RAK | Creation Cassel

New script – Groovy

December 20, 2014December 20, 2014 by Cassel

A little detail that can make an element look well finished can be an even groove all around it. Whether you are using a plastic object or a wooden one or even a metal piece, that fine groove can be a great detail to add.

This script for Paintshop Pro will do that for you. It will also measure your element to suggest a specific width based on the element you want to use.

In addition, since a groove can look so good on a wooden piece, the script offers six wood textures you can use to convert your shape.

You can get this script in the store: Groovy.

For a chance to win this script, add something in the comments below as in what element you can imagine adding a groove to or turn to wood. 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).

As a little sample, i created some wooden holiday elements.

For fun, i added some interesting details to the candy cane element. How did i get those stripes? Simple: once i had selected the area for the stripes, i played with the brightness and contrast to get a different coloring. I could also have used a hue change instead.

Use those elements as a base to decorate them even more. Add glitters to the star, or lights to the tree. Add a string, a ribbon or a bow to attach them to your layout. Change the color too if you prefer. What will you do?

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New tubes – LED lights

December 13, 2014December 12, 2014 by Cassel

During the holiday season, it is a good time to see some colored lights. However, you can probably use them for any occasion, just like neon lights.

These sets of picture tubes for Paintshop Pro will allow you to simply draw with your cursor and have the lights follow that path. Write words, make a frame around a photo, enhance the outline of a shape or even letters.

This set includes 10 different colors of lights that you can use to light up your project. Since they are lights, they will give a better result on a darker background.

You can grab this set in the store: LED lights.

Would you like to get these lights for free? Add a comment below and tell me what element or shape you would like to light with those tubes. 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).

As a free sample, i made 10 arrows using the 10 colors available in the set. To make them really nice and regular, i didn't draw them by hand, but i used the script called VectorTube on vector shapes.

Those will be great to add a focus onto an element or a photo on your layout. They range in size from 400 to 1000 pixels so there is plenty of room to size them down to fit your own project.

Remember that they are lights so, don't add a shadow to them! If you find them too light, you can always duplicate the layer. This might be needed if the background is not very dark.

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New script – Scallop Pattern 2

December 6, 2014December 6, 2014 by Cassel

You thought that the Scallop Pattern script from last week was a great tool to speed up the process of creating a scallop pattern that used the same "tile" over and over again.

This time, imagine trying to create a scallop pattern but using different colors for the tiles or for the individual rows. This is an even more tedious tasks, since you have more work to do. Now, imagine using using a different color for each individual tile. This is just about impossible to do manually.

Thanks to this new script, Scallop Pattern 2, you have many more options available to you to create totally unique papers.

You can have the tiles alternating in colors, on a single row or alternating by rows. But even more, you can use a gradient and the script will pick the colors from the gradient, and create the tile just at that place, with that color. Now THAT is original!

Grab this script now: Scallop Pattern 2

Do you want a chance to win this script? Add a comment at the bottom, telling me how you would like to experiment with this script. I'll announce the winner on 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 a little sample, i have this fun Christmas tree paper made out of scallops. In fact, i have to admit that i cheated a bit but i'll show you how to do it.

open an image 3600x3600
draw a green triangle with a brown rectangle at the base; flatten it
run the script and choose the Gradient option
when you are asked to choose the gradient, use the Pattern tab instead and pick the tree image you drew; it will appear as one of the patterns, as long as it is open on your workspace
the script will use it as if it were a gradient!

Yup, that means that you can use any picture with this script, not only gradients! It might not always yield a fantastic result, but you can surely try and experiment!

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News from the Campus

Just in case you haven't heard about the 12 Days of Christmas, you still have time to register.

This will send you a daily email with a layered template and a sketch for a card and matching envelope, and a tutorial from a different designer each day, with inspiration to create your own.

New script – Scallop Pattern 1

November 29, 2014November 28, 2014 by Cassel

You can probably create scallop patterns the loooooooong way and add individual circles, one by one, using a guide to align them perfectly, but that is so tedious.

This Paintshop Pro script will do all the calculations needed to align all the circles and create a seamless tile.

You can choose a solid color with an outline (obviously, without an outline, a solid color scallop won't show much!), or use a gradient. And furthermore, you can use linear, radial or sunburst gradients for very unique effects.

You can get this time saving script in the store: Scallop Pattern 1 script.

Do you want a chance to win this script? Tell me, in the comments below, how you would have made a scallop pattern before using this script (template? manually? other?) I'll pick a winner next week and it will 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).

For a sample, this week, i made 3 different tiles using the script.

For the first tile, i simply used a solid white and a black outline. The script did the rest.

For the second tile, i just used a linear gradient, going from black to white and no outline.

For the third tile, i used the exact same gradient as for the second tile, but i inverted the colors (so it went from black to white instead of white to black)

Isn't that simple?

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News from the Campus

Remember to have a peek at the Creative Christmas Bundle. It is full of supplies, classes and ideas to create something unique this holiday season. It is still on sale for just a couple of days. You get to enjoy all those goodies at 90% off the individual price. That is worth a Black Friday or a Cyber Monday special, isn’t it?

Check out who are the 15 designers who contributed and what they can offer you.

Get help and Get more help

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Finally, here is a FREE event you can register into.

The 12 Days of Christmas is a series of daily email giving you 12 different templates for cards and matching envelope, along with inspiration and tutorials from various designers. And yes, it is 100% FREE.

Check it out and register HERE.

Scroll to the bottom and the registration form will popup for you (make sure you don’t have any popup blocker on!)

New script – Ribbon Tag Wreath

November 2, 2019November 7, 2014 by Cassel

You can create so many elements using leftover pieces of ribbons in traditional scrapbooking, but what about digital scrapbooking?

Sure you can and although it would be VERY long and tedious to do manually, this PaintShop Pro script will do the work with little effort.

You can create a wreath using one or two or three or however many ribbons you want. They will be picked at random, cut at random (but based on the average you will choose), and placed correctly along the wreath shape.

Each individual piece will be left unmerged and will have a shadow if you want to.

You can add more than one “layer” to the wreath for a totally different look.

Since all the individual layers are left unmerged, you can always tweak them, insert decorative elements between then, etc.

Since each wreath could easily end up with over 100 pieces, just imagine the time you will be saving!

Grab this time-saving script in the store: Ribbon Tag Wreath script.

What would you do with such a script? It might be obvious to use it to create a holiday wreath, but i am sure you could think of more ideas, don’t you think? Add your suggestions in the comments below, and i will pick one person to receive this script for free. The winner will 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).

What about a little free sample and a quick tutorial for this week?

For this wreath, I used a single ribbon that I colorized 3 times. Here are the steps:

before running the second part of the script, I colorized the ribbon in green and adjusted the brightness to get a rich color
run the script to complete the first “layer”
choose a blurred shadow
for the second layer, re-open the same ribbon, but colorize it yellow; adjust the brightness to get the color you want
run the script to complete the second “layer”
for the third layer, re-open the same ribbon, but colorize it red; adjust the brightness to get the color you want
run the script to complete the third “layer”
merge each group
select the Ellipse tool and draw a circle the size of the wreath; adjust the Line Style to use the Dashed, and a size of 10 pixels
convert to a raster layer
select outside the “stitch” layer with the Magic wand
activate the top “layer” and apply a large inner bevel; deselect
activate the stitch layer
add some noise and a small bevel

The sample you have has not had the bevel applied because it would require merging the groups and removing the option to customize it on your end.

Because the sample has 163 layers (yes, that many), the files are quite large. I have them available in two formats: one PSP format, where all the pieces are grouped by “layer” and one in PSD format, where the individual pieces are linked based on their “layer” (since the PSD format would not keep the groups). So it is up to you to download the file you need.

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New script – Decorative studs

November 1, 2014October 31, 2014 by Cassel

cass-DecorativeStuds — Decorative studs with Paintshop Pro script

Several years ago, it was fashionable to have multiple studs placed on a piece of garment, jeans, t-shirts, etc. It was a lot of work to create those, especially to have all those studs evenly placed.

In scrapbooking, it could seem easy to fill a shape with studs but the problem is that some of the elements would get cut off on the edges. How do you get only full studs and none of the cut ones?

This is what this script does. Using your Paintshop Pro, the script will actually measure the size of the studs you choose and the shape you want and will do the correct calculations to eliminate all the “part-studs”.

You can start with any shape of any size (obviously, if your shape is too small, the result might not be as good), and pick one of the two shapes for the studs: round or diamonds.

Then, the script will offer 4 possible metallic finish: gold, silver, bronze and copper, but if you want to use something totally different to match your photo or your kit, you can also do so. Use the sculpture effect or simply color and add a bevel.

You can grab this script in the store: Decorative Studs.

How about a chance to get it for free? Tell me what shape you would like to use to create a series of decorative studs? 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).

cass-DecorativeStuds-holiday — Free Decorative studs with a Paintshop Pro script

As a sampler for this script, i created some holiday decorations for you. To do them, i simply used a large shape and ran the script.

I used the gold finish for the star, but for the other elements, i chose the option 5, to add my own finish. In my stash, i had various color tiles from the Felt Presets, so i used those tiles as a base color for the other shapes.

For the tree, i selected the center area, promoted the selection to a layer and deleted them from the base shape. Then, i applied a different color to that layer.

I did the same with the mitten.

For the candy cane, i applied the red tile, then i used the point to point selection tool to select sections that would be white. Since the selection was cutting off some of the studs, i went through a few more steps:

edit selection
using the Eraser tool, with a round brush tip, i erased the sections over the studs that were mostly outside the selection
using the RIGHT click with the Eraser tool, i added selections for the studs that were mostly inside the selection
edit selection again
promote selection to a layer
delete from the original layer
deselect
increase the brightness of the promoted layer so everything turned white
inner bevel on those white studs
merge visible

And now you have it! That is the trick to have full studs in different colors without having to select them one by one.

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New script – Admission Tickets

January 19, 2021October 24, 2014 by Cassel

You can probably find a few tickets in your stash, maybe from game night theme kits, but what if you don’t want to create a game night theme project? What if you want to use those tickets for a completely different purpose?

This Paintshop Pro script will create a series of admission tickets (or you can create a single one if you prefer) with sequential numbers on each ticket. Or you can add custom text instead, like a date, a name or an event.

Use the center area to include a design, a message, or an image. You get to choose so many options.

No more game night theme for you. Have a series of tickets in Christmas colors for your holiday layout. Or create some pink ones with various heart brushes or design. Or maybe add a single letter on each ticket to spell out the name of a grandchild?

You can get this script in the store: Admission Tickets.

How about a chance to win this script? Add a comment below and tell me how you would use admission tickets in a digital project. 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, being close to Halloween, i created a set of 6 tickets attached together. They each have a number, but in a sequence. Unlike traditional tickets, the lines are white on black paper. After all, in digital, we can do things that are not seen in real life!

Each ticket has a little Halloween design on it. It is easy to add a vector shape or a brush stamp on those tickets. Of course, you can use all the tickets together, or you can cut them off.

I am also including a “blank” set of tickets, without the designs in the middle so you can 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.

Remember to show us how you use those tickets!

New script – Knot #8

January 19, 2021October 17, 2014 by Cassel

Although having a tight knot might be expected, it happens that some times, they are not completed, or maybe you want to attach something that is larger.

This Paintshop Pro script will take any straight ribbon and will tie it loosely. The ribbon needs to be pretty long (at least 3600 pixels for a 150 pixels thickness). Longer is fine, but shorter won’t work.

You can use a solid color ribbon, a directional one, a translucent one or even a lacy one. The script will cut the pieces accurately so that any continuous design (or text) will display correctly.

You can create the ribbons yourself, or use an extracted one. Just make sure it is really straight. If it is at an angle, the script will want it even longer to compensate. Also, if it is at an angle, you might need to tweak the end result manually (but it might be worth it if you are in love with a particular ribbon).

You can get this script in the store: Knot #8.

If you want a chance to win this script, add something in the comments below. Tell me what you would insert in a loose knot like this one, as opposed to a tight one like the Knot #7. I’ll announce the winner in the newsletter, next week.
As a sample of what you can create with this PSP script, i created a ribbon using a greyscale one, added a layer and flood filled with a holiday color gradient. I adjusted the blend mode to Multiply to show the texture through while keeping the rich dark colors of the gradient. After merging the layers, i ran the script. I used the same steps for both ribbons but in one case the angle of the gradient was 0 and for the other it was 90, which gives you the two different ribbons that are perfectly matching in colors.

The ribbons are really long and the knots are in layered format (PSD) for all to use.

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New script – Photo-Stamps

January 19, 2021October 4, 2014 by Cassel

In the old days, stamps were made of a single image that was only repeated throughout the sheet. Over time, we have seen some stamps that were created from larger images that made up 2, 4 or more stamps.

This script will allow you to turn your favorite photo into a full sheet of stamps. All the perforations will line up perfectly, no matter what the size of the image is. The script will resize and crop the image slightly, to make sure of that.

Once you have your image turned into a stamp sheet, you can easily re-connect adjacent stamps by UNERASING the holes, for a unique effect.

Cut off a stamp or two if you want.

This script is available in the store: Photo-Stamps.

Do you want a chance to win this script? Tell me what photo you could see turned into a stamp sheet. Add a comment below. I’ll announce the winner in the newsletter, next week.
As for a sample, since it is a script that is applied to a photo, i obviously didn’t think you would want to use any of MY photos, would you? However, this script can also be used on a paper or a solid color image. That is what i did, and then, i added the letters to individual stamps. You can use this technique to add a fun and unique title with one letter per stamps.

Of course, although the sheet is intact, you CAN remove or cut off some of the stamps. You have a blank one that you can either add a design to, or cut from the sheet. Even the letters that you want to keep, you can separate them from the whole sheet, while still leaving them close enough to have the words legible.

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Although there are great scripts in the store to create various effects, did you hear about the Filter Forge plugin? They say it is for Photoshop, but it works just as well with Paintshop Pro. Check out the little video that shows how to install it.

Then, once you have it installed (even if only the trial version), you will want to add more filters. They have over 10,000 of them. And they are all free to download once you have Filter Forge installed.

New script – Multi-Fold

January 19, 2021September 26, 2014 by Cassel

The main way people will add folds to their paper or paper element is by using overlays. This is a fairly simple method, and once the overlay is blended into the paper, it gives a nice result. However, this is limited by the number of good overlays you have.

Creating folds manually can be easy but time consuming. So here is a script for Paintshop Pro that will help you add folds quickly.

The script can add between 2 and 6 folds, regularly spaced, or irregularly arranged, vertically or horizontally. The folds will be the size of your image but it will be on a separate layer so the image will stay intact.

Run the script repeatedly, and you will always get something at least slightly different even if you are using the same options.

No more recognizable folds on your paper pack!

Get this script in the store: Multi-Fold script.

Do you want a chance to get this script for free? To say goodbye to the same old overlays? Add a comment below about what you think of this script idea. I’ll announce the winner in next week’s newsletter. Register here if you are not already receiving our weekly news.

Do you want to see one such overlay? I ran the script on a plain red image, 3600x3600 pixels, choosing 5 folds, irregular and horizontal. I got a single overlay including all 5 folds, and since it was left on a separate layer, i saved that layer as a png file for you to use (especially if you are not a Paintshop Pro user).

Although the script will create the folds over the full surface of the image, you can also use it for elements that are not full size, like frames or tags. In that case, the script will delete all the folds that are not overlapping the element in question. This is also great if you want to add different folds on alphas!

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