Radiance

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.

Blue Heart Bling

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.

Persephone

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 -

OR

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!

Psychedelic

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.