Edge Mask in Mary Jane kit?

[ditzyscrap]

HELP ME! ;) I just downloaded the Mary Jane kit from the store here...and it had a really cool edge mask. I want to use it. But I haven't got a clue where to start! LOL!

Anyone know how to use them that could walk me through it? I use PSE3 mostly, but can use PSCS if I need to.

[Vania16]

Hopefully this will make sense - and work in PSE - I use PS7, but I think it's pretty similar in PSE or PSCS.

You have a couple of options - use it as is (a .png) or as a brush. If you want to use it on the edge of a whole 12x12 layout it's probably easiest to use as is. You can just open it and add it as a layer just like any other paper or photo. It is transparent so you just position it so the edges line up on the edges of the layout and away you go. You can also resize it to fit a smaller layout or an individual layer by using edit - transform - scale. Just adjust it to the size of the item.

If you want to use it on smaller items (like around photos) you can also make it into a brush. I haven't looked at mine (also downloading it today LOL), but I'm guessing it's 12x12. To make it a brush you have to resize it so that it's at 2500x2500 pixels or smaller. Go to image - resize and change the size to that. Then go into edit and choose define brush - it will make it into a brush that you can then stamp on whatever you like (if you brush it onto its own layer you can also then adjust the size of it using the transform-scale method above). Using this route, it's really easy to change the color too because you just change the color for your brush and it does it in that color!

Hope that helps, if it's unclear or you have any questions let me know and I'll try to be clearer LOL

[ditzyscrap]

Thanks for trying to help, Lisa...lol...but I have a problem. My edges mask file isn't a PNG file, it's a JPG. At first I assumed it was a PNG and tried to using it with the group layers trick...but since it's a solid 12x12 file, it wouldn't "cut" along the edge, kwim?

Is it supposed to be a PNG?

[Vania16]

Okay, so I'm having a "not so bright" day today LOL - I was picturing an edging mask - you know grungy edges thing - in fact you're looking at the scallopy edge! Duh. Anyway, I generally use those by putting the paper I want it to be on a layer on top of the scallop and then using control+g. I then merge the layers so they stay together when you move it and you have the scallop in whatever color or pattern you want. Hope that helps - completely disregard my previous comments LOL!

[ditzyscrap]

I feel sooo dumb...because I know exactly what you are telling me to do, but it's not working. I use the Ctrl+G thing ALL the time...but when I try to do it, it just stays the whole 12x12 paper. :o

I'm thinking I should put this file away and step AWAY from the computer, lmao...before I get really confused. :P

PS. I'm talking about the file NRJ_MJ_EDGE_MASK.jpg, not the NRJ_MJ_STAMP1.png file.

[Vania16]

Okay - I'm finally home and on Photoshop - I got it to work! I had the same problem - control + g wasn't working. So, I used the magic wand and selected the black part of the edge. I then did a new layer via copy and dragged it into my paper file. I made the paper a layer and moved it above the scalloped edge. Control + G and it worked! Hopefully that will do it for you too :)

[elliesmama]

Hey guys - sorry that you are having trouble with the mask! I set it up as a templete for a mask in PS. I will put up a tutorial in the morning on layer masks. (I'd do it tonight, but I my eyes are crossing! LOL!)

Very quickly... a Reader's Digest version of how my warped brain thought this out LOL... there may be 20 other ways to do this (including the control g thing that Lisa figured out - thanks Lisa! The only hitch for me in doing that is that the little cut out circles were bigger than I wanted.)

Okay so here's how I do it...

1. Open the mask
2. Select All and Copy
3. Open your paper file and from the Channel menu, select New Channel and pase it in.
4. Invert the selection so that we are masking out the black part (think of the white portion as the part we want to keep and the black gets knocked (or masked) out)
5. While still in our new Channel, From the Select Menu, choose Load Selection.
6. Go to your paper layer and click the vector mask button at the bottom of the layers menu (it looks like a little camera). That's it!

Sorry so many steps...
N.

[SamanthasMom]

Want to talk about not so bright....what is an edge mask?! I have heard of it tons of times and looked at the kit, but not sure what you are referring to! (hiding face)

[ditzyscrap]

Ahhhh...thank you Nancie! :) I got it to work. I didn't know what I was doing, really, lol...but I got the edge to be all scalloped like I wanted, so that's good. :)

Looking forward to a tutorial to help me figure this out a little bit better! :)

[elliesmama]

Here is a quick tutorial, with the edging mask (for those of you who didn't get the kit).

Let me know how it works!

The tutorials themselves are in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format and the accompanying zip file contains some freebies to help you with the tutorial.

SCALLOPED EDGES USING LAYER MASKS

Scalloped Edges Tutorial (http://www.scrapartist.com/tutorials/NRJ_SCALLOP_EDGE.pdf)
Scalloped Edges Mask (http://www.scrapartist.com/tutorials/NRJ_SCALLOP_EDGE.zip)