Flower Doodles

Flower Doodle
This tutorial is the property of Holly's Closet.com. You are welcome to link to it but do not claim it as your own. What you'll need: PSP (I use version X but this can be done in any version) You can get a preview copy of version X2 Here Animation Shop. This program came bundled with earlier versions of PSP but if you don't have it click for a free trial. You can purchase it after you try it. A tube of your choice (I used one by Anneliese Stehwien from whom my group has permission) or any other accents you'd like. Whatever artist you use be sure you have permission to use their work and always remember to credit the artist on your tags in the fashion they describe. Several elements from Chelle's Scrap Kit for download. This is a new kit we have the privilege of being the first to use. All settings will remain the same unless stated. Preparation Open PSP and open your tube. From the folders in the scrap kit select Frame 2, Flower 1, 2 and 3, Doodle 3 and Paper 4 and open them in PSP. With each of these Shift/D to make copies and then close the original. Save as frame.psp, flower1.psp, flower2.psp, flower3.psp, doodle.psp, and paper.psp Image/resize the frame to 600x600. The others will be resized if necessary as we proceed. If you choose to colorize any of these elements, this would be a good time to do it. If your tube is on one layer open the selection tool rectangle and select the copyright right Click/Copy. Right click on workspace and Paste as a new image. Or if the tube is in layers, select the copyright layer and right click Copy/Paste as a new image. In both cases you will now have a copyright image to add back onto your tag when you're finished. We will be making some separate animations that will be joined together later in Animation Shop As you proceed click on the film icon on the tool bar to check your animation. This makes sure things are proceeding as planned. Now we're ready so let's begin. Step 1 Select flower1.psp Copy flower 2 and 3 and paste each of them as a new layer. Close the originals. You will have 3 layers. Apply this Drop Shadow to each layer 4, 4, 60, 5 Save as flowergroup.psp and close the other two images. Step 2 Open Animation Shop and select Animation Wizard. Use default (same size, transparent,upper left hand corner, with canvas color, yes, repeat animation indefinitely, 10,) Click on Add image and locate the flowergroup.psp file. Click Next and then Finish. Step 3 Select the first frame of your animation. Right click Copy Click twice on this button Paste After Current Frame You will then have three frames of the first flower. Repeat this with the other two Flower Frames. You will now have 9 Flower frames. Save As flowers.mng. Minimize and go back to PSP. Step 4 Open a new image 600x600 transparent. Copy Doodle 3 and paste as a new layer. Layers/Merge/Merge Down Drop Shadow same as before. Duplicate Layer Image/Free Rotate/Left(or Right)/45. Repeat this 8 times. Save As doodle.psp Step 5 Back to Animation Shop Animation Wizard as before but select doodle.psp Once again you will have 9 frames. Save as doodle.mng and minimize. Step 6 Back in PSP open a new image 600x600. In your materials palette select pattern and find paper.psp. Floodfill and save as background.psp. In AS Open background.psp. Animation/Insert Frames/Empty Number of frames 8 Insert before frame 2 Select Carry forward contents of preceding frame Like the flowers, you will have 9 frames. Save as flowerdoodle.mng or whatever name you want for your final tag. Step 7 Make sure the Propagate Paste function is on by clicking this icon. Highlight the doodle animation. Ctrl/A to select all frames. Right Click Copy Highlight the Background Animation and Ctrl/A. Click on this button The doodle will be attached to your pointer and you can move it into the center of the frame. Left click to attach it. If you don't like the location click Edit/Undo. Repeat until you are satisfied. You don't have to repeat the Copy function as it will be available until you finish pasting. Sometimes it won't look like the element is pasted into all the frames. After you attach it, scroll across the frames. If it isn't pasted, check to make sure Propagate Paste is on, Edit/Undo, and repeat your Paste. File/Save (Since you saved it as flowerdoodle.mng earlier, it will continue to save with that name.) Step 8 Open frame.psp in Animation Shop. Make sure it's 600x600 (you resized it earlier). Right Click Copy Once again make certain Propagate Paste is on. Highlight the Background Animation and Ctrl/A. Click on this button Move the frame so it's even inside the frame. Left click to attach it. File/Save Step 9 Maximize the flower animation. Ctrl/A, right click, Copy Highlight main animation Click on Paste Into Selection button Locate the flowers where you want them and right click. File/Save Step 10 Now I think you have the idea of how to add things to your animation. Open your tube in AS and copy and paste it into the selected frames. If it's too large, Edit/Undo and Image/Resize the tube. Paste it into the selected frame as before. To add the copyright you can do the same as the frame. In PSP Copy and then in AS Paste as a new animation and then paste it into selected frame. And the same with your watermark. File/Save Step 11 Okay, now we're ready to actually save the animation. First I would suggest you resize it. Animation/Resize Animation/ I went to 400x400 but that's your choice. Ctrl/A right click Frame Properties. Make sure the display time is 10. Highlight the first frame and change the time to 9. Highlight the 9th frame and change the time to 1. This smooths the animation since both frames are the same. File/Save As/flowerdoodles.gif. This brings you to optimization. Because there is no transparency just accept the defaults. And after the tag is saved you're finished. I mentioned earlier that you could colorize the elements and I gave it a try and here is the result. I hope you enjoyed making this tag and hope you'll join me with my next tutorial.