How to create Mini gift cards and use Photoshop elements + brushes

This article will provide you step by step instructions on how to use brushes in Photoshop element to create embellished transparencies to use on mini gift cards.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer
• Photoshop Elements
• transparency
• Printer
• cardstock

1. image1 Launch Photoshop elements and choose File >> New >> Blank File
2. image2 Choose Custom – 8.5x11 with 300 resolution
   and background as transparent
3. image 3 Photoshop comes with some pre installed brushes, but I like to download free brushes from digital artists.
   
   Here’s an example:
   http://designfruit.com/jasongaylor/blog/?cat=4
   I’ll be using the Japanese Foliage brushes for this tutorial.
   I created a new folder on my E:\ drive to store my downloaded brushes.
   Go to the above URL
   Click on Japanese Foliage
   And it will take you to
   http://designfruit.com/jasongaylor/blog/2007/01/17/japanese-foliage%e2%84%a2/
   
   Now, you should see a Free download button. Click and choose to save.
4. image4 In Photoshop, choose Edit >> preset Manager
5. image 5 In this tutorial I decided to load my brushes in my ‘assorted brushes’ category.
   You can choose where to load the brushed by clicking on the more option
   And highlighting the category you wish to work with.
6. image 6 To load the new brushes, you click the Load option.
   This will pull up a Browse window. Browse to the location where you have unzipped the .abr file.
   Highlight your file and load.
7. image 7 Now you should see your new brushes loaded into the Preset Manager.
   Click done and it will take you back to your new blank file.
8. image 8 we can use the new brushes loaded for this session.
   
   Choose the brush tool
9. image 9 This will populate the brush tool bar at the top of your session.
   
   You’ll now see a pull down menu where you can choose which brush you want to use.
   Since we loaded our new brushes into the Assorted brushes category, you’ll choose that option.
10. image 10 You can also change the color, size, and opacity of the brush.
    To change the color, you use the bottom left box (right now you see a black box
    On top of a white box) Click to open.
11. image 11 Choose your color and click OK.
    
    Now, you should have your brush ready, color ready and you can also change the size.
    I’m using a bamboo brush from this set and I set my size to 1588.
    The size is something you have to play around with… every brush is different.
    
    Here’s an example of using the brush:
    Place the brush on the blank canvas and left mouse click to make the brush imprint.
    (just like stamping)
12. image 12 Here I reduced the size of the brush and changed the color to black.
13. image 13 To print out we must flatten the image.
    Click on Layer >>flatten image
14. image 16 Here is an example of the final product.
    This can be printed on any color cardstock or a transparency.
    
    For this project I decided to create a set of note cards that I’ll package up and give as a Christmas present. My note cards are 3x3. I cut 5 6x3 pieces of solid cardstock.
15. Cards Creased the center of each piece to create a small card. I printed my brush artwork on a transparency to use as embellishments on my cards.