Sweet Caroline

For this tutorial you will need the following: Paint Shop Pro, I am using PSP X, you should be able to use any version. Tube of choice, I am using the artwork of Aiya at Juicy bits which you need a license to use. You can get it HERE. Scrap kit of choice. I am using High School Sweetheart by Aiya at Juicy Bits. You can find it HERE. Font of choice, I am using Mask: Aqua Rebel 315 mask 50, which you can get HERE. Plugins: Eye Candy 3.1 glow (or if you have a different version of Eye Candy, use Gradient Glow) If you have some sparkles from a scrap kit, you can add those too. I have some that were shared by someone who made them in a group I belong to for a grab bag challenge and they can't be shared. There are a lot of them around, so I'm sure you have some or can find some easily! Just remember that my choices of papers and elements is just a suggestion, change it up and make it yours! You don't have to follow mine exactly. Let's get started! Open a new canvas about 700 x 700, white background. We'll crop it and resize at the end. This just gives us some extra room to work. Set your foreground to #264a6a and your background to null. Using your preset rectangle tool with the width set to 12, draw out a large rectangle. Objects, align, center in canvas. Convert to raster layer. Click inside the rectangle with your magic wand, selections, modify, expand by 3 selections, invert. Open paper 9, copy and paste as a new layer, click delete on your keyboard, drag it below the frame layer. Leave selected. Open your tube, copy and paste as a new layer, arrange how you want in your frame, erase the bits that hang over the frame with your eraser tool. Deselect, add a drop shadow to your tube and your frame layers. Open paper 4, set your background as a pattern using your paper, set your foreground to null. Draw out a circle. Convert to raster layer. Selections, select all, defloat, modify, expand by 4. Add a new raster layer and flood fill with #cf4368. Adjust, add/remove noise with the following settings: Random, Monochrome checked and Noise set at 100%. Add a drop shadow. Merge. Pull to the top left side of your frame. Do the same as above for a second circle that you will pull to the bottom right side of your frame. Open the heart strings element, copy and paste as a new layer, resize by about 80%. Arrange to the top left, add a drop shadow. Open paper 6, copy and paste as a new layer just above your white background. Open your mask, go to layers, new mask layer, from image. Look for your mask in the drop down box and apply it to the paper. Delete the mask layer and merge your group. You may have to resize your mask layer. I resized mine by 93%, then I mirrored it and lowered the opacity to 60. If you want to add some small circles, just pick a color and set it as your background color and draw out some small circles around your frame like I did on mine. Add your sparkles if you are using them. Add your copyright info. Add your name. I used Eye Candy 3.1 glow set at white and width at 4 then added my drop shadow. Crop your tag and resize. If you want to save as a transparent tag, then save it as a .png file.

AMI Loss

Today is a very sad day in the tagging world. The creator of AMI, Leah, has passed away. Her family has chosen not to carry on the business, and all the artists there will have to find a new licensing company to go with, or do it on their own. It's sad for her family, for her artists, and for all of us who have grown to know and love her as an Admin at the Ismael Rac Stalkers forum, and as a Customer Service person at AMI. I was on the Creative Team for AMI for several months and loved working with AMI. Sadly, that part of my blog has come to an end. May Leah's friends and family, and the artists who she helped find comfort today and in the days to come.

Little Mermaid

For this tutorial you will need the following: Paint Shop Pro, I am using PSP X, you should be able to use any version. Tube of choice, I am using the artwork of Lisa Victoria which you need a license to use. You can get it at AMI. Scrap kit of choice. I am using a FTU kit by Artmama, called Beach Morning, which you can find at her blog, Artmama's Studio. Font of choice, I am using Sweetheart Script Mask: gemsmask21 from Gems Taggin Scraps Plugins: No outside plugins used. Just remember that my choices of papers and elements is just a suggestion, change it up and make it yours! You don't have to follow mine exactly. Let's get started! Open a new canvas, 700 x 700 white background. You can crop and resize at the end, this just gives us room to work. Set your background to black, foreground to null and with your preset shapes tool, draw out a largish circle in the middle of your canvas, objects, align, center in canvas. Convert to raster layer, selections, select all, float, defloat, invert. Open your tube, copy and paste as a new layer and arrange it in the circle, erase the bits that hang off where you don't want them. Selections, invert, make sure you are back on your black circle layer, make your foreground a color from your tube, selections, modify, expand by 5, add a new raster layer and fill with that color from your tube. Deselect and drag that layer below your black circle. Adjust, add/remove noise with the following settings: Random, monochrome checked, noise at 100%, add a drop shadow of your choice. Back on your tube layer, duplicate the tube. On the original layer, gaussian blur of 3. On the duplicate layer change the blend mode to overlay and add a drop shadow to the top duplicate layer. Pick another color from your tube and set it as your background color, draw out a largish circle and pull it over to the left of your tag so its sort of peeking out from under your black circle. Convert to raster layer, and follow the instructions above for making a frame around it. This time, choose a color that is a few shades darker than what you used to draw the circle. When you are finished, merge the circle and the frame together, duplicate, image mirror, image flip, add a drop shadow to both. Pick another darkish color from your tube and set it as your foreground, background is null. Take your preset rectangle shape, with width set at about 5 and draw out a rectangle to the left of your circle (see my tag as a reference), and then convert to raster layer. Drag it below your circles. Add the noise with the same settings as above. Click inside it with your magic wand, selections, modify, expand 2, open a paper of your choice, copy and paste as a new layer, selections, invert, click delete on your keyboard. Click inside one of your circles with your magic wand, invert. Open the seashell embellishment, copy and paste as a new layer, arrange it how you want it click delete on your keyboard. Do the same for the other circle. Add embellishment 31, resize and rotate as needed to have it lay correctly on the tops of both of the bottom circle layers. The amounts you will have to resize and rotate will depend on how big you drew out your circles, so just play with the settins til you get something you like. My resize was at 45%, and I rotated mine about 57, so that might give you something to go from. Also, add a drop shadow to each one. Add any seashell embellishments along the bottom that you like, resizing as necessary. Open Beach Mornings 4 paper, copy and paste as a new layer, drag it just above your white background layer, open your mask, Layers, new mask layer, from image, search for your mask in the drop down bar and apply it. Delete the mask, then merge the group together.

In Love With Paris

For this tutorial you will need the following: Paint Shop Pro, I am using PSP X, you should be able to use any version. Tube of choice, I am using the artwork of Ismael Rac which you need a license to use. You can get at AMI Scrap kit of choice. I am using In Love With Paris, a PTU kit by Aiya at Juicy Bits which you can purchase HERE Font of choice, I am using Pushkin Plugins: Eye Candy 3.1 Glow (or gradient glow in another version) Just remember that my choices of papers and elements is just a suggestion, change it up and make it yours! You don't have to follow mine exactly. Let's get started! Open a new canvas about 700 x 700 with a white background. You can crop it down and resize at the end, this just gives us room to work. Open frame 1, copy and paste as a new layer. Take your magic wand and click inside the frame, selections, modify, expand by 2, open a paper, copy and paste as a new layer, selections, invert, make sure you are on your paper layer and click delete on your keyboard.Drag the paper layer below your frame. Leave selected, copy and paste your tube as a new layer. Arrange it how you'd like and erase the bits that hang over the bottom. Deselect and add a drop shadow of your choosing. Add gradient glow, or if you use Eye Candy 3.1 like I do, glow with width of 3, color white. Add whatever elements you'd like. I used the following: Chain Charm: erase top chain loops, add to right side of tag, add drop shadow. Doodle 2, add gradient glow width 3 white, add drop shadow arrang on the bottom of the tag, to the right. Doodle 3 and Leaf 3, resized and rotated as needed, add drop shadow, arrange to the left of tag. Add your ©info. Add your name. I added a glow of 3 and my drop shadow to my name. Crop your tag, and resize if necessary. If you want a transparent tag, delete your white background layer and save as a .png file.