Xero Mystifier
This plugin can be downloaded here.

This tut is a simple guide to using the plugin - not for making any tag in particular.  Often, I use the plugin differently than the plugin creator intended. I hope to give you an idea of what a plugin does and ways to apply it since it's probably already installed into your plugin folder.

Thank you Marina for permission to use and offer this lovely tube to download with the tut.    You can join serendipity_tubes@yahoogroups.com to receive more of Marina's and Kaylin's high quality tubes! You won't regret it!

This tube was one of those 'soft' images that wouldn't look right with a photograph type of background.

(I went outside and took pics just for this tube, complete with sticks, dog toys and dandilions.)

Click on the picture to download the full size image. 

This screen shot shows the photo background and the bird tube on a new layer. It just doesn't look natural. I wanted a softer, but natural looking background for this tag.

Before

I promoted my background layer to a raster layer. With it still highlighted, I applied Xero Mystifier TWICE at these settings.

The results of using the plugin on the background - far softer, and gently works with the softness of the tube layer. And it hides alot of photography sins.

Now, my soft little birdies feel right at home in their new environment - eating seeds from a coconut shell.

To finish the tag, I adjusted the position of the birds, add a blurred drop shadow to the tube, an inner bevel to the background layer and added some text.

Play with this plugin and have fun!

vetch