{echo} Week 19 ~ blur

{echo} Week 19 ~blur

My partner, Marty's photo is on the right and you can check out her post here.

It looks like her photo started out as one of those "ruined" ones too.

After reading Christi's post I thought about my own life and blur. 

As I looked though my photos I found many that were blurred and

under "normal" conditions or in the past blurred photos were consider no good.

Which I could relate to my own life.  Their is value in the parts of my

life that I may have original thought of as no good. 

Not so anymore. Just like all the blurred photos that now have a place of meaning

for this weeks prompt so too the events of my life.

Now I can honor those events and therefore myself in new and greater ways.

Who knew I would learn so much about myself from these prompts

Among those photos I found were many

like this

and this

and I played around with this one as a layer and came up with

this

and this (this is my favorite)

and this

from this original

{No Apparent Reason...}

Relaxing and playing with PSE using only what I have on my

desktop.  I still haven't transfered everything

to the new computer or into PSE but wanted to

play around a bit.  (Did I just say Relaxing and PSE all in the same sentence)?

... and there is no apparent rhyme or reason to the layers but as the Universe
reminds me...
 that God prefers to go barefoot, laughs a lot, and is always happy?
Loves orange, wears blue jeans, and has read every book ever written?
Skips stones, plays in the rain, and rocks out?
Remembers birthdays, forgets arguments, and every day visualizes you smiling even more?
So are you smiling more?  I am :-)

{Felted Wrap...}

Nuno Felted Wrapped for the Black and White Show

at Tis Gallery next month.

(When you mix black and white you get gray, right?)

Here it is finished and laid out flat

But before it's a beautiful  wrap. It

looks like this.

The fabric has small ribbon bows throughout so

I just laid down a light layer of alpaca.  My hope was that by just

laying down a thin layer it would allow

the bows to show through.  You never know

how it will come out until its done.  But it worked. :-)

{Weekend Going On's...}

Took some time for art this weekend

first a new portrait painting.

I say took some time because along with visiting with friends, gardening and 

 taking some time to relax I have also installed a new

printer, as my old one died.  I stepped up a notch and

bought a printer that can printer larger sizes.  Not jumbo

mind you but 13x19.  More to come on that.

And then my laptop fan broke so before

the heat kills it I also got a new laptop.

Still moving everything from the old

one to the new one.  Not quit done with that whole thing

but easier now than after the computer dies.

I also found time to felted a Wrap for Tis Gallery.

More on that in the next post.

{Echo} Week 18 ~ Stripes

{Echo} Week 18 ~ Stripes

I know I said the Echo entry was biweekly, so why so soon?

I (we, it's a partner thing) didn't jump on board until the last few days for Week 17.

I'm having a lot of fun with it.  When I learned the new theme,

Stripes, I began seeing stripes everywhere.  That's one of the

things I like best.  I pay attention.  This is the one I choose.  It shows you what colors are my

favorites.

And my partner, Marty's photo. What a great piece of garden art.  And

such a lush garden. Marty is this your garden?

She's having a lot of fun too.  We see strips everywhere. 

Stop by her blog to read more.

{Echo} Week 17 ~ Market...

Welcome to my first Echo post.  The group is in their 17th biweekly prompt. But it's
never too late to join in on the fun.
 Marty Mason, over at Marty's Fiber Musings

 and I are have partnered up for is new "musing".

I was so exciting waiting to see what photo Marty would bring.

I like surprises how about you?

Now I get a surprise every couple of weeks and
we can share it with anyone who wants to stop by our blogs.
How fun is that?

 My photo of the Sweet Pea flowers is from our local

farmers market.  Sweet Peas are such a fun, playful flower.  Don't ya think?  Arizona heats up fast in the spring so I haven't had much success growing them. Happily someone else has. 

So now you can stop by Marty's blog to learn more about her Market photo from Quebec.
It looks like we both like to play in PS.
This is going to be fun!

{Looking for a Partner for Echo Group...}

I just joined the Echo Flicker Group and am looking for a partner.  This group was created by Susan Tuttle and Chrysti Hydeck.  Many of you may follow them as well.  Anyway I posted the request on the groups Flickr site and thought it would also be a good idea to post the request here.  Anyone interested?  Week 17, prompt is Market.  Which will only be up until Wed July 14.  I think it is biweekly rather than needing to commit to a weekly project.  I am going to a flower market tomorrow, Saturday and will post my Market pic then.  You can find out more about this weeks project on Chrysti's site here or at Susan's site here Hope to hear from someone soon :-)

{My Art Journal part 3...}

Loving the edges

The other side of the stitched flower pocket

Many, many poems and quotes.

More stitching

Inside pages as they layout

My favorite page is the the laced boots

again more pages as the appear inside

using my altered photos

an old and one of my first attempts at stitching words

another pocket and page layout

a really wonderful pocket with a pocket journal tucked inside

waiting to be added to in the day and weeks ahead.

Well that's most of the pages.  Hope you enjoy

looking at it as much as I do.

Not sure what to do now.  I have wanted

to to this journal for a along time.

Now I guess I can just sit back and enjoy it. :-)

{ Personal Art Journal part 2...}

It's jammed packed with all my favorite poems, photos, lace, mini books,

and surprises

This is the first journal I put two signature groups in.

As you may remember I was debating as to whether or

not to take out the spine I had already sewn in in order to add 
a larger one to accommodate the

two signatures.  Well I did.

And I am glad I did.

I may even be able to add a third

in between the two.

Again one of DJ's photos I purchased from her Esty site. (It's the

one on the right).  The one on the left is part of a photo

I purchased from a local artist.

A pair of  gloves I finally used.

Added stitching.  Front and back sides

The front cover.  Again with DJ's painting.  I've

saved for several years.

And the back cover

Coming Part 3

{My Art Journal part 1...}

Some of the pages from my Art Journal

in no particular order

Altered photos.  The bike is actually printed on fabric and

sewn over the top of one of my first altered photos.  Needless to say

I got better.

Two more pages using magazine photos I have saved

along with a lace page I made a couple of years ago

using a postcard I got in the mail from a local shop.  I

updated the page a bit.  Again got better making journal

pages over the last several years.

The back of a flower I stitched

with a lace pocket

Embroidered hankie

Full view of nest page

One of my original paintings

Photo of house is one of  DJ's I've had for several years

keeping to use in an Art Journal for myself.  I have several pieces of

DJ's work that I purchased several years ago.  More to come of DJ's

along with an altered photo on a piece on lace.

{The Painted People - Pure and natural art - Beautiful ...}

I have seen this video before but lost it.

Now its found again.

I love the pure and simple beauty.

Such freedom of expression.
I think I should like to paint my body
in this fashion someday.
I'll put it on my do to list.
I think perhaps I will create a
"To Do List" for my Art Journal