cropping diamonds in PSP8???

[tedxanmama]

I'm not sure this is the right place to post my question, but it seems ok. I haven't posted on the forums at all yet, just in the gallery. So far Emma has been able to answer all my questions :D Please forgive incorrect terminology and bad descriptions...I have only been at this for a couple of weeks. So here goes:

I am doing a quilt layout with photos of my family members, each in their own "square" of the quilt, 12 of them in all, around the outside of a square layout. In the center is journaling, tubes, etc. The photos are supposed to be squares set on point, so diamonds, basically. The problem is that when I rotate the photo, after cropping it down to a manageable square, there is a background color in the corners of what is now the square. I want to "buttonize" the photo itself, NOT the square that contains the photo. How can I do this?? Can I attach a screenshot to show what is going on? I'll give it shot :) (see attachment- wherever that may be...hopefully easy to see once this is posted!)
Actually, after looking at my screenshot (which I hope isn't too huge :eek: ) I need to clarify a bit. I want the photo to be right side up, not rotated, but still shaped like a diamond. Does that make ANY sense? If I could just figure out how to get rid of any background behind the photo, and make the diamond shaped photo the entire image, I would be rockin' LOL
So, here's hoping this is the right way to ask this, and that someone has an answer for me because I am about to tear my hair out, and I REALLY want to do this layout!! I can't even start a new one because this one is consuming me :D
Thanks in advance!!
Lindsey

[3beautifulkids]

I'm also new and very new to PSP8 (day 21 of 60 day trial:)) so I might not be the best person to explain this. You should be able to erase the yellow (i hope that I understood you question right and this is what you want) with the eraser set on the background eraser, playing with the settings and shape and size of the eraser ought to make what you want transparant and leave you the photo you want. If your trying to erase the background of the photo (the leaves and such) the magic wand should do the trick. I'm sure someone else can get more technical and really help you. good luck be sure to upload your layout when you done so we can all see it and oooh and aaahh at your work

[whizzy]

The easy way:-

1. Make your diamond shape frame 1st, embellish as desired
2. Merge any additional layers created in the construction of such
3. On the merged layer select the inner part
4. Copy & paste your image as a new layer
5. Nudge into pos if necessary

* if your pic falls a little short of the edges use the push tool to spread

Hope this helps :)

[Pam]

PSP's freehand tool has the option of "point to point" for selecting an area, which would allow you to copy the photo out of the quilt block and paste it to a new document. You could then straighten it to "buttonize" it, if that's what you are wanting to do, then paste it back to your document and use your deform tool to rotate it back into position, then merge it down.

[tedxanmama]

PAM! I think you have finally given me a way to do what I want to do!! It never even occured to me to buttonize while the photo was still a square...huge DUH! for me!! Thanks to all of you who gave me such thoughtful advice. I haven't scrapped at all since Tuesday night, so I am itching now :D Won't be able to do anything until Sunday- and I'll have photos of a wedding and DS's 3rd birthday then. Fun fun fun!! Thanks again, everyone!
Blessings!
Lindsey in AL