Making a box of Valentine candy!

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This tutorial will work in both PSP 6 & 7 and most likely in
earlier versions also.
I will be using version 7 so my images will look a little
different than those using 6. 

You have probably guessed already that there is a little
vectors and node editing with this tutorial, but I will
try to make it as simple as possible. *L* 

You will also need Blade Pro with this tutorial but if you do
not have it you can use the inner bevel that comes with PSP
and get close to the same effects. 
A candy tube is also needed. I have placed the one I used here
in a zip file so you may download it if you wish to use it, 
just download & unzip to your tubes folder.

A friend of mine, Sharron/CDRmom, has recently wrote a tutorial
for making your own chocolates. So if you'd like to make
your own instead of using the tube below headed on over
to her site. Chocolate Tutorial

Click to download Candy Tube

Now to get started open a 400x400 transparent (16 million colors)
This will be larger than needed but you can resize later.
Set your forground color to Black and your background
color to White.
 

Using your "preset tool", set it to ellipse, create as vector and
antialias checked, line width = 2 

Create an oval that looks something like this.

Now click on the Object selector tool, also know as that 
dreaded node editing thingy! *L* 
Now with the node thingy make two new nodes beside the top
one that is already there by holding the control key down on
your keyboard and clicking on the line where you want them.
Should look something like this.

Let's first play with the middle node that was already there.
Click on it and pull it down a little. Then click and hold the 
right side of the little arrow and bring it up some, then 
bring the left side up even with the right. Something like
this.

When you're happy with the look move down to
the bottom node that was already there and lets
play with it. First pull it down some. Then take the
right side of the arrow and pull it inwards a little,
then do the same with the left side. Making it
look something like this.

Now lets move those side nodes up and out just a little 
to round out our heart a little more. Then go to the two 
nodes you added and bring them out and maybe up just
a little. Play with them until you get the look you want. 
You can click on your taskbar from time to time to check
how your heart is looking then come back to the node tool
to continue playing until you are satified with how it looks.
When you're finished go to "Layers" and "Convert to
Raster Layer" Here is what mine looks like.

Yippeee we are through with node editing!! *S*
Now be honest that wasn't to hard, was it?? 

We need to duplicate our heart now so that we will have 
a top and a bottom. So go up to "Window" and click
on "Duplicate"
You should now have two hearts just a like. 
At this point you may want to merge all layers visible on 
one of your hearts and export as a tube for later use with
a different project. If you do this make sure to undo your
merge when you are finished so that you will once again 
have two layers to work with.
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Now for the fun part. No more nodes I promise, but we will use
the deformation tool just a little, later on. 

Set aside one of your hearts that you duplicated for later and 
lets work on making the bottom of our box. 
Make sure layer 2 (your heart layer) is your active layer.

Using your selection tool select the area around your heart, then
click on the middle of your heart to make the ants be around just
the heart. Now go to your flood fill tool and lets add a pretty
pattern to our heart. I'm using PSP7 and chose to use the
Red Lava pattern. If you do not have this pattern chose 
one you like or make one of your own. When you have the
pattern you want flood fill the heart with it.
Do not deselect!

On with turning this heart into something that looks like a box.
With the heart still selected go into Blade Pro. These are the
setting I used on my heart.

If you do not have Blade Pro you could try using
inner bevel to create a bevel on your heart.

With the heart still selected go to "Colors" Brightness and 
Contrast and apply these settings.

Deselect

Add a new layer and lets start filling in our candy tube.
I have my candy tube set to size 17 you may need yours
smaller or larger depending on the size you made your
heart. Now fill in the heart with the candy making
sure to leave a little of your bevel on your heart 
showing. Something like this. You can also place 
one or two candies outside of the box at this time
if you would like.

We are finished now with the bottom of our box. So you can merge
all layers visible and set aside for later.

Now make your other heart active. Make sure you have layer
2 as your active layer.

Using your magic wand click on the black area around your heart
making them loving little ants appear. Now lets go into Blade Pro
and add a pretty preset to that plain black. (note while the ants 
are around the black area you may want to change the color to 
white by flood filling it before you go into Blade Pro if you 
chose to use the gold glitter preset as I did. It may leave a little
area of the black around the inside of the heart but that's okay
it just adds some depth to it.) Now go into Blade Pro and add 
the preset you like. I chose to use gold-glitter to mine.
Deselect

Here is mine.

Now on to turning that not so pretty white into something
stunning *L* 

Take your magic wand again and click on the white part
of your heart making the ants march around it. Now with
the flood fill tool, flood fill the white with the same pattern
you used before on the bottom part of your heart. I used
the Red Lava here again.

Deselect

Now go to your selection tool, "rectangle" and select the area 
around your heart, then click in the center of your heart making
only the heart as your selection. The little ants should only be 
around the heart now.
Lets add an inner bevel to make our heart look a little puffy.
I used these setting to do mine with but you can play around
and find ones you like.

Deselect
Here is where you can add a layer and place 
some text or a tube on your heart if you would like. 

Merge all Layers Visible.

Now here comes the fun part, putting both hearts together!
Merge all Layers Visible.

Have both hearts visible in PSP. Copy and paste the top of your heart
as a "new layer" into the bottom of your box heart that you
created earlier.
Click on the deformation tool 
Now lets turn our heart just a little to make it look as if the lid
of the chocolates are open. Something like this.

Set your deformation when you're satisfied.

With your selection tool, (still set to rectangle) select the area
around your heart and click in the middle of the heart like we 
did before, making only the heart selected.
Now lets apply a shadow to our heart using these settings or play
around with the shadows and find one you like.

Deselect!
Your box of heart chocolate is now finished.
You can click on layer one and add a background to
it or you can merge all layers visible and export as a
tube or copy and paste and set as a transparent. 
Resize as needed.

Here is what mine turned out like.

Hope you have enjoyed this tutorial and that your life is 
always filled with yummy chocolates!

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