This tutorial was written by me on July 20, 2020. The results are of my own imagination.  Any resemblance to another tutorial is purely coincidental.  

Please DO NOT claim this tutorial as your own.

This was written assuming you have a working knowledge of PSP.

Please keep in mind that I write the tutorial as I am creating it.

Sometimes I may not explain properly where to place things so please see my example if you are ever in doubt :)

Supplies needed

I am using PSP 2018 but this tutorial should work with any version.

Animation shop (optional)

PTU Kit:  I am using a gorgeous kit called "Valyria" created by Hania's Design.  You can purchase this kit at Elegence Fly here.

PTU Tube:  I am using Abbey Dawn's beautiful tube Valyria and the Dragon.  Please do not use this tube without a proper license.  You can purchase this beautiful tube at Elegence Fly here.

PTU Animation:  I am using the awesome animation by Sophisticat Simone that is included with the kit.

Mask:  Mask 42 by Vivienne's Paintbox. Thank you for your awesome masks.  You can download it from her blog here. I am using the jpg versions for this tutorial.  Open and minimize in PSP and mirror the mask.

Please read all the Artist's/Designer's TOU.

Font of choice for your name.

Plug in: None

Drop shadow of choice.

Vivienne's Paintbox has awesome drop shadow settings that I use a lot.  You can find the settings here and check out her awesome tutorials :)

Anytime you resize an element or tube you should sharpen it.  Go to adjust, sharpness, sharpen.

Let's get started.

Remember to save your tag often in case psp crashes.  I always save my tags as a pspimage.  It keeps all the layers and if you make tags for others you will always have the template.

Open a new 800x800 transparent image.  We will resize later.

Add a new layer and flood fill with white.

Open paper of choice.  I am using paper 2, copy and close the original.  Paste as a new layer.  Layers, new mask layer, from image and find Vivienne's mask in the drop down.  Click ok and merge group. You can close the mask as we no longer need it.  

Open element 99, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 40%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the upper left of the mask.

Open element 34, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 40%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the upper left of the by the castle.  Duplicate and move to the lower right of the mask.  See mine for placement.

Open element 65, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 50%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the upper left by the castle.

Open element 47, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 80% aand move to the bottom left of the mask.  Duplicate and mirror.  Move to the upper right of the mask.

Open element 42, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Move to the top center of the mask.

Open element 65, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 50%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the upper left by the castle.

Open element 29, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Move to the top center of the gate and drop shadow.

Open element 4, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 50%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the lower left of the gate.

Open element 75, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 50%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the lower left of the gate.

Open element 78, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 70%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the bottom of the gate.

Open element 31, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 70%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the upper left by the of the gate.

Open element 81, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Move close to the bottom of the mask, duplicate, resize 95% an move to the bottom of the mask.  Merge both layers together.

Open element 14, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 40%, mirror, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the upper right of the sand.  See mine for placement.

Open element 6, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 30%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the lower right of the sand.  See mine for placement.

Open element 72, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 40%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the lower right of the sand.  See mine for placement.

Open element 66, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 40%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the lower left of the trees.  See mine for placement.

Open element 56, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 60%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the lower left over element 66.  See mine for placement.

Open element 96, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 40%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the lower left of element 66.  See mine for placement.

Open element 59, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 30%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the lower left of element 66.  

Open element 83, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 70%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move down about the middle of element 81.

Copy the Adult dragon tube, I used the rainbow colored dragon, select the top layer and paste.  Resize 30%, mirror, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the bottom center of the mask.

Open element 95, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Move to the lower right of the dragon and drop shadow.

Copy your tube.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 30% and again by 95%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move down slightly.

Open element 78 again, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste. Resize 30%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the bottom right in front of the crystal.  Duplicate and drag this layer under the tube layer.  Move to the left behind the skirt.

Open element 82, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste.  Resize 60%, free rotate to the right 90 degrees, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the bottom of the tubes leg to the top of the staff is over the crystal.

Open element 15, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste. Resize 35%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the bottom left of the staff.  See mine for placement.

Open element 41, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste. Resize 20%, sharpen, mirror and drop shadow.  Move to the bottom right of the leaf.  See mine for placement.

Open element 18, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste. Resize 30%, sharpen, mirror and drop shadow.  Move to the bottom of the mushrooms.  See mine for placement.

Open element 100, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste. Resize 30%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the bottom left in front of the mushrooms.

Open element 7, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste. Resize 20%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the top left of element 100.

Open element 39, copy and close the original.  Select the top layer and paste. Resize 30%, sharpen and drop shadow.  Move to the over element 100.

Add any other elements you like and make any adjustments to the layers.

Crop away any extra space.  Resize 650 on the longest side, all layers checked.

Add your copyright and name.

If you do not want to animate, hide the white background and export as png.

Animating the tag.  Make sure your tag is saved as a psp image file as you do not want to loose it if psp crashes.

Might want to grab a coffee :)

Open Simone's mng animation in Animation shop.  Note there are 16 frames.  We will need to have 16 frames for our tag.

Go back to psp.

Edit, copy special, copy merged.

Back to Animation shop.

Edit, paste as new animation or keyboard shortcut Ctrl+V.  Next holding down the shift+Ctrl tap the L on your keyboard 15 times.  This will give us 16 frames to match the animation.

Select Simone's animation and select all.  Ctrl+A

Animation, mirror.

Animation, flip.

Animation, resize animation by 40%

With all the frames selected, edit, copy or Ctrl+C on the keyboard.

Select your tag and select all.

Go to edit, paste into selected frames or Ctrl+E on the keyboard.

The animation will be hanging of your mouse pointer.  Line up the animation with the baby dragon's mouth.  Once happy with placement, left click your mouse.  If you do not like how the animation looks , hit Ctrl+Z on the keyboard then repeat the Ctrl+E and line it up again.

Close Simone's animation and do not save changes.

Now we need to slow down the animation.  Go to Edit, select all or Ctrl + A.  Animation, frame properties. In the display Time (in 1/100th sec): box type in 12 and click ok.

Go to file Save as, gif and click next and next until you hit finished.  I use the default settings.

I hope you have enjoyed my tutorial.  I would love to see your results.