Start off going to FILE - NEW

Then you will get a box that looks like this:

At the very top you will see NAME.  Once you put in your information highlight UNTITLED-1 and put in your own title.  Mine will be @12 X 12.  This way you can easily use the same parameters next time you want to make a paper. 

Next is PRESET, this is where you can select the arrow and a list of pre made sizes will drop down.

Then you will see where you will decide the size of your paper.  As you can see mine is set at 12 for width and height, and to the right of that you will see I have selected INCHES.  If yours says pixels, just hit the arrow next to it and select inches.  Then below that you will see RESOLUTION, I have mine set at 300 PIXELS/INCH.

Next you will see BACKGROUND CONTENTS.  I set mine to be TRANSPARENT, so I can chose my colors on my own.  Your other options will be White or Background color.  Well I never know what my background color was, nor is it what I would always want to start with, so that is not very helpful to me.

Step 2:  Let's choose our color now.  Go to your TOOLS Palette and choose the paint bucket:

Then lets go over to our MATERIALS palette:

Click on the top color which is your foreground color (the bottom layer is your background color).

Find a color that is pleasing to you.

Then go back to your blank canvas and you will see your curser change to the paint bucket.  Left click on your blank canvas and it will fill with the color you've chosen.

I always set mine to Maximum for the best quality.  Just remember the higher your quality, the bigger the file size, if this is an issue for you.

Step 4:  Now let's add a little texture to this paper.  On the very top of your screen go FILTER - TEXTURE  - TEXTURIZER:

 
Here comes the fun part!  You will get a page that looks like this:

Wow look at all those options!  Don't worry though, it's fun I promise :0)  The best tool of digital scrapbooking is that button - CANCEL!  If you don't like it, just hit cancel and it will change nothing on your original.  Lets take a look at what we can do with our paper now.

To the left you will see what your paper will look like as a preview.  My sample is just a small part of the image to save space here. 

Then in the middle you'll see all those folders:  Artistic, Brush strokes etc.  Go ahead and click on them all and see what happens.  Now some of them will give you no effect at all because we only have a single color paper.

On the right you see where you can make changes to the preset from Adobe.  Play with everything, to see what you can come up with.  Here's my example, I'm going to go under the folder TEXTURE, then choose TEXTURIZER, to the right I chose BURLAP.  If your INVERT box is checked, then uncheck it and you'll see how your burlap (if you chose that one) now looks like the nap is sticking out rather than in.

I hope you're not feeling overwhelmed, please don't.  If too many options scare you then just pick one folder and hit the options until you see something that inspires you.  Then next time you play, pick a different folder and so on.

When you find one you like, hit OK.  Then do a FILE SAVE AS and give it a name like OrangeBurlap_YourInitials.

The great thing about PS Elements is that you can add many textures at one time.  You can add LAYERS for even more looks.  An example is at first I couldn't get a result from SPRAYED STROKES under the BRUSH STROKES folder because I only had one color.  Well since I did my BURLAP see how I now have a couple colors/shades in my preview above?  Here's how to add more texture:

Look at the very bottom of my screen print to the right.  You see the garbage can?  To the left of that is an option to add an additional layer.  Click on that and add an additional layer.  I can now see an effect from the SPRAYED STROKES because I have multiple colors from my first texture!  Now you can play with the folders again and see what you can come up with.

If you don't like that second texture, then highlight the texture you don't want and then click on the garbage can and it will delete that layer.

I like both!  So I'm going to do the BURLAP only and hit OK.  Then I will do FILE SAVE AS and save it as OrangeBurlap_DesignWithRenee.  But I also like the one with Burlap and then Sprayed Strokes.  So in that instance after you SAVE AS say your BURLAP, go back to  FILTER - TEXTURE - TEXTURIZER and just do your second choice (ex. SPRAYED STROKES).

Click OK when you have something you like and it will then fill your paper with the texture/textures you chose.

You can't see my texture can you?  Well that's because if you look at where my curser is, it's telling me I'm only looking at my paper at 12.5%.  If I go to the very top and choose VIEW then ACTUAL PIXELS, I'll be able to see what my textured paper really looks like:

Renee' Strucel