Let’s get started.

Open a new 800x800 transparent image.  We will resize later.  Flood fill with white.

Remember to sharpen and drop shadow each image as you create the tag.

Open Simone's mask in PSP and minimize.

Open paper 10 and copy.  

Select the tag.  Select all, add a new raster layer and paste into selection. Select none.  Layers, New mask layer - from image.  locate Simone's mask in the drop down and apply.  Merge group.  Resize 80% and move to the top center slightly to the left.

Element 30 - Resize 40% move to the upper left of the tag.

Element 72 - Resize 35% move to the upper left of element 30.

Element 123 - Resize 40% move to the right of element 72.

Element 4 - Resize 50% move to the left of element 123.

Element 100 - Resize 20% move to the bottom right of element 123.

Element 102 - Resize 25% move to the bottom left of element 100.

Element 75 - Resize 35% move to the bottom left of the tree.

Element 31 - Resize 10% move to the bottom right of element 75.

Element 17 - Resize 10% move to the bottom right of element 75 by the door.

Element 61 - Resize 15% move to the bottom right of element 31.

Element 95 - Resize 10% move to the bottom left of element 61.

Element 13 - Resize 10% move to the bottom of Santa's feet.

Element 62 - Resize 15% move to the bottom left of element 13.

Element 2 - Resize 30% move to the bottom of the bear so the star is touching his shoulder.  See mine for placement.

Element 107 - Resize 10% move to the bottom left of the tree.

Element 22 - Resize 5%, free rotate to the left 10 degrees and move to the bottom left of the standing elf.  See mine for placement.

Element 119 - Resize 13% move to the bottom right of element 31.

Element 76 - Resize 13% move to the bottom right of the train.

Element 103 - Resize 10% move to the bottom right of element 76.

Element 15 - Resize 10% move to the bottom right of the tree.

Element 60 - Resize 13% move to the bottom left of element 15.

Select Simone's mask.  Copy Vivienne's mask and paste as a new layer.  Use your deform tool and apply the following settings:

Select all, float, Defloat.  Add a new raster layer.  Copy and paste paper 3 into selection.  Delete Viv's original mask.  Move the first mask under the bear.  Duplicate - Mirror and move under the building with the crouching elf.  This is the settings I used for deform tool.  Click on image to enlarge it.

Duplicate this layer and resize to your liking. Move to the bottom right under the sitting elf.  This is the settings I used for the deform tool.  Click on image to enlarge it.

Move the bottom two mask layers under Simone's mask.

Add any other elements you would like and make any adjustments on the tag.

Crop and resize your tag.  I resize mine to 650px on the width (if needed) as that is what fits my blog best.

Add your name and copyright.

Hide the white background and save as png if you are not going to animate.

Continue from here if you are going to animate.

Select the mask layer all the way to element 72 by holding down the Ctrl key and selecting each layer.  Merge selected.

Select element 4 layer and holding down the ctrl key select each layer until you reach the top layer.  Merge selected.

Your layer panel should look like this.

I leave my white background as a separate layer in the event I just want a non animated tag.

Hide all layers except the white background and the bottom merged layer.

Time for some animation time.

Animation:

Open animation shop.  

Select prolong paste on the top toolbar.

I do this everytime I open Animation Shop.

We will be working with the .mng files.

Open animation SimoneAni-Fall2023-02 - Select all (Ctrl + A).  Animation-Resize animation 25%.  18 frames

Open SS_WinterlandWordAnimation and resize 20%. 16 frames

The two animations have different frame amounts but that is ok.  I'm going to show you how to use them with out culling the frames. 

Back to PSP.  

Only the white background and bottom merged layer should be visible.  Edit - Copy special, copy merged.

Back to animation shop and paste as a new animation.  Duplicate until you have 18 frames.  The amount of frames from the first ani.

The bottom right corner will show you know how many frames you have.

Select all (Ctrl +A)  once you have 18 frames.

Select Simone's Fall 2023-2 ani and select all.  Edit, copy.

Select your tag.  Edit, select all, Edit, paste into selected frames.  Your animation will be hanging off your mouse pointer.  Move it over the center of the large cog and left click your mouse.  Note: Hit Ctrl + Z if you are unhappy with the placement and redo the past into selected frames.

Close Simone's Fall ani as we no longer need it.

Back to PSP.

Close off your white background layer and bottom merged layer.  Select all - Ctrl + A - and unhide element 123 layer.  This should be the only layer visible.

Back to animation shop and paste as a new animation.  Duplicate until you have 18 frames.  

The bottom right corner will show you know how many frames you have.

Select all once you have 18 frames.  Edit, copy.

Back to your tag, 

Edit, select all, Edit, paste into selected frames.  Your animation will be hanging off your mouse pointer.  Move it move it over to the left of the large cog and left click your mouse.  Note: Hit Ctrl + Z if you are unhappy with the placement and redo the past into selected frames.  You can also reference your PSP tag to see where it needs to be placed.

Now we will be working with Simone's Winterland Word Animation which only has 16 layers but we need 18 frames.  Select the first animation frame (should be highlighted in blue).  Go to Edit, Duplicate selected.  Select the very last frame of the animation and repeat the last step.  You should now have 18 frames.  

Edit, select all, Edit, paste into selected frames.  Your animation will be hanging off your mouse pointer.  Move it move it to the top of element 123 and left click your mouse.  Note: Hit Ctrl + Z if you are unhappy with the placement and redo the past into selected frames.

Close Simone's animation and do not save changes.

  

You should now only have the animated tag visible.

Select all, Animation - Frame Properties and change the speed to 15.

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