Drawing #5 - Bullfinch

I went back to working with a rectangle. The beginning spaces revealed a shape I thought of as a Bullfinch, a Eurasian bird that is quite robust and big billed. I couldn't help developing that shape somewhat. I also did this one more open. It is about 5 inches square. Even though there is less detailed drawing, it required about as much time and thought. I still never know what will appear when I put pen to paper. It is a fascinating process.

Fresh Berries are Jewels of Summer

I love all the fresh local berries available in the summer. The stores even have lots of sales on them and they keep better and taste better than imported ones out of season. And don't they look grand! I sometimes photograph food I've fixed or the process and one day I had to get a picture of these berries. The other fruit I adore is prime right now and that is the local peaches!

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Designer Credits:
kit Composition by One Little Bird
fonts: Enchanted Prairie Dog, Circus, Hans Hand

Doodle #4: The Samurai

The latest doodle looks a lot like #3 in some ways, but looks more contained and definitely shows some aggression. When it was done and I looked at it the title, The Samurai, jumped out at me. You can find all sorts of other things in the details though. The next one is in the works and it might look at least a little different.

Click on the image to see a larger version.

Beautiful Autumn Day Remembered

I scrapped a very similar photo back in 2008, but couldn't resist taking more photos last October. This week's inspiration kit had such gorgeous colors that I couldn't resist it and had to pair the two. It's amazing how this looks like a country road, but is really a lane along the ravine in Lake View at the intersection of three cities.

I think autumn is coming much too soon for me. Last week I first noticed goldenrod beginning to bloom then saw leaves on the neighbor's American dogwood turning red. Last night seemed actually chilly. I complain when it seems to turn summer in May, but this may be the other side of the same thing. Well, this photo wasn't taken until October 26th last year, so there should be lots of loveliness to enjoy.

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Designer Credits:
52 Inspirations (2011) Week 33 by Sue Cummings
-birds from Black and White by Sue Cummings
font: Euromode

My Mother and Aunt at the river

I used an old photo of two little girls in the water of the Ohio River. It was taken almost 100 years ago of my mother and her little sister. The family spent a lot of time along the river swimming, boating and picnicking. It all changed in later years when dams left the river much deeper. The black and white photo challenge seemed like a good idea along with using my latest drawing in the background. The color (or rather lack of it) is a bit different for my heritage photos. This photo is aged, not in the best shape and warm toned. I changed its color with an old platinum photo effect in PSP.

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Designer Credits:
-papers, birds, bow, word art from Black & White by Sue Cummings
fonts English111 Presto BT, Euromode

Doodle #3: Dark Side of the Moon?

When Dick looked at this drawing, one of his findings within it was "the dark side of the moon" and I liked that a lot, so think if this needed a title, that might be it. It is really interesting doing these and this one is a little more organically shaped and bigger. I also realized why they take so long. Deb and I both use fine point Sharpies, but mine are the pen while I think hers are the markers. They are rewarding to work on. In fact, the process is probably more important than the product in the original philosophy of zen doodles. Click on the image to see it in more detail.

When Helen commented on Klimt's "The Kiss," I knew just what she meant. Some of the patterns of shapes in my drawings are very like those in his painting. Mine are areas of writing that I've worked back into with dark shapes. The end result is rather similar. Looking at more of his paintings, I see that he filled many areas with doodle-like shapes.

Back to Storytelling, with a new "doodle"

I've used multiple photos again with a small bit of blending. I've also used a new drawing or "doodle" as part of my background. I'd say this is less art and more story, but still a bit of both.

The Gray Catbirds are mimic thrushes a bit like our mockingbirds. They have calls that do sound quite a bit like cats, hence their name. At least two have been hanging out in the silky dogwoods for a few days, sitting out in the open at times. One of those times today I was able to photograph a bird with the telephoto from the kitchen window. I was happy to see the squirrels really have left a good bit of fruit which is now turning blue, its ripe color. I really do enjoy these plants!

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Credits: I created the background with my doodle and a texture effect
fonts: Celtic Hand, Boopee

New Doodle
My new drawing or doodle is a bit bigger, about 5.5 inches across. It is freeform somewhat like one of Deb's newest. It is also probably pretty strange. Turning it can create different illusions too.

Thanks for all the lovely comments on my flower "painting!" I have ideas for more images of that type, but want to let them stew a while first.

Purple Fantasy: more flower "painting"

My daylily page was quite brightly colored, the dark iris (Night Ruler) was darkly intense though fanciful. Each was done with photos of flowers of one plant. Since I have so many iris photos from my sister's garden I decided to see what I could create with pictures of different flowers together. The result is very similar to the other iris one, but lighter and to me, more fanciful, even lacy. This is again done with erasure and blending. Goals include texture, depth, and especially, feelings of fantasy. My biggest fear is that I might fall off into something akin to cabbage rose wallpaper. Any comments more that welcome!

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Designer Credits:
-blue and patterned background papers from Creative Motives, July 2011 Artisan Guild Kit 
-green background paper from Twitterpated by Dee Bee Designs
-overlay paper from Black & White by Sue Cummings
-string, butterfly from I'm Like a Bird, Part 1 by Mel Designs and Thaliris
-yellow flower from I'm Still Loving You by chouk77
-blue brush from Dream a Little Dream by Digital Scrapper
-glitter from October Festivities, Part 6 by Melcrea

Mother When Young

I was itching to use the gorgeous red flowers in Helen's freebie. I wanted them with a black and white photo but didn't expect I would choose a winter scene. Somehow it makes it seem even more that we are looking back in time. I also had it in mind to make use of my doodle. The photo is of my mother and my father's car before they were married. It was early 1930 and she was nineteen.

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Designer Credits:
-papers, frame, pail, bird from Time Began in a Garden by Retro Designs
-flowers, ladybug from Nouveau Summer Floral Freebie by Retro Designs
-overlay is an enlargement of my own drawing
font: Minya Novelle

Night Ruler Dreaming: more flower "painting"

I wanted to continue from the daylily page of "painting" with flower photos. Instead of starting with a photo mask I used this month's creative techniques challenge method of erasure and blending and a little more. I used six different photos. I'm now thinking about the comments I made about originality when I did the page of the red giant hibiscus. Perhaps this is my way to finding a unique way with flowers. It'll be interesting to learn what you see in it!

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Designer Credits:
-blue paper from Royal Blending Papers by Tinamarie
-black(ish) paper, B&W paper used as overlay on top, butterfly, flower from Black & White by Sue Cummings 
-light green pattern paper from Oscraps Collab TrOpical
-swirl from Sa-weet Sa-whirls by Jodie McNally
-silver glitters from The Silver Flakes by Kitty Designs

Mystery Man

I used the copycat challenge for August to show off another unidentified photo. It is another from one of the old albums brought the the U.S. from Slovakia. The clothing, hair and beard look rather 1860ish to me and that is the time Dick's great grandfather was at university in Bavaria studying theology. I think a lot of the photos were of his friends there. This man's looks particularly caught my fancy.

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Designer Credits:
-August 2011 copycat challenge template by clarabear based on "Discover" by Dady
-bow, brads from Free to Fly by Vera Lim Design
-stitching from All Stitched by Kitty Designs
-birds (recolored) from Corinthia by Kitty Designs
-pale paper from Not So Basic Browns by Maya de Groot
-medium brown paper from Family Is Forever by Maya de Groot
-small paper from Old Stuff by Jodie McNally
-bright paper from Royal Blending Papers by tinamarie
-branch from I Remember You by Biograffiti
-pebbles from Sunrise Sunset by Fei-fei's Stuff
fonts: Eskargot, Minya Nouvelle

More Blending

After I "painted" with daylilies I thought of doing more similar layouts. I had two sets of photos in mind. Then the August Oscraps Creative Techniques challenge was posted with a fabulous tutorial on a method of blending. So the challenge is for More Blending! I used one of the subjects, a Purple Gallinule that was a rarity last year in Ohio. You might have seen a layout about it last May. This is a very different approach. I took two of Dick's photos and went to town. The Purple Gallinule shows its wonderful colors in one photo and features its enormous foot, that allows it to walk on the marsh vegetation, in the other. Everything is blended together according to the challenge.

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Designer Credits:
-bluish paper, patterned paper, blue wave, yellow spots, glitter paint all from the Oscraps Collab "TrOpical"
-purple paper from Bohemian August by Miss Crow's Magickal Emporium
-flower from Stuck on You by Maya de Groot
fonts: Aquanaut, BlacklightD

A Doodle for Deb

Deb's zen doodles reminded me that we had discussed them in the last session of collage journaling classes I took. My teacher has a passion for lettering, so we were looking at simple division of space to provide opportunities for uniquely shaped text. I couldn't just leave it at that, so I worked on a new doodle. It is about 3 inches across and I lettered a lot of it, going back into the lettering with solid shapes. The rest is just real doodles. I'm sure Helen will quickly see at least one threatening creature! (at least I do.)

Thanks so much for all the ideas you're passing along, Deb. It is fun to watch and gives me a little push too. Amazing how quickly you did so many as this one was done over several times, which probably shows.

Another LO Chosen!

I can hardly believe it, but my latest layout was chosen today as one of the daily Gallery Standouts (GSO)! You can see all of today's (the first one I adore, also at Oscraps) HERE. I've missed posting a few pages I've done recently plus I've got a zen doodle for Deb. I'll get to those later.

This page is in response to the Web Inspiration challenge featuring a group of related photos. I responded to the tree-like images, stairs and light color. I have a wonderful old family photo that simply evokes rural summer life. I like what I was able to do with it. It shows my grandmother (to the left), her father-in-law, at the far right her mother and younger daughter (my Aunt Pat) and a very large woman. We really don't know who that is.

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Designer Credits:
-all papers from Stamp My Heart by Kitty Designs
-flower border, orange beads, button from Happy To Be Me by Lydia Designs
-tree from Family Tree by Joanne Brisebois
-coin from Bohemian August by Miss Crow's Magickal Emporium
-swirl from Sa-weet Sa-whirls by Jodie McNally
-stitching from All Stitched by Kitty Designs
-leaf from Let Love Be Your Energy by ZuzanaH Designs
fonts: Pea Aimee, Kayleigh

My LOs have been picked!

I am so pleased! At Oscraps one can put a favored LO in the monthly Standing O forum and I've just gotten picked for my first one. It is for my take on a quote challenge. It was a very creative challenge! Sara asked us to pick a photo we were wanting to scrap, think of words it brought to mind, then find a quote that embodied the feeling. I picked a photo from our visit to Puerto Rico on a birding trip in 1996. I've done it once before, but this is much better.

If that weren't enough, my LO "Enjoy" was selected for the last page (Happy Ending) of the August issue of the Artisan Notebook! I've never had anything like this before, now two at once!

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Designer Credits:
-papers from Old Stuff by Jodie McNally
-swirl from Sa-weet Sa-whirls by Jodie McNally
fonts: EngravrsRoman BT, Bosanova, Garamond

Camera in the Backyard

The August challenges are here and the Oscraps camera corner is looking for backyard type photography. This came at a perfect time! Journaling reads:

For days we've been hearing the crunching of squirrels feeding on the still-green fruits of our silky dogwood (Cornus amomum). They litter the driveway with snipped off twigs and many uneaten fruits. Today one fed in the open and would move to a new spot whenever I pointed my camera its way but it never went completely away.

Here is my original photo followed by my scrapbook page.

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Designer Credits:
-background from Oscraps Collab Life by Fei-fei’s Stuff
-patterned paper and elements from For the Birds by One Little Bird
fonts: Chalk, FreeKture, Minya Nouvelle