I did one too! 1/2 hour with photoshop. (Problem?)

And the results aren't anywhere near as good!

Gnu Tux - You did a great job there!

Impressive work! Given the source material, I don't think it could've been done any better.

very nice

About the preset you used, your solution works but if you want modify the preset to reduce the smoothing 1 tip.

Of the many sliders 3 are most relevant because how they interact together:
the filter first try to determine which are the edges to preserve (on the base of difference of contrast with neighbors pixels) and the image structure ...then apply a blur but along the image structure.

so
1 Sharpness= change the threshold that determine which are edges , more you raise more part of the image will be seen as edges to preserve

2 smoothing=how MUCH of blur to be applied

3 anisotropy = determine HOW the blur will be applied:
more you raise the value more the blur will try to follow the image structure and so look ..sort of less blurred

So you may balance more blur with more anisotropy (one of my favorite trick, give a painted and often glossy look but preserving neat edges...you may transform someone in his wax sculpture )

Or if you simply want less smoothing you may

1 reduce "smoothing"
or
2 if the global level of smoothing is fine BUT too much edges are smoothed you may increase "sharpness"
3) or you may change effect of the smoothing making it follow more the image structure raising "Anisotropy

basically are 3 variables to play (much more but those 3 are the most relevant )

before using as main component for my favorite filters, i did play much with it, (as example here http://www.flickr.com/photos/photocomix ... 871852975/ ) it is really powerful for both denoise and special effects

Edit

now my message should be readable...sorry if before was a mess for too much typo and syntax errors

I'll play with that PC, thank you.

your retouch is very good and the idea of soften the effect by lowering opacity over the original works well, so my tip was a bit unrelated but i hope may be useful

BTW you notice in EDIT " Fade" ?
When the manip is not done on a new duplicate layer, but directly over the original is quite handy..and is quite good for special effect even if was not created for that

I don't explore things enough really. I ought to experiment more.

Fade allow to merge the last operation down with the previous stage of the image as it was on different layer, and may merge in all supported layer modes and a few more only available from there