by BeetleCraft

This tutorial is written for Paint Shop Pro 8.

Want to wait and do the tutorial later? Then download one of the following:
Click here for Incredimail file format.
Click here for Word .Doc format.

An image that has a bright colour that stands out. Like my image has the pink flowers.
Plugins needed:
Simple Filters: (Half Wrap, 4 Way Average, Diamond effects.)
VM Toolbox: (Zoom Blur effect)
Mura's Filter Meister: (Prospective Tiling effect)

 

1. Select a dark colour from the part that stands out in your image. Select a light colour that compliments your dark colour.
2.  Now we need to change our background colour box to gradient. Foreground-Background, Angle 45, Repeats 6
See example:

3.  Make sure your image is no larger than 300 pixels on the longest side. Duplicate image. Close original.

1. Selections/Select All on your image. Effects/3D Effects/Cutout with the following settings:

Repeat cutout but change the V & H to -6.
2.  Image/Add Borders 3 Symmetric, dark colour.
3.  Image/Add Borders 6 Symmetric, light colour.
4.  Selections/Select All - Selections/Modify/Contract by 6 - Selections/Invert.
5.  Flood Fill with your gradient.
6.  Effects/3D Effects/Cutout with the following settings:

7.  Image/Add Borders 3 Symmetric, dark colour.
8.  Image/Add Borders 12 Symmetric, light colour.
9.  Selections/Select All - Selections/Modify/Contract by 12 - Selections/Invert.
10.  Flood Fill with your gradient.
11.  Effects/Texture Effects/Sandstone with the following settings:

12.  Effects/VM Toolbox/Zoom Blur with the following settings:

13.  Effects/3D Effects/Cutout with the following settings:

14.  Repeat steps 2-7.
15.  Image/Add Borders - Symmetric 24, light colour.
16.  Selections/Select All
Selections/Modify/Contract by 24
Selections/Invert
17.  Effects/Plugins/Simple/Half Wrap.
18.  Effects/Plugins/Simple/Diamonds.
19.  Effects/Plugins/Simple/4 Way Average.
20.  Effects/3D Effects/Cutout with the following settings:

21.  Repeat steps 2-13.
22. Repeat steps 2-7.
23.  Selections/Select All
Selections/Modify/Contract by 12
Selections/Invert
24.  Effects/3D Effects/Inner Bevel with the following settings:

25.  You may want to resize now if the image is a bit too large. Resize by 75%.
26.  Image/Duplicate - minimize duplicate
27.  Add your watermark and save as .jpg. Set aside.

1. With your Selection Tool and your frame image, select part of the border as you see in the example below:

2.  Edit/Copy
Edit/Paste/Paste As New Image
3.  Image/Canvas Size - double the width but keep the same height.. make sure you hit the
arrow toggle pointing to the left. See example below.

4.  Layers/Duplicate
5.  Image/Mirror
6. Layers/Merge/Merge Visible
7.  Layers/Duplicate
8.  Image/Resize : 95% Bicubic - all layers unchecked
9.  Repeat #'s 7 & 8 five more times. You should now have a total of 7 layers.
10.  Make sure your top layer is active. Selections/Select All
Selections/Float
Selections/Defloat
Selections/Invert.
11.  Layers/Merge/Merge Visible. Keep selected.
12.  Effects/Plugins/Simple/Half Wrap.
13.  Effects/Plugins/Mura's Meister/Prospective Tiling using the following settings:

14.  Repeat step 13 but change the Prospective to -80.
15.  Selections/Select None
16. Save as .jpg
Note: If you'd like smaller sidebars as I have in my example,
just resize your finished one by 75% and then save as .jpg sidebar2 or something like that.

1.  Activate your duplicate FRAME that's been sitting aside.
2.  Image/Resize bicubic by 75%.  Repeat once more.
3.  Effects/Plugins/VM Toolbox/ZoomBlur with the same settings as in your frame.
4.  Effects/Plugins/Simple/Half Wrap
Effects/Plugins/Simple/Diamonds
Effects/Plugins/Simple/4 Way Average
5.  Layers/Add New Raster
Flood Fill with your light colour.
6.  On your layer palette, turn the opacity down to about 60 - 70%. Depending on how you'd like the coloring to be.
7.  Layers/Merge/Merge All Flatten.
8. Effects/Image Effects/Seamless Tiling using the settings below:

9.  Save as .jpg

 

Put together in Incredimail's Letter Creator or any other stationary program you use.

 

 

Tutorial Written by KaEfEr ^{(remove the 2 from addy)} of: