all grown up

this is Sam,

i've know her since she was a baby, for as long as i have been doing hair

(my other creative outlet)

i was so excited to be apart of her prom day

my favorite part of being a hairstylist is creating "updo's"

and this one is to date, one of my favorites!

i think it has something to do with the stunning model,

she looks so grown up and has turned into a wonderful young lady!

i think i have to cry now!

taking it to the next level

since i started working more with photoshop

i'vediscovered that i can have more fun playing!

i can try out every photo first until i find just the right one

to add to one of my backgrounds as a photo transfer

it saves me time and a big mess , and some things you can only do in PS

i could play all nite but i need my beauty sleep!

there's always tomorrow!

back to basics

sometimes I can spend days just making backgrounds

i have TONS of paper, really,

and just love to rip, cut, paste, paint, glaze,

sponge, stamp, gesso, plaster, you name it!

sometimes i go too far

but i've developed the habit of at least scanning each project between layers

so i have a large collection of backgrounds ready when the mood strikes me !

the first one is pages from a magazine, masking tape and gesso

the second is a collection of decorative papers,

paint applied with a brayer and a foam stamp

the third is pages from an old "handy mans" guide i found at a garage sale,

i like it just the way it is.

enjoy

after a successful plant sale yesterday i can now relax and enjoy my garden.

i'm so happy that all my "babies" found great homes

and with all the major work done and will have more time for ART!

you've got mail!

in this day of instant communications it's nice to actually get

something delivered to your home!

i joined a photo journal group hosted by Catherine Anderson several years ago

and have enjoyed the challenge, working on a theme and

the results are a wonderful surprise in the mail!

this projects theme was "shades of white"

and of course Catherine has out done herself!

it's always exciting opening the package to see not only some great photos

but the way they are presented

it's will be fun to see what every one's interpretation of white will be

it's all your fault

just when i had enough on my plate when it comes to computer skills,

my friend Lennie gives me a class in brushes!!

after downloading, unzipping, opening every brush and trying them out,

i've realized that if i live another 100 years i will never get to use them all.

not only is there endless resources on the web but then i find out

that anyone of my photos or drawings can now be made into my own brush!!!!

my mind had been racing with all the possibilities!

and now my brain has turned to mush.

i'm sure i will dreaming in brushland tonight.

so thanks Lennie,

this time "it's all your fault" !

full moon

i don't know what it is about the full moon ,

perhaps it's because i'm a Cancerian

which is ruled by the moon

What ever it is, it always gives me a creative burst!

it lasts for days and i always feel

a sense of loss when it is gone

i wish I could have a whole month of this creativity!

i better take advantage and get back to my studio!

country roads part 2

country roads

yesterday was great.!

i finally got a chance to dust off my cowboy boots

and head up to Claremont to visit my

friend lisa and meet her new horse skippy

he's a beauty!

i got to ride "jackson"

we toured the back meadow, through the forest and visited Western town.
it's amazing that it's less than an hour away!

i like to take all the back roads to avoid the traffic and took some fab pictures

i can't wait to go again!

blue friday

i must admit i haven't had much time to sit and play in photoshop.
so with the garden almost finished and the full moon moving in,

i've felt a creative surge

thanks to my friend Marie,

i learned tons of layering techniques!

i finally created this collage with some of the photos

taken on my visit with her in NY

adding layer on layer, 8 in all,

i'm really enjoying this new process.

thanks again Marie!

SOW WEED WATER WAIT

morning visitor

i find myself up early lately, anticipating what has grown in the garden over nite!

plus i love the feel of the early morning dew, the fresh smell and all the birds singing!

THIS IS MY MEDITATION!

i fill up my bird feeder and wait for my visitors

i get the usual for my area, cardinals, blue jays,

every type of sparrow and finches, red winged black birds,

morning doves and a few i don't recognize

like this guy, i've never seen him before,

i like his coloring.

i must get a book!

more texture

i'm now addicted to textures

i love how they change the simplest picture

into something wonderful

awhile back , when looking through my favorite blogs

i came across two who really appealed to me,

Roben Marie and Denise Lombardozzi

and linking through all their favorites

i found texture addicts and flickriver

i have been inspired every since!

lots of texture

sometimes the simplest pictures create some of my favorites in Photoshop!
just by playing with a few "dials" you get some really surprising results!
this photo was taken at Alcatraz, lots of texture, decay and rubble, everywhere!

and of course my husband said "what are you taking a picture of that for?"

which he say's after ever other photo!

when i showed him the results

he wants to know

"where did you take that photo?"

and i tell him you where standing right next to me!
i took over 200 photos on the island and have had fun playing with all of them.

leuty lifegaurd station

i think everyone in toronto knows the leuty lifeguard station

it's been one of the city's landmarks forever!

and i'm sure i've seen it at least a million times living just around the corner for years

i've taken lots of pictures over the years and glad i got the a "new perspective" on an old favorite

toying around

since making the switch to digital

and all it's advantages

i have no regrets

but recently, feeling guilty,

i dusted off my Holga and spend a day out taking photos

i found myself really thinking about every shot

and quickly went through 5 rolls

it was a good day!

i found myself excited and nervous waiting

for the film to be developed

i couldn't wait to look at every picture,

and then look again

i really liked the double exposure and working in B/W

i added some viewfinders from a TTV site

to give them a vintage feel

I should really do this more often!

patience

for the past few years i've kept a digital diary of my garden. i can never keep track of what i've planted or moved, and after a long winter everything looks so different in the spring

as i'm cleaning out my beds, i'm constantly looking at my photos from last summer to see what is what!

and of course the pictures have me wishing for summer blooms.

i'll just have to be patient!

so i decided to play and make a collage to get me through the next month!

north wind

well, with the weather change it's too cold to do anything in the garden, so i cleaned out my shed and had fun arranging all my ornamental pieces .

one of my favorites is this hanging sculpture on my back fence.

i played with this picture in PS Elements and Auto FX Photo/Graphic edges.

i'm hoping it's warmer this weekend!!! i still have a lot of stuff to do and I like getting my hands in the dirt.