This tutorial was written by me on January 10, 2024. 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 Adobe Photoshop 2024 but this tutorial should work with any version.

You can download the 7 day trial of PS here.

PTU Tube:  I am using Verymany's beautiful tube "My Teddy 4". Please do not use this tube without a proper license. You can purchase it here.

PTU Kit:  I am using a gorgeous matching kit called "Love Bears All" created by Doodle by Design.  You can purchase this beautiful kit here.

PTU Animation:  I am using Sophisticat Simone's animation 1015 from package 349.  You can purchase her animation at her store here.

Mask:  Mask_0001 DFLY by Vivienne's Digital Tagging. Thank you for your awesome masks.  You can download it from her blog here. I am using the png 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.

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 but the resizing will be different :).  I will be using the both method for this tutorial.

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

To mirror or Flip go to Edit>Transform>Flip Horizontal (mirror) or Flip vertical (Flip).

Remember to save often.

Let's get started.

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

Add a new raster layer.

Go to layers, New fill layer, solid color.  When the pop up window appears type in FFFFFF and click ok.

Drag Vivienne's mask into the tag.  Resize 34.76% and move to the top left. 

Drag paper 2 into your tag.  Resize 46.61%.  Move over the mask to a spot you like best. 

Right click on the paper layer and select "Create a clipping mask".  Merge these two layers together.  

Drag element 135 into the tag.  Move to the top right. 

Drag paper 20 into your tag.  Move over element 135 to a spot you like best. 

Right click on the paper layer and select "Create a clipping mask".  Merge these two layers together. 

Drag element 122 into the tag.  Resize 42.74% and move to the top left of the mask.

Drag element 109 into the tag.  Resize 38.85% and move to the left of the mask about midway.

Drag element 122 into the tag.  Resize 42.74% and move to the top left of the mask.  Duplicate, mirror and move to the lower right of element 135.

Drag element 60 into the tag.  Resize 28.32% and move to the bottom of the branch on the left.

Drag element 14 into the tag.  Resize 23.43% and move to the top center of the mask.

Drag element 106 into the tag.  Resize 52.86% and move to the top center of the mask below element 14.

Drag element 114 into the tag.  Resize 68.22% and move to the left of the branch on the right.

Drag element 42 into the tag.  Resize 36.09% and move to the top right of element 135.

Drag element 91 into the tag.  Resize 33.64% and move to the bottom left of the umbrella.

Drag element 66 into the tag.  Resize 48.09% and move to the lower right bottom of the branches.

Drag element 43 into the tag.  Resize 24.42% and move to the bottom right of element 66.

Drag element 22 into the tag.  Resize 27.96% and move to the right of the books.

Drag element 35 into the tag.  Resize 33.10% and move over element 91.

Drag element 88 into the tag.  Resize 12.70% and move to the right of the bird cage.

Drag element 1 into the tag.  Resize 21.87% and move to the lower left of the books.

Drag element 90 into the tag.  Resize 22.24% and move to the bottom of element 88.

Drag element 32 into the tag.  Resize 39.22% and move to the lower left of element 90.

Drag your tube into PS then drag the main tube into your tag.  Standing on the tube layer, right click and convert to smart object.   Resize 30.85%, mirror and move to the center of the tag between the shrubs.

Drag element 77 into the tag.  Resize 25.47% and move to the bottom of the shrub on the left.

Drag element 93 into the tag.  Resize 24.06% and move to the bottom center of the tube.

Drag element 130 into the tag.  Resize 56.32% and move over the left side of the tube.

Drag element 27 into the tag.  Resize 15.31% and move to the top center of the left shrub.

Drag element 87 into the tag.  Resize 27.53% and move to the bottom right of the tube.

Drag element 37 into the tag.  Resize 20.15% and move to the bottom left of element 87.

Drag element 49 into the tag.  Resize 28.04% and move to the bottom left of the cake.

Drag element 59 into the tag.  Resize 17.04% and move to the bottom of element 37.

Drag element 50 into the tag.  Resize 15.31% and move to the upper right of the cake.

Drag element 107 into the tag.  Resize 13.85% and move to the bottom right of element 50.

Drag element 19 into the tag.  Resize 15.49% and move to the right of element 107.

Drag element 57 into the tag.  Resize 20.65% and move to the right of the lower bird cage.

Drag element 48 into the tag.  Resize 15.31% and move to the bottom of the books.

Drag element 12 into the tag.  Resize 19.80% and move to the left of element 48.

Drag element 10 into the tag.  Resize 22.80% and move to the left of element 12.

Drag Wordart into the tag.  Resize 64.52% and move to the lower left of the tube.  (we will come back to this layer after the drop shadow).

Drag element 63 into the tag.  Resize 16.22% and move to the bottom of the horse.

Drag element 26 into the tag.  Resize 28.94% and move to the right of element 63.

Drag element 62 into the tag.  Resize 11.12% and move to the bottom of the lower bird cage.

Drag element 36 into the tag.  Resize 10.83% and move to the right of element 62.

Drag element 54 into the tag.  Resize 12.39% and move to the bottom of the candle.

Drag element 68 into the tag.  Resize 17.22% and move to the right of the branch on the upper right side of the tag.

Drag element 23 into the tag.  Resize 11.81% and move to the lower left of the car.

Drag element 64 into the tag.  Resize 11.77% and move to the left of element 23.

Drag element 61 into the tag.  Resize 7.84% and move to the bottom right of element 64.

Drag element 41 into the tag.  Resize 11.67% and move to the left of element 61.

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

Crop away any extra space.  

Resize the tag to your liking if needed.  I usually resize mine by 650 on the width side unless it is already smaller than 650.

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.  I started with element 122.

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

Click on image to enlarge.

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

Now click on the layer above, holding down your shift key, select the top layer.  Drop shadow complete :)

Select the wordart layer and change the blend mode to Hard Light.

Add your copyright and name.

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

Animation:

Might want to grab a coffee :)

Select the tube layer, right click, and duplicate.

Standing on the duplicate layer, right click and clear layer style.  Go to Filter, Blur, Gaussian Blur, and type in 5.  Click ok.  Holding down the Ctrl key, click on the original tube layer in the layer's pallet.  You will see marching ants.  Standing on the duplicate layer, go to Layers, Layer mask, reveal selection.  Duplicate the layer.  Change to top blurred tube to Screen and lower the opacity to 30%.  Select the bottom duplicate blur tube and change the blend mode to soft light and lower the opacity to 50%.

Open Sophisticat Simone's psd file in PS.  You will notice that there is 20 layers in this animation, and it does not have the group layer. 

We need to group all the layers.  Starting from layer 1, hold down your shift key and select layer 20.  

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 in your tag.  I selected the top element layer 106.

"Important" Make sure Auto-Select on the move tool is not checked when you are working with the animation group.

Back to the animation.  Click on Group 1 and drag it into your tag.  CTRL + T and resize 51%.  Move to the top left of the tube.

Close the original animation and do not save changes.

Click on the little white arrow beside Group 1 to expand it.  Click on the eyeball of each layer to hide them 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 Timeline viewer is open on the bottom of PS.  I you do not see a row that has Timeline on the bottom, go to Windows, Timeline.

In the center of the Timeline viewer, you will see a drop-down box.  On the drop down select Create Frame Animations.  You should now see frame one in the timeline.

Next is animating.

Click on the little icon (four white lines) at the right end of the animation screen then 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, hold down the shift key and select animation frame 10 and click on the trash can in the timeline window.  

Now you should be at the first frame of the animation.  Click on frame 21 and hold down the shift key and select the last frame layer.  Click on the trash can in the timeline window.  This will leave you with 20 frames.

This next step is particularly important.  Any changes you do from here you must be on frame 1 in the Timeline viewer. It will be highlighted in white.

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

Click on the eyeball beside each layer to make it visible.  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 20.  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 other and change it to 0.15 Sec.  Now click on the play button to view the animation.  Click on it again to stop it.

Click frame 1 again so we do not accidentally make any changes.

Now to save our tag as a gif.

Go to File>Export>Save for Web (Legacy).

A new pop-up window will appear.  Change the settings to my screen shot below.  My screen shot will look different, but the settings are the same.

Click on the image to enlarge it.

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