Lady Gem's

Christmas Past

 

This is what you will be making today.

Christmas Past Frameing

 

Items you will need are:

1, An image that is similar to the one above or use the one from the download. ( a single head image with no other background images). The image in the download is in psd format so any version of PSP will be able to open it.

2, The font called "Holly Time" in the download

3. Super Blade Pro Pre-set in the download or use one that you like.

Christma-Past-Files

When you unzip it a folder called Xmas-Past will be created for you so you will always know where the files are for this tutorial.

Step 1:

Open the Santa-Head.psd image and make a copy so you are not working on the original file.

Step 2:

We need to resize the canvas. Go Image/Canvas Size and use the settings below.

Resize Canvas

Step 3:

Use your eye dropper tool and choose a color from the image as your foreground color.

Step 4:

Using your magic wand tool click in the blank space on the image and then flood fill the blank space with your chosen foreground color. Do Not deselect yet.

Step 5:

Go Selections/Promote to Layer and deselect.

Step 6:

Make your new layer the active layer and using your magic wand tool, touch in the center blank space.

Step 7:

Go Effects/3D Effects/Cutout and use the settings below. Do Not Deselect yet.

Step 8:

Go selections/invert

Step 9:

Go Effects/Texture Effect/Fine Leather and use the settings below.

Fine Leather Settings

Step 10:

Go Selections/Invert and then click on your bottom layer to make it the active layer.

Step 11:

Go Effects/Edge Effects/High Pass and use the settings below. Do Not deselect yet.

High Pass Settings

Step 12:

Go Adjust/Hue and Saturation/Colorize play with the sliders to find a color you like. Here are my settings below.

Hue and Saturation Colorize Settings

Step 13:

Right click on any layer and choose Merge/Visible.

Now it's time to add the embellishments to the frame. We will use the font called Holly Time. There will be quite a few instances of layer duplication and merging so read carefully.

Step 14:

Make your Text Tool the active tool and use the settings below. Make your background color white and turn off the foreground color.

Text Settings 1

Text Settings 2

It is easier to resize smaller than bigger. Using lower case letters use the [ key on your keyboard. Now move the letter to the upper left corner and resize it using the lower right hand corner so it looks similar to the screen shot below.

Letter moved to top left corner

Step 15:

  1. In your layer control box right click on your text layer and choose Convert to Raster.
  2. Still in your layer control box right click on the image you just made and moved and choose Duplicate.
  3. Now go Image/Mirror
  4. Turn off the bottom layer (the one with santa's head)
  5. Make either of the two top layers the active layer and the right click on either layer and choose Merge/Visible.
  6. Turn on the bottom layer again so you can see how it looks.
  7. Make the Merged layer the active layer and right click on it and choose Duplicate
  8. Now go Image/Flip
  9. Turn off the bottom layer again.
  10. Make one of the upper layers the active layer, right click on it and choose Merge/Visible.
  11. Turn on the bottom layer again.
  12. Make the top layer the active layer again.
  13. Using your text tool set the same as previously use the shift key and the Underscore key to add the single holly leaf.
  14. Now you will need to re-size and move it into position it till it looks like below.
    Keystroke Underscore      Moved and resized
  15. Once placed where you want it to be, right click on the layer and choose Convert to Raster.
  16. Make the top layer you just created the active layer and choose Duplicate. Make two duplicates.
  17. Move the duplicated layers to the right of the corner piece of the frame to it looks like below.
    Duplicated twice and moved
  18. Turn off the bottom two (2) layers and the right click and choose Merge/Visible.
  19. Right click on the top layer then go Image/Flip. Turn on the bottom 2 layers again and you should see that you now have both the top and bottom looking the same as below.
    Image now looks like this
  20. Make the top layer the active layer and then using your text tool and the < key add another single holly. DO NOT rotate this one please.
  21. Move it to the left side of the frame and re-size it to look like below.
    Moved and Re-Sized
  22. Using the same methods above duplicate and mirror until you have this.
    Frame completed
  23. Turn off the bottom layer (santa's head) make one of the other layers the active layer and right click choose Merge/Visible.
  24. Activate your Selection Tool.
  25. Make the merged layer the active layer and go Selections/Select All and touch anywhere on the white images. All the white part of the frame should now be selected.
  26. Go Effects/Plugins/Super Blade Pro and add the gold to the frame.
  27. Still with the marching ants moving go Effects/3D/Drop Shadow and add a drop shadow to the frame.
  28. Make sure all layers are visible then right click any layer and choose Merge Visible and your done. You may re-size the image to the dimensions you like for your Incredimail Letter or Incredimail
    E-Card.

 

Step 16:

Create a background for your E-Card.

Step 17:

Open up Incredimail's Letter writer and create an E-Card. On the finish tab is where you can make the choice of "Letter or ECard"

Tutorial © Lady Gem of http://www.ladygem.com 2006

If you need any help with any step please fill out the form found here.