CT Creamsicle Tutorial

CT Creamsicle Tutorial

This is the tag we will be making:

Moderate level - Some knowledge of PSP is needed.

Materials Needed

Paint Shop Pro  (used Version 9, but can be done on any version)

PTU kit "Tangerine Dream - Tagger Size" by Purple Dragonfly Creations which can be found HERE  

Tube is "Creamsicle" by Cliff Thomas - you can get this amazing tube at Indie-Zine, HERE

Tag Template #33 by Babes Designz - At the moment, Babe's blog is down, so until such time as her blog is back up and running, I have provided the tag template, HERE

Mask of choice ... I used MelissazCreationz #10, found HERE

Floral Deco Brushes by ro-stock found HERE.  Keep in mind that these are photoshop brushes, which come in .abr format.  You can convert them to .png for PSP usage with an ABR viewer, found HERE.  Once in png format, they can be imported in to your PSP brushes (File - Import - Custom Brush) -- or just use them in png format.  I have also provided the .png in the zipfile with the tag template.

Filters Needed 

Blinds - comes with PSP

Weave - comes with PSP

Fonts used

Ambitsek (for copyright info)

Whoop Ass Font by Blambot Fonts (for name/text), free for personal use 

Please note that I typically add my drop shadows last.  I will give the drop shadow settings that I have used (end of tutorial) HOWEVER feel free to use your own settings if you would like.

1.  Open Tag Template.  Shift+D to duplicate template, then close original, then delete the "copyright", "stitch" and "circle" layers.  At this time, also open your mask and minimize in PSP.

2.  Open paper2... copy & paste it as new layer just above the frame layer.  Resize 85%, be sure all layers is UNchecked.  Click on the circle layer then go to Selections - Select All ... Selections - Float .... Selections - Defloat, then Selections - Invert.  Go to the paper layer and click your Delete button.  Selections - Select None.  Close out the Frame layer.  Duplicate the paper layer, then on the bottom one, go to Adjust - Blur - Gaussian Blur ... by 4 pixels ... click OK.  On the top paper layer, change the layer properties to Luminance (Legacy) at 100% opacity.

3.  Go to you tube and, with your eyedropper tool, pick 2 colors, making the foreground color darker than the background color.  I used two orange shades from her hair to go along with the color palette in the kit.  When done, go to your materials palette, and go to Gradient and choose the following:

Foreground/Background

Style:  Sunburst

Repeats:  8

Invert: not checked

Horizontal:  50

Vertical:  50

Link center and focal points:  checked

Activate the "masked" layer on the template.  Selections - Select All ... Selections - Float .... Selections - Defloat.  Add new raster layer and then flood fill this new layer.  You will actually have to do it several times before you start seeing color showing up (I had to click on it 10 times!).  When satisfied, Selections - Select None.  Change the layer properties to Overlay at 100% opacity.  Duplicate this layer, and then change the layer property on this layer to Burn, 100% opacity.  (So, in all you will have 2 layers of the flood filled layer, plus the original "masked" layer.)  Apply the following drop shadow to the "burn" layer:

Vertical: 2

Horizontal:  -2

Opacity:  65

Blur:  2.00

Color:  Darkish Orange (#9a4202) ... you will want a darker shade of what you used for this layer

Shadow on new layer: unchecked

While still on the "burn" layer, go to the Blinds filter that comes with PSP and apply the following settings:

Width:  4

Opacity:  50

Color:   Darkish Orange (use the same that you did for the drop shadow)

Horizontal:  checked

Light from left/top:  unchecked

Click OK, then apply again.

4.  Copy/Paste your tube to your template, move to the top.  Resize by 77% and place in the middle as best you can.  It should now look something like this:

5.  Copy and paste Paper12 as a new layer and then, in the layer palette, go to Arrange - Send to bottom.  Go to Layers - New Mask Layer  - From Image and use the following settings:

Merge - Merge Group.  Apply Penta.com - Color Dot filter with the following settings:

(I use mine through Filters Unlimited so my filter 'screen' may look different than yours. ...just apply the same settings and you should be fine.)

Duplicate mask layer, move duplicate under the original mask layer.  With the duplicate layer, go to Adjust - Blur - Gaussian Blur  ... by 2 pixels - click OK.  On the top layer, change the layer properties to Darken, 100% opacity.

6.  Copy and paste element #7 to template, move to top.  Apply Mura's Meister Copies with the following settings:

move the circle of 'brads' under your tube.

7.  Open your Deco Floral Brush by Ro-Stock.  Keep in mind that these are photoshop brushes, which come in .abr format.  You can convert them to .png for PSP usage with an ABR viewer, found here:  http://www.g1ga.it/abrviewer/ .  Once in png format, they can be imported in to your PSP brushes (File - Import - Custom Brush) -- or just use them in the png format.  I converted the .abr quite a ways back and did not import them as brushes, so I am just using the .png file.  Given that information, take the floral deco and copy and paste as new layer to your template - move to top layer, then move the deco to the upper right corner, like this:

Duplicate, then flip, then mirror, so you will have it going from the bottom left to the upper right.  Merge - Merge Down.  Adjust - Color Balance - Manual Color Correction - change it to a color that complement the colors you are using (make it a medium to dark shade).  Using the Weave filter that comes with PSP, apply the following settings:

Then move them just below the [closed out] frame layer.

8.  At this point, continue to decorate the tag as desired with supplied elements.  Because of the theme of the kit and the tube, I was sure to use the Creamsicle Ice Cream in the kit.  When you are satisfied, resize to 525 pixels x 438 pixels ... 72.000 ppi.... Weighted Average ... "all layers" CHECKED.  Feel free to use the crop tool to crop out any additional edges from the tag.  Use the Sharpen option (Adjust - Sharpness - Sharpen) if needed to clarify your layers.

9.  Apply any desired drop shadows to the layers ... I used the following with the Drop Shadow filter that comes with PSP on all layers EXCEPT my tube layer, the "masked" layers, the frame layer and the actual mask layers:

Vertical and Horizontal:  0

Opacity:  70

Blur:  7.00

Color:  #9a4202  (or a dark shade of what you are using -- not black unless black is a major color on your tag)

On the top "Frame" and "floral deco" layers, I used the following drop shadow settings:

Vertical :  3

Horizontal:  -3

Opacity:  50

Blur:  4.00

Color:  #9a4202  (same that I used, above) 

Shadow on new layer: unchecked

On the tube layer, I applied the following:

Vertical :  3

Horizontal:  -3

Opacity:  50

Blur:  18.00

Color:  black 

Shadow on new layer: unchecked

I did not apply any drop shadow to the very bottom mask layers.

10.  Apply crediting information and watermark.  When satisfied, merge visible.  (If you wish to make this a tag with a transparent background, be sure to close out the white 'background' layer before merging.)  Apply name text and then you are done!

~NOTE~  For name/text:

I did the text at size 48, stroke 3.0 .. foreground color:  #b45000 ... background color was Paper7 from kit at 50% (size) .... kern:  0

Then I duplicated the name/text and then, on the bottom one I applied the following gaussian blur:  by 4.00 pixels

and then on the top name/text I applied the following drop shadow:

Vertical :  2

Horizontal:  -2

Opacity:  60

Blur:  4.00

Color:  black 

Shadow on new layer: unchecked

and done!

If you try my tutorial, I would love to see what you come up with!

Happy Easter Tutorial

Happy Easter Tutorial

Easy to Moderate level - Some basic knowledge of PSP is needed

Materials Needed

Paint Shop Pro (used Version 9, but can be done on any version)

FTU kit by Purple Dragonfly Creations called "Hippity Hoppity Blog Train"(usually this is available via my scrap blog, however it needs serious updating, so until that is completed, the scrap kit is available via this link)

Image/Tube from Les Toil (FTU) "Sally" found HERE in supplies zipfile (there are tubes of her with 4 different colored dresses)

Happy Easter Text - also in supplies zipfile

Diana Todd's Mask #0028

Tag Template by Soaring Hawk's Nest, found HERE - you want the floral one

Filters Needed

Xero Fritilliary -- provide link

Eye Candy 5 Impact Gradient Glow -- provide link

Blinds (comes with PSP)

Fonts Used

PIXgothic7 (for copyright info)

Bistro Script (for name/text)

1. Open PSP

2. Open New Image, 600x600 pixels, resolution 72.000 pixels/inch, transparent checked

3. Open tag template - Shift+D to copy it, close the original template. Delete the top layer that has the designer's information. Resize to 525 pixels x 525 pixels, 72.000 ppi (template is made at 200.000 ppi).

4. Click on layer #2 to make active, then go to Selections - Select All.... Selections - Float .... Selections - Defloat. Copy Paper 5 and paste as new layer right above layer #2. Selections - Invert then click on the Delete button. Selections - None. Then close out layer #2 (keeping Paper 5 layer visible, rename it "flower petal"). Do the same thing with layer #3 and #4 with papers of your choice (I chose Papers 1 and 4, respectively). Feel free to resize the papers before pasting as new layer, if you would like.

5. Go to your tube and, using the freehand tool:

Go around the image so that you end up with marching ants around it. Then copy and paste as new layer to your template (make sure it is the top layer). Center tube, and resize by 85%. Sharpen as needed.

6. Go to the smallest circle (inner circle) and then go to Selections - Select All.... Selections - Float .... Selections - Defloat. Apply your Xero-Fritilliary filter with the following settings:

DO not deselect yet.

7. Go to the "Happy Easter" text that I provided in the zipfile. Copy and paste as new layer right above the circle you applied the filter to. Go to Selections - Invert then click on the Delete button. Selections - Select None.

8. Recolor the text to something other than the black color it is (I changed it to the blue that matches the paper in the kit.) Go to your layer palette, right click on the text layer, then go to Properties:

And when the Properties window opens, apply these settings:

9. Open on of the papers in the kit (choose one that doesn't have a lot of obvious design - I chose paper 2.) Copy & paste as new layer, move to bottom. Resize by 75%, "resize all layers" UNchecked. Open mask in PSP then minimize. Go to Layers - New Mask Layer - From Image and use these settings:

Go to your layer palette, right click on the background paper layer, then go to Merge - Merge Group.

You should now have something like this:

11. Duplicate the mask layer and move it under the mask layer. Go to Adjust-Blur-Gaussian Blur and apply these settings: Radius: 2.00. Go to original mask layer and go to Effects - Texture Effects - Blinds and apply these settings:

Width: 3

Opacity: 30

Color: black

Horizontal: unchecked

Light from left/top: checked

While you are on this layer, go to your layer palette, right click on the layer and go to Properties and when the window opens, apply these settings:

12. At this point, add elements as desired. I used flowers and eggs to give it an Easter feel. The flowers were resized at different sizes between 15-20%, the eggs were done at 10-15%. The swirly flowers (elements 5 and 6) were resized at 25% and then moved just above the flower petal layer. I rotated the slightly larger egg to the left by 5.00. Remember to sharpen anything that you resize and/or rotate.

13. When satisfied, make sure all layers are sharpened (if necessary). Then on the 3 paper layers, apply Eye Candy 5 Impact Gradient Glow with the following settings (feel free to use a different color than the blue):

14. Apply desired drop shadow to all layers. I used the following for all layers except the tube layer:

Vertical: 2

Horizontal: 1

Opacity: 75

Blur: 10.00

Color: black

shadow on new layer: unchecked

and used the following for the tube layer:

Vertical: 0

Horizontal: 0

Opacity: 65

Blur: 15.00

Color: black

shadow on new layer: unchecked

I did not do a drop shadow on the text layer or the mask layers.

15. Add copyright information, scrap designer information, tagger watermark.

20. Merge - Merge All Visible. Save as .jpg or .png (jpg will have a white background, .png will have a transparent background). I saved mine as a png to help retain background transparency.

For name/text

1. Using Bistro Script, size 72, stroke width 2.0 ...foreground #4699f1, background #47295f, write your name and place it where you would like it. I am placed mine in the center.

When satisfied, convert to raster. Use Eye Candy 5 Impact Gradient Glow with the previous settings. I moved around the blue and white around a little to something I liked. Then apply a drop shadow with the following settings:

Vertical: 2

Horizontal: 2

Opacity: 75

Blur: 6.00

Color: black

shadow on new layer: unchecked

Repeat drop shadow.

And you are done!!

I would love to see your results!!!