miles beyond the moon

A Fan of Black and White

More black and white image play with the photos from Marie's workshop.  I never realized I could become such a big fan of b&w. :-)

 

A bit of creative play.

 

Rainwashed.
 

 

At the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.

I'm recently back from a Fine Art Creative Black and White Photography and Photoshop workshop in Charlotte, North Carolina with Marie Otero.  The workshop was a mix of morning photo walkabouts in the city and afternoon sessions of playing in Photoshop - exploring many techniques to process our photos into dynamic black and white images.  Marie was one of my first (and the best!) Photoshop teachers, and it was great to finally have a chance to meet her in person.  It was also great fun to connect with old friends and meet some new ones.  The workshop was mind-blowing!  So many new things to learn and explore.

One of the new things for me to try was some street photography.  I have always been a bit intimidated about taking photos of strangers, but it was SO much easier to do with a group of other people doing the same thing.  On our Sunday morning photo walkabout we came upon this stylish guy on his motorcycle.

It was obvious he had other things on his mind, and was not aware that we were snapping away.

All of a sudden he turned his head and caught sight of us.  Three cameras with big lens pointed directly at him.

He was a good sport and gave us a big grin before he sped away.

Sisters With Attitude

I am so excited to be part of a Sisters With Attitude - a mixed media collaboration by the members of the Tumble Fish Studio Creative Team.  This project was the brainchild of the amazing Trudi Sissons of Two Dresses Studio.  We all had the chance to play with a new product called Craft Attitude and create mixed media collages using images from Tumble Fish Studio.  Craft Attitude allows you to print transparent images right at home on your inkjet printer.  If you have been frustrated by image transfer with packing tape or gel medium, you need to give Craft Attitude a try.  It is so easy and there is no mess to deal with!

 

I was amazed at how well the ink from the inkjet printer bonded with the Craft Attitude film.  The ink stays put on the film and won't rub off on your fingers or the paper.  You can apply your printed transparency to paper using a glue stick or with an iron and create collages with wonderful depth and dimension.

 

Some of my favorite pieces were created with bits of antique paper that I collaged together and then applied a transparent image over the top.  This was a great way to use those special bits of my collection I have been saving for just the right moment.

 

Questions?  You can find out all about Craft Attitude right here:

Craft Attitude FAQ

Craft Attitude Facebook Page

Be sure to take a look at Trudi's Pinterest board for more ideas about how to use Craft Attitude in your mixed media projects.  The possibilities are endless!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amelia :: A FREE Friday Download

It has been wayyyyy too long since we have had a FREE Friday Download to play with.  So today meet Amelia.  She is another vintage girl from my collection of old photos.  Don't you just love her crushed velvet dress, and what a hat!  Click here to download Amelia.

Today is Art Friday, and I can't wait to get back to The Mermaid Circus.  I really wanted to take this class since it is Teesha Moore's first ever online class.  To be able to sit with Teesha and watch while she creates one of her journal pages is a rare treat.  And I am loving Jane Davenport's illustration and painting lessons too.  She had me enjoying drawing again.  Take a look at these cuties :-)

Hope you have a wonderful weekend and have some time for art play!

Published!

 

I am thrilled to be featured in the current edition of Art Journaling magazine.  You could say I am over the moon :-) 

 

 

Four digital journal pages that I created for the Art Journal Caravan are featured.  I also wrote an article about how I create my journal pages - everything from that first spark of inspiration, to process of gathering images and finally arranging them on the page and adding my journaling.

 

 

I never know exactly where I am going when I sit down to create a new journal page.  It is that creative journey that is the most important part of art journaling for me.  I am convinced that our art journals are more than just pretty pages.  I believe we can use our art journals to move our lives in the direction we want to go.

 

AND I feel so fortunate to be featured in an issue that also includes Teesha Moore.  Teesha is the person that really got me excited about art journaling in the first place.  I feel as if I've come full circle.

 

 

Sweet Charlotte: A FREE Friday Download

I've been playing in my digital art journal this week.  I've been enjoying combining images I've purchased from some of my favorite digital designers along with some of my own vintage images.  This page began with a wonderful new kit from Tangie Baxter called You Are Magnificent.  I've added my own image from an 1869 edition of Godey Ladies Book which I digitally painted in Photoshop so it would coordinate with the kit.  This is such a fun way for me to play with my old images.  I always did enjoy coloring :-)

Would you like to play along?  I have created a template with layers so you can create your own version of this 1869 girl that I've named Sweet Charlotte. I've also included a copy of my original scan of this image from Godey's.  Take a look at the copy of that old page, and you'll see how Sweet Charlotte got her name.  Just click on the image below to download everything. 

I really would love to see your own version of Sweet Charlotte.  Leave me a comment below so I can come and take a look.

Not Just Another Pretty Face: A FREE Friday Download

Well, I'm a bit late, but I wanted to post this today, even though Friday is almost over, since I haven't shared a free download for awhile.

 I scanned these ladies from an 1867 copy of Godey Ladies Book.  I think they have the most interesting collection of hats - although none of them seem very happy about it.

I thought these quirky faces would make a great addition to your journal, so I cleaned them up a bit in Photoshop and made them into transparent .png files so you can digitally layer them over other papers just the way you would apply a rubber stamp.  Or you can print them out and cut them up to add to your journal.  They are not just another pretty face :-)

Click on the image above to download.  Enjoy!

 

An Abundance of Fairy Tales

There is a brand new store-wide collaboration over at DeviantScrap.  If you like stories about castles and dragons, or dashing knights and beautiful princesses, or tales that end with "and they lived happily ever after" - all with just a dash of whimsy thrown in -  then this collab will be irresistible to you.  Each of the Deviant Scrap Designers has created a kit with the theme of Once Upon a Time.  Here are some of the Fairy Tales I have been cooking up over the weekend.

 

Dragonkeep ~ Images from Holliewood Studios

 

Once Upon a Time Long Ago ~ Images from itKuPiLLi Imagenarium

 

The Tale of the Seven Swans ~ images by itKuPiLLi Imagenarium and Holliewood Studios

Tiny Dancer ~ images by Hidden Vintage Studios, ItKuPiLLi Imagenarium, and Pink Lotty

Snow Princess ~ images by Hidden Vintage Studios, Eena's Creations, and Holliewood Studios

Once Upon a Time ~ images by Tumble Fish Studio

 

Happily Ever After ~ images by Tumble Fish Studio

So much fun!

The Wait is Over!

The wait is over for Downton Abbey fans.  Tonight Season 3 begins and we can return to the ancestral home of the Earl of Grantham and catch up on what the family has been up to - both upstairs and downstairs.  It is the Edwardian age in Great Britian and you can be certain the family will be facing up to all kinds of new "modern" changes as the outside world begins to encroach on the manners and customs of the Downton world.

One of the things I love most about watching Downton are the gorgeous period costumes.  I've created my own Downton Abbey art dolls here - dressed to the nines - with the help of costume essentials from Studio Rebecca.  The background is pure art journal from Tangie Baxter's Art Journal Caravan.  Luckily the first itinerary in our round-the-world Art Journal Caravan is the United Kingdom.  A perfect first stop in my Grand Tour!

You can bet I'll be tucked up on the couch tonight with my feet up enjoying a cuppa something hot, my eyes glued to the telly.  The good news is that there will be a Season 4.  Jolly good!

Oh My Brave Traveler

This is a page from my journal, a letter to myself at the beginning of a journey.  It is a reminder that if I look too far into the future I lose sight of the small steps I have to take each day to get where I'm going.  All I am given is today.  I plan to make each day count.

 “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”  A good maxim to live by.