Creating clusters can seem like a daunting task when you just end up staring at the screen, wondering what element to use, where to put them, resize them or not, etc.
This script is a tool that can help you get passed that step by generating a cluster template that you can then tweak to your liking. Like for any other template, you are not required to follow it exactly, but instead, customize it and make it your own.
This script will create a "strip cluster" that you can use on a full size project, as they end up around 3200-3500 pixels in width. Use them horizontally, as they are created or rotate them vertically, or, why not, use them as an angle!
Grab this inspirational tool script in the store: Cluster Template Maker 3
If you are into clusters, you can get all three Cluster Template Maker scripts AND the Speed Scrap Scripts as a Tool kit bundle for more than 30% discount.
That bundle includes this week's Cluster Template Maker script but also two other scripts to generate different types of Clusters. In addition, you get the 3 scripts included in the Speed Scrap Scripts that will help you replace the elements in your template by elements from your kits, all in a fraction of the time you would need to do it manually. A REAL time saver!
Do you want a chance to win this script? Tell me, in the comments below, how you usually manage to create clusters (if you create them). Do you use pre-made clusters? Do you use cluster templates? Do you work a long time to place the elements manually? I'll announce a winner in the newsletter, next week. Not a subscriber yet? Not a problem. You can register here and it is free (and you only get one email per week).
For this week's sample, I am actually including THREE cluster template strips that were generated using this script.
Each template would nicely fit on a 3600 pixels project. Use them as is, tweak them, rotate them, add or remove elements, change the layering, etc. Basically, make them your own.
The shadows are only for the previews since there is no way to tell what type of element you will use for each shape.
Can I challenge you? Would you take one of those templates and create a project to share with us?
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News from the Campus
Join us for our live presentation, this Sunday, at 5pm Eastern time.
We'll look at various ways to use and manipulate ribbons in your digital projects.
Remember that it is FREE.
And bring a friend along.
Linda asked me recently if i could create a script that would generate a painted background from an image. Of course, one can always use the Brush Strokes effect in Paintshop Pro, but sometimes, we only want an abstract background based on the colors of a particular image we like. It can obviously be hard to find a perfect match unless we create it ourselves.
This week, i picked a few very colorful images on Morguefiles and turned 3 of them into full size papers. Do you have a fun, happy project you want to showcase? You can use those background papers as a base for showcasing your photos. You can also use those papers in other ways (or use them with other scripts!).
Can you create your own sticker out of any image you have? Sure you can. Use any png image (even if you extracted Uncle Jim from a photo) to turn them into custom stickers. And also, have a peek how you can make that sticker look like it is curling up a bit.
Whenever you work on a particular project, and create many layers, it is a real pain to copy and paste each individual layer onto the new project. Of course, you can group them, but if you have 20, 30 or 100 layers, it can be very time consuming.
As a sampler, i obviously can't sample this script as it would just need to be applied to your own projects. But since i had a very good response to the 
Are you using keyboard shortcuts when working with PSP? Check out which are my top 10 shortcuts in 
Creating designs for seamless tiles is not that hard, but creating many using the same palette without redoing the same one twice is a little be more challenging.
For a sample, i created 8 tiles in the green colors (for St-Patrick month). Each tile is 250x250 pixels and can be scaled up or down as a pattern. You can add a rotation. You can combine two tiles. You can duplicate a single tile and flip/mirror it to create a different pattern.
What do you know about Adjustment Layers in PSP?
Did you ever use a script that created many elements left on your workspace? What do you do with them? If you want to save them, you might have 20 images to save, each with a different name.
As a sample for this week, i am actually giving you a little challenge. I created a wooden window and i left it in separate layers for you to customize. You can remove some vertical or horizontal pieces to create a different disposition of the window panes. You can remove some of them, cut others, end up with a variety of pane arrangements, even if they are... uneven.
A few years ago, I came up with a script that would create uneven pieces of papers around individual letters. Those were perfect to simulate the look of ransom notes or such and it was called Kidnap Alpha.
This week, I created a basic alpha using this script. The base paper is grey and the letters are either black or dark grey. All the edges are torn.
If you ever had cookies or cakes, you know what a little sprinkles can add to the look!
This week, i had fun "painting" with those sprinkles (it is addictive).
Did you join the live presentation, last week?
Don't you love cookies? Who does NOT love cookies?
This week, as a sampler, i created a set of digits, in the right colors for your Valentine. How about creating a project and writing a date that is special to you? The date you met? The date you married? The date you took that vacation? Any date!
You can find various strings in digital scrapbook kits, or sometimes as a set of elements, but are you struggling to find the right color, or the right length, or the right shape?
I created these fun flowers out of the twisted strings. They are fairly large so you can size them down to fit your project. You get two flowers, two leaves and one stem. Combine them as you wish, add them to clusters, make a border out of several flowers, etc.
Have you ever seen those wonderful images that are transposed into various slats to create vertical or horizontal blinds?
This week, i was really struggling to figure out what to create as a freebie that you might actually use. Since there was a big snow storm in the US this weekend, i thought that maybe, someone would want to have a nice, warm photo to cover the sight of all that snow. Of course, you could use this even if you don't have snow around!
