Spring Fever

This tutorial is copyrighted to Kaye @ Kaye'z Designz. You may print out for personal use but do not post to any site or distribute as your own. Any resemblance to others online is purely coincidental.
Supplies Needed: Paint Shop Pro any version, I used X3. You can get it from COREL. Tube of choice. I used one by Thom Brommerich, FTU General Permission. You may use your own color, gradient or pattern, I used Leaves BG. Font of choice or use mine NovakSpring. Notes: Open images in PSP. Open font and minimize to task bar. SAVE OFTEN.

STEP 1  Open new canvas 500 X 500, Resolution 72.0. Flood Fill with color, gradient or pattern of choice. I used #E0E0E0. Name this layer BG.

STEP 2  Add a New Layer. Flood Fill with pattern of choice. I used Leaves BG. Apply Bordermania / Round Button #3: 30, 0, 100, 0, 2, OK.
On button layer Select All. Float, Defloat. Selections / Modify / Contract by 30.
Apply FM Tile Tools / Blend Emboss.
Add New Layer and apply Cutout: 0, 0, 100, 30, Black. Deselect. Name layer button.

STEP 3  Copy and Paste tube of choice. Resize to fit inside button. Drop Shadow of choice, mine was 3, 3, 65, 8, Black. Name this layer tube.

STEP 4  Add any elements of choice.

STEP 5  Grab your Text Tool with font and size of choice. I used NovakSpring, Vector, Size 50, Bold, Stroke of choice, for fill I used same pattern used for button. Type your text. Add Inner Bevel of choice. Add Drop Shadow of choice. Name this layer text.

STEP 6 Resize tag for group requirements.
Add your watermark And artist’s copyrights.

STEP 7  Save as .pspimage to retain layers for future changes. Save as .jpg using Jpeg Optimizer to send thru group. If you wish to animate continue.

TO ANIMATE

STEP 1  Activate the Button layer. Duplicate 3 times for a total of 4 layers.
Select All. Float, Defloat. Selections / Modify / Contract by 30.

STEP 2  Activate copy of button layer and go to VM Natural / Sparkle: 20, 255, 255, 255, 255, 142. Move up to copy (2) of button layer and repeat Sparkle changing first # to 20 and last # to 152. Do the same to copy (3) of button layer, repeat Sparkle changing first # to 20 and last # to 162.

STEP 3  Hide copy (2) and copy (3) of button layer. Copy Merged, go to Animation Shop and Paste as New Animation.

STEP 4  Hide copy of button layer, unhide copy (2). Copy Merged, go back to Animation Shop and Paste after Current Frame. Do the same with copy (3) of button layer.

STEP 5  View Animation and if happy with the speed of Sparkles, Save as .gif file with these settings: Slider all the way at top for Better Quality. Under Colors tab: 255 colors, Optimized Octree, Error Diffusion. Under Optimizations tab: Check Write minimal frames and Map Identical Pixels other boxes should be unchecked.

All done! I hope you have enjoyed my tutorial. Remember this is just a guide. Experiment using different colors, gradients or patterns, images and settings. Any questions you can reach me at kayewinters@zoomtown.com. This tutorial was written 5/31/10 by Kaye'z Designz.

Pirates Ahoy

This tutorial is copyrighted to Kaye @ Kaye'z Designz. You may print out for personal use but do not post to any site or distribute as your own. Any resemblance to others online is purely coincidental.
Supplies Needed: Paint Shop Pro any version, I used X3. You can get it from COREL. Tube of choice. I used one by Elias Chatzoudis, it can be purchased at MPT. You may use your own color, gradient or pattern. Pattern I used is in supplies. Font of choice. Plugins Needed: AAA FotoFrame HERE and Virtual Painter 4 HERE. Notes: Open tube in PSP. Open font and minimize to task bar. SAVE OFTEN.

STEP 1 Open new canvas 500 X 500, Resolution 72.0. Flood Fill with color, gradient or pattern of choice. I used EC 3.1 Swirl Seamless Tile 02 in supplies.

STEP 2 Go to Effects / Plugins / Virtual Painter 4: Filter - Impasto, Material - Paper (Medium), Under Adjust change Color to Subtle. All the other settings I left at Normal. Or you can you another Plugin that creates various brush strokes. Name this layer BG.

STEP 3 Add a New Layer. Flood Fill with white. Go to AAA Frames / Frame Works and create a frame that goes with your background or tube. I used color Gray and Dark & Light 20. That way I can Colorize it to my liking.
Select the Magic Wand and click on the white area and hit Delete. While still selected add a Cutout of choice if desired. Deselect. Colorize your frame if you like. Name this layer frame.

STEP 4 Copy and Paste tube of choice. Resize if needed. Drop Shadow of choice, mine was 3, 3, 65, 8, Black. Move below frame layer and move to position shown in my tag. Name this layer tube.

STEP 5 Add any elements of choice that go with your tube or theme. Name each layer with what the element is.

STEP 6 Resize your tag if needed for your group’s requirements.

STEP 7 Add your name and / or text in font of choice.

STEP 8 Add copyright information making sure it is legible.

STEP 9 Save as .pspimage to retain layers for future changes. Save as .jpg using Jpeg Optimizer to send thru group.

STEP 10 For my animation on this tag I used a bling of a pirate ship.

STEP 11 Open your bling in Animation Shop. If it has a “background” frame delete it and then see how many frames you have. Click on the Propagate Paste icon so it is active.

STEP 12 Back in PSP make sure you’ve left a space for the bling. Copy Merged and take to AS and Paste as New Animation. Duplicate the frame so you have the same number that is in the bling. On mine the bling had 3 frames so I Duplicated the tag so I had 3 frames. Selections / Select All.

STEP 13 Resize the bling so it will fit in space you allowed on the tag.

STEP 14 On your bling do Selections / Select All. Edit / Copy. On the tag Paste into Selected Frame (Ctrl + E). Save As a .gif file.

All done! I hope you have enjoyed my tutorial. Remember this is just a guide. Experiment using different colors, gradients or patterns, images and settings. Any questions you can reach me at kayewinters@zoomtown.com. This tutorial was written 5/14/10 by Kaye'z Designz.