Hobby Lobby Goodies and AEDM

After breakfast at Bob Evans (yum) and running errands with the hubster yesterday, we drove to East Lansing to the Hobby Lobby. My intention was to purchase a few calligraphy pens. I am signed up for a class in creative lettering in one of the Yahoo groups to which I belong and wanted to play a bit before it starts.

I had the money I earned from tutoring Statistics on Tuesday afternoon and that was earmarked for art supplies. I can't believe all the things I was able to purchase and stay within my $45 limit.

The Pitt calligraphy pens were actually buy a package of three (cranberry, black and sepia) and get a package of three black caligraphy pens free. I think they saw me coming . The papers were in the clearance section and were either 21 or 24 cents.

When I got home and unpacked I opened my pens and found they had a practice sheet inside, so I copied a bit of what they had and am not altogether displeased with the results. What do you think?

I think I have to work on my slant, but this looks so much better than my usual printing, I am really encouraged and can't wait for the creative lettering class to start.

And as if that wasn't enough goodness for a day, when the mail came I had a package from my dear friend, Fannie, with a Moleskine inside. She had a giveaway on her blog last week and when I signed up for a chance to win, I mentioned that I had never owned a Moleskine. I didn't win, but she sent me one anyway. I have the most wonderful online friends and just wish I could meet them. If you don't know Fannie, be sure to check out her blog by clicking on her name above. She has some lovely art on her blog and is involved in a wide variety of mediums - some really lovely quilt blocks among other things.

It is Saturday and I am meeting my Statistics tutee at Panera's this morning and then have the little girls for most of the day. It is supposed to be warmer with sun today. Maybe we can get the girls outdoors to play in the back yard. They love playing outdoors and it is so good for them.

Gotta go. I am trying heat on my left upper arm this morning. I absolutely cannot believe how badly it still hurts. Maybe I can forget about it if I put heat on it and concentrate on the morning crossword puzzle.

See you!

Backgrounds via Photoshop Pattern Maker

Yes, I am guilty. Even though yesterday was full of other stuff, I stayed up late (I got a not from my friends Pam and Bev asking me IF and WHEN I sleep) playing with Photoshop again. I have started making the patterns by choosing an image to distort somehow and then applying the offset filter on that distortion. I am then choosing some other image/distortion on a new layer that somehow fits/pleases me. I am getting a lot of different looks this way and will no doubt try another permutation of this process before I get tired of making these.

My friend Francine told me she really likes the patterns, but asked what I would do with them, so just before starting this post I opened a pattern from yesterday that I particularly like and made an ATC using it. What do you think? I just threw this together and I like it so I think if I spent more time on it, I could make some really fun ones. I think it would be fun to "draw" on some of the patterns to make a more personal, less digital piece.

And, of course, I made a batch of new patterns that I'd like to share. You may use them if you'd like and I'd really like to see how you adapt them to your art.

Don't get dizzy looking at this one.

Walk like an Egyptian.

I'm really liking this one.

Another eye popper.

I just can't stop myself.

I seem to be doing a lot of circles today.

I added a texture to this one and really like the effect.

Here it is without the texture.

I love blue and green together.

Before filling with the pattern, I put a gradient on the background paper.

Okay, I'll stop now and if anyone is thinking, "This woman is crazy and really  is addicted", you're right. Each day I tell myself I am going to do something other than Photoshop, but when I am innocently on the computer checking my email or reading the blogs I subscribe to I hear the siren call and I am helpless to ignore it. Before I know it I am sucked into the time warping vortex that is Photoshop and it is hours later before I come to my senses.

Today I am spending the day with my friend Nancy playing with her new computer and doing some Photoshopping. She is new to this addicting software and I want to indoctrinate her so that I am not alone in my addiction. Bwah! Ha! Ha!

Tomorrow I am spending the day in Marshall learning how to make a fabric book with my friend Tina. I promise to show that and more next post and try to stay out of Photoshop for a day or two. However, some time soon I want to do a tutorial on how to color correct your photos in 3 easy steps. I learned this trick from Dave Cross and have found it to be extremely useful.

My posts may be hit or miss next week. We are going up to the Leelanau peninsula on Sunday and Monday and then I am tutoring for two hours with my Statistics student on Wednesday afternoon before returning home to meet with two Algebra students who are considering hiring me to tutor them as well.

For now, I am going to grab a bite to eat, have another mug of coffee, jump in the shower and drive over to Nancy's house for a day of Photoshop fun!!

Bye,

Art Rage and Photoshop

Well, my house is clean; I don't know how long it will last, but it looks great right this minute. We spent about 1 1/2 hours full steam ahead and got it done. It really doesn't take all that long when we both work at it; and it is almost enjoyable.

I did find some time to play with Art Rage and have produced a blue bird that I think you can tell is a bird. I'm not sure you would call this a good first attempt, but I am thrilled with it. The first time I tried Art Rage (before I watched the little videos that told how to select color, change the brush size, etc.) it was a disaster. The only thing I forgot with this bird was to make separate layers so that the paint would "glop" all together, and there were some spots where I didn't want the colors to interact with each other. I can't wait to try again. Here he is:

After spending a lot of time working with Art Rage and trying to becoming familiar with it, I had to go back to my old friend Photoshop and play somewhat mindlessly. I hope you like my backgrounds and if you do you may use them. I'd like to see what you do with them, though.

Look closely and you will see little outlines of birds in between.

The large custom shape offset and then a second custom shape put in the middle.

You know how I love birds.

 

The large green leaf offset and then the flower colored and placed in the middle.

 

The leaf with twirl filter set at 999,  offset and then another leaf added to the center.

The leaf in blue, twirl filter set at 999, then offset; then added a different custom swirl to center.

Are you getting tired of these backgrounds over and over? Let me know and I will move on. Right now I am really enamored with making these repeating patterns - the possibilities are endless! I was having so much fun making these it was a chore to make myself take a shower and drive out to meet the Statistics student I am tutoring.

I do have a couple of photos from the wedding in late September. I used Photoshop on a couple of them mostly to reduce the busyness in the background and would like to share them with you. Give me some input, please!

Threshold adjustment, tinted.

Okay, I'm off to play with Art Rage, maybe do some wax painting, make time to walk the treadmill, maybe try a new recipe for dinner... What are you planning to do today?

Bye!

Art in the Mail

I won a print of a bird painting from Diahn, and you know how I love birds. Well, this one is spectacular. It came very nicely matted and the hubster is planning to make me a frame for it. Don't you just love it when there is treasure in the mail? You really must go check out her blog - my guess is that you will want to subscribe and you won't be disappointed. Here he is. The mat is wider than that, but I cropped it

His name is Emory.

Also, for you Mac users out there, I am playing with a freeeware painting program called ArtRage and I am hooked. As soon as I get something painted with it (there is a little learning curve), I will share it. There are quite a few YouTube videos on using it, and that helps. I am thinking that if I like it as much as I think I will, I might pay the $25 for the Pro version. I need to check out what the differences are between the free one and the pro version, but so far I am a bit infatuated with this program. I am thinking that I may even fall in love with it. Stay tuned.....

For now I have been playing some more with Photoshop and making patterns. Here are a few of them.

I added the drop shadow and bevel after I made this page.

I added the gradient after I generated the pattern.

I hope you like these and feel free to use them. I'd like to see what you do with them if you do use them in your art.

Well, the hubster has already started on the house cleaning that we agreed to do this week, and he is such a sweetie he started with the bathrooms. Woowoo!  I guess I will go out in the living and remove everything from the entertainment center and the tables and get to work dusting.

I tutored my son and a friend of his last evening here and am meeting the woman in the Statistics class later today. At some point between the house cleaning and the tutoring, I am sure to get some play time and will attempt to have something interesting to show you tomorrow.....

Bye!