Mary Solaas

@Cassel I guess I just assumed that the text always appeared in the layer below - but I checked several of my pspimage layouts and it doesn't. So either I use the pen tool or click on Properties>convert text to curves in order to get a path to use with the Vector tube script. This is the one I made using the Properties>convert text to curves

@Mary Solaas That life preserver was a perfect shape to do a cutout! For the text, I see that one is a Text object and the other is a Path object. What did you do between the two? @Cassel - I used the text tool as I normally do and typed my text. Normally, the text shows up in the layer beneath and is not blank. To get it to show up in the layer underneath I used the pen tool. I've never had to do that before. If I wanted to use the vector tube script on a letter, I just typed the letter and it was a path. So, I'm not sure what happened this time.

These are the screenshots of before and after using the text tool

I had an interesting thing happen - haven't noticed it happening before. I opened a blank canvas and set my picture tube to rope. I then selected the tool "text" and typed the word. It shows in the layers pallet correctly until you look at the layer inside that is supposed to show the work typed - it's blank. I closed and reopened the software. and tried again - same thing. So the Vector tube script won't work because there is nothing in the text layer - this morning - HOWEVER I FOUND THAT IF I THEN SELECT THE PEN TOOL AND RIGHT CLICK ON THE BLANK LAYER THAT HAS NOTHING IN IT (BECAUSE THE PEN TOOL HAS "CONVERT TO PATH" CHECKED), THE WORD TYPED THEN APPEARS IN THE CORRECT LAYER AND THE VECTOR TUBE SCRIPT WORKS FINE. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE. IS THERE SOMETHING I MIGHT HAVE DONE WRONG IN SELECTING THE TEXT TOOL???? OR ARE THE GREMLINS VISITING ME AND LAUGHING THEIR HEADS OFF!

Lesson 4 - finally! Requirement was to do the cutout. I chose to do the life preserver from the summer group. Had quite a time getting it the way I wanted it to be in the preset shapes, but I finally accomplished it. I then used it and this is the result. I duplicated it and then hid it and rasterized the duplicate. I used inner glow on the layer styles, inner bevelled it (regular way - effects), then added the dark blue wrapping. Everything worked out fine this time.

@Cassel HELP!!!! I exported my life preserver preset shapes, but it does not appear in preset shapes HOWEVER it is listed in the presset shapes folder. What is wrong???? This happened once before long ago (LIKE MAYBE LAST YEAR IN THE VECTOR WORKSHOP).

@Corrie Kinkel Where is that neat "plastic texture"? Did you get it from Creative Fabrica or Pixel Scrapper or??? I'm fascinated with it.

@Randy Inner and Outer Glow are available if you use Layer STyles on your layer. With this vector I used both inner and outer glow. There are other effects available with them

Lesson 3. Use pen tool to outline an object. I chose to do the watermelon slice from the group given of summer fun stuff. I made a preset shape with just the red slice. I then used it to create the slice I could use in a summer picnic layout.

Lesson 2. Make a label from more than one preset shape. I loved the snowman that was shown earlier. So - I decided on a whim to try and make Mickey Mouse. Well this is what I came up with. Since I had made labels before (but not grouping them with different names and as one pspimage) I just decided to show some of them.

Love that flower!! Really great

Lesson 1. I did the heart and the arrow, but I also did the splash required for my Lab 12 Mod 8. I fiddled around and ended up using the layer styles - Inner Glow and changing the settings and colors on both the arrow, heart and splash.

@Dawn I'm fascinated by what you have been displaying with these cards. You seem to use brushes a lot and then imbelish them. I'm going to have to experiment working with them in that way. You really rock!!!🥰

GOOD CATCH!! my eyes aren't as good as they used to be (nothing really is for this body). Yes, I so enjoy Cassel and this forum. Everyone is so helpful and so inspirational. I've gotten so many good ideas from different things you post as well as each one who posts in the forums. In fact, one of the background papers someone had in a layout led me to make several papers (and ribbons) like the one we are supposed to make for Lab 12 Mod 8 (my next Lab endeavor).

Jessica Dunn has a challenge for June on Pixel Scrapper using one of her masks. I am using that mask on this layout. The flower is from Rachel Martin (Pixel Scrapper); the string is a Cassel string in Picture Tubes; the leaves are mine from one of the labs; the Title font is Arshinta Kirania Script; the place name script is Arial Black.

I haven't got a layout to show, but I'll enter the forum and tell my story too. I have always wanted books and loved reading. When I was in grade school and would get little Christmas gifts for my friends, I just assumed that they liked to read too. I would buy the cheapy ones from the dime store and read them before I wrapped them. (I still do when I buy books for relatives). In high school, my favorites were many - I think I remember the ones that I was most fond of: fairy stories (will always love them - Tolkein and Lewis agree that they are important), and romance stories: Jane Eyre, Scaramouch were my favorites. I saw the movie Scaramouch (loved Stewart Granger) and just had to find the book - Wow - greater than the movie. In high school when I was 16 I got a job and the first thing I wanted was to join the Catholic Book Club - great choice - got my first cook book (Meta Givens Encyclopedia of Cooking - my bible for cooking and baking), my first bible, the 1st book in a series on Canada - the White and the Gold, books on different aspects of the history of our country, the USA. Later in life, when I could afford it, I joined the Readers Digest Book of the month club which started me on another path. I have purchased books until I had a library (made a database on the collection since I seemed to be buying duplicates) of about 2,000 books and was running out of room and bookcases. I have since given away about 1,000 to friends, prayer groups, and the local library. My favorite authors are many, for spiritual books, novels, history, historical novels, biographies, autobiographies, nature. I can show you a sample of a screenshot I took of my Kindle books (yes, even though I like to hold a book in my hands (the smell, the touch)).

Wow, Susan! This is absolutely stunning! I love everything about it🥰

AThis is the flame and the candle.

Really like it. I made a candle flame today - in png format, I am showing in on a "quickie" candle and then separately beside it. If you would like the flame, I can put it on the facebook page. Just let me know.

Playing with masks again. This is one I made using one of the flower preset shapes and using the circle to lessen the gap in the petals. the font is AR Julian. Oh, and the heart corner shapes are from Cassel.

Actually I like the muted stripe effect

Since this is about our current gardens, I'll repost my pictures of the flowers in our gardens in May. Three of our azalea bushes are pictured: the white, rose and pink which are in our back and side gardens.

We called it Bridal Spirea

I'm in too.

Playing with masks. This is one of Cassel's which I resized for this layout. Love my eagle pictures from Hernando Point, MS. the title font is AR Julian and the place font is Nomadic Dreams.