How to make this effective but easy frame.  (see finished images at bottom of page)

I got asked recently how I did the frame on the picture above and so I thought that I would make it into a mini tutorial for others to use. Please feel free to experiment and add your own thing to the finished product...this tute is only to give you ideas and directions. *s*
 

What you will need.

• PSP 7      Download a trial (I used version 7 but it can easily be achieved in 6 and 8)

• Xenofex  30 day demo available...but I do give instructions for an alternative method though, so all is not lost...improvisation is good for the soul. *s*

• Eye Candy 3

• Eye Candy 4

• An image which you are going to work on.....this can be a photo or ready made image or one that you have just completed. 

How to create your masterpiece! *s*

Open the image that you wish to work from.  To be able to work with many of the tools in PSP, your image needs to be one with 16, Million Colours  (24 bit).  If you are having any problems being able to use any of the tools, check this out first.

• Choose Colours > Increase Colour Depth >16 million colours 24 bit),  OR

• Press <Shift> + <Ctrl> + <0>

Please note that most of the screen shots have been reduced to 80% for faster loading, so yours will look different to these.  Also remember to SAVE often!

Step 1.  Have your chosen image open and ready to frame. Add a size 15 white border ....I found using the white on the first border gives us a metallic look to the frame.

 

Step 2. Select this new border with the  magic wand...apply the Simple....Diamonds filter.

 

Step 3.  Keeping selected, go to Effects...Plugins....apply EC4 Swirl...with these settings.

 

Step 4. Now take it into EC3 Swirl with these settings:

 

Step 5. Staying with EC 3...go to Jiggle and apply these settings:

 

Step 6. Now still in EC 3...go to Weave and apply these settings:

 

Step 7.  Go to Selections...and Float...now add a cut out 1 V...1 H....Opacity 61...Blur 15 Black and again but make it -1 V -1H.   Deselect.

 

Step 8.  add new border of 15...mine was #406D59..the green colour in my pic, select with  magic wand....got to Effects....Geometric Effects...Wave...make it all 8's in the boxes *Beta 8*  I have since learned, from Shala Brown, a fellow member of Cafe PSP, that this tutorial can also be done in PSP 8...the only changes that she had to make was in 'Wave'...she set all the values to 4 and ticked  the Transparent option under edge mode. Thanks Shala. *s*

* Now the next two steps are for using the Xenofex filter, but for those who don't have it....then move on to Step 11*

  

Step 9.  Xenofex....Distress....deselect

 

Step 10.  Take the magic wand magic wand and select the solid main colour of your last border....add Xenofex...Crumple....add a drop shadow of 0 V...1 H...Opacity 78....Blur 3.5 select none.

 

Step 11* Okay...so you don't have the Xenofex filter....then take it to Eye Candy 3...Jiggle with these settings:

 

Step 12* Take the  magic wand and select the solid main colour of your last border....

go to Effects....Texture Effects...Texture...Crumpled Paper (which is number 11 on mine) size 65...Smoothness 0......Depth 2....Ambience 0.....Shininess 0... Angle 315...Colour white...Intensity 50...Elevation 30   add a drop shadow of 0 V...1 H...Opacity 78....Blur 3.5 select none. The frame is nice just as it is or if you would rather, you can add a border of 3 with a darker shade of the colour you have selected.

Finished.