miles beyond the moon

Girl with a Hoop :: A FREE Friday Download

In the 19th century hoop rolling was a favorite pastime of children of all ages.  In the British Empire hoop rolling was part of a girl's standard physical education course, along with lifting dumbells and jumping rope.  Girls from four to fourteen could be seen by the hundreds, trundling their hoops across the grass in the London parks.  Simpler times!

This image of a girl rolling a hoop is from an 1856 Peterson's magazine.  I've removed the background and recolored it just a bit to make the color more vibrant.  You can download your own copy to use in your digital art or mixed media creations by clicking on the image.  Enjoy!

My Studio :: Part 3 - Finally (!) Some Progress to Report

I finally have some new studio photos to show you. I have been busy!

We took a trip to Ikea one Sunday morning about three weeks ago.

It was my husband's first visit to Ikea - and for the first time I did not get lost.  Sometimes it pays to go shopping with an engineer :-)  We brought home some big boxes:

These boxes contain three new pieces of furniture:  a freestanding kitchen counter, a pine table, and a storage cabinet.   I have spent lots of hours assembling the furniture, but everything is finally done.  Here let me show you:

Here's a view from the doorway with all the new furniture pieces in their places.

This freestanding kitchen counter was a real challenge to put together.  I discovered new reserves of patience I never knew I had :-)  The end result - I love it.  I frequently like to stand to work and this counter gives me lots of room to spread out and the butcher block top will stand up to all kinds of abuse.

This is my reading corner.  The old rocking chair is one of my most treasured pieces of furniture.  It came from the cabin where we spent most summer weekends when we were kids.  It is still covered with same worn leather that I remember so well, and I am perfectly happy to leave it that way.  The white cabinet next to the chair now holds all my paper, pencils, and markers.  It is on casters so it can roll over next to the new pine table if I want my supplies be be close at hand.

I am so happy with how the studio is coming together.  It has become one of my favorite rooms to hang out in - I especially like to work there in the morning with the sun pouring in the windows.  It looks pretty clean right now.  I need to get some projects going! 

 

 

Emma :: A FREE Friday Download

The ballet dancer Emma Livry was the darling of the audiences of the Paris Opéra in 1862 when she  died tragically at the age of 21.  Beniah Brawn tells her sad story here.  With inspiration from Alissa Holland at My Concrete Sky and Anahata Katkin at Papaya! I have recolored this image from Wikipedia so Emma Livry might dance again.

Click on the image above to download to download your own copy.  I hope you enjoy!

My Studio :: Part 2 - The Big Reveal

One of the nicest things about my studio is I finally have a place where I can gather together all my supplies and tools.  And my books.  And boy to I have a lot of those.  Let me show you.

Here's the view from the door looking into my studio again.  It is starting to look a little more like a creative space.

And here's the view from inside the room.  Do you see the trees outside the window?  My studio is on the second floor of our house, and it always feels a bit like a treehouse up here.  A great place to escape from the world and play.

I just love being about to have all my books and magazines within easy reach.  I can't tell you what a good time I had organizing all my books by subject matter. 

So what's next?  Well, some furniture would be nice.  A table for projects.  A place to sit and read.  And a table over by the window for painting.  I have been pouring over the Ikea catalog, and I have some ideas that need to percolate a bit longer.  But not too long.  I am SO looking forward to moving in and getting to work in here!  I'll update you when I have some more progress to report.

My Studio :: Part 1 - A Blank Slate

For what seems like forever I have had a dream of having a studio of my own.  A place where I can have a home for my creative activities and gather my supplies and tools together in one space.  A studio space that I don't have to share as part of a study or guest bedroom.  My studio has been on our list of home projects for a long time, but finally the wheels have been set in motion.  The first steps have been taken.

Over the weekend I cleared everything out one of our two upstairs bedrooms.  I chose the bedroom on the east side of the house.  I love the morning light, and this room has two big windows.  I gave it a brand new coat of paint.  So here is my new studio - still a blank slate, but a beginning.

Here is my view as I walk into the room.  I just love the hardwood floors.

And here is the view standing in the room and looking the other direction.  Just outside the door on the right is our study.  My husband and I both have our computers set up there.  We spend a lot of time together in that room :-)

It took me most of two days to get my studio to this stage.  But I have some more photos to show you - moving in day!  Come back tomorrow for the big reveal.

 

 

Moo Cards - It's an Addiction!

Over at Deviant Scrap this month we are have a moo card swap.  Moo cards are small - about half the size of a business card.  This month's Deviant Muse e-newsletter includes a free moo card finder template.  You can place the template over a piece you have created and narrow down your focus to just a small portion of the original piece.  It really lets you appreciate the small details of your work all over again. 

If you want to try this out for yourself you can check out all the details here at Deviant Scrap. 

Here's another set of moo's.  These things are addictive!

Calling Card - A FREE Friday Download

Happy Art Friday to you! 

Here's another image from my copy of an 1856 Peterson's Magazine.  I've combined it with a vintage calling card.  I think this would be such a fun addition to a journal page.  To download a copy of Calling Card just click on the image above. 

I have been reading some interesting information about Peterson's.  Peterson's Magazine was launched in 1842 (inspired by the success of Godey's Lady's Book) by publisher Charles J. Peterson and writer Ann Sophia Stevens.  Peterson's was similar to Godey's in both design and content, but Peterson's made a greater commitment to publishing works by women writers. Both magazines were published from Philadelphia, and by the 1860s, each magazine could claim more than 150,000 subscribers.

Spring has definitely arrived in Seattle and we have been promised a sunny weekend.  I plan on getting out for a walk with my camera to capture some shots of the spring flowers and spend some time working in the garden.  I hope the weather is wonderful where you are, and you have time to enjoy some creative pursuits. 

Happy to be creating for...

I am fortunate enough to work on Creative Teams for three extremely talented artists at Deviant Scrap.  Believe me, I count my lucky stars every day for having this opportunity.  I joined the Creative Team at Tumble Fish Studio almost a year ago.  Marsha took a big chance taking me on as a complete newbie.  I could not have found a better team to work with than Marsha's team, and I have learned so much from all of these talented women.  And it also helps that I just love everything that Marsha creates!  She has such a unique talent for blending vintage with whimsy and creating art with her digital elements is just pure fun.  Here is one of my recent pieces I created using several Tumble Fish Studio kits.

Earlier this year Mr. Whiskers set up shop at Deviant Scrap.  David's style is very different - a lot of the kits he creates include 3-D elements and dramatic themes.  I was intrigued.  I took a chance and applied to be on his Creative Team, and I was thrilled to be selected.  Mr. Whisker's kits really push me out of my safe artistic comfort zone.  I really like the challenge of creating something completely different from my usual work.  I think it keeps my creative engine humming.  This piece was created using a steampunk kit - and it has become one of my most favorite pieces ever.

And then just about a month ago two of my co-members on the Tumble Fish Studo Team - Tracey and Melissa - decided to join forces and create Hidden Vintage Studios.  I was so happy when they asked me to be on their Creative Team.  I really like working with faces that "speak" to me - a certain expression, a spark in the eyes, a turn of the head - is enough to set me on the path to creating a new piece.  This little red haired girl was just one of those characters.

So that is a bit of behind the scenes about how I found myself working on three Creative Teams.  I have to tell you it is a bit like Christmas morning everytime a new kit is realeased and we have the opportunity to make art with the fantastic kits these designers create.  You can visit Deviant Scrap and join in the magic.  There is always something new going on over there!

 

A Creative Dream Journal

I have been thinking a lot about dreams lately and how to take the steps to make my dreams become real.  I was inspired by this post by Susannah Conway about how she has started a Creative Dream Journal  - as a place to collect ideas about the things she wants to manifest and make happen.  I happen to think this is a brilliant idea!

Susannah has organized her journal into six sections she's working with: Life, Love, Business, Home, Abundance and 2012.  She collects photos, creates collages, makes lists, jots down ideas and files them all away in the appropriate section.  How wonderful to be creative and organized too!  And as Susannah says "It feels like I’m more actively participating in my dream creation/wish fulfillment/possibility attraction."

So I created a couple of digital art journal pages this weekend that I want to include in my own Creative Dream Journal.

Imagining Wonderland

The first step in making a dream into a reality are simply really believing it is possible.

This piece is created with digital images from Hidden Vintage Studios, Holliewood Studios and Finecrafted Design at DeviantScrap.com and Lorie Davison at Scrapbookgraphics.com.  I like to think this could be Alice - who has been to Wonderland and back again, and has decided it has made all the difference in her life.

 

Dream

I think this quote from Garrison Keillor says it all.  How many things are there in life that we regret never having tried?  These words are such a good reminder.  This piece was created with images from Crowabout StudioB at DeviantScrap.com and Tangie Baxter at Scrapbookgraphics.com. 

 

PS>  Here's a look at the new Almost Alice kit from Hidden Vintage Studio.  It is filled with wonderful digital images of girls who look an awful lot like they could be Alice.  I've linked up the image below if you want to take a closer look over at DeviantScrap.

PSS>  I am excited to be a part of two new Creative Teams.  I'll tell you all about it in my next post.

 

 

The Return of FREE Friday Download!

My, it has been a while!  For today's FREE Friday Download I have posted an illustration from a June 1872 copy of Harpers Bazar that I have recolored.  Since I couldn't decide which version I liked best, I have posted a file with all three versions, so you can choose your favorite.

Just click on the image above.  You will be able to download a zip file with each of these literary ladies in their own individual png file.  I hope you will enjoy playing! 

Reading is one of my favorite pastimes - one I never seem to have enough time for.  My favorite types of books to read are history and biography, but I do admit to being a bit of a geek and reading books about Photoshop, Illustrator and Painter too :-)

Wouldn't this be a great way to pass an afternoon?

The piece was created using the Birdcages Kit from Mr Whiskers - available at DeviantScrap.  The kit contains all kinds of birds and cages, and includes a rather unique and easy method of getting the birds into their cages.  You can look here if you want to learn more.