CHRISTMAS PAST FTU

To see animation, click on tag

Written by Gwenda on December 11^th 2011

Any similarity to any other tutorial is purely coincidental

You will need:

Font of choice – I used A&S Christmas Script, which is a pay font

Scrapkit is part of a blogtrain called Christmas Past. I used the one by Nette’s NightOwl Works.  It’s FTU, is really cute, and can be found

HERE

My Supplies (frame, snow and scenery)

 HERE

Mask of choice – I used WSL4

HERE

New raster layer 700x700.

Fill with white.

Layer – new raster layer. Selections – select all. Paste Paper 3 into selection. Deselect.

Apply WSL mask 4

Merge group. Stretch out to fill canvas.

Duplicate mask and merge both together

Wreath – Resize 75% then 95%. Sharpen. Dropshadow.

Grey Scalloped frame (from my supplies) – Resize 95% twice.

Paste over wreath.

Selections – select all. Selections – float. Selections – defloat. Layers – new raster layer. Paste Paper 3 into selection.

Deselect. Sharpen.

Inner bevel of choice. Dropshadow.

Delete grey frame layer.

Click inside frame with magic wand. Selections – modify – expand by 12

Layers – new raster layer. Paste Paper 2 into selection, then Layers – new raster layer and paste Tagbacktwo into selection

Deselect.

On tagback 2 layer go to Layers – properties – Luminance (L)

Dropshadow. Merge down to Paper 2 layer.

Move this under frame and rename SCENERY

Outdoor Gathering – Resize 50% Sharpen and position over frame on left.

Using selection tool, draw around the bluebird.

On layers palette, right click to bring up menu, and choose “Promote selection to layer”.

Click back on Outdoor gathering and hit delete.

Deselect.

Move bluebird to where you want it. Duplicate – mirror and position as desired.

Dropshadow both birds and outdoor gathering.

Skates – Resize 30%. Dropshadow.

Image resize 83%. Resize all layers checked.

Open Sneeuw in PSP (there are 10 layers).

If you do not want to animate,

then copy the bottom layer of the snow and paste it over Scenery layer on your tag.

Click on Scenery. Selections – select all. Selections – float. Selections – defloat. Selections – invert. Click on snow and hit delete.

Deselect.

Add copyrights and name, and any other embellishments.

TO ANIMATE:

This may seem a lot of work, but it’s the prettiest way to do snow that I know of.

Open all layers of Sneeuw by clicking the little eye next to each on the layers palette.

Copy the bottom layer of the Sneeuw and paste it on your tag over the Scenery layer. Rename SNOW 1

Back to Sneeuw. Copy next layer up from bottom and paste over SNOW 1

Rename this layer SNOW 2.

Keep repeating this step until you have 10 snow layers on your tag.

It looks a real mess, but don’t panic - we are about to sort that out now.

Close Sneeuw, as we have finished with that.

On your tag, click on Scenery layer. Selections – select all. Selections – float. Selections – defloat. Selections – invert. Click on Snow 1 and hit delete, then Snow 2, Snow 3 and so on until all 10 snow layers are done.

Deselect.

Starting with Snow 10, click the little eye in layers palette and close off all snow layer except Snow 1.

Make sure you have added copyrites, and any words ( not names).

OK . .  deep breath and concentrate.

Close off white background.

Open Animation Shop (AS)

In PSP, go to Edit – Copy Special – Copy Merged.

In AS, go to Edit – Paste – As New Animation.

Back to PSP. Close Snow 1 and open Snow 2. Edit – Copy Special – Copy Merged.

In AS, go to Edit – Paste – after current frame.

Back to PSP. Close Snow 2 and open Snow 3. Edit – Copy Special – Copy Merged.

In AS, go to Edit – Paste – after current frame.

Keep doing this until you have 10 frames in Animation Shop.

Check your animation in AS, by clicking the View Animation button (looks like a little black & red film strip).

If you are happy with how it looks, go to Animation – animation properties.
Cheque Opaque and make colour white.

You can now save your animation.

NOTES:

If your animation “flashes”, it probably means you forgot to copy merged in PSP.

Delete the 10 frames in AS and start again with Snow 1 in PSP.

To add names to an animated tag, I find it’s best to prepare in PSP and copy merged to AS. There you can crop, duplicate the frames and position the name where you want it.

Good luck with this, and I would love to see your results.