Shapes and Styles

While I was trying to find my new, downloaded styles were, I discovered the shapes menu. The shapes menu is just below the gradients on the tools menu, usually on the left side of the elements workspace.

There's a fly out menu that shows the different shape options. When you're finished playing with the boring circles and ellipses (hold shift to make a perfect square or circle) look at the bottom of the flyout menu and you will find custom shapes. There will probably be hundreds of them.
At the top of your page will be the current custom shape tool, the colour, and the style. These all have drop down menus. In the style menu you might just find your missing styles. If you click on the arrows at the right hand top of the page it will show a list of styles available to you. Here's an example of making something only using custom shapes.

Add a brush stamp.

puzzle custom shape with metallic fill and brush 

You can also download custom shapes
http://debh945.deviantart.com/gallery/11633451
or
http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=custom%20shapes&order=9&offset=24

Here's a custom bookplate shape made from the Scrappin Cop.

Here's an example of a shape that has been reworked.

Remember, onece you make the shape you can treat it like a regular layer. You can erase, use the brush, enhance colour, add light, multiply, etc.

Playing Around with Brushes

Just a short post about playing with brushes.
I was looking at some awesome wallpapers at http://www.starwalt.com/HD_4.html when I realized that a lot of them were made using stamp brushes, her stamp brushes. http://www.starwalt.com/photoshop_stuff4.html I thought it would be fun to try and get some of the same results.
I already know that I can add shadows to a brush by using the FX styles and double clicking on a drop shadow.
Then I realized I could use anything in the STYLES pallette. I could use a glass button to make the stamp shiny or add a metallic finish. So I whiled away the better part of the day trying out new combinations. Here's something I came up with. Most of the piece is made using brushes and FX from thr SYLE menu. Notice the 2 sets of crows. They are made with the same brush. One layer is flat while the top layer of crows has a shadow added.

About the Styles Pallette
Once you start playing around with the styles pallette you will probably want to add some more surface textures.
http://www.deviantart.com/ is a good place to find some free ones to experiment with.
http://graphicriver.net/ is a site which you have to pay for FX.
Both sites have good work.

TO ADD A STYLE
I save the style to downloads.

- The style will have  .asl  where the .jpg usually is. Your style will be marked FX . At the bottom will be the word styles.

Open APPLICATIONS-ADOBE ELEMENTS

-Next open PRESETS where you will see your STYLES folder.
Just drop the style in there.

You will probably need to re-open elements before the new style is recognized. Also you can add as many as you want at the same time.  I've found that most patterns and brushes will work in Elements; but not all styles will.

Here's a tutorial about styles.
http://www.youtube.com/user/riberg#p/search/1/GOltvKuenL8

Have fun!
If you have a problem adding a STYLE then check out the questions. I have written a more detailed post on the topic.