*~UN-Masked~*

I noticed that often times a mask is barely visible in a tag.  I thought that was kind of sad, since there are so many incredible mask creators out there.  So I was playing around and made some masks that can be used the traditional way - but can also be used as the centerpiece of the tag.

Here are a few ideas - but please use your imagination to come up with more fun ways!!!!

P.S.  All framed masks are available at the bottom of this post.  Just click on one - when the larger image opens - right click and save to your folder.

This one is pretty basic - I chose a paper from a scrap kit - applied the mask - merge group.  Then added some elements and word art.  Please always give credit to the scrap designer when using only their kits.  Added credit information, drop shadow of choice, name - merged and saved.

For this one I did the same as above for the background.  Then added a close up of my tube and applied the mask to that - merged group - changed the blend mode.  Then added the full version of the tube, some elements from the scrap kit - copyright information, name, drop shadow of choice - merged and saved!!

Have fun !!!

*~Good Day Sunshine~*

Music to inspire you!!!

The Beatles - Good Day Sunshine

Supplies:

Tube of choice

Filters:

Background Designer IV - @Random Smelter, @Splish, Sf Diamond Flip

Filters Unlimited - Distortion - Black Hole

Greg's Pool Shadow

Let's Begin:

Open a new image 600 x 250

Set your foreground to a light color and background to a medium color.

Set foreground to gradient:

Fill canvas with gradient

Effects - Background Designer IV - @Random Smelter - default settings

Effects - Background Designer IV - @ Splish:

Effects - Background Designer IV - Sf 10 Diamond Flip - default settings.

Duplicate layer

Staying on the top layer - go to Effects - Filters Unlimited - Distortion - Black Hole:

With your wand - feather and tolerate set to zero - click inside the hole.  Activate the bottom layer - promote selection to layer.

Deselect

On the promoted layer - Adjust - Blur - Gaussian Blur - set to 20

Activate your top layer - click inside hole

Add a new layer

Effects - 3D effects - Cutout

Note:  I chose a darker shade of my background color - you can choose what looks best with your color scheme

Move this layer below top layer 

Add your tube, resize as needed - remove excess.  Add drop shadow of choice.

Activate your top layer - add a new layer

Fill with background color - select all - contract by 2 - delete (do not deselect) - contract by 2 again - fill with background color - contract by 2 - delete - deselect

Effects - Greg's Pool Shadow - default settings

Add your copyright, license and name and save!!!

FAN-tastic !!!!

Supplies:

Tube of choice

Mask of choice

Filters:

Radial Blur 

(if you need this filter - you can download it HERE)

Flaming Pear - Flexify 2

Blend Emboss 3 

Let's Begin:

Open a new image 700 x 350 (we will resize later)

From your tube (or complimentary colors) choose a dark color for your foreground and a lighter shade for your background

Set your foreground to Gradient:

Fill canvas with gradient

Select all - copy and paste your tube into selection - deselect

Blur - Radial Blur

NOTE:  Some people had issues installing this filter.  If you encounter the same thing - you can use the built in Radial blur:

Effects - User Defined Filter - Blend Emboss 3

Effects - Texture - Blinds 

Flaming Pear - Flexify 2

Image - Flip

With UP arrow - move your image to the center of your canvas

Selections - select all - float - defloat - modify - selections select border

Selections - expand by 2

Add a new layer - fill with color choice

Adjust - Add Noise 

Deselect

Copy and paste your tube - resize and position to your liking

Remove excess if necessary

Add drop shadow of choice to tube and layers 

Merge visible

Resize 85%

Select all - float - defloat - crop to selection

Image - Canvas size - 550 x 550 - center checked

Add a new layer - send to bottom - fill with gradient or color choice

Apply mask - merge group

Add your copyright and license information and name.

Merge and save

Here is one I made where I used Mura Clouds for the background and also applied a snow animation

*~Mystical Glow~*

Supplies:

Tube of choice - I am using the stunning art of Maria J. William

You can purchase her art at Digital Art Heaven

Scrap kit of choice - I am using the companion kit to Maria's tube by Moonshine Dezinez

Which can also be purchased at Digital Art Heaven

Template - I chose Template 227 by Horseplay's Pasture

Filters:

Xero - Porcelain

Let's Begin:

Open the template - duplicate - close the original

Delete credits and layers 9-13

Template layer 1 - select all - float - defloat - add a new layer

Copy Frame 02 - paste into selection - deselect

On the original frame element - flip - copy

Template layer 2 - select all - float - defloat - add a new layer

Past into selection - deselect

Merge together your 2 new frame layer - duplicate

On the bottom frame layer - Effects - Artistic Effects - Enamel:

On the top frame layer - Xero Porcelain - default settings

Change the blend mode of this layer to soft light - merge down

Template layer 3 - with want click inside the frame - expand by 2

Copy and paste paper 10 as a new layer - invert - deselect

Move under frame layer

Repeat the above steps with Template layer 4

Merge together template layers 3 and 4

Duplicate

On the bottom of these two - apply Blur - Gaussian Blur - 3.00

Template layer 5 - select all - float - defloat - add a new layer

Copy and paste paper 4 into selection - deselect

Template layer 6 - select all - float - defloat - add a new layer 

Copy and paste paper 3 into selection - deselect

Apply the following bevel:

Delete template layer 7

Activate template layer 8 - select all - float - defloat

Add a new layer - fill with #BEA7C4 - deselect

Copy and paste element 45 - resize 75% - position over the color fill layer

Activate fill layer - select all - float - defloat 

Activate element layer - invert - delete - deselect

Change blend mode to overlay

Copy and paste tube - resize and rotate left 5 degrees

Element 24 - mirror - resize 65%  - position - move under tube layer

Element 22 - resize 35%

Element 18 - resize 25% - rotate left 18 degrees

Resize image 550 x 550 - all layers checked

Add drop shadows of choice

I deleted the white background layer

Make sure all the original template layers have been deleted

Merge tag - resize 85% - all layers unchecked

Open element 10 - duplicate - close original 

Resize to 550 x 550

Copy and paste as a new layer - move slightly up and to the right

Duplicate - move this layer slightly down and to the left

Activate tag - move to top

Reposition the background layers if needed

Add your copyright and license and name - save!!!

*~*Hare Bells *~*

Supplies:

Mehdi - Wavy Lab & Sorting Tiles

Background Designers IV - SF10 - Shades of Shadows & Slice and Dice

FunHouse - Loom

AP Lines - Silver Lining

PI2 - Dotty Lines Template - HERE

Tube of Choice - I am using the wonderful work of Joanna Bromley

which can be purchased at Digital Art Heaven

(NOTE:  If you need any of the above filters - click the LINK button below the header banner)

Let's Begin:

Open the Dotty Lines Template - minimize for now

Open a new image 600 x 300

Change your foreground to a light to medium color, background to a medium to dark color

Change your foreground to gradient:

Fill canvas with gradient

Effects - Medhi - Wavy Lab:

Effects - Medhi - Sorting Tiles:

Effects - Edge Effects - Enhance

Effects - Image effects - Seamless Tiling:

Adjust - Sharpen

Effects - Background Designers - Shades of Shadow:

Effects - Background Designers - Slice and Dice: default settings

Effects - Funhouse - Loom:

Effects - AP Silver Lining - Lines:

(NOTE:  If you are using a lighter color background - you may want black dots - so change all the color bars to 0.  Or you can choose a contrasting color you prefer)

Copy and paste Dotty Lines Template

(NOTE: You can colorize the template layer - select all - float - defloat - add a new layer - fill with color choice.  Make sure you get all the dots filled - zoom in to make sure - deselect, then delete the original template layer)

With Magic wand click in the center - expand by 5 - activate your background layer - promote selection to layer - deselect

Effects - Drop Shadow:

Repeat - changing the Vertical and Horizontal to -5

Copy and paste your tube - resize as needed.  Add drop shadow of choice

(NOTE:  My tube came with the daisy on a separate layer - so I used this on the sides - you can do the same or add something from a scrap kit if you like - or add nothing at all!!! )

Activate your top layer - add a new layer - fill with gradient

Select all - contract by 5 - delete - deselect.

Add Gaussian Noise at 30%

Add your copyright and license info and name.  Save !!!!

*~Sail On Sailor~*

SUPPLIES:

Tube of choice - I am using the art of ©Kate Lightfoot

Filters:

VM Toolbox - Square Blur

VM Distortion - Distortion by Hue

Eye Candy 4000 - Glass

Xero - Porcelain

Let's Begin:

Open a new image 600 x 600

Copy and paste your tube - resize as needed

Duplicate - rename top layer - Tube.  X-out this layer for now.

Rename raster 2 - Tube Copy - stay on this layer

Select Preset Shape Tool - set to rounded rectangle

Set background to color of choice

Add a new layer - draw out a rectangle - do NOT cover all of your tube

Move rectangle below tube copy layer - activate tube copy layer - merge down - rename Shape - duplicate.  Rename duplicate layer - Duplicate Shape.

Stay on the Duplicate Shape layer

Effects - VM Toolbox - Square Blur

Effects - VM Distortion - Distortion by Hue

Effects - Eye Candy 4000 - Glass - clear glass settings - choose a color you prefer - I used white

Move below shape layer - stay on shape layer

Change blend mode to overlay (or preference) and lower opacity to 70%

Activate tube layer - un-x - resize 95%

Effects - Xero Porcelain - default settings

Add drop shadow of choice

Optional:  Adding text around your tag.

Set your foreground to a contrasting color - background to null.

Select your rectangle shape - NOT the rounded rectangle.

Draw out a rectangle slightly larger than your tag rectangle.

Center in canvas.

Choose the color(s) and font you wish to use.  Place your cursor on the rectangle until you see an "A".  Left click - your text window will open.  Type out what you want - when happy with the results - click apply.

On your layer palette - click the + sign.  On the rectangle layer - click the eye on the

NEW RECTANGLE layer

Now click the Vector 1 layer - right click and choose - Convert to Raster Layer

Add any effects such as a bevel, gradient glow, drop shadow and move under tag layer.

Add copyright and license information and name.

Merge and save!!!

Tune Time:

The Beach Boys - Sail on Sailor

*~Undun~*

Supplies:

Tube of choice - I am using the lovely work of ©VeryMany

LnK - Zitah and Jouri

Simple - Center Tile

Toadies - Plain Mosaic Blur

Penta - Color Dot

Xero - Porcelain (optional)

Let's Begin:

NOTE:  Label the layers as suggested so that it will make it easier to follow!!!!

Open a new image 600 x 250

Choose from your tube  a dark color for your foreground and a light color for your background

Change foreground to gradient:

Fill canvas

Apply LnK - Zitah:

Add a new layer - fill with grad - rename Grad 2

Apply LnK - Jouri:

Apply Simple - Center Tile - default settings

With magic wand - feather set to 0 - click the black lines

Note:  if you miss any - hold down the shift key and keep clicking until all are highlighted

Add a new layer - fill with light color - deselect - rename Light 1

Dupicate - rename Skew

Staying on Skew

Effects - Geometric Effects - Skew:

Activate Light 1 

Noise - Gaussian - 30% - mono checked

Delete Grad 2 layer

Activate Skew layer - with wand - click the widest segment - add a new layer and fill with light color - deselect - rename Diagonal Light:

Activate Skew layer again - click diagonal segment to the left of the one you just did - add a new layer - fill with dark color - deselect - rename Diagonal Dark

Staying on this layer - apply blinds:

Duplicate layer - flip

Apply Toadies - Plain Mosaic Blur - default settings - rename Blur

Edge effects - enhance

Duplicate - activate Blur Layer (this should be the bottom of the two layer)

Effects - Distortion Effects - Wind

Activate Diagonal Light 

Effects - Penta - Color Dot:

Scroll down to Skew layer - arrange bring to top

Scroll to Light 1 - arrange bring to top

Activate layer 1 (bottom layer)

Copy and paste tube - a close-up works well if you have one

Resize and position - remove excess

Duplicate tube layer

Activate Light 1 layer - with wand - select top and bottom areas

Activate top tube layer  - delete - deselect

Activate bottom tube layer - change blend mode to Luminance(L) and lower opacity to 60%

Copy and paste full size tube - resize and position

Change blend mode to Overlay

Optional - apply Xero Porcelain to full tube and top tube layer if you like.

Add a new layer - fill with color choice - select all - contract by 2 - delete - add noise - gaussian - 50% - mono checked

Add copyright and license information and name.

Merge and save!!!!

Tune Time:  Undun by The Guess Who