We're going to make the following blend:

1. Open a New canvas. Make the width 800 pixels and the height 600 pixels.
2. Add #e3e3e3 as the color background to the layer named background
3. Take this texture and set it on Normal. The texture was made by Sanami @ LJ.
4. Make a new layer; Layer >>New >> Layer.
5. Photoshop has a preset brushes called Dry Media Brushes, pull them out. Here's a picture.
6. Using the 20 pixel Dry Media Brush and color #fa2566, make a big blob of strokes in the canvas. If you want to get some of the light pink strokes like I have here just decrease the opacity of the brush from 100% to 80% or 70%.
7. Take these 2 images and resize them so that a good portion of Emile's face will apear in the blob;
8. Take the first image, duplicate it, set the 2nd copy on Soft Light. Click on the 1st copy, go to Filter> Blur>Surface Blur. Insert the thesevalues. Click on the 2nd copy, go to Filter > Sharpen> Sharpen. Sharpen it one to two times. Don't oversharpen. Merge these two copies of the image. Hit CTRL+ Shift + U. This will make the image black and white. Set this image on Lighten. This is what you'll get:
9. Using a soft round brush to erase some of the white that is surrounding Emile's face. Try to remove as much of the white as possible. You will get this (a)The Drop Shadow Brushes (that have soft round brushes) are part of the presets in Photoshop. They're right under the 'Dry Media Brushes." Otherwise here's the eraser brush. It's round, hardness 0, size 201 px. Save the image, open it in photoshop, go to Edit> Define Brush Set and that should give it to you in brush format. To use the Eraser tool, click on this icon: which is located in your Tool Bar.
10. Duplicate the Emile picture that you just erased and set the second copy to Color Burn. You'll get this.
11. Do the same thing that you did to the first image: Resize, apply a Surface Blur to the first copy, 1-2 times of Sharpen to the second copy and merge the layers. Make sure to hit CTRL + Shift + U to make the image black & White. Again, set on Lighten, duplicate the layer and set the 2nd copy on Color Burn. You'll get this.
    The images of Emile that I gave you are a little larger than the ones used in the actual blend. So feel free to resize and erase extra residue.
12. Take this flower and place it on the right side of the blend. I got the flower from SXC.HU. Duplicate the flower. Click/highlight the first copy and hit CTRL + Shift + U to make it black & white. Set the second copy (which is the colored one) to Darker Color If you have Photoshop CS 3. If you don't have Photoshop CS 3, set the 2nd layer on Pin Light.. Pin Light actually looks better than Darker Color. If you set the 2nd layer on pin light make sure you delete all the white stuff on the flower. Use the magic wand tool to do that.
    Just click on the white parts outside the flower and then hit delete on your keyboard and that should be enough. Here areM the settings I used.
13. Take the followng swirl image, turn it into a brush (see step #9(a)). Apply it underneath the big stroke blob. Color should be #f32161.
    
    You'll get this.
    Do the same with this image but place this one on the top, left side.
    
14. Take this imag. Reize it so that it's about 51x88. It doesn't have to be exactly that size but somewhere around that. Now do the following:
15. Duplicate the image (that you just resized). Set the first copy on Normal, second layer on Soft Light. Go back to the 1st layer, click on it and apply a Surface Blur. Click on the 2nd layer, apply a Sharpen. We've done this in previous posts to the first image so it shouldn't be too hard, otherwise go back to step #8. Merge the two layers. Duplicate this image 2 more times. Layer >>Duplicate Layer.
16. Move the small image a little so that they're next to each other. Put them about 5 px apart.
    
17. Click on the Rectangle Marquee Tool.
    Highlight the last 2 images out of the three (the ones on the right) and hit CTRL + Shift + U. This will make the last two images black and white.Like this.
18. Place those ^ images on the bottom right side. Click the fx button on the bottom of the Layers bar to get the affects menu. We're going to add a black and white Gradient Overlay. Here is where you'll find it.
    The gradient is already selected in photoshop. It's a black and white one. Make sure to reverse the gradient. Also, set it on Lighten. Clicka.
19. Make a new layer beneath the above layer ^. Click on the layer that has the small image in it and Merge Down. To Merge down, click on the second layer, go to Layer >> Merge Down. With that layer selected go to Filter > Sharpen > Sharpen to sharpen it a little, don't oversharpen though.
20. Set that layer on Multiply or Darken. Duplicate this layer. Select the one that you just duplicated (the 2nd layer), go to Edit > Transform > Flip Vertically. Move the it a little down so there is aboug 5-8 px between the two layers:
21. Using the rectangle tool or the Rectangle Marque tool make a horizonal line in between the two previously duplicated layers. So far this is what I have. If you want your 2nd duplicate of the small images to look faded at the bottom. Hight light a portion of the bottom side (about midway) with the Rectangle Marquee Tool, go to Select > Modifty > Smooth (5px).
22. Take the following text brush that I made and place it above the those ^ images. Make sure their edges meet.
    
23. So far
24. Using the pencil tool, draw out some lines. Doesn't really matter where, just make some. Sharpen them a little so that they're visible and look edgy. Mine.
25. We're almost done. Using the font Jane Austen (click to get it, if you don't know how to install ask me and I'll help; I won't discuss it now though. Write Emile De Raven in color #eb0c0f. Size 48, set on Strong. Click on the fx button on the botom of the Layers window and click on Drop Shadow. Add an Inner Shadow. Add an Outer Glow.
26. So far.
27. Flatten the image: Layer >>Flatten Image. Duplicate it. Add a 9px, solid, border inside. Color #000000 (black). So far this is what I have.
28. You can leave the blend with these colors or you can change them. I played around a little with the Color Balance layer and I got the these values.
    If you want to get the Color Balance option you'll find it under Layer >> New Adjustment Layer >> Color Balance.
29. This is the final result: