Alphabet Inspired--H is for Home

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I'm up to H in my Alphabet Inspired series, and SPA's theme this week is Home Sweet Home. Serendipity!

The image is from a vintage Christmas card from Marysophie1 at Collage Images Flickr Group, the border overlay is by Shadowhouse. You should visit his site--gorgeous, gorgeous textures and brushes, free to use. And there are tutorials for making your own. There's a link in my Blog list, on the right.
The rest is by me, a texture of my own and some grungy brushwork

Digital Whisper's 100 Themes Challenge

Digital Whisper Art Group has begun a year long challenge--100 themes! We have a list of themes and a year to complete 100 pieces. I've started a new blog to showcase my contributions all in one place. It's Called "Another Volunteer's 100 Themes" I hope you will come and visit there. You can click on the link here or on the button to the right.

Here is the list of themes.

Cape Elizabeth, Maine

This is the lighthouse just outside of Portland, Maine. It's one of my favorite places in the world (or at least the little bits that I have visited)to take photographs, and to feel both the power and serenity of the sea.

Three Muses Challenge- Fashion

Here's my piece for this week's challenge--Fashion. I've been wanting to use this dramatic image for a long time and this was finally the perfect vehicle.

Background created with textures and papers by Encounter_laura at T4L, Cottage Arts and Ms Jordan at Digiscrapstation. Brushes , filters, blending modes and layer styles were applied for texture and depth.

Thanks for visiting!

Take a Word--Botanical

Image from Art-e-zine, background bits from T4L and Gaby Braun. The botanical images are from a public domain vintage book of botanical illustrations of the gardens of Paris.

SPA- Pencils and Pens

This is a quote from Wordsworth. I just love it, and wish I could do it, but words are not my craft or art.

The photo of the writer is my own, the wooden background is by Sheree Hulbert and another background texture is by Natmarie at T4L. The moth is from the very generous Graphics Fairy. I also used some vintage postcard and grunge brushes.

Alphabet Inspired-G is for Garden

Up to G and still going...YAY Me!

This piece was totally inspired by the quote, which is by Robert Brault. I found it on the Quote Garden site--one of my go to places for inspiration. I had never heard of Robert Brault, so I visited his website http://www.robertbrault.com/. He is a free lance writer from Connecticut, and is quite the quotemaster. I'm now following his blog, and from the little I've read, it will be an enlightening and fun journey.

The woman is from a painting by Toulouse Lautrec; the garden scene is from a Park Seed Catalog; and there's a texture piece from Temari09 at T4L in there. I used Photoshop blending modes, filters and layer styles, as well as copious applications of the eraser tool.

Thanks for visiting.

Three Muses--Favorite Artist--Frida

She comes immediately to mind.

I don't even really like her work, but Frida Kahlo epitomizes who and what I think of as an artist--someone who won't be distracted or swayed from her path and the desire, the NEED to create. Her life was not easy or painless, but she lived to her fullest and created a remarkable and fascinating body of work.

The photo was googled, the Self Portrait with Monkey is her own work, a background piece by Muffet at Textures for Layers ana gradient and PS brushes for texture and depth.

Alphabet Inspired-F is for Faith

A lesser known of Emily Dickinson's quotes, but one that always speaks to me when I am teetering on the brink of sadness or depression. It doesn't always cure, but it always gives me pause and lets me take a moment or two to breathe and consider what's going on in my head or heart.

Bird from Graphics Fairy, I think, and background layers from Ka2rina at T4L and Shadowhouse Creations. Lots of different PS brushes were used to add texture and depth.

Thanks for visiting.

Take a Word--Butterflies

A lovely challenge word this week! Butterflies always make me happy when I see them. They are such magical creatures!

I found this gorgeous blue butterfly on a collage sheet by Candyn29 at Totally Free Collage Sheets Flickr Group. I began with it and the collage just grew into this postcard.

Other pieces came from Dover and Scrapbook Flair ans a Photoshop brush set called Italian Postcards.

Alphabet Inspired--E is for Eggs

I love the egg as a symbol, so fragile yet so protective of its contents. An egg is so full of potential--it can become nourishment in itself, it can transform flour, water and sugar into cake, it can soften your skin. OR it can nurture and produce a living thing, a bird, a bug, a fish...

A marvelous creation, the egg.

My very favorite egg illustration, courtesy of the Graphics Fairy, as is the little bird-it's a Phoebe, and has a call that sounds just like its name. Background made with pieces feom Rubyblossom and Cottage Arts.

SPA- Mona Lisa's New Career

Did you know that Mona always wanted to be a flamenco dancer? After sitting for her famous portrait she went on a tour of Europe and the States, dancing her little feet off.

Mona by Leonardo, backgrounds from 2 pieces by Rubyblossom, paper from Songbird Avenue and sheet music from Google Images. The dancer and the poster background are from the Graphics Fairy, embellishments and PS brushes from Cottage Arts and Songbird Avenue.

Alphabet Inspired-D is for Dance

Dancing can be such an exuberant act--giving your mind and body over to the magic of music and letting it take hold of you...Nowhere do we see this more than in the joyful dancing of children!

Background made with bits from Scrapbook Flair and the Feathered Nest; images from Graphics Fairy, Wikimedia Commons and Google images; overlay from Cottage Arts; and Photoshop brushes, blending modes and layer styles applied.

SPA- Hobbies & Pastimes-Fortune Telling

Not my hobby by any means...I like to watch the future unfold as it will. But it is a fascination for many people, to try and divine what is to come--or what may come.

Most of the images were either in my collection or googled; background textures are from Rubyblossom and Una Cierta Mirada at T4L, photoshop brushes by Stephanie Shimerda.

Thanks for visiting.

Alphabet Inspired C is for Crayons

Number 3 in the series. The image is from the Graphics Fairy and the rest was done with crayon scribble photoshop brushes by Faye Fairy at Deviantart.

New Series--Alphabet Inspired

I'm attempting to do another series, inspired by the letters of the alphabet. Let's see how far I get! I never did finish the Seven Gifts series...still two more to go.
A and B are here.
Oh, I just saw the theme for this week's Three Muses challenge--Old Fashioned. In case I don't get a chance to complete another piece, I offer "B is for Beauty".

SPA-Celestial Navigation

My entry for this first of the New Year challenge. Steering by the stars--trusting the fixed points in my life and always setting my course by them. I hope it will be an interesting journey.

Texture pieces by Ka2rina and Karrie Amelia at Textures for Layers; the boat is a googled image of a toy yacht, I use this image a lot--it always signifies the soothing power and serenity of the sea to me. Photoshop brushes, layer styles and blending modes completed the piece.