Imagine This

My Six Words

In the Golden Afternoon of Life

In the Beyond Layers class,  Kim Klassen has prompted us to check out Smith Magazine, home of the "six word memoir." Kim ran across the idea of the "Mini-Memoir" in an article by Diane Herbst in O Magazine. Our challenge is to write a six word description of ourselves.

Illustration: Dana Tanamachi (from O Magazine Web site.)

Summing oneself up in six words sounds daunting until you realize that it could change as often as your moods! The one that popped into my mind today is, "In the Golden Afternoon of Life." (That is probably about my tired state of mind today after a 5 hour sleep night!) As soon as this one came to me, others started rolling in. Maybe I'll post some more later.

 

Golden Afternoon

 

So, that was my six word description of me for today.

What's Yours?

Texture Tuesday - Story/Beyond Layers - Just Enough

The Language of Friendship

(Click on the image to have a better, larger view.)

Texture Tuesday this week is about the theme, Story. Believe me when I say, this photo tells the whole story. As young as these girls are, they have been fast friends for seven years already! Their friendship endures even though one of the girls moved with her family over one hundred and fifty miles away from the other. Jer and I are privileged to help foster this friendship every summer for a week at our Camp Turlington. The girls have come for the camp for four years and always pick up where they left off.

I used my iPhone photo processed in Photoshop CS5 using textures from Kim Klassen, who sponsers the Texture Tuesday challenges each week. You can find the specific textures I used as well as a clue about how I processed this photo by inspecting the layers palette:

Layers Palette for The Language of Friendship

 

Here is the oroignal photo:

Original Photo shot with iPhone4

 

This photo is being published a few days early for Texture Tuesday because I'm using it also with the new online class offered by Kim Klassen, Beyond Layers. This particular exercise was to learn to SIMPLIFY - the theme being JUST ENOUGH. That is hard for me as I'm a Less-is-never-better-and-More-is-NEVER-enough kind of girl! (If you'd like to check out the Beyond Layers class info, just click on the logo above.)

Do you think the final version of my photo is simpler than the original and does it accentuate the meaning I wanted to convey about friendship?

Here is another image for JUST ENOUGH:

 Just Enough

 

The Layers Palette:

Layers Palette for Just Enough

I used my iPhone photo with one of Kim's textures. With a simpler original photo composition and a simpler process - only four steps in the processing! - I think this one is probably more along the lines of what Kim haddin mind for going with a much LESS-IS-MORE pholosophy. What do you think?

Texture Tuesday - Open

Open Magnolia Blossom

This week's Texture Tuesday Challenge at Kim Klassen's Cafe is themed, Open, and requires at least one of Kim's textures to be used with our original image. This is a shot I took with my iPhone of a blossom on a magnolia tree in our church yard. In rendering this image, I used Kim's textures, Stamped Softly and KK2. I also used my own custom texture, Dark Grunge.

 

FYI - The original photo looks like this:

Original Magnolia Blossom Photo shot with iPhone, no apps.

Aren't Textures and layering just magic?

Happy Lord's Day

Christ Pantokrator, circa 6th century

The icon of Christ Pantokrator, Lord of the Universe, became the symbol of Christ's embodiment of the union of two natures, human and divine. The adult Christ giving benediction, holding a Gospel, is one of the most ancient iconographic types and is cited as proof of the historical authenticity of the incarnation.

 

He Lives!

Texture Tuesday - Embrace

Shades of Evening

This week's Texture Tuesday prompt from Kim Klassen was to use any of our photos with her new texture, Embrace.

This is a photo I shot with my iPhone 4 at sundown on the lake at Raven's Nest. I used the Hipstamatic camera with the Chunky lens and Dream Canvas film. I enhanced the image with three layers of Kim's texture, some hue/saturation adjustments, and grunge brushing. (See layers Palette below for details)

 

Layers Palette for Shades of Evening

 

Below is somewhat the same image shot a few minutes earlier from a standing postion (so it doesn't show the reeds) using the iPhone 4, Hipstamatic camera with the John S lens, and Blanko Noir film. I converted Kim's Embrace texture to a magic texture by adding a three Black & White adjustment layers - two at normal 100% and one at Soft Light 100%.  I added this magic texture to the photo twice - once  at Screen blending mode 100% and again changing the blending mode to Overlay 77%.

Sunset at Raven's Nest

(You will have to click on the image to see the really neat textural effects.)

 

~ ENJOY ~

Tah Tah!

 

Happy Lord's Day

 

Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your mind.

This is the first and the greatest commandment.

                    ~ Matthew 22:37-38

 

Happy Texture Tuesday 2012!

Up a Tree (Texture by Kim Klassen)

This first Texture Tuesday challenge from Kim Klassen is a "Free and Easy" theme, which means using any photo with at least one of her textures. I selected a photo I shot of my granddaughter after she climbed this great 105 year old tree on New Year's Day in Katy, Texas. I used my iPhone 4's native camera. The photo was processed using the Iris Photo Suite app to layer two copies of Kim's texture, Friday, with masking and to add a vintage frame. I used Impression app to add my signature.

 

For your viewing pleasure, shere is a bonus image shotwith my iPhone 4 on Christmas Day at my son's house in Katy, TX. I processed it with Iris app and used Kim's texture, Friday on this one as well.

The Stockings were Hung by the Chimney with Care

 

~~~

 

Wishing you all a Happy and Blessed New Year!

Happy Lord's Day/Happy New Year

Peace and blessings for the new year.

Back to the Big City

Percolator City 1

 

So this week will have three trips to Houston - 1.sunday,  Christmas Day to my brother Jim's for family dinner. 2. Monday to my son's for exchanging gifts with kids and grandkids - fun, fun. and then 3. I go tomorrow for -- guess what -- 'cuz I was INVITED to a sleep-over! My granddaughter's birthday party sleep-over. Woohoo! I haven't tried to stay awake all night since collage finals.On the way tomorrow, three of Mary Jo's high school friends (including me) are going to the hospital to pray together over a prayer shawl for her. We can't see her but we can be close and then leave the shawl with her hubby or a nurse for her. Best we can do for now.

Saturday Jerry will join me in Katy and we'll do our annual New Year's Eve with the grandkids! Yea. so much fun. the older the get the more fun - never thought it could get to be more fun! They are terrific.

As the night wears on, waiting for the midnight hour, we get sillier and sillier. Here are examples of the STUPID HUMAN TRICKS we did last year: (I promise no children were hurt in the filming of these events.)

 

The Scary Ole Knee Walk

 

And we also had: 

 

The Human Worm Races

(I also promise that contrary to how it looks, each one of the children in these films has an IQ in the hundreds - as do their parents and grandparents!) Wonder what we'll dream up this year?

~~~

The photos in this post are made on the iPhone 4 and processed on my iPad in Percolator app. I took the original while I was driving into Houston. . . through the dirty windshield! Isn't this a fun app for the iPhone and iPad? It's called Percolator and it does all sorts of fun stuff with photos. I'm just now trying to learn how to control it. Yikes. I like this result though. And here is another one I liked. Isn't it magical? could it be the Emerald City?

 

Percolator City 2

Happy Birthday to My Main Man - - - Jesus!

 

 

 

 

 

Ornament Exchange - Day 12

Jackie's Package and Wrapping

OH NO!!!! Mister Bill!!!! No, no, it can't be - but yes, it is the last of this year's 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments. Boo hoo. It went so fast and we are all still reeling from the exitement.

 

The final day's ornament was brought to us by our dear, uber-talented friend, Jackie Allison. Do you wonder what she mailed that Chrsitmas tin in? Well, don't wonder that because she mailed it in nothing at all. She actually just put an address label on the top of the tin and it was sent through the U.S. mail just like that! Clever girl, that Jackie . . . in more ways than one. Just look at this little ornament she concocted.

 

Jackie's Ornament

 Jackie must have bought or inherited an old German doll factory because she has gifted us for several years now with differents sizes and kinds of these Charlotte dolls or doll heads. This one is the tiniest little teensy thing I've ever seen - all nestled in her wire wrap against a vintage salt shaker full of shiny green glass glitter.

Ornament (Detail)

[Jackie, I couldn't help but laugh when I saw this precious little dolly all wired down to that shaker. It made me think that you must have felt just like that when you were stuck in that hospital bed for about a month! Tell me that art isn't theraputic. LOL]

 

Ornament (Detail)

 Dangling below the salt shaker is a spiral of festive and glitzy beads and charms. How fun is this? Jackie, you did it again. another fun ornament for our ever-growing collection of Adorn Christmas ornaments. Thank you for your incredible tenacity (read crazy compulsion!) in insisting on creating practically from the hospital bed. My prayer for you is a new year of peace and calm with nothing but blue skies and good health. Merry Christmas, my friend.

 

Ornament Exchange - Day 11

Maija's Package

 

The second and sixth days of our Christmas ornament exchange were moved around to accomodate some personal emergencies. This, the eleventh day, was reserved for our wonderful friend and skillful artist, Maija Lepore.

Maija arranged for ornaments to be created for us by Jenny Holiday, a published furniture and home accessory designer.

Maija's Gift Ornament created by Jenny Holiday

This little vintage inspired diecut ornament, made from a handpainted original, is a classic holiday project over at Jenny Holiday's workshop. It is compliled using the image, a bit of candy cane colored string, ultra fine glitter, vintage holiday sheet music (for the back) - all mounted on heavy duty mat board. It looks quite glittery and magical on my tree. Thank you, Maija, for hanging in there with us this year. My prayer is for a sweet and peaceful holiday season for you and your family.

 

Maija's Gift in My Tree

Ornament Exchange - Day 10 (Excuse my tardiness in reporting)

Diane's Package and Card

The Day 10 package and card comes to us from the incredible Diane Cook. Diane is a sweet friend from the world of art jewelry. We met a couple of years ago when we roomed together in Austin, Texas to attend a workshop. Diane is a genuinely lovely girl -- kind, pretty, and talented. She makes very creative jewelry and has taught in various venues as well as been published in magazines. I'm especially fond of her gorgeous etched and layered cuffs. You must visit her blog and see her terrific work.

Examples of Diane's Etched and Layered Cuffs (Photo by Diane Cook)

Diane, who is not an original member of our exchange group, agreed to substitute for our wonderful hostess, Deryn Mentock, as Deryn has been quite incapacitated by a frozen shoulder. I knew when Deryn told us she had secured Diane to take her place this year that we were in for a treat. I was definitely not wrong!

Diane's Oranament

Wow, wow, wow! Diane made each one of us one of her Heart Strings pieces! This is a luscious, mixed media tassel and more!

Hanging from a Thimble

 

Millions of Yummy Dangly Things

 

My Very Own Tiny Metal Book!!

Diane, this is a feast for the eyes! I've marveled at your pictures of them but until one sees it for herself -- it can't be reasonably imagined how beautiful and exciting it is. From the brassy little thimble full of silk ribbons, lace remants, tatting, and chains to the dangles of rhinestones, beads, vintage buttons, lovely crucifix, and sweet little metal book complete with inserted text and my name engraved on the cover -- this is not an ornament, this is a piece of jewelry indeed! It looks quite lovely on my tree and will look equally exquisite hanging from a necklace around my neck!

Thank you for filling in this year, Diane, and thank you even more for pouring out your time, talent, and treasures to make this keepsake for each of us. It will be cherished and so will your friendship!

Happy Lord's Day - Fourth Sunday of Advent

Today is the Fourth Sunday of Advent  -  Love.

 

Prayer of invocation

O Holy Spirit,
source of all the gifts which God offers to us,
take us beyond our own concerns and doubts
and speak to us of your dreams for new possibilities.

 

Prayer of reflection

Hear our humble confession, Jesus Christ.
Open our lives to receive
your eternal promise of love, we pray.
Amen.

 

Words of assurance

The love of Jesus Christ waits to be discovered within us now.
When we own our humanness before the holiness of God,
the flowing of grace will amaze us by its kindness.
We are forgiven!
Thanks be to God.

 

Benediction

Let us walk towards Christmas Day
believing that anything is possible through the love of God.

And may Christmas Day herald the rebirth of love in all the earth.

AMEN

 

 

[Some of the words are borrowed from: http://www.oikoumene.org]

Ornament Exchange - Day 9

Danita's Wrapping

Brown paper packages, tied up in string -- these are a few of my favorite things!

Today's ornamet gift comes from Danita Salcido, my good Texas neighbor and wonderful artist from El Paso.  Danita does the sweetest images, all in a distinctive style all her own. Be sure to peruse her blog, Danita Art, for a taste of her work.

I love Danita's cool wrapping for her ornament this year - in a brown paper sack with candy cane twine and adorned with a grunge inked tag to display the day we are to open this package (well, we changed the day, but anyway . . . ) 

 

Danita's Ornament

This is a precious piece of art done on a substrate shaped like a heart. Danita adorned it with a copy of one of her original paintings. She added metallic snowflakes and lavishly covered it in wax. She incised doodles in the wax for embellishment. Finally, she antiqued it with umber or another dark paint to emphasize the marks she had made. I love the cozy look of this ornament.

Wanna see the back?

 

Back of Danita's Ornament

 

D'ya know what I like best about Danita's image for this ornament? I love the little girl's fox gloves.

 

No, not fox gloves like these:

 

Nor these:

But fox gloves like the ones in Danita's imagination!!! Like these:

She Wore Fox Gloves

Those are the precious details you'll find in Danita's art! I'm not sure that's what Danita meant by them but I laughed and laughed when I saw them. Thank you, Danita, for this sweet little ornament.