QueenBrat Designs

Snowmen Melt My Heart

This tutorial was written by QueenBrat on 11/06/2008 using PSP 9 and Animation Shop. Any version of PSP should work.

It is an intermediate tutorial. You will need a good working knowledge of PSP and Animation shop.

Do not copy this tutorial and post it through any group or claim it as your own. Please share a text link only to my site and not the tutorial itself when sharing. You may print it out for your own personal use ONLY.

I'm using the artwork of Archie Dickens of www.moppinup.com. You may purchase a license to use his work from CILM

I am also using one of my PTU scrap kits, "In The Meadow", which can be purchased on my blog at QueenBrat Design's Blog Store.

Any resemblance to any other tutorial is strictly coincidental.

Supplies Needed
PSP program of your choice (Free trial version PSP12 here.)
Animation Shop (Trial version here.)
Tube of your choice.
Scrap kit of your choice.

Provided supplies
QBD_SequinMist_Mask.jpg
QBD_StarBlastMask_07.jpg
QBD_SnowLayersCircle.pspimage
QBD_PurpleTrimHeart.pspimage
QBD_BlueTrimHeart.pspimage
glitter01.png
glitter02.png
Kindergarten font
Frosty font

You may download the supplies here.
(Your pop up stoppers will need to be turned off if you click the link and nothing happens.)

1. Open the file QBD_SnowLayersCircle.pspimage included in the supplies zip. This will be your working graphic. Turn the visibility off to all but the 1st frame.

2. Increase the canvas size to 700x700 evenly.

3. Open the files QBD_SequinMist_Mask.jpg and QBD_StarBlastMask_07.jpg included in the supplies zip and drop into your tray to use later.

4. Open two complimenting backgroud papers from your kit. I used: QBD_InTheMeadow_Paper08.jpg and QBD_InTheMeadow_Paper09.jpg,

5. Copy and paste paper QBD_InTheMeadow_Paper08.jpg into your working graphic as a new layer. Drop this layer to the bottom.

6. Apply the mask QBD_SequinMist_Mask.jpg to the paper. LAYERS > NEW MASK LAYER > FROM IMAGE > SOURCE LUMINACE > FIND IN DROP DOWN MENU > OK.

7. MERGE GROUP.

8. Copy and paste paper QBD_InTheMeadow_Paper09.jpg into your working graphic as a new layer on top of your bottom layer.

6. Apply the mask QBD_SequinMist_Mask.jpg to the paper. LAYERS > NEW MASK LAYER > FROM IMAGE > SOURCE LUMINACE > FIND IN DROP DOWN MENU > OK.

7. MERGE GROUP.

8. Add a new raster layer and drop to the bottom. Flood fill with #FFFFFF.

9. Merge the two masked layers and the white flood fill layer.

10. Open the complimenting snowflake frame from the kit. Resize frame to 500x500 pixels. Sharpen if needed.

11. Copy and paste as the new top layer of your working graphic. Add a drop shadow of Vertical: 1, Horizontal: 1, Opacity: 79, Blur: 13.86, Color: #000000

12. Open two complimenting trees from the kit. Resize one to 475 pixels in height and the other to 425 pixels in height.

13. Copy and paste each one as the new layer of your working graphic. (These go on top of your snowflake frame.) Add a drop shadow of Vertical: 1, Horizontal: 1, Opacity: 79, Blur: 13.86, Color: #000000

14. Open the tube of your choice. Copy and paste into your working graphic. Resize and sharpen as needed.

15. If your tube is the one I am using or one similar that is cut off at half body then follow the next step. If not you can skip to step 17.

16. Click on your freehand selection tool. Settings: POINT TO POINT/ADD(SHIFT)/FEATHER=20. Highlight the bottom section of your tube randomly to give it a more faded/blended look. Click delete to remove the unwanted portion.

17. Adjust tube to your liking and add a drop shadow. Add a drop shadow of Vertical: -1, Horizontal: -2, Opacity: 58, Blur: 21.78, Color: #000000

18. Open a snowman of your choice from the kit. I used: QBD_InTheMeadow_Snowman03.png.

19. Copy and paste the snowman into your working graphic as a new layer on top of your frame layer. Position to your liking. Add a drop shadow of Vertical: -1, Horizontal: -2, Opacity: 58, Blur: 21.78, Color: #000000

20. Open a pair of mittens from the kit. I used: QBD_InTheMeadow_Mittens02.png.

21. Copy and paste the mittens into your working graphic as a new layer on top of your frame layer. Hang the mittens from one of the points on the snowflake frame. Using your freehand selection tool trim away one of the strings on the loop of the mittens to give it an appearance of hanging. Add a drop shadow of Vertical: -1, Horizontal: -2, Opacity: 58, Blur: 21.78, Color: #000000

22. Open the complimenting heart from the supplies kit. Resize to 150x150 pixels. Copy and paste into your working graphic as a new layer near the bottom left of your graphic. Add a drop shadow of Vertical: -1, Horizontal: -2, Opacity: 58, Blur: 21.78, Color: #000000

23. Now let's add your wording. Go to your text tool. Type out the word "Snowmen". I used the following:
Create as: Vector
Font: Frosty
Size: 72
Stroke: 1.5
Font style: BOLD
Alignment: Center
Anti-alias: Smooth
Kerning: 0
Foreground: #134493
Background: #FFFFFF

Convert to raster layer.

Add a drop shadow of Vertical: -1, Horizontal: -2, Opacity: 58, Blur: 21.78, Color: #000000

24. Let's add the rest of your wording. Using your text tool type the words "melt my". I used:
Create as: Vector
Font: Kindergarten
Size: 60
Stroke: 1.5
Font style: BOLD
Alignment: Center
Anti-alias: Smooth
Kerning: 0
Foreground: NULL
Background: #134493

Convert to raster layer.

Add a drop shadow of Vertical: -1, Horizontal: -2, Opacity: 36, Blur: 21.78, Color: #000000

25. Merge together the three layers that make up your word art. Position to your liking.

26. Resize your working graphic to 550x550.

27. Increase your canvas size to 550x625 adding the entire amount to the bottom of your tag.

28. Add a new raster layer and drop it to the bottom. Flood fill with #FFFFFF.

29. Open the matching glitter tile from your supplies zip. I used: glitter02.png.

30. Let's add your name. Using your text tool type out your name. I used:
Create as: Vector
Font: Frosty
Size: 60
Stroke: 1.5
Font style: BOLD
Alignment: Center
Anti-alias: Smooth
Kerning: 0
Foreground: NULL
Background: #134493

Convert to raster layer.

31. Go to SELECTIONS > SELECT ALL > SELECTIONS > FLOAT. Go to EFFECTS > 3D EFFECTS > CUTOUT > SETTINGS: Veritcal: 3, Horizontal: 3, Opacity: 52, Blur: 5.0, Shadow color: #000000. Add a drop shadow of Vertical: -1, Horizontal: -2, Opacity: 36, Blur: 21.78, Color: #000000

32. Add your copyright information and logo/watermark to your graphic.

33. You are now ready to set it up for Animation Shop.

34. With the visibility to Snow Layer 1 turned on of the snow copy Merged and Paste as New Image. This will be your new working image.

35. Turn off visibility of Snow Layer 1 and turn on visibility of Snow Layer 2.

36. Copy Merged and Paste as New LAYER into your new working graphic.

37. Turn off visibility of Snow Layer 2 and turn on visibility of Snow Layer 3.

38. Copy Merged and Paste as New LAYER into your new working graphic.

39. Continue turning off visibility of previous Snow Layer and turning on the next until you do all 5 Snow Layers.

40. You should now have a new image of 5 frames.

41. Save to an easy to find location on your harddrive.

42. Go to animation shop.

43. Open the image you just saved.

Save as an animation.

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