Plopper Plus-A Day at the Beach

[Mandc]

I'm trying to use a template for the first time. I have switched from doing basic digital scrapbooking in DIP to using PSE5, which is very confusing...I can figure out some things, but most of the talk about PhotoShop style work is still over my head, and I am getting very frustrated, since I can't sit down for hours and hours daily to learn this. I bought Meryl's Plopper Plus today, and I'm trying to insert my photos. I find the instructions to be way too bare bones, and what it says should work doesn't, at least not consistently.

Here's what I did:

I copied all of the template files into a new layout (was I supposed to use white or transparent background? it didn't specify, so I went with white). OK so far. Then I opened a picture and tried to insert it. Then you are supposed to use the magic wand tool to select the area of the template where you want to insert your photo. OK, I selected the area, and got little ants marching, a good sign...Now I control g...and voi...oops,nothing happens! I tried it for the big round area on the page and my photo went in first time. I have tried fifty times at least to put a photo in one of the small slots on the first template layer and nothing works. I don't know exactly which layer should be active for each step (and the instructions aren't really clear, what is the first photo layer--my photo, or the template? And what is supposed to be black? Nothing is black...), but I have surely tried them all by now in various orders, and I am ready to tear my hair out! can someone PLEASE tell me what I am doing wrong? :confused:

Thanks!

[ScrapMel]

HI, I just got that one today, myself ... Let me see if I can explain some things ...
Above the 'Hero Photo' layer, place your photo you want there. Then hit control + g (this creates a clipping mask - it always you to select just your photo layer, move it around, resize to make it look good in the space of the "hero photo").

As for the bottom "photo background" layer, there is several ways to do it. One, use your magic wand and select one of the photo spaces (to do this, make sure your wand is selected for contiguous - otherwise it will select all white spaces on that layer). Then, go to where your photo file is, select all, copy it. then go back to your Day at the Beach plopper, and hit control shift V to paste into just the selected area. I hope that works in PSE. If not, give a shout out again, and I will give you another way to do it!

[Mandc]

Ah! So the background layer has to be handled differently--that is good to know. This still didn't work. Do I need to create a new layer for the photo? I started another layout with a freebie template and I seem to be working ok with that using control g. I can't seem to copy and paste the pics into the backgroung on the Day at the Beach Plopper tho.