Materials needed:

• Download the high resolution zip file of this photo here. It's a lovely winter photo by nazka2002.
• Fairy Tube of choice. (I have not received permission to include the tube for download.  I used chili_mothwingedfairie1_l.psp.  I have no way to contact the artist or the tuber.)
• Material here  includes:
  Denim pattern:
  Calendar Script - zipfile here. Unzip and put into your Trusted script folder.
  01Resize5X Script - Unzip and move to your restricted script folder.
• Font: Imprint MT Shadow.ttf

Open the photo, tube and denim pattern in PSP. Shift + D to duplicate the tube. Close the original. Minimize the denim pattern.
Set your foreground to #c0cdd6 and your background to the denim pattern .

Click on your background color to bring up your material palette. Make note of the Hue and Saturation settings: Hue: 145, S: 54

Select your tube.
Adjust > Hue and Saturation > Colorize
Use the H & S numbers from your blue color - H: 145, S: 54

Minimize your tube.

Open a new image: 800 X 600 pixels, raster, transparent background, 72 dpi.

Select all.

Click on your photo to select it.
Edit > Copy.

Select your new image.
Edit > Paste > Paste into Selection

Selections > Select None

With your Lasso tool set at Point to point, Mode, Add or Replace, Feather, 32, Anti-alias checked, draw a loose selection just on the inside of the branch. Don't strive for perfect. Fast and loose, inside the edges. When you double click to close the selection, the feathering will expand your selection and smooth it out.

Selections > Promote Selection to Layer. Lower the opacity of the feathered layer to 66%.

Selections > Select None

Click on the bottom layer to select it.
Adjust > Hue and Saturation > Colorize
Use the same settings as before.

Copy your fairy tube and paste it as a new layer in your main image.
Use the Mover Tool to move her to the top left corner.
Right click on the top layer in your layer palette.
Arrange > Move Down

Image > Canvas Size.

Click on the bottom layer in your layer palette.
Layers> Duplicate
Select the bottom layer.
Select your Raster Deform Tool.
For PSPX and newer, it's the Pick Tool.

For this next step, Maximize your Window view and zoom out to make your canvas small enough to work with nodes outside of the canvas.

Use the nodes on the sides to stretch the bottom layer out beyond all edges of your canvas.

Click on the layer above to select it.

Selections > Select All to select the canvas area again.
Image > Crop to Selection

Reselect the bottom layer.
Adjust > Blur > Gaussian Blur
Radius 15

Adjust > Add/Remove Noise > Add Noise
Gaussian 8%, Monochrome CHECKED

Effects > Distortion Effects > Wind
From: Left, Wind strength: 91

Repeat Wind Effect

Select the second layer from the bottom (the original photo of the tree).
Effects > 3D Effects > Dropshadow
Vertical & Horizontal: 1, Opacity: 79, Blur: 2, Color: Black

Add another dropshadow with these settings:
Vertical: 1, Horizontal: -5, Opacity: 79, Blur: 14, Color: Black

Use the Mover tool to readjust the position of the fairy. I moved her to the left and up just a little so that part of the leaves were outside the original canvas.

Add the first drop shadow to the fairy layer.
Vertical & Horizontal: 1, Opacity: 79, Blur: 2, Color: Black

The leaves look good overlapping the edge of the canvas below, however, the stump and the sharp corner of her skirt do not look natural. Correct sharp edges using the Lasso tool, Feather 10 and drawing around the sharp edges of the stump and the corner of her skirt.

Tap the delete key once or twice. If you want, you can also trim around the bottom of her skirt hidden beneath the top layer so that it doesn't show through quite as much.
Lower the opacity of the fairy layer to 72%.

Minimize your image.

File > Script > Run > CalendarFillJC

This script will ask you for settings all the way through it as it builds your calendar on a vector layer in a new image.  Choose the year, month, font size: 42, Font : Imprint MT shadow, Fill: Yes, Pattern: Denim patter. Stroke width 1, color, foreground color.   Now Watch it work!

When it's finished, click on the + sign in front of Vector 1 (in the layer palette).
Click on your Text tool.
Double click on the Month Name... in this case December 2007

Click - Hold - Drag from the center node in the words... to the top of the canvas

Right click on Vector 1.
Convert to Raster Layer.

Delete the Background layer.

File > Scripts > Run > 01resize5X

Repeat this script, so your image is around 279 X 236 pixels.

Edit > Copy

Restore your fairy/tree image. Make sure the top layer is selected.

Edit > Paste as new layer.

Use your mover tool to position the calendar in the clear, snowy area below the tree branches.

Add a very clear, sharp drop shadow to your calendar. Vertical & Horizontal: 1 Opacity: 100 Blur: 2 Color: Black

Stop right now and save your work as a PSPimage, with all layers intact. You can delete the monthly calendar and use the image for next year or for other projects - replacing the calendar with a verse or winter greeting.

(I save everything before merging layers. I saved the original of this a week ago, and used it to write this tut. All my layers were saved with the different settings, so it was simply a matter of retracing my steps.)

Shift + D to duplicate your image. Close your saved original.

Layers > Merge > Merge All (flatten)

Image > Resize 89% or 800 pixels This resets your image to monitor proportions. If you have a higher resolution, save your desktop at a lower compression setting so you don't lose the clarity of the desktop when it's stretched to fit your screen.

Export your large image at a compression setting of 8. It's ready to go on your desktop as is. It should save at around 167K.

Run the 01resize5x script again to resize your desktop to an email friendly size and export it at a compression rate of 10 - 15. You lose some clarity when you compress it that much but very little.

I hope you enjoyed doing this tut as much as I enjoyed writing it.

vetch