Dear Santa

For this tutorial
you will need:

PSP 9

Plugins

This zip file contains my bow tube.

Tutorial Index

This tutorial was written using PSP 9, but can be done in other versions with a few adjustments.

** Remember to save your work often! **

The scrap set I used here is called "Homespun Holidays" by Mary Fran (NitWits). To see more of her beautiful work, visit her website HERE. You could use ANY scrap set for this tutorial.

**Remember to name your layers.. on the layer palette.. it will help you keep up with it all.**

1. Lets start with a new canvas 500 x 500. Pick you a bkg paper for this... and then use Filters Unlimited 2 for the edge.. You could use any that you like.. but I chose Edge #12 in the round edges.

2. Once you apply the edge go to Selections/ select all/ then float.. Selections/Modify/ Expand 10 pixels.

3. Add a new raster layer...BELOW the paper layer... and fill with white. Like shown below.

4. Duplicate this filled layer 2 times so you have 3 layers all together of this white shape.

5. Apply Xenofex 2 *Constellation* on each of these white layers... on the first one.. use the settings below.. then each other of the white layers hit the random seed button.

6. Making sure your on the TOP paper layer.. go to Selections/ select all / float.. Modify/ Expand 20 pixels this time...

7. Add a new raster layer and drag it to the bottom of the layer palette...and fill with a coordinating color... see below sample. Yours should look like this.

8. Duplicate this bottom filled layer and use the bottom original one.. This is what your layer palette should look like.

9. Go to Adjust/ Blur/ Gaussian blur.. and apply it to this bottom filled layer, using these settings.

10. Now Effects/Textures/ Weave and apply these settings. I've showed using a dark red color.. but I changed it to WHITE... it looked better...that's NOT shown in this capture below.

11. Add a new raster layer.. drag to the very bottom on the layer palette and fill with white..

12. On your layer palette...on all the top layers... change the None at the end of each layers line.. to ONE like shown.. this links these layers together and all can be moved at same time.. that way... they are still exactly in same place.. DO NOT link the layer file that you applied the blur and weave to.

APPLY a 3D drop shadow on the top paper layer and the copy of the bkg fill layer..same settings as before.

13. Move these top layers over to the top right as shown... be careful not to get to close to edge.. to cut off... or when you apply a shadow.. the shadow would be off the edge.. that's a NO NO... to have a flat side.. on your tag.. The MOVE the bottom layer that's got the blur and weave on it.. to the bottom left .. as shown above.

14. Copy and paste the bow tube now.. and apply a 3D drop shadow on it. using the settings below.

15. Copy and paste your Reindeer.. or whatever tube your using... placement as shown below.

16. Now you can do yours like you want.. but I put a Santa on here and used the deform tool to skewer it to the right...

17. Below is where I make sure I'm on the top paper layer.. go to Selections/select all/ float then INVERT... click on the SANTA layer on the palette and CUT or Delete on the keyboard.. this will get rid of the part of the Santa that's OUT side the papers line.

18. I wanted Santa's arm to show over the top of the paper.. so on the tube.. I used the selection tool.. in Point to Point mode.. and made the selection around the arm itself. when done I copy and pasted it on to my working project.

19. Use the deformation tool to turn the arm in the right angle.. to match the Santa.

20.. Hide all the bottom layers... Merge visible.. the reindeer, Santa, arm, bow and top bkg paper.

21. Now you can merge the bottom layers. The white bkg... the weave layer.. and the color filled layer... Your layer palette should look like this... the top merged layer.... the 3 Xenofex 2 layers and the merged bottom layer. Hide 2 of the Xenofex 2 layers.. Like shown... go to the working canvas window.. and right click and COPY MERGE... open your Animation SHOP... and right click on the desktop and Paste as a new animation... back to PSP and Hide that Xenofex 2 layer that's showing and UNHIDE another of the Xenofex 2 layers... go to top of canvas and COPY MERGE again.. go back to Animation shop.. right click on the new animation there and Paste behind current frame. Do the same for the last Xenofex 2 layer.. back in PSP and come to animation shop and paste again.. you will end up with 3 frames... in Animation shop... CHECK your animation with the preview animation button.. if it looks good and right.. SAVE AS a gif...

Here is the finished TAG below.. Yours should look something like this.. :)

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial... till next time..

TOODLES

All tutorials on this site are written and created by Norma Wheat and copyrighted by law to ŠSWheat Creations . You may print them out for personal off-line use only. You may not remove any images, HTML or zip files for the purpose of reproducing these tutorials in any way. If your a tutorial group.. contact me first please before you use them for the group... that's only the NICE thingy to do!! . These tutorials may not be translated and placed on any site unless you contact me first... THANKS. Anything you make from these tutorials belongs to you.