My Weblog

Recent finds...a fun giveaway...free images, and what not!

Whew! That's a lot for one title...buy hey, I'm trying to cover a lot of bases in one post. So many fun things going on in the blogosphere (and atmosphere).

Here's another little treasure I dragged home from our recent trip to Florida. And despite the unrelenting heat for months here in Georgia, my flowers survived my absence.

But the cloud formations lately have been so thrilling... (me thinks mr. sky is trying to apologize or compensate for his friend mr. air who has been scorching this part of the world)

And if you love sky scenes, check out these moon beam pictures my friend, Patty has captured in the skies of Virginia. She has a way of zeroing in on anything that shines...I loved these photos!

Despite the fact that mother nature is more than capable of doing her own decorating, I added a little tree beauty to her world in order to showcase another little treasure from my Florida trip...

I merely took advantage of those little branches that pop up randomly where they're not supposed to be on mature trees and "tied" my new tray to the tree.

While my usage of the outside layer to this photo does not due this artists' creations justice I did want to share with any photoshop veiwers a gorgeous blog offering fabulous textures. I am still learning photoshop where these textures will rock when applied properly...my rendition is a cheap version (strong emphasis on cheap) of just layering and using a transparency brush to reveal my photo. The "real thing" is beyond dreamy...

Check out Kim's blog and her beautiful photos! Her prices for these textures are so reasonable and she even offers up free ones if you sign up to receive her newsletter.

And speaking of free stuff...

Terri has recently posted a couple of wonderful digital image freebies here and here. Go grab 'em! I had the pleasure of meeting Terri and her FUN ART when she won one of my giveaways.

So guess where that leads me to next. Yep! A giveaway... Connie is offering up a couple of yummy things...

Here's one of them! Isn't she a beautiful seamstress? Yes, indeed! She also has two adorable grandbabies...one is brand new. Check out those precious photos when you visit as well!

Now that we're talking about giveaways, I just realized that this is my 100th post since moving my blog to Typepad. Time to pull together a giveaway of my own...hmmmm... so many possibilities. Stay tuned....

Warm hugs to all the fabulous souls in the blogosphere...you all fill my world with so much inspiration!

xo, sue

Digital Collage and Free Images

Playing around in my photos again...I could get lost for hours manipulating photos. The inspiration began as I walked along the beach and spotted these sorts of shells everywhere. Don't they look like little wings?

I thought so and decided to digitally extract them. Here's a copy if you'd like them for your own personal use as well.

As long as we're sharing, here's the little girl I borrowed from here...

Starting with a background of clouds from my own photos I began adding and adding layer after layer. Many thanks and credit given to Karen at the Graphics Fairy for the use of the dove {extracted from a postcard she shared} as well as using the vintage ledger page from her collection.

Peace... xo, Sue

A Free Image...Oh, Sweet Baby!

Not long ago while meandering through an antique store, the owner, a darling lady with not only grandchildren but great-grandchildren, made a casual statement about old photographs. She mentioned she recently gave away a large box of old family photos....to someone she just met.

Seriously. I was stunned. Here was a lady who had exquisite antiques mostly gathered in England and France...someone who loved old things. Many times I have wondered how these beautiful old photos happened to end up in the marketplace instead of being cherished by family members. Never would I have suspected that someone like this, a person who loved antiques, would {{{gasp}}} give away her relatives.

On the flip side, how wonderful that so many of us have adopted these old photos and welcomed them into our homes and hearts. 

[credit: chippy pink paint background free textures flickr: stevetoearth] 

We enjoy gazing upon them, imagining what their life was like, using them in our creations....

 
 I printed a few of these yesterday and transferred them to old linen hankies...still not sure exactly what I'll do with them...just playing for now...

Another thing we all love to do with old photos is share them...so if these appeal to you, please feel free to grab the prints and use them for your own personal use. I'm perfectly fine with someone selling something they've made using any of my free images, but I would ask that you not sell the image in a CD, clip art sheet, etc.

My extracting skills leave a little to be desired, but WHEN I learn, and I WILL LEARN photoshop, watch out stash of photos....

Sweet little blessings on your day,

xo, Sue 

 My time in the mountains of western North Carolina was over before

I could blink. But it is always time well spent. Lots of laughter, good food, beautiful scenery, drives through the countryside...

...an hour or so walking through the shops...you could spend days in this area going through hundreds of unique shops if you so chose...

...each visit I usually try to check out a place I've never been before... 

...most times I even remember to grab my camera...

...Mr. and I drove to one of my favorite antique shops tucked way back in the woods on a twisty, narrow mountain road that gives me the creeps because there are precious few guard rails...and someone in the car who shall remain nameless drives way too fast on those roads... 

...I was so happy to have survived the ride that even finding the place closed barely even caused my emotions to fluctuate one iota...of course, finding these beautiful pink roses growing along their fence was more than compensation for having driven so far...

  ...and wouldn't you know it? On our way back to the cabin we just happened to drive right by my favorite shoe store in Highlands. Look at my {SQUEAL} new shoes! They are incredibly comfortable and just plain FUN! Just what I needed for all the traveling I'll be doing in the coming days....

Where am I going, you ask? Why I'm off to visit creative spaces across the globe during theWHERE BLOGGERS CREATE PARTY! 
 

credit: free background image from rubyblossom [Flickr]

Company is Coming and I'm Running Away...

Sort of sounds like a nasty in-law story or something, huh? Happily so, that's not the case.

The company coming is about the HUGE tour of work spaces coming up next weekend and Mr. Fun {my DH} is talking about heading to the mountains for a getaway. Oh dear! 

In my figuring little head I had a plan...a plan on how I would be ready on time...a plan on what I'd do each day......

What I didn't figure in was a trip to the mountains. Or that today I would get distracted and drive ninety miles off course because....

A. I am highly distractable

B. I saw these gorgeous pink roses Terri digitally altered

C. I had some pink roses

D. I had a camera

E. I am highly distractable {repeat intentional}

 

It wouldn't be so bad if I would just shoot a few shots and get back to business...

....but oh no....that would be too sensible....

 

 

Instead, I just clicked away and digitally edited for way, way, way too long....

That old Wizard of Oz song now comes to mind...If I Only Had A Brain....

Hope you're being more productive than I am today!

xo, sue

 

Party, Celebrate, and a Giveaway!

There's a two year birthday celebration going on in the land of Pink Saturday!

In fact, our dear hostess of this event, Beverly, was recently interviewed and a feature article on Pink Saturday appeared in the latest issue of ARTFUL BLOGGING. Squeals and clapping could be heard throughout the land of Pink Saturday participants. It is always fun to see wonderful things happen to nice people!

In honor of this big day, I made the digital card above combining a photo of flowers from my garden, several layers of digital onlays, a favorite old photograph, and a little bit of digital manipulation.

In addition, I've come to this birthday celebration with a present in hand and will be sending it to someone!

 
All you need to do is leave a comment on this post and you'll be entered in the drawing for this giveaway gift. Pink Saturday gals {and the occasional gent} are a very inclusive group, therefore, you need not be a participant of Pink Saturday to throw your name in for the drawing. All comments rec'd before 11 PM, EST, on Wed., June 2nd will be entered in the drawing.

I love this book! Jo Packham and Jenny Doh did an amazing job...beautiful photography...a more personal glimpse into the lives {and studios!} of many artists I have long admired...and so much more!

A complete listing of all today's participants can be found on Beverly's blog. I'm looking forward to visiting as many as possible over the next few days to see how the rest of you will be celebrating this joyous occasion!

p.s. Wanted to mention an online class I spotted in learning the basics of Photoshop Elements for anyone who might want to check it out. Gail has a short video clip you can watch which gives a highlight of how she will be teaching. There's also a description listed here and she's offering a huge discount but the offer ends May 31st. It looks very interesting. I'm tempted....!  

Digital downloads...

 

 It's a fun dream, isn't it? Buying time in a bottle, that is....just think! of the possibilities. But that ain't going to happen and unfortunately, wish as I may, I won't be able to share any of those type of time bottles with you.

Instead, I'll have to make this share about the darling little "time bottle" I have in my stuff. From all indications it is old and has a patent number raised in glass on the bottom. Beyond that, I have no idea of its history, what it was used for, etc. And while I'm at it, I also wanted to share this source of where I found these taped frames and letter strips featured in my post today.

TIME to get back to the stuff that keeps me from having TIME to do the things I'd really like to do....

...like blog more often

...like put together a yummy giveaway....but guess what? I'm working on that, so stay tuned! It is TIME for this hoarder, i mean collector, to share some goodies.

xo, sue

p.s. Credit due to Jim Croce  [1943-73] for borrowing and altering the words to his hit song, Time in a Bottle.

Give what you have...

Give what you have; to someone it may be better than you dare to think.

~Longfellow

Like many of you, I too have watched with an aching heart the news coming out of Haiti. At times it feels so overwhelming.

Can we really make a difference? Yes. We can. Each of our littles, joined together, will make for big in the lives of those who desperately need our help.

I am so proud of our country right now. We have stepped up and in a spirit of generosity and compassion, we have come to the aid of our Haitian neighbors. Even in blogland there are those who are using their gifts and talents to help the people of Haiti. If you have a minute, check out Rebecca Sower's new blog called Haiti by Hand.

And if during these tough economic times for many, all you can give is your heartfelt prayers, then give generously. Never underestimate the power and gift of prayer.

 

Digital Design

 

Playing around on the computer with vintage images I've scanned into my picture files. It's an attempt to avoid doing the mundane, but necessary tasks of housework and such. But John Muir is right...beauty is a necessary component of life.

  Credit given to Ali Edwards/Digital Design for grid overlay, and Sande Krieger/2 Peas for french brush design.

 

I use these creations in a variety of ways. But I'll save that for another post.

Okay. Time to turn my attention back to the mundane.