Magic Talisman
(Adobe Photoshop 7 Effect Tutorial)
Keep your characters from floating with this handy trick!
5: Duplicated the merged design layer and select the lower layer and go Filter > Distort > Ripple. Select a large ripple or about 750%. Now Filter > Blur > Radial Blur and make sure you select Zoom and set the amount to 100. Duplicate that layer and set the upper distorted layer to Vivid light. Merge all the layers except the black background.
6: Use the Move tool 
on your design layer and go Edit > Transform > Distort. Move about the circle until you have it in your desired position.
7: As a final touch, duplicate the layer and set the lower layer to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur 8 pixels. Set the upper layer to Overlay and go Layer > Flatten Image. Finally, use the Dodge tool at a brush size of 50 pixels and an exposure of 90% to highlight areas and emphasize the glow. You now have a kick-ass surface for any character to stand or sit on! 
