Remembering Ms. Guinea

Guinea Fowl are strange birds, and I had only seen them in pictures when I decided to buy 45 newly hatched chicks.  A third of them were promised as soon as they arrived.  When they were older, I gifted them until I had six remaining.  A half a dozen guinea happily grazing the yard sounded just right.

And then they were discovered by a Great Horned Owl, and within two weeks I was down to one guinea -- Ms. Guinea.  She continued to out-smart the Owl for several months.  Each morning she was outside to greet me and would often sit on my home office window looking in.  Guineas can be loud, and no one came to the house without her alarm sounding.

Last week the Owl won.  Such is nature.  My Texture Tuesday project is a tribute to Ms. Guinea.

This is Kim Klassen's texture "Felicity".  One layer at normal 19% and one layer at soft light 100%.

Texture Tuesday

As if I don't have enough on my plate, I'm also participating in Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday.  The theme for this Tuesday is the word "open".  Here's my result.

I started with a stack of my old logic books -- some things you just can't let go.  Took a photograph with my macro lens.  And I do love my macro lens!  I've added Kim Klassen's textures "Serendipity" and "Shades of November".   Cropped the photo a bit, and there you have it.

I don't know how I did it

I see these beautiful, pale photos that have been layered until they have such a "dreamy" look to them.  I wanted to make one.  A search through my macro photos for something that was in the pale pink family produced this Gerber Daisy.  Perfect.

I added a texture layer, and then started playing with the adjustments.  To my surprise, pale and dreamy isn't what appeared.

But I love it!  I can see it framed with lots of white border -- maybe even a white frame.  And my first thought was what a beautiful scarf in a soft, sheer fabric.  A scarf that would coordinate with everything in my closet.  Or maybe even a vintage style dress -- like something from the 40's.  Fabric.  Yes, definitely fabric.  Fabric making would probably be taking my dabbling a bit too far -- so, I'll have to go with the framed lots of white border.  This certainly wasn't what I set out to achieve -- it's my found art!

What AEDM day is this?

I've been away for a couple of days.  But, I think I've been a tiny bit creative every day even though I don't really have anything to show for it.  I'm working through a book called "You Can Draw in 30 Days" and I'm drawing and shading balls and boxes.  Hope to share something with you in the coming days.

I did take some pictures.  I pulled a few of them up in Photoshop Elements and played around with the  color hue and saturation, and with the balance of tint and temperature.   I see photographs where these values have been changed, and I'm just not quite sure if I like it.  Sometimes the color combinations are so vivid that I'm immediately drawn to them.  And then sometimes, I think it's just too bizarre.  Take a look at these, and please let me know what you think.  

A Different Shade of Sanibel

AEDM 16 -- I've missed more days!

Yes, my blogging hasn't been as timely as it was for a bit.  Work seems to get in the way of all the things I want to do.  Art has been on my mind -- hope that counts.  Tried out those "inktense" pencils, and did a sketch of a bird and cage.  Lots of colors in the background -- I think I tried all the colors in the box.  Then... I thought of the words I wanted to add.  My writing looked out of place.  Got out the scissors, and this is all that is left of my bird and cage.  The green is going too, and then I have an idea.  You'll see this little bird later this month in new surrounding.  And with "printed" words.

I've also been working more in Photoshop Elements.  For my other blog, I made a little card and took a photo of it.

In Elements, I cropped and added writing (learned my lesson on doing my own writing!).

Also, in Elements I used my recently enhanced photographs to make some note cards.  This was the first time that I had added more than one picture to a layout.  The cards are 4.25 x 5.5, so two print on 8.5 x 11 paper.  To put the title and my name on the back of the folded card for those that were horizontal, it had to be upside down.  I did it.  The more I use Elements the easier it's getting.

And a Winter ATC.

AEDM day 9 - Experimenting

I'm on a dabbling roll.  The amount of stuff at an art/craft store is amazing!  What does one do with all of it?  Well, of course, most people don't do something with "all" of it.  This is my month for experimenting with different mediums and techniques.  Some may work; some may not.  Those colored pencils didn't work for me, but from comments I learned about other options with more vibrant colors.  Thanks for the feedback!

Yesterday I took a picture of all the bare trees in our backyard with the beautiful blue sky in the background.  Changed the hue of the photograph in Photoshop Elements and printed the picture on card stock paper with my inkjet printer.  Mixed Adirondark alcohol ink (Cranberry) about half and half with alcohol blending solution.  Wet the paper and then misted (with a mini mister) the trees with the ink mixture.  When it dried, I added a flying crow to the sky.  I'm sort of happy with how it turned out.

I truly appreciate all of the wonderful feedback from the AEDM group and from my Fly Tribe!

The Night Sky - AEDM 8

As I was walking my dog last night, I looked up at the evening sky.  Just last Friday the space station was visible for six minutes as it traveled across the sky -- so I always look up.  And there was that big beautiful, almost full, moon in a clear sky.  My attempts to capture the evening sky have been quite unsuccessful, and last night was no different.  Determined, I put my camera (the camera I need to know much more about) on manual and set it for a long exposure.  I wasn't steady enough, so I found a metal fence post in the garage and used it as a tri-pod, although technically it was a mono-pod.  Here is the result:

In Photoshop Elements, I added texture and made minor adjustments to hue and saturation.  And here you have my AEDM day 8:.

AEDM day 4 - Which Door?

 Today I've dabbled with Photoshop Elements again.  Hadn't planned to, but Kim Klassen sent out a new "freebie" texture and I just had to try it out.  You can sign up for them on her website.  She calls it "Shades of November."
 

This is my photograph taken in Italy.  You walk down a street, and every door is a photo opportunity.  I used Kim's texture twice.  The first layer was soft light at 52% with the door area erased.  Next I used the same texture as overly at 81%.  I finished with it and liked the results.

But then I look back to the original (no texture, no Photoshop) and I really like the cleanliness of it.  Still can't get a clear focus (no pun intended, ha ha) even on my "style."  What do you think?  Door number 1 or door number 2?

One Little Word Project

I'm participating in a year long project called One Little Word (taught by Ali Edwards and through the website Big Picture Classes ) -- sort of a combination of photography and scrapbooking.  Ali Edwards is a scrapbooker, and yet, somehow I didn't realize that this class had anything to do with scrapbooking until I got the first assignment!  Oh my goodness -- there is so much scrapbooking stuff.  I could be happy just buying supplies.

My word for the year is "nurture".  It came to me in the bathtub -- this is my year to nurture myself!  January's assignment -- you can see that I'm a bit behind -- used a template from Ali Edwards (so, I'm learning more about Abode Elements) to expand on your word. 

The BEginning

As I was saying, this creative yearning has been wanting out for a long time -- actually a long, long time.  I recently made a few small steps -- bought a new camera, bought a new journal (added to my collection of about ten blank journals) -- no real steps.  After attending a short journaling retreat with life coach -- Sharon McWilliams, I began weekly coaching sessions.  I wanted to get myself organized, balanced and into a better "work" schedule before the upcoming tax season, but to my surprise, Wise Woman Sharon's gentle encouragement has been the most wonderful jump-start for my creative self.  It's as if she gave me permission to give myself permission to explore these creative yearnings.  The result -- an unleashing of a passel of little girl selves all with their own agenda for my creative time.  Let's take pictures -- after all we just bought a new camera!  What about our Philosophy blog we've been dreaming of for years?  Buy paints and canvases -- remember how we used to love to paint?  The journaling -- we have so many beautiful journals and so many stories to write.

I started my Philosophy blog, Neglected Seeds.  I took an e-course from Kim Klassen on photo texture with Photoshop Elements. And I'm so excited with all the possibilities ahead!