thanks mike. in psp12 i copy the picture and paste as a new layer (raster), then turn the top layer b/w either with a plugin or desaturate. I then use the background erraser to select the parts where i want colour to shine thru. its real easy. the background eraser has a sharpness setting which you can play with and it will work with in borders which works well for this stuff... kinda hard to explain but i am sure you get it