I am a Chair

Wow, wow, wow, Thursday?  Really?  I have had a busy busy week and yesterday had a wonderful coffee date with a dear friend.  We met at a local coffee house, this place is a lot of fun, with little seating areas here and there, sofas, some regular tables and this fabulous chair.  My friend fell in love with it first and kept saying "I want that chair", so I told her to take a picture, she already had.  We visited for so long, they should have charged us rent, lol.  She is also an Art Journaler, an all around creative and very talented woman, we have so much in common but our art is a special bond between us. We pour over magazines and stroll through our local craft store, we share items back and forth but most of all we inspire and support each other in every under taking.  How big a blessing is that?  So as our conversations meandered from this and that, we kept coming back to "The Chair" and then I had a wonderful idea, let's both take pictures of the chair and do a journal page entitled "I am a Chair", we put a time line of 7days to complete it (she has a house full of activity to work around) and when we are done we post it to our blogs.  This morning I woke with my ideas over flowing and ready for work.  It is a digi page and came together rather quickly.

The credits:  I used Lila's kit "Dried Lavender" from Scrapbook Graphics, all work was done in PhotoShop6.

Hope everyone is full and happy today, hugs

Art Journal Caravan - A month

I wanted to do a composite page of things that I have learned this month.  Most of my waking hours this month have been devoted one way or another to my art journal and PhotoShop.  Lol, I have questioned my sanity, my ability to learn and retain and most assuredly my ability to follow directions.  But as I get quiet and look at all that I have done and learned I am okay with myself, patience will not be one of the words on my tombstone, lol.

This is "Wren" an art doll from Rebecca McMeen at Scrapbook Graphics, she sits on a cloud pillow, waiting for the butterfly to tell her she is over Dover and it is time to jump, ROFL, life needed a little fantasy   This project ends my journey in the Port of Call - United Kingdom, next week we move on to another.

I have found a fab new way to extract items from a photograph, etc., thanks to my new friend Lynnise who sent me a fabulous tutorial link.  The butterfly is one of my photographs a few years ago of my marigold containers, he was a wonderful visitor.  I learned to make brushes, which is what set me off on this fantastic quest in the first place, I just wanted to learn how to make a brush so I could stamp my name and date on projects, ROFL, it is the simplest things that get you in the deepest waters. My name and date as well as the little cloud pillow Wren sits on are brushes created by me.  I have learned to do a drop shadow, which gives the elements their depth, that is an art form all on its own.  I have learned how to stylize and emboss alphas.
These are just a few of my new favorite things.  Hopefully at the end of the year I will be able to have a hearty belly laugh.  Hope everyone has a great day, hugs

The Heavens and Stars

My big brother passed on Friday, peacefully in his sleep.  It was not totally unexpected, he had had a rough year and was 20 years older than I.  I meditated a lot on Friday and many prayers for his safe journey. I told him I loved him, shared favorite memories and asked him over and over to follow the light.  Friday night I lay my head to sleep but sleep was an elusive thing, I tossed and turned.  There was a feeling that there was something I was supposed to do.  So I got up and roamed a little and then decided to go outside and sit on the front patio for a while.  As soon as I opened the front door, I knew what it was I was supposed to be doing.  I turned around grabbed my camera and closed the front door behind me.  It was like stepping into a dream, a fairy tale, a place surreal with the most magnificent light, puffy clouds traveling through the sky, fast enough so that you could see them pass.  The light from the moon was bright, bright and the moon was encased like a jewel in the clouds.  The stars twinkled as I have never seen in the city.  I knew that my brother was telling me in his own way that he had found the light.  A new angel.

I used the photograph for our quote this week at Art Journal Caravan, because it was perfect. "The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists." Charles Dickens.

I pray all of you have a safe week filled with love and beauty. Hugs

Splatter Brush Technique

Happy Saturday everyone, I told someone on the Scrapbook Graphics "Art Journal Caravan" this morning I would do a short tutorial on a technique for getting a brush splatter to use as a brush in PhotoShop.  So here I go.

Chipboard is really a staple in my studio, I use it for so many things but I love it for masks, I ripped these two pieces and then laid them on top of my paper, I used 110# card stock, but anything that does not bleed heavily is fine and it is fun to play with a textured watercolor paper on something like this too.  I laid them down to create a directional splatter diagonally across my sheet.

 I am in my hearts core a watercolor artist, I love the medium beyond any other, I have a zillion brushes and each one is a treasure, some of them are 40+ years old.  For this process I chose to use a Chinese Calligraphy brush also known as an oxtail brush.  It slurps up paint with almost no dripping, if you don't have one you can use any round brush, I do not suggest a mop as it is just tooo messy, you also might want to put a piece of news print under your project to protect your surface.  The flat brush is just used to tap on the oxtail brush as I move it down the sheet.  My first go is mixed with some water so that the splatters build from lighter to darker. I am using Black Tempra paint but you can also use India Ink (it is harder to control the splatters) or acrylic.

Here is the second go around, I am using a more concentrated mixture, less water more paint. Same tapping motion, I tap about 1 to 1 1/2" inches behind the ferrule crimp. I load my tempra into a porcelain washi bowl,I just use one but you might want to use two containers one for your first mix and one for the second thicker mix.

This little brush is one of my all time favorites and I guard it like a dog with a bone, lol, it came in an overnight kit and is a temporary tooth brush, it has very fine plastic bristles and is great at the end for tiny tiny little splatters, you can use a tooth brush but load it lightly.  If you are not familiar with these processes, I really do suggest you play a little first to get your bearings.

The above is the final splat, just waiting for the paint to dry, I usually give it 30mins or so its own and then hit with a heat or embossing tool.  Then scan the piece in, take it to photoshop and create a brush.

This is how the brush created in PhotoShop looks on a piece of background paper, I used the brush in black  and in white, I made the white splatters a little smaller for the white.  Hope this helped, have a great weekend, hugs

choose love

Happy Friday, are we all ready to jump into the last weekend of January, ROFL, not even going to go there, just hope you have a fun and safe one.  

I wanted to do a special Valentine this year, my focus and style has changed so much and I wanted something to reflect that.  I wanted it to reflect my new abilities with photoshop and my honed journaling skills, it has been years since I have created sooo many journal pages.  I know I have shared my belief before that jounaling is a healing activity and a stimulator of our mojo, if there was even a glimmer of doubt in the darkest recesses of my soul, it has been banished.  Our brain loves the stimulation of words and color and image.  I have never felt so alive and inspired.  I can hardly wait to go to sleep so I can wake and play, lol.

All the images and background are mine and were manipulated and pulled together in photoshop, except for the scattered hearts which are from Emeto Design "Discovering Love".  So as we get ready to float into February, remember to "choose love", hugs

Clover Frost

Week 3 at an Art Journal Caravan for the Art Journal Photo, I was on my patio the other morning and the outside cat was attempting to cross the front yard, which is really just a clover patch and it was crunchie with morning frost.  I zipped into the house to get my camera but was too late to get his antics, I did capture the clover though, I love the zagged edges of the frost covered clover.  My favorite time for it though is in the spring when the bees are all at work in the sweet little buds.

I took the photo with my iPhone4 and the mat was done in PhotoShop.  Have a fab day, hugs

I am a Canvas

Monday, Monday.  Hi everyone, this is week 3 for AJC (Art Journal Caravan) and I took on the challenge to view myself as a canvas.  I thought about using a photograph but then decided to do a character sketch of myself.  I did the sketch, printed it out and colored with Copics, I then scanned it in and took it to photoshop and added it to the easel and canvas, all elements are from Emeto Designs - "Discovering Love". Background paper is Viva Studio "Penmanship".

My journaling:  "I am a canvas.  I am 66 layers of color, one for each year. I am layers of glazes, some sparkle, some shine, all of which have taken wrinkles with age.  The lines curve and bend with the joys and sorrows.  The base colors still radiate the passion inside, they have strong undertones of faith and persistence.  The canvas stands ready for sofe bristles of the brush to still add and refine, for that is the life of a canvas.  It is not a masterpiece until it has been signed by its' creator."

Hope you have a great week and hugs.

Merlin's Book of Spells and Potions

Our word this week (week 3)for the Art Journal Caravan is Mystery, our port of call this month is the United Kingdom, so had to include Merlin as part of my tour. I started this as one of my exercises in PhotoShop and it just started coming together, I love when that happens, don't you?  I wanted to add some hand made brushes to photoshop, so I did 3 of them for this page, Mystery is handwritten, the ink splots were done with India Ink on water color paper and the binding for the book is a Zentangle done on a long strip.  The leather string closure is from Tangie's "YippeKaiYay" kit, the bottle and winged heart are from Dawn Inskip "Ministry of Magic" kit.  The background paper is an old splatter sheet I scanned in.  Happy Sunday everyone, may all your spells be loving ones. Hugs

Invoke your Magic

Oh my goodness, did I just post a card, I did, I did, lol.  This morning I was following a tutorial with Tangie on Text and Paths in PhotoShop, oh my goodness.  I was also playing with Viva's "Penmanship" kit and I kept thinking some of these images would be beautiful on a card.  Well here it is.  "Invoke your magic in words or image" was done with the Text to Path in PS, I did some drop shadows and burn on it and gave it some red.  The background was distressed with Tim Holtz "Black Soot", "Mahogany" and "Old Paper".  Added some of my signatures, heeeheeee, the photocorners by EKSuccess and the 3D bow by Lori Whitlock cut with my Cameo.  If you click on the pic to get a larger image you can see that I did an overlay of DecoArt "GlamourDust"-Ice Crystal, I found this product last year at Hobby Lobby and will always have a bottle of it near, it gives the coolest touch of glimmer and what is magic without glimmer.  Hope you have a wonderful weekend. Hugs

Quote - Winston Churchill

This is my quote for the Art Journal Caravan.  The background paper is some shipping paper I received and have held onto because it is so different, it feels like an old egg carton just a lot thinner and the wrinkles are just wonderful, so I scanned it in and then took it to photoshop and played with some of the blending and shadow tools, it is one of my favorite backgrounds.  I used four different kits on this, all are from Scrapbook Graphics.  The ink spot "Tender Moment" by Lilas, the ink bottle, VJS "A Gentlman's Journey", the Latin block Tangie's "Beasties" oh how I love this kit and the hand and pen are from Viva "Penmanship".  I love this quote from Churchill, a strong man with a sense of humor is so appealing.  Have a great day, hugs

Time Prisioner

I was following along with a PhotoShop tutorial and this is what happened, lol.  "Be not a prisoner of time. Release the ties that bind and fly free in the moment. The clock does not tic for you."  I used images from "FNSspring" and "Collage People" by Tangie Baxter, the string is from Lilas Summer at Scrapbook Graphics.  The font is "Amethyst Zuccini.  I was working with overlays in this, which is the leaf washi tape that I created a brush with and a watch face that was also made into a brush.  What an incredible adventure this is turning into.  

Hope everyone is sailing through their week, hugs

Time Stands Still for No Man

Our word this week for the Art Journal Caravan is "Time"  Images are from Tangie Baxter, Scrapbook Graphics, "Beaties" and "Collage People".  The watch face is an extraction I did in PhotoShop from one of my favorite funky watches.  I had no idea my computer had all this magic in it, just waiting for me to come and play.  Have a great day, I have more playing to do.  hugs

Soul Magic

Morning everyone, we are cold and frosty in N CA but a little higher temps toward the middle of week.  I continue my adventure with PhotoShop and Art Journal Caravan.  I did this digi for our word last week "magic".  I liked it so much I decided to do an A2 card with it.

I created the background paper using a couple of my designs and a stamp I made in PhotoShop using some washi tape.  The butterfly is a Tangie Baxter image from her FNSSummer kit at Scrapbook Graphics.  Have a great week, hugs

Art Journal Caravan - Passport Book 2013

 I continue to be amazed with the Art Journal Caravan 2013 that I signed up for.  The inspiration and materials supplied for this is just outstanding.  Our journal pages that we post receive passport stamps from Tangie, there will be one for every week, so at the end of 2013 there will be 52 passport stamps.  Being both a visual and tactile being, I wanted a book to keep them in, so that I could go back and look at any point. I decided on a book size of 6 1/2"X4 1/2".  The cover background is from Tangie Baxter, designer and tour guide for Art Journal Caravan 2013 at Scrapbook Graphics.  Also the wonderful AJC stamp upper left corner.  I designed the 2013 passport stamp using Shilouette DE.  I added some metal photo corners, an inspiration word metal "inspire" and one of my favorite old rusty keys.

Here is page 1 of the passport stamp book, I decided to use the page submitted as my background paper and then created a print n cut of the stamp and adhered it to the background.  At some point I will design tabs, probably with the week # the stamp was given.  The book was bound with my "Cinch"  Hope all is well in your world, that's it for now, hugs

Make Your Light Shine

This morning I was playing with a line drawing in my Cameo and filled it with "Purple Haze" from the Shilouette Library, my mystic within loved it so much I did a card with it.  The background is one of my favorite shirts that I scanned in to create a background.  The Yoga mat was created with the Cameo as well as the sentiment block.

I hope your light is shinning bright today, hugs

The Red Bag

I am truly making progress, it is so exciting when that happens, when things start to flow and every step is not a learning process.   The above is a hybrid journal page, which just means it is not completely digital, if you did not know.  I took a picture of my new red bag, took it to photoshop, extracted it and then took it to the Cameo to turn it into an image and cut it out.  I then did a tag, which says, "The quickest way for my purse to become a complete mess is with receipts, so I have made a carrier for them."  So onto the next part of this post.

Here is my receipt carrier.  My base consists of two pieces of chipboard adhered 3"X7", I then covered it with some printed paper and added some metal photo corners.  I have 3 holders, 2 are pockets with the insert cut on the diagonal, they are from the Shiloette Store and then a rip envelope with the top cut off, also from the Shiloette Store.  I then did 2 little word labels "receipts" and put my favorite little wish fairy from Dawn Inskip at Scrapbook Graphics and another word label "an organized bag is a happy bag", which can be taken in a couple of different ways, LOL.  I hope everyone is having a happy weekend. Hugs

Be the moment

Good Morning, it is a crisp frosty winter one here, a weekend to stay in all toasty warm.  Read a little, work with PhotoShop or other projects, a little something cooking to make the house smell all homey, yep that is my weekend.

I do at least one meditation a day, usually first thing in the morning when all is quiet.  I invite Jesus and Holy Spirit in as I begin.  Sometimes it is a very silent meditation and sometimes I am asking questions and waiting for answers.  The last week or so I have been asking for guidance in staying in the moment, for focus.  Not a whole lot has come up other than to keep on the path.  Yesterday was amazing, same request, but this time mid way into the meditation, I heard, "try being the moment".  All of my senses came alive and my eyes popped open, and it was all I thought about off and on all day.  People much smarter than I have tried to explain the shift in perception that happens in meditation and I have drawn the conclusion that it is an experience that teaches, never an experience that can be taught.  I have to share though, to go into a meditation declaring that you are the moment is a sojourn to heaven.

Yesterday I was gathering some images and papers for some journal pages and stopped dead in my tracks when I saw this background paper from "Secret Place" kit by em-ka designs at Scrapbook Graphics.  It was an image that just said it all.  So I played a little with it and added the sentiment and printed it out so that I could place it on my table where I do my meditations.  So this is my share with you today, I hope each and every one has a grand weekend filled with peace and productivity.  Hugs

Hearts Engaged

Morning Peeps, this week, I started working some with dropped shadows in PhotoShop.  My sentiment and the dangling heart both have them.  The background is one I did.  Photocorners EKSuccess.  The bubbles are from "Grain" by lmurphy and the heart is from "SummerDay" by Lilas both Scrapbook Graphics kits.  My siggie was done with brushes in PhotoShop.

Have a great weekend, hugs

Art Journal Caravan 2013 Letter

My first post for 2013, I thought long and hard on this decision to join the 2013 Art Journal Caravan. My primary concerns were time issues, finally decided I would just have to make time for this wonderful adventure.  Our first assignment was to do a letter for 2013.  Using images and paper from Tangie Baxter, our tour guide and such a talented designer and a fab share kit from Studio Lorie, I did it.

Already I have learned some new tricks in PhotoShop and am so excited for my decision.  I hope everyone has moved into 2013 with gusto and new resolve, Hugs