Horse-shoe.

Do you want some luck and happiness?
I'm sure this horse-shoe will bring you that.

We will use some vectors in this tutorial, but it is very easy, so give it a try.

You will use the font Artistik. You can get it here. or you can ask me.
Be aware of all the different fonts called Artistik. You shall use the font made by Agfa.

Start with a New Image, 400 x 400, transp, 16 mill.
New Vector Layer. Call it Curve1. Color #A77405 on both Fore- and Background. Text tool. Width 10.
Click inside your Image. Make the settings like this. Remember Create as Vector checked.
Type the Capitol letter U.

Now you have got the letter U.

Now it is selected.

Objects, Convert text to curves, as single shape.
Now we can manipulate the shape, to make it more like a horseshoe.  Node Edit.

Right click on Node1. Node Type, Symmetric. Push the node upwards and drag the handle out a bit.

Right click on Node2. Node Type, Symmetric. Push the node to your left and push the handles together a bit.

Right click on Node2. Node Type, Symmetric. Push the node to your right and push the handles together a bit.

Make sure you make a nice curve. It shall look like this.

Right click outside the curve and Quit Node Editing. Left click.
In your Layers Palette, right click and Convert to Raster Layer. Call it Curve1.

New Vector Layer. Call it Curve2. Preset Shapes, Teardrop.
Color #8E6303 on both Fore- and Background.

Make the drop 25 x 245. 

Object Selector. Click on the drop. Node Edit.

Right click on Node1. Node Type, Symmetric. Push the handle out and drag the node to your right.
It has to be bent a bit.

Right click on Node2. Node Type, Symmetric. Drag the node to your left.

Right click on Node3. Node Type, Symmetric. Drag the node to your right.

Left click on Node4. Put the handles like this.

Right click and Quit Node Editing. Left click.

 Now this curve must go along the horseshoe like this.

If it doesn't. Do the same again until it looks like the Image above.

Duplicate this layer in your Layers Palette. Image, Mirror.
Put it in place on the other side, with the Mover.

Stand on Layer Curve2. In your Layers Palette, right click and Convert to Raster Layer.
Effects, 3D, Inner Bevel as below.

Stand on Layer Copy of Curve2. In your Layers Palette, right click and Convert to Raster Layer.
Effects, 3D, Inner Bevel as before.

Stand on Layer Curve1. Selections, Select all. Selections, Float.
Effects, 3D, Cutout as below.

Deselect.

New Raster layer. Preset Shapes, Rounded Rectangle. Color #A77405 on both Fore- and Background.
Make a rectangle 70 x 30. Place it on top of the horseshoe.

Selections, Select all. Selections, Float. Effects. 3D, Buttonize. Settings as below.

Deselect. Layers Merge, Merge Visible. Call it Shoe.

New Layer. Preset Shapes, Rounded Rectangle. Color #7F6659 on both Fore- and Background.
Make a rectangle 10 x 20. Duplicate it three times. Durn them with Deformation Tool and place them like this.

Close Layer Shoe. Layers Merge, Merge Visible. Duplicate. Image, Mirror.
Open Layer Shoe again and put this layer in place on the other side.

Close Layer Shoe. Layers, Merge, Merge Visible. Call it Holes.

Make Layer Shoe visible again.

Stand on Layer Holes. Magic Wand. Click in your picture. Selections, Invert.
Selections, Modify, Contract by3. Delete. Stand on Layer Shoe. Delete.
Keep it selected. Stand on Layer Holes. Effects, 3D, Outer Bevel as below.

Deselect.

Layers, Merge, Merge Visible. Zoom your picture. Retouch Tool, Soften.

Now you have to soften the jaggies inside the holes. Make it very gentle.

You can now turn the horseshoe the way you like it best.
Some like the opening up and some like it down.

If you want to add a Valentine text, do so on a separate layer, and Merge Visible.
The text could look nice inside the shoe.

That was all on the horseshoe.

Now to the fun part, the decoration.
I'm sure you have something nice to decorate with. If you like my Forget-me-nots,
Lily of the valley and Fourleaf clover, I have tutorials on them also.
When you are done, Layers, Merge, Merge Visible.

Tutorials