This lesson is written by Claudia © (CGSFDesigns) on 25-11-2008.
No part of this lesson may be used without my permission.
The picturetubes in this lsson are NOT made by me, so please leave the name and watermark intact,
so do not claim them as yours.
It takes a lot of a time to make picturetubes and to write a lesson, therefore respect its makers.
I wish you much pleasure in making the lesson.

Hugs from Claudia ;-)))

What do we need for this lesson :
- The rar file with the materials :



- PSPX2
- Animation Shop : Here

- The filters used for this lesson :
FM Tile Tools - Blend Emboss Here
Visual Manipulation - Transmission
(I've imported mine in Filters Unlimited) : Here
- Something to eat and to drink ;0)
- Good courage ;0)

Did you put all of your materials in the correct folders?
All filters are installed?
Then we can start the lesson ;0)


1. Open your image : ...winter_wonderland...(the name is too long, hahaha)
Choose 2 colors from this image : a light foreground color : #B5BECA
and a dark background color : #273967

2. Duplicate the image 2 times by clicking SHIFT + D.
Close the original image and minimize 1 of the duplicate images for which you need later
We now continue working with the remaining image still open.

3. Go to your layer pallet and set your background layer to a raster layer.

4. Resize the image to 600 px width, ALL layers checked.
Adjust - Sharpness - Sharpen.

5. Go to your layer palette and set the opacity of this layer to 50%.
Layers - Merge - Merge all layers.

6. Effects - Plugins - FM Tile Tools - Blend Emboss with the default settings :



7. Open the image : Tube 1628_Christmas_covered_Bridj_.
We will now edit the tube so it better fits in the background.

8. Activate your selection tool - Freehand selection (lasso) - with the following settings :



9. We will now make a selection around the covered bridge like the example below.
CAUTION : Stay close to the bridge in the selection, because feather is 25.
Otherwise you get too much of the background in your picture ;0)



10. So does your picture look like after the selection, by Feather 25.



11. Copy this selection and paste as new layer in your design. You now have this:



12. Slide the picture to the left, much like the picture above.
I had put the low coverage on Luminance (Legacy), but my hubbie Paul found it better
to leave the coverage Normal. So I did follow his advice and he was right ;0)

13. Close the image you've just made the selection on, you have no need for it.

14. Open the image: blulightcabin_ChiChimisted.
CAUTION : Go stand on the right layer (=Raster 2)

15. Copy the picture.

16. Go back to your image with the covered bridge, and activate in your layer pallet
the bottom layer and paste the cabin-image as new layer.
The picture is still in the memory of PSP.

17. Put the image at the bottom right, as my example:



18. Open the image: Tube 1220_Scenery_Winter_Brucke_8_08_sdt.
CAUTION : Go to the proper layer ;0)

19. We also select this image with the Selection tool, settings are the same.


Keep also in this picture your selection close to the bridge and copy the selection.

20. Go back to your design, activate the top layer in your layer pallet and paste
the bridge as a new layer.
Layers - Arrange - Move Down as in the example below:


Now your layer palette looks like this.

21. Remember to save your lesson periodically as PSP-Image File !!!!!

22. Layers - Merge - Merge all layers.

23. Image - Add borders : 2 px with your dark color
2 px with your light color
2 px with your dark color
30 px with your light color.

24. Activate your magic wand, Dozing and tolerance at 0, and select the border of 30 px.

25. Now open your second minimized background image
(= the picture that we've minimized at the beginning of the lesson)

26. Copy this background, Go back to your design and paste it there in the selection.

27. Effects - Distortion Effects - Spiky Halo with the following settings :



28. Let the selection intact.
Create a layer in your layer palette of the selection.
Set the opacity in your layer pallet: 50%

29. Leave selection still intact. Effects - Edge Effects - Enhance More.

30. Selections - Invert.
Effects - 3D Effects - Cutout with these settings :


Repeat the cutout effect, but now with horizontally and vertically: -5.

31. Selections - Invert.

32. Effects - 3D Effects - Inner Bevel with these settings :



33. The Selection still intact!!!

34. Effects - Plugins - FM Tile Tools - Blend Emboss with the default settings :
Repeat this effect 2 more times.

35. Selections - Select None.

36. Image - Add borders : 2 px with your light color,
2 px with your dark color,
50 px with your light color.

37. Activate your magic wand and select the border of 50 px, Feather and Tolerance to 0,
and paste into selection. (Your background image is still in the memory of PSP)

38. Adjust - Blur - Gaussian Blur and set the range at 10.



39. Leave selection intact!

40. Effects - Plugins - Filters Unlimited 2 - Visual Manipulation - Transmission
with these settings :



41. Effects - 3D Effects - Inner bevel with the following settings:



42. Selections - Select None.

43. Image - Add borders : 2 px with your dark color,
2 px with your light color,
2 px with your dark color.

44. Activate your text tool and find the Font : Chell Chrome Bold (you'll find the font in the rar file)

45. Use the following settings :



46. Go to your color palette and change your foreground and background color.
Make your foreground color a gradient with the following settings:



47. Layers - New Raster Layer.

48. Type the text: It's Christmas Time (or a text that fits you're image).
Effects - 3D Effects - Drop Shadow with these settings:



49. Put the text in place.
Selections - Select None.

50. Layers - New Raster Layer - Place your watermark.

51. Layers - Merge - Merge all layers.

52. Change the width of your image to 600 px width, ALL layers checked.
Adjust - Sharpness - Sharpen.

53. Activate your selection tool - Freehand Selection - Point to Point.
Tolerance and Feather to 0 and select the 2 separate pieces of the water.

54. Press the SHIFT key on your keyboard to make the Selection and release the mouse
button until you're done with the selection.

55. Double-click your mouse to confirm the selection.

56. This is how your image looks like now:



57. Leave the selection active.
Go to your layer palette - Duplicate this layer 3 times more.
Now you have 4 layers in your layer pallet.

58. Make the bottom layer the active layer.

59. Adjust - Add Noise : uniform and monochrome checked : and set the range at 20%.

60. Go to your layer palette and make the 1st copy layer active - Adjust - Add Noise : 25%.

61. Go to your layer palette and make the 2nd copy layer active - Adjust - Add Noise : 30%.

62. Go to your layer palette and make the 3rd copy layer active - Adjust - Add Noise : 35%.

63. Selections - Select None.

64. Save your work as a psp-image file or as an Animation Shop File.
And give it a name.

65. Now open Animation Shop and search for your work you've just saved.
Also open the file : LD-Star (is in the rar file)

66. Click in the first frame of your work - Edit - Select All.
Repeat this with the LD-Star file.

67. Now drag the stars (with the right mouse button pressed) to your design.
And drag them to where you want them. Are the stars in place?
Now you can release your mousse button.
I've dragged the stars a total of 4 times by pressing the Undo button
when you're making the LD-Star file the active one :



68. The standard rate of the frames is 10, but you can customize to your own taste
through animation - frame properties.

69. See how the animation runs and if you're satisfied with the results then
you can save your design file as GIF File.

70. The lesson is finished.
Make a beautiful background that fits your lesson and send in your lesson ;0)



I hope you have enjoyed this lesson ;0)
Big Hugs from Claudia ;0)