RAK | Creation Cassel

New script – Photo Blinds

January 19, 2021January 23, 2016 by Cassel

Photo blinds script for Paintshop Pro Have you ever seen those wonderful images that are transposed into various slats to create vertical or horizontal blinds?

This script can recreate that effect with Paintshop Pro. Use any image to start and run the script. You will have various options to choose to create your own custom blinds.

You can even have the blinds partially open (one third, one half or two thirds), so you can still see the initial photo, yet have the option to show a window and a scenery behind it.

This is just a plain fun way to display your image.

You can use the top valence if you want, but you can remove it completely and just use the individual slats that the script created.

Get this fun script: Photo Blinds

Would you like to win this script? Tell me, in the comments below, how you would use these blinds. As usual, i expect some very creative uses! I'll pick and 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).

cass-PhotoBlinds-Sunset 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!

It is a png format element and it is full size so you could use it to cover half of a full size layout. Add a frame and a window scene behind for an interesting effect.

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

What will you hide behind that warm sunset blind?

News from the Campus

InTheNews Our next live presentation will take place on February 7th (yes that is 2 weeks from now; for a change, we are quite ahead!).

Come and join us for a fun live class on ways we can be inspired by newspapers and magazines formats do display our photos and stories.

It is free so why not join in?

(and share with your PSP friends too)

New script – Wooden Window

January 19, 2021January 16, 2016 by Cassel

wooden window script for Paintshop Pro You might be able to find some ready-made wooden windows in PNG format but what if you could create your own, to perfectly match your project? Use the same wood, or adjust the size or format of the window.

With this script, the possibilities are endless. Even if you have a smaller image to start with, the script will join several pieces in a dovetail manner, just like a carpenter would do.

You can create a single window, or place two tall windows, side by side for a totally different look.

Add those windows to a digital scrapbook project as a way to showcase an outdoor scene, or use each individual glass pane to place individual photos.

You can create an elegant window or a rustic one, depending on the wood texture image you start with.

Get this fun script in the store: Wooden Window

For a chance to win this script, tell me, in the comments below, how you would use those windows in a project. I always love the creativity you show, so i will be anxious to read your suggestions. I'll be back with a winner, next week, in the newsletter. Not a subscriber yet? Not a problem. You can register here and it is free (and you only get one email per week).

Wooden Window Cluster in PNG format This week, i went a bit out of my comfort zone and created a cluster with a sample window. I had fun using a curly ribbon and wrapping it around the sides of the window, and then, just added some flowers and greenery.

The whole window with the cluster is a bit over 2000 pixels.

You can use this window and place a large image behind it, or just leave it as is. I think it is cute on its own too! And i am sure you can do something similar with different types of windows. A great way to customize the window to match your project.

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

New script – Cube beads

January 19, 2021December 5, 2015 by Cassel

There are various ways to add letters or digits or fun symbols on a project. If you were a traditional paper scrapbooker, you might actually use some small beads, and you can do the same with Paintshop Pro.

This script will create various cubic shape beads with your choices of settings. You can choose the color of the bead, the color and the font for the text, the direction of the beads, the custom design you want to add.

Each bead will be about 300 pixels wide so you can easily resize them to fit your project. You can "thread" the beads if you want with any string (including some from the store). If you need to thread a bead facing left or right, just add a "hole" with the brush tool where the string would enter.

Get this script in the store: Cube-Beads script.

For a chance to win this script (or a future new release), tell me what message you would write using cube beads. Would it be a single word? a short phrase? a date? Tell me in the comments below and i will pick a winner next week to be announced in the newsletter. Not a subscriber yet? Not a problem. You can register here and it is free (and you only get one email per week).

As a way for you to sample the result of running this script, i created a set of digits (with a hyphen and a blank) beads. I made them neutral white so you can use them in just about any project to write a date. I used a rope tube from this set to "attach" the beads on the bottom, and rotated the beads slightly to match the string curve (I find it easier to draw the curved string first and adjust the bead orientation than the reverse).

You can use those to write a date or any other number you need (the address of your new home, the year for a birthday, the date on a calendar, etc.)

What can you write with those digits?

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

Paintshop Christmas

Join us tomorrow, December 6th, for our monthly live presentation.

We will look at various projects you can do with Paintshop Pro. I already got a few interesting suggestions for projects i will illustrate and demonstrate. Come and add yours too.

Attending is always FREE, and you get the chance to ask questions, comment, and chat with the other attendees.

Remember that you can promote this presentation to your friends, in a Facebook group, in forums where you hand out, etc. The more we are, the merrier it will be!

New script – Circle Doodles

January 19, 2021November 27, 2015 by Cassel

Did you ever like to play with those multiple gears in Spirograph (R) to create various types of designs?

Now, you can do the same in Paintshop Pro without the gears, and mostly, without the calculations needed to have a precise arrangement of the rotated layers, AND with the added speed of automation.

This script allows you to create an unlimited number of design, either from a randomly generated pattern, or your own. You can choose also the number of rotations, and you can even tweak the random design create for you.

Merge the layers if you want, or leave them unmerged if you want to tweak them some more. The possibilities are endless!

Get this script in the store: Circle Doodles

See how this script works and some ideas on how you can use the different options:

What could you do with such designs? Give me an idea of what element/effect you can create with this kind of design. I'll pick a winner, at random, and announce it in next week's newsletter. 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, i ran the script twice to create two interesting patterns, and colored one version just with the brush tool.

One ends up as a frame, while the other is more of a solid shape. Maybe you can print them and cut them out to add to your Christmas ornaments? Or maybe use them on a greeting card?

They are all about 1000 pixels wide, and you get one version with only the outline, and one version with the filled in colors. You can use the outlined ones and paint them to your liking, to match your project.

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

Christmas bundle sale

Did you hear about the Creative Christmas bundle?

It is a collection of 14 products offered by 14 fabulous designers, to help you save time, do more and enjoy the coming holidays.

You will find card templates to use with PSP (or with your favorite papers), craft patterns, scrapbook kits, recipe, printables, planners, ornaments to make, and much more. All those products would cost you over $200 to get separately, but you can save 85% of it, by getting the whole bundle this weekend.

You don't have much time: GET IT NOW for only $29.99!

It will be over, on Monday, Nov 30th, at midnight!

New script – Word Album 2

January 19, 2021November 20, 2015 by Cassel

How about creating a unique kind of photo album or scrapbook with a title right cut out of the pages? This is a totally unique idea, and you can do that easily with this script for Paintshop Pro.

The script will create full size pages (12 x 12) with a letter cut out of the top to form a word. The letters somewhat overlap to be visible as a whole. You can choose any word you want, whether it is the name of a person, a location, a sentiment, or any other word that is meaningful to you, and will summarize the content of the album.

This is perfect for those who have a cutting machine, but anyone can cut out the pages manually.

Choose any text, but also any font! Of course, thinner fonts will be harder to cut out, but if you have a cutting machine, that should be simpler.

The 12 x 12 pages can always be cropped to a different format, or resized to a different size, depending on what you would want to create in the end.

Use the pages as templates, a scrapbook layout, or maybe just blank pages that everyone can use to hand write notes for someone, for an event, etc. like a giant greeting card.

Get this unique script in the store: Word Album 2

Do you want this script for free? I have a little game for you: in the comments below, pick a word that you think would make a great title for an album (just ONE word). I will draw a winner and announce it next week but even better, the winner's word will become a free album template for everyone subscribed to the newsletter. Not a subscriber yet? Not a problem. You can register here and it is free (and you only get one email per week).

As a sampler, i created a set of 6 pages that will form the word FAMILY. Of course, with the holiday season coming, it is a time when many people will visit family members, see some they haven't seen in a while, and so on. Close family, extended family. Why not create a keepsake using those pages? You can create layouts with holiday photos, but you can also just leave most of the pages blank and let everyone who visit this season, write a little note, a wish, a story, etc.

This will become a great keepsake to cherish all year long.

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

New script – Harlequin Pattern

January 19, 2021November 13, 2015 by Cassel

Although it might be easy enough to get a greyscale template of a Harlequin pattern, it is still a task if you want the colors to be varied, and matching your chosen palette.

Creating the shapes, manually is very time consuming, but with this script and your Paintshop Pro, you can create those in seconds only.

This tool will allow you to create seamless tiles with specific colors of your own palette, but you can also create a larger pattern based on a gradient or even an image (try a picture of a texture!) for a very unique Harlequin pattern that will match your current project.

You have other options, like the presence or absence of outlines between each diamond. Again, that will yield quite different results for you to use.

Grab this script in the store: Harlequin Pattern script.

Have you ever created (or wanted to create) a Harlequin pattern? How did you do so, or how would you have done so? Tell me in the comments below and you will get a chance to win this script. Not a subscriber yet? Not a problem. You can register here and it is free (and you only get one email per week).

As a sample, I created a set of 4 simple patterns made from simple gradients. Although the script asks for a minimum of 2 colors, I just provided the same gradient twice to create a repeated single pattern. If you want the same colors as your particular palette, you can use the foreground-background gradient, and having picked the colors ahead of time, you will get a fantastic match.

Those tiles are seamless so you can use them to create papers, or elements, and by changing the scale, you can create detailed designs too.

So what would you do with those tiles?

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

New script – Scattered Photos

January 19, 2021October 30, 2015 by Cassel

Although Paintshop Pro allows you to nicely arrange photos without too much effort of measuring (since you can use guides and templates), it might be a little bit more tedious to pretend you scattered photos randomly. Yet, it can be a great way to display lots of photos on a project.

In order to scatter photos, you need to open each of them, resize them (if needed), add a border (if you want), copy them, paste them on the base image, rotate them, move them where you want, and then repeat for each other photo. If you have 5 or 6 photos, that might be feasible, but what if you have 50 of them? That can definitely add up and take you time.

This script will take care of all the steps once you have given it the proper information: where the photos are, what size you want them, if you want a border, and where you want the photos to be scattered (in the center, on the outer edge or all over). Then, you can go get a coffee and it will be all done by the time you come back!

Since all the photos are left on unmerged layers, you can always tweak them later (after all, the script can't tell if it looks the way YOU want).

And furthermore, the script will add shadows to all the layers if you want to, saving you even more time.

Get this script in the store: Scattered Photos.

Do you want a chance to win this script (so you can display all your Halloween photos)? Tell me what is the maximum number of photos you have placed onto one layout. The winner will be announced next week, in the newsletter. Not a subscriber yet? Not a problem. You can register here and it is free (and you only get one email per week).

Since this script will work only on YOUR own images, I am sure you would not care much about using mine. So, instead of using photos to place them onto a base image, i simply created black rectangles, the size of regular photos, and used them instead of photos. I ran the script with those and let it place them all over the place on a Facebook cover template.

Since you surely didn't want to only have black layers, I promoted the borders to their own layers, added shadows on separate layers, and now, you can use the photo layers to place your own. Basically, with some extra work, I made a layered template for you.

Although you can manually replace each photo layer by your own photos, you can also save a lot of time by using the Speed Scrap script (especially the one for photos) as it will resize the photos, and mask them so you can tweak their placement and rotation without worrying about trimming the excess or having to use a photo of the same format.

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

Corel Paintshop Pro Challenge

Check out this week's #CorelChallenge. Obviously, for the time of year, the theme is Halloween. Do you have Halloween photos? Halloween decorations? Or maybe a Halloween theme scrapbook page? I know, they talk about Halloween PHOTOS but you definitely can show off more than just photos!

Post your project on their thread or tag it with #CorelChallenge.

I CHALLENGE you!

Did you see the one i posted on their thread? Just to test how many of you will see it, LIKE it on their thread.

News in the Campus

Have you registered to the live presentation tomorrow?

We will look at how you can use the Blur command for some functional and creative effects.

It is FREE, as usual!

New script – Knot #12

January 19, 2021October 23, 2015 by Cassel

How you would use knots if you had a traditional ribbon can vary from day to day. You would have options to tie that ribbon in multiple manners, attach different objects, wrap that ribbon around all kinds of things. This is why, in digital scrapbooking, there are so many different knots available.

This script for Paintshop Pro will allow you to "tie" a ribbon into a simple knot, but unlike other scripts where you can only choose the color or pattern and everything looks like it is "flood filled" with that pattern, this script will use your own straight ribbon. This is perfect to have a match if you are using the other ribbon in the project, whether it is left straight, or tied into a different knot or bow created with another script.

Grab this script in the store: Knot #12.

For a chance to win this script, tell me how you would customize a knot for your project otherwise. Do you colorize greyscale ribbons? Do you manually create a knot with your ribbon? Do you use a script that asks you for the color to use? Leave a comment below and i'll announce the 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).

This week, i created three straight ribbons (from greyscale ones) and ran the script to end up with three simple knots. Each one is left in unmerged layers so you can put them around any object or insert something in the middle of the knot.

I had fun with colorizing those ribbons with a gradient instead of a solid color. I think that gives a different kind of look to the knot that makes it more interesting (at least, that is what i think).

I also included the straight ribbons so you can use them with other scripts, or as is on your project to match. Or you can insert the straight ribbon directly in the knot too. Why not?

Remember to show off what you used this knot for. What project did you create using it?

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

Corel Paintshop Pro Challenge

Check out this week's #CorelChallenge. It is about using text on your project. Well, if you are a scrapbooker, you surely have text on your projects! It could be a fun journaling display, or an unusual title. Or how about a nice Subway art design? We can do so much with Paintshop Pro. Show off what you can do (or just what you have done already).

Post your project on their thread or tag it with #CorelChallenge

Did you see the one i posted on their thread?

News in the Campus

As part of the Corel Challenge, i created a text inside a silhouette. I thought it was a great way to use the new text wrapping tool from PSP X8.

I also made a short tutorial on how to create this result. Read it HERE.

New script – Ribbon Banner

January 19, 2021October 3, 2015 by Cassel

You might have seen those vector banners on various sites, but you wish you could have something using real ribbons, right? Now, you can do that with this script and Paintshop Pro.

Pick any straight ribbon (it could work with a ricrac but it is not as pretty) or a long piece of paper and run the script. Answer the prompts, select the area you want in the center and voilà!

You can use any kind of straight ribbon: lace, translucent, directional, etc. The script is coded to use the whole length of the ribbon so nothing is lost, especially those frayed edges if you have them.

This is even better than using layered templates because it really curves the center piece so you can use patterned designs, text, or stripes and it will follow that curve. In addition, you can have the central part as wide or narrow as you want, and even use a section of the ribbon that is not in the very center.

Grab this fun script in the store: Ribbon Banner.

Banners are often used to announce something and in a layout, it could be a way to label or date it. What would you use it for? Would you add text? If so, what text? Tell me in the comments below and i'll pick someone who will win this script next week. I'll announce it in the newsletter. Not a subscriber yet? Not a problem. You can register here and it is free (and you only get one email per week).

Since it is harder to add text on a curved ribbon, i figured i might as well create a banner with the text already in for you to use. I could have done a banner for each month of the year, or each day of the week, but i thought it would be interesting to have the four seasons for you to share various photos in a layout.

Each banner is about 3000 pixels wide, so they would nicely fit on top of a layout, almost as a title. Yet, you can size them down, or even trim the ends 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.

News in the Campus

Have you registered to the live presentation this coming Sunday?

We will play alongside Mother Nature in adding rain and snow to photos.

It is FREE, as usual!

Corel Paintshop Pro Challenge

Do you have a photo with silhouettes? Do you have photos you have edited to create silhouettes? Or do you have other projects (not photos) that use silhouettes, like a card, or a layout?

Submit it to the #CorelChallenge

Let's show the world what we can do with PSP (and not just photography)!

Check out the collage i made for the Create Magic with PSP class. I posted it on that #CorelChallenge thread. Now it is your turn.

And if you want to create your own silhouette, there is a brief tutorial in the Campus HERE.

New script – Painted wood

January 19, 2021September 19, 2015 by Cassel

Whether you are creating a scrapbook page or any other graphic project, painted wood elements could add a special touch. And when you can choose one of SIX types of wood, when you can choose any shape, any design and any color, you are sure that your elements will be unique.

There are so many ways to coordinate them with your project, the theme and the the colors.

The script will use a black and white version of your design, leaving the white as bare wood and the black as painted. You will also get a textured paint that will match the grain of the wood, even though the script will randomize the angle and the scale.

You can get this script in the store: Painted Wood.

For a chance to win this script, add a comment below telling me what design you would first use to run this script on. Would you rather do alphabets, arrows, frames, basic shapes, etc. A winner will be announced 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).

As a free sample, this week, i created a fun set of digits. I used a black fill and a white outline to set the inside to be painted by the script. And instead of a solid color, i used a gradient with the 3 primary colors.

I have to say that i am particularly pleased with the end result. With those primary colors, you can easily embellish a child theme project, or a school theme layout.

You can use those to indicate the child's grade, his age, or the actual year a photo was taken.

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

#CorelChallenge

Did you hear about the #CorelChallenge?

This week, you can send in photo, scrapbook page or other graphic projects based on primary colors. Here are some ideas for you:

create a monochrome layout
use an ordinary photo, turn it in black and white and make one of those primary colors reappear (here is a tutorial).
create clusters with elements in primary colors (buttons, ribbons, flowers)
use the free digits above to add a colorful date

Go for it. Let's show how we can use primary colors in projects OTHER than just photos. You can do it!

Post your project here.