Lost in the shadows!

[norskinus]

Oh my! I am trying to learn more about shadows, and have come across what looks like great tutorials, but I can't even seem to make a shadow on a separate layer even! I will have - let's say - a flower on a page, and add a shadow to it, double click on the fx and can there adjust the opacity etc. But, all these tutorials say create a new layer for the shadow. I use Photoshop Elements 8, so I click the little square box at the bottom right corner which says - create a new layer - and it creates a blank new layer above the flower. But, how to I make a shadow on that layer? I really am clueless...can someone have mercy on me?