♥ Merry Christmas Baby ♥ CT tutorial S&Co and Bibi's Collection ~ Merry and matching kit.

This tutorial was created with Photoshop CS6 or CS2 depending on what filters I use. Some older filters will no longer work in CS6. Can be done with other versions and/or programs.

Supplies:

Artist's Tube of choice: I am using the PTU art of Vi Nina and the tube's name is Merry. Please DO NOT use her images without the proper license. You can find this tube here

Scrap Kit of choice: I am using the matching PTU kit that is also called Merry by Bibi's Collection. You can find this kit also at S&Co here

Mask of choice: I am using mask ARZMN_Mask%01 by yours truly :) and you can find it at the bottom of this post. Bring to full size then save image as.

Fonts of choice: I am using PF Tempesta Seven for the © and Traditio for the word art and Santa's Sleigh Full Deluxe for my name.

Filters of choice: MuRa's - Copies

Ok, grab a cuppa, and a munchie, and let's go!!

Please remember to SAVE your work often, RENAME your layers, and if you feel you have really messed up.... Remember that UNDO is your bestest friend!!

Abbreviations

C/P = Drag and Drop OR Edit>Select All>Edit>Copy>Edit>Paste

DS = Drop Shadow

MV – Merge Visible

CNL – Create New Layer

Create a new image 800x800, transparent background, 72dpi/ppi. Name the file whatever you wish and hit ok.

Prepare and apply ARZMN_Mask%01. App;y paper 4 or paper of choice. Right click and choose clipping mask. Hide all layers except the mask layers and MV Duplicate and MV again. Minimize your canvas for now.

Create another new image 1000x1000. This is because you will need plenty of room to run the copies filter.

C/P element 89 or an element of your choice, to the middle of the canvas. Resize down to 55%. Apply the MuRa's – Copies filter with the following settings.

 Maximize your main canvas now and C/P the new frame to the center of the canvas. You may now close the copies image. We no longer need it.

Resize your frame down to a size that is suitable for you..

With your magic wand tool click inside the frame. Select>Modify>Expand and expand by 2px. Activate layer 1 then CNL. Flood fill the new layer with a soft pink or matching color of your tube.

C/P paper 6 above the filled layer. Right click and choose create clipping mask. Set the blend mode for this layer to hard light. Add an Inner DS of your choice.

C/P a close up of your tube above the paper layer, right click and choose clipping mask. Apply a DS of your choice.

Close your frame layer and layer 1. MV Open up the closed layers.

With your magic wand tool SHIFT+Click inside all of the stars. Zoom in real close so you can see what you are doing. Make sure your get all the points of the stars too. Expand the selection by 2px.

Activate your closup layer, and CNL. Choose a light to midtone brown and flood fill the selection with your fill tool. Deselect.

In your blending options choose Bevel & Emboss and give it a bevel of your choice. The idea here is to make it look like a cookie.

Now give your frame a slight DS. Merge the frame and the “cookie” layer visible.

Now start placing your elements. Use whatever you want or use similar to my tag, It's all up to you :) Stack, layer, rotate. Make it look like your own.

Now, making Merry look like she is getting ready to open the present. This is going to take a lot of concentration unless you are skilled with the brush tool. Which I am not lol. And there is probably an easier way to do this, but I don't know of it.

C/P your tube and resize and position where you want her to go. C/P the present. Risize it down so that it looks small enough to sit between her legs.

On the present layer lower the opacity of the layer down enough that you can clearly view both the present AND the details of the tube.

With a very soft eraser brush start erasing ON THE PRESENT layer following the tubes details. Lower and higher the opacity of the layer as needed to check your progress. When finished it should look like by tag above.

Add your word art “Merry Christmas Baby” and your name with any effects that you wish to add. It takes me a while when doing this step because I play with the blending options A LOT!

Trim your transparent pixels and resize the whole tag down to your prefered size.

Take a last look at your tag, and decide if you want to make any changes. Add DS and/or glows to any or all layers, as you please.

Add your © and you are finished. Save for Web as PNG-24!!

This tutorial was created by me, Mary Oakes aka Ariez Moon, on 11/22/2014. Any similarity to any other tutorial is purely coincidental. Please abide by my TOU and the TOU of Artists and Designers that you may use.

I hope you all enjoyed this tutorial, and I hope that I did not do too bad of a job writing it. If you have any problems, questions, comments, or suggestions just give me a hollar in my Cbox, or connect with me on FB. I will get back to you as fast as I can.

As always, Happy PSPing.... and Photoshop too :) !!