Saturday, June 27, 2009

SOARTFUL SATURDAY CHALLENGE - Gypsy


This is my first entry for the SOARTFUL SATURDAY CHALLENGE that June at Art Freebies is putting on. June is so sweet and generous with all of her freebies. June is one of those really kind people that I have met through my blog. So when I saw she was starting the challenge I just knew I had to join in all the fun. This week's challenge is Gypsies. All of my images used in this collage are from June's freebies. The font for the word Family is from Photo Shop. Thank you June.

Artarazzi Digital Challenge - 29


The challenge from Artarazzi this week is a beautiful sunflower painting by Faye. It looks to be a watercolor or maybe an acrylic on watercolor paper. I loved it. It reminded me of a farm my first husband and I had. The farmer we leased some land to would always give me a 5 to 10 acre field of sunflowers. They were glorious. I wanted to make this challenge just as wonderful. I enriched the colors, gave it some heavy texture and then added my images. This reminds me of walking through those fields. They were like another land. A land for fairies.

Original by Faye

Digital Collage - Street meets Country



I have been playing with Photo Shop all morning. It was 107 degrees at 9:30 this morning on the shady side of my house. I figure the thermometer is off by about 5 degrees - so maybe 102. It takes your breath away when you walk outside. So everything I was going to do this morning I decided not to do. Maybe this evening I can get some of those things done when it cools down.

Meanwhile I am going to do all the stuff I hate to do inside and reward myself with a little art. I started with this digital collage. The boy is a street urchin from London taken around 1848. The barn is one of mine as is the ledger paper, and the typewriter keys came from flickr.

Art Creations Friday - Ugly Duckling


This weeks challenge on Art Creations Friday is the beautiful image of this young woman with her hat. You hardly ever see women wearing hats anymore unless they are ball caps with ponytails. None of the big romantic hats with lace and flowers. I think we just don't have the time. They were lovely though. I was somewhat challenged this week in that I am running on very little sleep, too many commitments and it goes on and on... A couple of arty friends pushed me to use some of their scrapbook elements to see if I could do a collage with them. I used their buttons and ribbon in this digital collage. It was fun. I really liked the scrap book paper for texture behind the whole collage.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Theme Thursday - Time



Theme Thursday's challenge this week was Time. I am knew to all this challenge stuff, but I am finding it quite fun. Plus, I have discovered a whole group of digital artists that are simply amazing. I went hunting for a challenge last night and I found Theme Thursday's. This is my first endeavor. Be kind, it was late, I was tired, and lots of company here this week. Those are my excuses and I am sticking to them.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Freebies - Things with Wings








One of the amazing things about summer is all of the insects that come to life. Some are annoying but for the most part most are amazing. We can thank them for pollinating our flowers and fruit. These are a few winged things for you to use in your art. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do watching the real thing.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Three Muses Challenge - Wild Things


I thought I would try and get an early start on the Three Muses Challenge this week. From now until after the fourth of July is going to be hectic. The challenge this week is "wild things." When I hear that I could go just about any where. As I looked through my image folders I ran across this woman. It reminded me of my sister. Then. I remembered how she would sit for hours with peanuts taming the chipmunk's and squirrels outside the kitchen door when she was a little girl. So here is my entry honoring the taming, yet respecting the wild.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Fathers Day !


If you read my blog then you probably have figured out that I lucked out in the parent department. The day I was born God smiled on me and found me the best parents ever. Fortunately for me they adore each other and my siblings.

In most households if Mother is happy then everyone else is happy. In our house it was always who could make each other the happiest. Mutual respect in a relationship goes a long way. My parents are living proof of that. I have learned so much from them both it is hard to separate and think of just one with out the other. They compliment each other so much.

When I think of Father's Day and my Father I think of so many things. I think if you would indulge me I would like to share a little story about my Father with you today. Both of my parents come from Florida where you just grow things - flowers, fruit, vegetables, etc. When I was 6 we moved to Georgia. We had a big yard with trees and flowers and a creek in the back yard.

On moving day my Mother told us to go outside and play, but stay in the yard. Of course it was warm and new and we were sort of scared. Off my brother and I went to play. In no time we were"bored" so we found some small stones and started pitching them at our neighbors roof who lived down hill from us and next door. Needless to say the neighbor became quite irate. Not a good way to meet the neighbors. We were scolded and told not to do that again.

Several weekends later I awoke to my Father walking around the outside of the house and yard. He looked at me and said he thought we should probably put in a strawberry patch on the neighbors side of our property. It had good light, was on a hill, plenty of room for the strawberries to spread out. That the strawberries would help hold the soil in place on the hillside. He decided it would be a little father- daughter project.

We climbed in the car and off we went to buy dirt and strawberries. At six I wasn't too good at hauling things. I mostly watch or helped pull things with my brothers wagon. I did take over the job of watering and picking the berries once they were all planted. No more playing on that side of the house. The berries might get squashed.

The first year we didn't get much of a crop, the second year it was better, by the third year every morning was fresh strawberries. Four years later I realized my Father's solution to the "possibility" that my brother and I might disturb the neighbors became a place for us to learn to grow and tend things. That day was never mentioned again...my Father just handled it.

"Teaching us by doing" pretty much sums up my Father. Whether it was fixing something, growing something, or behaving like a gentleman, or showing everyone respect. My Father traveled -a lot - when I was growing up. He called every day, and when he did get home - he was home. We knew Mom was filtering everything we did or did not do to Dad. We knew what was accepted and what was expected.

The front page this morning had an article about Obama asking men to be better Fathers. That it is a privilege. How sad. What has happened that we can just let these people walk away from their kids? I don't understand it. So Daddy ...Thank You for ALWAYS being there for all of us. Thank You for being a role model for me on how men are suppose to behave towards other people. Thank You for showing me that honesty, standing up for what you believe, and anything worthwhile is worth working hard for. Thanks for showing my boys what "real" men are like. Thank You for being my Father. I love you.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

The Three Muses Challenge - Doors


This week's challenge by Three Muses was doors. Ummm. Hey that is one of my favorite images. I decided to play. The big problem was so many doors... This door is actually a stock photo of a graffiti door. I gave it a few layers added the little girl in separate outfits, a photo of a crow - I took, and some eggs and a heart. All things that tend to inspire me. Hope this will inspire you to do some digital playing.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Artarazzi Digital Challenge - 27 &28

This is my challenge entry for Artarazzi. I combined the last two weeks digital images to make the one picture. I really liked the girl standing in front of the pull up door. She reminded me of getting to the Paris flea market early and waiting with a strong thick cup of tea and a croissant. Yum, now I am hungry.

The second image is a photograph from Kelly Burton. I love the starkness of it, yet the sawdust makes me think of renovation and hope for the future.

Challenge picture 28

Challenge picture 27

Button Bracelet


Late last night as I was heading off to be something caught my eye. It was my grandmother's pink sewing basket. When I married and was pregnant with my first child I began to quilt. As soon as my grandmother heard this she sent me her pink sewing basket filled with thread, buttons, baby clothes and booties from my mother. A treasure of things. I have mostly kept everything intact and enjoyed just "looking" at all the possibilities inside.

Every once in awhile I will go through the button jars and dream. My grandmother was widowed and pretty much supported herself after my grandfather died. She turned her home into a boarding house for the railroad men. Fed them one meal a day, washed and ironed their sheets, and for extra she would do their wash and mend their clothes. I am quite sure one of those button jars has just men buttons in it.

About a year ago I saw this wonderful button bracelet someone had made. It was in a magazine or web site. [I found the button bracelet in Ruth Rae's book a Charming Exchange] It was made of buttons with thimbles hanging from it like charms. As soon as I saw it I knew... I will make a bracelet out of my grandmother's buttons. Last night when I saw the sewing basket I knew it was time. I set the basket aside and early this morning I began.

My bracelet is just three strands of mother of pearl buttons. They are bound together with three sizes of sterling links and a sterling toggle clasp. I am sure several of the buttons came off of my mothers baby clothes, my baby clothes and my brothers. I decide to add some words. My grandmother always said "remember to...." before I went outside. Those were the words I started with. Remember to believe..Remember to dare...Remember to create art...Remember your prayers...

Art Creations Friday - She Lives for Music




This is my entry for the challenge on Art Creations Friday. [A little late today but it is suppose to be HOT all weekend so I had to go out while it was still cool.] It is another lovely background. I am working on a gypsy altered book so I have had gypsies on the brain lately. The images are from postcards. The main image is Mata Harri. The paisley style stamp is from Alluring impressions. I made a brush with the stamp.

Last of the Father's Day Images

I love this picture. I grew up with lots of books and the newspaper on the kitchen table. Understanding the world events was always something very important in my family. When I was about the same age as this young girl I would wake up early so I could have breakfast and my Dad all to myself. Lots of important things were discussed those mornings.

Don't you just love this photo? It looks like mutual love to me. I really find this photo to be an unusual one. First there are teeth. Second it is so spontaneous. So many of the photos are so straight and rigid.

Isn't her bow wonderful? The casual way she is standing - so much attitude. She obviously is the apple of his eye. I love the gentleman's very white beard. I can see this little girl giving it a tug or two. If you click on the image and enlarge it you will see the man has a key peeking out of his vest.

I think this Father is comforting her. She looks a little scared and he has wrapped her in his arms and told her "Now now everything is fine. I am here." Isn't that what every good Father says when he comforts us?


I wanted to share these last four images with you this week. All of them are of little girls with the men in their lives. Being a little girl once - and still my Daddy's girl - these spoke to me. I hope you will enjoy them and find a place in your art for them.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

The Old Homeplace


On my way to the auction yesterday afternoon I just happened to run across this wonderful old farmhouse. I love the ladder on the outside of the house. It always makes me so sad to see these old homesteads in disrepair.

Purple Purple Purple - 4 by 6's


Sort - keep - give away - throwaway - pack. That is like my mantra lately. In sorting I came across these 4 by 6 postcards that I made. The idea was to work with one color. I chose purple. This would be a great exercise for your journal or to do ATC's to get your muse working. I thought I would share some with you. I included the recipes that are on the back. They are sort of fun. Might be useful when the kids are complaining of boredom over the summer.






Digital Collage - The Doorway


I had to use that scrumptious grungy background again. I layered two photographs on top of it. The first a doorway from Morocco and the second a photo by Edward Steichen of the Chrysler building.

Flag Day Freebies

In my endless cleaning, reorganizing and packing I ran across some old seed catalogs I have had for years. Then I went online to see what they were worth and if I could find anymore. Good news I found more. I love the images on these. They were so good at collage then. These I really liked because they have flags on them. I thought today would be a nice day to share them with you. Happy Flag Day!





Friday, June 12, 2009

Art Creations Friday - Life is a Journey


This weeks challenge for Art Creations Friday was this awesome grungy background. It looks like they used cardboard, dry wall tape, plaster and even duct tape and gauze on this background. I absolutely love it. I wanted to do something with it that showed off it's texture. I am not sure I achieved that but here is my first attempt.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

The Three Muses Challenge - Mona Lisa


Mona Lisa one of the most recognized paintings in the world. The Three Muses blog challenged all to use this image in some way digitally. Of course I did it ten ways to Sunday. No seriously I had a great time playing around adding her here and there. It was great Photo shop practice. Below are just a few of tonight's Mona Madness.

Looking for some flag day images I came across the Statue of Liberty. Mona just jumped up there and took over. She felt her smile was a little less serious. After all Miss Liberty has seen her share of the tired and poor.

This early 1900 painting was just perfect to work into a digital collage. Mona goes Asian.

"She loves you Yeah Yeah Yeah." I am sorry Ringo fans but your inner Mona has taken over.

This image is from Artarazzi. I just love these three ladies having their cup of tea together. It is so cute. So I added the Mona face and her name on the mug. That's all it really needed. It gave me a great chuckle to think that this might be the modern age Mona.

Fresh Blueberry Cream Pie


The blueberries are at their peak right now where I live. They are so big and tasty. We have been eating our cereal with lots of fresh fruit and making smoothies. However, I feel the need to use some of this fresh fruit for something else.

Thursdays are usually the day all the locals go grocery shopping. All the fresh stuff is delivered and the tourist have not landed yet. As I was thinking about what all I was going to cook this weekend I decided I should make a pie. Out came my tried and true recipe box and I came upon this recipe. Just the ticket. Fresh, easy, and really good. I thought I would share it with all of you.

1 prepared Graham cracker crumb pie shell
8 ounces of cream cheese - the no fat kind is perfect for this recipe
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
1 pint of fresh blueberries - save a hand full for the top

Beat cream cheese till light and fluffy.
Blend the sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla.
Carefully fold in the blueberries and whipped cream.
Spoon mixture into crust and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Top with fresh berries.
Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Digital Collage - Attitude


I don't know about all of you but I have several folders of images I have acquired from some one's generosity. Many I have used, some I think about using and others I just enjoy. Today as I was going through some of my image folders, scanning images, and cleaning up some images it occurred to me that I should pick a folder and make a collage from just that folder. Harder than you think. So I randomly wrote down a number and that was the folder.


This digital collage comes to you from me courtesy of Jamie at Art-e-ology. I enjoy her blog and her art very much. We both are enamored with photographs and she is very generous in sharing them. She has a lovely article on her blog about types of photographs that is really interesting. So Jamie here is my collage from some of your images. I hope you enjoy it. The quote I got off of a stamp I have from Alluring Impressions. I was just going to name the girl, but I felt she deserved more.

Four Letter Words - Home

Freebies - French Postcards - Wedding Bells

Yes, June is here. I can smell the flowers and the nights are longer. June is traditionally thought of as the wedding month. We have an anniversary in our family this month. My oldest and his beautiful wife. Congratulations. Their wedding was one of the most beautiful and charming I have been to in awhile. Her dress was absolutely stunning. So, in their honor...











p.s. if you are liking these June at Art Freebies has some freebies along the same line. Please go check out her freebies!