Collage Obsession--Siblings

Ah, brothers and sisters--the bonds between them are strong and unbreakable, even over much time and distance. There's nothing like seeing a photo like this to zoom you right back to the days of childhood---the fighting, the rivalry, the intense closeness of living in the same tiny world...
I used a different photo, of three siblings--I have a brother and sister. I don't know where the photo came from, sorry. The frame piece is from Playingwithbrushes at T4L Flickr Group, and the butterfly from Dover. Some colorizing and artistic filters brought it together.

Darkness Inspiration--Magic

Here's my entry for the recent Darkness Inspiration Challege--Magic. I love the idea of magic--not necessarily the stage magician type, but also the ancient "magick", full of the power of the Goddess and created from the fruits of the earth.
I love to imagine the "sisterhood" of those times--when women were linked by the mysteries of the moon and the seasons, of birth and death, past and future.
Here is a portrait of such a "sister;" a priestess of the Goddess and keeper of Magick.
Thanks to the folks at Textures for Layers for all the background layers, and to Elizabeth at the Last Door Down the Hall, a lovely blog full of art, wisdom,free images, amazing photography and the ocassional free collage sheet--which is where this fascinating woman comes from.. The Runes and images are photoshop brushes by Stephanie Shimerda and JScully.

SPA-Insects

Insects! Such an interesting theme. I notice that insects-and some of their parts- often show up in mixed media and digital art. Butterflies, moths and dragonflies abound, as do their wings and antennae. The urge to "fly away" is such a universal one. The busy Bee is also a recurring element, and the occasional spider and beetle make an appearance.
I was searching for an insect image I hadn't already used in my art and came across this luminous Luna Moth. If you've never seen one, they are a gorgeous pearly pale green. With the moon just past full last night, and on my mind, I had my inspiration.
Thanks to Collage Images Flickr Group for the moth, and to Jerry at Shadowhouse Creations, and Boccacino at T4L for texture and background pieces. I also used some grunge and text Photoshop brushes.

soartful challenge-We are Women

Here's my entry for Soartful's challenge--I am Woman. I wanted to show another side of women in my piece, but still, in essence, that women are strong and protective of the people and things they love.

Also, patriotic holidays always affect me strongly, and cause me to remember and honor the efforts and sacrifices that go into the making of our country, especially those of young soldiers. We owe them all a great debt.

With thanks to Google, for the images of the soldier and the Constitution, and Scrapbook Flair for the flag backgound and other textures, and Rubyblossom from T4L for additioonal texture layers.

4 x 4 Friday--Wings

Wings! What a great theme--who doesn't want to be able to fly? In reality though, how do you ever get your clothes on over those big wings? How do you take a shower? Aren't they really fragile... Oh, well, it's still nice to dream.
Here's my little fairy (do fairies come from eggs? I think so..magic ones, of course.) --wings spread and ready to go.
Thanks to Art-e-ology for the little cutie, and Dover for the wings. The background was made with elements from Cottage Arts and Boccacino at T4L

Digital Whisper--Hollywood Dreams

Digital Whisper has a new Challenge Blog, just for fun. Our first challenge was to use four of the five images provided to make a digi-collage. I managed to use them all--and didn't use any other elements; only blending styles and fonts.
Thanks Kimmie, for the great images to work with...this practically made itself, and I LOVE it when that happens.

Collage Obsession-Leaving Alcatraz

Welcome back from your vacation, Ladies. I missed you,and hope it was a great time, even without the fishing!

The challenge this week is Door, and the image is a photo of a door from Alcatraz Island, home of America's most famous prison. I began tothink about prison, and what it might be like for someone to have to leave after 20, 30 or even 50 years there. How could one possibly cope with the amazing changes that take place during half a century. I can only imagine it must be simply overwhelming.

So here is my postcard--a man leaving the place he's known for so long, stepping into a world he has no knowledge of...

With thanks to the generous artists at Textures for Layers, including Boccacino, Rubyblossom, jfreznel and Sunneschii. The image of the man is from the Library of Congress collection.

Three Muses --Cards

Happy Anniversary, Ladies!
I can't tell you how much fun it is to participate in these Challenges. You each come up with the most interesting ideas and wonderful examples. And your thoughtful and encouraging comments were (and are still) so important to me as a growing artist.
I probably wouldn't have started this blog without your encouragement.
Thank you each and all, and I look forward to celebrating anniversaries for many more years.
Three Queens this week, in your honor. And Alice and the Rabbit, because cards always bring them to my mind.
With thanks to Suzee Que for the Alice images, Google for the queen of diamonds and to Cindy Powell and Dover for the textures. And NOT ONE Photoshop brush this time!

Dancer

Digital Whisper, a .ning group I belong to, has a challenge this week, Movement. Also provided was a beautiful photo as inspiration.
This is my creation for the challenge.
Materials used included the image provided, greatly altered; background textures from Cynthia Powell, Encounter_laura at T4L, and Songbird Avenue. The dancer was Googled and the butterfly is from Graphics Fairy.

SPA Broadway Bound

Here is my entry for the Show Biz challenge. Doesn't every young dancer, no matter what the level of talent may be, dream of making it big on the Broadway stage? I hope she got there!
Made with background assistance from Cindy Powell & Pareeerica; our young star is from Art-e-zine and the theatre posters were Googled.

4 x 4 Friday--Open Challenge--Make Art

Now THIS is a wide-open theme! Who really knows what art is, or how to create it... So I sbegan to scroll through all the bits I have accumulated looking for inspiration.
It came to me in the papers and pieces, including the "beauty" overlay, in the kits I have purchased from Songbird Avenue. If you don't know this site, the artist commmunity here produces a limited edition kit every month and sells it, and the profits go to support a charity. One of the kits I own, Port au Prince, supported disaster relief in Haiti. It's www.songbirdavenue.com, if you'd like to visit.
Other elements came from Encounter_laura at T4L, the butterfly from Tomeki28 at Collage Images Flickr group, a good spot for free images. The alphabet is from Cottage Arts

ACF # 75--Jester

Here is my entry for this week's Art Creations Friday challenge--to use the image provided; a lovely female jester in soft greens and gold. I took her title literally and made her a playing card. And, perhaps, with Father's Day coming on, I added a little tribute to a father's influence on careers.
The cards are from a set of vintage French playing cards. I don't remember where I found them; background textures were made with Photoshop brushes, and layers from Cindy Powell's Painted Silks kit and from Rubyblossom at T4L.

Art on the Dark Side--Ghost Whisperer

I was inspired by this challenge to use an old photo of a mother and daughter. They look so sad.
I thought about them being separated by death, and believe that they would whisper to each other across the void.
I separated the two in the photo, and added the father from an old cabinet card freebie from somewhere. Don't you love the way he seems to be holding her--that was truly just serendipity. Other images are from Dover and the fantastically eerie background is by Irene2005 at T4L. The bits of text and the smoke around the little ghost are Photoshop brushes.
Thanks for stopping by.

Three Muses Challenge-relationships

Here is my entry for this week's challenge. I love this old photo of the two little boys; the little one so proud to be standing next to his big brother. I think the bond between brothers must be very special.
Main image is from Art-e-zine; background made from images by Encounter_laura and and a background from an old ACF challenge. Balloon and flourishes are PS brushes.

The Pirate Map

For a challenge at Digital Whisper, we were given the image of an old and tattered parchment scroll. It immediately brought to to mind an old map, and specifically a Pirate's Treasure Map, passed from hand to hand, kept close, and unrolled often as the pirates dreamed of finding hidden treasure.

All the elements here were googled, and blended with layer styles and Photoshop brushes.

I made a Photoshop Brush!

I know, I know, this is old hat to most of you, and it's not even my first one, but it's Bunnie, and he is so pleased.
I made a postcard with him, using a background paper from Cottage Arts (cottagearts.net) a great site with beautiful digital papers and elements for scrapbooking and digital art. There are also some great freebies, and free tutorials for photoshop. I also used a calligraphy alphabet from Graphics Fair and some other brushes. The quote is about Spring--lovely, eh.

ACF 74 Tick Tock

The lovely lady in the image provided this week looked to me like she is waiting for soomething or someone, and is beginning to feel a bit impatient. I know just how she feels. I don't mind waiting for anyone--until the moment the are LATE...then impatience doesn't come close to my level of annoyance. I don't know why just one more tick of the clock should make such a difference, but OH, it does!

This was made with background textures from T4L, one by Encounter_Laura and one by the ever popular"I. Forget", embelishments from Graphics Fairy, Cynthia Powell's Made of Metal embellishment set, Dover and the aforementioned I. some brushes for more texture and it was done.

Three Muses Challenge-Legs

No story here...just this cutie with her long, long legs. She looks like she's having great fun.
I don't remember where she came from--thank you whoever you are, for your generosity. Background created with PS brushes and a texture from Encounter_laura at T4L; Prague Astronomical Clock was Googled and the butterfly from Dover.

SPA Challenge-Umbrella

We had much big rain this winter and early spring--even monsoon like showers yesterday! I found myself taking lots of photos of folks walking in the rain from my office window. This image is from one of them. Background textures are from Encounter_laura and mbgrigby at T4L, and from the Graphics
Fairy and Amberbaz designs. Photoshop brushes and stamps from an old postcard completed my rainy day postcard.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and children out there!

Soartful Challenge--Fragrance

Here's my entry for this week's Soartful Challenge. Fragrance. A difficult theme to express visually. The beautiful perfume atomizer with its neoclassical lines and ornate gold trim conjured the exotic scents of sandalwood and patchouli, musk and lilies...
The exotic woman and her setting are from Suzee Que; textures from Encounter_laura at T4L and from Graphics Fairy, Photoshop brushes by SeleneHeart.

4 x 4 Friday--Hats

A great hat can change your day!

Image from Suzee Que; background textures are one of mine, a piece from Shadowlands and the frame texture by LeslieNichole at Frames4Use Flickr Group. Photoshop brushes and filters; and the quote is from an old ad for Plaza Suite Hats.

ACF # 73--Invitation to the Dance

This week we were presented with this perfect little couple, so poised and proper. All I could think of were dancing lessons, with the students so serious, and trying to be so very grown up.

The music and text pieces were Googled, and some of the musical notation is from a photoshop brush set. Background textures are from Cynthia Powell's set of painted silks, and from Temari09 at T4L. Blending styles and PS brushes completed the picture.

Three Muses Challenge-Stars

Wishing on a star...my cousins and I did a lot of that during our childhood summers. Do children even play outside after the stars come out any more? I really hope so; not much is more beautiful than a sky full of twinkling stars to wish on...

Backrgound credit to Songbird Avenue and TK Swayze at T4L; images from Dover; photoshop brushes.
Thanks for visiting.

Collage Obsession-Mothers

SPA- Sewing

I learned to do hand sewing when I was a Girl Scout--even got the badge!I took machine sewing lessons when I was 13--and made most of my clothes until I was out of college--and taught my mother and sister to sew too! I loved sewing, all kinds and made some unique and funky clothes and toys for my daughter, quilts and other stuff. I always had a sewing room.
Sad to say, when we moved to Boston I lost my sewing room--my machine is tucked away in a closet, and my much diminished fabric stash is in bins in the basement {SIGH}
I miss it sometimes.
So here's a bit of nostalgia for me...
made with elements from Cynthia Powell studios (silk fabric texture); T4l; Gaby Braun; elements from Songbird Avenue kits, Ms jordan's Lazy Sofa Days and HZ designs. The paper pattern was googled and the main image is from a vintage sewing machine ad. Some Photoshop brushes completed the nostalgic feel.

Emerging

I downloaded some wonderful new Photoshop brushes this morning, including a set of fractal brushes by Kime-ra. As I was trying them out, I thought to use a black background and color the brushes white and the fiery yellows orange and red. The effect was AMAZING, like painting with light. The face is also a new brush, from a set called Steampunk Bizarre by Hogret. I found these and several other cool sets at http://www.brushesdownload.com/
A few texture bits- a moth from Graphics fairy and a text piece from Bocaccino at T4L, and she was complete. I love it when a piece just comes together.