Pick up the Zip file to use what I used.

This will contain the Wood Pattern

Rosiewoods3f.bmp & the goldfill3.bmp

patterns, and the all important template.psp

Get it (Click Here) to get it.

 +=+==++==+==+===+=

You will need to select 2-3 graphic images

that relate to each other…could be one of

you and your hubby and another of your

children as 1 pic or 2 more, one of each child..

 You will have 3 places to put pictures.

One can be a repeat…just reversed in one

of the small triangles.

  Another thought might be if you want to use

famous people, like your music stars, horses, 

maybe put flowers in the triangles etc.

Tips:

You might want to read the afterthoughts

at the end before you begin.

It is a good habit to always read through any

tutorial to get familiar with it before

beginning.

1  Open your template, Edit / Copy and Edit /

Paste / Paste as New Image

2  Close the original template

3  Magic Wand: 

Select the Black area of the template.

It should just take 1 click!

Settings:

4  Layers / New Raster Layer

5   Effects / 3D Effects / Drop Shadow

Settings:

Vertical & Horizontal both = 5

Opacity = 30, Blur = 5

Color = Black

6  On your layers palette, click on the

bottom layer and make it the active layer..

 This is the layer that your template is on.

7  (F) Flood Fill Tool:

 Fill your template….

Select a fill. A typical choice would be  goldfill3.

This will be a little 2 pixel border fill around your

template in a few more steps.

(I used GoldFill3)

8   Selections / Modify / Contract = 2

9   (F) Flood Fill Tool:

 Fill your template….

Select a fill. I think that a wood fill works real good.

I keep a bunch in my patterns. Fill with your choice.

( I used Rosiewoods3f )

10   Selections / Float

11  Effects / 3D Effects / Cutout

Note: All settings for all effects will remain the

same as last used unless stated!

Settings:

Vertical and Horizontal both = 1

Opacity = 100, Blur = 5

layer that is on the bottom by clicking on the eyes or

glasses icons in your layers palette.

15  Click on your bottom template layer to make

it the active layer on your layers palette.

OK, Let’s add your chosen graphics one at a time.

The procedure for each one is the same.

Open your 2 or 3 pictures or graphics.

Advanced Tip:

   For the #2 and #3 that follows soon, you

should resize and crop for best appearance

in the triangles.

  Another method I favor is to use the (S)

Selection Tool and like for the bottom triangle

draw a rectangle shape and copy/paste

and if I don't like how it looks I go back and

change my selection area and try again!

 Also, a head at the top of the pic would

be best put into #3 and one with the head

centered or lower in your graphic would be

best placed in #2.

=========================================

18  Selections / Modify / Expand = 3

19  Edit / Copy

( one of your chosen graphics)

20  Edit / Paste / Paste into Selection

Note: Sharpen if needed. 

21  Selections / Float

22  Effects / 3D Effects / Cutout

Same settings (Horizontal and Vertical + 1)

23  Effects / 3D Effects / Cutout

Same settings

but Horizontal and Vertical (minus) - 1

24  Selections / Select None

It should automatically Defloat. 

25  Click on your bottom template layer to

make it the active layer on your layers palette.

=========================================

26  Magic Wand:

 Click inside #2

Repeat sequence in red. Step 17 through 25.

^^^^^^^

27  Magic Wand:

 Click inside #3

Repeat sequence in red.

Step 17 through 25.

^^^^^^^

28  Layers / New Raster Layer

29  Layers / Arrange / Send to Bottom

30 (F) Flood Fill Tool:

 Fill with the pattern that you

used before such as a wood fill.

31  Turn all your layers back on in your

layers palette.

Click the eyes or glasses on the X layers.

Now for a really kewl choice that you

have to make!

There are 2 possible final appearances

you can have to this frame.

 Thusly called the “SwitchFrame”

You will want to get the full view to

decide so :::::

32  View / Zoom / Zoom to 100%

33  View / Full Screen Preview

This is what I would call the Wired Frame

appearance.

 Also the photo's appear to be raised slightly.

Left click to bring your screen back to normal.

34  Make the Filled Template layer the

35  Layers / Arrange / Bring To Top

36  View / Zoom / Zoom to 100%

37  View / Full Screen Preview

This is what I would call the Glass Wired Frame

appearance.

 Also the photos appear to be below the

gold borders.

Another variation is to Image/Mirror the frame

38  Decide which one you want to go with

and then..

Image / Add Borders = 5 symmetric

39  Magic Wand:

 Select the new border

40  (F) Flood Fill Tool

  Fill with the wood fill or other

that you used in its place.

41  Effects / 3D Effects / Inner Bevel

The preset name is Metallic

Settings:

Bevel #1 , Width = 1, Smoothness = 10

Depth = 5, Ambience = 0, Shininess = 80,

Color = White, Angle = 315, Intensity = 25

Elevation = 40

42  Selections / Select None

Click on your Custom Selection icon

Settings:

Top = 7

Left = 385

Right = 542

Bottom = 480

Settings:

Lock aspect Ratio Unchecked

Width = 100, Height = 475 pixels

Smart Size

Same settings  H & V = +1

11   Effects / 3D Effects / Cutout

 (into your transparent selection)

Note: You will have some stretchmarks

from stretching the SB so wide. That is ok!

4 Selections / Select None

5  Effects / Image Effects / Seamless Tiling

Default Settings

Note: An alternative would be to use

palette until you can barely see the pattern

layer underneath.

  Keep in mind that this should be text friendly

and compliment the appearance of the frame

and sidebars that will be placed on top of

it when it is tiled in Letter Creator.

Most of mine I moved the opacity back to

10 Save this as your background. jpg or gif

Afterthoughts: Idea's that came out during

testing !

1    Light colored backgrounds can have

texture added to it.

2   The triangle fills, if you get one that fits

really well you could Image/Flip and paste

it into the other triangle so you have the

same image one up and the other one upside

down.

3 Alternative: Instead of using graphics you

can fill the selected areas with a fill 

of your choice and use tubes instead of

****************************************

Approved by the HootyTutTestersGroup!

Thanks to all the great testers that help me to

make these tutorials as good as they are!

The testers are always a vital part of the end

results of what you end up using.

Special thanks to all the testers that participated:

They are: Michelle, Maria Rosa, Calvin, Linda D.