Bad Girls - FTU Animated

This tutorial was written by me on 03/24/2015 and assumes you have working knowledge of PSP. Any similarities to other tuts is purely coincidental and not done on purpose.

For this tut you will need:

PSP - I use version X3 but most versions will do

Animation Shop

Tube w/closeup of choice - I'm using the artwork of PinupToons

This tube was the October 2014 bonus tube from CDO

Template by me here

Mask 53 from Moonbeams & Spiderwebs

Filters used:

Eye Candy 5 Textures & Impact

Xero Porcelain

Eye Candy 4000 Glass & Gradient Glow

Font of choice, I used La Portenia de la Boca

Special thanks goes to:

Kiya Sama

for her permission to write this tut as it resembles one of her own

Let's begin, remember to save often.

Open template and your tube, duplicate and close originals. Delete the credit layer on the template.

Please note: Do not use your magic wand to select any of the circle layers since it'll leave them with jagged edges.

We're going to start with layer 1 and work our way inwards. You can change the color of this as we do in future steps but for now let's just leave it black. Apply Eye Candy 5, Textures, Swirl with these settings:

Now activate layer 2. Select all, float, defloat. Add a new raster layer. Flood fill with a medium light color from your tube. I used #c62f2f. Deselect. Delete the original layer. Rename the new flood filled layer Outer Light.

Activate layer 4 and repeat with the same color. Rename this layer Inner Light when you're done.

Activate layer 3. We're going to select it in the same fashion but this time you'll flood fill with a darker color from your tube. I used #700708. Do the same with the layer 5 layer. Rename these Outer Dark and Inner Dark.

So now your layer palette from the bottom up should be raster 1, layer 1, outer light, outer dark, inner light, inner dark.

Activate the outer light layer again. Apply Texture Effects, Weave with these settings:

Apply the same weave effect to the inner light layer and layer 6.

Now activate layer 7. Select as before, new layer and flood fill with a slightly lighter color than your light circles. I used #cb2f2f. Delete the original layer and rename the new layer Center.

Copy your tube closeup and paste as a new layer. Arrange her over the center circle. Resize if needed. Apply Xero, Porcelain at default settings but move the blue slider to 0. Give her a very slight drop shadow at 1, -1, 30, 5.

Activate the center layer again. Select all, float, defloat, invert selection. Activate the closeup tube layer and press delete. Deselect. Change the blend mode to hard light.

Activate the center layer once more. Select all, float, defloat as before. This time expand the selection by 1. Add a new raster layer and move it above the closeup tube layer, flood fill with black. Keep selected. Contract selection by 3. Press delete and now you can deselect. This covers up the edge of the center circle.

Now we're going to add the following drop shadow to only some of the layers. Layer 1, outer light, inner light and layer 6. Apply 0, 0, 100, 15.

Activate outer dark layer. Now you're going to give this one the same drop shadow but this time make sure you check the box to put the shadow on a new layer. Do the same for the inner dark layer.

Activate the outer dark layer again. Duplicate this layer 2 times for a total of 3 layers. Name them from the bottom up: outer dark 1, outer dark 2, and outer dark 3.

Apply the same Swirl as you did for layer 1. Activate outer dark 2, apply the swirl but click on the random seed 1 time. Hide this layer. Activate outer dark 3, apply the swirl, once again clicking on random seed. Hide this layer also.

Now activate the Inner Dark layer. Repeat the same as you did for the outer dark layer, making 3 layers and renaming them. Then apply the filter to each as before.

So now there should be 3 outer dark layers and 3 inner dark layers with the filter applied and a shadow on a separate layer for them both.

Now go up and activate the wordart layer. Select all, float, defloat. Add a new raster layer and flood fill with a dark color from your tube. I used the same dark red as I did the dark circles. Deselect.

Apply Eye Candy 5 Impact Glass. My wordart is red so I clicked on Ruby on the settings tab. The basic tab looks like this: (The glass color is the same color used for the light circles)

Activate the white bottom layer for the wordart and give it a drop shadow, I used -2, 2, 60, 10. Be sure to uncheck the shadow on a new layer box.

Now go down and activate the white raster 1 layer. Add a new layer and flood fill with a color from your tube. I used the same dark red. Add your mask from image, merge group. It's a tad small so resize it up about 107%, make sure all layers is unchecked. While still on the mask layer, crop layer opaque.

Now go back up and activate the top layer in your palette. Copy your full tube and paste as a new layer. Resize as needed, I resized 83%. Arrange her how you like and duplicate this layer. Hide the duplicate and activate the original. Apply the same Porcelain filter as you did the closeup.

Activate and unhide the duplicate, give it a gaussian blur of 2. Change the blend mode to soft light and lower the opacity to about 60%.

Activate the original tube layer. Give it a drop shadow of -3, 3, 60, 10. Repeat with a drop shadow at 1, -1, 50, 5.

Ok if you're going to resize your tag, now is the time to do it. However, resizing in psp causes some of the circle layers to have a ugly edge to them, so we're going to resize in Animation Shop. Make sure your 2nd and 3rd dark circles for both outer and inner are hidden. Copy merged and paste as a new animation in AS.

Back to psp, hide outer and inner dark 1 and unhide the dark 2 layers for both. Copy merged, back to AS and paste AFTER current frame.

Back to psp and this time we're going to hide the dark 2 layers and unhide the dark 3 layers. Copy merged and paste after current frame in AS.

Now in Animation Shop, resize 85%. Click on frame 1, select all, copy and paste as a new image in psp.

All 3 layers will same Frame 1 but don't worry about that, it won't matter. Make sure the top layer is active. Add your copyright, license info and taggers mark. Merge all of your credits onto a single layer. Now duplicate twice. And move them so there's a credit layer on top of each frame layer. Your palette will look like this:

Now merge down each of the credit layers onto the frame layers. So when you're done you'll still have just the 3 frame layers again.

Now with the top layer active again, add your name using chosen font and colors from your tube. I used the same colors as I did for the template.

Convert to raster and give it a glass bevel with Eye Candy 4000 Glass and these settings:

Then give it a slight gradient glow with the glow width at 3:

Then give your name a drop shadow, I used -2, 2, 50, 5.

Now you're going to do just like you did with the credits. Duplicate twice for 3 layers, moving each one so they're on top of each frame:

Merge down each one so you have the just the 3 frame layers again. (Though I have a script that does this for me.) Now you can transfer this to AS two ways. You can copy each layer over as did before. Or you can just save your tag as a psp or psd file. Then open that file in AS.

Either way, once you have it back in AS. Make sure the 1st frame is active. Select all. Alt Enter to bring up the frame properties box. Change the speed to 15. Now save your tag and congrats, you're done.

*Tip, save the 3 frame tag minus your name, what I call an animated blank. Make sure you include in the file name the speed you have to change it to before you fully animate it. This makes it much easier when you have to make tags for others if most of the work is done for you. Also, you can save the full tag before you intially moved it over to AS as a blank also. Remember to save with layers intact (not merged) so if you make a goof it's much easier to go back and fix it.

Numbers - PTU Animation

This tutorial was written by me on 11/29/2014 and assumes you have working knowledge of PSP. Any similarities to other tuts is purely coincidental and not done on purpose.

For this tut you will need:

PSP - I use version X3 but most versions will do

Tube of choice - I'm using the artwork of Mashi.

You can purchase this tube at CDO. Do not use this tube without purchasing a license first.

Please note that all Mashi tubes are only available till Dec 26th, 2014

  Animation 27 (Pack 9) by SophisticatSimone, also available at CDO

Template 35 by Spawn

Animation Shop

Font of choice, I used Gasoline Alley NF

Filters used:

 Mura Meister Copies
Eye Candy 5 Impact
Xero Porcelain
Eye Candy 4000 Gradient Glow

Let's begin, remember to save often.

Open your tube and template in psp. Duplicate both and close the originals.

Working on your template, click on your Bottom Wave Line layer and move it up in your layer palette until it's above the Top Wave layer. Activate the Top Wave Line layer and merge down 1 time. Rename this layer Wave Line. Activate your Top Wave layer and merge down 1 time. Rename this layer Wave.

With your Wave layer active, copy and paste your tube as a new layer. If using same tube as mine, click on the link toggle to change it to none. No clue why this tube has a layer lock:

Apply Mura Meister Copies, Wallpaper rotate at default settings. Apply a Radial Blur at Zoom and strength at 30%. All other options 0.

Activate your Wave layer. Select all, float, defloat. Invert Selection, activate your blurred layer and press delete. Deselect.

Activate your wave Line layer. Select all, float, defloat. Add a new raster layer. Go to selections, Modify, Smooth and apply these settings:

Flood fill with a dark color from your tube. I used black. Deselect. Activate the Wave Line layer again. Press delete on your keyboard 1 time. Activate the flood filled layer and merge down 1 time.

Apply Eye Candy 5 Impact, Glass. Click on the Settings tab and click on Opaque Black with Reflection. Click on the Basic tab. If your line wasn't already black, then click on the Glass Color box and change it back to the color you used. Change Drop Shadow Opacity to 0. Click ok.

Copy and paste your tube as a new layer again. Remember to click the link toggle if needed. Resize as needed. I resized mine 70%. Move it to the left side of the tag. Duplicate your tube. Resize again, I resized mine 90%. Move this duplicated tube over to the right side of your tag and move this layer under the Wave Line layer. Rename this layer small tube.

Now I chose to rotate my tube 15 degrees to the left, this is optional. If you do this be sure to sharpen 1 time. Position your tube on the top part of the Wave. See my tag for reference. When you have it where you like it, duplicate this tube. Hide the duplicate for now.

Now with the original small tube layer active. Click on your selection tool and select around the excess tube that covers the bottom part of the Wave:

Press delete 1 time and deselect. Now activate and unhide the copy of your small tube. Move it down so it's over the bottom part of the wave as you like it. Again, use your selection tool to select and remove the excess above:

Deselect when done and you should have something like this:

Make sure your copy of small tube is active and merge down one time. Activate the Wave layer. Select all, float, defloat. Invert selection, activate your small tube layer and press delete. Deselect. Apply Xero Porcelain at default settings but move the blue slider to 0. Change the blend mode to Multiply and reduce the opacity to 60.

Activate your Wave Line layer. Apply Eye Candy 4000 Gradient Glow with these settings and the glow width at 3:

Activate your main tube layer. Apply the Xero Porcelain again. Give it a drop shadow of 0, 0, 100, 15.

Your main tube should be the top layer in your palette. Add a new raster layer. Select all. Flood fill with black. Contract selection by 1. Keep selected. Add a new raster layer. Flood fill with the same color you used for the Wave Line or white if you used black like I did. Contract by 3. Add a new raster layer again. Flood fill with the black. Contract by 1 again and press delete. Activate the white (or colored layer), press delete and then finally activate the first black layer and press delete. Deselect.

Activate the white (or colored layer) and give it noise at Gaussian, 100% and monochrome checked. Now activate the top black layer and merge down 2 times. Rename this layer border.

Give your border layer the same drop shadow as your tube but change the opacity to 80.

Add your copyright, license info and tagger's mark.

Add your name using colors from your tube. Give it an inner bevel of choice. I used this one:

Then give it a gradient glow, again with the glow width at 3:

Then give your name a drop shadow. I chose to use the same one I did for the border.

Now if you choose not to animate then you can just merge all and save as jpg. Otherwise, continue with instructions below.

Open the psd or mng file for your animation in AS. Select all. Go back to PSP. Hide all layers except Main Background, Black Lines and the original Wave layer. Copy merged and paste as a new animation in AS. Now our animation has 13 frames so our tag must have 13 frames as well.

Hold down ctrl and shift and press L repeatedly until you have 13 frames of your tag. Go back and click on the 1st frame. Select all.

Now click on the first frame of your animation and drag it onto the first frame of your tag. Drop it into place in the middle of the tag. If you goof you can undo both and try again, just making sure that both have all frames selected.

Once you have your animation placed go back to psp and click on Layers, View, Invert. Copy merged and paste as a new animation in AS.

Make sure you have Propagate Paste turned on, if you're unsure you can find it under Edit.

Now again your tag with the animation should have all layers selected with the 1st frame being highlighted. Click on the newly pasted frame with the top parts of your tag and drag and drop onto the first frame of your animated tag. You might have to undo and redo a few times to get it to be lined up just right.

Save your tag as a gif and congrats, you're done!

Countdown - PTU - Animated

This tutorial was written by me on 11/13/2014 and assumes you have working knowledge of PSP. Any similarities to other tuts is purely coincidental and not done on purpose.

For this tut you will need:

PSP - I use version X3 but most versions will do

Tube of choice - I'm using the artwork of Steve Baier.

You can purchase this tube at CDO. Do not use this tube without purchasing a license first.

Scrap Kit of choice. I used ScrapWDD_IB-Pinoops-5-2, also available at CDO

  Christmas Countdown template by Dee'Sign Depot

Animation Shop

Font of choice, I used Gavotte Linotype Regular

Filters used:

Xero Porcelain
VanDerLee Snowflakes
Eye Candy 4000 Gradient Glow

Let's begin, remember to save often, especially if your psp is prone to shut down often, as mine does.

Open your template and tube in psp, duplicate and close the originals. This template has LOTS of layers so it is very important to label your layers as you go along. I'll try to keep this as non-confusing as I can.

Activate the Image 1 layer, flood fill with white and send to the bottom of your layer palette. Activate your raster 4 layer. Copy a paper of choice, I used paper 6. Paste as a new layer, resize as needed so it's smaller then your canvas size but bigger then the template layer. I resized mine 80%.

Activate your raster 4 layer again. Select all, float, defloat. Invert and click on the paper layer. Press delete and deselect. Delete the original raster 4 layer. Rename this layer Red Squares 1

Activate the merged layer (small red squares) repeat the steps above with a different paper, I used paper 5. Rename this layer Red Squares 2.

Repeat this process with the raster 3 and raster 1 layers. I used papers 4 and 3 respectively. So now the gold squares will be renamed Gold Squares, and the green renamed Green Squares, natch. So now if you did it like mine you should have the square's colors starting with top left going red, gold, red, green, and so on.

Now following the same color pattern, we're going to do the same steps above with the thin squares bordering the larger squares. So to make it easier to remember which papers go where, rename the layers now. Change raster 5 to Gold Outline. Raster 7 to Green Outline. Raster 6, Red Outline 1 (Use the same paper as red squares 1), and then finally raster 8 is renamed Red Outline 2 (using same paper as red squares 2).

Don't forget to delete the original layers and rename the paper layers again if needed. What I do is to activate the template layer, press delete on my keyboard, activate the paper layer above it and merge down 1 time. So now the paper layer has the correct name on it.

Now on to the numbers. You could follow the same color pattern, but I decided to make the numbers the same colors as the outline surrounding them. So the first square has a green outline, so it'll have a green number. Next red 1 outline, red 1 number, etc. Having your layers labeled, helps with this. Make sense? I hope so. lol Don't forget to rename the paper number layers. Oh and the last set of numbers, the layer is above the Copy of Raster 13 layer. Move it down in your layer palette so it's above your red outline 2 layer to make it easier if you like.

Ok so now your layer palette should look like this:

And your tag like this:

Ok now activate your raster 2 layer. It's the big green square. Select all, float, defloat. Go to Selections, Modify, Smooth. Apply with default settings. Add a new raster layer. Flood fill with black, deselect. Delete the original green square layer.

Do the same thing with the large square outline, which is raster 10, and the number 25, which is raster 12. I used paper 4.

Now hide these 4 layers: Raster 14 copy, Copy of Raster 15, Raster 14 Copy 2 and Copy of Raster 14. Now go to Layers, View and click on Invert. So now all you should see is the words Merry Christmas. Merge visible. Change your view back to All.

Activate Copy of Raster 13 and merge down 1 time onto the Raster 13 layer. Give this layer a slight drop shadow of 1, 1, 50, 5.

Let's go ahead and give a drop shadow to the 4 outline layers and 4 number layers. For these layers I did 0, 0, 70, 8.

Ok you still with me? Activate the flood filled black square in the middle of the template. Copy your tube and paste as a new layer. Resize if needed and arrange how you like it. It's currently under the large gold outline layer but that's fine so leave it there for now. Apply Xero, Porcelain at default settings but move the blue slider to 0. Give your tube a drop shadow of -3, 4, 60, 15.

Use your freehand selection tool to remove any part of the tube that is sticking out from the bottom of the gold outline:

Now you're going to activate the top layer in your palette, we're going to start adding elements from our kit.

Open element 1, copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 90%. Move down in your layer palette so it's under the black square, give it a drop shadow of 0, 0, 80, 10.

Open element 5, copy and paste as a new layer. Make sure it's at the top of your layer palette. Resize 40% and move to the bottom left corner of your tag, see my tag for reference. Give it the same drop shadow as above.

Open element 8, copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 40% and arrange on the bottom right corner of your tag, give same drop shadow.

Open element 24, copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 80% and arrange so it's under the black square but on top of the green branches. Duplicate and mirror.

Now before we go any further, let's resize our tag. If you choose not to resize, then skip this step. I resized mine 80%, all layers checked.

Add your copyright, license info and tagger's mark. Don't forget to credit the scrap kit if required.

Now let's fix our tube which is still under the gold outline. Activate your tube layer. Use your selection tool to select the part of the tube that is under the outline:

Promote selection to layer. Activate the tube layer and press delete one time on your keyboard, deselect. Click on the promoted layer and move it above the outline layer.

Activate the black square, rename it Snow. Give it the same drop shadow you did your elements. Make sure you click the box to apply the shadow to a new layer.

Now duplicate your Snow layer 2 times for a total of 3 layers. Name them from the bottom up as Snow 1, Snow 2 and Snow 3. Activate the large gold outline layer. Click inside with your magic wand. Expand selection by 3 and activate the Snow 1 layer. Apply VanDerLee Snowflakes with these settings, keep selected after you apply the filter:

Activate the Snow 2 layer, apply the filter but click the right arrow on Random Seed a few times.

Repeat with the Snow 3 layer, making sure you change the random seed again. You may now deselect. Hide Snow 2 and Snow 3 for now.

Activate the top layer of your palette again. Add your name using colors from your tube or scrap kit. Give it an inner bevel of choice, I used this one:

Then apply a gradient glow. I used this one with the glow width at 3:

Then apply a drop shadow to your name. I used -2, 2, 60, 10. Be sure you UNCHECK the box to apply shadow on a new layer.

Now to animate! If you choose not to animate you can delete the extra snow layers and the white background layer, merge visible and save as a png. Or merge all and save as a jpg. Otherwise, continue on to the next step.

All layers should be visible EXCEPT Snow 2 and Snow 3. Copy merged and paste as a new animation in AS. Back to psp, unhide Snow 2. Copy merged and paste AFTER current frame in AS. Back to psp a 3rd time, unhide Snow 3, copy merged and paste after current frame. Click on frame 1. Select all. Alt Enter to bring up the Frame Properties box, change the speed to 23.

Save your tag as gif, congrats you're done!

Dragon Whisper - Animated Forum Tag

This tutorial was written by me on 11/08/2014 and assumes you have working knowledge of PSP. Any similarities to other tuts is purely coincidental and not done on purpose.

For this tut you will need:

PSP - I use version X3 but most versions will do

Tube of choice - I'm using the artwork of JM Leotti.

You can purchase this tube at CDO. Do not use this tube without purchasing a license first.

 Forum template 69 by Spawn

Animation Shop

Font of choice, I used Gaheris Demo

Filters used:

Mura Meister Copies
DBS Flux Bright Noise
Greg's Factory Output II Pool Shadow
Xero Porcelain
Eye Candy 4000 Gradient Glow

Let's begin, don't forget to save often.

Open forum template, duplicate and close original. Delete credits layer.

Copy your tube and paste as a new layer. Resize if needed, I resized mine 75%. Arrange where you like it. Mine is cut off on one side so I moved her over to the right so the cut portion doesn't show. Move your tube layer under your border layer.

Activate the main background layer. Copy and paste your tube again. Apply Mura Meister Copies, Wallpaper Rotate at default settings. Now I wanted more green showing on mine in the area opposite the main tube so I clicked undo and reapplied again till I got something I liked. So this is optional for you, depending on your tube.

Apply a Radial blur with these settings, and rename this layer Blur when done:

Activate the black lines layer. Add a new raster layer and flood fill with a medium color from your tube. I chose #353f2d.

Activate the black lines layer again. Select all, float, defloat and invert. Activate the flood filled layer and press delete. Deselect. You can now delete the original black lines layer. Or what I do is just delete what's on that layer and merge the flood filled layer down onto the now blank layer so it's still labeled properly.

Ok we're going to rearrange some layers here to make things a bit simpler. Click on the Top Light Twirl layer and bring it down in the layer palette so it's above the Bottom Light Twirl layer. Merge down and rename Light Twirl.

Now click on the Top Dark Twirl layer, bring it down in your layer palette so it's on top of the Bottom Dark Twirl layer. Again, merge down and rename Dark Twirl.

Finally repeat this same thing with the twirl dots layers.

Now activate your Dark Twirl layer. Select all, float, defloat. Add a new raster layer and flood fill with a color from your tube. I chose #687b53. Deselect. You can now delete the original dark twirl layer.

Repeat this same step on the light twirl layer using a lighter (or darker if you want) color from your tube. I used #949c63. Don't forget to delete the original layer when you're done. Apply DBS Flux Bright Noise at 30%, Mix selected.

You can change the color of the twirl dots but I opted to keep them black.

Now we're going to add some drop shadows. Activate your black lines layer again. Give it a slight drop shadow of 0, 0, 50. 5. Your Light Twirl layer is going to be a bit darker at 0, 0, 60, 10. And then finally a light drop shadow again on the dark twirl layer. I used, 0,0, 30, 5.

Now we're going to go down and activate our Blur layer. Duplicate this layer twice for a total of 3 layers. Rename them from the bottom as Blur 1, Blur 2 and Blur 3.

Activate the blur 1 layer and apply Greg's Factory Output II, Pool Shadow with default settings EXCEPT change the Center to 90, Intensity to 100 and the Lightness to 120.

Activate blur 2 and repeat the filter but change the Center to 130. Repeat with the blur 3 layer and the Center at 180. Hide the blur 2 and 3 layers for now.

Now activate your main tube layer. Apply Xero, Porcelain at default but change the blue slider to 0. Give your tube an overall drop shadow at 0, 0, 80, 15.

Activate your border layer. Select all. Add a new raster layer and flood will with black. Keep selected. Contract selection by 1. Fill with your dark color you used for the black lines. Contract by 2. Fill with black again. Contract by 1 and press delete. Deselect.

Activate the original border layer again. Select all, flood fill black. Contract by 4, press delete and deselect. Give this layer a gaussian blur at 3.

Add your copyright, license info and tagger's mark.

Add your name using colors from your tube. Give it an inner bevel, I used this one:

Then I gave it a gradient glow using these settings, with the glow width at 3:

And then finally a drop shadow, I used -2, 2, 50, 5.

Now to animate. If you choose to skip this step you can just merge all now and save as a jpg. Otherwise, continue.

Make sure that your blur 2 and blur 3 layers are still hidden. Copy merged and paste as a new animation in AS.

Go back to PSP, unhide blur 2, copy merged and this time in AS paste AFTER current frame. Easy way to do this is to press Ctrl Shift L.

Back to PSP again, unhide blur 3, copy merged and in AS, paste after current frame.

So you should now have 3 frames. Click on frame 1. Select all. Press alt enter to bring up the frame properties box. Change the speed to 20.

Save your tag and congrats, you're done!

New Exclusive FTU Tut - Windy

Hello everyone, I have a new Exclusive tutorial over on Creative Addictions. This is FTU, no scraps. I hope you enjoy it. Remember, I love to see what others make from my tut so please feel free to share. You can post a link in the comments or on my cbox or even email it to me. Thanks a bunch and happy tagging!

Mermaid - FTU

This tutorial was written by me on 04/20/2014 and assumes you have working knowledge of PSP. Any simularities to other tuts is purely coincidental and not done on purpose.

For this tut you will need:

PSP - I use version X3 but most versions will do

Animation Shop
Tube of choice - I'm using the artwork of Amy Brown. You can buy it from CDO
Do not use this tube without purchasing a license first.
04/18 Scrap Friday Grab Bag Freebie, scroll to bottom of page

Font of choice, I used Miss Le Gatees

Eye Candy 3.0 HSB Noise

Eye Candy 4000 Gradient Glow or any other filter with a gradient glow

Let's begin, remember to save often.

Open a new image 600 x 600, do NOT flood fill with a color, we'll fix that later. Open frame 1 from your grab bag scraps. Copy and paste as a new layer, resize 70%, all layers unchecked.

Open paper of choice, I used paper 6. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 55% and move below the frame layer. Activate the frame, click inside with your magic wand, expand by 6. Invert selection, activate the paper layer and press delete. Deselect. Give the frame a drop shadow of 0, 0, 80, 5.

Copy your tube and paste as a new layer. Make sure this layer is at the top of your layer palette. Give her a drop shadow of -3, 3, 60, 10, shadow on a new layer checked. Activate the tube layer again and repeat the drop shadow at 1, -1, 30, 5, again with the shadow on a new layer. Shadow 2 should be active, merge down one time.

Activate the tube layer again, and hide all layers except the tube. We're going to do some selecting so be sure to save your progress.

Zoom in about 500% and click on your freehand selection tool, set to point to point. Mode set to add, feather and smoothing at 0. We're going to select around the mermaid tail, start by selecting around the parts that are easy to get:

Now we're going to select around the harder parts, just carefully go along the lines, you can undo if you need to:

Once you have the entire tale selected, promote selection to layer. Deselect and duplicate this layer 2 times for a total of 3. Rename them from the bottom up as Tail 1, Tail 2 and Tail 3.

Activate the Tail 1 layer and go to Eye Candy 3.0, HSB Noise, apply the settings below:

Activate Tail 2, apply the filter again but change the random seed to 50. Repeat the filter on Tail 3 and change the random seed to 80.

Unhide the frame and tube shadow layers. Activate the tube shadow layer and click on your crop tool, crop layer opaque but make sure you don't crop off any part of the frame. I had to drag the bottom node down a bit to keep from cutting it off.

If you're going to resize your tag, do it now. I resized 90%, all layers checked.

Now hide all layers except the paper and frame layer. Activate the frame layer and duplicate, move the duplicate down below the original frame and hide the original frame layer. Lower the opacity on the duplicate frame to 40. Copy merged and paste as a new image in Animation Shop.

Click Effects, Insert Image Effect. Select Underwater and click on Customize, use these settings:

Click ok twice. The effect has now been applied. Delete the first and last frames in your animation. You should now have 9 frames. Scroll to the beginning and activate frame 1. Select all and minimize for now.

Back to psp. Hide the frame duplicate layer and the paper layer. And unhide all other layers except Tail 2 and Tail 3. Activate the top layer in your palette. Add your artist copyright, license info and tagger's mark.

Add your name using colors from your tube. Give it an inner bevel of choice, I used:

Then a simple white gradient glow with the glow width at 3:

Then give your name a drop shadow, I used -2, 2, 60, 10. Make sure you uncheck the shadow on a new layer box.

Now make sure these layers are hidden: Tail 2, Tail 3, the duplicate frame and the paper layer. The rest all need to be visible. Copy merged and paste as a new animation in AS. Back to psp, hide Tail 1 and unhide Tail 2. Copy merged and paste AFTER current frame in AS. Back to psp, hide Tail 2 and unhide Tail 3. Copy merged and paste AFTER current frame in AS.

You'll now have 3 frames. Click on frame 1 and select all. Copy, click on frame 3 and paste AFTER current frame. Click on frame 6 and paste AFTER current frame again. You should now have 9 frames. Scroll back and click on frame 1. Select all.

Unminimize your previous animation you made with the underwater effect. Frame 1 should be active and all frames selected. So now you're going to click on the first frame of your animation with the tube and text and drag it onto the first frame of the animation with the water effect. Line up the frame so it sits on top of the one with the lowered opacity and release the mouse button to drop into place. All 9 frames should of moved over to the exact location. If not, then undo and try again.

While all frames are still selected, press Alt Enter to bring up the frame properties box. Change the speed to 17. Then press Shift Alt Enter to bring up the animation properties box. Click on Opaque and change the color to white. Click ok and now your animation has a white background.

Save your tag and congrats, you're done!

FTU Forum Set - Shimmering Elegance

This tutorial was written on 03/09/2014 and assumes you have working knowledge of PSP. Any simularities to other tuts is purely coincidental and not done on purpose.

For this tutorial you will need:

PSP - I use X3 but most versions will do

Animation Shop

Tube of choice, I used the art of Jennifer Janesko

You can purchase this tube at CDO. Do not use without purchasing a license first.

Template 83 by Spawn

Dave makes awesome templates so be sure to leave some love when you download

Xero, Porcelain and Radiance

 Eye Candy 4000, or any other filter with a gradient glow

Font of choice, I used Centeria Script Demo

Let's begin, remember to save often!

Open forum template and tube, duplicate both and close the originals. On your template, delete the credits layer. Activate the main background layer. Select 2 colors from your tube. I used a dark brown for my foreground, #201611 and a lighter goldish brown for the background, #75551e.

Flood fill your background layer with the darker color. Now activate the Small Rounded Squares layer. Create a foreground-background gradient with linear, angle 45, repeats 4, invert unchecked. Add a new raster layer and flood fill with your gradient. Activate the squares layer again. Select all, float, defloat and invert. Activate your flood filled layer, press delete and deselect. Activate the original squares layer and press delete once on your keyboard. Activate the flood filled layer once more and merge down.

Now activate your shape background layer, select all, float and defloat. Flood fill with your lighter color. Copy your tube and paste it as a new layer. If your tube has a closeup layer, use that, otherwise you can resize it up like I did. I resized mine 115%. I arranged her so I could see her head inside the frame but you could use another part of the tube if you wish. Apply Xero, Porcelain at default but move the blue slider to 0. Give her a drop shadow, I used 0, 0, 60, 5. Now activate the shape outline layer. Click inside with your magic wand and expand by 3. Invert selection, activate your tube layer, press delete and deselect. Activate the outline layer again and give it a drop shadow. I used 0, 0, 100, 10.

Now paste your tube as a new layer again, I mirrored her and moved her over so I could see the closeup plus my tube has her legs cut off on the end. Once you have it where you like it, duplicate this layer. On the original, apply the porcelain filter again, then on the duplicate apply Xero Radiance with these settings:

Change the blend mode on the duplicate to Luminance. Then give the bottom tube a drop shadow of -3, 3, 80, 10. I then repeated my drop shadow with 1, -2, 50, 5.

Now activate the border layer. Select all, float and defloat. You'll need to zoom in so you can see it well and flood fill black. Do not deselect. Zoom back out to 100%. Add a new raster layer, name it gradient, flood fill with your gradient but invert the colors so the lighter color is the foreground. Contract your selection by 4 and press delete. Do not deselect yet. Add a new raster layer, name it border 2, flood fill with black again, contract by 1 and press delete. You may now deselect.

Now add a new raster layer again, name it border shadow. Select all, flood fill with black. Contract by 6 and press delete. Deselect. Drag this layer under the first border layer and give it a gaussian blur of 3.

Now activate your gradient border layer, duplicate 2 times for a total of 3 layers. Rename them from the bottom as gborder1, gborder2 and gborder 3. Activate the first one and add noise at random, 40%, monochrome checked. Activate the 2nd gradient border and add noise but change it to 43%. Repeat with the 3rd gradient border and the noise at 46%. Hide the top 2 gradient border layers for now.

Now go down and activate your rounded squares layer, duplicate this layer twice for a total of 3 layers. Rename them from the bottom up as squares 1, squares 2 and squares 3. Starting with squares 1, give this layer a bit of noise at gaussian, 10% and monochrome still checked. Repeat noise on square 2 with the noise at 13% and then on square 3 with the noise at 16%. Hide squares 2 and 3 for now.

Activate the top layer in your palette, should be the border 2 layer. Add your copyright info, license and tagger's mark.

Add your name using the same colors as before, turn off the gradient and switch the darker color back to the foreground again. Give it an inner bevel, I used this one:

Then give it a light gradient glow, I used these settings, the color is #c4b26f, but you'll want to pick a light color that compliments your tube, I chose mine from her outfit she's wearing:

 

 Then give your name a drop shadow of -2, 2, 60, 8.

Now to animate:

Make sure your gborder 2 and gborder 3 are hidden. Also you want squares 2 and squares 3 hidden as well. With the top layer in your palette (should be your name) active, copy merged. Go over to animation shop and paste as a new animation, I use CTRL V.

Go back to psp, unhide gborder 2 and squares 2. Again copy merged, over to AS. This time you want to paste AFTER current frame, easy way to do that is to press SHIFT CTRL L.  

Then back to psp again, this time unhide gborder 3 and squares 3. Copy merged and over in AS paste AFTER current frame again. Save your tag, you're done!

Optional - Make a matching avatar:

Go back to your tag, duplicate so you don't mess up your original and delete every layer above the squares 3 layer and activate this layer.

Open a temporary new workspace 150 x 150. Select all, flood fill with black, contract by 1 and press delete. Deselect. Copy this and paste as a new layer onto your forum tag duplicate. Click on your raster deform tool to make it easier to move it where you want the background to show through.

You should now have only 5 layers in your palette. From the bottom: main background, squares 1 2 and 3, and the thin black frame you just pasted. With this top layer still active, click on your crop tool, it should snap to around the frame, if it doesn't click on layer opaque on the tools options menu. Double click or click the green check mark to crop. You can now close the temporary 150 x 150 we opened up cause we no longer need it.

Now on your avatar, you're going to make the border like you did before. Rename the little black border to border 1. Click inside with your magic wand, add a new raster layer, flood fill with your gradient again. Contract by 4 and press delete. Keep selected, add a new raster layer and flood fill with black. Contract by 1, press delete and deselect. Rename this top little black border as border 2 and rename the gradient layer as gborder like before. You can repeat the border drop shadow like we did before with the forum tag if you wish.

Now activate the squares 3 layer and paste your tube as a new layer, I mirrored mine so she was going the same direction as the forum tag. Then lined her up within the frame where I wanted her, duplicated this layer, applied the porcelain to the bottom and radiance to the duplicate and change the blend mode on the duplicate to Luminance like we did before. And then give the bottom tube layer a drop shadow of 0, 0, 70, 10.

Now back up to your gborder layer again, I wanted it animated like my forum tag so I duplicated it 2 times for a total of 3, renamed them as before and added the noise with the same amounts as before, which were random, monochrome checked and 40%, 43% and 46% from the bottom up. Remember to hide gborder 2 and 3 when you're done.

Activate the top layer in your palette, should be border 2. Add your copyright and license info. Now since this is an avatar, url's are not required.

Add your name or your initial using the same font and colors as your forum tag. Give it the same bevel, gradient glow and drop shadow as before also. Then follow the same animation instructions as you did your forum tag and save your avatar. Congrats, you're done!

FTU Tut - Pumpkin's Bane

This tutorial was written on 09/27/2013 and assumes you have working knowledge of PSP. Any simularities to other tuts is purely coincidental and not done on purpose.

For this tutorial you will need:

PSP - I use X3 but most versions will do

Animation Shop

Eye Candy 4000 Gradient Glow

Tube of choice, I used the art of Tiffany Toland-Scott

You can purchase this tube at CDO. Do not use without purchasing a license first.

Freebie Cluster available on the CDO Designer blog

Animation 35 by Simone at Scrappy Bit Of Fun

Font of choice, I used AcroterionJF

Open a new image 800 x 800. Flood fill white. Copy your cluster and paste as a new layer. I chose to mirror my cluster but this is optional. Now the grass is a bit sparce on one side. So using your selection tool, draw a selection around the grass like so:

Promote selection to layer and mirror. Use your Move tool to move the grass back over so it sits on top of the part that's a bit thin and move this layer down. Merge visible. It should now look something like this:

Give the cluster a slight drop shadow of -1, 2, 50, 5. Make sure the Vertical is negative 1 so the cluster doesn't look like it's floating.

Copy your tube and paste as a new layer. Resize if needed. I resized mine down 90%, all layers unchecked.

Move this layer under the cluster layer and arrange where desired. Your going want it to look like the cat and pumpkins are sitting in the grass. Once you're satisfied with the placement, move it back up again for now.

Use your freehand selection tool to select any areas that you want to sit on top of the cluster. I chose the leaves:

Promote selection to layer. Then click on the original tube layer and press delete. Deselect. Move your main tube layer under the cluster now and give it a drop shadow of -3, 2, 60, 10.

Activate the promoted layer and give it a drop shadow of 2, 2, 50, 5.

Now hide the white background layer and copy merged. Paste back onto your workspace as a new layer. Duplicate and mirror. Move the two layers so they're closer together and with the duplicate active, merge down. Give it a radial blur with these settings:

Move this layer to just above the white layer. Now use your raster deform tool to drag the nodes in so the blur is only slightly bigger then the cluster. Then activate your crop tool and crop layers opaque. Now resize the whole thing down if desired cause it is rather huge. I resized mine 70%, all layers checked.

Activate the top layer in your palette which should be the promoted selection. Add your copyright, license and tagger's mark. If using this same cluster be sure to include Scraps by Hungry Hill in your credits.

Add your name using colors from your tube. Give it an inner bevel of choice, I used:

Then give your name a slight gradient glow. This is what I used, the color is #eddac9:

Then a drop shadow of -2, 2, 50, 5.

To Animate:

Open your animation in AS, if you resized your tag down, you'll need to resize the animation too. I resized mine 80%.

Back to psp, hide the top 4 layers in your palette. Should be your name, the credits layer, the promoted selection and the cluster. The tube, the blur and the white background should be the only thing visible. Lower the opacity for the time being on the tube to 30%. You just want to be able to barely see it.

Copy merged and paste as a new animation in AS. Now you're going to need to make the same number of frames as the animation. My animation has 26 frames, so press ctrl shift L repeatedly until you have the required number of frames.

Scroll back and click on frame 1. Select all. Now activate your animation, make sure the first frame is active and select all on it also. Click and drag the first frame of your animation onto the first frame of your tag. All the other frames will drag along with it and place in the proper places. If you don't like the placement, undo on both and try again. I placed mine so the little orange dot on the left is above the left side of the small pumpkin:

When you're happy with placement then go back to psp. Return the opacity on the tube to 100% again and go to Layers, View and click on Invert. But then make sure you unhide the tube layer again. So now all layers should show but the blur and white background should be hidden.

Copy merged and paste as a new animation in AS. Make sure your Propagate Paste is enabled. If you're unsure there's an icon on the tool bar or you can go to Edit, Propagate Paste. Now with your existing animation that you added the sparkles to, should still be all selected. Click on your single frame and drag onto the first frame of your animation, lining the kitty up so it matches. The propagate paste will then place the same image in all frames. If you mess up you can undo and try again.

Save your tag and congrats, you're done!