Friday, July 31, 2009

what to do part two

i had so much fun playing with kate's background
(above is my first attempt, see previous post)
i decided to take the challenge one step further
and see what i could do with MY same
project to make it different





i played with some filters, rearranged the layers,
and kept trying out every blending mode
same project, 4 different results
i'm not sure which one i like best!
this was so much fun i think i will go back to some of my
old projects and see what i can do !





Thursday, July 30, 2009

what to do with this?

has posted this challenge on her blog
she found through
here's what it says, quote:
wHat wOuLd yOu do wiTh thiS?
"One of the things that most fascinates me about art
is how you can have a group of about thirty people
give them the same task and
they all come up with something different.
It's amazing.
This is a collage and paint background i created.
I was about to work over it but
then i wondered what other people would do with it.
So if you have the time,
download this image and work your magic with it.
Just remember to show us what you do!"
.............................
so i took the challenge
i added a few pictures (above)
a textured background
one of my photos from a local cemetery
script found on an old postcard
and some latin text


i played with the sizing and blending modes

and this is what i came up with

let me know what you can do

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

i love texture

while wondering around the city
i'm always on the look out for texture
it's everywhere, if you stop and notice
some of my best photos are of "grunge"
it's fun to play with them in ps
they make great collages
they make interesting backgrounds and overlays
to add to other photos
and lately they have inspired
some really great encaustic pieces


photos taken in the "junction"

Sunday, July 26, 2009

baby momma

for the past few months i've had this
little cat hanging around my garden
every morning i would find her under the hostas
right next to the bird bath
then i noticed a few dead birds
so i put the bird feeder away
and gave her some food
she was very tiny and shy
and would eat and run
i called her "baby"
every morning she would be back
then she showed up with a collar on,
then a few weeks later, no collar
she started to warm up to me and
decided to come in the house, then eat and run
one day i noticed she was getting a little "round"
and she was eating 3 small cans of food a day
finally i got to pick her up and sure enough
i could tell she was pregnant
so i started calling her "baby momma"
WELL....................

yesterday she gave birth to 3 kittens
momma and babies are doing just fine
and now we know who the father is!!
i hope they get their mothers eyes!!!!!

Friday, July 24, 2009

playing around

with so much on the go
work, the garden, enjoying the summer
i haven't spent much time
sitting at the computer
except for e-mails and my blog
going through my junction photos
i realized how many texture photos i took
so i decided to sit and play a bit in ps
above are 4 photos
i adjusted and layered and
played with all the blending modes


this is what i ended up with

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

the junction

i've lived in toronto for 27 years and
have never been to the junction
a little neighbourhood being revitalized
located on dundas st west
a few art sisters told me about some great shops
that i "just" had to visit
so, one day last week i spent the day wondering
first stop crema for a latte
then around the corner into wise daughters
handmade crafts and art classes

i met mark at his store (above)
no name on the sign, just some cool junk
and inside , a real treasure trove of things calling to me
"assemblage"!!!!
i found some old wooden spools,
some rusted washers and cow ear tags
he's located right across the street from smash
a great salvage store
featuring jerome jenner



and of course i found some cool texture!
the top of a stool in smash, an old ceiling,
mail slot and a bin of thread

Saturday, July 18, 2009

everythings coming up lilies

i forgot how many lilies i have in the garden
mostly orange and yellow
about 5 years ago while wondering through canada blooms
i found a booth selling "bare roots"
lilies and hostas
so i bought a ton
potted them and kept them in my bay window
watering, waiting, watching them grow
finally green leaves, then transplanted them into
the ground when it had thawed
something very satisfying about this process
especially when you get great results
above, my favorite
hemercallis hybrid
moonlit masquerade
daylily

Thursday, July 16, 2009

posts from blogger past


every morning after i wonder through my garden
i sit and read through some my favorite blogs
while visiting marie, the lost aussie
she posted about something seth , the altered page
he brought up a great point
and has challenged everyone to go through their "old" posts
and find a "buried treasure"
well, once i got reading, i realized that
this is a wonderful "self discovery"
when i started blogging , it was to take
the next step in my evolution
i was a little nervous, i'm by no means a writer
and was wondering how i would ever
come up with the words never mind
have something that would interest people

WELL

a year and a bit later
i've posted 235 times,
have had over 7700 visitors,
and 77 followers


i had a hard time deciding which was my favorite post
so i decided to use someone else's words

words to inspire


posted november 19th
for "a day of sharing words"
a challenge started by


"we get so caught up in the furry of our lives
that we forget the essential thing about art-
that the act of creating is a healing gesture,
as sacred as prayer,
as essential to the spirit as food is to the body



our creative work reveals us to ourselves,
allows to transform our experience
and imagination into forms that
sing back to us in a language of
symbol of who we are,
what we are becoming,
what we have loved and feared.



this is the alchemy of creation:
that as i attempt to transmute a feeling or a thought
into and artistic form that can be
experienced by another,
i myself am added to,
change in the process."
jan phillips


--------------------
photos from my weekend trip to owen sound
it was truly a creative time which changed me
thanks to
lk ludwig for starting this idea
(see previous post)


-------------------


some of my favorite posts


what's in a name?


good question


been there, done that


sacred


aince awa, aye awa



thanks seth, for sending me on this trip
and thanks too, to all my visitors
happy creating!


Tuesday, July 14, 2009

moon child

i've been celebrating my "birth week" since saturday
but today is the actual date
every month i'm a moon child
my moods change accordingly
everyday i'm a crab girl
defiantly, hard shell, soft inside
and everything i approach is sideways, never head-on
it might look like i'm a "go getter"
but i will contemplate everything, from all angles,
before i actually do something, i'm just quick at it
now that i'm older and wiser!
oh, did i mention the water!
i'm ruled by the tide, twice a day
good thing i have that crab shell to hide my mood swings!!!

me when i was 4
seems like a long time ago
oh, wait a minute! it was!!!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

art sisters



a few weeks ago i received an invite
to my friends ludgera's
"art sisters birthday party"
three of us were celebrating our "39th" birthday!!
it was a fab U lous party
12 artists hanging out
eating, drinking and making art!


we all took a "vow"
"what happens at art sisters , stays at art sisters "
( our real ages and who had "non" virgin drinks"

lugera, hope and myself all b-day girls
daniza, martha, christina , susan v. and
katie ( the twisted sister, back right!)


everyone hard at work
there was some amazing work going on
it was fun to each interpretation of the same photo
what a talented bunch
so inspiring to be around all this creative energy

some of my altered photos
i spent most of my time walking around the room
admiring all the fantastic work
i learned a few new tricks,
thanks martha for the staz-on resist technique!

presents galore!!!
OMG!!!! i was so blessed and
i was overwhelmed by every gift
handmade cards and art,
the background is a silk scarf from paris,
just beautiful, i might have to make it into a halter top
an antique book, 1893, with lots of images to scan
encaustic wax and dry artist pigments
along with a huge piece of barn board
( it will look great covered with wax and metal)
bezels, felt flower, hand cream, pencils, canvas and paper
a lavender sachet, my favorite scent,
with a beautiful angel sewn on top
and a bottle of henkell
(which will be enjoyed during a bubble bath!)

this was the best birthday party, EVER

thanks girls !!!

Friday, July 10, 2009

discarded

my new arrival from
this months them: discarded
i'm always excited to see every ones
interpretation and their photos
my submission
an old school bus that was once used
as someones home
i love the balloon shades
there was evidence of a fire and
had been abandoned for a while
------------------
photo taken last year
near my friends cottage
in owen sound


Wednesday, July 8, 2009

fun with clip art

i love the blog world
my friend ludgera sent me this link
there are so many links to different sites
for free vintage clip art
somewhere is this dragonfly image
( i will find it again)
i played with it in ps
added some paper images,
some text from an old post card,
a postage stamp and a photo frame
found on flickriver

Sunday, July 5, 2009

out for a stroll

today was one of those days
on my own with
nothing to do and no where to go
so i decided to head down to my favorite
neighbourhood, queen street west
there is just so much to see and do
art shops, galleries, vintage clothes,
antiques stores and junk shops
cool cafes and funky shops

in the same block
i met taco the newfie
and then found this sign


who could resist a peek in the paper place
i always spend way too much


this sign reminded me of judy
----------------
all in all if was a great day
i got some new art supplies
hit a great yard sale
and met some interesting people
i love it when the day just happens!

Friday, July 3, 2009

rusty things




this weeks challenge at
is rusty
i could have posted a hundred photos!
-----------
above a few from my trip

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

O' CANADA

parliament hill, ottawa


we got to witness the "changing of the guard"
at the war monument
the bag pipes always make me cry
i feel so lucky to have been born here

sir john a. macdonald
--------------
to all my fellow canadians
HAPPY CANADA DAY!
-------
photos taken last july first
in ottawa


 
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