Digital Tutorials

Time Paper

1. Open a new image, as large as you need, 300 dpi if you will be printing this
2. Add a layer, and fill with your chosen color
3. "Stamp" paper randomly with brushes in a darker shade of the background color (I used PB Grunge brushes, but don't remember where I got them)
4. Add a layer and draw random lines throughout the image
5. Add a Gaussian blur and adjust the opacity if necessary to create the proper shading
6. Save as a PSP file to preserve the layers, and as a .jpg file

   Click here to see the card I made with this collage

Christmas Diamond Paper

1. Open blank image, 105 x 200, transparent background
2. Use the Present Shapes Tool, and draw a diamond in a light sage color, 100 x 200 in size (leave the extra 5 pixels open on the left side) - convert to raster layer
3. Select the diamond with the Magic Wand, and add some grunge in the darker sage color - CTL + D to deselect.
4. Open Dingbat Fonts 2, and type the letter "r" in the center of the diamond, using a darker sage color
5. Set the Paintbrush Tool on round, size 10, and choose a dark red color. Click once at the top of the diamond point, and once at the left side of the diamond point to add the "dots."
6. Merge layers
7. Open a new transparent image, the size of your finished page
8. Set the diamond image as a Pattern and fill the page
9. Add a new layer, drag below the diamond layer, and fill with the dark sage color.
10. Save as a PSP file, and then as a .jpg.
    
    

Font: KR Christmas Dings 2 (Kats Fun Fonts) - page 24;

NOTE: When I made my image 100 x 200 and placed the red dot at the left diamond point, the pattern did not come out properly. So I added the additional 5 pixels to accommodate the dot. There was no problem with the dot at the top. Also, the diamond image at the top has a white background only because it was saved as a .jpg. The original that was used to create the diamond pattern had a transparent background.

Published in SSReflections On-Line Ezine

Click here to see the card I made with this collage

Lace Paper

This one is too easy!
• Lay a piece of lace on your scanner bed
• Lay a piece of cardstock, any color on top and close lid
• Scan and resize image
  
  Scan using a different color cardstock for a different background.
  
  Remember that many fabrics are copyright. This was an old piece of lace, about 30 years old.
  
  

Happy-Good Times Paper

• Create an image 3 times the size of your finished piece at 300 ppi.
• Fill with light purple and use Texturizer plug in, Canvas texture
• Type each word on a different layer, varying the fonts, sizes and shades of purple
• Save file as PSP image to preserve the layers, and then as a .jpg.
  
  
• Fonts: GF Halda (Scrap Village)
  McGarey Fractured (L Egypt - file to download is TT MGAR.ZIP - alphabetical in list)
  Antique Type (Scrap Village)
  My Old Remington (Scrap Village)
  

  Click here to see the card I made with this collage

Black and White Paper

• Create a new image, any size, and fill with black
• Open the white clip art (image below left), and choose Image Menu, Negative Image, which will turn it to the image below right.
• Click the Magic Wand, tolerance 100, and click on the clip art negative image to select
• Add a layer to your plain black image and copy and paste the selection
• Repeat adding layers and clip art images, moving them until you are pleased with the layout

Credits: Clip Art Design (Dover)

    

Diamond Nautical Paper

• Create a new image, any size, and fill with white
• Set your foreground to blue, and use the compass and various grunge brushes to create your background
• Open blank image, 100 x 200, transparent background
• Use the Present Shapes Tool, and draw a diamond in the dark blue color - convert to raster layer
• Set the diamond image as a Pattern
• Add a layer to your white image and fill with the diamond pattern

Credits: Clip Art Design (Dover)

Click here to see a card made with this paper.

Floral Brush Paper

• Open a transparent image, 300 dpi, any size. (This is a case where my brushes were too small to create my paper 3600 x 3600. I used 1200 x 1200 and it still turned out fine).
• Fill background with pale sage green.
• Make the green a little darker, add a layer and choose the leaf brush.
• Click once on your image to "brush" on the leaf. Leave plenty of room between images, and make sure you brush a few at the edges, just like you would stamp off the edge of the paper.
• Make the green a little darker yet, add a layer, choose your fern brush, and add the images.
• Make the green darker yet, add a layer, and choose your text brush.
• After I brushed a few times, I added a layer, brushed the text and rotated just that layer.
• Choose a complimentary lilac color, add a layer, and brush on the flowers.
• Choose a darker lilac, add a layer, and reduce the size of the flower brush. Brush several images of the flowers. You can move the layers around on the Layer Pallette until you are happy with the look. (My text is the top layer). That's one of the benefits of adding each item to it's own layer.
• Save your file as a .psp file to preserve the layers, and save again as a .jpg.

  Credits: Leaf and fern brushes (feuillage); Flower brush (unknown); Shakespeare text ( Greeneye )

  Click here to see a card made with this paper.
  
  To create the monochromatic blue paper:

• Create the floral background as described above.
• Duplicate the image and close the original.
• Merge all layers.
• Use the Eyedropper Tool to choose the darkest blue of the flower.
• Add a layer to the image and fill with the dark blue. Drag that layer below the floral layer.
• Click on the floral layer to make it active.
• Change the Blend Mode of the floral layer to Overlay.
• Save your file as a .psp file to preserve the layers, and save again as a .jpg.
  
  You can try different Blend Modes, fill your blank layer with different colors, even Colorize the image. All will produce different results.