SUPPLIES


I am using the fabulous art work of Elias Chatsoutis.  You can find his work at MPT here.  The scrap kit I am using is from Lacarolita called Cold Winter.  You can find her site here.  The mask I am using (#84) is from WeeScottLass and you can find her site here.  The font I used is called Snowdrift and you can find it at daFont.com.


PLUGINS


Muira Meister Copies

VanDerLee Snowflakes


I am assuming you have a working knowledge of PSP.  Takes a bit of time so grab a coffee or tea lol.


First of all open a new image 700 x 700.  Floodfill with white.  Note:  If you want your tag to stand alone do not floodfill with white.  Go to Selections and select all.  Choose a paper from the kit and paste to your working copy.  Apply your mask then hit delete.  Then duplicate your mask and flip the duplicated mask.  Move them around until you are happy.

To make our frame of snowflakes go to the kit and take Star #2.  Resize to 20%.  Paste to your working copy.  Now go to Muira Meister Copies and apply with the following settings:



Next take your selection tool using the Circle and draw a circle on your frame so it is just beyond the inside.  Floodfill this with the following color:  #F382AA.  Move this layer below the frame.  Now go to Preset Shapes and choose the Rectangle with the Dot Line and width of 5.  Draw a rectangle beside your frame but behind it.  Check my tag for size & placement.  Take your Selection tool but using the rectangle now and draw a rectangle on your dotted frame.  Take a paper from the kit and paste to your working copy.  Go to Selections>Invert>Delete.  Move this layer below the dotted frame.

Now we are going to add the elements.  You can add what you want or follow what I did.

Take the snow, resize it and place it on your working tag.  Next take the Christmas Tree and resize it.  Place it on your tag sitting on the snow so it looks like it is in the distance.  Now take the mailbox and resize it.  Paste it on your working tag to the left.  Now add your tube and place to the right of the tag.  Add a light drop shadow.  Next take the snow buddies and resize.  Place these to the left of your tag and by the mail box.  Then take the hollyberries and resize.  Place them at the top of your frame.  I used the Deform tool to place it exactly where I wanted it.  Finally take bow1 and resize it.  Place this just on top of the hollyberries.  

Add your copyright info and watermark.

Now if you don't want to animate you can add your name and save as a .gif.


ANIMATION

The round circle underneath your snowflake frame needs to be highlighted.  Duplicate this so you have three layers.  Go to Selections>Select All>Float>Defloat.  Put a red x beside the two copies of the blue circle.  Then go to Effects>VanDerLee>Snowflakes with the following settings:


Then put a red x beside the first copy and remove the red x beside the second copy.  Apply Snowflake to this copy but move the Random Seed up by 5.  Repeat these steps for the third copy.

Now put a red x beside all layers except the Background, the Mask, the Rectangle diamond box, and the first copy of the blue circle.  Now making sure the Background layer is highlighted, copy merged and take it into Animation Shop.  Paste as a New Layer.  Back in PSP place a red x beside the first copy of the snowflakes and remove the red x from the second copy.  Copy merged and take it to AS.  Go to Edit>Paste After Current Frame.  Repeat these steps for the third copy of the snowflakes.  

Once in AS check your animation for the speed of your snowflakes.  I went to Frame Properties and changed it to 20.  Once you are happy resize your tag.

If you want to add word art you can do so now.  I did not include it in the tut as it is personal preference.  Add your name and you are all done.  Save your work as a .gif.


Thank you for trying my tutorial.



Written by Sandie on November 15, 2010