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Note: Tutorial shown in Adobe Photoshop CS2.
Layer Styles are so much fun to use when digitally scrapbooking. One of my favorite techniques to get custom looks from Layer Styles is painting with them. I'll show you how to take an ordinary shape and customize it with Layer Styles to make it something that is uniquely you!
I am working in PhotoShop CS2 and for this tutorial I am going to create a chipboard accent and customize it with patterned digital paper, glitter, melted embossing powder and stitching. So let's get started!
Open a new 12x12 300 dpi transparent document.
Select the Custom Shape Tool from the Tools Palette (see above). Choose a shape and then hold down the Shift key while you drag your mouse across your document. I am making my shape very large so what I am doing can be seen easily by you, but you will want to create your shape at the size you intend to use it on your layout or other project.
I rastersize my shape before continuing to work with it. To do this go to Layer> Rastersize> Shape.
Now I am going to fill my butterfly with patterned paper. Open the digital paper of your choosing, I am using a paper from the Frolic Collection, and drag it on top of the document your shape is in. In the Layers Palette make sure that your paper layer is above your shape layer and that your paper layer is selected.
Now we will create a clipping mask. Go to Layer> Create Clipping Mask. Your shape should now be filled with your paper. You can move the paper around to get the pattern where you want it and you can even resize if you need to.
Now, we will apply a Chipboard Style to our shape. I am using SSTools Layer Styles Chipboard 1801-1. I'm going to click on my shape layer in the Layers Palette, then go to my Styles Palette and choose the Chipboard Style I mentioned.
Now we can't see our paper any more, but that's okay, we're going to fix that in a minute.
Go back to your Layers Palette and move your mouse over the Layer Effects icon and click on "Pattern Overlay."
Change the Opacity to about 50%, click "OK."
Now we are almost ready to start "painting" with our Styles. We are going to use several different Scrap Girls ScrapSimple Tools Styles for this tutorial so you can see some of the possibilities. The first thing I am going to do is add some glitter to my butterfly. Each new Style that I want to use will require me to create a new layer.
So, the first thing I will do now is go to the Layers Palette and make sure my paper layer is selected, then click on the "Create New Layer" icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette.
I'm naming this layer "Pink Glitter."
Now I'll go to my Styles Palette and select the "CBA_SSTools_Glitter_4101_Pink" Style, which is part of the ScrapSimple Tools: Styles - Glitter Brights 4101 product. This will apply the glitter style to the Pink Glitter layer I just created above shape and paper layers. You will not notice any change to your layer yet. That comes next!
I'm going to use a 20 pixel round brush to do my glittering with these settings.
Also check the box next to the "Noise" setting. You may have to adjust these settings since you will probably be working on something quite a bit smaller than my butterfly. Now, save your brush to the Tools Presets so you don't have to create a new glittering brush every time you want to glitter. You should also save it to your Brush Presets as well.
Now that I have my custom brush, I'm ready to start "painting" on my glitter. I just use my mouse or tablet pen and stroke on the blank layer and the glitter magically appears!
Well, I'm not sure I like that pink color. I can change it quickly and easily just by changing the Layer Style. I'll choose the "SSTools_Glitter_4101_Orange" Style.
Well, I think I like the pink best so I'll click on the Pink Glitter Layer Style again to change it back.
Now I want to add another color, so I need to go to the Layers Palette and create a new layer above all the others. I'm going to name it "Teal Glitter."
I'm going to choose the "SSTools_Glitter_4101_Teal" Style from the Styles Palette this time and glitter those areas that I want to be teal.
That looks pretty good. But I think I'll add some stitching to my accent. Again, I first go to my Layers Palette, create a new layer and name it "Stitching." Then I go to my Styles Palette, and I'm going to choose one of Mandy's Stitch Styles from the SSTools_Styles_Stitch_1801 set.
I am going to choose a stitch brush from my Tools Presets that I made and saved there some time ago. Now I just stroke the layer where I want my stitches and they appear with texture, shadow and bevel in place, thanks to Mandy's Styles. I added a slight Outer Glow in a dark color.
I've painted on some glitter and I've painted on some stitches and I can vary the look just by changing the Layer Style.
Here I've changed the Pink Glitter Style for one of my 14K Gold Styles. The Stitching Style on my stitches was replaced with a Clear Tints Style.
And here I've changed the Stitching Style to a 14K Gold Style creating metallic thread. The Teal Glitter Style was replaced with a Clear Tints Style.
You will also get different effects by using different brushes to paint with, so experiment with this technique and have fun painting with Layer Styles!
To finish my accents, I brushed on more Glitter and Clear Tints Layer Styles, which I think looks like melted embossing powder, and then selected my stitching brush again, reduced the size by about half and then selected my stitching layer and stitched along the edges of the leaves and flowers of the design. I made a few adjustments to my Chipboard Layer Style that was applied to my butterfly shape. Then once I was happy with the way everything looked, I selected all the layers and merged them. Here is my finished butterfly digital scrapbooking element.
Layout by Cheryl Barber
larger view
Tutorial by Cheryl Barber
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