Lace Doily Tutorial

This tutorial is geared for the Advanced User of PSP, that is familiar and comfortable with using Layers.  It is very important that you dont leave any of the steps out, if you are to achieve the results that you want.   This Tutorial Is Written For PSP 6.  

You might want to try another tutorial that goes hand in hand with this one.  ;-0 ~ Lynn A. Davis, of Tephra's Lair, has a wonderful Battenburg Lace Tutorial.  You'll find that tutorial here. Be sure to try it because you'll have spectacular results!  It is one of the best tutorial's that Ive seen!  She has a little different Pattern Fill too, that I think is prettier than the one I was able to come up with.  Another wonderful tutorial on making a Battenburg Lace Angel is here, by Ronni

~ *grin* ~

These Are The 'Supplies' You Will Need To Complete This Tutorial

For this tutorial you will need:

(1)  A Design Ding of your choice ~ I used one in my collection that is no longer available for download, so just pick one that you like and think that will look good.

(2)  CK-Doiley Blade Pro Preset ~ Blade Pro ~ You can find Blade Pro Here

(3)  Save this image to use as a Pattern Fill (right click on the image and Save As to your computer)  

The first thing you need to do is open up a new image 600 x 600 pixels with a TRANSPARENT background.

Make Sure That Your Layers Palette Is Open and Create a new Raster Layer so that you have 2 layers

Make sure your Background and Foreground colors are set to Black and White

On Layer 1, Flood Fill The Background ( Layer 1 ) With Black, using your Bucket Tool

Now go to Layer 2,  click on your Text Tool and apply a ding you want to use, with the Settings as shown below, Floating and Anti-Alias Checked.

Now while your text is still 'floating', go to EDIT/COPY and Paste the text again, right below the first one, so that it looks like this

Now go to SELECTION/NONE

While still working on Layer 2, go to IMAGE/EFFECTS/Kaliedescope 

And Apply with the settings shown below.   Leave all of  your settings at "0" except how many petals you want.   I used 12 for this

Now your text looks like this

Now is a good time to Re-Name those Layers, to make it easier when you are switching back and forth between your layers as you create you lace.  Right Click on Layer 1 and re-name it Black Layer.   Right Click on Layer 2 and re-name it Lace Layer.

Working on the LACE Layer, use your Magic Wand Tool with the Tolerance set at 0, and click over on the right side of the image to select it. 

Then go to SELECTIONS/INVERT

Then go to SELECTIONS/MODIFY/EXPAND, and expand by 20

  Do NOT de-select !

On your Layers Pallette, click on your BLACK Layer to make it active, and go to SELECTIONS/INVERT

Now go to EDIT/CLEAR

Now your image should look like this. 

Go Back up to the LACE LAYER

Go To SELECTIONS/SELECT NONE

Then Click on the Background to select it

Go To SELECTIONS/INVERT

Then Go to SELECTIONS/MODIFY/EXPAND and Expand by 15

Now click on the Layers Pallette on the BLACK Layer and go to EDIT/CLEAR.

You should be left with a Black Line like this

While still working on the Black Layer, Use the Magic Wand Tool to click on the Black Line 

While your line is still selected, go back up to the LACE Layer and Flood Fill your line with White

Go To SELECTIONS/MODIFY/CONTRACT and Contract by 1

Go Back to SELECTIONS/MODIFY/FEATHER and Feather by 1  (this gives your lace a smooth edge)

Now....Go Back to your BLACK Layer SELECTIONS/NONE and Flood Fill what was the black area of the inside of the doilley with Black again. Now you have an image that looks like this  (size has been reduced)

Go Back Up to the LACE Layer. You might want to Zoom In on your image at this point so you can see better, to click on the small little loops that you want to "cut out" of your lace. 

While Holding down on the SHIFT key, click on all the loops you want to cut out.  You'll need to be very careful not to click and select any of the white lines !

When you have all of them selected, go to SELECTIONS/MODIFY/EXPAND and Expand by 2.

Go Back to the BLACK Layer and then EDIT/CLEAR

Now go to SELECTION/NONE

Flood Fill the Black with the ~ Doiley.jpg ~ Pattern  that you saved~ Do this by opening up the Doiley Image ~  then choose your Bucket Fill Tool, and on your Tool Option Box, choose Pattern fill, and on the middle tab, use the drop down box to find the Doiley Image, and Flood Fill with that pattern.

Now we want to see some of the details, so we'll add a Drop Shadow and Blade Pro to it, to bring that detail out.

Back up on the Lace Layer, Click on any of the White Lines, with your Magic Wand Tool with your tolerance set at 10.  Then go to SELECTIONS/MODIFY/SELECT SIMILAR, and all of your white lines should now be selected. 

Go to IMAGE/PLUGIN FILTERS/FLAMING PEAR/BLADE PRO and apply the CK-Doiley Preset

Go To SELECTION/NONE

Go To IMAGE/EFFECTS/DROP SHADOW and apply a Drop Shadow With The Following Settings ~ Opacity 50  / Blur 2 / Offset Horizontal and Vertical Both Set at 1

Now to go LAYERS/MERGE VISIBLE

Click on the background, and go to SELECTION/INVERT and then EDIT/COPY

Open up any background you want to place your Doiley on, and paste as a new layer. The color of your background, should now show through the area's that you 'cutout' earlier.

You can also, save your doiley  as a PSP file, so you can open it up and copy paste into other things. Another idea is to make a Tube out of your Doiley to use over and over. 

Here I have moved the doiley over to the edge, and made it into a scalloped border that could be used on a background

Here I left the background of the doiley white, instead of placing it over a color

Click on the E-Book Button Below, to download and work on this tutorial offline

Happy Creating !!