Description: Create a nice Spring card using PhotoImpact 11 and the Free Filter Factory A plugin.
Author: Wouter Démoet.
Terms of Use: Please read
Skill Level: Beginner. I assume you know where the tools are in PhotoImpact.
Additional Files: An object and a gold fill image of your choice or you may use mine. Please download from here
The free Filter Factory A - Weave filter, it is in the above zipped file. Debbie's tutorial on how to install third party filters can be found here

NOTE: Save your work often. I suggest you read the entire tutorial, before you start. Where it reads "Rc" in this tutorial, it means right click. And if you need help, or if you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me at:
wouter@demoet.nl

Install the Filter Factory A filter and if needed restart your copy of PhotoImpact 11. Open the wd-spring object. Set your Foreground color box to a dark color from the image and your Background color to a light color from image. I am using #AC0C23 and #ECE6F0. (Note: If you use your own object, make sure that the foreground color is much darker than your background color). Open a new white canvas of 550 x 400 pixels. Go to Edit in the Menu bar - Fill - Gradient tab. Using your fore- and background colors fill the canvas with this gradient:


Menu bar: Photo - Blur - Gaussian Blur - Options - Radius: 25.


Menu bar: Effect - Filter Factory A - Weave with these settings:


Change to your Magic Wand Tool and in the Attribute Toolbar use these settings:


Click in the top left blue rectangle to select it. All your blue rectangles should be selected now:


Rc.: Store Selection. This will save this selection to the Selection Manager. We will need it again. Rc.:Convert to Object. Keep selected. Menu bar: Edit- Fill - Image tab. Browse to the folder with your downloaded supplies and click the wd-gold-fill2.jpg:

   
Deselect. Rc.: Load Selection - Select-1. Rc.:


Expand/Shrink. Shrink the selection with 2 pixels:


Rc.: Convert to object. Rc.: Arrange: Bring to Top and Fill a linear gradient using the same colors but with a top/left to bottom/right fill:


Keep selected. Effect: Artistic - Impressionists:


Rc.: Select All Objects. Rc.: Merge as a Single Object. Keep selected. Menu bar: Photo - Focus - Second thumbnail on the top row:


Rc.: Shadow, please use these settings:


Rc.: Duplicate. Adjust: Resize this object to 85% : Note: Click the Selected object radio button first and then the percentage. If you click the percentage first and then the selected objects, the percentage will revert back to 100%


Photo: Focus - Options - Auto-adjust. Rc.: Duplicate. Resize this object to 85% also. Photo: Focus - Options - Auto-adjust. Your image should look similar to this:


Drag your flower object to your image. Rc.: Properties: Position and Size tab.:


Rc.: Shadow with these settings:


Deselect. With a font of your choice add a greeting to your card and fill it with the gold fill image. Rc:. Merge All. In the Menu bar: Adjust - Expand Canvas. Expand your canvas with a 1 pixel border with your dark color. Add another border of 5 pixels using your light color and add another border of 1 pixel with your dark color. You're done!. Optimize and save your work.


A very beautiful Easter image was created by Rosalie (ggrannyrose):


Thank you, Rosalie for allowing me to show your card as an extra example. It is just gorgeous.

That is all, I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial as much as I liked writing it for you.