Advice on layer masks

[Shane]

Hi Folks,
I’ve been working through David’s tutorial “Using Layers, masks and multiple exposures around difficult objects”

http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?t=28895

It’s a great tutorial that’s well written but I’m stuck on one step. That is, how do you paste the tree shaped mask onto the mask. I’ve set up the mask to where I can manually paint on it. It’s just pasting the mask from the prepared image into the mask layer that’s got me stumped.
I’ve been trying to nut it out for 3 nights now. I don’t expect to be spoon fed here but if someone could point me in the right direction I would be very grateful. I’ve been using the Dummies guide and the Adobe Elements visual introduction books but they just don’t cover that step.
I’m using Elements 7.

Thanks in advance.

Shane

[J.davis]

Open both images on the screen (tile) and drag one image onto the other using the move tool (little arrow head with the cross). Then you have both images on the one pallet and both images in the layer list. Delete the empty frame and make the frame that is left full screen.
Hope this helps.

[Shane]

Thanks John,
I just re-read my post and can see why you thought I was stuck on getting the image into the layer stack. I've got that worked out. Where I am stuck is when it comes to pasting the prepared "tree shaped image" into the "mask layer".
I've got the mask in place and can manually paint on it, if I can get that tree shaped image actually pasted into the mask layer it will save me having to manually paint it on. Which is the whole point of David's tutorial.
I hope I have worded my problem better this time.
Thanks again for taking the time to help me out.

Shane.

[Shane]

I just worked it out.
Edit copy the tree shaped mask. Then Alt - Click on the mask thumb nail to open it up full size and paste the tree shaped mask into the full size mask.
Stupid me was trying to paste it into the thumb nail of the mask.
I spent most of the weekend trying every thing I could think of. Now I have that sorted I can start using the technique for real.
"Alt Click" I won't forget that in a hurry. :)