You've Got Mail!

Supplies

Jasc/Corel's Paint Shop Pro. 

Tube of Choice  -  For this tutorial, I used a delightful image created by Suzanne Woolcott.  You can purchase her wonderful art in tube and full form at AMI which stands for Artistic Minds, Inc. 

Accessories- You've got mail template made using a graphic image from Microsoft Clipart Media - a great place for graphics and the postmail animation.

Hint of Denim Scrap Kit by Fiona Tomlinson.  This beautiful scrap kit link is being distributed with permission.  If you love scrap kits, please do join Fiona's Yahoo Group, ScrappyDayz, by clicking here. 

Optional Extras - If you wish to use another scrap kit, you can do that too.

Please remember, when creating your signature tags, to only use permission art and to apply the copyright information on the tag.  If  you have purchased a commercial image, do add your license number as well.

**When creating your Signature tags with Paint Shop Pro, do remember to save continually.  Nothing worse than to use up your memory resources and lose everything!**

SETTING USED IN THIS TUTORIAL

Drop Shadow Settings:

Vertical Offset 2, Horizontal Offset 2, Opacity 80 Blur 5, Color Black

 

CREATING THE TAG

Step 1

Open up the mailbox template. Go to Image/Resize using the percent option at 65%, bicubic and resize all layers NOT checked..

Step 2

Go layers/New Raster Layer.  Open up the Hint of Denim Scrap Kit and select the denim background. Go to Edit/Copy and Edit/Paste as New Image.

At the Material Palette, left click the top color box and when it opens, select pattern.  Locate the denim pattern with angle set to 0 and scale set to 100.  Make the tag image active and flood fill the top layer with the denim pattern.

Go to Layers/Arrange Send to Bottom.

Step 3

Open up the layer palette and make sure you are now on the top most layer. Open up the mailbox letter.  Go to Image/Resize using the percent option at 120% bicubic and resize all layers checked.

Step 4

Make the envelope active and go to Edit/Copy.  Make the tag image active and go to Edit/Paste as New Layer. Left click the mover tool and move the envelope to the bottom right hand side of the tag (see above).  You can keep the same color of the envelope or you can colorize it to match the graphic you will be using.  To colorize do the following:

Left click the dropper tool and left click on a color from your graphic you will want for the envelope.  Left click the top color box and when the color selection window opens, write down the hue and saturation of that color.

Go to Adjust/Hue and Saturation/Colorize and type in those amounts.  You will get a color close to the one you desire.

Step 5

Go to Layers/Duplicate/Image/Mirror and move the envelope to the other side of the tag.  Colorize the second envelope the same way as outlined in Step 4.

Step 6

Open up the layer palette and go to the layer with the mailbox.  Go to Layers/Arrange/Move to top.  Left click the mover tool and move the mailbox a little bit over the envelope as in the tag above.

Step 7

Open your tube graphic and make it active.  Go to Edit/Copy.  Make the tag image active and go to Edit/Paste as New Layer. Left click the mover tool and move the tube graphic over the envelope on the right hand side.

Step 8  (Optional Drop Shadow)

Go to Effects/3D Effects/Drop Shadow and use the settings from above.

Step 9

Go to Image/Resize using the percent option, bicubic and resize all layers NOT checked.

Step 10

Now comes the fun and creative part - using the Hint of Denim Scrap kit, decorate your tag however you like, resizing as needed and adding your elements on separate layers.

Step 11

When you are done decorating, go to Layers/Merge/Merge Visible.  Go to Layers/New Raster Layer and apply your text on the envelope or any place else you prefer.  You can add a drop shadow as in Step 8.

Step 12

Add your copyright information and go to Layers/Merge/Merge All (flatten).

Step 13

Go to Image/Add Borders.  When the border selection window opens, select a color for your border, symmetrical and border width 3.

Step 14

Go to Image/Resize using the percent option at 75%, bicubic and resize all layers checked. If your image looks a bit dull after resizing, go to Adjust/Sharpness/Sharpness.

Step 15

Save this file as a psp or psd file.  We will add the mailbox animation to the tag in animation shop.  Click here to continue.