Inter-twined Lacy Hearts

Two hearts intertwined! Perfect for a Valentine greeting! It's even dressed up with a lacy trim. You might call it faux rick-rack...but whatever it's called, it is super-easy to make! This Paint Shop Pro X tutorial will show you how to create the trim and the intertwining hearts effect. Use the finished image to create a Valentine, to frame a couple of photos, or maybe make a sig tag. Jump to Step 6 to preview image as a frame and Step 7 for a couple of other ideas.

This tutorial was written for Paint Shop Pro version X but any version with vectors can do the job! Actually, with a few more steps, hearts can be created without vector tools...so any version of PSP will do!

You'll also need a Preset Shape in the form of a heart. If I remember correctly, no heart shapes are provided with PSP X. My shapes for all PSP versions are grouped together in the same folder and I can't remember for sure which shapes came with which version. I've included one here for download...just in case! This heart shape was provided by Jasc in a previous version of PSP. Download and unzip into your Preset Shapes folder. This shape is in the new .PspShape format. PSP 7 and older won't recognize this format.

Step 1. Create First Heart Shape

Open new image, 400x400 pixels. Use either a colored raster background or a transparent background, your choice.

Select red for stroke color and NONE for fill.
Select the Preset Shape tool (Preset Shape on flyout). Select the Heart-1 shape from the Tool Options palette shape list. Check 'Create as Vector' and 'anti-alias'. Line style 'solid' with a pixel width of 20.

Draw heart in upper left area of canvas. Size of heart shown here is approximately 200x200.

If you plan on using hearts as photo frame and want to create it larger, consider increasing stroke size in this step and all following steps. Increase canvas size if you can't fit 2 larger hearts side by side.

Important: Heart is positioned in upper left quadrant of canvas to leave room for 2nd heart. If your heart is in the middle, move it now. From this step on...don't change alignment of the hearts except as described in following steps.

Duplicate layer 2 times for a total of 3 hearts. Layers>Duplicate (twice).

Step 2. Create heart layers

Let's hide visibility of top layer to get it out of our way for now. Click the "eye" button on the layer palette to hide the TOP heart layer (copy 2 of vector 1).

Select the MIDDLE heart layer (Copy of vector 1) on Layer palette. Select shape with Pick tool. Select Properties from Tool Options. Change stroke to 3, stroke color to white. Change line style to 'Opposing Arrowheads Overlap'. Click OK. You should now have a lacy-looking white pattern in center red as shown in above image.

You may have a gap in 'lace' pattern at top of heart (dimple). We'll touch this up using Paintbrush. First, convert this layer to raster layer (Layers>Convert to Raster), then touch up any pattern flaws by adding a few white pixels with a small brush in area outlined in above image. Zoom in to see better.

Next, click the 'eye' button on the layer palette to show the top heart layer (copy 2 of vector 1), Select the top heart with Pick tool. From Tool Options, select Properties. Change stroke width to 7. Click OK.

Note: If the Properties dialog is showing white for stroke color...you forgot to select the top heart first...heart should be red!

Also convert this layer to raster layer.

Step 3. Add Some Drop Shadows

Your first heart is complete except for adding a little drop shadow for a 3D effect.

Select top layer. Add a slight drop shadow with Effects>3D Effects>Drop Shadow. Settings: Horizontal +2, Vertical +2, Opacity 50%, Blur 2, color Black. Leave 'Shadow on new layer' UNchecked.

Note: You may have to adjust settings for drop shadows to get the same effect on a heart that is much larger.

Select layer that is 2nd from top (white heart...Copy of Vector 1). Apply drop shadow with same settings.

Click the 'eye' button on the layer palette to HIDE the background layer (if you have one) and merge all visible layers (Layers>Merge Visible). If you're using a background, you can make it visible again after merging heart layers.

Step 4. Intertwine the Hearts

Select the Merged layer. Right click layer button-Duplicate. Drag the duplicated layer (Copy of Merged) BELOW the Merged layer.

Use the Mover tool or Pick tool to move the copy of heart to the right and down a little from the first heart. See image above for example.

Make the heart on RIGHT the active layer(Copy of Merged). Use the Magic Wand to create a selection (tolerance 20, anti-alias checked but no feather). Click the background space around the heart, hold Shift key down and click the interior of the shape. Invert selection (Selections>Invert). Let's also tighten up this selection a bit. Selections>Modify>Contract. Enter 1, click OK.

Make the heart on LEFT the active layer (Merged). The selection marquee should still be around the heart on the RIGHT. Select Eraser tool. Size 5-10, Hardness 100, Step 10, Density 100, Thickness 100, Rotation 0, Opacity 100.

Erase the part of heart on that we want to cross UNDER the other heart. Location of spot to erase is shown in above image.

Step 5. Add Drop Shadow and Valentine Greeting

Hide visibility for background layer if you are using a background. Merge the 2 visible heart layers.

Add Drop Shadow to merged layer with these settings: Horizontal +3 Vertical +3, Opacity 30%, Blur 4, color Black. This time you can CHECK the box to create "Shadow on New Layer" if you want.

That's it. Your hearts are done. Now you can embellish with a Valentine message or frame your photos or create a sig tag!

Valentine greeting: Create a new layer to add your text. Add a drop shadow to your text to match heart shadow.

The font used above is "Fiolex Girls". The little heart embellishments are part of the font. You can get it at Wanted Fonts.

When done, export your creation as an optimized GIF. File>Export>GIF Optimizer.

Save your original .pspimage file with heart and greeting on separate layers so you can easily change the greeting or use hearts for something else.

Step 6. Double Heart Photo Frame

Gather a couple of photos to frame with the intertwined hearts.

Duplicate the .pspimage version of your intertwined hearts and work with the copy. Window>Duplicate

Copy each of your photos and paste into image as a new layer. Edit>Paste as New Layer. Create a new layer for each photo and placed these layers BELOW the heart layer.

Use the Mover tool to move images around until they fit in heart just perfectly! ;-) If you have to Resize photo, don't forget to UNcheck 'all layers'.

You will probably need to trim edges of each photo to fit inside a heart. Select the Merged layer containing the double heart frame. With the Magic Wand, click in the empty space around the hearts. Enlarge the selection to hide the cut edge behind the heart by clicking Selections>Modify>Expand. Expand by 10 pixels.

Select the layer button for the photo on left side Cut.
Select the layer button for the photo on right side. Cut.
Selections>Select None.

Merge all layers and export as optimized JPEG. File>Export>JPEG Optimizer.

Step 7. Animations, Sig Tags and other things.

What else can you make with your intertwined hearts? Here's a couple of ideas....an animation and a sig tag!

The hearts and border were filled with an animated glitter tile. See tutorial 'Hearts-a-Glitter' for how to create animated glitter effect.

Hope you enjoy making the hearts! I'm sure someone will enjoy receiving the Valentine!

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