Creating a spiral notebook in PSP.  I am using version 8.1 of PSP, but I don't think you will have a problem adapting this tut to any version.

Remember to save, save, save as you work.

First, you need to download a brush from my site.  Here is the address to download the zip.  http://www.glhold.com/brushzips/postagestampzip.zip  to get the "postage stamp" edger brush.

Open the zip and save the brush into your PSP.  Below is a page that has instructions for doing that in Version 8.   I don't know how this will differ in other versions of PSP.   
http://www.glhold.com/brushzips/brushtips.html  

1]  I started with a 500 pixel square canvas.  Put a dark color on the first layer and then make a second layer.

[2]  On the second layer draw a "piece of paper" with the rectangle preset shape tool.  Draw it about the size of mine.  Mine happened to be 236 by 365.  I used a yellow #F7F2D9.

[3]  Now open the eraser tool and find the postage stamp brush.  Below is what the outline of the brush looks like. And below are the settings that I had for the eraser.  In the future, you will want to adjust the size of the eraser.  Bigger paper needs a bigger cutout, etc.

Line the brush up on the left side of the paper.  Click and a set of cutouts will be made long the edge of the paper.
I had to erase two sections of cutouts being careful to line the eraser up the same both times.

[4]  Next I made the spriral rings.  So, open up another layer.  On this new layer, right above where you want the first single ring to be, you will be drawing a line with the pen tool,  but I want you to curve that line.  So here are the settings for the pen tool.

After you do the settings, go over to the materials palette and set the foreground color to silver metallic gradient color.Turn off the background color.

Notice that the segment type is set to "point to point".  With that setting, you can draw a curve. Here's how:  Left click where you want to begin the line, but hold the click down while while you hold down the Shift key on your keyboard at the same time.  Click where you want to start the line, then click where you want to end the line.  On that second click, this will appear:    Don't let go of the click.  Instead, drag the arrow around to make the line curve just slightly and evenly.  If you have to try again to get it curved the way you want, be sure to click where it says New in the tool settings before trying again.

[5]  Once you have that curved line in a nice even, but only slight, curve, it is time to inner bevel it.  
Use the settings you see here with bevel number 1.

[6]  Now copy that little curved line and paste it as a transparent selection. Using the transparent selection allows you to paste it exactly where you want it.  Paste it right below the first original line leaving a bit of space.  Now you have the double wire of your first ring.  Copy that double ring and begin to paste the other rings where you want them at the areas where you made cutouts in the paper.  Try to place them carefully...some of mine are a bit off toward the bottom.  
[Note:  I didn't put any small oval holes in the paper where the rings go through it.  You can do that if you want by using a regular eraser brush on an slim oval setting.]

[7]  Give the line of rings a dropshadow with these settings

.

 [8]  Now turn on the grid...any grid setting will do.  Set up a new layer.  On this new layer draw a line across the paper placed near the top wherever you want
the first line to be.  The grid is just to help you get a nice straight line. I used blue #0B3451 for the line with a width setting of 1.  

Now you can turn the grid back off.

Copy that line and paste in more lines as transparent selections just as you did with the rings.  Make sure that the lines don't extend over the paper edges.  [I had to trim mine off.]
Merge the line layer with the paper layer.

[9]  Duplicate that paper layer.   

On that duplicate layer, go to Effects>Texture>Blinds.

With these settings, apply blinds to that paper layer.  Now move that layer below the original paper layer and move it slightly to the side with the deformation tool so that it shows just a bit on the right edge.  I also tilted it just a slight .25 degrees to the right.  

Now duplicate that layer and move it underneath and pull it out so that it also shows on the right side of the second paper layer.  If you want a thicker notebook, then repeat.

[10]  The last thing I did was to copy the ring layer, flip it, and position it underneath the paper layers by moving the layer down.  Then move it just so that it shows just a little bit below the original rings.  This gives the illusion of the rings going around the back of the notebook. [I hope....LOL]

If you come up with improvements or other methods, let me know!  

Copyright © to Susie Holderfield

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