And The Award Goes To......

It's the Gorgeous Blog Award...and I've chosen five blogs that I think are just plain awesome!  Great job, you guys, keep 'em going! :)

1. Cari - http://blackwidowcreationz.blogspot.com/
2. Kelli - http://krazymomdesignz.blogspot.com/
3. Stacey - http://staceysdesigns.blogspot.com/
4. Kaye - http://kayezdesignz.blogspot.com/
5. Seachell - http://seachellscrapz.blogspot.com/

How can YOU give out this award?  The rules are very simple:

Put the name and link of who gave you this award on your blog.
Then pass it on to 5 blogs which you think are AWESOME!

Bloody Night - Tag 1

This tag was hard to make, but fun nonetheless.  As I am more drawn to the dark and macabre, I found this one a lot of fun.  This tag comes from a kit by Seachell Designz, called Bloody Night.  Great kit, hon! :)

Kit by Seachell Scrapz

KMD's Thoughtful Memories - 2 Tags

I gotta tell ya, this was one of the more touching ones I've worked with.  Tag 1 especially was very touching for me, because it reminded me of all the good memories I have from my childhood, drawing simple stick figures on notepaper whenever I could lay hands on paper and pencil, pen, crayon, or marker (see the upside down drawing on the notepad in the tag).  I REALLY loved working with this one!  KrazyMom Designs, you did it again, great kit! :)

Tag 1

Tag 2

Kit by KrazyMom Designz

Christmas Time Tag 2 with Tutorial

This is the 2nd 'Christmas Time' scrap kit tag I've made, and this one I kept very simple.  I wanted to express the simplicity rather than the material side of Christmas on this one.  Again, the kit was done by Staceys Designs, and I loved doing both the tag and the tutorial for this one!

Tutorial
SWD - SD-Christmas Time Tag 2
Kit by Stacey’s Designs

This tag was made using 'Christmas Time', a scrap kit by Stacey's Designs.  This tutorial shows how to make ' SWD - SD-Christmas Time Tag 2'.  All parts of this tag were created by Stacey's Designs, and are copyrighted to her.

Kit Supplies

SD Paper 2.jpg
SD White and Gold Tree.png
SD White star tree.png
SD Red Candles.png
SD Cream Bow.png

The How To

1. Open ‘SD Paper 2.jpg’.  Duplicate it, and close out the original.

2. Resize your duplicate to 500x500px, making sure ‘Resize all layers’ is checked.  Promote ‘Background’ layer to a Raster, and name it ‘BG Paper’, and save it as a pspimage.

NOTE: When resizing the elements once they’re pasted as new layers into your tag, make sure ‘Resize all layers’ is UNCHECKED.

3. Open 'SD White and Gold Tree.png'.  Copy & paste it as a new layer into your tag image.  Resize it by 50%, and move it to the upper left corner, with the star just touching the top edge, and the bottom left corner of the tree just touching the left side edge.  Name this layer 'Tree UL'.

4. Duplicate ‘Tree UL’, and Mirror it.  Duplicate the mirrored layer, and Flip it.  Rotate it 180°.  Make sure the bottom right point of the tree just touches the right side edge.  Name layer 'Tree LR’.  Delete the 1st Copy of Tree UL.

5. Open 'SD White star tree.png'.  Copy & paste as a new Raster layer.  Move this to the lower left corner, so that the top point of the tree lines up with the top point of ‘Tree UL’.  Name this layer 'Tree LL'.

6. Duplicate ‘Tree LL’.  Mirror it, duplicate the Mirrored layer, and Flip it.  Now, rotate it 180°.  Make sure the top points of the right hand trees line up.  Delete Copy 1 of ‘Tree LL’.  Name this upper right tree layer Tree UR’.

7. Open 'SD Red Candles.png', copy it and paste it as a new Raster layer.  Resize it to 25%, and leave it centered as it is.  Name layer 'Candles'.

8. Open 'SD Cream Bow.png'.  Copy & paste as anew Raster layer, and resize to 50%.  Move the bow so that it’s centered between the candles and the top of the image.  Duplicate your Bow layer and Flip it, then rotate it 180°, and center it between the candles and the bottom of your tag image, making sure the bow centers line up.

NOTE: It's perfectly OK if the bow edges overlap the trees a little.

Your Layer Palette should now look like this:

Bow B
Bow T
Candles
Tree UR
Tree LL
Tree LR
Tree UL
BG Paper

Be sure and save at this point.  You’re going to add a Border, which will merge all of your layers.  You can then later choose to save the bordered image as a separate pspimage.

9. Go to Image – Add Borders, and add a 30px border, color med. green (3 down, 3 right on the color picker (#008000).  Get your Magic Wand, click on the border, and add an Inner Bevel with the following settings:

Bevel: Triangle (1)
Width: 31
Smoothness: 0
Depth: 10
Ambience: 0
Shininess: 18
Color: Same as border (#008000)
Angle: 45
Intensity: 55
Elevation: 65

10. Select None.  If you want to, save your tag as a separate .pspimage with the border, so you still have a pspimage with the layers. Go to File - Save As... and put (border) after the image name, or rename it in some way that you'll know it's bordered and doesn't have the original layers preserved.

11. Promote your new Background layer to a Raster layer, and name it 'Tag' or 'Bordered Tag' (your choice).

12. Add a new Raster layer, name it 'SD (or Scrapper) Credit' (your choice).  Get your Text tool, set the foreground & Background colors to black, and the font to either Monotype Corsiva or Times New Roman (your choice), and set size to 18.  On the bottom section of the border, type in 'Scrapped by Staceys Designs'.  Make sure it's centered horizontally & vertically.  Selections - Select None.

13. Add a new Raster layer, and name it '(your name/initials/designer initials, or Tagger's) Credit' (your choice).  Click on the top section of your border, and type in 'Tagged by (your name/initials/designer name)' (your choice).  Make sure it's centered vertically & horizontally like you did the top one.  Selections - Select None.

14. Resize your image to 500x500px (make sure Resize all layers is checked).  Sharpen ONCE, then save your pspimage, and then save as a jpeg.

You’re all finished!  Your final image should look like this:

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial, and the making of this tag.  The tutorial is copyrighted to Silver Wolf Designs, and the scrap kit is copyrighted to Stacey's Designs.  Please feel free to visit her site at http://staceysdesigns.blogspot.com, or my own site at http://silverwolfdesigns.blogspot.com for some great artwork!

Christmas Time Tag 1

This tag was made from the scrap kit 'Christmas Time' by Staceys Designs.  The tag was pretty complex, and involved a ton of steps, so I didn't do a tut for this one.  However, I fully enjoyed the making of the tag.  So, without further hesitation...

SD-Christmas Morning Tags 1 & 2

These are 2 tags I made this morning using 'Christmas Morning', a scrap kit by Staceys Designs...I so loved working with this one!

SD Blast from the Past Tag 1

This tag was so fun to make, as I've always loved the 1960's and '70's.  The art, the music, and the mentality all just attract me to no end.  So when I saw this kit, I just HAD to make a tag & tut for it! (And this tut's got screen shots this time!) :)

Tutorial

Blast from the Past Tag 1 by SWD

Kit by Stacey's Designs

This tag was made using 'Blast from the Past', a scrap kit by Stacey's Designs.  This tutorial shows how to make 'SWD Blast from the Past Tag 1'.  All parts of this tag were created by Stacey's Designs, and are copyrighted to her.

Kit Supplies

SD Paper 12.jpg

SD Tye Dye Peace Girl.png

SD Tye Dye Lava Lamp.png

SD Groovy work art.png

SD Peace Word Art.png

SD Bow 1.png

The How To

1. Open a new image 500x500px in your PSP.

2. Open 'SD Paper 12.jpg' into your PSP.  Resize it to 500x500px.

3. Copy the resized paper and paste it as a new Raster layer into youru blank image.  Name this layer 'BG Paper'.  Close out the paper.  When asked if you want to save the changes, click 'No'.

4. Open 'SD Tye Dye Peace Girl.png' into your PSP.  Copy & paste it as a new layer, then resize it to 50%.  Move her to the left side, vertically centered between the two corner peace signs.  Name this layer 'Girl L'.

5. Go ahead and close out your girl element.  Now duplicate 'Girl L' layer, and mirror it.  Name this layer 'Girl R'.  There should now be a Tye Dye Girl on each side of your tag image.

6. Open 'SD Tye Dye Lava Lamp.png' into PSP.  Copy & paste it as a new Raster layer into your tag.  Resize that layer to 25%, and name this layer 'Lava Lamp UL'.

7. With the Mover tool, move the lamp to the upper left, almost touching the top, and next to the upper left peace sign.  Go ahead and close out the lamp element now, and name thislayer 'Lamp UL'.

You should now have your tag looking like this:

8. Duplicate 'Lamp UL' layer, and mirror it.  Namethis new layer 'Lamp UR'.

9. Duplicate 'Lamp UR', and Flip the copy.  Now, go to Image - Rotate - Free Rotate, and rotate it to the right 180 degrees.  Make sure 'All Layers' is unchecked.  Rename this layer 'Lamp LR'.

10. Duplicate 'Lamp LR', and mirror it.  Name this new layer 'Lamp LL'.

This is what you should have now:

11. Open up 'SD Groovy work art.png' into PSP.  Copy & paste this as a new Raster layer into your tag.  This one will definitely need resizing, so resize it to 40%.  Now, go to Image - Rotate - Free Rotate, and and rotate it to the left 20 degrees, and center it between the two upper lamps.  Name this layer 'Groovy'.  Close out the original element.

12. Open up 'SD Peace Word Art.png' into PSP.  Copy & paste it as a new Raster layer, and again, you'll need to resize it to 40%.  Use the Mover tool and place it between the two lower lamps.  Now rotate this one like you did the top word art, only this time, free rotate it theother direction.  Free Rotate it to the right 20 degrees, and center it between the two lower lamps.  Name this layer 'Peace'.  Close out the word art elementnow.

13. Open 'SD Bow 1.png' into PSP, and copy & paste it as a new Raster layer in your tag.  Again, you'll need to resize, so so go ahead and resize it to 40%, and place it on the top of the peace sign, as if the peace sign were a head wearing the bow.  The bow will just barely cover up the top of the peace sign.  Close out the bow element now.  Name t his layer 'Bow'.

Now you should have this:

14. Now it's border time.  Go to Image - Add Borders, and add a 30px border in purple (the 1st on the left, on the bottom row of the Color Palette chooser (#ff00ff).  You'll now have a single background layer.  Promote this layer and name it 'Tag'.

15. Now to add the proper credits.  Get out your Text tool, and set your font to Thickhead.  If you don't have this font, Monotype Corsiva or even Times New Roman will do.  At the bottom on your border, type in 'Tagged by (your name)'.  Promote this to Layer, and name it '(Your Name) Credit'.  At the top, on the border, type in 'Scrapped by Stacey's Designs'.  Again, promote this floating selection to a layer, and name it 'SD Credit'.  Go to Selections - Select None.

I recommend sharpening ONCE at this point, and then saving it as a .pspimage, and then as a .jpg.

You're all done!  Your tag should now look like this:

I  hope you've enjoyed this tutorial, and and the making of this tag.  The tutorial is copyrighted to Silver Wolf Designs, and the scrap kit is copyrighted to Stacey's Designs.  Please feel free to visit her site at http://staceysdesigns.blogspot.com, or my own site at http://silverwolfdesigns.blogspot.com for some great artwork!

KMD Cool Yule Tag 1

This is the first tag I've made using a scrap  kit.  The kit is by ©KrazyMom Designs, and the kit name is 'Cool Yule'.  I have also prepared a tutorial for making this tag.  Unfortunately, I didn't think to do the tut WHILE making the tag, hence there are no screen shots as there normally would be in my tutorials, but there will be after this :).

TUTORIAL

This tag was made using 'Cool Yule', a scrap kit by KrazyMom Designz.  This tutorial shows how to make 'SWD Cool Yule Tag 1 by SWD'.  All parts of this tag were created by KrazyMom Designs, and are copyrighted to her.

Supplies from the Kit:

kmd_coolyule_paper2.jpg
kmd_coolyule_bow2.png
kmd_coolyule_bow5.png
kmd_coolyule_ornament1.png
kmd_coolyule_ribbon7.png
kmd_coolyule_ribbon6.png

1. Open a new image 500x500.

2. Open 'kmd_coolyule_paper2.jpg' in your PSP.  Copy & paste it as a new layer into your tag workspace.  Name this layer BG Peper.  You can now now close out the paper you copied.  You can also delete the bottom transparent raster layer.

3. Open 'kmd_coolyule_bow2.png' in PSP.  Copy & paste it as a new layer into your tag.  Resize it to 25% or so, then move it to the upper left corner, leaving just a tiny bit of room at the top and left edges.  Name this layer Bow UL.

4. Duplicate the bow layer, and flip it, and name this layer Bow LL.  Duplicate that and mirror it, name this one Bow LR.  Duplicate this layer, and flip it, naming it Bow UR.  You shoudln't have to adjust any of the bows, but if you do, now's the time to do so.  You can now close out the bow element.

5. Open 'kmd_coolyule_ribbon7.png' in PSP.  Copy and paste it as a new layer into your tag.  You shouldn't have to resize this one.  Use your mover tool, and move it so that it is running between the two top bows.  Center it as well as you can.  Name this layer Top Ribbon.

6. Duplicate the ribbon layer, and move it to the bottom two bows, making sure to center it as well.  It should now look like the ribbons are vertically centered between the bows on top, and the ones on the bottom.   Name this layer Bottom Ribbon.  Close out the original element.

7. Open 'kmd_coolyule_ribbon6.png' in PSP, and copy and paste it as a new layer into your tag.  Now go to Image > Rotate, and rotate it to the right 90 degrees, so that it's vertical.  Copy and paste it into your tag.  You won't need to resize this one either.  With your mover tool, move this ribbon so that it runs vertically between the two left-hand bows.  Center it as well as you can.  Name this layer Left Ribbon.

8. Duplicate the vertical ribbon layer, and mirror it.  It may not be centered precisely, so you may need to take youru Mover tool and move it into place.  Name this layer Right Ribbon.  Go ahead and close out that original element.

You should now have each ribbon running across and vertically under neath your bows.  If the bows aren't on top of the ribbons (although they should be), rearrange the layers in your Layer Palette so that the bows are on top of the ribbons, and the ribbons run past the bows to the edges of your tag.

9. Get your Text Tool, and make both your foreground & background colors white.  Set your font to Monotype Corsiva, size 55.  Near the top of the tag, below the ribbon, write 'Season's'.  Promote this floating selection to layer, then Selections > Select None.  Name this layer Text Top.

10. With your Text Top layer active, go to Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel.  Use the following settings:
  Bevel: #1
   Width: 2
   Smoothness: 0
   Depth: 20
   Ambience: 100
   Shininess: 10
   Color: Lt Blue (#c0c0ff)
   Angle 45
   Intensity: 100
   Elevation: 20

11. Open 'kmd_coolyule_ornament1.png' into PSP.  Copy & paste it into your tag, and resize it to 20% or so.  Name this layer Dangle 1.

12. Place the first ornament at the bottom of the 'S' in 'Season's', making sure the loop sticks out from the top of the text area a bit.  Duplicate the ornament layer, and move it above the Top Text layer as well, above Dangle 1.  Place it at the bottom of the last 's', again making sure leave a bit sticking up over the top of the curve in the letter.

13. Duplicate your Text Top layer, and move it to the top of your Layer Palette.  Your Layer Palette should now look like this:

Copy of Text Top
Dangle 2
Dangle 1
Text Top
Bow UR
Bow LR
Bow LL
Bow UL
Right Ribbon
Left Ribbon
Bottom Ribbon
Top Ribbon
BG Paper

14. With your Copy of Top Text layer active, zoom in on your image so you can see what you're doing, and get your Eraser tool.  Erase the text so that the loop shows through, to look like it's dangling from the letter.  Do the same thing with the last 's' in Season's.

15. Now for the bottom text.  Get your Text tool, both foreground & background colors in white, and make sure the text is center aligned.  Type 'Greetings!', and click Apply.  Position the text just a bit below the bottom points of the hanging ornaments.  Promote selection to layer, then Selections > Select None.  Go to Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel, and use the same settings as you did for the top text.  Name this layer Bottom Text.

16. Get your Mover tool, and again, position your remaining two ornaments.  Place 1 on the bottom curve of the 'G' and the other on the 's' in Greetings.  Again, make sure to leave a bit of the loop sticking up from the text so that it'll look like it's hanging off the text.  Name the two bottom ornament layers Dangle 3 and Dangle 4 respectively.

17. Duplicate your Bottom Text layer, and again, move the two Dangle layers in between the two text layers.  Get the Eraser, and again erase the parts of the text where the ribbon will show through, making it look as if it's hanging over the text.  (I did mine on the right side of the loops on all 4 dangles).

18. Open 'kmd_coolyule_bow5.png' into PSP.  Copy and paste it as a new layer into your tag, then resize it to 10%.  Name this layer Bow Top.  With your Mover tool, place the bow centered between Season's and Greetings, also centered horizontally.  Duplicate this layer and move it under Greetings, centered vertically between the text and the bottom ribbon, and horizontally between the two dangling ornaments.

19. Now just add your credit layers.  Use the Monotype Corsiva font with size 16, and put 'Scrapped by KrazyMom Designz' at the top, centering it horizontally, and placing it close to, but not touching, the top ribbon.  Promote this to layer, then name this KMD Credit.  Then do your own tagger's credit layer, at the bottom, centered horizontally, and close to but not touching the lower ribbon.  Type in 'Tagged by  (your name)'.  Promote to layer, then name it '(your name) Credit'.

Your Layer Palette should now look like this:

Credit
KMD Credit
Bow Bottom
Bow Top
Copy of Text Bottom
Dangle 4
Dangle 3
Text Bottom
Copy of Text Top
Dangle 2
Dangle 1
Text Top
Bow UR
Bow LR
Bow LL
Bow UL
Right Ribbon
Left Ribbon
Bottom Ribbon
Top Ribbon
BG Paper

You're all done!  I note that normally one would put a border around a tag, but because of the ribbons going vertically & horizontally and the corner bows, I thought that in and of itself made a nice border.