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.
That is where this script comes from. Using a variety of brushes, the script will use the colors of the image and add colors on a separate layer, all randomly, for a different result every time.
You can choose what kind of "brush stroke" you want (whether it is a sponge effect, a dry or wet brush effect, a palette knife or an airbrush effect).
And you can also use that new background to showcase an element of the photo that you have extracted, by using blend modes, or other type of techniques.
Grab this fun script: Painted Background
Since this script can create a full size paper (if you want), you would also have the option to use that paper for other purposes than just a background (even though those backgrounds will be stunning). What other use can you think for those papers? Give me a suggestion in the comments below. 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 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!).
You can add some blur, add texture, play with the adjustment layers, even blend them with something else. You can surely find more creative ways to use those colorful papers.
You need to be logged in to download this sample. You can either login, or register on the top of this page.
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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!
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.
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.
