sampler | Creation Cassel

New script – Stitched Edges 2

January 19, 2021February 28, 2014 by Cassel

If you love the look of stitching around the edge of elements, letters and shapes, you will LOVE this script. It is using a simple tube to create the stitching, and another tube for the holes.

Using any vector shape, you will just run a free script (that you’ll have to download separately) and follow the steps. The script integrates various options, like the width of the edge, the puffiness, the texture of the element and even the color of the stitching as it will colorize it for you. However, in the end, you will have unmerged layers, so you can tweak the color further, or add other details to the element, like shading, stains, or other printing.

Use preset shapes or draw your own. It is also great to create alpha in a (almost) single operation.

The zip file includes the thread and hole tubes that you can also use separately, in other projects.

You can grab this Stitched Edges 2 script in my store.

If you want a chance to win this script, check out this thread in the Happy Place and tell me what element you can think would really use some stitching around. I’ll be back next week with the name of a winner.

cass-StitchedEdge2-sample-WhiteDigits For this week, i decided to play with the idea of creating a whole alpha in one run with this script. I started with the digits (as there were fewer elements in the end). On a large image, i typed in the digits in white. I had to adjust the kerning to make sure the letters would not touch each other when the edge was added. Then, i ran the script. Everything went smoothly from there. I added the texture that came with the Clothes Label script to give a more “fabric” texture to those puffy digits.

Once the whole set of 10 digits was done, sewn and puffed, i just used the Alpha Sheet Separator script to cut out, and save all the individual files. That took less than one minute!

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

With the speed and ease of doing this set of digits, i could not help myself than repeat the process with the full alpha! And you can get it in the newsletter. If you have not yet subscribed, fill out the form on the left.

News from the Campus

This month, the live presentation will be about directional tubes. Do you know about those? Do you know what they are? Did you ever use them? Although you might know that Picture tubes are unique to Paintshop Pro, you will love to learn that the directional tubes are so much more powerful!

Join us this Sunday, March 2nd, at 5pm Eastern Time.

New script – Custom Playing Cards

January 19, 2021February 21, 2014 by Cassel

You can be an Ace, or a King or a Queen all you want with this fun script. Although you could, conceivably have a separate template for all 52 cards of a deck, this script will just do the cards you want without the need to search for the correct template.

You can have four of a kind, or a full house, or a royal flush in hand.

Just pick the value and the suit for the card and the script will create it. Then, open the photo you want to display and the script will take care of resizing it, and will create a mask for you so you can actually SEE what it looks like as you can move, resize or rotate your image in that “space”. If the image is higher than the card, the script will resize it. If your image is in a landscape format, you will get the option to either keep the full height of the image or to use two halves of the central space.

You can get this fun script and create your own Custom Playing Cards in the store.

For a chance to win this script, check outthis thread in the DST forum and add your name to the thread. Also, remember to give me an idea on how you could use this script for something OTHER than a game theme project.

cass-CustomPlayingCard-sample-Aces For this week, i decided to give you a template for 4 aces. I am sure you can enjoy havnig 4 aces up your sleeve, right?

Each card is full size, meaning 900 x 1300 pixels and has a separate layer for the center image. Since it is saved in a PSD format, you don’t have to have Paintshop Pro to use it.

What will you display with those cards? Four loves of your life? Four places you have visited? Four children or siblings? Maybe four seasons of the same location? Or four funny faces you have of yourself (or someone else)?

You can use one card or all four too.

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

New tubes — Seed Beads 2

January 19, 2021February 7, 2014 by Cassel

This week, i am bringing you some more beads, but this time, they are opaque, and in a softer palette.

You get those bead spills at your fingertip as you can just draw with your mouse and the beads will be spilled along that path. No need to click dozens or hundreds of times to have that many beads on your project.

You get 5 colors: ivory, rose, plum, emerald and aqua. And you get two sets for each: one to spray the beads all around and one to have regular strings of beads. And you also get one set of multicolored bead spray.

Do you want more colors? Keep an eye on the store as more are coming.

You can grab this set of Opaque Seed Beads picture tubes in my store. Sorry PS users, but this is unique to PSP!

cass-SeedBeads2-Sample As a free sample, this week, i decided to use these tubes in a different way than last week.

I opted to create a locket. How did i do it? Simple:

- i created a vector heart shape and used a gold tile as an outline and no fill. That outline was then converted to a raster and added a bevel.

- with a copy of the same vector shape, i set it for a solid fill and no outline. Once i converted it to a raster, i ran the Colored Acrylic script to give that particular “glass” look (even if i used only the plain one without any color).

- on separate layers, i sprayed pink and read seed beads. I reduced the step value so the beads would be closers, and i used several layers of beads so i could add a drop shadow on each layer.

- i deleted any extra bead that ended up outside the locket.

- finally, i added a chain with the Gold Chains directional tube.

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

New script – Plaid 2

January 19, 2021January 24, 2014 by Cassel

No more wasting time picking colors, drawing lines, and repeating the process to only get a single plaid pattern.

This script will turn your Paintshop Pro into a plaid pattern generator (and a time saver at the same time). Start with the color palette you want to use, run the script, pick the colors, pick some options like the size of the pattern and the texture, and let the script do the work.

You can see the script randomly picking the colors (it is fun to watch), and then turning all those dots into a fun and unique plaid. With the randomness coded in the script, you will NEVER get the same pattern twice.

You can generate any number of patterns. Keep asking for more as long as you want. Keep the ones you like, discard the others. Since all the tiles would use the same basic color palette, you are sure they will all match together, and with other elements and papers from your kit, or your page.

Grab this time saving script in my store under the name of Plaid 2.

Of you prefer to create a plaid based on an actual picture, so you can match those colors, you can always use the Plaid 1 script.

Do you want this script for free? Head over to the Happy Place, in this thread and add your name to it. How long do you think it would take you to create 10 different plaid patterns using the same color palette?

cass-Plaid2-sample-SweetFeb This week, as a sampler of what can be done with this script, i decided to give you a little teaser too. The February 2014 DST Blog Train will use a palette that includes red, brown, beige and blue. Although i am not participating in the Blog Train, i decided to create 10 tiles that are based on the color palette. Once you get all the pieces from the blog train, you can combine them with these tiles and create something even more fun.

Each tile is 250 x 250 pixels and they are obviously seamless. Use them straight or at a 45 degree angle for even more fun effects.

Some are darker, some are lighter, so have more red, some have less. But you cannot deny that they all match together so imagine how they will look with the papers and elements from the blog train!

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

What do you want in 2014?

The script created this week was suggested by Carolyn who liked the original plaid script but wanted to use her own colors, and more colors than the Stripes 2 would also allow. She suggested this script in the January contest.

What is YOUR suggestion?

You only have a few days left to add your suggestions of scripts, fonts, or tubes for me to create and put in the store. Remember that if you suggest something, and i end up working on it, not only you get to test it, give your input, and ask for various options to be integrated, but you also get it FREE, and before everyone else too!

ADD your suggestion TODAY

It could be an action you saw for Photoshop and you would like the same thing in PSP

It could be an existing script that you would like to have more options, or different effets.

It could be a photo effect you saw in a layout in a gallery and would like to replicate it.

It could be a way to apply some designs to certain surface.

It could be a way to create objects but with your own settings and colors.

It could be a script to create objects but with some randomness to them.

It could be a font that you only dreamed of and does not exist yet.

It could be a tube to draw various types of elements that are nearly impossible by hand.

Com’on, what do you want to see in the store, in 2014?

ADD your suggestion TODAY

Do like Carolyn did!

New Script – Alpha Tags 2

January 19, 2021January 10, 2014 by Cassel

Everyone loves interesting alphas or digit sets. Every designer seems to like to add them with their kits but creating unique ones that offer some variations is really time consuming. As a scrapper, you might find a nice kit that does not include an alpha or you need special characters that are not in the set.

This script will speed up the process, both for the designers who want to add an alpha set, or the scrapper who wants to create a unique title.

You can type anything you want and the script will generate one tag per character in your text. You get to choose one of four shapes, the text, the font, the colors (even the texture) and whether you will have those additional colors or not. And you can also include blank tags that you can use for other purposes like a whole date, a name, etc.

You can grab this time saving script in my store: Alpha-Tags 2 script.

And for a chance to win this script for free, check out this thread in the Happy Place. Add your name and answer the question about how you could use the resulting tags and i will be back next week with the name of a winner.

cass-AlphaTags2-Digits

As a sample of what can be done with this script, i created a series of digit tags, in simple square shape, with basic textured colors (i changed the angle of the texture in the Material Palette for each color for more interesting look) and used the Britannic Bold font.

Each tag is 250 pixels wide in PNG format, and you can easily size it down if it is too big for your need.

If you like this set of digits, the whole matching alpha will be included in the newsletter, so it is always time to subscribe to it.

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

Do you like this set? Are you going to use it? Show me. Link in the comment below.

What do you want in 2014?

I cannot promise you a sports car, or a dream vacation, but if you give me some suggestions of products you would like to see in the store, i can certainly look into it.

Remember that the more suggestions you offer, the more chances you have to win a $6 coupon. And if you have MANY suggestions, you can even win more than once. And the more suggestions there are, the more coupons i will give out. So tell your friends, post in your favorite forum, send emails to your customers. Send everyone to post their suggestions in the comments of THIS POST.

You still have until January 31st to add as many suggestions as you want!

New Script – Word Frame 3

January 19, 2021December 20, 2013 by Cassel

Journaling cards are very popular lately and scrappers are often looking for some original ways to display theirs. Also, sometimes, a single word would be a fantastic caption for a photo, so why not put that caption as part of the frame?

This script will let you create a frame of various thickness around any image (even a blank one) with the text of your choice, the font of your choice and the color of your choice. You also decide on which side of the frame the word will appear, if you want it aligned left, right or center. If the text is too long, the script will even resize it to fit the available space. You can also have the text butt up to the frame or inside a cut section.

In the end, you will have two separate layers, one for the word and one for the frame, so you can add various textures, change colors, or add effects to one or the other (or both).

You can get this script in the store HERE.

Would you like to get this script for free? This is easy. Simply post your name in this thread, and tell me what would be the word(s) you would use in using this script to create a frame.

This script is the third one of the series. The Word Frame 1 script would give a discrete line frame inside the image with a multitude of options. The Word Frame 2 script would give a frame where the word would be part of a thicker area. They are both create tools to add a caption to a photo or create a journaling card.

cass-WordFrame3-sample-special As a free sample, i created a set of SPECIAL frames that will match a 4x6 inch journaling card. Of course, you can resize them for 2x3 cards too.

They are in png format, so they can be used by most programs.

Each frame is in greyscale, so you can either colorize them, or flood fill them using the Locked Transparency option (you know about that option, right?).

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

So, who will be the special person, or what will be the special event you will focus on, with these frames?

New script – Whitener

January 19, 2021December 13, 2013 by Cassel

White elements are always useful but not always readily available. You surely have a ton of buttons, ribbons, bows, frames, flowers, and probably in just about all the colors you can imagine, but when you want a white one, you are stumped. You probably like that blue ribbon or the red rose, or the purple button but you wanted them white.

With this script, you can turn just about any element (or even papers) to “shades of whites”. Depending on the starting color, you can even add a manual brightening in the end of the script.

But there is more. This script will play with the brightness of the element with a little randomness to it, meaning that several runs of the script will yield a slightly different white, so all your elements won’t look like you painted them all with the same can of paint!

But that is still not all. You also have the option to keep ONE color intact. In the preview, i kept the green from the buckle and whitened the ribbon. You can also do the same to keep the greenery and whiten the flower. How would you do that?

But again, if you think that is all, you are wrong. The script is coded in a way to allow you to run it in batch mode. This means that you can whiten a whole alpha, or a whole folder full of buttons (hundreds if you want) and the script will save a “white” copy in the same folder while keeping the original intact. You can do that in just a few seconds!

You can grab this great tool here: Whitener script at Creation Cassel.

Do you want a chance to win this script? You can head over to the Happy Place, in this thread and add your name, while telling me how you would, otherwise, turn a red flower to a white one (without removing the greenery).

cass-Whitened-sample-Digits For the sampler, today, i decided to turn an existing set of digits (the Chipboard digits) and turn them to white. It was simple as i ran the script in batch mode in the digits folder. The script simply saved the individual files with “_White” added to the original filename so there is no risk to overwrite the original files. And since they are saved in the same folder, they are easy to retrieve.

Those would be perfect to add the date of a fun winter event, or a wedding. And of course, you can add various details to them, like little bows, glitters, or hand doodling.

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

If you want the original Chipboard digits, you can grab them here.

New script – Puzzle 5×5

January 19, 2021December 6, 2013 by Cassel

Kids and adults love puzzles. There are different stores that can turn a photo into a real 3D puzzle, which can be a fun present for the holiday, don’t you think?

But not everyone needs or wants a real tangible puzzle, however, it is a fun way to display a photo either as a desktop, a scrapbook layout, etc. You can get puzzle overlays that will give the impression of a finished puzzle, but in order to have “loose” pieces, you would still have to cut them out individually. This can be tedious and not very accurate.

This script for Paintshop Pro, will really turn your photo into a puzzle. Each piece will be on a separate layer so you have all the flexibility needed to move, remove, or rotate any piece you want. This way to display a photo adds a touch of dynamism, don’t you think?

The script will create a 25 pieces puzzle (5x5). It is meant to work on a square photo, but it will work equally well on a rectangular photo, except for the fact that the pieces will be slightly elongated. And it will work on ANY size photo too (although the very small ones might yield some jaggied edges).

You can grab this original Puzzle script in my store: Creation Cassel.

If you want other size, check out the other puzzle scripts:

If you want a chance to win this script, check outthis thread in the Happy Place and add your name to it. Let me know if you ever converted a photo into a puzzle before, and if so, how.

This week, instead of giving you a sample of the puzzle script, i decided to give you a challenge!

cass-Card&Envelope2-template-preview I am including a set of matching Card and Envelope, in PSD format that you can use to create a variety of holiday cards. The basic template was made using the Card&Envelope script, and then, i just added various elements to decorate the base. Since everything is on a separate layer, you can really be creative. Use any paper you have. Use elements you have. Move things around. Rearrange elements.

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

I would LOVE to see cards you will make with this template. Did you watch the Stretch-a-Sketch video? It is available in the Campus, here, for free until it is replaced by the Part 2 (which might mean only a couple of days?). So you better hurry.

News from the Campus

Are you still looking for last minute ideas for Holiday projects? Check out this article in the Campus.

Whether you want to create a calendar, embellish a card, make a frame, add sparkles to a project or decorate your room with a fun and unique Subway Art, you have many options at your fingertip.

Check it out HERE.

New script – Ribbon Tabs

January 19, 2021November 29, 2013 by Cassel

If you buy ribbons, you might get some straight ribbons, and wished you could get a folded version with the correct angle and shading. But you don’t have it. Then, you find some folded ribbons that would be perfect, but… how will you slip the element you want to attach (charm, ring, tag, etc.) between the layers to get a realistic look?

With this Paintshop Pro script, you will be able to use ANY straight ribbon, and get a folded version in unmerged layers so you can insert whatever element you need to. You can also add shadows that are different on both layers (since one layer might be flat on your page and one might be lifted).

You can either create a fold on one end of a long piece, or use that long ribbon and cut a small piece in it. There is also a random function incorporated into the code so that the angle of the fold and the exact length of the piece will always be different, meaning you can get a wide variety of different tabs using the same ribbon and the same options. No more tabs that look exactly like the others. They will all look like you did them by hand, one by one (but we know you used a shortcut!).

You can grab this time saving script in my store:Creation Cassel.

Do you want a chance to win it too? Simple: check out this thread in the DST forum and add your name to the thread. I’ll be back next week with the name of a winner.

cass-RibbonTabs-sample-2013-preview In order to show you what this script can do, i created a whole set of digits, attached with folded ribbon tabs made from a single ribbon (from Melissa Bennett) and i ran the script 10 times on that same ribbon, using the same options (create a tab with the full length, keeping the end straight, and facing the bottom).

Each digit was done manually using a basic font, a gold fill and a bevel. Then, they were individually inserted between the two layers of the folded ribbon. Finally, i arranged the digits to create a 2013 decoration. I added some bells, from the Picture Tubes that came with my PSP (I am not sure which version!).

The whole decoration is about 650 pixels high, so it would not overwhelm any layout. This might be a great way to date your Christmas layout from this year, or to conclude a P365 for this year.

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

But that’s not all. If you want the complete set of digits, subscribe to my newsletter and you will get it in the Sunday release (December 1st, 2013). If you see this post a little late, wait for the next release and work your way back through the past issues!

You have not yet subscribed? You can still do so (and of course, it is free!)

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Now, how about some SALE!

For Black Friday, EVERYTHING in my store is 40% off. Yes, EVERYTHING. If you are familiar with my business, you know that i do not have many sales in the store, so you better take advantage of this offer.

Since some are shopping on Black Friday, others on Cyber Monday and yet others will shop in between, everything will be left on sale until Monday night.

Go shopping!

New path – Holiday theme

January 19, 2021November 22, 2013 by Cassel

Paintshop Pro might not (yet) have the option to wrap text inside a specific shape, like a text editor program would do. Normally, you would have to struggle with separating the lines yourself with a [return], add some spaces or play with the kerning. That would work but you can achieve similar result faster using the Text Wrapping script, which works with paths.

This set of paths include 12 different holiday themed shapes. You get the path and the shape on different layers, so you can use the path for your text, and you can use the shape to possibly cut out the paper to show the text, or to replace it by a paper from a kit, or simply as a guide for other creative uses. Or you can use the shape totally separate from the path too since your text can just be printed on the background paper if you prefer.

You get pretty large shapes so you can resize everything down if you need it. Although these paths work perfectly with the Text Wrapping script, you can also add text manually by following the detailed instructions included.

You can get these fun Holiday Shapes paths in my store.

You can also win this set by adding your name to the Happy Place thread here, and tell me how you would create text inside a shape with your PSP. I’ll be back next week with the name of a winner.

As a sample for you to see the result of these paths, i created a simple holiday card. I used the tree path and copied the lyrics from “We wish you a Merry Christmas”, and ran the Text Wrapping script on it. I decided not to use the template, but instead, doodled with the brush tool, on a layer below to create a tree shape. The ribbon frame was created using the Circular Element script on a long and straight ribbon.

This card is a standard 7x5 format so you can get it printed just about anywhere. It is a png format so you can just add a photo for the occasion.

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