This tutorial was written by me on November 15, 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 "My Sweet Teddy" created by Amber.  Please do not use this tube without a proper license.  

You can purchase this tube at VM Artist's store here. 

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

PTU Animation:  I am using Rebel Dezigns animation 1865 from package 620.  You can purchase her fun animation at CDO here.

Mask:  2019Xmas Mask1 by Dee. Thank you for your awesome masks.  You can download it from her blog here. I am using the JPG versions for this tutorial.  Mask is no longer available.

Font of choice for your name.

Plug in: MuRa Meister - Copies

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 the first method for this tutorial.

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

Lets get started.

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

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

Drag paper 16 into your tag.  Holding down the shift key, pull up on the left corner and down on the right bottom corner so the paper fills the canvas.  Click the check mark.  

Drag Dee's mask into the tag.  Resize 38% and click on the check mark.  In the layer pallet, click on the channels tab.  You will see 4 layers we want to work with the RGB layer.  Holding down the Ctrl key, click on the RGB Thumbnail.  You should see marching ants.  Now select the paper layer.  Go to Layers, Layer mask, Reveal selection.  You can now delete Dee's mask as we no longer require it.  Select the paper layer and resize 90%.

Drag element 207 into your tag.  Click the check mark.  Move up and to the left slightly.

Drag element 42 into your tag.  Resize 80% and leave it where it is.

Select the layer under the tube and drag paper 17 into the tag and resize 45%.  Move this into a spot you like best inside 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 Layers, layer mask, reveal selection.

We are going to work under the paper layer of the frame.

Drag element 31 into your tag.  Resize 20%, right click and rasterize the layer.  Go to Filter, Mura Meister, copies and click on the drop down under the preview and select Encircle.  Change the number to 19, all other settings are default, and click ok.

Drag element 19 into your tag.  Resize 20%, right click and rasterize the layer.  Go to Filter, Mura Meister, copies and click on the drop down under the preview and select Encircle.  Change the number to 12, all other settings are default, and click ok.

Drag element 150 into your tag.  Resize 15%, right click and rasterize the layer.  Go to Filter, Mura Meister, copies and click on the drop down under the preview and select Encircle.  Change the number to 17, all other settings are default, and click ok.

Select the paper layer under the frame. 

Drag element 161 into the tag.  Click the check mark and move to the top center of the frame so it shows under the inside of the frame.  Once happy with placement, Hold down the alt key and click on the mask icon on the paper layer.  Drag it onto the icicle layer.  You should now have two mask layers.  One on the paper layer and one on the icicle layer.

Select the frame layer.

Drag element 59 into the tag and click the check mark.  Move over the frame.  Once happy with placement, holding down the ctrl key, click on the frame layer.  Right click and merge layers.

Drag element 61 into the tag.  Resize 70% and move to the left side of the frame.

Drag element 28 into the tag.  Resize 30% and move to the top left of the tree.

Drag element 178 into the tag and click the check mark.  Move to the bottom of the frame.

Drag element 209 into the tag.  Resize 30% and move to the bottom left of the tree.

Drag element 123 into the tag.  Resize 40% and move to the bottom right of the frame.

Drag element 224 into the tag.  Resize 20% and move to the bottom left of the frame.  Duplicate and move to the bottom right of the frame.

Drag element 170 into the tag and click the check mark.  Move to the bottom center of the mask.

Drag element 144 into the tag.  Resize 20% and move to the bottom left of the frame just below the blue flower.  Duplicate and move to the bottom right of the frame.

Drag element 182 into the tag.  Resize 20% and move to the bottom left of the flowers on the right.

Drag element 54 into the tag.  Resize 60% and move to the bottom left of the frame.

Drag element 9 into the tag.  Resize 30% and move to the bottom right of the snow balls.

Drag element 99 into the tag.  Resize 30% and move to the bottom of the snow balls.

Drag element 79 into the tag.  Resize 40% and move to the bottom of the pine cone.

Drag element 14 into the tag.  Resize 30% and move to the bottom of the snowman.

Select the main tube.  Click and drag it over to your tag.  Resize 35% and move to the bottom center of the frame.

Drag element 76 into the tag.  Resize 25% and move to the bottom left of the tube.

Drag element 109 into the tag.  Resize 30% and move to the bottom center of the tube.

Drag element 117 into the tag.  Resize 20% and move to the top left of element 109.

Drag element 131 into the tag.  Resize 30% and move to the bottom right of the white flower.

Drag element 1 into the tag.  Resize 20% and move to the bottom left of the globe.

Drag element 100 into the tag.  Resize 20% and move to the bottom right of the globe.

Drag element 121 into the tag.  Resize 30% and move to the bottom right of the blue flower.

Drag element 88 into the tag.  Resize 25% and move to the bottom right of the rose.

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, select the layer under the paper layer.  Rick click and paste layer styles.  

Select the icicle layer, holding down the shift key, select the top layer.  Right click and paste layer styles.  Drop shadow complete :)

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 3.  Click ok.  Change the blend mode to soft 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.

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 frame layer.

Back to the animation.  Click on Group 1 and drag it into your tag.  Ctrl+T and resize 80%.  Move to the center of the tag.  Now standing on the group layer, scroll down the layer pallet until you see the mask layer.  Holding down the Ctrl key, left click on the mask icon.  You should see marching ants.  Still standing on group 1 layer, go to Layers, Layer mask, reveal selection.

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 0.2 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.