This tutorial assumes you are familiar with your version of PSP and know where your tools are located. Workspaces can differ, therefore the screenshots and directions for the location of the tools used may not be accurate in your workspace. If you have problems finding a particular tool, use the program's help file and type the tool name into the "find" window.

You will need the following:

Supplies

Includes the rose tube, gradient, mask, gold pattern, and my selection file.

(Note...I did not make the gradient, mask, or pattern file. They were aquired through my PSP learning journey on the cyber hi-way. I do not remember where I got some of the files. But please do not alter their file names in any way, as they may include the author's information. The rose image is from Rainbow Coffi, Thank you Bonnie for supplying this information.)

Extract the squares.msk to your mask folder. Extract the selection file to your selections folder. Extract the gold2.jpg to your patterns folder. Extract the gradient to your gradient folder. Extract the tub file to a folder of your choice.

Neology Refractor filter

(Extract to your plugins folder. If you have PSP open when you extract, you will have to close it and re-open for the filter to be there)

Let's get started.

SAVE OFTEN

Open the V~FirstbloomRedRose.tub and duplicate it. Close the original so that nothing happens to it. :o) Minimize it for now.

Create a new image 400 x 400; Transparent background; 16 million colors.

Rename "Raster 1" to "white". Flood fill with white.

Add a new raster layer. Set your Foreground to the gradient "pj-loveslastrose" angle=45, repeat=0. Set your background to color #8A4E43.

Flood fill "Raster 1" with the gradient.

Add a new raster layer.

Go to Selections and select all (or Ctrl + A).

Go to Selections/Modify/Contract and contract by 20.

Flood fill with the gradient. Deselect. (Ctrl +D)

Go to Image/Flip.

Activate "Raster 1" layer and go to Effects/Plugins/Neology/Refractor. Set the horizontal refraction to 103, and the vertical to 53.

Activate "Raster 2" and repeat the refractor filter, same settings. You should have a larger version of this:

Hide the "white" layer, and merge visible layers.

Unhide the white layer. Active "merged" layers.

Go to Masks/Load mask from disk and load the Squares.msk.

Go to Masks/Delete. Click Yes if a window pops up.

Right click on "Group-Merged" in layer palette and ungroup layers.

Restore the V~FirstbloomRedRose.tub and go to Edit/Copy. (Or Ctrl + C)

Minimize the tub and go back to our image we're working on. Make sure your "Merged" layer is active.

Go to Edit/Paste/Paste as a new layer (or Ctrl + L).

Go to Image/Resize and resize the layer 80% using resample: bicubic and Resize all layers NOT checked.

Go to Effects/Blur/Gaussian Blur and set Radius to 9. Lower the opacity of this layer to 60%.

Go to Edit/Paste/Paste as new layer again. Resize this layer this time to 60%.

Add a new layer. Name this layer "boxes".

Go to Selections/Load Selection From Disk and load the er_sel1.

Set your background fill properties to the gold2.jpg pattern. Flood fill the selections with the gold pattern.

Go to Selections/Modify/Contract and contract by 2.

Flood fill with the gradient still set in the foreground properties. Deselect. (Ctrl + D)

Go to Effects/3D Effects/Drop Shadow with these settings:

Repeat drop shadow, changing the Vertical & Horizontal to -1.

Go to Selections/Select All (or Ctrl + A). Selections/Modify/Contract. Contract by 20.

Go to Image/Crop To Selection.

Add new layer and name it "Frame".

Go to Selections/Select All. Go to Selections/Modify/Contract and contract by 6.

Go to Selections/Invert.

Flood fill the selection with the gradient still set in your foreground. Ctrl + D to deselect.

Go to Effects/3D Effects/Drop shadow. Repeat both drop shadow settings above.

Add your watermark, name in fancy text, or whatever.

***TIP ALERT*** Before doing a final save, you can go to Image ->Image Information and click on the "Creator Information" tab. In the description field, add the tutorial url (and other info, such as font used). Then save as a psp file. That information is saved along with the image. The next time you say (to yourself, of course...) "I wish I could remember where that tut is, you will have the information available in the image itself. Cool, huh?

Do a final save as psp file. Export as a jpg and show it off. :)And you're done.