For this project I began with a transparent background.
I don't usually start with tran backs because I find when using more than 255 colors in an image, there seems to be a white outline on the glitter after it's saved.
So usually when I make a tag I begin with either white or black back to ensure there will be no faint line either white or black on the finished .gif.

I'm sorry I won't be supplying graphics for this project. I'm sure ya'll have a collection :o)

The font I used was IMPACT. You should have it in your comp already.
Open your graphic in psp.
Open a new transparent canvas. 550 x 550.
Pick your color from your graphic and put it in your foreground and background box on your color palette.

Apply your text as a vector. So you can move it and stretch it etc...
Be sure you make an adjustment in your "kerning". Kerning changes the width between letters in the text.
Set it at -25. The - brings the letters closer together.
Below is the settings I used.



If you're happy with your text.Right click mouse on layer palette and convert to a raster.
Rename that layer TEXT.
Go to selections~~ select all~~ selections float~~ selections defloat~~Ants are marching around the text.
Activate your graphic. Edit~~ copy.
Back to your project~~ paste as a new layer.
Your marching ants are now on the graphic.
Position the graphic where it will show through in the text as you like.

Go to selections~~ INVERT~~ hit the delete key on your keyboard.
Selections~~ select none.
Right click on your layer palette, rename that layer "gr txt".

Highlight text layer. Select~~ select all~~ float~~defloat~~ modify~~ expand by 6.
Flood fill that layer with a color from your tube.
This will be the background color to your graphic text.
Selections~~ select none.
X OUT "raster 1 layer"on your layer palette.
That's the transparent background you began with..
Highlight the "gr txt" layer on your layer palette.
Go to layers, merge visible. You have just merged the text and the textback together.
Rename that layer TEXT.
Un X raster 1.
With TEXT layer highlighted on your layer palette. Go to selections~~ select all~~ float~~ defloat~~ modify~~expand by 8.
Ants are marching.

On your layer palette, highlight the raster 1 layer.

Flood fill with another color from your graphic.
This is going to be the glitter glow around the text.
Selections~~ select none.
Rename layer glow 1.

Crop your project and resize all layers if needed.
Duplicate glow 1 layer 2x's for a total of 3.
Rename those layers, glow 2, glow 3.


Highlight glow 1 layer.
Adjust~~ add noise~~ monochrome and uniformed checked~~noise@ 65.
Highlight glow 2 layer~~ add noise~~ change noise to 70.
Highlight glow 3 layer~~ add noise~~ change noise to 75.
X OUT glow 2 & 3 layers.


We're now ready to put it together in Animation Shop.
Edit~~copy merged.
AShop ~~ edit~~ paste as a new animation.
PSP~~ highlight and UnX glow 2 layer. X out glow 1 layer.
Edit~~copy merged.
Animation Shop~~ Edit~~ paste after current frame.
PSP~~highlight and UnX glow 3 layer. X out glow 2 layer.
Edit~~ copy merged.
Animation Shop ~~ Edit ~~ paste after current frame.

You now have 3 frames in animation shop. Resize if needed.
View animation.
Now we are working on a transparent .gif, so we'll need to make an adjustment while saving.


Then on the transparency tab:


Continue on saving click next etc...
You're done!!
Remember to change your settings in animation shop next time you work with a white back.
On the partial transparency tab, check off Yes,blend with this color and put white in the color box.

Happy PSPing!! :o)

You will need:
A fat font~~paper or fill~~embellishments and I have used the plugin VM NATURAL Sparkles.
For this project I used pieces of a scrap kit from "Simply Sensational Scraps" called Candyland.
Thank you Monica for sharing your beautiful kit.
You can find the kit

HERE

For those that don't want to grab the free scrap kit, I have put together some supplies of balloons and butterflies that I have collected.I made the paper in the supply zip and have included the font and sparkle plugin.

Supply Zip

A quick reminder~~
When downloading fonts~~ never download them into your windows font folder.
Make a new folder on your desktop and put your collected fonts there.When you click the font to open, it will show in your psp program.

Download and extract your supplies.
Put VM Natural in your plugin folder.
Open your supplies in PSP.
Open your font and minimize it to your bottom toolbar.It will show in PSP.
Open a new white canvas 450x450.
Set your color palette foreground #9068C6 and background white.
Add main text ( Happy Birthday) on a vector, size 48, stroke 2.
When you have the main text placed to your liking, take your magic wand tool and click inside the text.Ants are marching inside the letters.


Click on your foreground color palette and click the tab PATTERNS.
Find your paper or pattern that you want to use as the fill in the text.

With the fill tool, fill the letters with the pattern.

Go to selections-- select none. The ants will stop marching.
Put a drop shadow on the text.
My settings are: V=2 , H=2,Opac=65, Blur=3.00, Color Black.
Shadow on a separate layer.
I like using a separate layer for my shadows in case I want to do some text effects later.I don't want the effects on the shadow, with it on it's own layer I don't have to be limited to do the effects at one time :o)

Ok now we're going to put a glitter glow around the outside of the text.
Highlight text layer.Selections, select all, float, selections, defloat, modify, expand by 6.
Ants are marching.
Highlight white background layer.Go to layers, add new raster layer.
Rename that layer glow 1.
Pick a color from your tube as a background color for the text.
Flood fill that section with the color.
Duplicate that layer 2 x's. Rename those layers, glow 2, glow 3.
Ants are still marching.
Highlight glow 1 layer. Adjust,add noise @ 40 uniform checked.
Highlight glow 2 layer. Adjust,add noise,click the uniform 2x's.
Highlight glow 3 layer. Adjust,add noise,click the uniform 3x's.
Xout glow 2 & glow 3 layer.

Highlight text layer..
Now is the time to add your embellishments.
Resize them to fit and copy and paste them onto your project.
When you have all the embellishments on your project, X out all other layers, but your embellishments~~merge visible.
This is what your layers should be:

If you'd like to add some effects to your embellishments, do that now.
I used the freehand tool to pick out areas I wanted to add sparkles.
The balloons and butterfly.
Keep the ants marching around those areas.
On your layer palette, right click mouse,promote those sections to a layer. Rename that layer sparks. Duplicate it 2x's.
Sparks layer 1-- Effects, plugins--VM NATURAL-Sparkles.
Size 11 Random seed 91. Click ok.
Sparks 2 layer, change the # on random seed.
Sparks 3 layer, change the # on random seed.
X out sparks 2 & 3 layers.

Add your mark and any copyright info if required.
If you'd like to add more text, as I did,"Hugs,Lovey"..do that now too.

Time to put it together in Animation Shop.

Highlight white background layer on your layer palette.
Edit, copy merged.
Animation Shop, Edit, paste as a new animation.
Back to PSP.
Un X all #2 layers, X out layers #1.
Edit, copy merged.
Animation Shop, Edit, paste after current frame.
Back to PSP.
Un X all #3 layers, X out layers #2.
Edit, copy merged.
Back to animation shop, edit paste after current frame.
You now have 3 frames in animation shop.
Edit, select all, animation, frame properties, change the number to 18 frame speed.
View animation.If you're happy with it, save as a .gif.

Happy PSPing! :o)

I used the wonderful art of Popeye Wong.
This artist allows use without a license.
Thank you so much Popeye!
You need PSP and Animation Shop

In this project I used 2 plugins.
DBS and Xenoflex constellation.

I used a scrap kit from called Rosie Elegance by Monica at Simply Sensational Scraps.Thank you for sharing your talent Monica.
You can get the free kit

HERE

I used a mask from Weescotlass Creations~WSL_75.
Thank you for sharing your talent Chelle.
You can get the WSL mask collection

HERE

Other Supplies:
Tube of choice
Font of choice

Supply Zip

Open your tubes and mask in PSP.
Open a new white image 600 x 600.
Go to layers, add a new raster layer.
Copy and paste a paper from the scrap kit ( I used paper16) as a new layer.
Go to layers, new mask layer, from image. Find your mask in the drop down and apply.

On your layer palette, highlight mask layer, right click mouse, delete.

Highlight group layer, right click mouse, merge, merge group.

Rename layer Mask.
Copy and paste the heart frame onto your project as a new layer.
With your magic wand, click inside the frame.
Go to selections, modify, expand, by 3.
Keep the ants marching.

Highlight the mask layer, go to layers, add new raster layer.
Flood fill that layer with color of choice, I used #FC96BA
Effects, texture effects, WEAVE.

These settings:
Gap size = 2 , Width = 7 , Opac = 1 , weave color white-gap color white- check mark in fill gaps.
Click ok.


Effects, texture, look in the drop down and find fine paper.
Size 39% Smooth = 2 , Depth = 1, Amb = 0, Shine = 0, Angle = 315, Intensity = 50, Elevation = 30
Color white.
Click ok.

Selections-- select none.

On your layer palette, X out white background layer and mask layer.
Highlight heart layer and merge visible the outside frame with the inside patch.
Rename that layer heart.


UnX white background and mask layer.
Highlight heart layer.
Go to effects, Eye Candy 3, GLOW.
Use these settings:
Width = 6 , Opac = 100 , Opac Dropoff = Medium ,
Color = #FC96BA
Click the check mark.
Now you have a glow on the outside of the heart.


With the heart still highlighted on your layer palette, select all, float.
Select all defloat, modify, expand by 10.
Keep ants marching.
Highlight MASK layer on your layer palette and add a new raster layer.

Flood fill that layer with a color of choice for an outside glitterglow.
I used #A60E57.
Selections - select none.
Rename that layer, glow.
Duplicate that layer 2 x's for a total of 3 glow layers. Rename glow 1, glow 2, glow 3.
Now we're going to add some noise to those layers.
Highlight glow 1 layer, adjust, add noise @ 50. dot in uniform.
Highlight glow 2 layer, adjust, add noise, click on uniform 2 x's.
Highlight glow 3 layer, adjust, add noise, click on uniform 3 x's.
X out glow layers 2 & 3.

Highlight heart layer on your layer palette.
Copy and paste your main tube onto your project.
Add a drop shadow to your tube.
Time to add some elements from your scrap kit.
I used some butterflies.
Place your elements anywhere you like and use as many as you like.
When you have all your elements placed, X out everything on your layer palette except the elements.
Merge all your elements visible and rename that layer to EL.
UnX everything.

Add your text as a vector layer. Rename layer Text
Place it where you want, and when your satisfied with it, right click on mouse and convert to a raster.
Add your tagger mark and the copyright information as vector layer.Rename layer CR

Time to add effects to our main tube.

Highlight tube layer on your layer palette.
Using your freehand tool to make selections in the areas on your tube you want to add effects.
I selected the gals outfit and shoes to add DBS noise.
Once you have your selections made, right click on your layer palette, PROMOTE SELECTIONS TO LAYER.
That puts the parts you have selected on a new layer.
Duplicate that layer 2 x's.
Total of 3 layers for effects.
Rename the layers. DBS 1, DBS 2, DBS 3.
Highlight DBS 1, go to effects, plugins, DBS, bright noise @ 28, dot beside MIX. Click ok.
Highlight DBS 2 layer, effects, plugins, DBS, bright noise, click on the dot at mix 2 x's.
Highlight DBS 3 layer, effects, plugins, DBS, bright noise, click on the dot at mix 3 x's.
If you don't have the DBS plugin, you can use the add noise in your psp program.

X out DBS layers 2 & 3.

I added constellation effect to the ribbon on her hair.
If you want to do this too, highlight the tube layer again.
Use freehand tool to outline that selection. Keep ants marching.
Right click mouse on layer palette and promote this section to a layer.

Duplicate that layer 2 x's. Total of 3 layers for the ribbon.
Rename those layers Cons 1, Cons 2, Cons 3.
Highlight cons 1.
Effects, plugins, xenoflex2, constellation.


Highlight cons 2 layer, back to the plugin, and click on random seed once.
Highlight cons 3 layer, back to the plugin, click random seen once.

X out con layers 2 & 3.
I added some sparkles to my butterflies.
Duplicate the butterfly layers 2 x's.
Apply sparkle effect on each layer of the butterflies.
X out 2 & 3 butterfly layers.

We're ready to put it together in Animation Shop.

This is what your layer palette should look like.
All # 2 & # 3 layers are X out.
Highlight white back ground layer on your palette.
Edit, copy merged, over to AS, edit paste as a new animation.
Back to PSP.
UnX all #2 layers, and X out all #1 layers.
Edit, copy merged, paste into AS after current frame.
Back to PSP.
UnX all #3 layers, X out all #2 layers.
Edit, copy merged, paste into AS after current frame.
You have 3 frames in Animation Shop.
If you want to resize, do that now.
Resize to 90 % - bicubic resample.


Click to view animation.


If you're happy with it, save as a .gif
:o)

In this project I used the beautiful art of Penny Parker


Mask is unknown~if this is your mask, please contact me so I may give proper credit.

Supplies needed:

PSP and Animation Shop
Tube of choice
Mask of choice
Font
VM Natural plugin~sparkle ( optional)

Supply Zip

Unzip and extract supply folder.
Open tube and mask in your PSP.
Minimize tube for use later. We start off with the mask.
Open a new white canvas ( image) 600 x 600. We will resize later.

Set up your colors. Pick 2 colors from your tube and put them in your color palette.
I used Deep Rose~#A94351 in my foreground, and off white ~#F6F6F6 in my background palette.

Activate your new canvas.Go to layers, add a new layer, raster layer.

Click on your fill tool and fill that new layer with color # A94351
Go to layers~add new mask layer~from IMAGE.
A box will pop up and in the drop down look for the mask that is in your workspace.
The heart mask is~nk heart1
Apply mask with settings as shown below:

Over on your layer palette you will see new layers added.



Highlight layer "mask" right click on your mouse, click delete.

Highlight layer "group" right click on your mouse, click MERGE GROUP.
Rename this layer "MASK".

Open your tube. Activate tube, go to edit, copy.
Activate your project, edit paste as a NEW LAYER.
Your tube is now on your project. Place it where you like.
Rename that layer "tube".
You now have 3 layers on your palette. White background, mask and tube.
Add your text as a vector layer. Place it where you like.
When your happy with it, right click on mouse and convert to a raster layer.
Rename that layer "TEXT".

Here is the time to add your CR info. Right click mouse, convert that layer to a raster and move DOWN under your text layer.
Highlight your text layer. We are now going to add effects to the text.



Effects~drop shadow~V=0,H= -2, opac = 65, blur = 3.00 CHECK MARK IN THE "SHADOW ON NEW LAYER".
(This will add a new layer with the drop shadow only)
Click ok.
Text layer still highlighted, go to selections~select all~~float ~selections ~defloat~selections~modify- contract 1.

The ants are marching around the text. Right click mouse on layer palette and duplicate that layer 2 x's.
Total of 3 text layers and 1 text shadow layer. We are going to work on the text only layers. Not the shadow layer.
Rename those text layers, tx 1, tx 2, tx 3.
Highlight tx 1 layer.
Go to adjust, add/remove noise, add noise with these settings.
Uniform dotted, noise @ 50, monochrome checked off.
Click ok

Tx 2 layer, highlighted, go to adjust, add noise, click the uniform dot 2 x's.
Tx 3 layer, highlighted, go to adjust, add noise, click the uniform dot 3 x's.

X out all text layers including the shadow.
We are going to work on the tube now.

Highlight your tube layer.
With your freehand tool, go around the areas in the tube you'd like to add glitter/noise.
When u have all the areas you want glittered, right click on your layer palette and PROMOTE SECTION TO A LAYER.

This puts those sections on a separate layer so we can add effects.
Ants are still marching.
Rename that promoted layer to gl 1. duplicate that layer 2 x's. Rename those layers, gl 2, gl 3.
You now have 3 layers of the sections you want to add glitter.
Highlight gl1 layer. Adjust, add noise, same settings as before, but change the amount from 50 to 33. Click ok.

Highlight gl 2 layer, add noise, click on the uniform dot 2 x's.
Highlight gl 3 layer, add noise, click on the uniform dot 3 x's.
When u have finished adding noise on those layers. go to selections, select none.
X out gl 2 and gl 3 layers.
This is what your layer palette should look like.


If you would like to add sparkles to the mask, now is the time to do it.
Duplicate your mask layer 2 x's, for a total of 3 mask layers.
Highlight mask 1~effects, plugins, VM NATURAL~SPARKLES.
Settings : Max size @ 21--- random seed @ 99 click ok.
Highlight mask 2 layer~apply the sparkles, change the random seed to 47, click ok.
Highlight mask 3 layer~apply the sparkles, change the random seed to 21, click ok.
X out Mask 2 & 3 layers.

Now it's time to put it together in Animation shop.

Highlight white background layer on your layer palette.
X out's on ~~~text #2 & #3~~ gl #2 & gl# 3~~ mask #2 & #3.
Go to edit, copy merged.
Over to Animation Shop~~ edit, paste, paste as a new animation.
Back to PSP.
X out all your #1 layers, UnX your #2 Layers.
Edit, copy merged.
Animation Shop, Edit, paste after current frame.
Back to PSP.
X out all your #2 layers, UnX your #3 layers.
Edit, copy merged.
Animation Shop, Edit, paste after current frame.
You now have 3 frames in animation shop. You can resize now if you want.
Click to view animation.


If you're happy with it, save as a .gif.

:o)