and resize to 85% and apply Gaussian Blur at 20. Change the blend mode of this layer to Darken.

4. Add a new raster layer. Copy the paper of choice from the kit (I used paper 1). Activate your selection tool and create a custom selection using the settings below. Paste your paper into the selection. Adjust menu - Brightness and Contrast - set Brightness to -30 and Contrast to 10. DO NOT deselect.

5. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with the gold bead pattern. Selections - Modify - Contract by 3 and press the delete key. Select none. Duplicate this layer.

6. Copy and paste your tube between the gold bead layers. Resize and sharpen if necessary. Position the tube to your liking. Apply drop shadow to the bottom frame and the tube layer at the following settings.

7. On the top frame layer carefully erase any parts of the frame covering the tube eg the wing tip if you are using the same tube as I am. On the tube layer carefully erase any parts of your that are outside the frame that you don't want to show.

8. Open one of the painted flower elements from the scrapkit (I used 2). Resize to 75%. Image - Free Rotate - Right 20 degrees. Position over the bottom left corner (use my tag as a guide). Duplicate and mirror the copy. Position the copy over the top right corner. Sharpen the flower elements if required.

9. Add your text using the settings below. I used size 60 for the name and 28 for the quote. I used #752a38 for my foreground and background colour. I closed the foreground for the quote text.

10. Add copyright information and your watermark.

11. Save as a .jpg file and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Summer Angel

2009-05-21T20:00:00.002+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro or similar. I used PSPX but you should be able to make this tag in other versions.

* Tube of choice. I used the artwork of Zindy S D Nielsen and you can purchase her tubes and artwork from HERE.

* Font of choice. I used Honey Script.

* My Shades of Summer Scrapkit HERE.

* Mask by me HERE.

LETS START

1. Set up your supplies ready to use.

2. New canvas 500 x 500 with a white background.

3. Copy and paste 3 papers from the scrapkit to the canvas. I used (working from bottom to top) #11, #6 and #1.

4. Apply your mask to paper 11 and merge group.

5. Resize paper #6 to 80%. You may like to sharpen to make the texture of the paper to stand out.

6. Resize paper #1 to 75%. Rotate paper 10 degrees Left. You may like to sharpen the paper.

7. Copy and paste flowerframe1 to your canvas. Resize to 90% and sharpen if required.

8. Copy and paste the heart accent of choice to the canvas and resize to 75%. Duplicate and rotate each heart 10 degrees, one to the left and the other to the right. Position the heart on the frame using my tag as a guide. Try and position the hearts so that the pearls cover each other where they intersect. Merge heart layers together.

9. Copy and paste a bow to the canvas. Resize and sharpen - I resized to 40%. Position the bow on the hearts.

10. Copy and paste your tube to the canvas. If you are using the same tube as I did, I did not resize but I did erase the bottom part of the dress. Position the tube to your liking. Duplicate the tube and place the copy above the frame and make sure your original tube is below the frame. On the top tube layer, erase the bottom part of the tube to reveal the flower frame. I tubed around her hand so that the flower and her hand were outside the frame. Erase the excess tube from the bottom layer.

11. Drag the heart layer so that it is above the frame but under the top tube.

12. Apply drop shadow at V and H = 0, Opacity = 70, Blur = 2, colour = #9a928b (if you are using the same tube as me) to the bow, hearts, frame, bottom tube, paper 1 and paper 6 layers.

13. Activate your text tool and select your Honey Script font. Foreground and background colours = #f5dda0, stroke 1, size 36. Type your message. Change Drop shadow settings to V = 1, H = -1, Blur 1 (everything else stays the same) and apply.

14. Change the foreground colour to #d6d1c4 and the size to 100. Type your name and position to your liking. Change Drop shadow settings to Blur 2 (everything else stays the same) and apply.

15. Add copyright information and your watermark. Save as a .jpg file and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Sweet Dreams Fairy

2009-05-21T19:46:00.002+10:00

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!

Violet Glitter

2009-05-21T19:35:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop (or similar programs)

* Image of choice - I have used the artwork of Jamie Kidd. You need a license to use this artwork and you can purchase images and tubes from CILM

* Honey Script Light Font HERE.

* Sparkle filter of choice. I used Xenofex Constellation.

* My Sweet Violet Scrapkit HERE

* Dark glitter pattern made by me (right click and save)

LETS START!

Set up your supplies ready for use. Have your tube and scrap kit open in PSP.

Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background. Set up your materials palette with #5f375b as your foreground colour and the dark glitter pattern as your background.

Add a new raster layer. Activate your selection tool and make a custom selection using the settings below. Floodfill with your foreground colour.

Apply Gaussian Blur at the following settings and lower the layer opacity to 75%.

In your materials palette, scale your glitter pattern to 60%. Change the glitter to the foreground and close off the background.

Activate your preset shapes tool and select the rounded rectangle. Draw out a rectangle (use my tag as a guide). To make sure your rectangle is dead centre, Edit - cut and Edit - paste as a new layer.

Apply Unsharp Mask and Inner Bevel to your rectangle at the settings shown below.

Copy and paste your image as a new layer under the rectangle layer. Position your image to best advantage, resizing if necessary. Activate the rectangle layer and click inside the rectangle with your magic wand tool. Selections - Modify - expand by 3. Selections - Invert. Activate your image layers and press delete. If you are using a tube rather than an image you could add an extra raster layer which you floodfill with a complimentary colour or gradient then paste your tube in. I colorized my tube using the settings below. This is optional and you should check the terms of the artist involved as not all allow colorizing of their images.

Add any accents to your tag at this point. I added a bow and one of the flower motiffs. I resized both to 70% and rotated the bow 15 degrees to the left. Add drop shadow at the settings given below, to your accents, the rectangle and the doodle layers.

Activate your text tool and using the settings below, type your message and your name on separate layers. I sized the message text at 60 pixels and the name at 72. For each text layer, apply unsharp mask and then drop shadow at the same settings we used before.

Add your copyright information and watermark. Merge your blur layer to the white background layer. Close off the background layer and the doodle layer and make sure one of the other layers is active. Merge visible. NOTE if you are going to use this as a tag back, close off the name layer too and keep it separate and at the top. Duplicate the doodle layer twice (so that you have 3) and apply your sparkle filter. The settings I used for Constellation are below. Remember to click random seed for each layer.

Duplicate your background layer twice and merge a doodle layer to each background layer. Repeat the process with your merged image layer. Save your work as an Animation Shop psp file.

Open your file in Animation Shop. Edit - Select All. Animation - Frame Properties - change to 15. Save your file using the following settings. NOTE since changing to a widescreen digital monitor I have noticed that the Octree settings leave a noticeable background where the median cut doesn't. Experiment and choose what suits you best.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Whatever

2009-05-21T17:00:00.004+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro. I used version 10 but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions.

* Animation Shop.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Popeye Wong and you can check out his site HERE. The tube I used is here.

* Mask or brush of choice. I used a mask by Mz Kels.

* 2 Fonts of choice - I used Satisfaction and Lucida Sans Unicode.

LETS START!

1. Open your tube in PSP. Open your fonts (by double clicking in Windows Explorer) and minimise to use later.

2. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background. Select two dominant colours from your tube and put them on your materials palette. I used black for the foreground and red (#c62828) for the background. Activate your Preset Shapes tool and select the Ellipse shape. Using the settings below, draw out a circle about the same size as the sample below. Convert to raster then Edit menu - cut - Edit menu - paste as a new layer, to centre the circle on your canvas. You can delete the extra layer.

3. Duplicate your circle layer and apply Gaussian Blur to the bottom layer at the following settings twice.

4. Copy and paste your tube to the canvas. Resize and sharpen if necessary (I didn't). Position your tube to your liking. Use your magic wand at the settings below to select the inner part of your circle. Selections menu - Invert. Return to your tube layer and press delete. Select none.

5. Apply drop shadow to your tube and circle layers at the settings given below.

6. Add a new raster layer above your circle layer. Floodfill with the same colour that you used for the outer ring on your circle. Apply your mask and merge the group. If you are using a brush instead, don't floodfill the layer but use the outer ring colour as your colour. Use your magic wand to select the inner circle again and invert and delete to remove the excess. I lowered the opacity of this layer to 60%.

7. Add your copyright information and watermark but make sure you don't have it anywhere near where you want to put your name.

8. Close off the white background layer and merge visible. Hold the Control key down and press C then V to trim the excess from your canvas. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with white and drag the white layer to the bottom. Merge layers together. Edit - copy.

9. Open Animation Shop and Edit - Paste as a new animation. Effects menu - Insert Text Effect.

10. Use the same settings as given below to get the rotating text ie wheel. You will need to play with the text a bit to get it spaced evenly around your circle. Leave at least 2 spaces between words. Click on the font button to get the font properties. You may find it easier to edit your text on this screen as well. Once you have your text positioned to your liking, click OK.

11. Go back to the first frame of your animation and click on it, Press the delete key. Click on the new first frame, Edit - Select all - File - Save Frames As - save your file.

12. Open your file in PSP. Activate your text tool and using the settings below, type your name. Grab the handle on the vector box and tilt your name slightly. Convert to raster and apply the same drop shadow as before but change the colour to white.

13. Duplicate your name so that you have 8. Merge each name to a background layer and save your file.

14. Open your file in Animation Shop again. Edit - Select All - Animation - Frame Properties - change to 25. Save using the settings below and you are done. NOTE since changing to a widescreen digital monitor I have noticed that the Octree settings leave a noticeable background where the median cut doesn't. Experiment and choose what suits you best.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing

2009-05-21T16:51:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro or similar. I used PSPX but you should be able to make this tag in other versions.

* Tube of choice. I am using the art of Popeye Wong. You will find Popeye's site HERE and the tube I used HERE. Click on the image to download.

* Mask made by me download HERE.

* Font of choice - I used Verve HERE.

* DSB flux Linear Transmission filter which you can download from HERE.

* Greg's Pool Shadow Filter HERE.

* Stardust Brush by Melfina HERE.

LETS START!

1. Set up your supplies ready for use. Have your mask and tube open in PSP. Choose two colours for foreground and background that compliment the tube you will use. I used #B66A6A (pink) and #3E455C (blue). Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background.

2. Set your materials palette so that you have the same colour for the foreground and background (I used the blue). Using your preset shapes tool on the settings below, draw out an ellipse. Hold your cursor at x60 y60, hold down the mouse button and let go when you get to x440 y440 (numbers show in the bottom right of your screen). Convert to raster.

3. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with your other colour (I used the pink). Layers menu - New Mask Layer - From Image. Find your mask on the drop down menu and click OK. Merge group and duplicate the layer.

4. On the bottom mask layer, Adjust menu - Blur - Radial Blur at the settings given below. Lower the layer opacity to 90%.

5. Apply drop shadow at the settings below to the top mask layer.

6. Duplicate the ellipse layer. On the bottom ellipse layer, Adjust menu - Blur - Gaussian Blur at the settings below. Hide this layer.

7. Activate the top ellipse layer and using your magic wand at the settings below, click on the ellipse. Selections - Modify - Contract by 60. Hit the delete key. Selections - Modify - Contract by 15 and floodfill with the blue. Select none.

8. Use your magic wand to select the transparent band in the ellipse. Selections - Modify - Expand by 4. Click on the blur layer and make it visible. Apply DSB Flux Linear Transmission at the settings given below. Select none.

9. Activate your pen tool. Set the line width to 6 and using the settings below, draw 4 straight, evenly spaced lines across the ellipse. Click on the Apply button at the end of each line or your lines will want to join together.

10. Convert your vector layer to a raster layer and merge with the ellipse layer. Apply drop shadow to this merged layer with Vertical and Horizontal 0, Opacity 45 and a Blur of 12.

11. Open your Stardust brush in PSP (I used Stardust 02). Select your brush tool. Click on the Create Brush Tip icon and type in the name of the brush and author, then press OK. The brush should now be in your drop down list of brushes.

12. Add a new raster layer above the blur layer and using the settings given below, apply the brush. Reduce the layer opacity to 90%. Add another raster layer above the ellipse, resize the brush to 200 and apply over the middle of the ellipse. Reduce layer opacity to 90%.

13. Close the foreground on the materials palette and have the pink colour as your background. Activate your text tool and using the following settings type your name. Stretch out the vector to fill the middle portion of the ellipse. Convert to raster. Hold the control key down and press C then V to cut and paste your text to the middle of your canvas. Selection - Float - Defloat and apply Pool Shadow at the settings given below. Select none. Apply drop shadow at the same settings as before but change the opacity to 60.

14. Add your tube to the canvas. Resize and sharpen if necessary. I resized to 75% and applied Unsharp Mask at the following settings. Position to your liking. Apply drop shadow to the tube at the same settings we used on the top mask layer (step 5).

15. Add your copyright information. Crop any excess white from the canvas and save as a jpeg. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Gingham Beauty

2009-05-21T16:38:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop or similar. I used PSPX but you should be able to make this tag in other versions.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Michael Landefeld. You need to purchase a license to use his art. You can buy his images and tubes from CILM

* Font of choice - I used RiotSquad.

* DSB Flux - Bright Noise filter. This is a free filter and you can download it HERE.

LETS START!

1. Install your plugin and re-open PSP if necessary. Open your tube and minimize. Open your font (by double clicking in Windows Explorer) and minimize to use later.

2. Open a new image 200 x 200 with a transparent background.

3. On the materials palette, select a dark colour from your tube for your gingham pattern. Set this colour as the foreground and have the background as white. Change your materials foreground from colour to gradient and select the Sharp Duo gradient that comes with PSP. Change the repeats to 5 and floodfill your image.

4. Sharpen your image using Adjust menu - Sharpen - Unsharp Mask at the following settings.

5. Duplicate the layer and Image menu - Free Rotate - 90 degrees. Reduce the top layer opacity to 50% and merge visible. Resize your image according to how fine you want your gingham check. I resized to 50 x 50 pixels. Minimize your gingham pattern to use later.

6. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background.

7. Copy and paste your tube to the canvas. Resize your tube if needed (I resized to 80%). Sharpen your tube (if necessary) using Adjust menu - Sharpness - Unsharp Mask at the following settings -

8. Change the background on the materials palette to pattern, and click in the pattern preview box. Click on the down arrow and find your gingham pattern - it should be near the top. Close the foreground. Activate your preset shape tool . Select one of the heart shapes that come with PSP. Draw out a heart shape using the screenshot below as a guide to size -

9. Once satisfied with the size of the heart, convert to raster layer. Apply Effects menu - 3D Effects - Inner Bevel at the settings below.

10. Apply Effects - 3D Effects - Drop Shadow at the following settings. I used the dark colour from the gingham pattern for the colour.

11. Drag your heart layer below the tube layer. If the colour of your gingham heart is still not quite right, you can use Adjust - Brightness and Contrast to change it slightly. Only adjust the brightness, negative number for darker, positive for brighter.

12. Duplicate the heart layer and apply Adjust - Blur - Gaussian Blur at the following settings to the bottom heart.

13. Position your tube so that there will be enough room to write a name on the heart. I mirrored mine (Image menu). Set the foreground and background on the materials palette to white. Activate your text tool using the following settings and type your name. Stretch out your vector until your name is a suitable size. Convert to raster. Apply Inner Bevel to your name using the same settings as before. Add your copyright information and watermark.

14. Make sure your name layer is active and duplicate. Apply the Bright Noise filter at the settings below. Activate the other name layer and apply the filter again but this time click on the word Mix to change the position of the noise.

15. Apply drop shadow to each name layer twice. Use the same settings as before. I changed the colour to a slightly darker colour #800000.

16. Activate your preset shape tool again. With the gingham pattern as your background and the foreground closed, draw out a series of smaller hearts around your large heart using my tag as a guide. I converted each heart to a raster layer as I drew it so it was easier to position it where I wanted it. When you have enough extra hearts, merge all the small hearts together and apply inner bevel at the same settings as before.

17. Crop the excess space away from your canvas being careful not to cut into any of your blur layer. Close off the two name layers and merge visible. Duplicate the merged layer. Merge a name to each background layer. Save as an Animation Shop .psp file.

18. Open your tag in Animation Shop and save as a .gif. I used the optimization settings given below.

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial.

Pink Star

2009-05-21T16:34:00.004+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* A good knowledge of Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop (or similar).

* Tube of choice. I am using the art work of Mark Wasyl. You will need a license to use his art work. Tubes can be purchased from CILM.

* Eye Candy 4000 - Gradient Glow.

* Star Mask (made by me) HERE.

* Font of choice - I am using Heather.

* Muras Filter Meister - Clouds.

* Animated background by me HERE. NOTE: The pink background is supplied with the layers closed as it makes it easier to do the tut. A greyscale background is included as well so you can colour to match different tubes but the layers are not closed. The animation was made using a preset shape from HERE.

LETS START

1. Open the animated background and duplicate. Close the original.

2. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with white. Move this to the bottom. Add another raster layer and floodfill with black. Apply the mask to your black layer, merge group.

3. Activate your white background layer and add a new raster layer. Floodfill with a strong colour from your tube. I used #da0280. Apply Muras Clouds at the following settings. Resize this layer to 85%. Select all - float - defloat - modify - feather by 45 - selection invert - press delete 3 or 4 times to soften the edge of the square.

4. Merge the white background, clouds and mask layers together. Use your magic wand tool to select the black stars that you want the animation to show on. Make sure your wand is set on add. Selection - Modify - contract by 2. Selection - Invert. Activate each star layer and press delete. Select none.

5. Duplicate so that you have 6 of the background layers and merge a star layer to each background layer. Activate your top layer.

6. Copy and paste your tube to the canvas. Resize, sharpen if necessary and position where you want it. Add copyright information and your watermark in place that wont interfere with your text.

7. Set your materials palette to null foreground and black background. Activate your text tool and type your message. Mix up the font size to get an interesting effect. I typed my message at size 36 and the name at 55. Apply Eye Candy Gradient Glow - Electric Pink setting (settings shown below). If you are using a different tube then you may need to adjust the colours of the glow (click on the pencils to select and change). I changed the first two pink pencils to the dark pink colour I used earlier. Repeat process with your name.

8. Merge your tube and text layers together. Duplicate this layer and merge to each of the background layers. Save as an Animation Shop .psp file.

9. Open your image in Animation Shop. Change your frame properties to 25 and save as a .gif and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Sirens Song

2009-05-21T16:09:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop or similar. I used PSPX but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions.

* Image of choice (with a fairly uncluttered background). I am using the artwork of Abranda Icle Sisson. You need a license to use her artwork. Tubes, images and lots of other goodies can be purchased from Muddvision Studios

* Font of choice. I used Arial in the first example and Beautiful ES in the second.

* Tramages Pool Shadow Filter HERE (click on Graphisme Photoshop then on the next page Filtres then Tramages).

* Black and White Scrapkit by Fee from Scrappy Dayz. You can download it HERE.

LETS START!

1. Open your supplies in PSP. Open your font (by double clicking on it in Windows Explorer) and minimise to use later.

2. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background.

3. Resize your tube/image to 80% and copy and paste to your canvas. Sharpen if necessary. If your tube is small it may not be necessary to resize. Select - select all - float - defloat.

4. Add a new raster layer. Floodfill with black or a dark colour from your tube. Select none. Apply Gaussian Blur at the following settings -

5. Apply the Blinds effect to this layer at the following settings. Repeat the effect and untick the Horizontal box.

6. Copy the beads layer from the scrapkit and resize to 80%. Position at the edge of image and duplicate. Mirror the duplicate. Duplicate the layer again and Image - Free Rotate 90 degrees (duplicate this layer after you have erased some of the beads to make it fit, if required.). Carefully erase some of the beads and make a frame from the bead layers. When you are satisfied with the position of the beads, merge the four bead layers together.

7. Activate your blur layer. Copy and paste the black flourish to your canvas. Position it at the top right hand corner so that it shows from under the image. Duplicate, mirror, reposition if necessary and merge to the other flourish layer. Duplicate, flip image, reposition if necessary and merge to the other flourish layer.

8. Activate your tube/image layer and duplicate twice. Close off two of the layers. Use your magic wand on the following settings to select the parts of the background you want to animate. Once selected, apply Tramages Pool Shadow at the setting given below. Change the Diagonal and Centre by 20 for each of the other layers.

9. I added some accents from my tube/image to fill out the side of the frame.

10. Merge your white background layer, black blur layer, black flourish layer and accent layer (if used) together. Duplicate twice. Merge a pool shadow layer to each background layer.

11. Activate your frame layer layer and add copyright information and watermark. Merge these layers together and duplicate twice. Merge a frame to each backgroud layer.

12. Activate your text tool and select a complimentary colour for your text. Type your title or message at the following settings. Promote selection to layer and position your text. Repeat process with your name. NOTE We are going to apply pool shadow to the text so don't use black or white as your text colour. I used #808080.

13. Merge your text layers together and duplicate twice. Apply Pool Shadow at the settings previously used to your text layer. Merge a text layer to each of your background layers. Save as an Animation Shop .psp file.

14. Open your file in Animation Shop. Edit - Select All. Animation - Frame Properties - change to 40.

15. Save as a .gif and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Here is an example of the technique used on a coloured image

Glitter

2009-05-21T16:03:00.002+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro or similar. I used PSPX but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions. You will need a good knowledge of PSP to make this tag.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Caron Vinson. You need a license to use her artwork which you can purchase from CILM.

* Font of choice. I used Chocolate Box which you can download HERE.

* Tramages Pool Shadow Filter HERE (click on Graphisme Photoshop then on the next page Filtres then Tramages).

* Cardboard Frames and Accents made by me. You can download them HERE.

* Mask and glitter sprinkles made by me. You can download them here MASK and GLITTER.

LETS START!

1. Open your supplies in PSP. Open your font (by double clicking on it in Windows Explorer) and minimise to use later.

2. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background.

3. Copy and paste your tube, frame, accent and glitter to your canvas (the accent on top, the glitter on the bottom). Resize the frame (I resized to 90%) and sharpen using the settings given below. Resize your tube to suit your frame and sharpen if necessary.

4. Add a new raster layer above the white background layer and floodfill with a dark colour that compliments your tube and accent. I used #87798e. Apply the mask to this layer and reduce the opacity to 60%.

5. Position your tag elements where you want them. Duplicate your tube and place the frame between the two tube layers. Use your freehand selection tool with a feather of 0, to roughly trace around the part of the tube on the outside of the frame that you want to delete. You will be adding a drop shadow later so take enough of the tube covered by the frame away so that the shadow wont show later. Delete the excess tube on the bottom layer. Using your eraser, erase the excess tube on the top layer. Apply drop shadow at the following settings to the bottom tube layer, the frame and the flower accent.

6. Position your glitter layer where you want it. Use your eraser to get rid of any stray bits of glitter you don't want.

7. Add a new raster layer above the glitter layer. Using your magic wand with a feather of 0, select inside the frame and expand the selection by 3. Floodfill on the new raster layer with a colour or gradient of choice (I used the Duotone Lavender gradient that came with PSPX set on Sunburst).

8. Apply Tramages Pool Shadow at the settings given below. You can adjust the top 3 settings if you have too much light or dark in the mix. Adjust - Add/Remove Noise at the settings given below.

9. Activate your text tool and with the colour you used to floodfill as the background, type your name using the settings shown below. Stretch out your name to a suitable size and convert to raster. Selection Float and defloat and apply Tramages Pool Shadow to your name using the same settings as before (again adjust for too much light or dark if you need to). Select none. Apply drop shadow but change the opacity to 70 and the blur to 4. Position your name to your liking.

10. Add your copyright information and watermark. If it is difficult to see use a white drop shadow to make it stand out more.

11. Save as a .jpg and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Red

2009-05-21T15:36:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro or similar. I used PSPX but you should be able to make this tag in other versions.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Jennifer Janesko. You will need a license to use her artwork and you can buy images or tubes from CILM.

* Scrapkit of choice. I am using the St Nicholas kit from Sentimental Style HERE. The sequin heart used in this tutorial is also by Melissa. Thank you Melissa for all the wonderful things you make and share.

* Flower tube of choice. I used roses by Kel from HERE.

* Penta Color Dot Filter HERE.

* Font of choice - I used Words of Love HERE.

* Text effect of choice. I used Super Blade Pro.

* MY SUPPLIES. Included are the scrap papers and elements, rose tube, and sequin heart.

LETS START!

1. Set up your supplies ready for use.

2. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background. Add two new raster layers. Create a custom selection using the settings below. Copy and paste each of the scrap papers into the selection, each paper on the new raster layers you created. Make sure your darker colour (red) is on the bottom. (I had trouble getting one of the papers to copy but selecting all then copying worked.)

3. Duplicate your red paper and apply Gaussian Blur to the bottom layer at the settings below. Apply Pentas Dot Filter to the blur layer.

4. Activate the top red layer. Image - Free Rotate - Left 10.00 degrees. Add drop shadow at the following settings to each paper layer (not the blur layer).

5. Add your tube to the canvas. Resize and sharpen if necessary (I resized to 80%).

6. Add the ribbon and bow to the canvas. Resize to 60% and sharpen. Apply drop shadow to your tube and scrap elements at the same settings as before. Position your ribbon, bow and tube using my sample tag as a guide.

7. Add the sequin heart to the canvas. Resize to 80% and sharpen. Adjust - Hue and Saturation - Colorize - H 252, S 220 (or match the colours in your tube). Adjust - Brightness and Contrast - Brightness -20, Contrast 0. Position the heart over the chain link attached to the bow. Duplicate the heart layer and move one layer below the bow. Apply drop shadow to the bottom heart layer.

8. Activate the top heart layer and using your eraser tool, carefully erase a small portion of the heart so that it looks like it is threaded through the loop. If you plan on animating the heart later (see sample at bottom of page) take as little out of the top heart as possible.

9. Add your rose tube to the canvas. Resize to 70% and sharpen. Position to your liking. Add the same drop shadow as before.

10. Activate your text tool using the settings below and type your name. If you are using SBP then colour wont matter, otherwise select a colour to compliment your tube. Postion your name inside the heart, convert to raster and apply drop shadow changing the opacity to 45 and the blur to 4

11. Add copyright information and your watermark. You can save your tag as a jpeg at this point or you can animate it like the example below.

12. ANIMATION You will need Animation Shop and a sparkle filter of choice. Close off the layers with your name and the top sequin heart and merge visible. Duplicate your background layer, your name and the heart layer so that you have 3 of each. Apply your sparkle filter (I used Xenofex Constellation) to each of the heart layers, changing the random seed each time. I also adjusted the brightness and contrast on each of the heart layers using the same settings as before. You want to merge a name, a heart and a background together so that you end up with 3 layers. Save as an Animation Shop psp file. Open in Animation Shop and save as a gif (I used Optimised Octree Settings). I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Sepia Tones

2009-05-21T15:30:00.002+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro or similar. I used PSPX but you should be able to make this tag in other versions.

* Black and white tube of choice. I am using the stunning artwork of Abranda Icle Sisson. You need a license to use her art which you can purchase from Muddvision Studios. The tube I am using is called Roses for Katherine.

* Texture filter of choice. I am using Xero Tekstya which you can download from HERE.

* Text filter of choice. I am using Super Blade Pro with a glass preset. You can substitute Eyecandy Glass or an inner bevel if you don't have this filter.

* Font of choice - I used Handscript SF HERE

* Bent Photo frame by Melissa of Sentimental Style. You can check out her blog HERE. Download the frame HERE.

LETS START!

1. Set up your supplies ready for use.

2. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background. Copy and paste your tube and Melissa's frame to the canvas. Resize and sharpen the tube if necessary (I resized to 70%).

3. Close off the frame layer for the moment. Activate the tube layer (if you are using the same tube I am, I carefully erased the disk behind her head) and apply Effects - Photo Effects - Sepia Toning. The settings I used are given below but experiment and find something you like.

4. Activate your freehand selection tool and using the following settings, trace around the sections of your tube that you want to colour. With this type of art, less is more so pick an accent you want to stand out. Select all the areas for one colour at a time ie I did all the leaves in one hit, then coloured them, then selected the roses, then coloured. Use Adjust - Hue and Saturation - Colorize to colour the areas you have selected. The settings I used are given as an example below (green = hue 75), but experiment and find a colour you like.

5. Position your tube and frame on your canvas. When satisfied, duplicate your tube and place one tube layer above and one below the frame. On the bottom tube layer, apply Gaussian Blur at the following settings -

6. Activate your background layer and add a new raster layer. Activate your frame layer again and using your magic wand, click inside the frame. Selection - Modify - expand by 6. Flood fill on the new raster layer with a complimentary colour from your tube (I used #eae4e4) and select none. Apply Tekstya at the following settings -

7. Lower the opacity of the Tekstya layer to 60%. Activate your top tube layer. Select your text tool and write your name using a complimentary colour from your tube (I used #c1b0b1 for foreground and background). Position and duplicate your text. Apply Gaussian blur to the bottom text layer but adjust the radius to 12. Apply your text filter to the top text layer. My settings are below -

8. Add drop shadow to the top text layer at the settings shown below. Use a dark colour from your tube for the shadow (I used #4b4239).

9. Add copyright information and your watermark. Crop excess white space from your canvas. Save as a jpeg and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Sending Hugs

2009-05-21T15:08:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro or similar. I used PSPX but you should be able to make this tag in other versions.

* Tube of choice. I am using Creddy Teddies which you will find HERE. You now need to register to access the tubes but the tubes are still free for personal use. The tube I am using is in Children on page 5 (or 6 if new tubes have been added lol).

* Doodle or Accent of choice. I am using a flower doodle from Nana's Attic. The doodle is from Anita's Falderal Kit which you have to be a member to access.

* Font of choice - I used Adorable HERE

* Preset Shape of choice. I used a heart shape from HERE

LETS START!

1. Set up your supplies ready for use. Choose two colours for foreground and background that compliment the tube you will use. I used #849abd and #fadede.

2. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background. Copy and paste the tube and the doodle (I resized to 25%) to the canvas. If you are using different supplies you may need to resize and sharpen your tubes.

3. Activate your preset shapes tool and select the shape you want to use. Close your background colour and using the following settings, draw your shape over your tube. When satisfied with the position, convert to raster.

4. Use your magic wand tool to click inside the shape. Selection - Modify - Expand by 3. Activate your background layer and add a new raster layer. Floodfill the selection with your other colour. Add texture of choice ie Effects - Texture Effects - Texture - choose effect. The one I used is on the screenshot below. DO NOT DESELECT.

5. Activate your tube layer. Selection - Invert - press the delete key. Select none.

6. Activate your preset shape layer and apply the same texture effect as before. Apply drop shadow at the following settings to the tube, doodle and shape layers.

7. Activate your preset shape tool again and with the foreground colour the same as the colour you floodfilled with, change the settings to width 2 and line style to dashed. Draw out the heart shape again but position the "stitches" so that they are through the middle of the frame. Add drop shadow at the settings shown below.

8. Select your text tool and using the following settings, type "Sending Hugs". Promote selection to layer - select none. Apply drop shadow at the first settings given.

9. Repeat process with your name. I usually make the name bigger than the message (I used 72).

10. Add copyright information and your watermark. Crop excess white space from your canvas. Save as a jpeg and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Bright and Beautiful

2009-05-21T15:00:00.002+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* A good knowledge of Paint Shop Pro (or similar).

* Tube of choice. I am using the art work of Joel Adams. You will need a license to use his art work. Tubes can be purchased from CILM.

* Bright and Beautiful Scrapkit (made by me) HERE and the Add On HERE.

* Font of choice - I am using Century Gothic.

LETS START

1. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background.

2. Open the dotted frame from the Add On, duplicate and close the original. Select the inner ribbon that best compliments your tube and close the other ribbon layers off. Merge visible. Copy and paste to your canvas and resize to 80%. Sharpen using Unsharp Mask at the following settings. Copy the bow from the scrapkit that matches the inner ribbon you used. Resize to 80% and unsharp mask at the same settings. Position on your frame.

3. Open one of the papers from the scrap kit to use as your frame background (I used black). Set the paper as a pattern in your materials palette. Using your magic wand tool select the middle of the frame. Selections - Modify - Expand x 4. Add a new raster layer under the frame and floodfill with the paper pattern. Reduce layer opacity to 90%.

4. Copy and paste your tube to the canvas. Resize and sharpen if necessary. Position your tube and duplicate. Drag one tube below the frame layer and add drop shadow at the following settings. On the top tube layer carefully erase the parts of the tube that you want to look like they are under the frame. If you are using the same tube as I am, I erased the tip of her back wing.

5. Apply the same drop shadow to the frame and bow layers.

6. Open another one of the papers from the scrapkit and set it as the background pattern on the materials palette (I used purple). Close the foreground. Using your preset shape tool set on ellipse, draw out a circle the same size as your frame.

7. Activate your text tool and using the settings below as a guide, type the text you want around the outside of your circle. Add extra spaces between words to make the text even. Promote selection to layer. Drag this layer to just above your white background.

8. Drag your vector shape to just above the white background (below the text layer) and convert to raster. Apply Gaussian Blur at the settings below. Apply Blinds (Effects - Texture Effects - Blinds) at the following settings twice, once with the horizontal box ticked and once unticked.

9. Add your copyright information and watermark. Save as a jpeg and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Rock and Roll

2009-05-21T14:42:00.002+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro. I used version 10 but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Popeye Wong and you can check out his site HERE. The tubes I used are here and here.

* My Rock and Roll Scrapkit HERE

* No outside filters are required.

LETS START!

1. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background. Add two new raster layers. Open two papers from the scrapkit that you want to use as the base for your tag (I used black and red). Activate your selection tool and make a custom selection using the following settings. Copy and paste each paper (on a different layer) into the selection. Make sure the darker colour is at the bottom.

2. Duplicate your bottom paper and apply a Gaussian Blur of 15 to it. Apply blinds to this blur layer at the following settings twice, once vertical and once horizontal.

3. Click on your top paper and Image - Free Rotate - 10 degrees right.

4. Copy and paste photo frame 3 to your canvas. Resize to 60%. Add a new raster layer under the frame. Back on your frame layer, use your magic wand (with no feather and on add) to select inside the frame areas. Selection - Modify - Expand by 6. Go back to the new raster layer and floodfill with a complimentary colour or gradient. I used a gradient of black and the grey colour from the scrapkit swatch on the settings below. Select none.

5. Copy and paste your tubes to the canvas. Position them under the frames. Merge the two tube layers together. Reselect the inside of the frames again and Invert the selection. Go back to your tube layer and press delete. Merge the frame, tube and gradient layers together and duplicate. Mirror one of the photo layers and position the photos to your liking, using my tag as a guide. Add drop shadow at the following settings to each photo layer then merge them together.

6. Copy and paste the ribbon you wish to use to the canvas. Image - Free Rotate - 10 degrees left and position to your liking. Go to your top paper layer Selections - Select All - Float - Defloat - Modify - Expand by 1 - Invert. Return to your ribbon layer and press delete. Add drop shadow to the ribbon and paper layers at the same settings as before.

7. Open the chrome alphabet from the kit, duplicate and minimize the original. Resize the copy to 35%. Copy and paste the letters for whatever saying you want across the ribbon to the canvas (keep it short). View - Grid and line up your letters to make words. Merge all your letters together and Image - Free Rotate - 10 degrees left. Unsharp Mask at the settings below. Apply drop shadow at the new settings below.

8. Repeat this process for your name but instead of resizing to 35%, resize to 50%.

9. Copy and paste one of the tubes to the canvas again. Resize and sharpen if necessary (I resized to 80% and sharpened at the same unsharp mask settings as before). Position to your liking and apply the same drop shadow as we did in step 5. Apply drop shadow again at the settings below, twice.

10. Add your copyright information and watermark. Save as a jpeg and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Pretty Pastels

2009-05-21T14:21:00.004+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro. I used version 10 but you should be able to make this tag in any version.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Caron Vinson and you can purchase her art at CILM.

* Brushes of choice. I am using the Grasses and Plants brushes by Stephanie Shimerdla which you can download from HERE (under Nature).

NOTE brushes are in abr format but an image pack is available. For the best result you can use ABRviewer to convert the brushes to png format which you can then import to PSP.

* Font of choice - I used Nueva.

* My Pretty Pastels scrapkit HERE.

* Charm of choice. I used one from my It's So Blue scrapkit HERE.

LETS START!

1. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background. Open the bows, ribbons, doodles and flower frame from the Pastels scrapkit.

2. Copy and paste the flower frame to the canvas and resize to 72%. Sharpen using the settings below.

3. Add a new raster layer. On your frame layer, use your magic wand to select outside the frame. Selections - Invert - Modify - Expand by 6. Floodfill on the new raster layer with the purple colour from the scrapkit (colour swatch is included). Select none. Apply a Gaussian blur of 20. Apply Blinds twice (once vertical, once horizontal) at the settings below. Reduce layer opacity to 80%. Drag this layer below the frame.

4. Copy and paste the doodles you want to use to the canvas. Make sure this layer is below the blur layer you just did. Resize and position the doodles to your liking. I resized to 80% and resized a second doodle to 80% twice. If you have more than one layer of doodles, merge the doodle layers together. Select your Colour Replacer tool . Set your foreground on the Materials Palette to the glitter tile you want to use (I scaled my pattern to 65%) and the background to black (the colour you want to change). Using the settings shown below, click on your doodle and the black will change to glitter. Click on this icon to colour all the black pixels on the current layer.

5. Sharpen the doodles using the same settings as before. Add drop shadow at the following settings to the doodle and frame layers.

6. Add a new raster layer above the doodle layer. Activate your paintbrush tool with the purple from the scrapkit as your foreground colour. Add your brushes to the canvas. Use the rotate function to change the brush angle.

7. Activate your frame layer and copy and paste a ribbon to your canvas (I used a thin one). Image - Free Rotate - Left 10 degrees. Position to your liking. Back on your frame layer, use your magic wand to select outside the frame. Go back to your ribbon layer and press delete. Select none. Use your soften brush to smooth any rough edges. Copy and paste the matching bow to the canvas and resize to 90%. Position the bow along the ribbon (no need to rotate it). Copy and paste the charm to the canvas between the ribbon and bow layers. Position it so that the chain is roughly in the middle of the knot on the bow. Carefully erase any of the chain that is above the bow. Apply the same drop shadow as before.

8. Copy and paste your tube to the canvas. Resize and sharpen if necessary. Position to your liking. Add your copyright information and watermark. Close the white background layer off and merge visible. Control C then V to cut and paste your image, add a new raster layer and floodfill with white. Drag the white layer to the bottom.

9. Activate the top layer on your new canvas. Use your text tool at the settings below to type your name. The foreground on the materials palette is the purple colour and the background is the glitter (still at 65%). Add drop shadow at the settings shown below and then sharpen your name using Unsharp Mask at the same settings as before but this time change the strength to 112. Apply the drop shadow again.

10. Position your name to your liking. Save as a jpeg and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Shimmer

2009-05-20T13:53:00.002+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop or similar. I used PSPX but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions.

* Tube of choice. I am using the art work of Caron Vinson. You will need a license to use her art work.
Tubes can be purchased from CILM.

* Accent tube of choice - I used a flower from the tube
(I tubed the image myself I don't know if the purchased tube includes the flower).

* Font of choice - I used Freak Turbulence from HERE.

* Muras Filter Meister - Copies HERE.

* DSB Flux - Bright Noise HERE.

LETS START!

1. Open your tube and scrap kit in PSP. Open your font (by double clicking on it in Windows Explorer) and minimise to use later.

2. Open a new image 600 x 600 with a white background.

3. Copy your accent tube to the canvas. Apply Muras Copies at the following settings. If you don't like the look of your wreath, try flipping or mirroring the image for a different effect. Change the number to make your wreath fuller or lighter. Resize your wreath to 80%.

4. Duplicate your wreath layer and apply Gaussian Blur to the bottom layer. Merge your two wreath layers together.

5. Copy and paste your tube to the canvas. Resize (I resized to 80%), sharpen if necessary and position. Merge with the wreath layer.

6. Hold the control key down and press c then v. Your canvas should have cut and pasted as a new image. Add a new layer and floodfill with white. Drag the white layer to the bottom. Close the other canvas and continue working on the new one.

7. Activate your text tool and type your name using the following settings. Use a light colour for the foreground (#e8d7e7) and dark for the background (#af77d6).

8. Stretch out your name. Convert to raster and position to your liking. Apply drop shadow at the settings below (colour is #88619f). Repeat shadow but change V and H to -1.

9. Add copyright information and your watermark. Merge all layers. Duplicate the merged layer twice so that you have 3 layers in total. Use your magic wand at the settings shown below, to select the fairy's wings and the light outline of your text.

10. Apply the Bright Noise filter to each layer at the settings below. Remember to click on Mix for each layer.

11. Save your file as an Animation Shop .psp file.

12. Open your file in Animation Shop. Save as a .gif and we are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Kidd Diva

2009-05-20T13:43:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop or similar. I used PSPX but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Jamie Kidd. You need a license to use Jamie's art. You can purchase tubes and images from CILM

* Scrap Kit by Clary. Please check out the Yahoo group Bagz of Scrapz for the full kit.

* Fonts of choice - I used Arial and Handscript.

* Two Moon Rotoblades filter HERE.

* Star animation.

* Mask by me.

* You can download my supplies HERE. Included are the black star animation, the mask, and the elements from the scrap kit used in this tutorial.

LETS START!

1. Open your tube, mask and scrap kit elements in PSP. Open your font (by double clicking on it in Windows Explorer) and minimise to use later. Recolour the scrap kit elements to match your tube. If you are using the same tube as I am the Adust - Hue and Saturation - Hue 215 and Saturation 150. The colour is not bright enough so Adjust - Brightness/Contrast - Brightness 60 and Contrast 0. To colour parts of an image eg the handbag, use your freehand selection tool (feather 0) to select the area you want to colour then adjust the hue and saturation.

2. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background.

3. Copy and paste the colourised scrap paper to the canvas and resize to 80%. Adjust - Blur - Gaussian Blur - 20.

4. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with black. Resize to 80% and apply your mask at the following settings

5. Using your magic wand (feather 0), select the inner square of the mask and apply Rotoblades at the following settings -

6. Merge all layers together and save as a .psp Animation Shop file.

7. Open your image and the star animation in Animation Shop. Duplicate the image frame so that you have 7 frames. Edit - Select all. Select all of the star animation frames. Click on the Propogate Paste button.

8. Click on frame 1 in the star animation and keeping the mouse button depressed, drag the animation to the first frame of your background image and position according to sample tag.

9. Click back on the star animation and click the undo button. Drag the animation back to the image canvas and position the second star animation according to the sample tag.

10. File - Save frames as

11. Open your Animation Shop image in PSP. Activate the top layer. Copy and paste your tube and scrap elements to the canvas. Resize and sharpen as required. I resized diva to 50%, handbag to 60% and the shoes to 40%. Position to your liking. Make sure the handbag is at the front as you are going to put a name on it. Add drop shadow at the following settings to each layer except Diva. For Diva change to V and H 0, opacity 100 and blur 16.

12. Activate your text tool. Use a script font to write your message in a colour complimentary to your tube in the top rectangle. Create your text as a vector so you can size it appropriately. I put "Just call me" but you can put anything you want eg "Don't call me", "That's Princess to you!". Convert to raster.

13. Change to your other font and type your name, still as a vector. Size your name on the handbag. If you have a small name you may need to tilt your text slightly. Convert to raster.

14. Add copyright information and watermark as another raster layer.

15. Hide all the animation frames and activate one of the tube layers. Merge visible.

16. Open all the animation frames. Duplicate your merged tube layer 6 times and merge a tube layer with each background layer. Save as an Animation Shop .psp file.

17. Open your file in Animation Shop. Save as a .gif and you are done! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

There Be Pirates

2009-05-20T13:22:00.002+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop or similar. I used PSPX but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Jasmine Becket-Griffith. You need a license to use her artwork. Tubes and images can be purchased from CILM

* Font of choice - a fat font works best. I used Vivian.

* Edge mask of choice.

* Eyecandy 4000 - HSB Noise.

* Skull and bones motiff - this was made by me from the Pirates PW font by Intellecta Design. Right click and save as a png file.

LETS START!

1. Open your tube and supplies in PSP. Open your font (by double clicking on it in Windows Explorer) and minimise to use later.

2. Open a new image 500 x 400 with a white background.

3. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with black. Apply your mask and merge mask group.

4. Add a new raster layer. Use your selection tool to draw out a rectangle inside the mask. Floodfill with a colour from your tube (I used #b41915). DO NOT deselect.

5. Add another raster layer and floodfill with black. Select none. Hide this layer for the moment.

6. Copy and paste the skull motiff to your canvas. Move to the top right of your canvas.

7. Copy and paste your tube to the canvas. Resize (I resized to 60%), sharpen if necessary and move to the left. Add drop shadow to your tube at the following settings. Use a complimentary color from your tube.

Your canvas should look like this -

8. Make your skull layer active, then select your text tool. Set the materials palette to black for the foreground and null for the background. Using the following settings, type your name in block capitals. Stretch out the text to fill the remaining red area. If you are using the same tube as I am, then you want to make it look like she is sitting on the edge of your name. Position all the elements of your tag so that you are happy with them.

9. With your magic wand on the following settings, select the middle of each letter in your name. When all letters are selected, Selection - Modify - Expand by 1. Make your black hidden layer active (keep it hidden still) and press delete. Select none.

10. Activate the skull layer and click your magic wand outside the skull motiff. Selection - Invert. Activate the black layer again and press delete. Select none. You make this black layer visible now.

11. Activate your tube layer and add copyright information and watermark.

12. Close off the bottom 3 layers (white background, black mask and red layers). Make sure one of the other layers is active and merge visible. Hide this merged layer and duplicate twice.

13. Open the white background and the black mask layers and merge together. Duplicate twice.

14. Activate the red layer and duplicate twice. (You should now have 3 of each layer.) Make the bottom red layer visible. Apply Eyecandy 4000 HSB Noise at the following settings to each layer. Change the random seed for each layer. NOTE: This filter can put a lot of tansparency in the mix which shows as black. Try a few different seed numbers to find one you like. I used 585, 419, 801.

15. Open your top tube layers. Arrange your layer palette into sets of three ie from the top down - tube layer, red layer, background layer - 3 sets in all. Merge each set together so that you are left with 3 layers. Save as a Animation Shop .psp file.

16. Open your file in Animation Shop. Edit - Select All. Animation - Frame Properties - change to 40.

17. Save as a .gif and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Blue Moon

2009-05-20T13:14:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop or similar. I used PSPX but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Amy Brown. You need to purchase a license to use her art. You can buy her images and tubes from CILM

* Star animation of choice.

* Round Mask of choice.

* Font of choice - I used Scriptina for the outer text and Martina for the name and message.

* DSB Flux Bright Noise Filter.

* MuRa's Filter Meister Clouds Filter.

* You can download my supplies HERE. Included is the mask and the star animation, both made by me.

LETS START!

1. Open your tube and mask in PSP. Open your fonts (by double clicking in Windows Explorer) and minimise to use later.

2. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background.

3. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with a dark colour from your tube. I used #5b7194. Apply the MuRas Cloud filter at the following settings -

4. Apply your mask to this layer. Layers - New Mask Layer - From Image

5. Use your ellipse preset shape to draw out a circle as large as the edge of your mask. Using the dark colour originally used for the layer, type your text floating on the vector. I used the quote "A dream is a wish your heart makes while you are fast asleep". You can find lots of good quotes HERE. You will need to adjust the size of your text according the quote you are using and the font chosen (start with text size 20). You want your text to go all the way around the edge without overlapping. Add in * if the quote fits more than once or extra space between words to help make it fit. When satisfied with the text, promote selection to layer. Do not delete your vector as we will need it again later. You can X it out in the meantime. Merge your text and mask layers. Add drop shadow at the following settings (colour is #000040) -

6. Copy and paste your tube to the canvas. Resize and sharpen if necessary. Position to your liking. Add your copyright information and watermark on another layer.

7. Activate your vector layer and make it visible. Select your text tool and change fonts. Still using your dark colour, type your message (I used Sweet Dreams) floating on the vector. Promote selection to layer and select none.

8. Image - Flip your vector layer and type your name. I made my font bigger for the name (I used size 48 for the message and 60 for the name). Promote selection to layer and select none.

9. Position all the elements of your tag to your liking. Once satisfied, close off the text layers, activate a non text layer and merge visible.

10. Duplicate your text layers 3 times (so you have 4 layers). NOTE: If you are making the tag for yourself merge the two text layers then duplicate. If you are making a tag back so you can make multiple copies of this tag then complete the name instructions separately and last. The number of layers will depend on the star animation you use. Apply the Bright Noise filter to each text layer at the following settings (remember to click on Mix for each layer) -

11. Add drop shadow at the following settings to each text layer -

12. Duplicate your background layer three times (so you have 4 layers) and merge a text layer to each background.

13. Save your image as a .psp Animation Shop file.

14. Open your file and the star animation in Animation Shop.

15. For each image, Edit - Select All. Click on the Propogate Paste button in the top menu bar

16. Click on the image in frame 1 of the star animation and drag it into position on your canvas. Do not let go of the mouse button until it is in place. Click back on the star animation and click the undo button and drag the image into position a second time. Repeat until you have enough sparkles on your canvas. TIP - odd numbers work better.

NOTE - If you are making a tag back, Edit - Select All then File - Save Frames As and save frames as layers for a pspimage. This way you just have to add a name to your tag instead of adding the sparkles each time. You open your canvas in PSP, add your name and then back to Animation Shop to finish.

17. Save as a .gif and you are done. I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial.

Glam Goth

2009-05-20T13:04:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop or similar. I used PSPX but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Caron Vinson. You need to purchase a license to use her art. You can buy her images and tubes from CILM

* Bead accent tube.

* Font of choice - I used Arial.

* Diamond Mask.

* Check pattern tile.

* You can download my supplies HERE. Included are the bead accent tube, the check pattern and the mask.

These items are made by me and are for personal, non commercial use. You may share them but please give credit. You MAY NOT profit from them in any way, including but not limited to including them in collections for sale or on tags for sale/profit/work for hire. Legally if an item exchanges hands and consideration (something of value not necessarily money) is received, it is considered to be a sale regardless of what label others would like to put on it.

LETS START!

1. Open your supplies in PSP. Open your font (by double clicking on it in Windows Explorer) and minimise to use later.

2. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background.

3. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with black. Apply your mask to this black layer and convert to raster layer.

4. Activate your magic wand and click inside the mask. Selection - Modify - Expand by 3. Add a new raster layer and floodfill selection with your check pattern. Make sure this layer is below the mask layer. Do not deselect.

5. Copy and paste your tube above the check layer. Resize and sharpen if necessary. (I resized to 80%). Selection - Invert - press delete. Apply drop shadow at the following settings -

6. Add a new raster layer above the white background layer. Floodfill with a dark complimentary colour from your tube. I used #c63b36. Resize this layer to 50%. Free rotate (Image menu) 45 degrees. Apply Gaussian Blur twice at the following settings -

7. Activate your pen tool on the following settings. Draw a line from corner to corner using the mask edge as a guide.

8. Ensure that the colour you used for your blur layer is set as the background on the materials palette. Activate your text tool and using the following settings type your name. Repeat your name until it fills the side of the tag. You will have to experiment with text size according to the length of your name. Put at least 2 spaces between each name. Promote selection to layer, select none. Duplicate, mirror and flip. Merge name layers. Duplicate, free rotate 90 degrees and merge name layers.

9. Add copyright information and watermark. Make sure all parts of your tag are positioned where you want them then merge visible.

10. Copy and paste your bead accent to your canvas. The beads and the string are on different layers so you can recolour your beads to match your tube if need be. You can also make the tone darker if you Adjust - Brightness and Contrast - change brightness to -40 and contrast to 0. Resize to 80%. Free Rotate 45 degrees. Duplicate, mirror, merge bead layers. Duplicate, flip, merge bead layers. Sharpen bead layer and add same drop shadow as before. You can stop at this point and save as a jpeg file if you don't want to add the animation.

11. Duplicate the bead layer twice. Apply sparkle filter of choice. I used Constellation with the following settings, changing the random seed for each layer.

12. Duplicate the background layer twice and merge a bead layer to each background. Save as an Animation Shop .psp file.

13. Open your file in Animation Shop, change your frame properties if necessary (I changed mine to 20).

14. Save as a .gif and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Beach Party

2009-05-20T12:57:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop. I used PSPX but you can make this tag in earlier versions.

* Beach Party tube and matching image HERE.

* I am using the artwork of Cal Slayton and you can check out his art HERE.

* Font of choice.

* This tutorial uses NO outside filters.

LETS START!

1. Open your tube/image PSP.

2. Activate the Original image layer and copy and paste as a new image.

3. Duplicate this layer and close off the original layer. On the copy, carefully paint the couple out of the background. Click on the colour box in the materials palette and choose the appropriate colour from your background. Change the size of your brush to make it smaller for the fiddly bits. If the towel is too hard then remove it too and let them dance on the sand.

4. When you are satisfied that you have removed the couple from the background, add a new raster layer and floodfill with a dark colour from the image. Select all - Selections - Modify contract by 5 and press delete. Merge to image layer. Duplicate.

5. Close off the two layers you have just done and open the original layer. Copy and paste the couple alone (from your tube) to the canvas. Using the original layer as a guide, position the tube exactly over the couple on the original image. When satisfied with their position, duplicate. Delete the original layer.

6. Using your freehand selection tool, trace around the girl and delete. Activate the other tube layer and Selections - Invert then delete. You should have one layer with the girl and one layer with the boy.

7. Duplicate the girl layer and rename them girl1 and girl2. Duplicate the boy layer and rename them boy1 and boy2.

8. Activate the girl2 layer and mirror image. Position girl2 over girl1 using her feet as a guide to line them up on.

9. Repeat step 8 with the boy2 layer but line him up using the shoulders as a guide.

10. Merge girl1 and boy1 layers together. Repeat with girl2 and boy2 layers. Merge each of these tube layers to one of the background layers you did earlier, being careful not to move the position of the tubes.

11. Resize your canvas and add any text at this point. Use a dark colour from the image.

12. Add copyright information and your watermark and save as an Animation Shop .psp file.

13. Open your file in Animation Shop. Edit - Select all. Animation - Frame Properties - change to 40.

14. Save as a .gif file and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Flower Fairy

2009-05-20T11:33:00.002+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Molly Harrison. You need a licence to use her art and you can purchase her artwork from CILM. Molly's art is particularly good for this tag!

* Accents are taken fom your tube - one detailed and 1 simple

* Font of choice - I used Santas Big Secret HERE

* DSB Flux Bright Noise filter HERE

* Mura Meisters Copies filter HERE

* A good working knowledge of PSP and Animation Shop

LETS START!

Set up your supplies ready for use. If you are working from an image and tubing yourself, you will need a tube of the full image, one of the subject alone, one detailed accent and one simple accent.

Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background. Copy and paste the full tube (one with the most detail) to the canvas. Resize to 75% (depending on size of the tube you are using). Apply Gaussian Blur at the following settings -

Cut and paste your blur layer as a new image (control-c, then control-v). Add a new raster layer and floodfill with white. Drag the white layer to the bottom. Close the original canvas.

Copy and paste your detailed accent to your new canvas, above the blur layer. Resize layer to same % as before.

Apply Muras Copies at the following settings. Adjust the Shift X and Shift Y settings to make sure all of your image is on the canvas if need be.

Resize this layer at 80%. Reduce the opacity to 60%.

Copy and paste your simple accent above the detailed layer. DO NOT resize. Apply Muras Copies at the same setting as before.

Copy and paste the tube of the subject alone to your canvas. Resize to the 60% (or suitable size). Sharpen your tube if necessary and add a drop shadow if you want to (I used 1, -1, 45, 4 and #000080 for the colour). Position this layer and the simple accent layer to your liking. Close off the subject layer.

Activate your simple accent layer and duplicate twice. Apply the DSB Flux Bright Noise filter to each layer at the following settings. Remember to click on Mix for each layer before applying.

Close off the subject layer and the 3 simple accent layers. Activate one of the other layers and merge visible. Duplicate the merged layer twice. Merge a simple accent layer to each background layer. If you want to resize your canvas now is the time to do it. Sharpen if necessary.

With your top background layer active, select your text tool. Choose two complimentary colours from your tube. I used dark - #7495de and light - #adc2eb. Type your name with your text tool on the following settings -

Position your text and convert to raster. Apply a text effect of choice and a drop shadow (same as you used on your tube layer).

Add the appropriate copyright information and your watermark on another layer. Merge with your text and tube layers. Duplicate the layer twice and merge to each background layer.

Save image as an Animation Shop .psp file.

Open image in Animation shop. Save as a .gif and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Blue Noise

2009-05-20T11:20:00.002+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop (or similar programs)

* Tube of choice - I have used the artwork of Caron Vinson and you can purchase her work from CILM

* Crop Circles Ding Font HERE

* Font of choice

* DSB Flux Bright Noise Filter (can substitute PSP Noise) HERE

* Two Moon RotoBlades and Vertical Ripplie Filters HERE

LETS START!

Set up your supplies ready for use. Install any fonts or plug-ins and restart PSP if necessary. Have your tube open in PSP.

Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background. Choose two complimentary colours from your tube, one dark one light (I used #6ebeea and #c3e9f0). Select your text tool and with the following settings, type one of the dings (I used e).

Stretch out your vector as shown below. The finished shape should be wider than it is tall.

Convert your vector to a raster. Add a new raster layer and drag it beneath your shape. Return to your shape layer and using your magic wand tool on the following settings, select all the blank spaces inside your shape.

Activate your blank layer and Selections - Modify - Expand by 2. Floodfill the selections with your light colour (or another complimentary colour - I used #addeec). Apply Two Moon RotoBlades Filter at the following settings. Select none.

Activate your original ding shape layer and apply drop shadow at the following settings. Merge your two shape layers and apply the drop shadow again.

Duplicate the shape layer so you have a total of three shape layers. Close off the two duplicate layers and using your magic wand tool, select the light colour in the middle of the ding shape on your bottom shape layer. Apply DSB Flux Bright Noise Filter at the following settings to each layer, making sure you click on Mix to change the noise position for each layer.

Activate the white background layer and promote to a raster layer (right click - promote background layer). Activate your Preset Shapes tool at the following settings and draw out a rectangle using the example at the top of the page as a guide. Use the dark colour you used for your ding as the foreground with the background turned off. Convert to raster layer.

Add a new raster layer and pull below the frame you just made. Use your magic wand and click inside the frame. Selections - Modify - Expand by 2. Activate the new raster layer and floodfill the selection with the light colour you used in your ding. Apply Two Moon Vertical Ripplie at the following settings. Select none.

Select your frame layer. At this point you can add a filter effect to your frame if you would like to (I used Super Blade Pro with a clear glass preset) but it looks just as good plain. Add the same drop shadow as before and merge the frame, the Ripplie layer and the white background layer together. Duplicate this layer so that you have three. Merge each shape layer with a background layer so that you have three layers left.

Copy and paste your tube as a new layer. Resize and sharpen if necessary (I resized to 60%). Position your tube (and any accent tubes you want to use) and apply the same drop shadow as before. If you have used more than one tube, merge your tube layers together. Duplicate your tube layer and merge to each of the background layers.

Activate your text tool and add your name in a font of your choice. Use the dark colour that you used for the frame. If you applied an effect to the frame, apply it to your name. Apply the same drop shadow as before. Duplicate the name layer and merge to each background layer. Repeat this process for your copyright information and watermark. Crop your canvas to remove any unwanted white background. Save as an Animation Shop .psp file.

Open your image in Animation Shop and save as a .gif file and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Joel Adams Fae

2009-05-19T22:02:00.002+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Joel Adams and you need to purchase a licence from CILM to use his work. You can check out his site at www.lilz.net

* Gradient to compliment tube

* Font of choice (a fat/bold font works best)

* Preset Shape of choice (a shape to compliment your tube)

* Flaming Pear Super Blade Pro with the coconut ice preset (can substitute Eye Candy Glass or PSP Inner Bevel)

* Xenofex Constellation filter (any sparkle type filter will do eg VM Sparkle)

* Xero Tekstya (can substitute Texturiser or PSP Fine Leather ie Effects - Texture Effects - Fine Leather)

LETS START!

Set up your supplies ready for use ie you want your gold pattern and your gradient on the materials palette, have your tube open in PSP.

Open a new image 400 x 400. Set your gradient to an angle of 45 and floodfill the layer. Select all, selection modify and contract by 14. Selection invert and apply Super Blade Pro Coconut Ice preset (or substitute). Selection invert.

Open a new layer. Floodfill new layer with gold pattern. Select all, selection modify and contract by 2. Press the delete key then merge the layer down. DO NOT deselect.

Apply Tekstya filter (or substitute) to selection. Use default settings. Make sure the top tone box colour is set on white as this lightens the gradient. (If using a substitute create a white layer beneath your selection, reduce the opacity of your texture layer then merge them together if you want your gradient lighter.) Select none.

Close off the gold pattern on your materials palette. Choose the preset shape you want to use and draw it out as a vector until it fills most of the canvas and is roughly centred. If your chosen shape has a thin outline you may need to increase the line width - I used 12 for my heart.

Convert to raster layer and duplicate twice (you should have your background and 3 shape layers). Apply your sparkle filter to each shape layer, changing the random seed on each layer from 1 to 11 to 21.

Duplicate your background layer twice and alternate your layers so that you can merge each shape layer onto a background layer. You should now have 3 layers only.

Activate your tube and resize if necessary. Copy and paste as a new layer. Bring your tube to the top if necessary. If your image looks blurry you can sharpen it (Adjust - Sharpness - Sharpen).

Click on your text tool. Using the fat font, size 48, stroke 2 (ensure pattern is open), vector, write your name. Stretch it out until it is a suitable size. Convert to raster, select all, float, defloat and apply SBP preset (or substitute). Select none.

Apply a drop shadow to the text and the tube layer - vertical and horizontal 2, opacity 60, blur 3 and colour black.

Position your tube and text where you want them. Merge your tube layer with the text layer. Duplicate so that you have 3 tube layers. Merge one tube layer with each background layer so that you finish with 3 layers again.

Add the appropriate copyright information and your watermark on another layer. Duplicate the layer and merge to each background layer.

Save image as an Animation Shop .psp file.

Open image in Animation shop and save as a .gif and you are finished. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Rose Red

2009-05-19T21:28:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro or similar. I used PSPX but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions.

* Tube of choice. I used the artwork of Nadia Tate and you can purchase her art from CILM.

* Ding font of choice. I used Chunklight by Web Of Dreams. This website has closed and I have substituted Circle Things 2. See example at the bottom of the page.

* Font of choice. I used Penshurst.

* Eyecandy 4000 Glass and Gradient Glow. (Can substitute inner bevel for glass and a drop shadow for the gradient glow.)

* MuRa's Filter Meister Tone HERE

* Super Blade Pro with clear glass preset. (Can use any text filter effect you like.)

* Accent tube of choice. I used the rose.

LETS START

1. Set up your supplies ready to use.

2. New canvas 700 x 700 with a white background.

3. Set the foreground and background on your materials palette to black (or a complimentary colour from your tube). Select your text tool and using your ding font at the following settings, draw out your shape. Do not fill up your whole canvas with your shape as we will be cropping shortly. If you are using the same font as I did, I used the letter Y. (Lower case w for the second example.)

4. When you are happy with the size of your shape, convert to raster and duplicate the layer.

5. On the bottom shape layer apply gaussian blur at the following settings.

6. Apply the blinds effect (Effects - Texture Effects -Blinds) to your blur layer on the following settings. Reapply the blind settings with the horizontal box ticked. Reduce the opacity of this layer to 80%.

7. Activate the top shape layer. Selections - Select All - Float - Defloat - Modify - Contract by 4. Apply MuRa's Filter Meister Tone at the following settings.

8. Invert the selection and promote to layer. Select none and apply Eye Candy Glass using the Depression Era Glass setting. Close off the white background layer and merge visible. Control C, then Control V to cut and paste your merged shape as a new image. Add a new raster layer to your trimmed shape and floodfill with white. Move the white layer to the bottom. You can close your original canvas as we will only be working on the smaller one from here. Check the size of your canvas - you may wish to resize at this point. I made my canvas 500 x 500. Resize your shape to 80%.

9. Open your tube. If it does not have a background, duplicate the tube and close the original. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with a complimentary colour. Move the floodfilled layer to the bottom. Add a subtle texture to this layer if you like. Merge with your tube and copy and paste to your shape canvas. Resize your tube to sit in the middle of your shape (I resized to 45%). Use the example at the top of the page as a guide. You may need to sharpen your tube after resizing.

10. Activate your Preset Shapes tool. With black as your foreground colour and the background closed off, draw a frame for your tube using the following settings.

11. Ensure your frame covers the edges of your tube. When you are satisfied with the position of your frame, convert to a raster layer and Select all - Float - Defloat. Apply Eyecandy Glass on the Depression-era Glass setting (or inner bevel of your choice). Select none. Merge with your tube layer and add drop shadow at the following settings. You can Control C, Control V your tube layer to make sure it is exactly centred on your frame (delete the blank layer).

12. Open your accent tube. If you are using the rose tube supplied, Image - Rotate Left. Resize your accent (I resized to 50%) and sharpen your tube if required. Depending on the tube you are using, the rose will have to be recoloured to match your tube. Use your magic wand tool to select all the roses. Adjust - Hue and Saturation - Colorize and adjust the settings until you find a colour your like.

13. Position the rose on your canvas and when you are satisfied, duplicate and mirror the layer. Merge the two rose layers together and add the same drop shadow as before. Close off the white background layer and merge visible layers. For the second example, I used MuRas Copies filter on the settings below. Duplicate the layer and rotate one layer 30 degrees Right. Pull one layer to above your white background and apply drop shadow. Add shadow to other rose layer and frame.

14. Activate your text tool with your second font. Chose a colour from your main tube that compliments your accent tube and make this the foreground and background colours on your materials palette. Type your name at the following settings.

15. Apply Super Blade Pro with the clear glass setting twice (or an inner bevel). While still selected, Adjust Hue and Saturation to match your accent tube. Promote selection to layer, select none. Apply the same drop shadow as before. Apply Eyecandy Gradient Glow on the following settings. Apply drop shadow again. For the second example, I used Penshurst on 48 as a Vector and when I applied it to the canvas I streched it to make it taller, not wider. Convert to raster and apply Eye Candy Glass - Ruby setting. Apply Eye Candy Gradient Glow.

16. Add copyright information and your watermark. Crop any excess white background from your canvas, being careful not to crop any of your blur away. Save as a .jpg file and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Blue Heart Bling

2009-05-19T21:15:00.004+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro. I used version 10 but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions.

* Animation Shop.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Myka Jelina and you can purchase her art at CILM

* Small flower tube.

* Font of choice - I used International Palms.

* Xero Tekstya filter (can substitute PSP texture). HERE.

* Eyecandy Glass filter (can substitute PSP inner bevel).

* Filters Unlimited (can substitute a smoky brush or leave it out).

* Colourized bling tube. I'm using the Rotating Heart bling by Nms Tutorials. I colourized the bling using a script from RobertaDesignzNI.

* Brushes of choice - I used the Flutterby set from Creatively Bound.

* Gingham pattern tile (tile made by me - right click and save).

* You can download my supplies HERE. Included are the flower tube used in this tutorial, the gingham pattern and the colourized bling tube.

LETS START!

Set up your supplies ready for use ie you want your tubes and pattern open in PSP. Import your brushes. Install any fonts or plug-ins and restart PSP if necessary.

Select a dominant colour (preferably dark) from your tube. If you are using a different tube to the one in the tutorial, the flower, the pattern and the bling can be colourized to match. Adjust - Hue and Saturation - Colourize.

Open a new image 500 x 400. Choose two complimentary colours from your tube, one light (I used #f6f9ff) and one dark (I used #000040). Have your dark colour as the foreground and the light as the background. Change the foreground on the material palette to gradient and find the Foreground-Background gradient. Make the gradient style linear with no repeats and angle at 0.

Floodfill your canvas with your light colour (background). Apply Filters Unlimited - Special Effects 2 - Centerspot at default settings.

Add a new raster layer and floodfill with your dark colour. Select all - selection modify - contract by 8 and press delete. While still selected, selection modify - contract by 24. Floodfill the area still selected with your dark colour again and selection modify - contract by 4. Press delete. Select none. Select all - selection float - selection defloat. Apply Eyecandy Glass at the following settings. Rename the layer frame.

Activate the background layer again and add a new raster layer. Change your foreground to pattern and click in the pattern box. Scroll to the top of the patterns thumbnails and find the gingham pattern and click on it.

Floodfill the new raster layer with the gingham pattern. Select all - selection modify - contract by 33. Press delete. Selection invert. Apply Xero Tekstya at the following settings.

Make sure your frame layer is on top and merge the frame and gingham layers together.

Activate your flower tube. Colourize it to match your tube if you haven't already. Copy and paste it to your canvas as a new layer. Position the flower on one of the inner corners of the frame (see example at top of page). Duplicate and mirror. Merge the two flower layers together. Duplicate and flip. Merge the two flower layers and the frame together.

Copy and paste your tube as a new layer. Resize if necessary (I resized 70%). If your tube is blurry sharpen it ie Adjust - Sharpness - sharpen. Position your tube on the left of your canvas. Add your copyright information and watermark close to the tube. Merge your tube and copyright layers to the frame layer.

Change your foreground and background to the foreground background gradient. Select your text tool. Type your name using the following settings.

While still selected, apply Eyecandy Glass at the same settings as before. Position the text about half way down the canvas as shown below. Select none.

Select your brush tool and find the brush you want to use. I used Flutterby 5. Activate your background layer and with your materials palette still set on the gradient, apply your brush around the edges of the frame (see example at top of page). Use the rotation setting to change the aspect of your brush as you go around your canvas.

Merge visible layers and save as an Animation Shop .psp file.

Open your base image and your bling tube in Animation Shop. Duplicate the frames in your base image to match the number in your bling tube. Have your bling tube at the top of your workspace and your base image at the bottom. For each animation, make sure they are showing frame 1 then Edit - select all. Make sure the propogate paste button is activated.

Click on the first frame of your bling and with the mouse button held down, position the bling where you want it on your canvas. Do not let go until you have it in the right place. View your animation and if you think it is running backwards, make sure all frames are selected and select Animation - reverse frames.

When you are satisfied with the position of your bling, save as a .gif and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Framed

2009-05-19T17:38:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro. I used version 10 but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Zindy S D Nielsen and you can check out her art at her site http://zindy.zone.dk/index.php

* Corner tube of choice.

* Accent tube of choice.

* Mask of choice. I am using Saphire1.

* Font of choice.

* Super Blade Pro with Coconut Ice preset or another filter of choice to use on your text.

* Gold bead pattern tile (right click and save)

* You can download my supplies HERE. Included are the tubes used in this tutorial, the gold bead pattern, the mask and the corner tube.

LETS START!

1. Open your tubes, mask and pattern in PSP. Open your font (by double clicking on it in Windows Explorer) and minimise to use later.

2. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background.

3. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with a light colour from your tube. I used #e7dcd2.

4. Apply the mask to the coloured raster layer (Layers - New mask layer - From image). Merge group. Apply PSP Texture (Effects - Texture Effects - Texture) at the following settings.

5. Copy and paste your main tube and resize it to 75%. If you are using a different tube you will want your mask showing around the edges.

6. Copy and paste your corner tube as a new layer. Position your corner tube so that the inner part of the corner tube just touches the corner of the picture tube.

7. When you have your corner in position, duplicate and mirror. Adjust the position of the mirrored layer if necessary (it should be touching the corner of the other side now) and merge the layers. Duplicate the merged layer and flip. Adjust the position of the flipped layer if necessary then merge your layers again.

8. Put your gold bead pattern on the materials palette (click on the pattern box and scroll up - anything open in PSP will show up at the top of the list and you just click on the image you want to use as a pattern).

9. Activate your main tube layer. Selection - Select all - Float - Defloat. Add a new raster layer and fill the selection with your gold bead pattern. Selection - Modify - Contract by 3. Press the delete key and fill the selection with the light colour you used for your mask layer. Selection - Modify - Contract by 2 and fill with the gold bead pattern. Selection - Modify - Contract by 3 and press the delete key. Select none.

10. Activate your preset shapes tool. Ensure the gold bead pattern is set as the foreground and the background turned off. Draw a rectangle using the following settings. Your rectangle should connect the outer edges of your corner tubes (see example at top). You can use your up and down and left and right arrows to help position your rectangle. When you are satisfied with the position of the rectangle, convert to a raster layer.

11. Ensure that your layers are in the correct order from the top down -

12. Close off the white background layer and the coloured mask layer. Make sure one of the other layers is activated and merge visible. Adjust - Sharpen - Unsharp mask at the following settings.

13. Add drop shadow at the following settings (colour is black).

14. You can resize your mask layer if you want less of it showing. You can play with the layer opacity to lighten the mask as well. I resized mine to 90%.

15. Add your accent tube where you would like it. I used the rose accent from the Zindy tube and did a free rotate at 90 degrees to the right and placed the tube at the bottom of the canvas. Apply the same drop shadow to the accent tube.

16. Select two colours from your tube to use as your text colours. I used #ae6968 for the foreground and #d8a6a1 as the background. Add your text at the following settings.

17. Apply whatever filter you would like to decorate your text with. I applied Super Blade Pro with the M-Coconut Ice preset. Add the same drop shadow as before.

18. Add copyright information and your watermark.

19. Crop your canvas to reduce some of the white space around it. Save as a .jpg file and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Black and White

2009-05-19T17:34:00.001+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro. I used version 10 but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Popeye Wong and you can check out his site HERE. The tube I used is here.

* Scrap Kit by Melissa from Sentimental Style

* Font of choice - I used Two Peas Hearts Delight HERE (scroll down)

* Eyecandy Gradient Glow (can substitute a white drop shadow).

* You can download my supplies HERE.

LETS START!

1. Open your tube and scrap kit in PSP. Open your font (by double clicking on it in Windows Explorer) and minimise to use later.

2. Open a new image 450 x 450 with a white background. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with white. Resize to 90% and add drop shadow at the following settings.

3. Add a new raster layer. Activate your selection tool and click on Custom Selection.

4. Make a custom selection using the following settings -

5. Activate your scrap kit and select a paper to use (I used the one immediately under the ribbon). Copy the paper and paste it into the selection. Reduce the opacity of the layer to 80%.

6. Copy the ribbon from the scrap kit and paste as a new layer on your canvas. Copy and paste your tube to the canvas. Resize and sharpen if necessary (I resized to 70%). Add drop shadow to the ribbon and the tube at the settings given before. Position your tube to the left of the canvas.

7. Activate your paper layer and Selections - Select all - Float - Defloat - Invert. Click on your ribbon layer and press delete. Position your tube and your ribbon so that it looks like the girl is sitting on the ribbon.

8. Copy the film strip layer from the scrap kit and paste to your canvas. Image - mirror. Resize to 75%.

9. Open your tube again and mirror the image. Using your selection tool draw a rectangle around the head. Edit - copy.

10. Return to your filmstrip layer and use your magic wand to select one of the white squares. Edit - Paste into Selection. Repeat for the other white square. Select none. Adjust - Hue and Saturation - Colorize - set saturation at 0 and click OK. Add same drop shadow as before.

11. Activate your background layer and select your preset shapes tool. On your materials palette, set black as the foreground with the background turned off. Draw a rectangle using the following settings (line style is diamond). Your rectangle should touch the edges of the scrap paper used, with the diamonds slightly overlapping onto the colour. It may help to hide your other layers so that you can see what you are doing.

12. Convert your rectangle to a raster layer and apply Eyecandy Gradient Glow using the thin colour. (You can substitute a white drop shadow with V and H 2 opacity 60 and blur 6 then repeat with V and H -2.) Drag this layer above your ribbon layer.

13. Copy the clips layer from your scrap kit to your canvas. Use your selection tool to trace around the paper clips (you don't want) and press delete so that you only have the round clip with the beads. Make sure all your layers are visible and move the clip so that it looks like it will hold the film strip in place. Duplicate the clip layer and move it so there is one copy above the filmstrip layer and and one below the ribbon layer. Add the same drop shadow as before to the bottom clip layer. Activate the top clip layer and select your eraser tool. Carefully erase the outer part of the clip using my tag as a guide.

14. Copy the buttons layer from the scrap kit and paste to your canvas. Use your selection tool to trace around the blank rectangular button, Selection - invert - press delete. Move the button to the top right of your canvas as shown in the top example. Add the same drop shadow as before.

15. Select your text tool and the font you want to use. On your materials palette have black as the background with the foreground closed off. Type your name using the following settings.

16. Convert your text vector to a raster layer. Apply Eyecandy Gradient Glow at the same settings as before (or the same white drop shadow as before).

17. Add copyright information and your watermark.

18. Save as a .jpg file and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Popeye Wong Devil

2009-05-19T17:07:00.002+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Tube of choice - I have used Popeye Wong's art work and you can check out his site at www.popeyewong.com. Popeye has all his toons tubed ready for you to download - just click on the thumbnail.

* Two fonts of choice - I used Angelina and Batang

* Super Blade Pro - Coconut Ice preset from Meadows Studio (can substitute PSP Inner Bevel)

LETS START!

Set up your supplies ready for use ie install any fonts or plug-ins and restart PSP if necessary. Have your tube open in PSP.

Open a new image 500 x 400 with a white background. Choose two complimentary colours from your tube, I used #d30000 (darker red) and #ff0000 (lighter red).

Copy and paste your tube to your canvas. Resize if necessary. I resized mine at 70%. Sharpen the image (Adjust - Sharpness - Sharpen) and apply a drop shadow at the following settings. Move your tube to the left of your canvas.

Activate your text tool and select the font you want to use for the message. Using the following settings, type in block capitals JUST A LITTLE DEVIL (or whatever message you want).

Position the message at the bottom of the tube as shown in the example at the bottom of the page. Use the vector nodes to size the text. Convert to raster and apply a drop shadow with the following settings.

Activate your background layer and select your text tool again. Using your first font on the following settings type the first letter of your name. Stretch the letter out so it looks like the girl has her arms on either side of the letter (or whatever suits the tube you are using). Convert to raster. Select all, selection float, selection defloat and apply Super Blade Pro Coconut Ice preset (or inner bevel or whatever effect you prefer). Select none.

Type the rest of your name and size it to suit the dimensions of your tube. If you are doing a short name make the last letter finish near the edge of her boot. If you have a longer name it might be better to move your message as I have in my example at the top, and stretch the name to match that. When you are satisfied with the position of your text, convert to raster and apply the same filter/effect as before. Merge the two parts of your name to make one layer and apply the same drop shadow that you applied to your tube.

New raster layer. Add copyright and watermark. Crop image and save as a .jpg and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Persephone

2009-05-19T17:00:00.002+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Tube of choice - I have used the art of Myka Jelina. You need a license to use her work which you can purchase from CILM

* Accent tube of choice - I used the butterfly picture tube that came with PSP

* Gold pattern tile

* Font of choice

* Eye Candy 4 - Glass (can substitute PSP Inner Bevel)

LETS START!

Set up your supplies ready for use ie you want your gold pattern on the materials palette, install any fonts or plug-ins and restart PSP if necessary. Have your tube open in PSP.

Open a new image 400 x 400. Choose two complimentary colours from your tube and floodfill your canvas with the lighter colour. I used #47406f (dark blue) and #dfedff (light blue). Select all, modify and contract by 6. Selection invert. Open a new raster layer and floodfill the selection with the dark blue colour. While still selected, apply Eye Candy glass at the following settings -

Selection invert again and floodfill with your gold pattern. Selection modify and contract by 2 then press the delete key. Rename this layer Frame.

Activate your background layer. Using your preset shapes tool, select the rectangle. With your foreground set on the dark colour and the background set on the light colour draw a long, thin rectangle using the following settings -

Use your magic wand tool to select the light blue middle of the rectangle and apply the tile effect (Effects - Texture Effects - Tiles) at the following settings -

Duplicate your rectangle so that you now have 5 or 6 rectangles depending on the size you drew it. Space them evenly down your canvas. It may help to turn on your ruler or your guides to ensure that you line them up as straight as possible. Once lined up, close off all layers except for the rectangles and merge visible. Apply drop shadow at the following settings (colour is #000040) -

Make all layers visible. Activate your rectangle layer. Copy your tube and paste as a new layer. Resize and sharpen if necessary. If you want to mirror your tube do it now. Place your tube where you want it and add the same drop shadow as before. Make sure your frame is on top.

Using the same settings as before, draw out three smaller rectangles, each different sizes, each converted to a raster layer. One will be used for your name, one for the copyright information and one for an accent from the tube. You decide where you want to place these things - use my sample tag as a guide.

For each rectangle, use the magic wand tool to select the lighter coloured middle section and add noise using the following settings -

Apply the button effect to the rectangle that is going to have the tube accent on it at the following settings (while the middle section is still selected) -

Apply the same drop shadow used previously to each of the three rectangles.

Paste your accent from your tube onto the buttonized rectangle. Merge tube and rectangle together.

Select your text tool and the font you wish to use. Set foreground and background colours to your dark colour. Create your text as a vector so that you can size it to your rectangle. Add the copyright information. Convert text to raster layer and merge text layer to the rectangle.

Add your name to the remaining rectangle. Convert the text to a raster layer, select all, float, defloat and apply the glass or bevel settings we used before. Merge the text layer to the rectangle.

Make sure you are happy with the placement of all the elements of your tag. Add any extra accents you want. When you are happy with the final placement of everything, merge layers and save as a .jpg file. Apply your watermark and you are done.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

Yellow Flower

2009-05-19T14:11:00.004+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro. I used version 10 but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions.

* Tube and matching image of choice. I am using the artwork of Vicki Yeager which I originally purchased at CILM

* Font of choice.

* This tutorial uses NO outside filters.

* You can download my supplies HERE. Download contains the glass flower accent (made by me) and the gold bead pattern.

LETS START!

1. Open your tube, image and accent in PSP. Open the gold bead pattern and minimise to use later.

2. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background.

3. Choose two colours to compliment your tube. I used #f1dd78 (yellow) and #4b6600 (green). Add a new raster layer and floodfill with the darker colour. Add another raster layer and floodfill with your other colour. Resize both layers to 80% (400 pixels). Duplicate your dark layer and place your copy above the light layer.

4. On the bottom dark layer, Adjust - Blur - Gaussian Blur with the following settings.

5. Apply Effects - Texture Effects - Blinds on the following settings to your blur layer. Repeat with the Horizontal box ticked.

6. Activate the top dark layer and Selections - Select all - Selections - Float - Selections - Defloat. Selections Modify - Contract by 2 and press the delete key.

7. Activate the light coloured layer and Adjust - Add/Remove Noise at the following settings. DO NOT Deselect.

8. Activate the top dark layer again and Selections - Modify - Contract by 12. Floodfill with your dark colour again. Selections - Modify - Contract by 2 and press delete. DO NOT Deselect.

9. Activate the noise layer again and apply the Blinds Effect again with the following settings.

10. Copy your image to your canvas and resize. I resized mine to 60%. Adjust - Sharpen - Unsharp Mask on the following settings (if necessary).

11. Selections - Select all - Selections - Float - Selections - Defloat. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with your gold bead pattern. Selections - Modify - Contract by 3 and press delete. Merge beads layer to your image and reduce the opacity of the layer to 80%. Add drop shadow to the image layer and the top dark layer at the following settings.

12. Copy the glass flower accent to your canvas. Position it to your liking then duplicate and either mirror or reposition the duplicate to your liking.

NOTE: You can recolour the flower layer to match your tube, Adjust - Hue and Saturation - Colorize. If you want a pastel shade recolour the yellow flower layer. If you want a more vibrant, darker colour then recolour the red flower layer.

13. Copy the tube to your canvas. Resize if necessary (I resized to 80%) and postion to your liking. I placed mine so that she was back to back with the image. Apply the same drop shadow as before but change the colour to white.

14. Add a new raster layer. Using your selection tool draw out a box at the bottom left of your canvas. Use the tag at the top of the tutorial as a guide. Floodfill with your dark colour, Selections - Modify - Contract by 2. Floodfill with your light colour and apply the blinds effect at the settings last used. Modify - Contract by 12 (depending on how big your box is). Floodfill with the gold bead pattern. Modify - Contract by 3. Floodfill with your light colour again and apply noise at the same settings as before. Apply drop shadow to your box but change the colour back to black. If your floodfill tool is not adding the colour or pattern to the whole selection, check your settings.

15. Select your text tool and the font you want to use. Use your dark colour and type your name. Apply text effect and drop shadow of choice (or none).

16. Add copyright information and your watermark.

17. Save as a .jpg file and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Lily

2009-05-19T13:52:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro or similar. I used PSPX but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Jessica Dougherty. You need a license to use her artwork and you can purchase images and tubes from CILM

* Scrap kit of choice. I am using the Whisper Softly scrap kit from Nana's Attic. You can download the papers and elements used in this tag HERE.

* Square mask of choice - something with a rough edge. Some photo edge masks here.

* Font of choice - I used Heather HERE

LETS START!

1. Open your tube and scrap kit in PSP. Open your font (by double clicking on it in Windows Explorer) and minimise to use later.

2. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background.

3. Select a paper from your kit that you want to use as the background. Resize to 500 x 500 pixels and paste as a new layer. Resize to 80% and sharpen if necessary.

4. Apply your mask to this layer.

5. Resize the border element to 500 pixels wide. Copy and paste to your canvas. Resize to 80% and sharpen if necessary. Duplicate and close the bottom copy. Activate the mask layer. Select all - Float - Defloat - Selection Invert. Return to the top border layer and press delete. Select none. Close off this layer.

6. On the bottom border layer, carefully erase the side edges so the rough edge of the mask layer shows. Merge to the mask layer. Add drop shadow of V 1, H -1, Opacity 40%, Blur 2, colour black.

7. Resize the frame element to 450 pixels high. Copy and paste to your canvas and resize to 80% and sharpen if necessary. Image - Free Rotate - 90 degrees. Image - Flip.

8. Use your raster deform tool to pull the bottom of the frame down below the border. Make sure your top border layer is still at the top of your layers.

9. Copy and paste your tube to the canvas. Resize and position under your frame. Click inside the frame with your magic wand. Expand the selection by 5, selection invert and press delete. Add the same drop shadow as before but increase the blur to 12. Make sure the top border is visible and merge all layers.

10. Add copyright information. I created it as a vector and tilted the writing to place it on the small tag on the border. Add your watermark.

11. Add your name using a light colour from the scrap elements. Apply your favourite text effect. Apply drop shadow of V 2, H -2, Opacity 40%, Blur 2, colour black.

NOTE: If your name is the same length as mine you may need to erase a little part of it to make it look like it is sitting under the tag. If you do, apply your drop shadow on a seperate layer and erase part of it too.

12. Crop your canvas to remove excess white space, save as a jpeg and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Scrappin'

2009-05-04T20:33:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* A good knowledge of Paint Shop Pro (or similar).

* Tube of choice. I am using the art work of Jennifer Janesko. You will need a license to use her art work. Tubes can be purchased from CILM.

* Scrap kit of choice. You want to select a kit that compliments the main colours in the tube you are using. I am using the Just A Whisper scrap kit from Nana's Attic. You can download the papers and elements used in this tag HERE.

* There are no outside filters used in this tutorial.

* Font of choice - I am using Orpheus.

* Silver beads pattern - right click and save.

Lets Start

1. Open a new canvas 500 x 500 and floodfill with white. Open your tube, pattern and scrap supplies in PSP.

2. Add a new raster layer for each paper that you want to use in your tag plus one for the blur layer and one for the silver bead frame. Activate your selection tool and create a custom selection using the following settings -

3. On the layer just above the white background, floodfill with a dark complimentary colour. I used #000040. Resize the papers to 30%. Copy and paste the paper into the selection, each paper on a different layer. Floodfill with last blank raster with the silver bead pattern, contract by 3 and press delete. Deselect.

4. Arrange your papers in the order you want them to show. Use the image rotate function (Image - Free Rotate) to tilt the papers on an angle. Alternate to the left or the right. If you have a lot of papers make the angle smaller eg 5. An angle of 15 plus a drop shadow will fill the 500 wide canvas. Leave the top paper layer as it is.

5. Copy and paste your tube to the canvas and resize (I resized to 80%). Sharpen if necessary. Position the tube to your liking under the silver frame layer. Carefully erase any parts that are not on the paper. Add drop shadow to the frame, tube and paper layers at the settings shown below.

6. Activate the blur layer (layer above the white). Apply Effects - Texture Effects - Blinds at the settings shown below. Repeat and untick the Horizontal box. Reduce layer opacity to 80%.

7. Resize the ribbon and overlay from the scrapkit and position. Sharpen the ribbon and duplicate. Move one ribbon layer above the frame and one below the tube. On the top ribbon layer, carefully erase the edge of the ribbon that is on the frame. The bottom layer is there so that you don't have to be too careful, also if you want to add a shadow use the bottom layer. (I didn't add shadow to this layer.)

8. Select two complimentary colours from your canvas and add your text (I used dark #9397a7 and light #eeeff5). I made mine vertical, stroke 2 and created as a vector so it could be sized to the space available. I selected the light colour in the letters with my magic wand and applied Inner Bevel at these settings -

9. Add the same drop shadow as before to your text. Add copyright information and your watermark. Save as a jpeg file and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

So Blue

2009-05-04T20:26:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop. You will need a good knowledge of both programs for this tutorial.

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Jennifer Janesko. Jennifer's artwork is licensed and you can purchase it from CILM.

* My It's So Blue scrapkit HERE.

* Font of choice - I used Chocolate Box.

* My heart mask HERE.

* Sparkle tube of choice. You can make a sparkle tube from a tutorial by Dark Yarrow HERE or you can use the one I made HERE.

LETS START!

1. Set up your supplies ready for use. Open a new image 500 x 500 with a white background. Copy and paste Paper 1 from the scrapkit as a new layer. Apply the heart mask to the paper and merge the group.

2. Copy and paste Frame 2 (heart shape) from the scrapkit to your canvas. Resize to 75%.

3. Paste your tube between the mask and frame layers and resize and sharpen if necessary. I resized to 70% and moved the tube to the right as shown. I sharpened my tube using the settings below.

4. Activate your magic wand tool and click outside the heart on the frame layer. Selections - Modify - Expand by 2. Click on your tube layer and press delete.

5. Click on the frame layer. Copy and paste a ribbon to the canvas (I used the lighter blue one). Image - Free Rotate - 15 degrees left. Use your magic wand with a feather of 2 and select outside the heart frame. Click on your ribbon layer and press delete. If the edges still seem a little rough, use your soften brush to tidy it up.

6. Copy and paste your heart ribbon charm to the canvas. Position it to your liking and then using your freehand selection tool with a feather of 0, carefully trace around the middle bar but only where it is over the ribbon. The idea is to make it look like the charm is threaded on the ribbon. Apply drop shadow to your charm at the settings below. Merge the ribbon, frame and tube layers together and apply the same drop shadow.

7. Copy and paste a bow to the canvas. I used the large blue bow, resized to 70% and sharpened using the same settings as before. To make the colour more in line with the tube and the ribbon, Adjust menu - Brightness and Contrast - Brightness 40 Contrast 5. I also applied the same settings to the mask layer.

8. Add your copyright information and watermark. Close the white background layer off and merge visible. Hold the control key down and press C then V to crop the excess space from your canvas. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with white. Drag the white layer to the bottom and merge visible. Duplicate the layer.

9. Copy and paste the sparkle tube to the canvas. Resize to 40% and position over the top of the charm. Duplicate the layer and resize the new layer 80%. Position the smaller sparkle so that the middle of it is aligned with the middle of the larger sparkle. Change the blend mode for each sparkle layer to hard light. Merge a sparkle to each background layer.

10. Activate your text tool and using the settings below type your name. I had the foreground closed and the background colour was #819df4. Image - Free Rotate - 15 degrees left. Apply Inner Bevel at the settings below. Apply drop shadow at the same settings as before but change the blur to 6 and the colour to white. Duplicate your text layer and merge it to each of your background layers.

11. Save your canvas as an Animation Shop .psp file.

12. Open your file in Animation shop. Change the frame properties to 40. Save as a .gif using the settings given below and you are done.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Sparkle

2009-05-04T20:18:00.001+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Tube of choice. I am using the artwork of Abranda Icle Sisson. To use her art you need to have a license. You can purchase individual psp tubes of her artwork or an unlimited license (and many other goodies) from Muddvision Studios

* Accent tube to make the circle - I used a rose from the tube

* Font of choice - I used Wishing Type

* Xero Tekstya filter

* Mura Meister Copies filter

* A sparkle filter - I used Constellation but you could substitute VM Natural

* DSB Flux Bright Noise filter

* Gold pattern tile (right click and save)

LETS START!

Set up your supplies ready for use ie you want your gold pattern on the materials palette, install any fonts or plug-ins and restart PSP if necessary. Have your tube open in PSP.

Open a new image 400 x 400. Choose two complimentary colours from your tube, one light and one dark. Have your light colour as the foreground and the dark as the background. Change the material palette to gradient and find the Foreground-Background gradient. Make the gradient style sunburst.

Floodfill your canvas with your gradient. Duplicate the layer. Close off the duplicate layer and make sure the bottom layer is active. Apply Xero Tekstya filter at the following settings.

Activate the duplicate gradient layer. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with the gold pattern. Select all, selection - modify and contract by 8. Hit the delete key. Selection - modify - contract by 4 and floodfill the selected area with the gold pattern again. Merge the gold layer with the duplicate gradient layer. Selection - modify and contract by 2. Hit the delete key again and rename the layer frame. Apply dropshadow to your frame at the following settings -

Apply the drop shadow again but change the Vertical and Horizontal to -2.

Open both your tubes and copy and paste as new layers. Resize both tubes to compliment each other and the size of your canvas. If your tube is a little blurry sharpen it (Adjust - Sharpness - Sharpen).

Close off the main tube and activate your accent tube. Make sure it is roughly in the middle of your canvas. Apply Mura's Meister Copies at the following settings.

Adjust the number to suit how full you want your circle to look. I used the settings given then duplicated the rose layer and mirrored it, then merged the layers.

Duplicate your circle layer twice so that you have three circles. Apply your sparkle filter to each layer, changing the random seed for each layer. Reduce the opacity for each layer to 75%.

VM Natural Settings -

Activate your tube layer and bring to the top. Position the tube where you want it on the circle and duplicate the tube. Place the duplicate tube under the circle layers. Apply drop shadow twice using both settings given before ie 2 and -2. Your layer palette should look like this -

Activate your top tube layer and carefully erase the parts of the tube you want to look hidden behind your circle. Use the soften tool to help blend any rough pixels. Apply drop shadow to the top tube using the -2 setting.

Merge your bottom tube layer, the frame layer and the gradient background layer. Duplicate twice.

Duplicate your top tube layer twice. Arrange your layer palette so that you have three sets of (from the top down) top - circle - gradient. Merge each set so that you have three layers again.

Activate your top layer. Set the foreground and background to the gold pattern. Select your text tool and with your font set on the following settings -

Type your name, promote selection to layer and deselected. Duplicate so that you have three layers apply the Bright Noise filter at the following settings remembering to click on Mix for each layer

Apply same drop shadow as before. Repeat for each name layer.

Merge the name layers to each background.

If you want an accent on your text like I have then add it now and duplicate and merge.

Add the appropriate copyright information and your watermark on another layer. Duplicate the layer twice and merge to each background layer.

Save image as an Animation Shop .psp file.

Open image in Animation shop. Save as a .gif and you are done.

Psychedelic

2009-05-04T20:14:00.002+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro. I used version 10 but you should be able to make this tag in earlier versions.

* Animation Shop.

* Tube of choice - ideally one that will look good sitting on text. I am using the artwork of Myka Jelina and you can check out her site at www.mykajelinaart.com You will need a CILM licence to use her work.

* Font of choice - I used Rialto. HERE

* DSB Flux Psychedelic filter. HERE.

* Muras Filter Meister - Copies. HERE

* Gradient of choice. Click on gradient to download the one I used. (The file size says 0 because it is smaller than 1KB).

LETS START!

Set up your supplies ready for use ie you want your tube open in PSP and your gradient loaded into your materials palette. Install any fonts or plug-ins and restart PSP if necessary.

Open a new image 500 x 400 with a white background. Promote backgound layer (right click menu).

Activate your text tool. Select your gradient as the foreground and background on the Materials Palette. Change the angle to 45 for both the foreground and background.

Using the settings shown below, type your name.

Promote selection to layer. Keep selected and position your text so you will have plenty of room for your tube when you add it. Duplicate your name so that you have 3 layers. Activate the bottom name layer and apply DSB Flux Psychedelic filter at the following settings.

Repeat for the second and third name layers but change change the frequency to 75 and 100 for each respective layer. Select none.

Apply drop shadow at the following settings to each name layer. Repeat the drop shadow on each name layer but change the vertical and horizontal to -1.

Activate your bottom name layer again and apply Mura Meister Copies at the following settings. Apply the same settings to each name layer.

Copy and paste your tube as a new layer. Resize and sharpen if necessary. Position your tube on the text and duplicate so that you have 3 tube layers. Duplicate your white layer so that you have 3 of that layer as well. Arrange your layers so that you have three sets of - tube layer - name layer - white layer. Merge each set together so that you have only 3 layers left (each layer containing the tube, name and background).

Add the appropriate copyright and your watermark and apply to each layer.

Crop your image and save as an Animation Shop .psp file.

Open your image in Animation Shop. Edit - select all. Animation - Frame Properties - change to 25. View your animation and if you are satisfied with it, save as a .gif and you are done.

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial.

Jeff Lyons Girl

2009-05-04T16:16:00.001+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* Tube of choice. I used the artwork of Jeff Lyons and you can check out his site HERE

* Font of choice (a fat font works best)

LETS START!

I used PSP X but this can be done using any version of PSP. Open your tube in PSP.

Open a new image 500 x 500. If you want a background floodfill your canvas with the a light colour/gradient to compliment your tube.

Paste your tube as a new layer and resize if necessary. Position your tube so that it sits at the top of your canvas. Add a drop shadow of Vertical and Horizontal 2, Opacity 50, Blur 3, colour black. If you are using a transparent background I find it is better not to add drop shadows but that is just personal preference.

Set your text tool to vector, stroke 2 and font size 72. A fat font works best. Set foreground and background colours to compliment your tube. Type the name your want on your tag. Size the name so that it sits under your tube (use the tutorial sample as a guide). Convert layer to raster and apply any effects you like to use to your text. Add same drop shadow as before (unless transparent background).

Crop your canvas to get rid of excess space around your tag.

If you want to add a border or a frame add it to the canvas now. Add your watermark and the appropriate copyright. When you are satisfied with the position of all the elements of your tag, merge the layers together. Duplicate so that you have two layers.

Activate the duplicate layer. Choose which eye you want to wink and zoom in nice and close. Basically we are going to paint out her open eye. Have a look at the line and colours the artist has used. Use your eye dropper tool on the colour palette to select the same colour the artist has used. Using your brush tool on the following settings paint the eye out pixel by pixel giving the impression of eyeshadow.

Use as many different colours as you can. Extend the bottom eyelash line to look like closed lashes.

When you have painted the eye out use your soften tool to blend the eyelid colours together.

Use the soften tool to "soften" the rough edges on the lashes. Use the smudge tool to help blend or lengthen the lashes and eyelid colour as well.

Reduce your image back to 100% to check if you are happy with your finished paint job (it looks sooooo much better smaller). When you are satisfied with your finished product, save as an Animation Shop .psp file.

Open your file in Animation Shop and change the frame speed for each frame. Frame 1 = 120 and frame 2 = 20. View your animation to make sure you are happy with it. Save file as a .gif file.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

Butterfly Writer

2009-05-04T15:32:00.003+10:00

You can use your imagination with the writers - almost anything can be a pen. You can use the rotate function or the deform tool to orientate an object to be a pen.

This is how I make the butterfly writer signatures. Anyone who wants to give it a go is most welcome to and feel free to ask any questions.

You will need

* Paint Shop Pro (or suitable substitute)<
* Animation Shop >
* Butterfly Preset shape of choice
* Gold pattern tile
* A selection of gradients (google free psp gradients)

Instructions

Download and install butterfly shapes (extract to preset shapes folder in PSP or whatever folder you use for shapes).

Open Paint Shop Pro. New - 500 x 500 with transparent background. Select a gradient as your background colour and choose gold or a dark colour for your foreground colour. Click on your preset shapes tool and select one of the butterfly patterns you have downloaded. Draw out the butterfly as a vector (you don't have to fill the whole space). Convert to raster layer then merge visible. Use control C then control V to trim your butterfly down. Resize to approximately 30 pixels wide and save as an animation shop .psp file.

New 500 x 500 white background. Use same foreground and background colours/gradients. Select text tool. Choose a font and set the size to 48 (some fonts may need to be made bigger). Type in the name your writer is going to make. Use an effect to jazz up your text - avoid drop shadow as it is too hard to clean up later. Use the selection tool to crop your canvas (Image - crop to selection) but leave yourself plenty of room to work with. Save as an animation shop .psp file.

Open Animation Shop and open the butterfly and name files you have just created.

Click on the name file and use the Duplication tool to copy a frame for each letter and one extra for the finished name. In this case I need seven frames. If you end up with extra frames they can be deleted later.

Click on the arrow tool and select the butterfly file. Edit - copy. Select the name file and click on the first frame. Click Paste Into Selected Frame and place butterfly at the end of the name as if it has finished writing. DO NOT LET GO OF MOUSE BUTTON OR BUTTERFLY IS PASTED IN. Use undo to fix this.

Select Animation (from menu bar) - frame properties and change to 90.

Select frame 2. Select paint brush and set colour to white (or same as your background) and size to 10 (you can change the size to whatever you are comfortable with). Carefully paint over all the letters, leaving only the first. It helps to make the frame larger so you can see the detail easily.

Select arrow. Select frame 3. Paint out all letters except for the first 2. Select arrow. Select frame 4. Paint out all letters except for the first 3. Continue until you have a frame with the full name. Use the arrow to select any extra frames and press delete key.

Select frame 2. Calculate how many points your butterfly will stop at to write the letter (a minimum of 3 stops per letter) and duplicate frame 2 to get the required extra number of frames. Carefully paint over the parts of the letter not required and delete any extra frames out. At each frame, paste the butterfly into the frame at the end of the writing. You will need to use the arrow to select each frame before pasting the butterfly in.

Repeat for each letter. "I" can be dotted as the letter is done or left until the end (personal preference) BUT if you opt for dotting at the end make sure you have erased the dot on all previous frames.

Use the crop tool to reduce the wasted background in your gif (you can move each side of the crop box as required). Flick through the animation frame by frame to make sure you have not cut out any bits then click crop. Select View from menu bar then animation. to make sure you are happy with it.

File - Save As - name.gif and your finished product should look something like this

Playing With Fire

2009-05-04T14:20:00.003+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

* A good knowledge of Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop (or similar).

* Tube of choice. I am using the art work of Dean Norton. You will need a license to use his art work. Tubes can be purchased from CILM.

* Eye Candy 4000 - fire filter (or similar).

* Smokey background mask of choice. I used Mask 023 by Becky from Secrets of the Imagination.

* Two fonts of choice - I am using Impact for the flaming text and Juliet for the other.

* Fire pattern made by me - right click and save.

Lets Start

1. Open a new canvas 400 x 400 and floodfill with white.

2. Add a new raster layer and floodfill with black. Apply the mask to your black layer, merge group and drop layer opacity to 85%. Merge with the white layer.

3. Paste your tube to the canvas and resize (I resized to 70%). Sharpen if necessary. Add drop shadow at the setting below. Position your tube to the right.

4. Select a complimentary colour from your tube (back ground only - close foreground) and add the text "Playing with fire" to the top left of your canvas using the settings below. I created my text as a vector so I could fill up the space as much as possible. Position to your liking. Apply drop shadow at the settings below.

5. Add copyright and watermark. Position all layers to your liking, making sure you have left enough room at the bottom left to add the flaming text. Merge all layers. Duplicate so that you have three layers in total. Close two of the layers.

6. Make sure the visible layer is active. Make the fire pattern the background on your materials palette. Keep the foreground closed. Select your text tool, change to your other font and type your name at the settings given.

7. Position and size your text to your liking. Convert text layer to raster and duplicate so that you have three name layers. Apply Eye Candy 4000 Fire at the following settings to each name. Change the random seed for each layer.

8. Add the same drop shadow as before to each text layer. Merge each name layer to a background layer. Save as an Animation Shop .psp image.

9. Open your image in Animation Shop and change the frame properties to 25. Save as a .gif and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Avalon Hearts

2009-05-04T14:08:00.004+10:00

YOU WILL NEED:

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

* Gold pattern tile (right click and save to your own computer)

* Heart Things font Here and another font of choice

* Super Blade Pro (can substitute PSP Inner Bevel or Eye Candy Glass

* Xero Tekstya filter (can substitute PSP Blinds effect) Here

* 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!

Set up your supplies ready for use ie you want your gold pattern on the materials palette, install any fonts or plug-ins and restart PSP if necessary. Have your tube open in PSP.

Open a new image 600 x 435. Choose two complimentary colours from your tube. I used #9d596b (dark) and #c8abbc (light). Change your material palette to gradient and select the foreground-background gradient. Change the style to sunburst. Make sure the lighter colour is at the centre of your gradient and floodfill your canvas.

Apply Xero Tekstya to your gradient layer at the following settings (you may substitute PSP Blinds Effect applied twice, once with horizontal checked). Tone = 0; Density, Depth and Highlights = 127; Sparsity = 2.

Select your text tool and open the Heart Things font. Using the gold pattern tile as the foreground and with no background, type the letter S with a stroke width of 5 and size 300.

Stretch the vector out and position to the right of your canvas, using the above tag as an example. When you are satisfied with the size and position, convert to raster, select all, float and defloat. While still selected, apply Super Blade Pro with a clear glass or coconut ice preset (may substitute Eye Candy Glass or PSP inner bevel). Duplicate and rename the layers frame 1 and frame 2.

Open a new raster layer under each frame layer. Rename the layers colour 1 and colour 2.

Change the materials palette to colours and put your original colours back on the palette. Activate the frame 1 layer and using your magic wand, select the large heart in the middle and alternate hearts around the outside. Selection modify and expand by 2. Activate the colour 1 layer (under frame 1 layer) and floodfill the selected areas with one of your colours. Keep selected and activate colour 2 and floodfill the selected sections with the other colour. Select none.

Your layer palette should look something like this -

Activate the frame 1 layer again and using your magic wand select the hearts that have not yet been coloured. Selection modify and expand by 2. Floodfill with alternate colours on the colour 1 and colour 2 layers. Merge each frame layer to a colour layer.

Resize canvas to 500 wide (all layers ticked).

Copy and paste your tube as a new layer. Resize and position to your liking. Rename the layer tube.

Add a new raster layer and floodfill with the gold pattern. Select all, selection modify, contract by 2. Press the delete key. Selection modify, contract by 1, floodfill with the gold pattern. Selection modify, contract by 2 and press the delete key. Select none and rename the layer frame.

Select your text tool and using your second font, add your name as a new layer using the gold pattern and the foreground and background.

Apply drop shadow at the following settings -

Merge the frame, tube, the ©, the watermark and name layers together. Duplicate. Collate your layers so that you have two sets of (from the bottom) background, hearts, tube which should look something like this -

Merge each set together so that you are left with two layers. Save as an Animation Shop .psp file.

Open your file in Animation Shop. Select the Edit menu - select all. Animation menu - frame properties. Change the number to 60. Save your file as a .gif file and you are done.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

Zoom Blur Fairy

2009-05-04T13:44:00.002+10:00

Zoom Blur Fairy

YOU WILL NEED:

* Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop. This tutorial was done in PSPX but should be able to be done in any version.

* Tube of choice - I have used the art work of Nadia Tate and you can purchase her art from CILM.

* Font of choice. I used Scriptina.

* VM Toolbox Zoom Blur filter HERE.

* DSB Flux Bright Noise filter HERE.

* Text Effect of choice. I used Super Blade Pro.

* Gold pattern tile (right click and save)

LETS START!

Set up your supplies ready for use ie you want your gold pattern on the materials palette, open your font, install any plug-ins and restart PSP if necessary. Have your tube open in PSP.

Open a new image 400 x 500 with a transparent background and floodfill with a light colour from your tube. I used #f9edf7. Duplicate so that you have 3 background layers.

Copy your tube and paste as a new layer. If you want to mirror your tube do it now. Duplicate the tube layer and close the top layer off.

Activate the bottom tube layer and apply the Zoom Blur filter at the following settings.

Lower the opacity of blurred layer to 50%. Duplicate so that you have 3 blurred layers. Apply DSB Flux Bright Noise to each layer at the following settings. For each layer, click on the word Mix so that the noise moves to different positions for each layer.

Merge each blurred layer to a background layer.

Activate your top tube layer. NOTE - I feathered my tube here because it has sharp square edges. If your tube does not have sharp edges you can skip down to positioning your tube where you want it.

Activate your selection tool on the following settings.

Draw an ellipse through your tube layer covering most of the tube. When you let go of the mouse button, the selection will get bigger.

Selection - Modify - Feather at the following settings.

Selection - Invert. Press the delete key twice at most to remove the sharp edges. Any remaining edges can be smoothed using the Soften tool.

Position your tube towards the bottom right of your canvas. Duplicate so you have 3 tube layers and merge a tube layer to each background layer.

Activate your top layer and add a new raster layer. Floodfill with your gold pattern. Selection - Select all - Modify - Contract by 3. Press the delete key. Add any copyright information and your watermark. Duplicate so that you have 3 layers and merge each layer to a background layer.

Click on your preset shape tool and select the ellipse. Change the width to 3. Choose a dark colour for your foreground colour and close off the background colour. Draw out an oval shape over your tube. When your oval is about the same height as your tube, tilt it so that the long side of the oval follows the line of the tube eg -

Once your oval is positioned, select your text tool. Make sure your gold pattern is showing as both foreground and background on the materials palette. Using your font set to floating, size 72 (may need to adjust size depending on font used), type your text on the curve so that it curves down the back of your tube.

While the text is still floating, apply the text effect you want. Select none. Promote selection to layer and position your text where you want it. If the name is lost in blur you can add a drop shadow to darken it.

Delete your vector (oval) layer.

Duplicate your text layer so that there are 3 layers and merge each to a background layer. Save as an Animation Shop .psp file.

Open your image in Animation Shop and save as a .gif file and you are done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

TERMS OF USE

2009-05-04T13:13:00.004+10:00

Please feel free to try out MY tutorials. Your results from the tutorials are yours to do with what you will as long as you respect the terms of the artist involved. The terms of use of 99.9% of artists (or their Pay To Use agents including MPT/StickerChick/Kool Tubez etc) state that images are for private, online, non commercial use. Most of the tutorials include parts of scrap kits and other resources all of which are also subject to the terms of use of the individual makers, 99.9% of whom state that the resources are for private, online, non commercial use. THIS MEANS that tags made with these images or resources cannot be bartered, bought or sold, commissioned, considered as a work for hire, etc.

If you wish to share the tutorial in a group please just provide a text link to the page.

DO NOT make templates from my tutorials.

I do not allow my tutorial images to be hot linked to. Please save the image yourself and host it yourself.

I do not allow my tutorials to be translated at this time.

These tutorials are the result of my efforts in PSP over several years and any similarity to other tutorials is purely coincidental.