Digital Collage - In Dreams...

Lately I have been feeling the need to get my hands dirty with paint, paper, and glue. I miss having a studio to lose myself in creating. How lucky you are to have a place to sit down and get your paper wet. Digital work has had to replace the act of creating at my art table. Hopefully, in the next few months I will have found a house and have set up a studio. Till then, digital is my salvation. Here is my latest digital collage.

Wedding Freebies...

A western wedding. He looks like a cowboy who should have left his hat at the door. Love her hat!

Very 1920's. The white stockings, the lovely shoes, and what a bouquet!

I like how casual this couple seems. The straw hat and the wedding certificate on the table sort of make the picture complete.

Looking oh so royal with the tiara thing going on.

This bride seems so young , yet happy. Her dress shows off her stylish new shoes.

I woke up very early to watch the Royal Wedding yesterday. Then I watched the taped BBC version with my Mom last night. We had tea yesterday with biscuits and toasted the Royal couple. I loved all the pomp and circumstance, the precision of it all, the beautiful costumes, the hats, should I go on. In a week of turmoil it was a relief to enjoy such a positive occasion. Anyway, this week freebies are inspired by the Royal Couple. Hope you enjoy them.{Sorry I did not get them posted sooner, it has been a rough week.}

Four Letter Words - Wind

Saturday Textures #9

After this horrendous week of storms throughout the South. I found it only appropriate that I would include some sky textures. I head farther south next week then back to see what I can do to help in Alabama.

Digital Photograph ...The House

The House

Last night while I listened to the news about all of the horrible tornados hitting the South my heart just cried for all those people. Texting friends in Alabama to make sure they were safe most of the night, I worked on some digital pieces till late. This morning I realized everyone of them had houses in them.

I guess listening and watching all those people lose their homes sunk into my subconcious. I do have houses on the brain though. I have been going through huge emails of homes from my realtor. I took this photograph in a little town in Virginia. It was the local Doctor's home and office for most of it's life. Hope ya'll are all safe in your homes!

Digital Photograph...Here

Wandering around Virginia I found this gem. "Here, I am Here" it sung out...

Easter Greetings to All

Digital Photograph - Make a Wish

Here is a digital collage I made with one of the textures from this week's Saturday Textures. The dandelions are one of my photographs. The rest of the images come from my personal image library. I hope every one will wish for something fabulous this weekend. I have a feeling all of our wishes will come true...

Saturday Textures #8

Here are this week's textures. I absolutely love them. When I tell you where they come from you will be amazed. I took them with one of my iphone cameras in the underground parking garage at the grocery store in Northern Virgina. I originally was taking a picture of a bird building it's nest in the pipes of the garage ceiling. Accidentally I snapped a picture of my foot and the ground.

In the car I checked my photographs and realized I had a pretty good effect going on. I got out and shot some more pictures of the garage floor. I did nothing to these photographs except take them. No photoshop, no altering. these are just them. Next question - what iphone camera? It is called the TtCamera. I paid 99 cents for it. I love it. Hope you will all enjoy these textures, also.

Some More FabulousTalent...

This luscious piece is from Roberta over at RCSCreations - just a girl and her art. Last week she emailed me to share this wonderful piece she had created. I am honored that she was able to use one of my free textures. Isn't is wonderful?

Roberta is very talented. She does so many different things. Lately she has been sketching and painting. Her digital work is amazing. Please hop over to RCSCreations and feast your eyes!

I wanted to share this gorgeous digital piece from Kelly over at Artsyvisions. Kelly emailed me earlier this month to let me know she had used one of my freebies in this digital collage. Kelly has so many beautiful digital pieces on her blog. I was quite honored. Hop on over for a little blog candy. Just click on Artsyvisions.

I just want to thank these lovely ladies for sharing their creations with me. I really appreciate it when you give me feedback on the textures and freebies by showing me that you really use them. It makes me so happy!

Earth Day!

This is the banner for this year's Earth Day Organization. I think it is so touching. Hard to believe it has been 40 years since the first Earth Day in 1970. For those of you who may be from other countries - here in the USA and in Canada we celebrate for a week or so with everything culminating today. It is thought that with Spring being a time of renewal, that the world should pledge how they will make the earth a better place. It is also a time to do an yearly assessment of how the earth is. With Global Warming, the Gulf Oil Spill, the nuclear disaster in Japan, the earth quake in Japan, wildfires in Texas, tornados all over the South... It sounds like we have a lot of work to do.

This is the ecology symbol that was developed in conjunction with Earth Day. I like it's greenness - as Kermit would say. I am going to walk around DC today, weather permitting. I am going to admire all the beautiful trees and think about what I can and can't do to make this earth a healthier place. What are you doing today?

On the Earth Day organization web site I found this really cool idea. Over a billion Acts of Green have been pledged to make the Earth a healthier place for all. Most are simple doable acts. Run over and make your pledge. The web address is http://www.earthday.org/.

1st Earth Day Poster...

I found this poster to be somewhat discouraging. After 41 years we have not cleaned up more than this. Really?

Digital Collage - The Bride...

The Bride

The past few days I have been downloading all sorts of digital backgrounds, fonts, stamps from my stamp collection, and images onto my laptop. Most of that I have kept on my desk top - which is packed and in storage. I decided that my laptop needs to help me create.

It does not look like I am going to be painting all that much in the near future. Digital paintings are the way I am going to have to go for awhile. I have started to journal digitally. It is a lot more satisfying than I thought it would be. Who knew?

Here is a piece I did this morning. I am calling her The Bride. All this talk of weddings, the royal wedding, is slowly sinking in to my subconscious. Hope you enjoy! {started with deviant art background which I added a few things to, the bride is from Lepage, the birds are I brake for Stamps}

See What You Can Make with a Freebie....

Do you remember a few weeks back "The Girl on a Bike" freebies? Yesterday I got an email from Robin over at the Robins Nest. She had made this fabulous fabric collage piece using one of those images. I just loved it. Jump over to her blog at http://a-rbnsnest.blogspot.com/. Robin just had a retreat...wait just hop over there and let her tell you all about it in her post. You won't be sorry, she has a lovely blog. Enjoy!

Easter Freebies

Are these not just the sweetest cards? I love the bunny and chicks. Eggs are some of my favorite things so it just tickles me to see bunnies popping out of eggs and little soft downey chicks. To me little chicks represent Spring and Hope. They are so sweet... Anyway here are some freebie for you, hope everyone is having a good week.

A Little Pink for You...

The state flower of Virginia - The Dogwood. Here is the pink version. Remember in the movie "American President" with Michael Douglas and Annette Benning , the president tries to give her the state flower of Virginia and there is a great debate about whether it is a flower or a tree. Well, it is both.

Driving through the suburbs of Northern Virginia it is a riot of pink. Pink trees in the neighborhood. Here is a sample of pictures from a couple of Cherry tree. Pink Dogwoods. It is glorious to see. Enjoy!

Life is a balancing act.....

As I explored Great Falls Park I found that there was a lot of flooding. Along the shore of the Potomac River the flooding was up ten feet or more. Many areas of the park were roped off because of the flooding. I was taking pictures of some of the floodlands when I happened upon these three creatures. The pair of ducks seemed quite happy, the poor beaver not as much. He seemed to be hanging on for dear life. I did not see any trace of his dam here. Further down stream was a swirling mass of logs...

Niagra of the South...

Today was a beautiful day. I ran to the Post Office and mailed my taxes. I had an intense need to burn off some energy. One of the nice things about the Washington D.C. area is all of the parks and trails. As it is National Park Week - no entrance fees - I decided to head to Great Falls Park.

It is a beautiful park on the Potomac River. It is called the Niagra of the South. The falls are nothing like Niagra. However, the sound is incredibly loud. You can hear the falls long before you see it. The river is very wide and full of large rocks. One side is Virginia the other is Maryland.

Spring is always a great time to visit. Right now the river is eleven feet higher than normal. It is considered in flood stage. Further down the Potomac River today parts of Georgetown had flooded buildings. The rocks are hardly visible mostly along the edge of the river.

Water is one of the most powerful forces on Earth. Here along the river you can see and hear that awesome power. It felt really good being outside today. Enjoying the wonder of nature.

The Office Door...Digital Photograph

This is my favorite door right now. I open you will double click on it and enjy all the lovely crackled paint on the door and the building surrounding it. This is the door with the rose colored door knob. Enjoy!

Can't Even Imagine...Send Prayers...

Can you imagine if this was your home? This is the scene all up and down North Carolina. Raleigh - my old hometown - was viciously struck yesterday by a tornado. 62 tornado's hit North Carolina yesterday leaving as many as 23 dead. My heart is crying.[photo by j bounds]

Trees and debris are everywhere. I found myself texting and calling friends and family most of the evening. Luckily they are all okay. However, so many people have just had their lives turned upside down in the matter of minutes. Can you imagine getting this tree off your truck or car and you yard?

Please pray for the family and friends who have lost loved ones. They not only have to deal with no power, no homes, but the loss of those that meant everything to them. Things can always be cleaned up, fixed or replaced. Nothing can ever fill the void when we lose someone we love.

This was a Lowe's Home store. You can imagine on a Spring afternoon how busy they were. The manager saved everyone - the customers and the employees. He gathered everyone to the back of the store. Angels all around us. The roof was blown off and much of the store collapsed. Many of the cars in the parking lot were overturned and thrown around. Everyone made it out alive!

Thousands are without power. It will take days to clear the trees, debris, and restring the power lines. We went through this when Hurricane Fran hit the city. It was several weeks till we had power. School's will be closed, people will be hurt cleaning up the mess. Yet neighbors will bond, random acts of kindness will come. Life will go on.

All through the South the same scenario is being played out. The devastation is everywhere. Here in Virginia yesterday was a day of bad weather, tornado's and three dead. These huge weather events are extremely scary. Please send out prayers for all of those dealing with the aftermath. They are much needed. Thank you!