Okay, now for my commentary that I just know everyone has been breathless awaiting..... .......

Phyllis, your last two lessons posted through the group and also here were lovely! I didn't post that to the group because I didn't want to seem to be a stalker to them.  ..still trying to be funny, it must be that kind of day. As Bubble can tell you, I am a great fan of asymmetrical backgrounds and simplicity.

I'm glad you got the eye candy to work for you. They seem to be the only ones that DO work at all for me presently.

Bubble, I really like the background of Fernanda. But the tube throws me off. For some reason, I'm not sure, but it throws me off.

Enamorada, is great! I do feel that the fairy houses might be not a good choice but the overall effect and background is excellent!

Now I know and remember that old saw about those who can't teach or in this case, create will criticize...but that's my feeling.

I remember, Gloria used to be upset when you and I would do this. So if it upsets anyone, I will keep quiet. I know Bubble will tell me the same and I accept it as a way to improve, especially now when everything is new and untried again.

I have a feeling I am going to sign up for Wini's Basic Intro to PSP and run it concurrent to these lessons if they allow me to. Although, there is one on working with filters that might be better and help explain my being unable to get these darn filters to work for me in PSP12U and W10! 

Being shown new classes, I think my magpie instincts are rumbling.

All the images look fantastic. Phyllis you got it girlfriend,  So good to see you creating again

Angel you still have that unique sense of what  goes together for you to make  your image look great.

Bubble i really like your Enamporada

Angel, I have PSPx5 and Win 8.1.  I uninstalled PSPx2 and now I can't remember why.  I must have been having trouble with it of some sort.  I like v. 15 but a lot of my old plugins that I transferred from v.12 don't work either.  I would like to remove them from the PSP Files but I'm afraid to mess with it for fear that I'll remove something that is working and that I want to keep.  I probably should do what you are thinking of doing and enroll in the class on filters.....I'm thinking about it.  I'm a magpie, too.  I tend to take on 'way too much and when I get overwhelmed and frustrated then I close everything down.....and am sorry later.

As for your critiquing the graphics we show here....I think it is helpful.  You are never mean about it.....just expressing your opinion.  We might agree with you.......or we might not!   

Hi, Marilyn!  Thanks.  It is good for me to be back with all of you creative people.  You keep me on my toes!

  Thank you, Marilyn!

Bubble, I think it was Joan who said in the Soda Shoppe that Gloria had said it would take about three weeks as she had to wait for them to pick up the computer for mailing, repair it and then return it to her. so it may be awhile yet.

Thank you, Phyllis, that helps. I know Bubble has been a wonderful mentor and friend and if she gives advice I will go through it but as you may have seen with my Tulips display, I am easily distracted!  She has helped to clarify many of my issues and her pragmatic approach has helped.

*** Blushing ***

Wini's lesson #4

I'd like to know if you think these were done right, Phyllis? I'm not too sure of three or four, not really. They just don't feel right.

Oh cute and spare Angel.  I love it!  Good lessons apparently. Very much so.

City Girl

Delicatesse

Angel, I think you are doing great with the lessons.  I had a hard time with Lesson 3 and all because of a small but careless mistake.  When I opened a New raster to begin the lesson I put in the wrong numbers for the size.  That threw off the placement of the required selections.  I had to do it over and over until I discovered that mistake.  After that it fell right into place.  I think your Lesson 3 looks just the way it is supposed to. 

I'm posting my Lesson 4 so we could compare.  The only difference I can see is your background might be a little darker than the one I used.  Disregarding that, the graphic looks good to me.  In fact, the darker background gives a better contrast and emphasizes the main graphic more.  I wasn't fond of the early lessons but they are getting more interesting as I go along.  Some of the geometric background effects are good things to learn.

Thank you Phyllis! I have gotten no feed back or acknowledgement of my four lessons from the mod even though I saw they went thru the group. I also did lesson three several times before realizing I was not doing one step correctly.

I have been so used to going my own way after taking the steps lessons that so much is again new to me!

Are you sending your lessons to your Mod., too, Angel?  That is something that is different from the old SSTPSP.  Now you have send to the Group AND to your Mod.  You might want to email your Mod and ask her if she has received your lessons in an email.

I'd rather do my own thing, too, but the lessons are re-acquainting me with some of the "tricks" and getting me interested in creating again.  I haven't felt that I wanted to do that for a very long time.

Is the curved tiled wall in Lesson 4 done with a plugin or a mask?  Looks great!

Check your mail, Bubble!

Phyllis, I sent a request to the group concerning using the Penta, dot and cross filter in lesson five. I have PSP12U and W10 and it keeps telling me after numerous attempts and trying to copy it into filters unlimited to no avail. Does anyone here as well as Phyllis have any ideas?

I didn't know to also send my lessons to Karen and will do that now.

I know what you mean about the lessons. There is so much that I had forgotten from before and there are so many lessons listed from Wini that look interesting. Its like the old days when so many were beginning the step lessons.

My penta works OK with W10 and PSP12U.  Maybe try to download from another source AFTER YOU ERASED IT COMPLETELY . You can put the one you have in another location temporarily if you do not want to erase completely before being sure you get a working one.

I will try that. I had it imported into filters 2 and working but then lost the filter 2 database. I will try your idea. I had downloaded Penta before after erasing t but will retry...

Angel, I didn't put my Penta filters into Filters Unlimited.   I installed them in a folder I labeled MY PLUGINS and directed the file locations to that folder.  It doesn't load down the PSP plugin files and slow the whole thing down and works just fine.  I often have difficulty importing effects into Filters Unlimited.

Mine also is in MY Plugins, not in Unlimited.

Okay, each and every time I tried to download Penta on its own and tried it in PSP, I would receive an error message, each time! I was so frustrated! Then I tried it in Filters Unlimited with the same results, more frustrations and after having had haggled with the PSP gods over lesson 3, I was getting upset. And it didn't help that the new cat would attempt to venture out each and every time I did and would quickly retreat back into the bedroom when I hit another snag!

Anyway, it now works rather oddly. I have Filters Unlimited 1 which has the BG filters as I couldn't get them into #2. Then right below it is Filters Unlimited #2 which now has the Penta filter imported. In the Mini Tutorials section on Wini's lessons, I found a great one on how to import filters into Unlimited and it worked so I'm not going to mess with it!   

Lesson #5....with Penta! lol

Edit:

Karen sent back approvals for Lessons one through four! Thanks Phyllis for telling me about including her with the lessons. I don't know how I missed that.

I also have two separate plugin files I use except one is called Filters and the other Plugins.

I have been awake since 1:30am as I couldn't sleep and it feels as if it should be the late afternoon and it is only 8:38 am!

See?  You did manage to find a solution for you    and your last lesson is great!

I'm glad it is finally working out for you, Angel.  You sound like me.  I try to not get upset and frustrated over these darned lessons but I have.  Spent a sleepless night trying to figure out the Alien Skin Impact 5 filter.  It's a good thing I don't have a cat.  The poor thing would be just as nervous as your little furry friend is.   

Hang in there and keep cool.  Nothing is worth all that much aggravation. 

Here is me...the pot calling the kettle black.  <sigh>

  Thanks, Bubble, I ended up so tired and cross-eyed that I took a two-hour nap. But will probably go early tonight! I believe Phyllis didn't use the white border, colored hers and it looked great but right now I'm almost afraid to change anything.

I've found that I tend to skip over things. For example, I finished lesson #5 without doing the pen on the right side of the graphic! When I compared my finished version to theirs I had to edit back out to where I had finished the left side and then conclude the lesson.

Thanks, Phyllis, I know I need to chill but easier said than done!

I have changed some colors on almost all of the lessons I have submitted so far, Angel.  BJ (my Mod) has said that is just fine.  I think the colors or images that we use don't matter as much.  They are only interested in us using all of the effects that the tut specifies.

And I miss steps, too.  I have to make myself stop and read every line very carefully.  It doesn't help that we are blocked from printing the lessons.  I do better with a hard copy right next to me that I can follow carefully.

I minimize the length of the lesson I want to do, so that for each step I finished I can move the page to the top border.  It helps me keep my place and also that way I don't miss a step.

I do that, too, Bubble.  But, I still find it easier to read a printed copy.  Old brain, you know.

I love this, it's like finding out all these secrets you never knew but wish you did!

Thanks, guys!

I just keep on going back and forth between the PSP and the browser page.

First five lessons have been approved by my mod Karen.

This is one of my own. I've incorporated a selection, three filters and different lighting layer  blends from what I've recently learned.

Another one by me on my own.

Sometimes you just want to play.