For Theme Thursday - Vintage

For the Theme Thursday challenge this week, Vintage. Here is my vintage style ATC Christmas card... Hope everyone is feeling merry! =)

My New Blog - FREE Blog Backgrounds and More

Hey there!

I've recently started a new blog - Perfectly Perfect Blog Designs - where I will be posting FREE blog backgrounds, FREE headers and FREE Etsy banners (and sometimes a FREE vintage image or two). Please check it out, and if you like it be sure and add it to your Favorites. I've only got a couple on there right now but I will be adding more all the time. And don't forget, everything is FREE!!! =)

New Christmas Items in My Etsy Shop

Here are a couple of items I just listed in my shop this evening. If anyone is looking for a custom made Etsy shop banner or blog header be sure and visit my shop...I'd love to create one just for you =) xo

Digital Expressions by Susan Tuttle - Available for pre-order now on Amazon!

I was so excited to receive an email from my friend Susan Tuttle today telling me that her new book is available for pre-order now on Amazon (will be arriving in Spring 2010). Susan is a gifted artist, and has an eloquence and sweet freshness to her written word. Although I have never been fortunate enough to meet her in person yet I feel like I know her well, through her lovely art and her wonderful blog posts. I am proud to say that one of my digital pieces will be included in her new book, and I am truly honored to have been included. Thank you, Susan!

Here is the write up as it appears on Amazon. "Digital Expressions guides the mixed-media artist through 25 stepped-out digital projects created with Adobe Photoshop Elements. Projects like manipulating single photos, collage on a digital canvas, and digital illustration will inspire you to tackle all kinds of digital mixed-media projects using stock photography, custom brushes, textured backgrounds and your own digital photos. A team of talented contributing artists further illustrates the techniques in action. Plus, a bonus CD includes more than 20 digital design elements for you to use in your own projects!"

I'm sure that this book will be wonderfully received, just like her last book, "Exhibition 36" and am so thrilled for Susan ~ Many kudos to you, my friend!!!

For Theme Thursday - Favorite Colours

Here is my submission for this week's Theme Thursday challenge: Favorite Colours. To be honest, my favorite colors change frequently...sometimes I find myself wanting to surround myself with a certain color, other times my taste goes in a different direction and I want something softer, or brighter, or greener, or in shades of blue. Today I find myself wanting to work with brown and gold and pink; and so, here is my submission (an ATC, digital collage) . Thank you for looking! xo

And one more....

Forest Park - St Louis, Mo

Forest Park, St Louis, MO - October 25, 2009

I'll just let these pics speak for themselves ... if you'd like to see a few more please visit me on Facebook =) Happy Almost Halloween! xo

For Theme Thursday - Faces

My submisssion for Theme Thursday's challenge this week, "Faces". Digital collage.

Autumn Becoming....

Well, I suppose it is time for me to humbly swallow my pride and admit ... Autumn in the Midwest is fantastically astoundingly take-your-breath away beautiful! Everyday this week the leaves on the trees become more and more incredible to behold. The yellows, the oranges, the reds are so intense they honestly bring tears to my eyes to see something so beyond-normal compared to my "life in the desert" experience. Arizona, of course I love you - you have mountains and canyons that I could spend a lifetime exploring and adoring - you are on my mantle of Things I Will Hold Dear Forever - but this fall is something I have never experienced before. I drive through the university, and turn a corner and I am overtaken with wonder at the red, red, crimson leaves - painted by nature's hand. The groves of yellow and orange, the little red shrubs, even the roses are blooming!! This place has become a storybook Land of Autumn, and I will try my hardest to capture this beauty with my camera. Keep a lookout for upcoming posts - I promise you won't be disappointed =) AUTUMN RULES!!!!!!

Photos of SIUe campus by James Graminski

Autumn Leaves - abstract photo

By Me...today.

Another Pic from Saturday

Unfortunately we weren't able to make it to Forest Park today; I've been in some major TMJ-related pain. Ouch!!! I can't believe I'm actually looking forward to my dentist visit on Wednesday - Advil and Tylenol are just not working! =(

Anyway, here is another pic from SIUE - isn't the deer, well ... dear? They are so sweet, and the campus is home to quite a few of them, as well as hundreds of geese and ducks. One reason I love my trips on campus so much. xo

SIUe - Myer Arboretum October 10, 2009

Yesterday afternoon my son and I took a little photo break over to the arboretum at SIUe. As I drive onto the campus everyday during the week lately I've found myself watching the leaves on the trees slowly change color. This year I am determined to get some good pics of the process, and yesterday was such a beautiful day (sunny skies and sweatshirt weather) we decided to go for it. We may have been about a week early, as most of leaves are still yellow and orange, and I was hoping to see a few more red ones...but here they are, and here is the link to the Myer Arboretum for those of you who might be planning a trip out this way sometime. Hope you enjoy them =) Tomorrow we plan on visiting Forest Park in StL for some more picture taking - if they turn out I'll be sharing them as well. xo

Union Station, St. Louis October 3, 2009

Here are some pics from our trip to Union Station in St Louis last Saturday. I hadn't visited this place since I was ten years old (eons ago =) and so I was quite taken with the architecture, and the fantastic atmosphere. We took tons of photos, and ate at the Hard Rock Cafe (excellent food, btw) and then we went over to the Loop for some walking, shopping and sightseeing...it was an excellent day, and I do hope you will enjoy all these images. xo

A Couple of Color-full Altered Photos

It was a rainy day today, so really there's nothing like staying inside and playing around with Photoshop. The photo of the covered wagon is from St Charles, MO and the bridge is over the Mississippi River between Illinois and Missouri. I especially enjoy bringing lots of color to the images and Photoshop is so good at that - unfortunately I didn't get much laundry done today

(oh well =)

The Charm (digital collage)

Prints of this digital collage will be offered on Etsy shortly - in various sizes, including ATCs.

For Theme Thursday - Script

For Theme Thursday's challenge this week, "script" ... a bit gothic and Halloween-y but 'tis the season =) To see more submissions please visit Theme Thursday xo

St Louis Church

Just trying out some filter effects in Photoshop =)

Sunday Postcard Art - Gypsy

My contribution to Sunday Postcard Art this week; the theme is Gypsy ... please visit their blog

to see more entries! xo

Saturday Surprise Challenge ~ Theme: Time

I just recently realized that my friend Heather has a challenge blog up and running, and so I wanted to enter it. The theme this week is Time, and here is my entry ...

Illustration Friday - Infinite

A rose is forever ... infinite beauty ... symbolizing infinite love

My submission for Illustration Friday this week.

Another abstract digital - World in a Bubble

Combining a vintage postcard with a photo I took outside the St. Louis Opera building, and various PSP pattern swatches...I'd imagine living life in a bubble would be quite nerveracking, wouldn't you? =)

New Abstract Digital Art Print

Hello there! Here is a digital art piece that I just finished up today. I will probably list it in my Etsy shop, and will offer it in a variety of different colors/shades. I sure do love creating digital abstracts - and time really flies when I do, I mean, I had every intention of cleaning the closet today...ah well...=)

For Mixed Media Monday Theme: Round

For Mixed Media Monday this week I attempted to create a piece which incorporated a lot of different round shapes (but of course the pearls were my fav =)

To see more entries from the other participating artists, please visit Mixed Media Monday

Playing Around with Photoshop

Well, this morning we all got up way too early (4-ish) so that everyone ('cept me, ha) could hightail it over to Greenville for the yearly meeting - so, what does any normal digital artist do when they can't sleep? Why, playing around with Photoshop sounded like the right thing to do =) So here are a couple of images that I altered and wanted to share - even though the "science fiction" one is not my normal style I sort of liked it - "aliens have landed, and they want to see the St. Louis Arch" (I know - I know, I should probably go back to sleep =)

Modes Paris 1 - Digital Collage ACEO

Happy Thursday! This digital collage ACEO is the first one in a series I'm working on right now. The image consists of several different vintage images combined and then colorized to give it some overall "oomph". I was happily surprised to see that the pearls "glisten" (ya gotta love pearls =)

Olive Street Road - St Louis

Two different colorized versions, and depth of focus added (I'm partial to the more vintage looking image on top ... let me know which one you like best =)

St. Louis Images

We went to St Louis this afternoon and had a really great time driving around downtown - I remember a lot of the places from when I lived there when I was little, but there was just so much to see today...the city was alive, and proud, and very beautiful - even in what are often seen as her "weaknesses".

I took tons of pics in the time we were there today, and have spent this evening looking at them and touching them up, and deciding which ones to share here. I thought these would be interesting - because they are the same image - just different versions. It was fun to play around with the negative images, combining them - adding and subtracting colors, etc. So, courtesy of Paint Shop Pro, here are three different images...of the same thing (the last one is my fav =).

Solitude - Digital Collage

Hello! Here is another digital collage I finished up today. I just listed it on Etsy, but I think it's one of my favorites...I've always been partial to those pink-peach tones LOL This image kind of summarizes how I am feeling right now - like I just want to have some alone time, to think about all the good things in my life as well as those that I need to change...overall, I am thinking that is a good thing. Hope everybody has a happy and safe weekend! xo

Ode to Life - Digital Collage

This digital collage measures approximately 8X10 and will be listed in my Etsy shop today.

Another Mixed Media Piece and a Halloween ACEO

A couple more today - making the Halloween ACEOs is so much fun, I'm sure I'll have quite a few by the time Halloween rolls around =)

Halloween Digital Collage and an Abstract

The last several days of August always seem to put me in an autumn frame of mind and so I figured it was time to do my first Halloween piece of this year. This one is an ACEO, I'm thinking of doing at least ten more along these lines as a series.

In the other photo I played around a bit with the colors of a photo I took a while back...I know these are a bit dark, but I liked how they worked together.

I'm also working on a project featuring different "autumn" and "fall" style words...if you'd like to comment and add a few I would greatly appreciate it, and will also send a little gift (small but artsy) to anyone who contributes. Thanks!!! xo

Another mixed media collage...

Here is the one I finished up this weekend - I am so in love with crackle paint! What did I do without it? lol This photo is one I took last year at a nearby farm, once all the leaves had fallen. I worked with the image to get it a less-color, more vintage appeal. Hope you like it! xo

New Mixed Media piece

Finally I am getting back into some good old mixed media work - inspired by a gorgeous "tableau" I recently purchased from angelacartwright's shop on Etsy - I created this piece incorporating a textured canvas (crepe paper, string, crackle paste) and an altered photo I took of branches a few years ago in AZ. I'm working on a couple more of these and would really love to hear your comments. This one measures 5X7, and I am working on both larger and smaller ones now.

Happy weekend all!!! xo

A Couple More Newbies

Going for some softer colors right now - I am really loving the blue color in the bird collage, so you will probably be seeing a lot of it here lately =)

Can't believe our summer has come to an end here - James started school today, and Elisabeth goes back to SIUE next week...autumn is on its bright colorful red and orange way...bring on the pumpkins =)