Just for Fun: Playing with Photoshop Elements

I'm so embarrassed!  I've had Photoshop Elements for at least two three years now and only LAST night did I discover there's more to it than the piddly little editing I'd used it for (mostly to add text to photos and create scrapbook pages for the Art Books). 

Eep!  

A doorway to the world of photo editing has just opened up!  Why didn't I know this was there all along???? 

I've been wondering how to get the effects I saw on other blogs' photos.  

original 

(Annika is drinking water through her chive "straw")  

variation #1

 variation #2

 variation #3

Ava on Canvas.  

original

variation

 Dang!  Now I can't stop playing with it!  

What do you use to edit your photos (if you do that sort of thing)?  Do you have any websites/blogs you can recommend to help me on my Journey Towards Mastering Photoshop Elements?  

Or at least not feeling so intimidated by it? ;-)