Whatever

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

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.

Rock and Roll

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.

Black and White

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

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.