Digital ATC with Photoshop Elements

At Christmas 2009, I got a great gift-Photoshop Elements 8. I have been so intimidated by it, that it took me over 18 months to try to use it. My Teenage son offered to help me as like all teens he has an innate knowledge of all things computer. Saturday night he gave me a lesson on layers and I got some elements fromDeviantScrap.com and set to work. After a little bit I tested some skills in making my own elements from pictures in my files and came up with a couple of my own!!Here is the result of those lessons

I made these 4 Digital Collage Yesterday and even though it took me hours due to my inexperience, and I had to keep the huge manual I bought next to me the entire time, I had a great time shifting things around and resizing them, etc. I am so excited to be able to do this, even in the most basic way!!

My weeks have been flying by and I have been busy with lots of cut and past ATC's. Trading with some very talented artists. I am always happy to see Laura, our postal carrier, but especially when she has a bunch of envies with ATC's in them. I love to trade so, any ATC'ers who read this, check out my flickr page and see if there is anything you might want to swap for.

LOOK here on Flickr to see my current cards and other art.

Lastly, please leave comments as I can see lots of hits on my counter, but never know who has been here. Just say hi.

Well, Go Make ART--digital or otherwise.

Lynne

LIVE TRADES

Above are the ATC's that I traded for last week. It was the April meeting of The Milwaukee ATC Live Trade and it met at a beautiful Scrapbook store in Greenfield, Wisconsin. The day was soooo rainy but that did not dampen the enthusiasm of the ATC artists who came to trade. I even managed a couple of extra trades. Our theme was altered photographs and the majority of the cards above are in that theme. It is always a surprise and pleasure to see how different the interpretation of the theme will be from artist to artist.

New cards for Milwaukee

I can't believe I have actually got my cards ready for the Milwaukee Live trade and it isn't until Feb. 28th. I had been turning over ideas in my mind for several weeks and got stuck on newspaper since the theme is "Black, White and Red/Read all over" . I finally settled on a tenative design for the card series -because I really do not like making 18 plus cards all the same- and Saturday I started out to put them together. Below is a sampling of the cards. I did end up making a few of the versions in 2's and 3's as I liked them more than others.





Check out my flickr site to see all of the cards in the series-- GypsyArt. Along with those cards are some of my newer cards and a couple of small canvas collage that I recently completed in a series called "The Secret Life of Birds".
Gotta go--til next time
GO MAKE ART!!
Lynne

CABIN FEVER

Yes, it has been over said, but I do have cabin fever. I long to throw open the windows and have a nice warm breeze flow in. Some real sunshine--not the stuff generated by reflecting off 2 feet of snow and ice. Plus, my art space in now in the unfinished BASEMENT- and it is cold down here. Save for my tiny space heater that warms my toes.
Maybe that is why some of my cards are reminding me of spring, birds, ROBINs, leafy trees, etc.
Except for my foray 2 weeks ago to Artist and Display after the Milwaukee Live Swap, I have not bought any new supplies -but have downloaded some images off flickr groups and printed them, does that count? Several sessions of creating have started with making a number of backgrounds all at once, then adding the elements that are on hand. I really like doing that.
Here is what I have been up to for the last two weeks--

YES, I do have a thing for fish....

This last image comes from my good Friend Shelly--Shelly started a wonderful Flickr group, Past Portraits and is sharing her collection of vintage Cabinet cards and photographs for use in Art work.
POSTCROSSING
I joined up at this interesting site called Postcrossing. It is basically a postcard trading site, though you do not pick the person or card you trade. You input all of your info into an account, and then a random generator puts your name out and you can ask for names to send cards to and get a random name. There is a bit more to it but basically it is that. I have sent out about 7 of my postcards and 2 have been received. I am still waiting for a card to come to me. Will post them as they come in. So far I have sent cards to Japan, Finland, Germany, Russia, China, and Canada--Wonder where my first card will come from.
Gotta get---
Stay warm, Make ART
Peace
Lynne

Milwaukee Live ATC Trade-Sat. Jan 24, 2009

Yesterday my new Friend Nina-a very talented artist that I met on Yahoo- and I drove up to Milwaukee for the January Live trade. It was Very Interesting. The meet up spot was at Bay View Book Arts Gallery in the Historic Hide House. Traveling up to Milwaukee was fast, as there was no traffic. Nina was excited as she had never been to an ATC Live trade--I on the other hand have been to three--haha!
There was a packed house and it was a bit chaotic--Though Carolyn B. did her best to supervise the trading. We met a lot of new people and the owner of the Gallery-Karen( I think-so many names so little memory space left)-I fell in love with the space itself-high old beamed ceilings, brick walls, wood floors, huge windows.
Well--I did not get as many cards as I would have thought. Many participants didn't have enough cards to go around, so people in the last rounds of trades missed out. I did make 17 trades which I will post below--

The next group of pictures is of the trade and gallery--

CONFESSION--

After the trade, Nina and I drove over to the Artist and Display store and Shopped. I have stuck to my New Years resolution for 24 days!!!!!!! But like any junky I knew that just deciding to go was falling off the resolution wagon. I SPENT!!!! I got a jar of Golden's gel matte medium, a can of Krylon Matte finish for photos and transparencies, some pan pastels and some German Scrap.
I also got two great sheets of printed paper. One is architectural drawings and the other is a print of an antique map of Paris--Which we all know is my favorite item!

That's it for now. Stay warm and Make ART!!!
Lynne
xox

Creative Frenzy!!!

I have been on a roll the last few days, especially last night. The inauguration was so inspiring!! I was just so intent on seeing the oath of office. There were TV's on in the office and every chance I had I stole a glance. But of course, missed the oath--Did get to listen to most of the speech and I was really glad and hopeful and feeling so much pride and love for our country!! Something I have not felt for a long time.
Came home and was literally compelled to create something about that day. So--I made a card that will replace the original one I made for the Milwaukee ATC Live Trade on Saturday, Jan. 24. Here it is ---The definition of hope:

Below are some of the other cards I have been working on in the past week. I plan to take most of them to Milwaukee too. Hope you like them. Again I am trying to use only what I have at hand, and not print extra images -I have not yet gone to Dick Blicks and I haven't bought any art supplies or collage sheets, paper etc. I AM HAVING SERIOUS WITHDRAWAL!!

But I am using up my stash of supplies!!! That, as Martha says, is a Good Thing

STAY WARM AND MAKE ART--
Next time--Postcrossing and hopefully my new postcards!!
Lynne--XOX

Some new Art for the New Year

I have had a couple of days away from work and have been diddling around with this and that and Finally sat down with my boxes and piles of leftover paper and scraps of text and photos and started making ATC's. Not thinking about it too much, just sorting through and picking up pieces that caught my eye, an intuitive, free form session tonight. Here is the result. Some I like better than others,and most have a beeswax top coat.

I tried to stick to my New Years resolution of using what I have on hand--and I did. I used some copies of some of my favorite photos and I like how they turned out.
BUT--
I want to go to Dick Blicks!!! to get some Large Canvas for some bigger collage that I have been thinking about. Am I bad??
Go make Art--
Lynne