Drawing #15 - The Gogreloo (or Happy Halloween!)

I've become fascinated with the near-word letter strings we need to enter to leave comments. Also called "Captcha," they are meant to weed out non-personal attempts to post. Recently I got the letters "gogreloo" and was enchanted. I began a drawing for the word which is embedded within. It took on its own character and became THE Gogreloo. It even needed some color which came from my collage stash.

I am quite certain it will be out tonight observing, or creating, Halloween mischief. It and I wish you all a spooky, but safe and happy Halloween. The Gogreloo will also be visiting ofrendas and cemeteries for El Día de los Muertos, another culture's part of this seasonal observance, in the next two days. The color is approximately the color of flowers needed to decorate the family cemetery plot.

Tangle of Vine, Drawing Ideas?

Theta pointed out that my recent photo of bare branches (and a Blue Jay) resembled my current drawings. Friday while out birding I decided to really try for photos like that and found some grapevine views that satisfied the urge. I had to use one in the weekly scraplift. We'll see if drawing or real life influence each other further. I also listed species of birds we saw in a rather hidden list. I hide text in my drawings, why not here too?

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Designer Credits:
lift of layout "Time Flies" by liahra
all Anna Aspnes
-background paper (blended with another): ArtPlay Palette Barren Sunrise
-other paper, line brush: ArtPlay Palette Autumn Haze
-leaf (with edge effect, blended), pattern: MultiMedia Leaves No. 2
-photo mask: ArtPlay Palette Encapsulate
fonts: Jellyka, End_less Voyage, Tango BT, Huxtable, Loosie Script
-----------So pleased that this received a "Standing O" at Oscraps!

Blue Jay Makes a Touch of Blue

Yesterday late in the afternoon it was gray, threatening rain. The foliage on some of the tree nearly glowed in the low light but bare branches showed off the feathers of a blue jay. I was really intrigues with the patterns it made and got one shot even though it was a small image of the bird.

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Designer Credits:
Sweater Weather by One Little Bird
fonts: Loosie Script, More Enchanted Prairie Dog, Minya Nouvelle

Drawing #14 - Serpent Wisdom

I've just read the latest in the series of Ohio Amish mysteries by P. L. Gaus. Its title is Harmless as Doves and it begins with the following:

     Behold, I send you forth as
     sheep in the midst of wolves:
     be ye therefore wise as serpents
     and harmless as doves.
          Matthew 10:16
Which is important in the course of the book.

You may be well versed in this bit of scripture, but encountered at the beginning of a mystery story it was quite different in context. "Wise as serpents" seems rather mysterious in fact. I kept thinking about it and that became the thought behind my latest mental landscape. I've also done the first application of ink with a pen and a wonderful acrylic ink that helped me achieve better areas of dark than the Sharpie pen. Hidden in the design is my bit of text:

     sheep among wolves
     wise as serpents
     harmless as doves
     imagine

New Lift - Passion Flower Vine

Another week, another lift for designer Anna Aspnes. This week the theme is combining her arty approach with more traditional scrapbooking looks. An article with examples was our inspiration. (see HERE) I really liked "The Little Things" by Katherine B and did my lift of it. I chose one of my photos of a white passion flower from Oklahoma. Last year we saw Gulf Fritillary butterflies and their caterpillars on this plant. Normally this is too far north for them to reproduce.The layout has one photo but I also like a second one.

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Designer Credits:
all Anna Aspnes
-background papers, gray and white square, branch and word art brushes: ArtPlay Palette Barren Sunrise
-greenish circle, greenish square, brad, stitching: ArtPlay Palette No. 10
-frames. black and gray rectangle, staple: ArtPlay Palette Autumn Haze
-lacy brush: ArtPlay Palette Saffron Villa
fonts: FlamencoD, Dali, Garamond

Drawing #13 - Floodwaters

With the great over-abundance of rain we've been having there are sometimes flood warnings issued. Some days the rain fills the streets with water that has nowhere to go. Wednesday I was feeling the effects of that street water and told my sister to keep her rowboat handy. The lawns are squishy to walk on. When I turned to my drawing I kept feeling the need to show all that water.

"Our Song" and a photo of The Other One

For a recent Digi Dare I did another page on "our" song with a photo I took of Dick in Tulsa recently. I really like the photo a lot and tried to bring the feel of sunshine into it to go with the song (Sunshine of Your Love by Cream). If you look at his sunglasses carefully you might catch a glimpse of his brother, a friend and me.

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Designer Credits:
-background paper, leaf stamp, photo mask: Fallen Sun by TaylorMade Designs
-stitching, splat: I Remember You by Biograffiti
-heart: Primavera by Maya de Groot
fonts: Pea Anderson, Boopee, Blue Highway


The requirements of Digi Dare #247 were:

-use at least one photo – have it serve as the background for your layout
-include the lyrics for the song that is providing your inspiration (in full or part) – this is considered your   journaling…you can have just one line or twenty. If you want to add additional journaling that is your choice.
-have your title give us a glimpse as to why this song was chosen
-use a photo mask
-use stitching
-use at least one brush
-the use of selective coloring on your photo would be a fun option!

Drawing #12 - Vermilion Creek

Driving back across Indiana earlier this month I noticed a sign indicating Vermilion Creek. I never saw the creek, merely green countryside and trees in changing colors. Nevertheless the name stayed with me and conjured images and ideas that I felt belonged in a drawing. Thus the shapes are not based on anything seen, only imagined. You may find plants and creatures along its banks, rocks and eddys within its flow.

So excited...another GSO!

Yesterday I worked on the weekly scraplift for Anna Aspnes designs. It was a different challenge starting with a card design. The lift is primarily of the card format and not so much of the original design. I used some of my favorite parts of two of Anna's kits and finished with a "Missing You" card that I really liked. Then...I found in the comments that it had been selected for a Gallery Standout (GSO)! This is the second time one of my pages has been selected and I am just so happy about it. You can see the picks for Oct. 16 HERE. Hope you will enjoy the card too. We could think of it as a card to Deco-Pages almost one year gone.

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Designer Credits:
-paper, red and brown transfers, button, brads: ArtPlay Palette Barren Sunrise by Anna Aspnes
-black & gray transfer, white transfer: ArtPlay Palette Autumn Haze by Anna Aspnes
fonts: harrison, Kings of Pacifica

Pumpkins Galore

The Great Pumpkin Challenge came to Oscraps this weekend and I was inspired to dig out an array of my pumpkins photos, especially the green and white ones from (can you believe it was that long ago!) 2007. I remember using them in a challenge of Dana's. I went back to my "painting" with photos concept except this time it wasn't flowers, but pumpkins. We also had to include a freebie pumpkin drawing with its color unchanged. I had so much fun with them. And this one isn't scary.

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Designer Credits:
-papers, tag, bow, leaves: Whispering Trees by TinaMarie
-border: Strppies 2 by Merkeley Designs
-rings (blended): Scatter It - Rainbow by Merkeley Designs
-pumpkin drawing: The Great Pumpkin Challenge by Jaime Choi
fonts: Capture it, Dry Goods Antique SmC JL


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I went back and found the 2007 QP challenge of Dana Conditt that I did with some of these pumpkins. I don't remember all the requirements, but I know a scarecrow was one. We've been back to the apple farm a number of times since, but not this fall so far.

In the Halloween Spirit

The web inspiration challenge this month is an interesting and rather different photo. It took me a long time to get any ideas but when I did, things suddenly came together. My result is a little creepy in keeping with the the inspiration and Halloween. I really like this page, but it is very different for me.

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Designer Credits:
-background (woodland scene paper), box, leaves, birds, squirrel: Take me to the Old World by Lotta Designs
-trees shapes: Family Tree by Joanne Brisebois
-paper used as overlay: ArtPlay Palette No. 10 by Anna Aspnes
mushrooms and witch are my photos from last October
fonts: Chiller, Ale & Wenches BB
text is lyrics from "Teddy Bears' Picnic"

RED: the joy of red flowers

On our visit to Oklahoma well-watered gardens were doing fairly well and I was especially drawn to all the beautiful flowers in red. Some of them were also drawing hummingbirds and most flowers of any color were drawing bees, moths and butterflies. I do love to photograph all those things and decided to combine some red flowers for the copycat challenge this month.

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Designer Credits:
-template by Clara (clarabear) based on "Miss You" by Phylis (whatnext) 
-background paper: Family is forever by Maya de Groot
-Hummingbird shapes: Like Home by Fei-fei's Stuff
-stitching: Sunrise Sunset by Fei-fei's Stuff
-dark paper: Free to Fly by Vera Lim Design
-white paper: Shimmer by Kitty Designs
-glitter: The Silver Flakes by Kitty Designs
-brad, button: ArtPlay Palette Barren Sunrise by Anna Aspnes
-torn paper shape (blended): ArtPlay Palette Autumn Haze by Anna Aspnes
fonts: Enchanted Prairie Dog, Dali, Mufferaw, EwieD, Ligurno, HansHand

Drawing #11 - Rooms of the Minotaur

It is not the entire labyrinth, only some of its rooms. I clearly see the Minotaur though Dick doesn't particularly. The rooms contain all manner of creatures and objects to delight or horrify. Hopefully the humor of it will prevail. The beginning shapes were a bit different this time but the process was unchanged.

I promised to show the way I start these drawings and took photos of the very first steps. With pencil I draw a rectangle then divide it into shapes. I create variations on them to work with later. Then I select lines to draw in pen and begin to draw in the shapes. I use many of the pencil lines to augment the drawing. Don't forget to click on the image below to see the steps a little larger.

Old Photo and Special Memories

Last month I visited relatives I had not seen in forever. I got to copy (with my digital camera) a lot of things of my late aunt's. She was a special person and also the keeper of family history. One of the great things I saw was a photo of her and two distant relatives whom I vaguely remember seeing. It is such a special picture and I used it in this week's scraplift. It is making me smile each time I look at it!

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Designer Credits:
lift of Calling The Play by Marnie (Marnie333)
-background paper, brush, button: ArtPlay Palette Barren Sunrise by Anna Aspnes
-clock, brad, stitching: ArtPlay Palette No. 10 by Anna Aspnes
fonts: Amapola, Huxtable 

Oklahoma Prairie

I love spending a day in the prairies in northern Oklahoma in Osage County and the Osage Nation. This fall we didn't see as many birds as some times and the vegetation was showing signs of the overly hot and dry summer just past. There was some rain though and there was some bloom of wildflowers. Time spent there is always special and we had a lovely day. I used photos and thoughts from that day for two scrapbooking challenges. One was to use at least seven of ten items, the word "Thankful" required. I finished with eight of them and a layout on the American bison or buffalo. The October camera challenge asks for a collage and page with a collection of photos that could be one day, week, year, or other reason for a series. I have lots of other photos from Oklahoma, but for now I've only used those from our one day in the Osage.

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Designer Credits:
        8 of 10 elements:
1. word Thankful (required), 2. something red (heart), 3. at least 3 flowers, 4. a frame, 5. three squares of paper, 6. a sepia colored picture, 7 - , 8. a photo mask, 9 - , 10. the letter "S"


-background, horizontal striped paper: Blessing by Lydia Designs
-frame: I remember you by Biograffiti
-greenish paper: 52 Inspirations (Week 33) by Sue Cummings
-vertical striped paper, green flower, flower doodle: Free to Fly by Vera Lim
-photo mask: ArtPlay Palette Autumn Haze by Anna Aspnes
-brown flower: Composition by One Little Bird
-red heart: Home Sweet Home by Maya de Groot
fonts: Circus, French Script MT, EnviroD, Emboss, Bangkok

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Designer Credits:
-background paper: I Remember You by Biograffiti
-bow, stitching, grid: Composition by One Little Bird
buffalo photo by my DH
fonts: harrison, Hurry Up, HansHand, Amapola, Souvenir Lt BT

Drawing #10 - Celebration

I'm home again! No more dial-up to the Internet as I've have the past week plus. Sorry to have been rather absent during that time, but it was a vacation. Of course you'll be seeing pictures from Oklahoma.Glad you liked the purple seed pods that were in the gardens of the Philbrook Art Museum in Tulsa. The flowers and plant do look much like sweet peas, but what pods! While I didn't do much scrapping, I did finish the drawing in the works when we left. I've begun another and have taken photos of the early steps which I will post along with the finished one (whatever it may turn out to be.) The current mental landscape reminded me of a ceremonial robe, but I thought it might be inhabited in which case it should be a celebrant. I was told it was definitely inhabited and I decided it was a celebration.

Plants Familiar and Exotic

For a weekly scraplift challenge I had to use a photo of a plant called hyacinth bean that is very attractive, but is special for its bright purple seedpods. Next I featured our standby crabapple that didn't do well this year, most of its fruit missing. That was for the monthly color challenge in the category of fall colors.

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Designer Credits:
lift of "The Autumn Came" by Geraldine (Dady)
ArtPlay Palette No. 10 by Anna Aspnes
ArtPlay Palette Autumn Haze by Anna Aspnes
fonts: Snell Bold BT, Minya Nouvelle

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Designer Credits:
-background, stitching border: Whispering Trees by TinaMarie
-frame, other papers, glitter: Blessing by Lydia Designs
-leaf stamp: Fallen Sun by TaylorMade Designs
fonts: Angel Tears, Huxtable