THE ARTISTIC AVENUES

Having fun!

It was a Gracie night.  She climbs on our bed for a short time, then she goes to her kennel which we leave open.  She came up about 1:00Am. She is sooo cute I can't make her go away!

 

Friday Girls. There are five of us that get together almost  every Friday.  Our latest project or challenge was inspired by the website  http://colorthrowdown.blogspot.com/ We decided to start with two cards and do our own 'throwdown'  We started with a Black &  White card with a 'splash' of any third color. Then we decided on the same Lime, Black & Gray combination that was in the original color throwndown. Two cards in one week! Took me all week.  This is my Black & White with a touch of lt. yellow. I was determined to use items or stamps that I have NEVER  used before. I used to have a store, not to mention an addiction that is still unchecked. So, I could find 'goodies' unused forever. This is a Cuttlebug folder that was way to big (or so I thought), for anything that I liked.  

It is a $20.00 folder. There is one with a cut out Posie, heart, & on with a frame. These came before spellbinders. They cut and emboss at the same time. They really are pretty. The white card is pretty, but you should see the deep embossing on a piece of watercolor paper! Beautiful. I forgot to mention that I used the Grand Calibur for the card base. Label 11.

The Lime green topiary is an old stamp from Penny Black. The background is the same embossing folder. It was embossed on black glossy paper, sanded and rubbed with the peeling paint Distress inkpad.

So last week I thought ahead and photograped some of the other girl cards. Last week we did a Throwdown of Lime, Torquoise, and a suprise color.  We liked the lime. Black and white are okay anytime.

This is Linda Freitas card..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the this exchange, and from now on we are doing two of the same card. We keep our own card and we put the other in a drawing.  The next card is Linda E's. She used the MS 'around the page punches' and the Bird Die is from Creatables. She  'raised' the wing of the bird which is hard to see here. Then she made the inside of the card to co-ordinate with the outside. Pretty

This is my challenge for the torquise, lime and my suprise is 'hot pink'. I used a Creatable Die for the the background and the 'floor' of the easel card. The flower center stamp is one of the new stamps from the Just Rite stamp set Butterfly Garden.

 I used Spellbinders Lacey circle and label 14.

We have one more Lime & Torquoise card from Emily. I will re-photo that one and add it to next weeks post.

Stay tuned our next challenge is Orange and Pink!

Good Intentions!

 My road is always paved with those ..... I will write on my blog today, then, well, my life isn't THAT earthshattering. Or, now I am soo embarassed that it has been so long it it really hard to do it. Someone might notice!

Do you ever try to find those blogs like yours? You know the ones that haven't been updated from 2010. Mine is just from March. Right?

So as boring as it seems this is what is new (or usual) in my life. Crazy Gracie is still playing like a puppy!Fuzzy too . Trips to Soggy Dog are a must.

Have I traveled this year. I couldn't  write in my blog as I was gone so much. I traveled with the John Grisham book The Last Juror, and Anne Siddons book Sweetwater Creek. Those took me to the south. The Grishams other book took me really south to the Pantanal. You get the drift... I read alot.

Then I bake lots of cookies. I eat it, but don't photograph much. Maybe one side of the cake. Last weekend I made this Lemon Souffle. Everyone liked it. I knew it wasn't mixed right. Well, when the lemon curd is in chunks ... so that is another that didn't get photographed. Just don't tell!

Playing with the dogs (We have two more furry friends),  reading and baking. Oh yes, eating.  We still have our Friday Girls. There are 5-6 of us that gather for card-making, clay, bookmaking or shopping every week. In the next post I will show you our latest obsessions!

Our Arty Week

Our  Friday girls went to Art & Soul at Green Valley Ranch. We went to 'vendor' night, that is where the artists sell some of their handmade items. Art & Soul is an Art retreat,  featuring classes from artists around the country. This is the second time it has been in Nevada. Emily is on the far end. She is doing a make and take with a Fiskars rep. This was  the only Make and take, as this is more for the vendors to display their goods. Not like a rubber stamp convention.

The other two gals are from out of state. In the background are Friday gal Linda E. and Kathy.

Nice shot of the Casino.

 

This belongs to the gal at the other end of the table. It is a beautiful Mary Frances purse. 

Inside we found more lovely art, from books, assemblage, ephemera, even some cupcakes!

 

 

 

 

Thomas Mann had intricately made jewelry. http://www.thomasmann.com/             

I don't  remember the artist who made these etched books. She had a tableful. Exquisite. Wish I could give her credit1

 

These books are  Leighana Lights. I love the pages of the books as much as the books!

Part of Leighanas display. http://lklight.blogspot.com/2009/08/lori-gordon.html

 

 

Thomas Ashman with his assemblage and books. I took a class with Thomas. He taught a book with glass covers. Very cool. Of course I missed that picture.... Okay on the table, you can see the book in the foreground with the old-fashioned girl on the cover.That is one of the glass covers.

His book pages are very nice too!

http://www.blacksheepartist.com/the_homepage

This this is Leslie Venebles booth. There is lots of 'stuff' for the artist so they can assemble their own kind of art. .. Lots of old, fun, hard-to find things!

  There were more booths to look at, but these were a few of my favorites! Hope you enjoy

Nestabilities...

So much fun making cards! Some days we just need to keep it simple. I love the nestabilities and the elegant dies that enhance our cards! Here are some of my little 4x4 notecards layered and glittered. You really can't see much of the glitter in the scans, but it adds alot.

 

 

 

The butterfly is from Outlines rubber stamps and it is actually layered. The Thank you card "birdcage" is one of the Micheals stores $1.00 stamps. Both cards feature the Spellbinders. Standard Circles large and the Classic Scalloped Circles large. It needs a bow1

FYI .Did you know that the term scalloped Circles LARGE means the Scallops are larger, not the circle itself. My Ovals are Petite Scalloped Ovals small, the scallop is smaller. Although the "Petite" oval that matches the Petite Scalloped small is Petite oval large. Wonder how they get the names?

 

I did the "Thank You" and the "Happy Easter" on the computer.    Next is the Lotus. It is called a shapeabilitie pendant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Egg stamps are from Stampington. Cute.  

Gate fold card. The heart (Nestabilities Scalloped hearts) is only attached to the left side of the card. 

 

 

Classic Scalloped Squares Small.  I wish they would make a "petite" scalloped square.

 

       Next time I will feature some of the Label nestabilities ... And the tags.... And the borders....  

MAKING THEM "POP"!

For the last few days I have been playing with Photoshop Actions. I have been trying to organize them. Ok for those of you who don't know what an "action" is, I will try to explain. They are  pre-recorded steps to manipulate a photo. Photoshop works on "layers" and sometimes there will be a dozen or more layers used to create a certain effect. Actions are those "effects" that someone has created for you in a folder. All you need to do is toggle the folder and then hit the 'play' button on the bottom of your action bar. Wow! your action is complete.                                 FIRST PICTURE IS THE (not so hot) ORIGINAL

There are lots of places to find 'free'  actions or you can buy some dynamite sets.

This is Image Effects It is called Historical Fade.

 

Fevels Gothic Glow. Like this one!

 

 

 

 

 

This is even different. It is MW Clean up.... I used the dreamy glow 3 times. Repeat the last part of the action. 

 

Which will make you go absolutely CRAZY when you realize the possibilities! You can use the action, you can add your own enhancements like hue & Saturation, levels, etc:, or you can mix in another "action".-

This one is Nite Fate 33 number 10. Check out Nite Fate at Deviant art. She has some great contact sheets showing her actions. http://night-fate.deviantart.com/ 

 

So if you are tired of the Iowa Cornfield in the winter. Yes, it was very blue and blustery....  lets do a couple more applications.......... You can use very nicely. Show some of those in my next post.

Yellow rose and this is the same Nite Fate 33-10 as the above barn.

Now that remains to be seen if they will be in the right order when I post this with typepad.....

 Nite Fate #33 but this is number 1 in the series.

Pioneer Woman- Colorized  

 

 

The original  rose is yellow.

 

Last for Now is another from the Pioneer Woman. Vintage..

You can sure set a mood with this one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having a good time experimenting and organizing "actions"

Photo Walk #2

Saturday Al and I went halfway across Las Vegas toward Mt. Charleston. It was late so we ate lunch and that was it... time to go home. But my 'snow fever' remained and we went nearly all the way up on Sunday.

Really isn't much snow, and what is there isn't fresh. The first two pictures were taken at about 65MPH! Love my Canon SX 20IS.

 

Nice Lodge with a nice warm fireplace. 

Maybe there was more snow than I thought!

Check the price tag on the fence.

Lots of people tailgating, sledding, building little snowmen. What a great day out for families!

We went late morning. I think I would like to wait for fresh snow, and go really early! Parking is really hard to find.

This is on the way back.

 

 

 

  

 We did stop and take these pictures. These were the last two and I thought they looked like a painting.

Haven't edited any of them yet, just thought I would share.

Photo Walk (second part)

This is one of our favorite stores to shop in.... Love the colors and the collections on display.

 

Love this old dresser...

 

   One of the Photo groups that I am on has challenges weekly. Pretty awesome, as it makes you "think". One of the challenges was color. The department stores are great for finding color! This is Anthropologie. I have found great 'color' possibilities at Micheals too!  

Don't forget extra batteries! 

Photo Walk #1

Photo Shoots are my favorite thing to do. You actually have to go out of your comfort zone (computer, TV, refrigerator), and move around alittle.

The first shoot this week was simply two friends on a walking trail.

The highlight for me was the railroad tracks at the end of the trail. I climbed up and shot some pictures. I was trying to remember if I had ever stood on a railroad track before. Never thought about it!

Love the textures you pick up from the bridge. 

  The rust is really the underside of the bridge. This is a metal bridge in the heart of a big city. No great trees around, no river, no wooden covered beauty. You have to find beauty where you are. Coming from the the pacific northwest, this has been a challenge!

I will settle for rust!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Resolutions.... maybe a few. I tried to do the 365 pics a day last year till we got Gracie, then everday, from then on it was Gracie, Gracie Gracie.

She finally ate the bow.

Maybe this year, I will do the photography again. Starting late, but then, 365 doesn't have to be Jan1st to Jan1st. Right.

 

How about some cards? They sort of look like New Years! Bright and cheery colors in lime, hot pink, black etc:,. Besides it feels good to use some of the 25 sheets each of these 2 papers. What was I thinking? It feels pretty good to have four cards done! Never mind that everyone gets the same design. Obsessive...nah.