Curved line & 'embedded' characters

[SillyCrab]

Help, please.
1. a. How do I create that curved line?
b. How do I add the 2 colors in the line?
c. It seems that the sample curved line & its 2 colors have a shadow. FX drop shadow?
d. A suggestion given to me was to use the line tool with Filter-Distort-Shear.
But then that will just be a curved line on top of an image.
How can that curved line 'cut' the image underneath so the image gets that
semi-circular curve? Also, when I tried the Filter-Distort Shear, I couldn't make
a perfect semi-circle. There has to be an easier way.
2. How can the number & letters on the puck look 'embedded' (what I mean is they don't
look Photoshop-glued)?
TIA.

~ Denden (forever asking "How ...")

 

[iDad]

The images pretty small to see the effects used but most likely bevel emboss, perhaps pillow emboss for the text on the puck?

 

[IamSam]

Hi Silly, I would just use a hard round brush to make the curves. Zoom out of your canvas and make the brush really big.

 

[IamSam]

Hi again SC,

If your still needing help, I made you a quick video.............for some reason I can't upload it to YouTube right now.

I will wait to see if you reply.