Off To Wonderland

This just kept growing! I started with this picture of Pyper at her recent soccer game. I used lots of bits and pieces from kits at Cottage Arts. Check my gallery posting there for a complete list.

Past Times

Past Times

Journaling Reads:

The Grays River Covered Bridge was built across the Grays River in western Wahkiakum County Washington 1905. It helped the local dairy farmers to get their goods to market. Repairs were made in 1988-1989 keeping with original design, hardware and siding as much as possible.

This is a composite of these two photos, the bridge described above, and the old car which was actually extracted from a photo I took last weekend in Springdale Utah. They just seemed to belong together.

(The photo of the bridge was taken this month by my daughter)

All supplies from
Cottage Arts

Posing For Me

I was on the computer this afternoon and this little guy landed on the shrubs in front of the window. I quickly opened the shades and grabbed my camera, of course by then he was gone. It wasn't long though before he came back for another look. He landed on the post and allowed me to snap great shots of him. I knew he was just what I'd been wanting with this kit of Joyce de Jonge's - Outside My Window at Digitals. I erased a little of the window to give him an Out of Bounds feel. The Scripture quote is free from Katie Mann at this months Scripture Challenge at Digitals.

Utah Beauty - Four Seasons

My friend Beth Rimmer has been at it again. I just love her kits they always have a degree of tilt on them! This one has beautiful background papers but lots of bits of whimsy to use as well in the Keep Looking Up! Embellies kit. I wanted to use this quote which is from the Its Only Words Challenge at Digitals this month and Beth's kit along with my scenic view of Utah seemed to fit perfectly. The background is Road shot photo I took at Navajo Lake blended with two of the papers from Beth's Keep Looking Up! Papers kit. The word art is supplied free if you join the challenge, so get hopping and join in the fun!

My journaling reads:
Road trips have become a part of our retirement. Hunting out the well known spots, as well as the off the beaten track sights and scenery. It amazes us both at how much beauty and diversity are here in our own country. Beautiful skies, and landscapes just begging for my camera to hold them for others to see. These pictures were taken throughout the four seasons within 100 miles of our home.

Artsy Photo Masks

Utah in the Winter has been a new experience and nothing could top it more than this gorgeous sky that showed up the other night. I was busy at the computer and happened to look up, ran and grabbed the camera and shot some breath taking winter skies. Not long after that Beth asked if I had something to try her new Artsy Photo Masks with, I knew I had just the thing. When I applied the mask instantly this verse from the America the Beautiful came to mind. Wonderful how things just seem to fall into place sometimes!

This page also uses Across the Years Papers 10, 14 and 18 blended together. I'm getting to the point I rarely make a page anymore where I don't blend papers or apply masks. A New Year's resolution I made was to learn new things to add to my bag of tricks. It's just amazing though how much I've learned the past few years. For any of you just beginning with a graphics program my words of advice would be to just keep playing and playing. The more you play the more you discover, the more you discover the more you use over and over again. Which in turn leads to your comfort level. When you're comfortable with your program what once was hard and time consuming now you'll do without much thought. I'm especially fond of learning shortcuts, it's just so cool to know which keystrokes will make you zoom along faster. Geez what a fun hobby this is!

Mom has this little spot just as you park at her Apartment Complex and I've always loved the look of the path and Street Lamps. It's short!, just a few feet but taken at this angle it lets the imagination wander and feel like the path extends forever. So, don't be stopped by what you see when you take photos, instead take what the mind sees but isn't there. Amazing what Beth's photo masks do for an ordinary photo. The quote is my own, you're more than welcome to use it, I'd love if you'd credit me though.
This page also used Beth's Popsicle Toes paper 9 with a Photo Filter applied -

Sow Kindness - for the Layout Laissez-Faire Contest at Digitals

This is the first time I've entered this contest, Layout Laissez-Faire at Digitals. Diana Burton hosts it, she gives you three sets of photos and you choose one or more and then create something. I used an action from PanosFX called B&Big Picture to make the photo into all the small photos. I love this action, it has so many steps I doubt I could ever create it on my own but to hit the button and watch it work is just plain magic. Best of all it's free! The kit is Dea Spina's After You, at Digitals. The word art is Sue Jones. Maybe this will be for my 'someday' table top book of just thoughts.

Outasite!

I found this picture of Angi and Derik in amongst the Christmas ones for 2003. The photo was cool but Angi's face was too dark and I couldn't get the colors right. I started playing with the blending modes and ended up with the one called Hard Mix. I love the effect. I'm going to try it again for a large photo for above Angis sofa, as soon as she finds what she wants, then we'll print and frame it and see what the reactions are. Boy the possibilities are limitless with Photoshop!

I used two kits from Maddy Fernandez (at Digitals) Rock & Roll and Funky Farmer.