I wrote this tutorial on Aug 25, 2012 . Any similarity to any other tutorials is a coincidence.

I wrote this tutorial with the beginning PSP'r in mind.. with details and lots of screen shots.

Plugins that you will need for this tutorial:

Xenofex 2
Filters Unlimited 2 or Texturizer

Scrapkit used is a PTU kit from  Toxic Desirez 'Kitty Kandy'

Art Graphics is from Nevilk Rocoo Wagner.. FTU artist
You can click on the above tag.. to see it better... the finished tag will be 900 x 900  I just re sized it so it would fit on the blog page.

1. Open the star frame that comes in the Kitty Kandy scrapkit..

BTW: you can use any scrapkit you want to.. just need a frame, you can always make your own star frame using a preset shape and fill it with one of the bkg papers. 
Shift + D to duplicate the window and close the original frame. Good habit to get into. Re-size the frame 80% , make sure its UNCHECKED where it says re size all layers.
Go to Image/Canvas Size and type in 900 x 900 you can always re size later. Minimize this Star Frame image

2. Open the paper frame that's in the kit. its too long for what we need. So we're going to edit it. Duplicate, close out the original paper frame. We are NOW working on the paper frame window.

If they aren't already turned on.. go turn on your ruler guides  that's under VIEW. Pull out your working image window so that you see beyond the side of the graphic, make a selection from 200 to 400 that's about in the center.. don't have to be precise. 

3. Click delete button or 'cut' to delete that part out of the frame, deselect.

4. Make a selection over the left part of the frame/ copy/ paste as a new layer .While it's still selected make sure you on the frame layer and do Cut again..the two halves will be on their own layers.  

5. Now move the left side of the frame over to the right  and match up the two parts to make one frame.. merge/merge down.You could of used the deform tool BUT it would of changed the frame in a way you don't want.

6. Use your Magic Wand tool now and click on the inside of the frame to select it. Selections/ Modify/Expand 7 pix.

7. Pick one of the SOLID bkg papers that come in the scrapkit, these are tagger sized bkgs.. if your working with a full sized kit you will have to resize it to 19% or so...You can also fill with a coordinating color. You image should still have a selection on it.. With the bkg paper window active..drag the bkg paper layer from the layer palette over to your working image. It should look like below. Selection/ invert and making sure your on the bkg paper layer is selected.. click delete or cut.. This will have the frame with a  bkg behind just the center of the frame.

7. Use your selection tool on ellipse, feather set on 30. Start in the center and pull out the oval selection.. make sure the selection does NOT touch the edges of the frame.. like below. Have to do it smaller than you think cause its feather is on 30 and it expands out further than you think.

8. Add a new raster layer, and fill the selection with one of the colors you're coordinating with.

9. I applied a texture using Filters Unlimited 2 or Texturizer  this is an option

10. Merge all the paper frames layers and drag its merged  layer from layer palette to your working image that you minimized a while ago.

11. Image/rotate/free rotate, using the settings below

12. You can now copy and paste the girl tube onto your working image.

13.  Drag (or copy and paste) one of the bkg papers you like from the kit to the working image.

( BTW: moving one image to another image you simply drag its layer from the layer palette over to your working image window, another way is to copy/paste as a new layer)

On working image, drag that paper layer to the bottom on the layer palette..where its BEHIND (or under) all the layers,  go to Layers/load/save mask/ Load mask from disk..and apply a mask on it.  I used WSL_Mask225  she has some wonderful masks.. you can find them HERE

14. After you apply the mask, look on the layer palette it shows like 3 layers to the mask... right click on the top layer and merge/group. This is always done after applying a mask.

15. Use your magic wand selection tool and making sure your on the STAR FRAME layer click in side of it. It will have the marching ants around the inside..Go to selections/modify/expand 3 pixels.  Choose another paper, drag it over to the working image under the frame layer,  and go to selections INVERT now making sure you are on the new bkg paper layer hit delete or cut. it should just leave the paper on the inside of the frame. Remember your UNDO if its not..and may I say THANK GOODNESS for UNDO!!!

Your working image/ tag should look like below.. you can arrange things as you like.. it doesn't have to look like mine.

16. Its a good habit to get into, to name your layers as to what they are.

17. You need to duplicate the Star frame. Oh I forgot the above picture only shows 3 duplicates of the STAR FRAME... I ended up duplicating one more time..

So you end up with ONE original STAR FRAME and 3 duplicated star frames.. so 3 altogether..

18. Now time for the confusing part :) Hide or X out your original STAR FRAME by clicking the eye beside it's layer. Also hide 2 of the other STAR FRAMES... doesn't matter if you start from the top or bottom. Lets say you start from the top.. have it highlighted on the layers palette.. go to Effects/Alien Skin/ Xenofex 2/ Constellation. Put the settings as it shows below. Make sure its set on the transparent. Click OK then hide its layer you just applied that too and go to the next 'copy of Star Frame layer' back to Xenofex 2 all you have to do is hit the Random Seed button.. don't change any of the settings. Click OK  hide that layer..get on the next STAR FRAME Layer back to Xenofex 2 and hit the Random Seed button again.  All 3 of the duplicate layers of the Star Frame should have the Xenofex 2 applied to them.

19.  NOW you apply an Effect/ 3D effects/ drop shadow on the original STAR FRAME as below.

 

20.  Now I merged some layers.. so that this wouldn't be so confusing.. all the layers ABOVE the STAR FRAME Layers  I merged , all the layers BELOW the original STAR FRAME layer I merged..  you don't have to.. but it leaves less on the layers palette to get confused about. As you can see below

21. Open your Animation Shop

22. Now you hide 3 of the STAR FRAME duplicate layers.(have one showing of the duplicates)

You always have the top and bottom merged layers UN HID also the original STAR FRAME UN HID. Look at the above picture if its confusing.. RIGHT CLICK on the top of your working image and COPY MERGE...  go to your Animation Shop and right click on its desktop.. paste as a new animation.

23.  Back to PSP and hide the one frame duplicate you had showing and UN hide the next one either up or down which ever direction your going. Right click on the top of the working image COPY MERGE  back to AS  right click on the frame window that's there and Paste / after current frame. Back to PSP hide that duplicated Star Frame and UN hide the next one, Right click on top and COPY MERGE, back to AS and Paste/ after current frame.. Back to PSP and same process.. Hide and Un hide the correct layers.. back to AS paste /after current frame. 

24. You SHOULD end up with 4 frames to your new animation... check to see if it looks right by clicking on the  button on the top (next to last button on the tool bar.. run your mouse over them will tell what they are, it says View Animation) if all looks alright.. then Save as a .GIF.

Hope you had fun.. see you in the next tutorial

TOODLES

Norma

Purple Lola

I wrote this tutorial with the beginner PSP'er in mind.. more sample pics..basic instructions..That way everyone should be able to do it.

 The finished tag will be larger than the sample above..

You can click on the sample images to enlarge them so you can read them.

Xenofex 2

Filters Unlimited 2

 The supplies zip includes 4 flowers, 2 bows, 1 staple and 6 bkg papers.

plus the 3 girl graphics ©Lola Art...it is free to use.. you can find her wonderful artwork here:  www.lolaart.net

1 PSP brush **put the brush in your my psp files/brush folder**

I used PSP 9 for this tutorial, you could use other versions.. with a few minor adjustments.

1.  Open your SWT-Purple 1 and SWT-Purple 2 bkg tiles.  Go to Filters Unlimited 2 to Edges, Square. you can use any edge you want.. but I used #17.  Use same edge on each of the bkg tiles.

They should look like this

2. Open a new image 500 x 500  you can crop and resize later if you'd like.

3. Copy and paste these two bkg papers on to your new image.

On the SWT-Purple 2 bkg ... go to Image/Rotate/ Free Rotate , Left/ Free  15%

   4. Arrange your bkgs like I have in the finished tag.

5. Copy and paste the pink bkg tile on your working canvas.. no edging is applied to it. Go to Image/ Rotate/Free Rotate and use the settings below.

                  You 3 bkgs should look about like this below..

                   6. Apply a 3D drop shadow on the two bkgs that have the edging to them NOT the top pink bkg.

Settings below.

                   7. Copy and paste the Lola girl tube that's misted.. Center it in the middle of the pink top bkg.

Click on your ERASER tool 

** we're not wanting to put color on the pink bkg tile.. we're wanting to erase it in the shape of the brush**  now find the @DanasDoodle4 brush, in your drop down eraser brush menu.

                   8. Use the eraser brush on all 4 corners of the pink bkg paper.. just clicking ONCE.. on each corner.. On the top and bottom corners you don't have to adjust the rotation of the brush. But on each side.. you will have to set the rotation of the brush to 90 degrees.   

 Position your brush like the sample below where the petals of the flower brush is as shown.

SIDE Shown

                  TOP shown

                  9. Now apply a 3D drop shadow to that paper. Use these settings.

                   10. Your paper should look like this...

Like a hole puncher was used on it..... we just did that to this bkg paper :-)

11.  On the two small Lola pictures that were in the zip... copy and paste as new layers.. and drag their layer under the pink paper layer. Position them as the sample shows.. the one on the bottom was rotated around 18%. Any other things that you want to add, you can at this time.. in my finished tag.. I have the flowers and a bow.. The Bow and the misted girl would be merged together... and anything that's below the pink paper would be merged.. you end up with only 3 layers. ok?

12. ok , think of a sandwich :)  everything on top of the pink bkg paper is bread.. and everything below it is bread.. the Pink paper is meat.. your layer palette should look like this. Hey its the only analogy I could think of :)

                  13. Select the pink paper layer that's in the center and duplicate 2 times.. so you end up with 3 layers of the pink bkg papers, with a merged layer on top and a merged layer on bottom.

                  14. Click on the top copy layer of the pink bkg tile, use Xenofex 2 Constellation with these settings on it.. Hide that layer now by clicking the EYE at the right of its layer. and select the next copy of the pink bkg tile. Back to Xenofex 2 and use same settings except this time click the random seed button... Hide this layer now.. and select the original pink bkg tile layer on the layer palette and go back to Xenofex 2 and use same settings.. clicking the random seed button.

                  15. You have 2 layers on the layer palette hidden or X'd out.. or SHOULD.. go to the top of the window of the canvas and  right click COPY MERGE... open your animation shop and right click on its desktop and PASTE AS NEW ANIMATION.  Go back to PSP and HIDE the Xenofex 2 layer that's showing.. and UNHIDE one of the other pink paper layers.... COPY MERGE (again).. back to Animation Shop and Right click on the frame there.. and paste behind current frame..  Back to PSP and hide that Xenofex 2 layer and unhide the last one... remember just have ONE Xenofex 2 layer un hid at a time,  do your COPY MERGE again back to Animation shop and PASTE behind current frame...  

                   Check your animation to see if it looks right with the animation preview button.

You might need to crop your animation now..Don't export to PSP and crop it there... but while it is in Animation Shop ) (AS) Be careful that you don't crop off any of the designs on the top, sides or bottom my mistake. Below shows the crop button.. then draw out your crop box like shown then click the crop button.. your done!! All you have to do is SAVE AS a gif...

                   I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.. till next time..

TOODLES