Cassel | Creation Cassel

October Blog Train

September 1, 2018October 1, 2011 by Cassel

You probably are coming from Sugar Kissed Designs, right? How are you doing so far in the blog train? Did you find some great new designers? Did you rediscover some older ones you might have forgotten? Let’s hope so. Here is my contribution to the train. Just a note that there is a little extra in this zip file. I hope you will enjoy it.

cass-Oct2011-BlogTrain-TimeForChange

Just click on the preview to start the direct download.

(i will post the slideshow as soon as i can figure out how!)

Your next stops should be these (i put two in case there is too much traffic in the next one, then you can keep going).

Truman Studio http://trumanstudio.com/blog

Let Me Scrapbook! http://LetMeScrapbook.blogspot.com

If you ever get lost along the way, you can always go back to the master list (which should be HERE although maybe due to time zones, was not up yet as i scheduled this post).

New script – Torn Apart

August 4, 2018September 30, 2011 by Cassel

Following the great success of the Torn Edge script, i thought it would be great to have the option to tear in the center of an image or a paper instead of only the edge and so this idea came up. This script for Paintshop Pro will create a rip in the middle of any image, photo or paper, of any size. You can leave the tear in the center or you can move it around, and even rotate it, especially if you want to place it in a strategic place of the image. The torn edges will be left on separate layers so you can add a texture if you want. The layers will be unmerged but linked to the matching torn edge.

You can tear a paper once, or more than once, providing that you either merge the piece and the tear together before running the script a second time, of by copying and pasting the paper piece (without the torn edge) as a new image.

Decide if you want a vertical or horizontal tear.Choose if you want it to be kind of straight, slightly uneven, or more. Many interesting effects can be achieved with this script, tearing photos, papers, or even paper pieces like note papers, heart shapes, etc. This could be a fun way to get some journaling pieces.

You can get this script in my stores: Creation Cassel and DigiScrapWarehouse.

And as usual, you have a chance to win this script by adding your name to the RAK thread in the Happy Place. Unlike usually, the winner will be announced on TUESDAY night instead of Monday, since i will be out of town on Monday. Just tell me what you think you could use this script for.

cass-TornApart-sample And here is your free sample. This is a layered template in PSD format. It consists of 3 “paper” pieces that will match perfectly, and 4 “edge” pieces. You can adjust the “edge” pieces to match any paper color, and the “paper” pieces are just like a puzzle and you can cut out your paper or photo using the magic wand. The “paper” piece layers are linked to the matching “edge” piece layers so you can move them around together, however, to help you with the “photo” part, all the “edge” pieces are below the “paper” pieces so you will have to rearrange the layers order when you decide to merge them.

You need to be logged in to download this sample. You can either login, or register on the top of this page.

News from the Campus

Not too much new YET, but i am working to bring you some super interesting bonus for the next registration period for the Basic Scrap Campus. So keep a close eye. This promotion will not last very long so you might want to register to the mailing list so you stay informed as soon as the registration re-open. The current students seem to really enjoy the lessons as i have seen some samples of their work. Seeing those, i am sure they are having a blast!

This weekend, we’ll have the FREE webinar on shadows in digital scrapbooking using Paintshop Pro. We’ll look at the regular basic shadows on a flat surface, shadows to make those ribbons look all curled up, shadows for your clusters, and then, shadows for the fantasy layouts.

Register here

If you don’t register and decide to join Sunday, October 2nd, as it will be starting at 3pm Eastern, you can click HERE.

See you around!

New script – Template User Tool

September 18, 2021September 23, 2011 by Cassel

Once you created some fun templates with the Cluster Template Maker script, now you want to fill in all those shapes, either with papers or with photos. This can be a pretty tedious task of copying, pasting, adjusting, resizing, changing layer, selecting, deleting excess paper, deleting original layers, renaming layer. Now, this script will help you use any template even faster with your Paintshop Pro. This script will take care of those tedious tasks that are repeated layer after layer after layer. You will simply have to pick the paper or photo you want to use on each layer, resize, rotate, adjust them to fit the shape and the script will do the rest. How cool is that?

You can get this script in my stores now: Creation Cassel and DigiScrapWarehouse.

If you want a chance to win it (even if you already purchased it), you can simply add your name to this thread in the Happy Place of the DST forum. I will be back Monday night to announce a winner.

cass-ClusterTemplate-02 As usual, i have a free sample for you. Since this script is a tool to use with your own templates, i could not run it and give you the end result, but i could run the script from last week, and let you have another clustered template in PSD format.

You need to be logged in to download this sample. You can either login, or register on the top of this page.

News from the Campus

The registrations for the Element Creation tutorials section are still going but the deadline for the super duper bonus draw was last Sunday. The winners are:

Sue Turner: Paintshop Pro X4 Ultimate

Dianne Parham : $10 coupon the Scrapping Wright’s store

In addition, there was one draw in the Happy Place at DST and the winner was Limequilla. Let’s hope you all enjoy your treats. If you are a registered student to the Element Creation Tutorials section, remember to send me the suggestions for the next tutorials you would want to see.

Did you attend our Webinar 2 weeks ago about the Text tool in Paintshop Pro? If you did not, you can view the annotated recording, and download a handout in the Webinar section of the Campus. It is free to access but you have to be a registered member of the Campus (and the registration is free so there is absolutely no cost to you). If you are interested in attending the next Webinar, it will be held on October 2nd and will be about Shadows. You can register to the webinar now, and get reminders ahead of time, in case you are like me and tend to forget your “appointments” easily. Again, it is free to attend, so come on over and see me work live, directly from the comfort of your own home.

Register Now

If you have considered joining a course at the Campus, stay tuned for any upcoming promotion. Make sure you check your emails and obviously, have your name on my mailing list otherwise you will miss anything big!

Subscribe to Mailing List

New script – Cluster Template Maker

September 1, 2018September 15, 2011 by Cassel

Some people love to create clusters, but feel they just can’t make anything reasonable. Someone asked me if i could make a script to do clusters for her. Well, I know for sure that a script in Paintshop Pro is a set of commands with mathematical values, so there is no way i can code what looks good and what does not, so i studied some clusters that looked good and tried to extract some mathematical similarities and that is what got into this script. It turned out to be quite good and the results are generally interesting.

The script will generate a random number of rectangles, horizontally and vertically, of different size and shape, all layered under an image or a placeholder. Once in a while, you will see a wavy line in the cluster. That is just added for fun. Once the script is done, if you REALLY don’t like the result, simply undo and run the script again. It is that easy. Once you are kind of happy with the result, you can still adjust and customize the layers, and the rectangles. Add more shapes, remove some layers, rotate others, rearrange the layer order, add some fancy edges on some rectangles, etc. Make it your own. And if you want more layers, just run the script a second time starting with the image layer, then you’ll have more layers and shapes to play with!

You can grab that script in either of my stores: Creation Cassel and DigiScrapWarehouse.

And for a chance to win this script, simply add your name to this thread in the Happy Place of the DST forum, and tell me how you go about to create your clusters. I will be back on Monday with the name of a winner.

cass-ClusterTemplate-01 As usual, you want to get a freebie, right? Fair enough. I created this layered cluster template with the script. I added shadows to the preview only, since there is a chance you might want to change some layers and then, the shadows might not work. It is a PSD format, so most of you should be able to open it, and use it. If you DO use it, would you mind showing me how it turns out? I would love to see how different scrappers will turn this ONE template into many unique results.

You need to be logged in to download this sample. You can either login, or register on the top of this page.

News from the Campus

The Element Creation Tutorials with Paintshop Pro section has open and we are taking registrations. If you register on or before September 17th, your name will be put into a draw to win one copy of Paintshop Pro X4 Ultimate (freshly released last week).

But you have only a couple of days left!

I added a thread in the DST forum where you can win ONE membership to the Element Creation tutorials, and the draw will be on Sunday morning, just in time for the winner to have his/her name added to the draw for the PSPX4. Would you be lucky enough to win both? Maybe. Who knows?

Sunday, Sept 11th, we held a webinar on using the Text tool in Paintshop Pro. An edited recording of this webinar is currently posted in the Scrapbook Campus under the Webinars tab. A written handout will be added shortly. (you only have to be logged in to access it, but registration is totally free if you are not yet a member)

Do you want to register to our next webinar? It will be held on Oct 2nd at 3pm Eastern. You can register here so you will be getting reminders ahead of time. The topic? Shadows!

New script – Shattered

September 1, 2018September 9, 2011 by Cassel

How long would it take you to cut an image in random pieces, separate them in individual layers, resize them, rotate them, move them and then add shadows to each of them? With your Paintshop Pro and this script, it will only take you a few seconds and a few clicks. And if you dont like the result, no problem; run the script again. You will NEVER get the same result twice because of the random features incorporated into the code.

You can stop the script right after the pieces are cut and separated in layers, or you can keep going and get each piece slightly resized, rotated and moved randomly.

You can stop the script here too, or choose to add a drop shadow. In this case, you will decide on all the settings for the shadow and the script will apply the exact same settings on all the pieces, no matter how many there are. Since the script ends with unmerged layers, you can keep manipulating all the pieces as you wish, deleting some, moving others, etc.

You can get this script in either of my stores: Creation Cassel or DigiScrapWarehouse.

cass-Shattered-sample How about a chance to win this script for free? You can, by simply adding your name to this thread in the DST Forum, telling me of one creative use you can think of for this script, and Monday, i will announce a winner.

And now, as usual, you are expecting a freebie, right? Well, since this script applies on a photos, i could hardly give you a cut up picture. I am sure you would not care to get one of MY pictures! So, i figured i could make a layered template with the pieces still in place, not resized, rotated or moved. That way, you can apply that template to any picture of YOURS and create a similar effect.

You need to be logged in to download this sample. You can either login, or register on the top of this page.

Paintshop Pro X4 is out.

Paintshop Pro X4 came out Wednesday this week. I have been part of the beta testing team for a few months. If you want to know about the improvements or additions, and if it is not too late for you, you can join their live demonstration tonight (there is one left, and you can register here). One thing i can say is that it is more stable than X3 was, so it might interest you!

News about the Campus

Did you add your suggestions for which type of elements you would like to learn to create yourself? If not, it is still time. Just hop over to this page and add your name and suggestion. And then, be sure to check your emails or check the Campus again very soon as the Element Creation Tutorials section should go live within a few days. And you will have a chance for some GREAT bonuses. And i mean GRRRRREAT. Subscribe to the mailing list on that page, follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook to be sure you know when the section goes live because you dont want to miss the time limited bonuses!

See you around the Campus.

New script – Waterwork

September 5, 2020September 2, 2011 by Cassel

How about some fresh water added onto your layout? This script will convert the text or design of your choice into clear water, complete with shine and refraction from the bottom surface.

You can get the script to use smaller droplets to fill in the design, or use the shape as is. Use any color if you want to simulate juice drops!

Exceptionally, this script will only work with PaintShop Pro 9 and up (sorry for PSP8 users).

All the designs will be slightly distorted, so straight lines wont stay perfectly straight, and corners will be rounded off. Use the simple round brush and hand write or hand draw something. Draw random blobs to create droplets, or draw letters in an uneven manner for best result.

You can get this script in my stores: CreationCassel and DigiScrapWarehouse.

And how about winning this script? Check out this thread in the DST Happy Place. Simply give me ONE splashy word you can think of and add your name.

cass-Wet-Digits As usual, i have a little freebie for you. This is a set of wet digits on a tag. Each tag was made using handwritten digits run through the script. You get all 10 digits and one blank tag for you to add your own.

You need to be logged in to download this sample. You can either login, or register on the top of this page.

Each tag is pretty large so you can resize it as you need.

News from the Campus

Did you follow the newsletter from the Campus? Did you know that the second section should be released soon? Yes, the second section is all about creating elements yourself instead of solely relying on purchased supplies. You would then be able to either create your own elements yourself, from scratch with the shapes and colors you need, or you can learn to modify the elements you already have and personalize them to fit the layout you want to create. This should be open to registration soon. If you want to be among the first ones to register, you can add your name to this mailing list, and tell me which type of element/technique you want to learn about first. I have dozens and dozens of tutorials planned, but which ones will i release first? You tell me what YOU want! If you dont want to add your name to a list, you can just email me or even add a comment below. I will see it all.

Remember to keep an eye on the Campus and your emails as there will be some time limited special offers so, watch out.

Although most of you might be scrappers, i am sure you can find other uses for your scrapbooking supplies. Whether it is invitation cards, wishing cards, calendars, and more. Check out the article here.

New Script – FLower Power

August 4, 2018August 26, 2011 by Cassel

This little script for Paintshop Pro might not seem like much but how often did you want to get a flower shape and had to do all the duplicating and rotating manually? This script will do just that for you. With a random feature integrated, you might get between 6 and 15 petals, and each petal will be slightly different in size and shape, so you will always get a new shape.

In addition to creating a different shape, you can generate it as a vector shape to be exported as a custom shape, so you can use it at any time, later on. You can choose to have it in layered raster with your choice of color, gradient or pattern, or you can ask for a plain basic flat sample, again in the color of your choice (perfect for layering).

Once the script is run, you can keep adding details, modify the individual petals, add glitters on the edge, re-arrange the petal order, remove one petal, etc. So many things you could do!

You can get this script in my stores: CreationCassel and DigiScrapWarehouse.

If you want a chance to win this script, simply go over to the DST forum, and add your name to this thread. I will be back on Monday with the name of a winner.

cass-FlowerPower-sample I am sure you are also looking for a freebie sample for this script. That is exactly what i did. I ran the script and got a few random shapes and i played with them. On one layered shape, i added a glittered edge with the Glittered Edge script on each individual petal, then i slipped the last petal under the first one for the gold color flower. Then, i played with the Felt script to add a felt texture on 3 coloured copies of the same flower, and layered them. You get one PNG sample and the matching PSD format flower. Finally, i ran the Inked Edge script on a purple flower, petal by petal, and then, i removed the petals themselves, leaving only the inked border. I think it does give a really fun result that i didn’t even expect! What can you do with that script?

You want to play with those? You need to be logged in to download this sample. You can either login, or register on the top of this page.

For the fun of it, this week i took the time to create a scrap page about one day of geogaching with my husband. It was a fun day, and since i have been meaning to make a whole album on our geocaching adventures, which started 3 years ago with my sons, i think i just found a style that might work for this. What do you think? I might just post the other pages as i create them. Do you do geocaching? Tell me about it!

From the Campus:

This is getting more and more exciting. Several people emailed me saying they would like to learn how to create this and that element with their Paintshop Pro, and i kept smiling because that is exactly what i am preparing! Many tutorials are in the making to create papers, elements, textures, fasteners, text effects, and more. So keep an eye on the Element Creation Tutorials of the Campus, subscribe to the mailing list if you want to be first to learn when registrations open so you can take advantage of the special price.

New Font – Cross-Stitches

February 26, 2017August 20, 2011 by Cassel

This week, i am bringing you a different kind of product. Instead of a script, like i usually do, i created a font. This font includes 26 different X-stitches that are uneven. If you wanted even X-stitching, you probably could use the letter X multiple times, but here, these stitching could be associated with messy work, beginner’s work, etc. To use it, simply randomly type letters (a to z) and you will get different stitches.

Does your program allow text on path? If so, you can also do “stitch on path” in the exact same way since, as you remember, these are fonts, so they will behave like text. And you can treat them like fonts too, by changing the color, the size, the kerning, etc. Since this is a font, it also means it is a vector, so you can enlarge it if you want, without loosing the quality.

Use those stitches to hold photos, ribbons, etc. or you can “write” with them (remember you can draw a vector path and add the stitches along that path). What else can you think? And most important: since it is a FONT, it will work with ANY graphic program that can use fonts, so whether you are using Paintshop Pro, Photoshop, Photoshop Element, Gimp, or any other, this font would work.

You can grab this font in my store exclusively: CreationCassel. cass-StitchedDigits

And you have a chance to win this font, by adding your name to the RAK thread i put in the Happy Place. Simply tell me what program you are using and i will be back Monday with a winner.

For a free sample, i thought of the back to school, and decided to make something kind of fun with these stitched ruled paper digits. The stitching is made from primary colors so hopefully, it will match some back to school or kids theme layout. The lifted paper is accented with the included shadows.

You need to be logged in to download this sample. You can either login, or register on the top of this page.

If you like stitching, did you know that i have several other stitching FONTS? Check them out:

And remember that all these fonts are NOT software specific. If your software can use fonts, it can use those!

Unlike the usual commercial pitch in this blog, today, i would also like to tell you about a FANTASTIC customer service i experienced yesterday. A couple of years ago, i purchased Acronis True Image Home, a backup software. I set it up to create my regular full backups, on weekly basis and a daily incremental backup. A few months ago, i get an error message saying that there was not enough room for the backup and when i checked, sure enough my EHD (which is exclusively dedicated to backups) was just about full. Of course, i needed to make some room so i deleted the older backups and only kept those from the previous month or so. I thought it was a smart move. I found out yesterday that it was not!

In the past few months, i would often get up in the morning (the backup was scheduled overnight) and when i checked my computer, i would regularly have an error message from Acronis saying the backup failed, and i had to do something within the next 10 minutes or the backup would stop for the day. When trying to do what it was asking me to do, it would freeze my program. Upon checking, i still had SOME backups so i was in no hurry to fix that problem.

This week, i am on holidays, so i am home and thought it would be a good time to address this. I checked the Acronis site for support and found chat support. Some of you might know, i LOVE chat support. It is faster than emailing back and forth for a week or so! I get this agent named Jijo and after asking me a few questions to check on the Acronis software, i could only say that it would give me a popup window that i could not close. So he asked me permission for a remote session where he would work on my computer while i would be able to watch everything (that is so cool to see!). He tried the same thing he had asked me to do and sure enough, the program would behave exactly the same way. After a lot of other trials, he found out i had deleted one key backup in the backup chain (meaning, the incremental backups have to rely on a “base” full backup and that one was gone) and that the only way to get Acronis to work again, was to uninstall it and reinstall it. No other option so i said ok. He proceeded to uninstall and it was taking a long time “thinking”. I could see he was trying to click on something but it was not working so i took control and clicked the same thing, and sure enough, it was frozen. Everything was frozen, and the chat window could not even be brought up either so he could not tell me what to do. I had to turn the computer off “cold turkey” and restart it. Of course, i had lost that chat support conversation by that time. 🙁

Just within minutes, the phone rang. Yes, it was Jijo calling back, apologizing for the problem (which was NOT his fault at all if my computer froze!) and asked me to log back in the chat support and ask for him. So, a few minutes later, Jijo was there again, helping me. Once uninstalled, he redownloaded a fresh version of Acronis 2011 (i had a full 2010 version and a 2011 upgrade), installed it and registered it. That took quite a while. Then, he proceeded to reset the backup tasks as i wanted them (schedule and location), and set a few more things for optimal use.

All in all, this might sound like normal customer service, right? Probably so, except for one thing: this whole “session” (which included a few re-logging in when the un-installation and re-installation prompted me to reboot) took a whole FOUR HOURS!!!! That is service at its best! I just hope he didn’t start the session only 10 minutes before the end of his working day!!! Although i had an affiliate link for Acronis before, and i LOVED their software, well, i now love the customer service even more!!!!! So if you are still looking for a backup software, why not give this one a try? You can try it for 30 days. Don’t just take my word for it, check it out yourself.

New Script – torn Edge

August 4, 2018August 12, 2011 by Cassel

Do you ever want to have a look of a torn piece of paper on your layout? Maybe for a freestyle look or a wilder look. I am sure you could achieve the same look by manually trimming the edge randomly, then adding an edge, also randomly. I have done the same and it is not too hard, but, after a while, I find it is hard to be “original” in the line design. All my edges looked kind of the same. With this script, this will never happen again. The line design is created with a random feature integrated so no matter how often you run this script, you will always get a different edge. And if you don’t like the edge you got, easy: undo and run the script again. It will only take a few seconds!

As you can see on the preview, you can get a torn edge that is fairly straight, but you can also get a wildly torn paper.

You will get the actual edge on a separate layer than the paper itself so you can add your favourite texture, or just add some noise to it. And you can have it any color you want, whether it is matching the paper or contrasting, or just plan white. Once you have the torn edge, it is perfect to make tags, frames, journaling pieces, etc.

You can find this script in my stores: Creation Cassel and DigiScrapWarehouse.

cass-TornEdge-Samplers I am sure you would like to win this script, so just go over this thread in the DST forum and add your name telling me how you do torn edge look. I will be back on Monday night with a winner.

As a sampler, this week, i made 5 torn edges in PSD layered formats. I ran the script once with each of the “amplitude” option. They are in greyscale and you can use them as templates to create a torn edge on your own papers.

You need to be logged in to download this sample. You can either login, or register on the top of this page.

New script – Palette Maker

August 4, 2018August 5, 2011 by Cassel

This script will create a color palette based on any photo you have. This will be a quick process: open an image on your Paintshop Pro workspace, and run the script. How much easier can it be? You do not have to download any program, you do not have to host any image online or upload it anywhere.

You can generate 5 to 12 colors, which will be picked depending on the frequency of that color in the image. If you have a photo with a large “plain” area (like a sky), you can crop the image and get a better sample. The initial image will be left untouched, so no worry. Also, all the hex values for each swatch will be automatically displayed underneath.

And just for the fun of it, you can have each swatch as a perfect square, or a rounded square.

You can get this script at my stores: CreationCassel and DigiScrapWarehouse.

cass-PaletteMaker-samples If you want a chance to win this script, go add your name to the RAK thread here. I will be back on Monday with the name of a winner.

How about a few samples? I ran the script on three photos of mine, to generate three color palettes. You can use them to create a kit, or a mini-kit, or even just a page from scratch if you want.

You need to be logged in to download this sample. You can either login, or register on the top of this page.

Now, i have some more news this week. I was looking for one more CT member and i found Bren. She is a CT member for other designers who will see their products used, but also, Bren creates her own products so at times, she might just create a layout from scratch. You will see her stuff in the newsletter. Keep an eye out for it.