Bow Tutorial

lilladybug979 · 11-13-2007, 10:52 AM

Saturday Night's Chat -- November 17 at 10:00 Eastern -- will be the tutorial about how to make a bow with the help of AV Bros. Page Curl Pro Plugin. I have used this technique to make bows in my recent SNL Kits, Autumn Splendor and Fall Into Christmas

You can find the tutorial here: http://www.compete2lose.com/tmc/tutorials.php
Just scroll to the bottom of the page.

The tutorial is not terribly hard -- don't let those 18 pages scare you...LOL. But please work through the tutorial before the chat -- it's a little too long to try to work through it DURING the chat. I will try to answer any questions at the chat or in this thread.

I wrote the tutorial using PSP9, but debbers has tested it using Photoshop and was able to work through it OK. She thinks that Photoshop users will be able to use the tutorial without having a written translation.

A word of caution: This is NOT like an action or script where you just click a button and a bow magically appears. With the right settings, the plugin will make a loop for you -- but you have to manipulate that loop in your image editing program to turn it into a bow. Please read through the tutorial before making the decision whether or not to buy the plugin. I don't want anyone to spend their money on the plugin thinking they will get an instant bow. It's not all that hard, but it is harder than just clicking on an action or script button

debbers · 11-13-2007, 11:30 AM

Nancy,

Congratulations on a HIGHLY successful tutorial and bows! I really had no trouble following your instructions in Photoshop because of the excellent way you explained everything.

And congratulations on a killer technique, too - I've never seen a tutorial like this on the web.

GREAT JOB!! Man, that was the first bow I've ever made that I would actually to someone else!

deb

P.S. I'll monitor this thread for Photoshop questions, just in case.

**Erica** · 11-13-2007, 11:55 AM

Just taken a peek - great tut Nancy TFS - the only difference in using PS is using the liquify tool as it doesn't have a typical warp tool but it would be no trouble adapting it to PS I think. This is quite similar to how I used to make my ribbons from Lauren's tutorials - minus AVBros software. I have now purchased this and made my big bow on my Christmas is Coming kit using it - excellent purchase if you can afford to price and don't foget if you buy it through DSP you get a discount - check out the 'Product Reviews' this has the link directly from DSP. Thanks again Nancy I bet we see some stunning bows now...

lilladybug979 · 11-13-2007, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by debbers

Nancy,

Congratulations on a HIGHLY successful tutorial and bows! I really had no trouble following your instructions in Photoshop because of the excellent way you explained everything.

And congratulations on a killer technique, too - I've never seen a tutorial like this on the web.

GREAT JOB!! Man, that was the first bow I've ever made that I would actually to someone else!

deb

P.S. I'll monitor this thread for Photoshop questions, just in case.

Thanks deb! I don't know if it's a killer technique, but it was definitely a killer to write...LOL! I had no idea when I started working on it that it would take that many pages and that many screenshots. I hope it is a useful tutorial for everyone

lilladybug979 · 11-13-2007, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erica@internet.

Just taken a peek - great tut Nancy TFS - the only difference in using PS is using the liquify tool as it doesn't have a typical warp tool but it would be no trouble adapting it to PS I think. This is quite similar to how I used to make my ribbons from Lauren's tutorials - minus AVBros software. I have now purchased this and made my big bow on my Christmas is Coming kit using it - excellent purchase if you can afford to price and don't foget if you buy it through DSP you get a discount - check out the 'Product Reviews' this has the link directly from DSP. Thanks again Nancy I bet we see some stunning bows now...

Thanks Erica! I noticed that big bow in your kit...it is awesome! Did you happen to save the plugin settings that you used for your loops and if so, would you be willing to share them with us? The settings are saved as an .avcps file and if I understand correctly you can open the plugin and browse to the file location and load the settings -- it is basically used like a preset is used in our programs.

I mentioned the discount in the tutorial but I forgot to mention it in this thread. I'll do another post with the information that I gave in the tutorial. Thanks for reminding me

lilladybug979 · 11-13-2007, 02:54 PM

Here is the information about using the DSP discount to buy AV Bros Page Curl Pro:

AV Bros. Page Curl Pro - http://www.avbros.com/english/pagecurlpro/index.html The current price is $49.95. You can buy it for $44.95 using the DSP discount offered here: http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com...curl2pro.shtml
Be sure that you click on the link for Page Curl Pro and not the regular Page Curl version. You need the pro version to be able to access the palettes where you do the fine tuning of your curls.

**Erica** · 11-13-2007, 03:06 PM

Hi Nancy - Making the big bow was my first attempt so I know very little about AV, but I'll check if the settings where saved (I didn't save them intentionally) and let you have them - I have a lot to learn on this software obviously LOL

debbers · 11-14-2007, 12:27 AM

I learned a BUNCH about Page Curl doing it! It was SCARY at moments. I'd think to myself, "Nancy says it'll work, just do what she says...."

And I did, and it turned out!

spotty · 11-14-2007, 01:59 AM

Beautiful, beautiful bow, Debbers! Congratulations and also to Nancy for writing what must be a good tutorial.

**Mars** · 11-14-2007, 03:34 AM

Excellent tutorial. Thanks!

Great bow debbers!

lilladybug979 · 11-14-2007, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erica@internet.

Hi Nancy - Making the big bow was my first attempt so I know very little about AV, but I'll check if the settings where saved (I didn't save them intentionally) and let you have them - I have a lot to learn on this software obviously LOL

Erica, when you open the plugin, it will show the last settings you used. So if you haven't done anything else in the plugin since you did the bow, your bow loop settings should still be there. Just put a ribbon in a 12 x 12 image and go to the plugin and click apply. If it makes the ribbon into the loop that you used for your bow, you know you still have those settings. Then you can undo and go back to the plugin and go to Main>Save Settings and save the current settings. I gave directions for doing this on Page 6 in the tutorial.

I still have a lot to learn in this plugin too. As I was experimenting with it, I was able to make paper into scrolls. And I'm thinking that the folded ribbons that are so popular right now could be made with this plugin also. I just haven't figured out yet exactly how...LOL!

lilladybug979 · 11-14-2007, 09:10 AM

LOL deb! I'm glad you had faith in me

And as you were working through those settings and seeing the changes to your ribbon, was your mind racing with lots of ideas for other ways to use the plugin? A few ideas came to me while I was experimenting but since I didn't write them down, they immediately escaped right out of the menopausal mush I used to call my brain

The only one I can still recall is trying to do the folded ribbons.

lilladybug979 · 11-14-2007, 09:12 AM

Thanks Jo and Mars! I hope everyone finds the tutorial useful. I would love to see what other kind of ideas everyone can come up with using the plugin.

debbers · 11-14-2007, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilladybug979

but since I didn't write them down, they immediately escaped right out of the menopausal mush I used to call my brain

I don't even have THAT for an excuse .... so this year I'm using Mom for the excuse. I have been told it takes around 2 years to recover from the loss of a parent.

After that, either my mush shapes up ... or I'm stuck with it. Which I'm going to blame on ... something.

It couldn't be me getting old or anything.

deb

lilladybug979 · 11-15-2007, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by debbers

I don't even have THAT for an excuse .... so this year I'm using Mom for the excuse. I have been told it takes around 2 years to recover from the loss of a parent.

After that, either my mush shapes up ... or I'm stuck with it. Which I'm going to blame on ... something.

It couldn't be me getting old or anything.

deb

I think I'm stuck with this mush

It's pretty bad when you have to make lists to remember all the things you need to do, and then you lose the lists!!