Glossy Button over a Background Image

[jp2paint]

I created my avatar using Paint.NET years ago:

 

 

It is looking dated (to me), so I had been thinking about sprucing it up.

 

I decided I would remove the ugly text "jp2code", throw a transparent Glossy Button effect over it, and put my text on top of the glossy button as an Etched Glass effect.

 

Sounds neat, right?

 

So, I look up and start reading up on a couple of the better glossy button tutorials:

• Making glass buttons, and
• Buttons (ymd:110331)

I have used them both before with great success, but this time proved difficult. Neither of them seems to have a good way to use a background image.

 

The best approach I found was to create a ymd button using a light gray background and setting the opacity down to 150 or so.

 

The end result looks no where near as nice as I had pictured in my head:

 

 

As you can see, it is very dark, does not look like a Glass Button, and I have not found a good Etched Glass effect.

 

Does anyone have any advice on how to brighten up the Glossy Button without washing out the background?

Edited January 6, 2014 by jp2paint

[Ego Eram Reputo]

I'd like to introduce you to my friend @Red ochre and his amazing ClipWarp plugin.

 

What ClipWarp does is wraps an image in the clipboard around an object on a transparent layer.  It's just what you need to bend the background image of your avatar around some foreground text.

 

[jp2paint]

I think I'm going to stop with this.

 

I keep making changes, but I don't think it is making big differences.

 

Some forums allow animated gifs, but most (like this one) do not.

 

Here is what the animated version would look like - just a little annoying.