Save your text to an Alpha channel so that you can change the text later if you want. I added a final layer for the text shadow. I saved the graphic as a PSP document, then flattened the layers and saved as a jpg. I love flamingos and when I saw this clipart image, I thought it would look great as a neon image. Work on the copy.
Flood fill the bottom layer with black.
Add a new layer. Feather your selection by 10. Fill several times with a bright neon type color. Add another new layer.