Note: This tutorial uses Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.

First, go to File> Open and browse to the place on your hard drive where you store your digital backgrounds and ScrapSimple Paper Templates. Open up the background paper and ScrapSimple Paper Template of your choice. I am working with a background from the Tinge of Floral Collection (retired) and ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Tile Textures 1.

Open a new file, set the width and height to 12x12 inches and the resolution to 300 dpi. Drag the background paper onto the new document. Then drag the Paper Template on top of that.

In the Layers Palette, with the Paper Template highlighted, right-click in the green area and choose "Duplicate Layer."

Rotate the duplicated layer 180 degrees, by clicking on Image> Rotate> Layer 180 Degrees from your Menu bar.

This picture shows the duplicated layer rotated. It looks like kind of a mess right now, but we will be changing the Blend Modes to soften the look. But first, we will merge the two Paper Template layers, so that any Blend Mode action we take will affect both layers.

First, in the Layers Palette, click on the Eye Icon next to the background layer and toggle the eye off, so that only the Paper Templates are visible.

Then, on the Menu bar, click on Layer> Merge Visible.

Make the other layer visible again, by clicking on the Eye Icon square. Now we're going to change the Blend Mode to "Soft Light." The Blend Modes can be found in the little rectangular box at the top of the Layers Palette. Its default setting is "Normal." Make sure that the Paper Template Layer is selected in the Layers Palette, then click on the down arrow on the Blend Mode box, and click on "Soft Light."

And voila! We have a new look for an old favorite!

If you want to soften the look of the Paper Template even more, you can change the opacity. In the sample above, I lowered the opacity down to 70% to lighten the effect of the Paper Template even more, while still adding some texture and grunginess to the original background paper.

Tutorial uses:

	Note: Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Tile Textures are also available.

Tutorial written by Jan Hicks

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