Lesson 28: Creating Tags Using Kits

I recently saw a question about how to decorate your own tags, and thought I'd do a quick tutorial on it. Now, if you have been following my blog and have done all the tutorials, this will be a simple review. But I thought it woudl be nice to have it all in one place.

Tag Templates - First, you will need a template for your tag. I have several templates that I got for free way back when I first started digital scrapbooking. Unfortunately, I have NO IDEA who created them or where I got them. I did find a really cute set of tags on Two Peas in a Bucket for $4.00--tag teasers. You can also create your own template by just drawing the shape of what you want your tag to look like. Here's a freebie of tag shapes--these are shapes, which means you will have to unzip and then install them, then upload them as a shape. For the sake of this tutorial, here is a free tag template that I created--you are welcome to download it and use it for this lesson. I created this shape simply by laying several layers of different shapes on top of each other, then merging them together to create one shape.



Pull in elements - I like to use kits for this, so that is how I am going to do it in this tutorial. I am going to use elements from the kit "Pink Icing Cake" by Lindsay Jane.

First, I choose which color paper I want my tag to be, and open that paper in Photoshop. Now I have my tag in one file and my paper in another. Click on the paper and drag it right in to your tag file. It will probably cover up your tag. Make sure that the paper completely covers your tag. I now have two layers--my background paper, and my tag template.

At this point, many people choose to do clipping masks. But I like to use cut and paste because I find it simpler and I have less layers to deal with. This technique, outlined in Lesson 16, can be very convenient and versatile.

On your layers panel, click on the tag template layer so it's highlighted. Hold down the CTRL key and click on the tag template--make sure you click on the mini image of it in the layer menu. You will now see "dancing ants" around the outline of your tag.

Click on the layer of your background paper. The dancing ants should still be visible. Do CTRL+C and then CTRL+V. You now have a new layer--the shape of your tag "cut" out of your background paper.

Either delete your original background paper layer (right click on layer, delete) or click on the eye icon to make it invisible.


Now, use this technique over and over for each element you want to add. For instance, I'll follow the same steps with another color of paper. Then, I'll use my marquee tool to delete the parts of it I don't want to see--as shown below.

Next I'll add some ribbons and some elements from the kit I have chosen. I can either use the marquee tool to highlight and delete the parts I don't want, or I can use the cut and paste technique to make sure the ribbons are the right length. Again--with the ribbon layer highlighted, click on the background tag layer and CTRL+click to get the dancing ants. Then click back on te ribbon layer and copy and paste. Delete the old ribbon, and place the new one--now the perfect size, where you want it.
All there is left to do is finish decorating it, and add any wording you may desire. That's it! Usually I print it, and then use a hole punch to cut out the hole.

All done!

Other Ways to Use Digital Kits & Photoshop - PART 3

For my final post on Other Ways to Use Kits & Photoshop, I want to show some projects I've done for personal use. When I first started using the old Word Perfect, I soon learned to love making flyers and posters. It's what got me into business in the first place. I just liked making documents. Now I teach business, and show kids how to make documents every day. Photoshop lets me do the same thing--only way, way, way cooler. Over the years I've made tons of posters and flyers, with and without kits. I wish I still had them on file--but a lot aren't there anymore. Still, here's a few things I've still got:

Invitations

I've made SO MANY invitations it's not even funny. I even made my own wedding invitations though--strangely enough I don't have that file anymore. You'd think I would have saved it somewhere! Anyway, most of the invitations I still have to show are from wedding and baby showers.

This one was one of my absolute favorites! The shower was for a lady in the neighborhood, so all the invitations were delivered by hand. So I printed this, and a plain color on the back, and then folded it like a diaper! The pins on the corners lined up perfectly, and all I had to do was put a little scotch tape there. I wish I had a picture of it all folded--it really was the cutest darn thing. 3-D invitations are so cute. But--hard to mail. So this worked out.

This is another invitation I did for a friend of mine getting married. Obviously used a kit here, but I actually used pieces from lots of kits to get exactly what I wanted. For this, I created it on a 4x6 took it into Pixels, and they just printed them like photos. Then I mailed them off as postcards. That's how I did my wedding ones, too, only of course they went in envelopes. I used several actions for this one--the inked edges on the tag, the torn vellum action, and the torn paper action.

And here's yet another one that I made, using an VERY old freebie from Twopeas. This one was a little more work, since it was a "room" theme, and I had to print different ones according to what room they were assigned. These I printed myself on my own computer because of that. i used some actions on this one too--mainly the Glass action and the Torn Vellum action from Atomic Cupcake.

Here's another invitation--this one for a Halloween party my husband and I threw a few years ago. Used a kit for this one too. I think the alpha was a freebie I downloaded. Honestly--no idea where I got the kit. Can't even find it! Some of my kits are so old, you can't get them anyway!

This last invitation I made just a few weeks ago for a friend. I thought it turned out great! The kit is called Admirable by Gretchen at Elemental Scraps. No idea if it's still available. I got it a long time ago. The picture I got from a google image search, and then I just revamped it a little bit.  Again, actions--I used a chalk action on the edges of the little tags. I swear, I use actions on every stinkin' page!





Tags

I've also made a lot of tags for different events. I got a really great freebie one time that had some tag templates. I wish I knew where--let this be a lesson to you! When you save stuff, keep track of where you got it!

Anyway, here are some tags I made for a friend's wedding shower. I didn't really have a full kit for this one--I either made it myself or took from various kits and altered the color to what I wanted.  At the shower, we made bathsalts. Very easy--just got epson salts, used soap dye and soap scents with it, and shook it up. Then we put it in a cute bag, and then I had these tags out. Each guest picked a tag, and wrote the name of the scent they picked on it. Then they attached it to their bag, and that was their party favor!

Here are some tags that I made for Christmas. These were actually for my sister. I really like making tags. Its a great way to try out new actions and kits and test your skills. I used my cut and paste trick A LOT when making tags. I pull a paper over the tag, then CTRL+click on the tag, but hae the paper selected. Then i copy and paste, and the paper is now the same size as the tag. I delete the original tag. and work from there. You'll notice that in tags I do actions A LOT.

I thought that, in light of requests, I will include this last example here as a downloadable pdf. I have removed "From the Bee Family" from the tags. You can add your own family name. The file is a PDF--you can pull it into Photoshop and add your name that way if you like. You won't be able to change anything, but you can add. These were made using the kit By Lindsay Jane.
RealScrappy Christmas Cards