Altered Sunflower

Playing around with altering photos. Today's guinea pigs are sunflowers 

It's kinda fun to see what one can do to alter/enhance something digitally. 

What are you working on today? 

Remembering the Summer Garden

It's a cold gray rainy day... and I'm already missing my summer garden. At least I have a way to remember when I send out my snail mail notes... and you can too!

Summer Garden Note Cards

Summer Garden Note Cards and Prints are available in my Etsy Shop.

Happy Hump Day!

Autumn Equinox

Autumn Crocus - with bee

Autumn mornings: 

sunshine and crisp air, 

birds and calmness,

year’s end and day’s beginnings. 

~Terri Guillemets

Full moon memories

Last week just before the full moon we were camping in the dry side of Washington State. The moon was so bright - the night before it was full. We could walk about without requiring a flashlight to see where we were going. 

I've since been playing with drawing/painting moons. Not well, mind you. Just playing around to see what happens. This piece is using water soluble oil pastels. It was too dark for good photos today (darn rain), so this doesn't bring out the color variations. But you get the idea. 

I'll keep playing around, and eventually get the look I want. 

Happy Friday! 

What's in my Studio...

Working with torn paper again/still. I'm doing a demo at Stampadoodle on October 8th, and have several projects I want to show. This one in particular is torn paper birds using scrap bits of paper. Most of these birds will end up on canvases to be sold over the holidays at the Holiday shows I'm participating in this year. 

What you see so far is torn bits of maps and text pages glued onto light cardstock that I scavenged from the recycle bin. Once the papers were dry, I traced the bird shapes on the back - using my own templates - and cut them out. You can also see the mess surrounding the mat where I'm working.

It's easiest for me to do all this gluing and cutting while watching a movie we checked out from the library. We don't watch regular TV, but have watched a couple of series from A&E and PBS. But I guess I'm one of those who have trouble just sitting and doing nothing but watching the television. Waste of time, of which I have little! Must be doing SOMEthing. Ha! So gluing and cutting it is. 

Another unrelated project on the side of the photo are a group of houses for an accordion book project being done by the local ATC group.  More on that later...

I hesitated doing the accordion book as I have little time to spare, but couldn't resist. These are all on scrapbook paper, so easy peasy. I also traced the houses from my own templates and cut them out out while watching a movie.

Thought I'd share a photo from our recent quick trip to Idaho to see my parents. This view at the top of Whitebird Hill is always wonderful. We usually stop and get out to stretch our legs before beginning the descent... well, if the weather is nice. Which it was. :)

So what's on your workdesk today? Check out what others are doing at Julia's: 

Turning Seasons

Autumn Mountain III

The weather has turned and Autumn is definitely arriving. Evidenced by 44 degrees this morning. I'm feeling a bit down that our winterish coldness has started so early.
I am a warm weather girl.

I do like Autumn. The cold starts the leaves turning which in turn provides some stunning views. And afternoons are warmish... sometimes. :) I'm just not quite ready.

In any case, we're planning our annual trek to Heather Meadows/Mount Baker before the snow flies. We try for the last nice weather day literally before snow is expected, which is easier to do when one works for oneself from home.

Off to put away the summer clothes and get out my cold weather wear: long sleeves and turtlenecks and layers. And worn about 3/4 of the year in these parts.

Happy Saturday!

Free Spirit

Totally stolen from Nicola Holland. She find the coolest quotes. Enjoy!

Autumn Web

The art of painting with a camera is as important as that of painting with a brush. 

I'm on a trip to visit family in Idaho this week, so thought I'd share a photo from my archives. A mist coated spider web on a  mid-September walk. 

Happy Friday! 

Last of Summer

 As I sit here listening to the pouring rain, I know that the last remaining petals on the bee balm are being beaten off the stalks. *sigh*  I love my summer bee balm, and am wondering where time went. How can Fall be nearly here? I sure can feel it in the weather.

However, I have fond memories of warm summer days and dancing bee balm being worked over by the hummingbirds and honey bees. And photos and artwork to help remind me. It's enough for now.

In the meantime, I've got my sweaters and socks to keep me warm. :)