Amazing Grace

Now that my cards have been mailed and received I can publish this piece. I used this as my Easter card design for this year. I collaged it using Adobe Photoshop. The background started out a very different color so I manipulated it to the pink you now see. The scroll design in the lower right-hand corner was a design in one of the Dover books that I turned into a "brush". The phrase was in very different colors also but again was manipulated using Photoshop. I bought a lovely pearlized white cardstock (www.paperandmore.com) to print the cards on. My laser printer came in handy once again. Two purchases that have been so worth the money- a laser printer and Adobe Photoshop.

I love to have something about grace on an Easter card. Jesus' sacrifice was such a gracious gift for each person who will receive it.

Tulip Photo

Here is one of the tulips that have been blooming like mad in my garden. I love the colors in this one. I ordered the bulbs from www.tulip.com which is located in Washington. If you haven't ever been to the Skagit Valley to see the tulips in bloom in the spring, I highly recommend it!

Here are the ATCs I made for a webbing spray swap. I sprayed the webbing Spray onto cheap transparencies and attached each one with brads to the ATCs. Webbing Spray is a fun product to use!

Here are a couple of Zentangles done for an ATC swap. These are really fun to do. Just take a nice quality foundation (I used Bristol Board), and using a permanent pen, doodle away! the original Zentangles are 3" x 3" squares. We did ours in ATC size for the swap.

Artist of the Month- Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol is the Artist of the Month for Arttechniquesatcs. I took a photo of Marlene Dietrich (www.tuscanrose.com), and altered it 9 different ways using Adobe Photoshop. I am loving that program!

Pieces of My Heart Digital Collage

I am loving playing around with Photoshop CS3. It is pretty cool. Also using the Cottage Arts papers and elements along with Alpha Stamps (I am pretty sure this was the name) papers and elements is such a help! The Alpha Stamps site had lots of free downloads and most of their "for pay" downloads were only $1.49. Great deal!

While hubby is involved in watching Duke and North Carolina battle it out (no, we aren't from the south!), I am playing with digital collage.

Joy of Spring Digital Collage

It has been a beautiful sunny day in northern CA; around 70 degrees or so. Dan and I spent most of the day gardening; re-potting a rose, adding some annual color, and getting a bed ready for some azaleas. The bed used to have roses but we had to move them since the area gets a lot more shade than it used to.

I decided to relax by making a digital collage on the Joy of Spring. Althoug a few weeks away, it is hard not to be struck with spring fever!

I even got to read outside for a while today. The first time this year! Hyacinths (one of my favorite fragrances!), daffodils, and a few tulips are in full bloom in pots in the backyard. I love spring!

Digital Collage "Mail Order Bride" Challenge for The Latest Trends Yahoo Group

LOVE FOR ALL TIME

This piece was inspired by the March Challenge in The Latest Trends in Mixed Media Art group. The theme for March was "Mail Order Bride."

I knew I wanted a bridal couple and perhaps an image of a woman writing or reading a letter. When I found the two images (all are from Joanna Banana) of the musing man and the musing woman, I knew I could make a composition using those. The background and floral elements are from Cottage Arts. I played around with the type of light on each image using Photoshop CS3.

I liked the saying on the background, "Love for all Time". I am sure many of the mail order brides hoped to find true love, not just safety and security through this type of marriage.

Michael DeMeng Workshop

I got these photos off of Susan's blog. The photo of me (at the top) was taken on Susan's camera. A super-fun workshop! The bottom picture is Susan.

Paper Doll Dresses

The Yahoo Group Art-in-the-Word is having a Paper Doll Dress swap. The host is going to make a garland with the dresses and then return a garland to each of us. Each dress was to be approximately 4 x 6 and was to have a scripture verse. I put the reference on the dress fronts, and have the verse printed on the backs. I chose part of 1Peter 5:5; "...clothe yourselves with humility toward one another..." It is nice to be able to express my faith in a project. My sister Nancy and I and our friends used to spend hours designing paper doll dresses when we were younger. Paper dolls bring back happy memories.

Digital Collage Play

I played around with some new digital art elements I recently downloaded. Lots of fun papers and other goodies. Cottage arts has some great stuff! I am also learning CS3, Photoshop, which is the big daddy version of my Elements program. I hope to get better and better as time goes on. I find it hardest to trim images so that you can use just the image without the original background. I'll keep plugging away. The fun papers and brushes and embellishments make it interesting.

Morpheus Box Workshop in Danville

I had to add a picture of Peggy's Hoops and Yoyo who go everywhere with her and love to participate in her artful endeavors. It was great getting to meet Peggy and Lisa from Arttechniques at this workshop. There were 6 of us from Arttechniques and some of my other art groups there.

The other photo is of the Morpheus box parts we started with.

Our class was from 10-4 and we had such a great time. I had heard that Michael DeMeng was a great teacher and he was. The class was fun and informative.

Michael DeMeng's Morpheus Box Class

Here are the "In-the-midst-of-working" pictures of my Morpheus Box. I used Tub and Tile Caulk for the texture medium. I then pressed a piece of punchinella (sequin waste) into the back and sides in a random fashion. I used a wooden skewer to draw the squiggles and scrolls. I find I use scroll designs a lot in my work. I am very drawn to scrolls! I added a salvage yard computer part to the top (not dramatic enough, I need to do more!). I put some Russian text and Finnish music on the rotating piece of wood. I added piece of marble paper from Italy that an art group member sent me to the back of my box. I also added some titles from the Daily Bread to the sides and bottom of the box before washing over it. There is another computer part attached to the top front of the box. Our local salvage yard has great doodads for art!

Micahel DeMeng Workshop- Morpheus Box

The top pictures are of the class at work. We met at the Stampers' Warehouse in Danville, CA. The class was filled with 16 artists. The lone man was our teacher, Michael DeMeng, who is a very gracious teacher. He willingly shared paint combinations, texturing techniques and other secrets.

The other pictures are of Susan working on her Morpheus Box. Her theme was "Hidden Assets." She did a fantastic job. You need to see the sides of her piece to get a feel for the great texture and painting she did.

Michael DeMeng Morpheus Box Workshop

Here are some of the finished and almost finished boxes at the end of class. My box is on the top; I need to add a stand of some sort, and more to the top of the box. I used some titles for daily devotions from an old "Daily Bread." I figure I can turn the inside picture to the saying appropriate for the day. Also pictured is Sally from Sacramento with her beautiful box. It has a very Renaissance look. Truly beautiful! The other pictures are an assortment of what the class members created.