Fairytales, Folklore, & Fables - Tell Me A Story - Art Journal Journey

Our Challenge for October at Art Journal Journey is "Fairytales, Folklore, & Fables - Tell Me A Story."

I thought about some books I read when I was young, and also my first two real "reading" books that were given to me for one of my birthdays in grammar school, and decided to use those books as the base of my artwork for the Fairtales, Folklore, & Fables part of the Challenge.  Then I told the story of these books a little bit.  I was six years old in that photo, so I was in the second grade, and already reading pretty well, I'd guess. 

It's a little hard to read the text, if you're interested in what it says, just click on the piece and it will enlarge for you.  😊

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time...

What's in Your Sky? - Sunday Postcard Art

Our Challenge this week at Sunday Postcard Art is "What's In Your Sky?"

I found a graphic of an elephant harnessed onto a hot air balloon, and the ideas just flowed from there.

So, here's a dad on a fishing trip with his two little girls, one stayed in the boat to stare at the frog king on the dock, and one wanted to join the Hot Air Balloon Party.

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time...

Layer It - Blend It, Our Midweek Muse

I love a good layering project, so the Challenge this week at Our Midweek Muse, Layer It - Blend It, was right up my alley.

I really did and overdid the layers and various blended ephemera, as you can see, and it was a blast!  No apologies here, there isn't a single graphic I'd take out.  😊

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time...

Homophone: Flour and Flower - Sunday Postcard Art

I had so many homophones I wanted to use, and finally settled on Flour and Flower.  I actually did a little research on cake flower, and found out it is different than other flours that are available.  Interesting:

Cake flour is a flour that is very finely milled from soft winter wheat. It has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, and it is finer, lighter, and softer. It’s also bleached, so the color is paler and the grain is less dense.

Because of the lower protein content, cake flour produces less gluten.  When it comes to cakes, we want them to be light, soft, and tender, with a fine, close crumb. And that is exactly what you will get if you use cake flour!  -- bakingamoment.com

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time...

Emboss It - Try it on Tuesday

Our Challenge this time at Try it on Tuesday was an interesting one:  Emboss It.

I didn't go down any rabbit holes trying to find embossed pieces, once I saw this one of the gold Nobel Peace Prize Medal with Alfr. Nobel on the medal, that was it for me.  It's so rich looking!

It was easy to find information about the Medal.  All medals made before 1980 were struck in 23 carat gold. Since then, they have been struck in 18 carat green gold plated with 24 carat gold. The weight of each medal varies with the value of gold, but the weight is set to 175 g for all medals, except for the Medal for the Prize in Economic Sciences. Its weight is set to 185 g.

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time...

Books/Book Pages - Tag Tuesday

Tag Tuesday's Challenge this time is "Books/Book Pages."  

I decided to put a girl in a library with a book, and chose a graphic that had the pages formed into a heart, hence, "Reading love stories in the library."

I used to love going to the library, and when I was young, I read a book-a-day, up until my 30s.  I used to check out ten books, because I read so many books, I forgot which I had read sometimes, and usually each week I got at least seven books that were new to me.  

Libraries aren't held in the high esteem these days as the way we thought about them when I was young, and for many, many years before I was even born.  All you have to do is research old libraries and see the architecture of some of the big ones to know they were important buildings.

Now I download audiobooks from my library, not the same as reading a book, but I'm hooked on the audiobooks and I still get a lot of new stories every week.

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time...

That Autumn Feeling - Our Midweek Muse

 The Challenge this week at Our Midweek Muse is "That Autumn Feeling."

There are probably millions of graphics available to use in this fun challenge, and off I went, going down the rabbit hole, or should I say "gnome hole," to find the special ones to use. 

Here is a little girl having a magical evening visiting with her forest friends, the Gnome Family.  (Do gnome children have beards?  😵‍💫 )

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time...

Pyramids - Our Midweek Muse

Pyramids is the Challenge theme this week at Our Midweek Muse.

I loved the colors in this piece, the bright blue was kind of surprising, it worked so well with the pyramids/desert colors.  Hummm, that makes me think of the abundnce of the color turquoise in our Southwestern desert jewelry and artworks here in New Mexico, USA.  The sandy colors and this bright blue must be complimentary on the color wheel.  

Anyway, I loved the effect but it was a bit too pretty, so I grunged it up with a bunch of overlays and I liked the end result, so that's what I went with.

Again, this was a fun Challenge and I enjoyed putting this piece together! 

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time...

Peter Pan - Sunday Postcard Art

Our theme this week at Sunday Postcard Art is "Peter Pan."  

I didn't have any preconcieved ideas on what to do for this Challenge, and I didn't have any graphics on the subject in my files, that I knew of.  But you never know, and as I was working on it, things kind of fell into place.

The text I added explains who Peter Pan was. I had forgotten all these facts for years and years, and enjoyed being reminded about him.

When I had it complete, I wanted to add some stars from Peter Pan's hand to the ship flying in the sky, so I searched through my Star graphics folder, and low and behold, there was one that had Tinkerbell with the tiny stars!  How cool is that?  So I added Tinkerbell to the side of the flying ship and the stars from the ship to Peter's hand and called it "done."  😊

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time... 

Dressform/Sewing - Sunday Postcard Art

This week's theme for our Sunday Postcard Art is Dressform/Sewing.

This one took a while to complete; I started with one idea, and you know how sometimes you're just guided to go in a different direction?  I wanted this one to be really simple, but it didn't end up that way!  😁

So, here's my version of the Seaside Seamstress Shop, with our expert seamstress/proprietress finishing up a new tail while her customers visit with each other.

Love the way this came out - it kind of makes me wish I could be a mermaid once in a while!

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time.

Roses - Tag Tuesday

The challenge for this fortnight's tag is "Roses."

I created this tag from some tea-stained copy paper I made, then added scraps of papers and materials I had on hand.  Just a lot of ephemera!  Everything got inked around the edges and glued down, a hole was punched and I inserted a grommet/washer on the top and pounded it down.  

Then I added the stamp "Appreciate everything" and outlined it.  I also colored in the little black and white picture of the flower on the lower left corner with some colored felt tipped pens.

Next I glued six fabric roses onto the branch.

This tag has a pocket, so I used my felt tipped colored pens to add color to a picture of a flower, glued one of the fabric roses on it, and inserted it into the pocket.

I was happy with the way it turned out.  😊

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time...

Animals - Real or Imaginary - Try it on Tuesday

 Wow, this one was fun!

This week's challenge at Try it on Tuesday is Animals - Real or Imaginary.  

I was looking through my graphic images and came across the cow's head, looking in at the edge of a page, and started with that.  I don't know where the Paint Ball Contest came from, but it eased it's way into the artwork and here we are!

Poor paint-covered cow, she didn't have a chance!  😵‍💫 

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time...

Fur and/or Feathers - Art Journal Journey

The Challenge this month at ART JOURNAL JOURNEY is Fur and/or Feathers.

As dusk is coming and the light is fading, on a hill overlooking a small village below, we have three little cats in a tree watching us - representing "fur," and three black hens like my Black Australorps eating corn kernals - to represent "feathers."  

It will be dark soon, time for the cats to go to their bed for a warm night's sleep, and for the chickens to roost in their tree and sleep till dawn.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time...

Ferns, Sunday Postcard Art

The subject of this week's Challenge at Sunday Postcard Art is "Ferns."  

I had a couple of ideas, but ended up choosing my backyard and my four Black Australorps to feature with all the ferns - that are imported ephemera since I live in the high desert and I doubt I could grow ferns here in the yard.  I'm sure my hens would love it if I could, though!

When it rains, all the insects come out and the hens are digging and scratching and pecking at the ground to eat the special treats - so I imported some treats for them, as well.

Surprisingly, they love the rain!

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time...

Circus Time, Our Midweek Muse

I've never been to a real circus, but as a kid I always wanted to go to one.   

At my current age - definitely a senior citizen - I'm conflicted about circuses.  I don't know how circuses are considered nowadays, but I think some people worry about the animals.  

I think the athleticism and expertise of the circus acts are commendable and very exciting, the clowns are funny, but have always scared me a little, and I guess I must worry about the animals a bit, too, because this is how my artwork turned out for this challenge.  

Originally my plan was to do some art containing a happy clown, but I just couldn't make that happen.  So here we are.  I do love elephants, but I don't think they are still workers in current circuses.

Thanks for stopping by!  Until next time...

Bad Hair Day, Our Midweek Muse

 This week's Challenge is Bad Hair Day and below is my artwork:

Well, I have to admit, this turned out exactly as I envisioned it, rocks in her hair with trees and feathers and birds and butterflies... but in the end, it's not exactly a bad hair day.  When she was finished I really loved the way she looked and I figured after sleeping on this hairdo, she'll wake up tomorrow with a really messy mess, so I decided she could stay.  The Bad Hair Day is coming tomorrow. 😁

Thanks for stopping by!  Until next time...

Making Memories, Our Midweek Muse

The Challenge this week is Making Memories.  I think the time in my life when I made the most memories was the seven years I spent living mostly off grid in my motorhome with my little Chihuahua, Katie.  It was an experience that only another full-time traveler would understand, especially if traveling alone.  Such a great time in my life.  

These are some photos I snapped along the way - just a very few of thousands:

I wouldn't want to do it again, but I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.  😊

Thanks for stopping by!  Until next time...

Weather Forecast, Our Midweek Muse

It's so nice to be back doing digital art challenges again!  Here's my artwork for Weather Forecast:

I've never played soccer in the rain, but I guess it doesn't matter what the forecast is.  😊

Thanks for stopping by!  Until next time...

Two - Take a Word Art Challenge

Our challenge this week at Take A Word is Two.  Two of anything, so I decided to do a cat and bird.  A cat lounging in the bird's feeder.  The Red-Winged Blackbird is giving the cat quite a lecture!

Actually the cat is mine - Baxter.  (I lifted him from the original photo and placed him in this beautiful scene.)  I had Baxter when I lived on the western slope of the Sierras in Northern California.  This is the house I had there, I just loved it:

I loved the way the sunshine filtered through the trees. 

Funny story - It had a ton of cedar trees front and back and all around it.  One winter we had an enormous snow storm and the top of one of the cedar trees broke off and fell, pointed top first, like an arrow into my roof, through the roof and the ceiling, and hung there, a real cedar tree hanging upside down from the living room ceiling.

It was super early in the morning and made quite a loud crash.  The master bedroom is below the living room, and we ran up the stairs to see what the crash was, and imagine our surprise when we saw the tree top there.  It was three or so feet long that we could see.  Stunned silence.

Anyway, on the left side - in the photo - was a deck on the second story accessible from the living room.  One morning I went out to the deck to water some plants, and this is what I saw in the bird feeder which was nailed onto the corner of the deck railing:

After that day, Baxter often made himself comfortable in the bird feeder.  He was such a beautiful cat and had great personality.  😍😀😗

Thanks for stopping by!  Until next time...

Faces - Sunday Postcard Art Challenge

Our challenge this week at Sunday Postcard Art is Faces.

Many years ago when I lived in Placerville, CA, my friends and I drove to Folsom to attend a Psychic Fair.  I'd never heard of such a thing, but it was really fun and fascinating. There was one woman there who, for a nominal fee, would study you and "see your guide."  And then she would do a chalk drawing of the guide she saw.

When it was my turn, she said I had many guides, and she wasn't sure which one to choose, but there was a young Indian warrior who seemed to be strongest, and asked if I wanted her to draw him.

I was clueless and said, sure.  She asked me what color I wanted her to use, and since I had just decorated my bedroom in pink flowers - my only "girlie bedroom" ever (and I LOVED it!) - I said pink.

She said, "Well, he's a very masculine presence, but okay, let's use pink.  That will work."

I've always loved this chalk portrait, it's pretty old now and the pink colors are faded.  It's the only framed item I brought when I started full-timing in my motor home.  I took photos of everything hanging on the walls that I loved.  Somehow I feel protected with him looking over me.  Like a Guardian Angel.  Who knows if the whole "guide" thing is true, but wouldn't it be nice if it is?

So, this is from a photo I took before leaving home, and I added a few elements to it.

My Guide.

Thanks for visiting...  see you next time!

Clowns - Sunday Postcard Art Challenge

Our challenge this week at Sunday Postcard Art is Clowns. 

You know what?  I hate clowns!  But I found so many really nice clown elements to use in this challenge that weren't ugly or scary.  I was surprised.  I guess I don't hate clowns.  Just the ugly, scary ones.

Stephen King said, "Nobody likes a clown at midnight."  And I guess that just about sums it up for me. 

Thanks for stopping by - see you next time...

Balloons - Take a Word Art Challenge

Our challenge this week at Take a Word is Balloons.

This is a photo of my motor home on Forest Road 525 in Sedona, AZ in the fall of 2016.  I was lucky to get the only campsite with a tree!  Yay!  There were cows in the area, and hot air balloons landed right near us almost daily.  It was a really fun campsite that year!

So this is an actual photograph which I ran through an app to give it more texture, then added some elements for more interest.  That's my trusty travel companion, Katie, in the lower left corner.  LOL

Thanks for visiting - see you next time!

Renaissance Woman, Sunday Postcard Art Challenge

Our challenge this week at Sunday Postcard Art is Renaissance Woman.   As usual, I really enjoyed this challenge, and not surprisingly, I've learned a lot while figuring out how to join in the challenge.

I hate to admit I wasn't sure exactly what Renaissance Woman meant.  I had only a vague idea so I did some research, and I found two descriptions, one the original and the other a current description. 

1.  This is the older description from Merriam Webster: 

Renaissance - capitalized  The transitional movement in Europe between medieval and modern times beginning in the 14th century in Italy, lasting into the 17th century, and marked by a humanistic revival of classical influence expressed in a flowering of the arts and literature and by the beginnings of modern science.

So I guess a Renaissance Woman is one who lived during these times.  And from the photos I found, they seem to have dressed very well, with lots of velvet, fur, and shiny gold materials.  Or at least the rich ladies who had portraits done...

There's lots of information online about this period in history and all the changes that occurred during the Renaissance. 

Or

2.  The modern description: 

Noun, (sometimes lowercase)  A woman who has acquired profound knowledge or proficiency in more than one field.

The amazing thing is:  I've discovered I am a Renaissance Woman. And many of my female friends are, as well.  Here are some of the things I found that I answer YES to: 

7 Signs You May be a Modern-Day Renaissance Woman 

1.    You still don’t know what you want to be when you grow up—not because nothing interests you, but because so many things interest you. 

2.    You can think of at least three ways to earn a living, and the idea of having to choose one feels suffocating to you.  You love the idea of having multiple streams of income. 

3.    You’ve worried you may be a Jack-of-all-Trades, even though you’ve developed a level of mastery in many or even all of your areas of interest.  You sometimes feel like a fraud. 

4.    You’ve felt ashamed about your inability to choose one thing, lest you’d appear scattered or unfocused. 

5.    You’re a natural multi-tasker.  You’d think nothing of doing one thing from nine to noon, another from one to three, and a third from four to six.  You love variety in your work. 

6.    You want more freedom.  You gave up something you enjoyed because your full-time job and personal responsibilities left no room in your life to pursue it.  Yet, it’s always on your mind—a subtle, but ever-present reminder that makes you think it’s not meant to be forgotten.

7.    You’ve often wondered if have ADD.  In fact you’d almost welcome the diagnosis because it would explain why you can’t pick something.  The trouble is, you really don’t have a problem with focus.  You generally finish what you set out to do.

I've never thought I had ADD, so that one doesn't apply to me, but the rest of them do.

I love it!  I'm a Renaissance Woman!  Are you?  (You know what they say about believing everything you read on the Internet - but I LIKE the idea of being a modern Renaissance Woman!)

Thanks for visiting - see you next time...

Book Cover - The Three Muses

This week's challenge at The Three Muses is Book Cover - with humorous title or author name.  

The Painted Ladies of San Francisco popped into my mind at once - with Sam Francisco as the author.  Funny how sometimes ideas just happen, and other times it takes some work to figure out how to put the challenge together.  This one was easy peasy!

"Back in the day" I used to have a beautiful coffee table book of the Painted Ladies that included their history with lots of pictures.  A very enjoyable read. 

I bet if these Painted Ladies wrote a memoir, it would be sizzling!  Imagine the history they've seen.  😍

Thanks for stopping by - see you next time...