Theme Thursday - New

I love collage, and this new image freebie from Outsider Artists (and thank you), was a pleasure to work with. The background is Irene Alexeeva, the bling is Christina Renee Designs, the swirl is Zakirah, and the bits of music from Flickr collage images.

Crow Funeral

It is said to have been observed. when a crow has died, that a great number of crows will gather about the deceased crow, cawing loudly. Then, as if guided by an unseen conductor, they all fall silent and remain so for about one minute, after which they suddenly take wing and all fly away simultaneously.....not totally unlike our very own funeral tradition, is it?

This piece was done in response to the Frameworthy Challenge at Scrapbook Graphics, and is inspired by the work of Scott Nobles. It brought to mind the legend of the crow funeral, and I thought some of you might find it of interest. Thank you for looking!

Crazy Amigos - New Year

The challenge at Crazy Amigos has to do with the advent of the New Year. I used a splash of Flickr copyright-free images and an Irene Alexeeva alphabet to create this greeting for the New Year. Best wishes to all!

Mixed Media Monday - Blending

I made some progress this year in learning the art of layering and blending digitally. I love to do the pieces where one image fades into another, leading thought into the world of images....at least that's my plan!! Thanks for looking, ----and thanks for the supportive sisterhood of Mixed Media Monday!

Sunday Postcard - Vintage

Since my grandson (the young Prince of Oregon) is visiting, life is busy, but I'm grateful for an open theme at Sunday Postcard, and a chance to indulge in my love for things vintage!

Art Creations - Background

So, over at Art Creations we were given a background to build upon this week. It made me think of things mysterious, stairways to the unknown, doorways to places yet unexplored. I love the luxury of layering and blending that digital art allows. This was jolly good fun, ladies. Thank you!

Theme Thursday - Tag

I'm a bit disoriented. Our family Christmas isn't until tomorrow. With family working in the health care industry, we've learned to adjust our holidays to their schedules! You've all had your merry Christmas by now, but I'm sending glad new year wishes to one and all!!

BAH HUMBUG TOSHIBA !!

If there breathes a soul in the U.S. who hasn’t heard of the advent of HDTV in February, I applaud their lifestyle! As for the rest of us, we are reminded numberless times daily that February will see the end of analog TV, and our old television sets will only bring us endless snow. We must buy a new LCD-HDTV or a converter box if we wish to continue our television addiction. I am one of the last two people in the universe who does not have cable. I operate with rabbit ears,--quite successfully, I might add. A year and a half ago, I thought to get a step up on this madness, and purchased a new HDTV-ready set, so I’ve been feeling quite smug. Until a week or so ago. My Toshiba (a pox on them) locked in on a station and sat there in a fit of obstinance, not to be outsmarted by my remote OR the on-set controls. It would not change channels. It would not turn off. It turned a deaf ear and blind eye to my calisthenic histrionics. It was necessary to resort to the famous techno-nerd solution to all problems technical----stand on my head behind the entertainment center, sort out the maze of wires, unplug it and plug it in again. Sneezing from displaced dust motes, I was pleased to find whatever constipatory (MY word, like it?) process that caused failed movement seemed resolved. Once more I ruled my little technical world! This has been sporadic, however, and the entire process has been repeated at least once daily, much to my chagrin. In the true spirit of the season, thoughts of Peace on Earth Goodwill to Man wend their way through my head……to the exclusion of Toshiba. Whatever happened to Sylvania and Magnavox?

Sunday Postcard - Merry Christmas!

I created this for a challenge at Scrapbookgraphics, but also used it for my Christmas cards this year. Merry Christmas to my blog followers, and to those responsible for all the blog challenges I enjoy so much. May the spirit of Christmas last the whole year through!

Artarazzi - Fish

Swim, little fishie, swim if you can....and he swam, and he swam, right over the dam!!! And he got in a Christmas sort of mood. Thanks for the challenge, Vron. Happy Holidays!

Art Creations - Couple

Thanks to Art Creations for another vintage image.

I had fun "building" a patio around this one. The patio floor and acoutrements are from Irene Alexeeva, the window frame from Jen U Designs, the background is several layers from my collection of "stuff". I just love walking down the street and looking in windows, don't you? Thanks for looking!

Make a Moo or Two - Alice

The theme at Make a Moo or Two is Alice in Wonderland. I used a Kubivet window for my Wonderland scene, and a Lorie Davison fairy. I'm anxious to see what others have done with this theme. A moo doesn't allow much room for "wonderlanding"!

Theme Thursday - Brown & Green

This challenge took me to mysterious places, dark mists and hidden secrets. It was fun! Thank you to the Vintage Moth for the image, Graphic Fairy for the bird, my files for the layered background, grid and frame. The secrets??? Your guess is as good as mine.

TMTA - Lamp

I went for simplicity with this challenge, an oil lamp and a quote that is meaningful to me. I love oil lamps. The smell of an oil lamp transports me back to my grandmother's house immediately, and in my mind's eye I see her in her prim nightie, holding her little oil lamp and preparing to go upstairs to bed. Strange, isn't it, how certain smells trigger memories!

Mixed Media Monday - Gold

What fun to collect a few gold things and try to arrange them in attractive fashion! Thanks for the challenge!

Sunday Postcard - Bright Colors

I did a flower pot full of bright-colored shapes, then played a bit with filters. This one (glowing edges) struck my fancy and changed the entire look. Something different anyway!

Artarazzi - Children

Thanks for challenging us with this wonderful quote, Vron. There's nothing like looking into the eyes of a child, so trusting and innocent, to remind us of the miracle of the gift of life.

Ornaments for Exchange

I'm hostessing our local art group's Christmas luncheon and ornament swap tomorrow. These are my exchange ornaments. Photography doesn't do them justice, I think. I printed aged music on both sides of card stock, cut it in quarters longwise, glued into one long strip and accordion pleated it, then stitched around one side and pulled it tight into a circle. The centers are recycled Christmas cards, and the edges are dipped in glue and glitter, which doesn't show. I can't wait to see what everyone else has done!

Art Creations

The images we're given to work with at Art Creations are just simply gorgeous! I've placed this lovely lady in a frame by Kubivet. Butterfly embellishment is by Lorie Davison.

Make a Moo or Two - Christmas

This Flickr found image of Santa amused me, so I thought I'd share it. Indeed he has miles to go and promises to keep...a formidable task, even for Santa. Godspeed, old fella!!

Theme Thursday - Circus

Once upon a long time ago, the barns in the country were backdrops for advertising posters. Most often seen advertised were Mail Pouch Tobacco, See Rock City, and traveling circuses. I found this photo of an old barn, and superimposed the circus posters. It makes me feel rather melancholy! Thanks for looking. I hope it's a trip down memory lane for some of you as well!

Simply Skinnies - Party

I have to admit I was having a bit of fun with this one. When you're born "Toulouse", it's hard to get in the party mood!

Crazy Amigo Challenge - Keeping Warm

The Crazy Amigos challenge asks how we keep warm. Now, for the folks "down under" that's no problem right now, but here in the heartland I like a stack of favorite CD's in the player, an Irish Creme at hand, a good book, and a roaring fire. Ahhh, paradise!

TMTA - Think Red

Think Monday, Think ATC, "Think Red". I'm the world's biggest fan of black and white and red. This was the perfect chance to use it. I love cardinals (our state bird). In the summer they are sleek and shiny, flitting here and there in the most efficient manner. In the winter, they look like this fellow, all "fluffy" and a bit grumpy....like the rest of us, just sort of surviving until it gets warm again! I'm hoping he reads the logo and gets around to some merry thoughts.

Thanks for looking, and comments are appreciated!

Mixed Media Monday - Paper Dolls

Well, I daresay this was uproarious good fun! My paper dolls are constructed from my DIP software. I'm not sure they were ever meant to dance together, but you know how girls go for the baaaad guys! She is just hopelessly smitten.

Gothic Arches - Trees

I'm a bit jaded with snow scenes, so I went with a peaceful forest scene, and a vintage lady freebie who's looking for company on her forest walk. Looks like fun!

Sunday Postcard Art - Fairy

After I finished this, it seemed a bit gaudy, but, hey, sometimes we need a little gaudy, don't we? Fairy is from Karen's Whimsy Public Domain images (thanks to her). Corner "buttons" are from Donna Miller, black and white paper is from Robyn England. For the life of me I can't remember where the green came from -- I think googled, though! I spend an inordinate amount of time trolling the net, picking up free bits and pieces from here and there, and I need a secretary to keep them all straight!

Artarazzi - Beautiful

My blog friend, Veronica, has started a new blog challenge for any and all, including digital artists. Her first challenge is "Beautiful". Here's my entry, Vron, and I wish you booming great success with your new endeavor!

(I'm afraid the top of this layout fades into the background of my blog. Too late to change it now!)

Art Creations - Image

Art Creations has given us this image to do with what we will. I sent her out shopping on a snowy day. When I look out my window this morning, that's what I see,----a snowy day!

Make a Moo - Presents

"Presents" is the challenge at Make a Moo or Two. What girl wouldn't want some bling!

Big Art Adventure - Window

Linda and Rosie at Awfully Big Art Adventure have issued a challenge to create a piece of art featuring a window. The "view" out the window in this piece is a photo of an original oil painting by me. The window is courtesy of Jen U Designs.

Thanks for visiting my blog and looking at my work! Comments are appreciated!

Theme Thursday - Children

The challenge this week at Theme Thursday is children. I found this charming little lady among the Flickr copyright-free images. I just know she's on her way to a Christmas party somewhere!

Daily Art Stop - Doll

This is a pretty traditional Christmas collage. I wonder how many dolls have ridden in Santa's sleigh through the years, on their way to make little girls happy? This vintage photo is from Flickr copyright free images. Thanks for looking, and take time to read my Christmas memories below.

Christmas at Nigh Chapel

The highlight of the Christmases of my childhood featured the Christmas Eve Program at our little country church. We children all recited little poems, called “pieces” (from which comes the term “saying your piece”), and we sang the traditional songs such as “Up on the Housetop”, “Here Come Santa Claus”, and “Jingle Bells”, and joined the rest of the little congregation in singing the traditional old hymns. The Christmas story was read from the Bible; and, in the background, the old clock ticked away the evening. Shortly thereafter, we’d hear the sound of sleigh bells, and Jolly Old Santa himself would burst through the door with his pack on his back. He brought “treats” for everyone,--brown paper bags filled with hard candies, peppermint canes, chocolate drops, nuts, a shiny red apple and an orange. He enlisted “helpers” to help him pass out the small gifts beneath the tree. Each Sunday School teacher brought small gifts for the children of her class. There was usually one gift for each child from Santa himself, somehow smuggled under the tree by our parents. When the evening ended, shouts of “Merry Christmas” filled the cold night air as everyone stomped through the snow to head for home, filled with Christmas cheer and love for all mankind.

****

I shamelessly admit to placing one of my vintage Santas in this photo of the little church.

Think Monday Think ATC - Stone

Stone angels always conjure a sense of peace and calm--silent sentinels of the past, the present, and all that is to be, our gift from artists long gone. What a wonderful challenge!

Mixed Media Monday - Home Sweet Home

What with all the snow scenes lately, I decided it was time for a little green! And home IS in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?

Collage background and elements from the designers of CLD; the "homeowner" is googled, and the music is from Flickr copyright free images.

Sunday Postcard - Winter Wonderland

It is great fun doing winter scenes! I could not resist putting our state bird, the cardinal, in this one. They are such beautiful touches of red in the winter when all the world is white. My background, slightly altered, is from a photo by Allon Kira. I've added the light and the fence from Jen U Designs, and Flickr copyright-free images provided the couple. Digital collage is exactly like cut and paste collage, except the supplies are easier to store! Thanks for looking.

***YIKES! I just realized I made this a 4x4 instead of a postcard. Brain blip! Too late to change it now. Mea culpa!

Gothic Arches - Snow

Winter is showing up at all the challenges, and it's expected to show up here in my world tonight with our first snow. I thank April Mouse for the border for my arch, the street scene is googled, and I "built" the snowman. Thanks for looking!

Art Creations - Background

For this week's challenge at Art Creations, we were given a luscious background to use for our artistic impression. I chose an overlay of a village scene, added some red bows and a Christmas tree for this "silent night" theme. Since we're predicted to have our first snowfall tomorrow night, it seemed timely.

Make a Moo or Two - Monkey

Make a Moo or Two chose monkeys for their topic this week, a challenge for sure. This fellow looks as if he's thinking about the holidaze, so I put him in my window!

Theme Thursday - Santa

Today is Thanksgiving Day (if you're in the U.S.), and in the blink of an eye Santa will be making his rounds. This Santa is one I sketched on pine, cut out with band saw, and painted with oils. He's on my mantel right now. I "lifted" him from his photograph, however, because this beautiful little cottage seemed just right for him to stop by, don't you think? Thanks for looking, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Daily Art Stop - Mermaid

This was a stretch for me. The background is digitally painted, filtered and tweaked, and embellished with bits and pieces from Jofia Devoe, Kubivet, and Google. I think Picasso is safe!

Artygirlz - Color Challenge

Something in my favorite colors? It'd have to be shades of blue! And just to make it timely (oh, I'm so clever), I tried to capture time in a bottle, which is what we'd all like to do in the busy holidaze. Thanks for the challenge, Artygirlz, and thanks for looking!

Crazy Amigo Challenge - Hands

Hands are the challenge topic at Crazy Amigos this week. This collage includes an image from Art-E-Zine, background and alpha from Kubivet, and the photo of the hands cradling the infant I've had for a very long time. They hold a miracle in a very small package, do they not?

SPACE - THE LAST FRONTIER

I belong to a small group of women with an affinity for the written word. At our monthly meeting, we draw a topic card as a challenge for the next meeting. Recently, our topic card was simply a photo of two astronauts. I occasionally lapse into rhyme, and sometimes have a devilish urge for some tongue-in-cheek fun. Such was the case with our space topic, with the following result.

***
In these days of tribulation, you gotta wonder why
We need to look for more, by exploring our sky.
We dress up our heroes in spacesuits slick as a whistle,
Give them a flag, and send them off in a missile.
If there are aliens out there, they probably have seen us
From their vantage point on the planet of Venus,
Or perhaps from Jupiter, in their own space cars
When they’re off with their family for a trip to Mars.
Stopping by Mercury or lunch on the moon,
Passing by Earth, they‘ll head on to Neptune.
Enjoying the cosmos and its glorious pattern
They‘ll take a left turn so the kids can see Saturn..
Circling the sun, they’ll send a message to pain us
“When we get there”, they’ll say, “we’ll study Uranus.”
***
,,,,,,as I said, the Devil made me do it ....

Gothic Arches - Celebration

If you're a turkey in the U.S. you know it's the time to celebrate Thanksgiving, and you hope you're not invited to dinner!! Happy Birthday to our hostess, and happy autumnal season to all my blogfriends in other countries, but this week my family and I will be celebrating the day the Pilgrims landed.

Sunday Postcard - Joker

While trolling the net, I came across this coquettish lady joker. I think she has inside information on some unlucky guy ... she's looking awfully smug!

Background and butterfly Tangie Baxter, and flowers CR Designs.

Art Creations

A new challenge blog has been started at Art Creations. We're given the image for our individual interpretation. This lovely, pensive lady would grace any endeavor, would she not??

The frame is by K.Eflin/R.Davis (altered).

Make a Moo or Two - Pets

I had a little fun with this one. Aside from George Clooney, not too many people have pet pigs. It seems worth a book, don't you think? Image courtesy of Art-E-Zine.

Simply Skinnies - Thanks

It's great to remind us of that for which we're grateful. I'm grateful for my life of abundance, for family and friends....and for those blessings I've yet to receive.

Theme Thursday - Old West

The "Old West" theme makes me think of saloons and shootouts, outlaws and good guys! With a collection of "stuff" from Kuvivet, a window frame from Jen U Designs, a googled wanted poster, and a Flickr copyright free cowboy, it looks like the bounty hunter is ready to go a-huntin for a bad guy!