I can't do photo merging or photo blending at all in Photoshop elements8

Question

I followed all the steps in photoblending like placing one photo over the other, clicking on the adjustment layer, using the gradient tool, clicking Cntrol G (or using a paintbrush to brush away the first layer)... nothing happens. I must have done this 20 times in a span of 2 weeks..... I need help. Thanks.

Answer 1

I take it you are attempting to make a clipping mask.  Back when I first learned how to use Elements, I had problems learning this concept so don't feel bad.
Masking rules to learn.
White paint reveals...shows the layer's full effect.
Black paint masks...hides the layer's full effect.
Gray paint is semi-transparent...partially shows layer's effect the amount transparency depends on the shade of gray with lighter shades being more opaque and darker shades more transparent. Think feathering....
Let's do this as an exercise...
Prep.
Open a photo file. Duplicate the file and close your original so we are working on a copy. Double click you background layer's lock icon in the layers palette and convert the background layer to a regular layer. (Alternately, click the lock icon...continue to hold in the click...and drag the lock to the trash can.)
Now, you should see an unlocked layer in the layers palette. This will be our start point.
1. Create a solid color fill adjustment layer and click okay to accept it. Click on the adjustment layer and while holding in the mouse button drag it down in the layers palette so that it is below your photo layer.
2. Target (click on your photo layer) and press ctrl + G to clip photo to adjustment layer. Alternately, you can press the alt key and hover over the line between the adjustment layer and the photo. You should notice the icon becomes an arrow with two rings. Click the line.
Nothing happened as the mask is white. As part of the exercise, click on the adjustment layer. Notice that a thin black outline appears around the mask. This indicates the mask is targeted. Press ctrl + I to invert the mask. You should now see a checkerboard pattern. This indicates your image is masked...hidden. It is completely hidden because the mask is filled with black. Grab the paintbrush tool. Make sure that the tool is set to Normal mode and is set to 100% opacity in the options bar. Set your foreground color to white. Paint a line in your mask. Notice that where you paint the line your image is visible.
Okay let's fill the mask with white to reveal your image again. Use paint bucket to dump white paint into the mask. Your photo should now be fully visible.
Now let's set up your gradient tool.
Press D to set the toolbox color chips to default black and white. Press X to swap the color chips so that black is set as the foreground color. Grab the gradient tool. Select the black to transparent gradient preset. (If black to transparent isn't displayed in the gradient window located in the options bar, click gradient window and black to transparent should be second preset.)  Make sure transparency box is checked in your options bar. For this particular exercise,  make sure the gradient tool is in Normal blend mode and set to 100% opacity. Select the linear gradient style icon (first one...white fade to black) in the options bar.
3. Click on adjustment layer mask. You should notice a thin black line around the mask in the layers palette. This tells you the mask is targeted.
4. Hold in the shift key and drag the gradient in the document. (Holding in the shift key as you drag using the gradient tool keeps the gradient constrained to a straight even line.) Image should now be photo fading the checkerboard pattern...
Note: If you want gradient tool to drag out the black to transparent in the opposite direction check the box in the options bar that says "reverse". If you want to pull more than one gradient...to fade more than one edge change the gradient tool's blend mode to "Multiply blend mode.
Here is a tutorial on using clipping masks.
http://www.photokaboom.com/photography/learn/Photoshop_Elements/layers/layer_groups_clippi ng_masks/1_layer_groups_clipping_masks.htm
Note: The first example in the above link (using the hair) has the adjustment mask over the hair because the hair is the base to the clipping group...levels is increasing the contrast to just the hair. I didn't want that example to mess you up if you were just skimming the article I could see that potentially happening.
Note: I should also point out that you will see tutorials that refer to clipping masks as clipping groups.  This is because prior to E8 clipping masks were called clipping groups. From what I understand, Adobe changed the term to make the term the same across product lines.  They are the same thing...just different names. The menu commands are also slightly different. In E8+,  the menu command is Layer<Create Clipping mask. In versions prior to E8,  the menu command is Layer<Group with Previous. I think E8+ still uses the shortcut Ctrl + G to create a clipping mask.  If the shortcut doesn't work, use the menu command.