DLP - Week 8

I have flipped my flap, or flapped my flap.  The challenge for week 8 was to add a flap to a flap.  The most difficult part of this challenge was scanning it…..I probably should have photographed it.  

The left side of the spread….my interpretation visually of "calm", my word for the year.

The right side of the spread….

I used the beautiful birthday card I received from my dear friend Shelley.  She moved to Arizona several years ago, and I really miss her.  This made the flap which I attached with washi tape.

Then I attached a flap inside this flap.  I turned the journal sideways so the quote would be readable.  The ginkgo leaves are the attached flap.  

And when opened it looks like this.

I think I contradicted myself by saying "Love is All We Need" and then saying a double shot of espresso can keep me happy!  Haha.

I certainly take "artistic license" when creating.

~ Calm ~

I've Got Mail!

Wonderful mail art arrived in my mailbox Thursday.  It's from my good friend and artist Jacki Long.  I love getting art in the mail….so much more exciting than the usual junk mail and bills.

Jacki did one of her paper collages on the back side.

First the front side….

and the back side….

Thanks, Jacki.

~ Calm ~

Couldn't Wait…..

to try this technique.  I saw a sample on  Angela Pound's Flickr site and she was kind enough to give credit to the site where she found the tutorial.

The tutorial for the "artsy composite technique" can be found on the aA website here.  It was a guest post from Ana Brown whose work can be seen here.  The aA website appears to be oriented to scrapbookers, but the tutorials are fairly sophisticated and can be applied to other artistic forms.  Some fun things to purchase and lots to explore on the website.

Here's my take on the technique…..

I printed out the instructions as they were quite lengthy.  I want to practice on this technique to improve my painting with a brush in PS.  I'm happy with this for a first attempt.  Just for fun, I edited the rose again using just Topaz Simplify filter.  You can see it on my Flickr site.  It looks somewhat similar but not as complex.

~ Calm ~

DLP - Week 6

Week 6 of Documented  Life Project involves drawing inspiration from Pinterest or a magazine and work based on that inspiration.

My inspiration from Pinterest came from  an artist "Vicky Ink".  She has a terrific website featuring her illustrations. I loved her drawing of a peacock feather.    My
journal is too large to scan the entire spread.  

I journaled on the opposite side.

~ Calm ~

DLP - Week 3 and More

It has taken me so long to complete this assignment.  We're on week 8 already, and I'm still on week 3.  So…….I made an executive decision.  I'm doing week 3, 4 and 5 on one spread.  

Week 3 - Add an envelope from mail

Week 4 - Write a secret message

Week 5 - Add a doodle border

The envelope was from Humane Society of the United States.  It had the cutest squirrel on it and when I opened the "return mail" envelope it had butterflies inside.  I added this envelope as a tip-in and decorated it with more butterflies.  I added little dots as a border to the spread and my "secret" message is in white writing which is almost undetectable.  On to the next week!!

I finally decided on my word for the year.

Calm

It's a state of mind that I need to focus on for well-being.  There has been so much stress in my life the past couple months.  I realized that I haven't played with my art much.  Art keeps me centered and calm.  I vow to play art every day if I can.  It's my form of meditation.

~ Peace ~

DLP Week 3

Week 3 calls for adding an envelope to a page.  I'm making mine a tip-in.  I haven't done tip-ins but it's time for me to try it.  I'm using a piece of junk mail.

I'm so far behind on my Documented Life Project, that I'm going to combine Week 3 and Week 4 which calls for adding a border around a spread.  

I've been looking at this spread just like this for two weeks because I've been stuck.  So here is the beginning of this spread.  I threw my ink dyed hands in so you can all see how much fun ink sprays are.

I'll post my image again as soon as I've added the tip-in.  

I placed an envelope in the lower right corner, but I think we are supposed to repurpose a piece of junk mail for this challenge.

~ Peace ~  

 

Sleepless Night

I'm a late night prowler tonight…..can't sleep….in all the craziness I think I made a bad decision on the marble for my countertops.

One is installed, and the other from the same marble is due to be installed.  Seems I have two options…..either rip it out, go buy another slab of marble and pay the extra to have it fabricated, or... live with it.  

So…….since I was lying in bed fretting, I decided to get up and work in Photoshop

I started with this image.  I don't have a macro lens, but I purchased a magnifying extension.  I like the way only the middle of the image is in focus.

I cropped it to a square, added a texture from 2 Lil Owls and tweaked it with some Topaz filter adjustments.

I'm going back to bed now.

~ Peace ~

  

It Started Mid-December

Okay, all this mess started just before Christmas.  It is now beginning of February and the tile in the first bathroom is just being set, the drywall is up and that's about it.  I had forgotten just how much goes into the construction/reconstruction.

Let me just say that I am not "in good hands" with Allstate(gritting teeth).  They have been adversarial from the beginning.  As soon as I'm finished I plan to change insurance companies.  It was like pulling teeth to get them to even begin to cooperate.  As of last Friday, I was told a check is going in the mail.   I'll believe when I see it. Today I have been playing in Photoshop with one image all day. 
with French script below

with black script below

with texture by Lenabem on Flickr below

with French script and canvas texture below

I think my muse is on a break -- too much going on and too many frustrations.  I think I'll go play in my journal.

~ Peace ~