Tag Tutorial - Body Talk - No Scraps

Here we go!

A traditional PSP sig tag tutorial - image and masks and shapes and filters and...LOL!

So, Here's the tag we're aiming for

You will need:

My Image - made by me using the in house deviantart AI software.  No artist prompts - hell no! - and no 'in the style of' prompts used.   Simple easy prompts to make the sort of make up image I wanted.  Like the ones we used to tag like made back in the day!

However, as I did make these if/when you use one of my images as you try this tut - please credit me and link to my DA page on your tags thusly...

Image by Vix - www.deviantart.com/vixangelic

NB. This is not a blanket permission for any other art creations, those I have made in the past or will make in the future - ONLY the three images that I've included in the tutorial supplies.

I respectfully ask that you treat as any other artist image you use

(non-commercial use only and please credit if/when used)

Gracias me lovelies!

Right there's that - what else do we need?

Simple - Diamonds (a filter/plug in you may already have - if not...please search for it)

Mask Set 109 Mask 3 by Rachel - you can get it from her blog HERE

Preset Shapes - Floor Tiles 

The tutorial supplies can be downloaded HERE

❤️

OK - let's start 

Open a New Image in PSP - 950 wide by 950 high at 72 dpi

Floodfill White

Open one of the images I've supplied

(or use one of your own choice, one of the close ups from the artists who supply very large close up tubes would look good too)

Shift plus D to Duplicate the whole Image

On one copy - Apply Simple Diamonds once and then apply again

You should end up with lots of smaller eyes rotated on the canvas?

Good - so now

Image

Rotate Left

then

Effects - Edge Effects - Enhance

Copy and paste this image onto the tag canvas

and apply the Mask RDMaskSet109-Mask 3

Layers, Merge Group

❤️

Take your colour picker and choose two shades from the image you're using

The lighter colour in the top box and the darker colour in the bottom

Go to your Preset Shapes and find the Floor Tile Patterns Pt 2. JL-k

Line Width 7.00

Draw out your shape over the eye mask layer - pay attention to the sizing, you want the diamond middle to be laid over to compliment the eye mask square section

Once drawn out to the size you want - Convert to Raster

Objects, Align, Horizontal Centre in Canvas and then Centre in Canvas

Move down the LP so it's now UNDER the mask layer

Hide the eye mask layer for now

Take your Magic Wand and select the 4 corner triangles of the shape

Selections, Expand by 2

Back to the Diamonds Image that you made 

Image, Resize, 70% and copy and paste this as a new layer on the Tag canvas

Selections, Invert, Delete

Keep Selected

Invert again so only the four triangles are selected

and now on a New Layer in the LP

Effects, 3D Effects, Cutout and apply as mine

Once applied - selections none

Now drop the opacity of the four corners eyes layer to about 44

and make sure the layers are lined up well in the LP

Bottom to Top should be - White Back, then four corners eye fills layer, cutout shadow layer, preset shape layer then main image mask layer

Yes?

BOOM!

You're rocking this - so let's add a few final flourishes

❤️

Go to Rectangle Preset Shape - Line Width 7.00 - Darker outer Colour and Inner Colour to Black (change in the Materials Palette to suit)

Using your image as a guide - draw out a rectangle to suit the image area

See my tag/s for reference of placement and if like me you wear glasses, zoom in to help you see the positioning better

Once drawn out, Object, Align, as you need

If you've done like mine, then 

Duplicate

Image

Mirror Vertical

Open the Dotted Line I supplied

C&P

Place in the black rectangles two times each one - see my tag for ref again

(Duplicate as needed and move to where you want it - I did this by repeating the Mirror Vertical and it landed where I needed it LOL but you may need to move and adjust to taste!)

Open your Text Tool with a font of choice or use Broadway as I did

No Stroke, Fill colour of Choice and size as needed

Type out your chosen word - Convert to Raster when happy with size and place as looks really good for your tag

Add any additional wording you might like

Add your Name

Finally - open the Glitter Frame Sparkle

Copy and Paste

and Place on your tag - move down the layer palette so it's just above the White Back

Add any credits as needed

Delete the White Back and save as a PNG and your tag canvas as a PSPImage if you want to come back to it to add more names etc.

That's it done!

Here's my other version - think I like this one more LOL!  Anyway, the font I used was Bauhaus and I moved the sparkles up the LP to show more...

Hope you liked this - and thank you for trying it xx

Footnote: As I was doing it I was aware that it was almost an homage to some of my favourite tutorial ladies of the past (Tyleress, Laura G, Sugar etc.) but I'm bloody certain that I haven't 'lifted' anything from them - this is just from an idea in my head and was written this afternoon, tutting as I tagged lol!

Body Talk PSP Signature Tag Tutorial written 20th March 2024 by Vix aka VixPSP (vixangelic on deviantart)

It is a tag/tutorial of my own creation today and any resemblance to other tag tutorials that have been available over the years is genuinely coincidental and wholly unintentional.

Tag Tutorial - Masquerade Mayhem

 Masquerade Mayhem

Supplies Needed

Mizteeque Mask 268 - Download from her blog HERE

My Masks 477 and 479 - Download from my main blog HERE

Two very large images or backgrounds of your choice - I used two beautiful ones from Carita Creationz - HERE

(They are PTU so if you have a couple of very large, square images to use?  Great)

Preset Shape - This is one of my old favourites by the lovely Mikel Glade Lyman aka Mz Kels from With Wild Abandon!  If you remember her?  Then *high five* for the old skool taggy girls circa early to mid 2000s LOL! 

I've uploaded this shape to my box - HERE

Brush - I've had this one for years too, it's called wljsquares15 001 (no idea where I got this from, if you know, please let me know so I can give proper kudos!)

Brush HERE and the Brush Tip HERE

Place both of these brush items into your Brush folder 

Wordart - Made by me for this tut - HERE

Let me know if these links don't work and I'll see what I can do.

Ready for an old style tutorial?

You will need an understanding of working with the layer palette, preset shapes, brushes, file locations and confidence with using selections - if you've done some of my previous tuts on this blog, you'll probably enjoy this one :)

Ready? 

Let's go!

❤️

We begin with the paper/s you're using - 

The ones I'm using measure 3000 x 3000 so you'll want equal or perspective measurements 

(square background not rectangular OR take a favourite rectangle image and crop it squarely!)

Open your Papers - duplicate them (Shift + D together) and then close the originals so you don't mess them up

Duplicate them again (yes really!) so you now have 2 copies of each background open

One will be for the close up crops and one will be for the masking

Choose one to start

Click on it in the Layer Palette and Promote Background Layer

Now, click again and choose Duplicate the layer

On the top copy

Effects - Texture Effects, Straw Wall 

Using the dropper tool that comes up when you open it, choose a nice dark colour shade from your image for the colour box but otherwise use these settings as mine as above 

Once applied, go to your layer palette and choose a Layer mode from the dropdown menu - whatever compliments your background/image 

I chose Soft Light (which seemed to be fantastic combo of the effect from Hard Light and also Screen!)

Choose one for you

Once applied - Layers, Merge Visible

Duplicate this whole image - and on one of them

apply one of my square masks - Vix_Mask 476 - 480

(I used 479 for this first image)

Apply

Merge Group

Now go to your copy of this Straw Wall applied image

On this one - apply Mask Miz_Mask268 which is one of my favourites to use!

Apply to this image as before

OK - ooooh them is big LOL!

So now, we're going to resize to a slightly more taggy size (bear in mind, I still work large these days due to tubes/images being deliciously large too!)

Go to Image, Resize and I chose to Resize by PERCENTAGE, resize the whole image (all layers) by 30%

This brought my image down to 900 x 900 pixels

Good!

Resize the first one now too - same size

So you've prepped your first two masked images

Great!

Do the same with the other image you've chosen 

Resize the masked images to 30% and 

So you should now have 4 masked images and two very large original ones?

Fab-u-looooooous!

❤️

Open a new Image in PSP - BIG!

I went for 2500 x 2000 72 dpi

Flood Fill the Bottom layer with White

Back to the masked images - here's where you copy and paste

and place as New Layers onto this TAG CANVAS we've just created

Paste them all centrally (this should automatically happen in PSP)

And now for the mayhem!

Depending on what images you're using, you should now have 4 masked layers one on top of each other?

MOVE them using the move tool however you'd like - use my tag for reference if you'd like (or are using the same images)

For my tag - I overlayed my mask images over the Miz masked images - and I moved the Miz masked images next to each other on the canvas (horizontally)

then added my mask layers and lined them up, they looked quite spiffy like that!

Zoom in to get a better look and this is where your artistic flair comes in; whatever looks good for your chosen background images - Do that!

Overlap if needed, move a lot or just move slightly; go for it! 😂

Once you're happy that you've copy and pasted over as needed - you can close the masked images you created now (If your PSP is old, it'll probably breathe a sigh of relief LOL!)

You should now have 2 x original background copies and one big main tag canvas image left open?

Excellent - let's crack on

❤️

Now we're going to CROP the tag canvas image and this will be the final "resize"

(I won't compromise on the quality of the image to make a much smaller tag)

so I cropped my canvas to

1992 x 1261 

You crop as you need to get the masks quite centrally to your tag canvas

Resize if you wish - but I'm not going to LOL!  Big is rather beautiful so keep it big unless you're posting in a forum (hellooooooo Misfits and all other lovelies!) in which case, resize to a forum friendly size right about now

❤️

Find the Preset Shape - dbmmisc04 which you have placed into your PSP Files under Preset Shapes, yes?  Good!

Now, chose a nice colour from your tag - I went for mid purple

Place this in the Material Palette top box - Line Width around 7.00 and nothing in the bottom box

Now draw out the Preset Shape (use mine for guidance) stretch it out nice and horizontally wide

Once drawn out, Convert to Raster and Objects, Align, Horizontal Centre in Canvas

Move this layer down the Layer Palette so it's UNDER the masks but over the White Background

Now using your Magic Wand tool, click inside all the 5 inside areas of the shape, Selections, Modify, Expand by 2, then save as a Selection if needed (or liked) or just keep it with the "marching ants" 😉

Zoom in and out if you need to 'see' what you're doing - 

Go back to your very large original images, copy one of them

Paste as New Layer - yup, full sized

IT'S HUUUUUGE!  Don't worry, simply - Selections, Invert, and hit DELETE

Keep it Selected

Back to the large original image - Resize the whole image to 50%

C&P once more - move this over to the left or right, depending on the placement of your images

Hit Delete (It's still INVERTED, remember?  Yaaaaaaaassss!  You rock!)

Keep going with the other image - resize 50% as before 

(or adapt the resize to suit your tag canvas images etc)

C&P, Place and Hit Delete

Selection, Invert 

Add a New Layer in the Layer Palette - this one move directly under the Preset Shape Layer and apply, Effects, 3d Effects, Cutout on these settings 

(your layer which is empty, will now have a inner frame shadow on it)

Whoooooooo!  looking good, peeps!

OK, no more Selections needed

So now - check that your two images just placed on the canvas are in the right order in your Layer Palette

So from the Preset Shape Layer - going down the LP

Underneath should be the Cutout

Then one of the 50% resize image layers

Then the other one

and then the very large background image we pasted

and finally the White Back?

If you've got this, you're nearly finished!

Well done for following my rambling nonsense, I am so out of practice writing tuts but we'll get there LOL!

OK - so final finishing touches

On the two 50% resized layers - change their Blend Mode in the Layer Palette if liked I did, I changed mine to Screen for the right image and Hard Light for the left - but this will all depend what light/shade your image/s have; so, experiment with the finishes and see what looks good for your tag

Add some brushes if liked - I used the one I supplied - use a foreground/background gradient and stamp out on a new layer of it's own, lined up on the left side of the tag (as mine)

Make sure this layer is just above the white background 

On the brush layer in the layer palette, right click and Duplicate

Image, Mirror Horizontal

Looks good on the right side?  If not, move and line up as needed

Layers, Merge Down

Then Duplicate and Move Down the duplicate to the bottom of the shape area

Open my Wordart PNG as supplied, place as mine (resize and recolour if needed)

then add a shadow or gradient glow of choice

Finally, 

Take your colours of choice, using a font of your choice and add your name

Add any Artist Credit or Copyright/Licence information

Delete the White Background

Crop a little more if liked - not resize, just crop (remember the Snap Crop Rectangle as per previous tutorials?) as the massive image layer is still laying there outside of the canvas that you can't currently see, so we need to crop :)

Save a copy as a PNG tag and then Save your Tag Canvas Image as a PSPIMAGE so you can always revisit and add more names if liked.

DONE!

If you've made it to the end?  Bless you 🤣😍

Thanks for trying it and let me know if you had fun!

Hugs all round xx

This tutorial was written on the 14th/15th March 2024 by Vix aka VixPSP

It's totally from my own invention, written as I tagged along and if it bears ANY resemblance to other tag tutorials out there, it'll be a bloody miracle, entirely coincidental and totally unintentional.

Thank you and take care xx

Tag Tutorial - Eastern Peace

EASTERN PEACE

For this tutorial - we're going BIG

Many scrapkits supply elements in large so we will start with a large image and then resize when required

I'm using a gorgeous new kit by Lizzy at Doodles by Design

https://deedlesndoodles.com/

The kit is Oriental Blossoms - see the kit HERE

It's stunning

And that's all I used apart from PSP

So - have at it and have fun!

_*_*_

Open a New Image in your PSP - 1500 x 1500 at 72dpi 

Floodfill the Background WHITE

Open Element 3 (The Scroll Background)

Copy and Paste as a New Layer 

(Oh I'm not endlessly repeating - you know what C&P means so when you see that, please do so loL!)

When I did this, it automatically centred it - but if yours isn't?  Objects, Align, Centre in Canvas

Now open Element 1 (window?)

C&P

Place to the left and align as mine

Duplicate

Mirror

Horizontal

Drop these two Layers below the rest and above the White Back layer

Open Element 7 (bamboo)

C&P

Once more, align on the left as mine then Duplicate and Image, Mirror Horizontal

Line up as mine ABOVE the other layers but below the tube layer in the Layer Palette (LP)

Open Element 11 (Asia Wordart - gorgeous!)

C&P

Place over the scroll screen area in the centre

Element 12 (Red Bamboo)

C&P

Align as mine on the left side then repeat the mirror duplicate

(The tube is still hidden)

Open Element 4 (the circular floral)

C&P

Place over to the right of the tag image

then Duplicate and Mirror as before

and move these layers down the LP to just above the White Back

Open Element 18 (the pagoda?)

C&P

Line up as mine BEHIND the Left side Mirror element, above the circular floral elements in the LP and repeat the duplicate mirror

Element 19 (gorgeous cluster)

C&P

Place to the left and line up as mine then...yes, you guessed it, repeat the mirror

Element 16 (Fan)

C&P and line up as mine then place under the Scroll layer in the LP

Element 20 (lantern)

C&P

Something exciting!  Resize that layer by 80%

Line up as mine on the left

Repeat Duplicate Mirror

Open Element 17 (The Black Text)

C&P

Place to the right

and move it down the LP to just above the White Back

Duplicate and Mirror

Open Element 45 (the berry cluster)

C&P

Left align as mine then duplicate and mirror horizontal to the right

Open Element 50 (bamboo cluster)

C&P

Align, Duplicate, Image, Mirror Horizontal

Open Element 59 - The candles

C&P to the left of the tag and line up as mine - Duplicate as before

Open Element 68 - The lady

C&P

Place this under the candles layers in the LP

Element 83 - the flower cluster

C&P

Resize by 60% 

Place as mine on the top left middle - duplicate and mirror

Open Element 70 (koi carp fish)

C&P

Place as mine on the right

Duplicate and Mirror

Open Element 28 (origami crane)

C&P

Resize 60%

Duplicate and Mirror

Open Element 123 (petal scatter)

C&P

Place as liked over the tube area or somewhere else if prefered

Prepare for excitement! 

LOL!

We're going to resize now - the entire tag image (So make sure Resize All Layers is ticked)

So go to Image, Resize, 60% - Resize All Layers Ticked

Then once resized - Pan Tool, Acutal Size so you can now see the tag at it's...actual size

Open Element 124 (sparkle shower)

C&P

Place as mine (see tag for reference)

Move down the LP so it's below the tube

Now go to Gradient - I used the Black White gradient on Linear

Place this in the top Material Palette box

Turn off the bottom box

Text Tool - choose your font (I used a nice chunky font)

Pixel Size: 150 or 200 depending on your chosen font sizing 

Stroke: 3.00

Anti-Alias: On  (Smooth on later PSP versions)

then

Type out your chosen word - I used PEACE

Stretch to fit if needed and then Convert to Raster

Objects, Align, Horizontal Centre in Canvas or place where liked for your tag

I lined it up under the cranes and candles - 

Click inside the letters with Magic Wand Tool

Selections, Modify, Expand by 2

Now

Selections, Load/Save Selection to ALPHA Channel

Save, OK

Keep Selected

Now open one of the papers

I used Paper 23

C&P as a new Layer

Image, Resize - 70% (UNtick All Layers - you just want to resize the paper layer)

Now Invert the Selection

Hit Delete to get rid of the rest of the paper

Selections None

Check the layer arrangement of your paper and word layers - if like me your paper layer was above the word layer, move it down in the LP so it's just below the word outline layer

On the word outline - Adjust, Add/Remove Noise and add some noise

I used 50 Random

Click on the paper word inner fill layer you just made

Add a new Raster layer between the word outline and the word paper fill in the LP

Selections, Load Selection from Alpha Channel

Then on this new Blank layer

Effects, 3D Effects, Cutout and apply the following

Keep selected

Now open your tube again and C&P into the word selected outline

Then Invert, Delete and change the Blend Mode of the Tube Cut to whatever you'd like - I used Soft Light and duplicated the layer for extra effect

Selection None

Now to apply the Drop Shadow - 

Add a favourite or perhaps use mine

3

-5

35.00

7.00

Add Shadow to New Layer ticked

Then add it to whatever layers are "furthest away" from the back of your tag so I added it to the Candles, Cranes, Lanterns, Koi, Berry Clusters, the front bamboo clusters, the fan and the tube - but you do whichever layers you'd like

(Simple tip: Once you've applied to a layer, tap the next layer you want to add it to with the Move tool and hit Ctrl and Y to apply the drop once more - saves you running up and down the Layer Palette finding the layers)

Once you've done this - add your name as you'd like

(I added and then added a favourite Gradient Glow setting - but that's optional)

Credit your tag

Save as a PNG with the White Background hidden

Ta-daaaaa!

Hope you enjoyed this kit and the tag you have made

Thanks for looking and for trying.

See you soon xx

♥

CT Scrapkit Tutorial - Ladyhawwk Design - Autumn Variations

 

I love Ladyhawwk's CDO kits and it's always a pleasure to tag with them but I was enjoying making this tag so thought I'd tut-along in case you'd like to make your own version/s

I made 4 tags in total - 

Tutting as per this kit from CDO - ScrapLHD_IB-AlessiaC-September2021 which has been designed to compliment a lovely new tube by Alessia C.  However, I have chosen to use some different CDO tubes from my Jasmine Becket Griffth collection which I love or you may even find - like me - that I made a version with ONLY the beautiful kit!

This kit above is the one that I am referring to throughout the tut so if you use a different one then adjust your sizing and placements as you need

Firstly - take the pressure off choosing a tube!

For starters we are going to assemble our scrap tag and plenty of details

before we add the tube

Your tube can come later but if you already know which one you'd like to use - use that :)

Tube

Mask of Choice - I'm using one of my faves by Tee Mizteeques Masks

Number 349

VM Distortion - Ripple Mosaic

HSB Noise from Eye Candy 4

Gradient Glow from Eye Candy 4

Available from your usual filter software sites I'm sure

All are Optional - just to add some jazz to the mask layer but it'll barely be visible later

in the tag so not to worry if you don't have/don't want to use

Experience Level - Novice to Intermediate

(You'll need to be happy working with selections, applying filters, using your own shadow/s and have level placement savvy rather than me repeatedly telling you when to move something up and down the Layer Palette - though knowing me, I probably will lol!)

We are working big again once more, I have found this works really well for me being able to see the whole tag in action - it also means one crop resize at the end rather than repeated adjustments throughout and kits are large these days which I love and means I can see where I want to go with a tag.

Love that!

♥

Open a New Image in PSP - really big

We're starting at 900 pixels wide by 1000 pixels high at 72 dpi resolution

Add a Raster Layer, 

floodfill White

then

Go to Materials, Gradients, 

Foreground/Background Sunburst

with two colours of choice

and floodfill a Raster Layer above it

♥

Now - go to your kit

Open the Frame called Frame 3

C&P as a new Layer

Take your Magic Wand

Click inside the circle area

Selections, Modify, Expand by 4

Keep Selected

Add a New Layer below the Frame in the Layer Palette (LP) and

Go to 3D Effects, Cutout and apply these settings

Rename this layer FRAME CUTOUT layer (for ease of placement later)

Keep Selected

Open the Paper 4 - C& P

Move into position so the edge flowers are within the bottom left of the circle area

Selection, Promote Selection to Layer

Keep Selected

Move the paper (original layer)

and place another section to be highlighted within the area of selection

Selection, Promote Selection to Layer

and move it up the Layer Palette

then activate the floodfilled gradient 

and repeat the Promoted layer step

Finally for this step - 

Selections, Load/Save Selection, Save Selection to Alpha Channel

Selections None

♥

So on the top layer of the paper selections

Change the Blend Mode to Overlay

Purty!

♥

Go to the Floodill Gradient Layer at the bottom of the LP

Apply Miz_Mask348

Merge Group

Move the Mask layer UP the LP so you can see it

Move the mask layer over to the left side of the tag canvas

Duplicate

Move over to the right side

Move both of these mask layers down below the rest

of the layers in the LP so they're just above the White Back

Merge them together and

then Duplicate the Mask Layer

♥

on the top layer - 

Apply HSB Noise on this setting - 

then add Adjust, Brightness/Contrast on this setting - 

and then finally (OPTIONAL)

Add VM Distortion - Mosaic Ripple on this setting - 

You may just prefer to apply one or none of these effects - it's up to you :)

On we go...

♥

Ele 22 - Clock - C&P - Place below the FRAME CUTOUT layer in the LP

Paste again and place as mine above the frame

Ele 4 - Moth/Butterfly - Place as mine above the FC layer

Resize that layer by 75%

Ele5 - Flower Cluster - Place as mine below the FC layer

Paste again and

Move down the LP to above the FRAME CUTOUT layer

Ele7 - Pears in the Basket

Place as mine

Ele 21 - Autumn Arrangement

Place as mine below the FC layer

Ele 23 - Dried Sunflowers - Place as mine over on the right and below the selection fills

Ele 13 - Tree - Place as mine above the mask layers

Ele 29 - Wheelbarrow of Autumn - Paste and place as mine

So then - that's the placement of the lovely elements and pretty much everything.

Now to shadow - add shadows as you'd like paying attention to where the "light" source is

coming from.  So look at the pears.  They're shadowing underneath.

Add a similar shadow to the standout layers

For the wheelbarrow, I 

took my Paintbrush tool, hit the Presets menu, clicked the Arrow to restore the default setting

so it's rounded and about size 30 ish

then using colour #5a5a5a

on a NEW Raster layer below the element layer

I roughly drew out a complimentary "shadow" on the new layer - adjust your size if needed

and basically make a shadow area mimicking the general shape of the element above it.

I then adjusted, blurred by 5 or more if needed and dropped the opacity to about 55 or thereabouts!

Then gradually applied less shadow to the layers closer using the usual drop shadow method

to the "back" of the tag (i.e. much smaller -  if any - shadow to the back elements/the frame layer and absolutely none to the mask layer)

Happy?

On we go!

Image, Resize

So, Choose your own resizing as liked by I went for Resize by Image Percentage and chose 60% at Bicubic with Sharpness and All Layers Checked which resulted in a 540 x 600 sized tag - Smashing!

Ooooh! - Don't forget to then do a CROP to Size as well in case any of the paper is remaining around the outside of your tag area - it was on mine and left a fine "line" edge on two bits of my tag! Grrrrr! LOL!

Get to the more "taggy" size you'd like then

either simply add your name and a phrase of your choosing in a font and style

to suit and BOOM!  Looking good!

OR

Add a Tube - 

If you're using a tube?

C&P to size, place both above and below the Frame and Cutout Layer

and on the bottom tube layer -  add this shadow

Then using your Selection area that we saved before, erase the necessary parts of the

bottom tube layer and

then Using your eraser tool - erase any parts of the top tube layer 

to get the effect you'd like

(I've explained how to do this in many of my previous tutorials so look back through

them for eraser settings and tips if needed)

ORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

You may like to do what I did in my 2nd version and just have the "tube in the frame"

Very effective with the Frame and Cutout layer

If so, just add your tube below those layers and erase any as necessary.

Lookin' good :)

That's pretty much it as far as the tag creation goes - 

Adjust any elements if needed to suit your tube - for my 2nd tag I changed out

one of the floral clusters that suited my 2nd tag better...that's the joy of tags in layers.

You can keep adjusting and changing to get it just how you'd like it

Perfect for an uptight just right like me! :D

NOW - add your name somewhere prominent - these are signature tags, remember :)

Place it where it compliments the artwork and scraps but also where it can be

clearly seen. Make it pop by adding effects and really taking time to make the name part of the tag

I remember a few years ago, someone was erasing other people's names

and adding their own and passing them off...

yikes I know, but it happens so clearly add your name in a place where it'd be hard to remove 

and yet still adds to the overall tag

Add your Artist Tube © and licencing info if needed and your taggers mark

Delete the White Background

Save the overall image with layers complete as PSPImage and Make a Shift +D PNG version

for your tag

Ta and may I add Daaaaaaaaa!

Arf.

Well, that was fun, I enjoyed writing that one - 

Anyhoo - thank you very much for doing this tutorial and I hope you learned something that you can incorporate into future freestyle tag making :)

With hugs and best wishes, 

Happy Tagging!

Vix x

CT Tutorial - CCD - Broken Promises

 Hello all!

Been a while - shall we make a scrapkit tag?

Yes?  Cool!

OK - for this tutorial, I'm not going into huge detail - please view my tag example below

From this you'll see where I placed the elements and positioning etc.

I'll explain anything that needs explaining (and any tips I may have) but other than that - have at it, go

for it and improvise for your own pleasure :)

The KIT - I shall be using BROKEN PROMISES - 

A beautiful stand alone kit designed by the fantastic STU from CURIOUS CREATIVE DREAMS

You can purchase the kit from CDO

and I am referring to this particular kit throughout the tutorial.

IF you are using a different kit, please adjust your sizing or options as needed :)

Also needed - 

Tube - I'm using a stunning one by the ever brilliant Barbara Jensen (Some AC - Artistic)

(Her tubes lend themselves brilliantly to dramatic or detailed tags - also rock old school style too!)

As always with PTU - this artwork is used with licence.

Also - Mura Meister Copies - don't groan!  It's an excellent filter with a wide variety of uses Lol!

You can obtain it from the internet - tread carefully and make sure you have virus filters on!

Font - of your own choosing

Masks - by Mizteeque ♥ I'm using 5 different masks -  147 301 343 345 347 

♥

Open your PSP - get yourself a nice cup of something and relaaaaaaaaaax.

This may seem fiddly but the results are worth it (I hope) and you'll be able to incorporate

what you learn here into your future tag creations :D

Let's Rock!

______________________________________

Open New PSPImage in PSP

900 pixels wide x 900 pixels high @ 72dpi resolution (yup, we're starting big!)

Add new Layer

FF White

♥

Open Paper 2

C&P (as new layer)

Then using Crop Tool and Snap Crop Rectangle To and use the size of the canvas 900 x 900

Tick to Apply

Go to the horizontal toolbar and clicking "Fit Image and Window to Screen"

Load Mask from Disk - find Miz_Mask_347

Fit to LAYER

Apply

Layers, Merge Group

Move this mask layer using your Move tool to the top right quarter of the tag canvas

so the splats are in the top corner (but not touching the edge of the tag area - leave plenty of room)

♥

Open Pap 12

C&P

Apply  Miz_Mask_343

Repeat the steps for the mask as above but move this layer to the lower left section of the tag area

(See mine for reference)

and then finally 

Open Pap 10

C&P

Apply Miz_Mask_345

And on this layer - complete the steps as before up to and including Layers Merge Group then

move this layer to the bottom right area of the tag canvas

Have a sip of your beverage!

Nice!

Right - that's the masking done...for now :)

♥

OK - bear with me and don't panic

Image, Canvas Size and UP the size to 1000 x 1000 with central placement

On the Floodfill White background flood the spaces with white

Your whole tag should be only showing at a percentage - it's at 54% on mine - Good!

We want to see the WHOLE tag with plenty of room to spare.

So, let's work big for this tag - reapply the "Fit Image and Window to Screen" and on we go...

♥

Open the Larger version of your tube

C&P

Place towards the bottom right of the bottom right mask area

Change the Blend Mode of the Tube to something that looks good - I went for Hard Light

So now we need to tidy this up

Open a New Layer BELOW the Mask layer - 

and FloodFill with Bright Red or similar so you can see the overlap of the Hard Light Tube - 

Open your Eraser Tool and have it on these settings - 

Now on the Hard Light tube layer, place your eraser head and click to start gently erase the overlapping

parts of the tube

Hold down the left click if you want to sweep and delete the tube in larger sections if your chosen tube

touched and went beyond the bottom of the tag canvas.

Pay attention to the mask layer underneath and see what the "blend" of the tube looks like

as we want it showing on the mask layer (not the new floodfilled layer)

Once the Hard Light tube layer is only showing on the mask layer?

Delete the Bright Red floodfilled layer.

Now for elements and such - the Drop Shadow will be

(Don't apply this shadow to the Tube or Frame layers - it's too crisp, it is more for elements than tubes)

NOTE:  Repeat this Shadow for any of the Element Layers that you'd like to use it for - except the Buckle layer until AFTER you've done the Cutout

♥

Open Fra1 (Frame)

C&P

Place above the others in the LP and position as mine

♥

Image, Resize, Resize by Percentage - 80 - All Layers Checked

Now, paste the smaller version of your chosen tube - resize if needed 

and Place as Mine over to the left of the tag area and above the Frame layer in the LP

♥

Open Ele42 (The Buckle)

C&P

Place to the top left of the tag canvas area and move down under the full body smaller tube in the LP

Then use your Magic Wand Tool on these settings - 

and select the two inner sections of the Element

Selections, Modify, Expand by 2

Add a New Layer

and now Paste your Close Up version of your tube once more

Selections, Invert - hit Delete on the tube layer

Selections Invert once more and Keep Selected

Now add a new layer below the Element layer but above the larger tube selection tube layer

and apply 3D Effects, Cutout on these settings

This now gives you an internal shadow on it's own layer

Selection None

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Open Ele 11 - the heart scatter

C&P

Place above the tube layer - see mine for placement

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Open Ele 10 - the flower trio

C&P

Place as mine and move down the LP 

♥

Open Ele 30 - the music sheet

Now, this is a bit different - copy and paste and move down the Layer Palette

to just below the Hard Light tube layer

Move it so it's just in the hair/face region - so you see that I've moved mine so just the hair and face are changed

♥

Open 45 - the heart ribbon scroll

C&P 

Place as mine above all the other layers* 

Take your Eraser again - Zoom in to see better - about 150% and then reduce the size of the eraser to about Size 10 and the Hardness to 60 - then left click, hold down and drag and erase the excess tube chop if you have any - I do

*IF you don't have any excess tube to erase - skip this bit and move on

♥

Open Ele 54 - flowers

C&P

Place as mine on the left area of the tag canvas

and move above the two mask layers but below the mask layer which the Hard Light tube shows up on

♥

Now - time to add the Drop Shadow to the Main Smaller Tube layer and the Frame Layer - I used this one

(See the Horizontal and Blur Numbers are changed)

♥

OK - getting a bit more PSP playtime now -  

At this point - HIDE the White Background Layer in the LP

and

Edit, Copy Special, Copy Merged and Paste as a NEW IMAGE

NOTE: IF your version of PSP does not have this option?

Then, Layers, Merge, Merge Visible

and then

Edit, Copy, Edit, Paste as a New Image then BACK to your main tag canvas and hit the UNDO arrow

so you're back to pre-merged with layers!

♥

Minimise your Main Tag Canvas/Image for now - perhaps might be a good time to save your progress in case it all goes floofy in a minute.

Right - so now

On the copy of the tag

Apply Mura's on the following setting - 

Right click and Duplicate this layer in the Layer Palette

Edit, Cut, Edit, Paste as a NEW IMAGE

and on this New Image

Image, Decrease Colour Depth and choose 2 Colour Palette

(Don't be tempted to just do this on the Duplicate Layer on your 2nd copy, it will just

flatten the image and turn it B and W)

Once you've chosen 2 colour Palette

you'll see another window appear with some choices

Choose the following - 

Click OK to apply

Now Copy and this newly Black and White Diffused "Paper" that you just made

and Paste it as a New Layer on the Original Wallpapered Image

NOTE: It (should) line up perfectly - i.e. for mine, both were displaying at 67% percentage and both

lined up so when I pasted the B&W one, it laid exactly aligned over the top of the original paper layer - 

IF yours doesn't, drop the B&W layer opacity and use your Move Tool to find the perfect overlay position and then return to 100% opacity

But this shouldn't happen - it should just be a case of copy and paste and all is aligned :)

OK

Now then - we're nearing the end of my bit soon so just the last few steps

On the B&W Layer - Apply Miz_Mask301

Layers, Merge Group

On the Coloured Wallpaper Layer behind it - Apply Miz_Mask147

Layers, Merge Group

Layers Merge Visible so the two masks

become one blended Mask layer

Yes?

Excellent!

Now we're going to resize UP the tag canvas to - wait for it

1000 x 1000 pixels - don't panic!

All will be well

On this new tag canvas - add a new Layer, Floodfill White and move to the 

bottom of the Layer Palette

Once you've done that White Fill so you can see what you're doing

Move one of the mask layers to the top left of the tag area

using Move tool

and one of them to the bottom right

area of the tag canvas (not touching the sides at all)

OR Vice Versa if you prefer (top right, bottom left)

(Oh you know where this is going loL!)

So...

Back over to your original tag canvas and once more, 

Hide the White Background layer (if not already hidden)

and repeat the Edit, Copy Special or Merge Visible bit that you did before

Basically, we're bringing the tag we've already made over onto this new canvas so

do so and

PASTE as a new Layer on the two mask tag canvas

and line up centrally or to your taste - however you like

Unhide the White Background so you can see what's what

And on the original tag you made - the layered PSP image?

We've basically finished with that now

I saved mine in layers in case I ever want to revisit it but

you can do as you'd like

And on this new - triple layered PSP image

Two mask layers and the centralised tag layer

Go nuts!

Apply whatever elements you'd like - please see my tag

for reference if you're using the same kit

By having the tag canvas so MASSIVE

you can really see what you're doing and the resizing 

becomes more intuitive

Some elements won't require as much resizing

and some may even stay the same

but for your reference I used

Ele 5 - the Red Flower - 70% - Shadowed as Tube and placed top right

Ele 28 - Music Scrolls - Sized as is and Shadowed as Tube - placed bottom corner of frame

Ele 33 - the Word "LOVE" sized as is, shadowed as Tube and placed by the ribbon heart area

Ele 38 - the Violin - sized as is, Shadowed as Tube - place lined up with the heart ribbon

Ele 40 - the diamond - sized as is, placed in the centre of Ele 5 and shadowed

I also added the Wordart from the kit, adjusted to Black

and lined up as you can see

I also duplicated and placed on the top right

Now

Finishing Touches

Delete the White Background Layer

Add your NAME in your font or fonts of choice

placing where you'd like

Add any appropriate © Information and Credits

Shift and D

Save this Duplicated Image as a PNG

Save your Tag Canvas as a PSP Image

And you are done :) xx