Step 6 Arrange the layers in order and set their opacity individually. I normally follow an even number order of 100% > 80% > 60% for the opacity and place the 100% layer on top.
Next, for the layers that are at full opacity, add an Outer Glow effect using a 50%-opacity white with a Dissolve blending mode. Then set the Spread to 20 and Size to 250.
Step 7 After the main composition is done, we will start by adding the small details. This is the most painstaking part of the process and it takes time. Find some images of leaves (above) and petals (top) and trace around them with the Pen tool (P). Try and use images that have lots of different petals and leaves on them to generate a sense of randomness and variation.
Step 8 You can also create variations with an individual petal or leaf with the Warp Tool or CS5’s new Puppet Warp. You can edit the Warp options from the Transform panel (Edit > Transform > Warp). Try changing the Reference Point instead of being centred all the time.