Year of the dragon 2

Origami dragon and joss paper from Google images, rice paper texture from Marmota at Textures for Layers. The calligraphy reads Happy New Year. I made the stamp from photoshop brushes. What a fun theme this is!

BEST PRESENT EVER!

This is an Air Swimmer! It's a helium filled, remote control shark that swims around in your house, office, dorm or whever else you can take it. My sister in law found it for her son on amazon.com, and there are many You Tube videos of the shark and his friends, Air Swimmer Bass and Air Swimmer Nemo--yes, THAT Nemo! I got one for the husband's new office, and now he can't wait to move in!

Year of the Dragon

Occupying the 5th position in the Chinese Zodiac, the Dragon is the mightiest of the signs. Dragons symbolize such character traits as dominance and ambition. Dragons prefer to live by their own rules and if left on their own, are usually successful. They’re driven, unafraid of challenges, and willing to take risks. They’re passionate in all they do and they do things in grand fashion. Unfortunately, this passion and enthusiasm can leave Dragons feeling exhausted and interestingly, unfulfilled. While Dragons frequently help others, rarely will they ask for help. Others are attracted to Dragons, especially their colorful personalities, but deep down, Dragons prefer to be alone. Perhaps that is because they’re most successful when working alone. Their preference to be alone can come across as arrogance or conceitedness, but these qualities aren’t applicable. Dragons have tempers that can flare fast! Images from Dover. Calligraphy (it says dragon) by Ming Chan.

some new journal pages

Some thoughts for progress in the new year

Instead of resolutions this year, I have a list of things to practice, cultivate and work on getting better at in the new year. The Bokeh (bokeh ALWAYS brings me joy..it's just so beautiful,always)is from TonnyC at Textures for Layers. The quotes were all found on Wisdomquotes.com The Peace Prayer of St. Francis is especially meaningful to me. It was the favorite prayer of my late father-in-law, Jack Gibbons, and it was the way he lived his life. I only knew him for a few short--too short--years , but he is still a major influence in my own life. If I am half the good person he was, I am grateful.

Take a Word--Print

The power of words to change us in ways we can't even imagine... Image from Dover; quote from Every Book Its Reader: The Power of the Printed Word to Stir the World, by Nicholas A. Basbanes

SPA Open THeme--Hope

Image fom Google Images; overlay from Marie Otero.

12 Days of Texture--Day 12

Kim's texture Friday and a technique I pick up from an older post of hers.

12 Days of Texture Days 10 & 11

Day 10 Part of my collection of nesting dolls. Kim's textures Providence and WonderfulMagic

Day 11 a very bad photo...Kim's textures Rejoice and and MoreMagic and a star brush from TimelessArt helped to transform it into something beautiful

12 Days of Texture Days 8 and 9

Day 8 Kim's texture Lola and a bokeh piece from DigitalYardSale

Day 9 Kim's texture Storm--I really like this one--and a grungy frame I made.

Three Muses--Angels

Still in the Christmas spirit! I found this wonderful photo on Wikimedia Commons, and altered it with Fotosketcher. The angels are a brush I made from a header for a page of Christmas Carols, Kim Klassen's texture Stormwas applied to soften andgive a bit of texture. Thanks for visiting !

crazy amigos--ornaments

Since many of the Amigos are primarily stampers, I am enjoying the challenge of trying to create the effect of ink stamping digitally. I used a background paper from Trine Secher, and PS brushes from Yasny Chan and Redheadstock at Deviantart. Happy Holidays Everyone

Take a Word--Sepia

I found this wonderful quote Sunday morning and just HAD to go with it!

Sunday Selections and 12 Days of Texture 6 & 7

Tower of a church in the center of town. Kim Klassen textures MoreMagicScratched and Serendipity.

I've been taking pictures of this concrete bulldog for several years now. Kim's textures MoreMagic and Poetic.

Christmas candles in a neighbor's window. Kim's texture WonderfulMagic.

Kim's texture WonderfulMagicScripted

A photo of my mother's christmas tree from last year. Kim's Texture WonderfulMagicStars.

SPA--Vintage Christmas

Image from Takeabreak; bokeh background from Shadowhouse; brushes;the font is Little Lord Fontleroy.

Soartful--Ceil Chapman

Ceil Chapman was one of the definitive fashion designers of the 1950's. She created wonderful cocktail and party dresses, namy for screen actresses and film costumes. I found this wonderful, feathery pink dress and immediately thought of swans.

12 Days of Texture-Days 4 & 5

My photo, Kim's texture Edward and Pixeldust texture Backlight. Ramdom but judicious use of the burn tool

Another of my photos, with Kim's Zuzu texture, set to "Darker Color" and the b/w photo colorized to sepia.

12 Days of Texture #3

My photo, Kim's textures Cosmo and Poetic.

Three Muses Challenge- -T'is the Season

In Boston a few years ago an advertising campaign was begun at Christmastime, urging all of us to celebrate the "Season of Peace." It continues every year now, on billboards, sides of buses and taxi roof signs.
It's a beautiful reminder of what's important!

Kim Klassen Cafe--12 Days of Texture

Day # 1 Lilly

Day # 2 Annabelle

Crazy Amigos-Embossing

Done digitally with brushes and embossing layer styles.

Take a Word--Joy

Cookie from Google, the branch is a brush, the ribbon from MsJordan. I made the background using Image Chef's Word Mosaic app and bokeh brushes from Obsidian Dawn and Sentieny Zombie.

4 by 4 Friday--Christmas Moon

Made with free PS brushes by RedHeaded Stock, Yasny Chan, and some others.

Sunday Selections Groton, CT

Taken in August 2005. Processed with textures from Shadowhouse, BittBox, NothingButFreebies, Elizabeth Golden and LivEdesigns.

Sunday Postcard Art--Pointsetta

A photo of white pointsetta provided for another group, altered with Xero filter, Illustrator; background and texture made with brushes

soartful challenge-Santa Week 2

Image from Wikimedia Commons, altered in Fotosketcher and with PSE filters, textures by Brenda Starr and Shadowhouse, brushes by Gurly

Photo Art Friday--Decorating Mom's tree

A couple of years ago at Christmas, my father had knee replacement surgery and was unable to help my mom with decorating the house for Chriastmas. It's always one of her favorite things to do, so...
My sister and I spent a weekend there , putting up the tree, and decorating up a storm. After many, many trips to the basement storage room we had covered every surface to the Christmas max, and made significant alterations in the traditional Christmas scheme.
We did a GREAT job, and it was such fun for us to get to play with some of the things we were never allowed to touch as children.
The pinecone and round glass ornament in this picture may well be older than me--and that's OLD!

I used a texture from the free ones on Bonnie's site, the vintage wine label, a dark one from Shadowhouse and a frame I made from brushes.
I can't wait to go back this year and see all our old favorites again.

Texture Tuesday--Celebrate

For Texture Tuesday: my photo from a few winters ago with Kim's Poetic and Word textures applied.

Take a word--Numbers

Ramdom Numbers

Photo Art Friday

I've been playing with the filters in the Xero plug-in set. For this photo I uses the artifax filter and slid the sliders around until I liked the effect.
I also addes a border texture from Shadowhouse.

original

edited


You can find the Xero plug-in here. It's free, but only works for Windows systems

SPA Christmas Fairy

Images from Suzee Que and Lizzie_Anne.

Sunday Selections. Christmastime in Saratoga Springs 2005

I took these photos in MNovember 2005, while visiting a friend at Skidmore College.. Saratoga Sptings is a wonderful little town, home not only to Skidmore , but to the world famous Saratoga Springs Racetrack. These are enhanded with the wonderful textures of Elizabeth Golden at The last Door ...Down the Hall