This tutorial was written by me on September 10, 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 PS.

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 CS5 but this tutorial should work with any version.

You can download the 7 day trial of ps here.

PTU Tube:  I am using a beautiful tube called "Rosemary" created by Verymany.  Please do not use this tube without a proper license.  

You can purchase this tube at Verymany's store here. 

PTU Kit:  I am using a gorgeous matching kit called "Favorite Season" created by Tiny Turtle Designs.  You can purchase the kit here.

PTU Animation:  I am using Rebel Dezigns animation 1003 from package 334.  You can purchase her fun animation at CDO here.

Mask:  52 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. 

Font of choice for your name.

Plug in: None

Drop shadow of choice.

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

Let's get started.

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

To open an image, I click on the element or paper in the file folder and drag it into PS.

To transfer an element or paper in PS to my tag, I left click and drag it into my working canvas.  

The other way is to left click and drag the element from the folder right onto your tag. 

Either way you will get the same results :).  I will be using both method for this tutorial.

For resizing, mirroring and rotating I use the Ctrl+T command.

File>new 750x800 px transparent image.  We will resize later.

Add a new layer and flood fill with white.

Drag paper of choice into your tag, I am using paper 9.  Pull the top left corner of the paper to the top left and pull the right corner down to the right until it fits the canvas.  Click the check mark.

Drag Vivienne's mask into the tag, This is not going to fit but that is ok.  You will see little boxes in the the corners of the mask.  Click on the top corner box and drag it to the upper left corner.  Repeat for the bottom right corner and drag to the bottom right.  Keep pulling up and down the mask until it fits the tag.  Once the mask fits the canvas click on the check mark in the upper right corner of the tool bar.  You can close out Vivienne's mask now and do not save changes.

Next.

In the layer pallet, You should have three layers, the top layer being the mask layer.  Click on layer three to select it (it should be highlighted in blue). Next, click on the channels tab next to the layers tab.  You will see 4 layers, RGB, Red Green Blue.  We only want to work with RGB layer.  Holding down the ctrl key, click on the RGB thumb nail in the layer pallet.  You will see marching ants around the mask.  This is good.

Next click back on the Layers tab.  Select layer two, the paper layer and go to Layer, Layer mask, Reveal selection.  You will notice the mask thumb nail next to the paper layer.  This is good :).  Select layer 3 and delete it as we no longer need it.

Drag element 144 into your tag.  Click the check mark. Move to the top of the mask.

Drag element 176 into your tag.  Click the check mark. Move to the top left of the tree.  Duplicate and move to the top right of the tree and slightly higher then the original layer.

Drag element 23 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 50%.  Click the check mark. Move to the top right of the mask.

Drag element 132 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 50%.  Click the check mark. Move to the top right of the mask.

Drag element 114 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 60%.  Click the check mark. Move to the left of the tree.

Drag element 171 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 60%.  Click the check mark. Move to the top of the mask.

Drag element 24 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 80%.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom left of the bird house.

Drag element 166 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 40%.  Click the check mark. Move to the top of the mask just left of the pumpkin.

Drag element 180 into your tag.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom right of the mask.

Drag element 31 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 40%.  Click the check mark. Move to the right of the mask.

Select the layer under the frame.  Drag paper 8 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 40%.  Click the check mark. Move the paper into a spot you like best under the frame.

Select the frame layer.  Using the magic wand, click inside the frame.  Select, modify, expand by 5.

Select the paper layer, go to Layer, Layer mask, Reveal selection.

Select the frame layer.

Drag element 3 into your tag.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom right of the frame.

Drag element 155 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 40%.  Click the check mark. Move to the top right of the frame.

Drag element 169 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 40%.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom right of the frame in front of the leaves.

Drag element 63 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 70%.  Click the check mark. Move to the top left of the frame.

Drag element 121 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 40%.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom right of the frame.

Drag element 120 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 40%.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom right of the pumpkin.

Drag element 30 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 40%.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom of the pumpkin.

Drag element 137 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 40%.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom left of the frame.

Drag element 61 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 40%.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom left of the mask.

Drag element 78 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 40%.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom of the leaves.

Drag element 87 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 40%.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom left of the pumpkin.

Drag element 53 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 30%.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom in front of the vase.

Drag element 21 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 40%.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom in front of the horse.

Drag element 86 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 25%.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom in left of the flower cluster with candle.

Select the main tube.  click and drag it over to your tag.  Hit Ctrl + T.  In your tool bar. Click on the link between the Width and Height to lock them.  When we type in a number it will resize both the width and Height as the same time.  Type 40% in the Width and then click on the check mark at the end of the tool bar.  Move the tube to the bottom left corner of the mask.

Drag element 93 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 30%.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom of the tube just left of her hand. See mine for placement.

Drag element 79 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 35%.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom of the tube in front of her hand. See mine for placement.

Drag element 117 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 20%.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom right of the vase.

Drag element 66 into your tag.  Click the link icon between the W and H and resize 40%.  Click the check mark. Move to the bottom left of the vase.

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

Crop away any extra space.  

Image, Image Size and resize 650 on the longest side.  See my settings below.

Oh almost forgot we need to drop shadow all of our elements.  I actually do the drop shadow at the end :)

Select the element on the bottom of your tag in the layer pallet and double click it.

A layer style window will pop up.  Click on Drop shadow. and use the following settings.

Now right click on the layer you just applied the drop shadow.  Click copy layer style.

Now click on the layer above and hold down the shift key, click on the layer just under the paper layer.  Right click and paste layer style.   Select the frame layer, holding down the shift key, select the top layer.  Rick click and paste layer styles.  Drop shadow complete :)

Add your copyright and name.

If you do not want to animate.  Hide the white background layer Save your tag and export as png.

Might want to grab a coffee :)

Open Rebel Dezigns psd file in PS.  You will notice that there is 25 layers in this animation and it does not have the group layer.  That is ok as we are going to learn how to do this so it matches the animation layers of the tube.

We need to group all odd the layers.  Starting from layer 25, hold down your control key and select each odd layer so the next one will be 23 then 21 etc.  Once all the odd layers are selected (the layers will be highlighted in blue) we need to group them.  All odd layers selected? 

Next we need to group these layers.  Go to Layers, Group layers or Ctrl + G on the Keyboard.  You will see group 1 folder at the top.  Make sure Group 1 is selected.

Select the layer you would like the animation to be placed.  I selected the paper layer.

Back to the animation.  Click on Group 1 and drag it into your tag.  Ctrl+T and resize 30%.  Move to a spot you like best.  I moved it under the frame.

Now hold down the alt key and click on the mask icon on the paper layer.  Still holding down the alt key and the left mouse button drag it onto the group 1 layer.  Let go of the mouse and alt key.  You should not have the mask on the paper layer and the group 1 layer.

Close the original animation and don't save changes.

Click on the little white arrow beside Group 1 to expand it.  Click on the eyeball of each layer to hide it but leave frame layer 1 visible.  Click on the arrow beside group one to hide it as we do not want to accidentally make any changes.

Next make sure your animation viewer is open on the bottom of PS.  I you do not see a row that has Animation (Frames) on the bottom, go to Windows, Animation.

Next is animating.

Click on the little icon at the right end of the animation screen then select make frames from layers.

When the pop up shows select  Make Frames from Layers

You are going to see a big mess in the animation window but we are going to fix this.

Click on the first frame and click on the trash can in the animation window.  Repeat this until you reach the first frame of the animation.  

Now you should be at the first frame of the animation.  Click on frame 14 and hit the trash can.  Repeat for all the remaining frames.  You should be left with 13 frames in the animation window.  This is the amount of frames for our animation.

This next step is very important.  Any changes you do from here you must be on frame 1 in the animation window. It will be highlighted in blue.

Go to the bottom of your tag in the layers pallet.  Make sure you have animation frame 1 selected.

Click on the eyeball beside each layer to make it visible.  For the white base layer you may have to click on the eyeball a couple of times to make it visible in all the animation frames.  It's a Photoshop thing.  Do not touch the group layer.

Next, I want to slow down the animation.  With the first frame selected, hold down the shift key and click on frame 13.  This will select all the frames.

Next, click on the little black arrow beside the 0 sec as we want to change the speed.  A pop up window will appear.  

I selected 0.1 Sec.  Now click on the play button to view the animation.  Click on it again to stop it.

Click frame 1 again so we don't accidentally make any changes.

Now to save our tag as a gif.

Go to File, save for web device.

A new pop up window will appear.  Change the settings to my screen shot below.  Click on the image to enlarge it if needed.  Click save.  My screen shot will look different but the settings are the same.

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