Cluster Frame Tutorial for Paint Shop Pro X

Open a new canvas, and place the picture you want to use on it, and then the cluster frame you would like to use. Feel free to resize them to the size you need, and move them to where you would like them placed.



Make sure the cluster frame layer is selected on the layer pallet, and choose your magic wand tool, making sure that the box beside contiguous is checked, so that the marching ants only go around the outside of the frames. Click anywhere outside of the frames on your canvas so the space outside of the frame will be selected.






Go to Selections, then Invert. (In Photo Shop Elements I believe you go to Select, then Inverse)











Then Go to Selections, then Modify, then Contract and Contract 15 pixels (or so). (In photoshop it would be select, then modify, then contract.)






Go back up to Selections (Select in PS) and Invert (inverse in PS)it again, so the outside of the frame is again selected. Then select the Picture Layer, and hit the delete key on your keyboard, OR go to Edit, then push Cut. The outside of the picture should now be gone, so it looks like the picture is actually several pictures put together.

With the magic wand tool selected, right click on your canvas, or go to Selections, and then select none, to get rid of all of the marching ants.
If you want to move the picture around, or add more drop shadow to it, merge the two layers together to keep the look of several pictures with white borders around them, being placed together, to make one picture. Now you can continue with your layout, and add more pictures, papers, and/or elements.

This is what I ended up with. I used my Dog kit to finish my layout (Kit Credit: A Dogs Life by Doxie Designs). I also merged my frame and picture so that I could add more drop shadow, and resize the picture and frame together, and move it around.

These photo's are some I took last year, when I took our Doxie's out to our hayfield, and let them roam around for a little while. I could tell our oldest (Crystal) was really slowing down, but didn't know we would loose her a few weeks later. I am glad I have these pictures and the memories of her (and the other two of course!) especially now that she is gone. I thought the photo I used with the cluster frames kinda looked like my Doxie's were book ends LOL

This is the first tutorial I have ever made with screen shots, (only the 2nd tutorial) so hopefully I didn't leave out anything! LOL I hope those of you who are having trouble figuring out how to use my cluster frames can figure it out after reading through this...even if you use a different program. If it doesn't help (and you use a different program) I am not familiar enough with any of the other programs to make one for them, and I am Sorry about that! Let me know if you use PSP X and this still doesn't help! I can always try to revise it. Feel free to post in the comments how you do it, as that could help people too!

Thanks, and Happy Scrappin!