Mo's Digital Challenge and Merging Tutorial

This week Caryn challenged the team to create a Christmas card using more than one
image.. These images are perfect for the holidays.. I chose Noelle and Nicholas with this
awesome door.. I colored with Prisma pencils and added some glitter, flower soft and ribbon.. The pinecones and berries I got from Mikes. The Christmas definition page is from Mel Stampz. 

MERGING IMAGES
I have a quick tutorial for you on how to merge images in Photoshop Elements 7.  Thanks so much to my DT friend Sheila and my friend Holly Young for helping me out.. I have also added a link at the bottom for an awesome video tutorial Holly created.  We both do it differently but you get the same effect.

Download your Images in your usual manner and save to your computer. 
Open Adobe Photoshop Elements 7
       *On the top right hand side you will see the words ORGANIZE FIX CREATE SHARE
         click on FIX.  If you go down the menu you will see FULL EDIT.. That is where you
         need to be..

We will now create a new blank file.
        *Go to File (at the top) then NEW...then Blank File
        * Name your new file
                Set Width and Height to 5in X 5in
                 Resolution should be set to 300 pixels

You should now have a white and grey checked square box.  This is your new page.

Now we will open our files that we want to merge.. Go to File then click on OPEN and open the Mo files you have previously saved to your computer.. I used Nicholas and Noelle.  Each image and the blank file will be displayed at the bottom of your screen and on the right side.. Each image and your new box is its own layer.  This is important to know..

Double click on the empty box to open it up.. Now place your cursor on Noelle and drag her up to the open box (from below).  Do the same with Nicholas.  They will be small. 
Now we will resize.. Each image is its own layer.  You need to go to the right and click on the image you want to work on and that will bring it the active image. 

You should see dotted lines and boxes around each image.. Drag those out and up to resize.  Now click the green arrow at the top and it should remain that size.

Now go to the right and click on Noelle.. She is now live and you should be able to resize her..

OVERLAPPING and ERASING images:
You can move your images and then erase the parts you don't want.. The image you want to erase needs to be your active image.. Then you can just go to the left tool bar and use the pink eraser button to erase.. Do it in small pieces so in case you make a mistake you don't have to redo the entire image.  I added my door first and then put Noelle and Nicholas on top. 

   When you click on the Eraser tool a circle will appear.  Use your cursor and drag it around the area you want to erase.  If you let up on the mouse a few times it will save it in sections.. That way if you make a mistake in one small section you can go to the top tool bar to Edit and click undo and that small section will be undone.. Otherwise it will undo the entire erased function. 

Once you get them all edited you will need to merge your layers. 
      Go to Layer...merge visible..
       Now go to File and save as your new image..

My friend Holly Young has a video tutorial here also... She helped me so much and hers is a bit different and a little easier. 

Holly Young's Tutorial

I am away from my computer and this is an automatic post.. If you have any questions just let me know.. This is the way that I create but there are many ways to do it...I have been playing around with the free software program GIMP hoping to get it figured out for doing the merging also.. so stay tuned.