Merry Christmas

Where oh where did this year go? The older I get the faster the year flies by.

I am posting a card for all my blogger friends that I have met this year. This has been an interesting year in that I have discovered Kim Klassen and all her wonderful textures and in doing so, I met all these marvelous women artists thru her linky parties. I wish I could meet all of you in person and just absorb all the magical artistic energy that would be found in that room. I can see how the "Shutter Sister's Camp" gave Kim and probably every woman there a super dose of art magic. When you are in the environment and the energy is in the air you can just feel it in your pores.

I am wishing you all a fabulous holiday season and most certainly a glorious New Year. What will the new yr. bring? Or better yet, what will we find to inspire us and what will we make the new year? I don't do resolutions but I do believe that if you write down your dreams  you may be surprised how many things you made happen just by putting them out into the universe. What will be on your list?

I used several of Kim's textures on this I think I used Cosmo, Inspired Magic and the day 8 texture "Storm". Thank you Kim for giving us the gift of "Twelve Days of Texture".


12 Days of Texture

Day 4

It seems that time has gotten the better of me. Christmas is moving closer and closer and I feel I have not gotten anything accomplished, of course that isn't quite true but I feel pressured.  So, it has been hard to find time to use all the fabulous textures that Kim has been giving us this week. I love them all and know that when the dead of winter hits and all the holiday hustle bustle is over I will find many uses for them.

This shot was taken on my last trip home for mom's 94th birthday. I should not admit this but it was taken on the I-84 out the window at 65 mph with my iPhone. I took photos all along the way. The trees were gloriously golden and the dusting of snow on the hills was so pretty. I don't like to travel the 250 miles by myself in the winter but had no choice on this trip. There was snow at the farm but was gone and replaced by 50 mile an hr. winds on my way home several days later.



I used today's texture "Edward" on this and had edited it earlier with one of the "Magic Scratches" textures.
Thank you Kim for giving us such wonderful gifts.


12 Days of Texture

12 Days of Christmas at The Cafe`

 

12 Days of Christmas

This is the start of Kim's 12 days of Christmas. She so generously is giving away a texture a day for us to use. How wonderful is that!! I used her texture for today called "Lilly" for this edit. This is an old christening gown that belongs to my sister in law, she let me bring it home so that I could photograph it. I love the little gown and the pretty pink bow on the hanger. I went in search of a teddy bear to use in the photos but found a cute white bunny instead, I think he works pretty well with the dress and the old chair. I used two layers of Lilly one on soft light and the other on multiply, then I added scratched magic in screen mode, I love how the scratched magic gives the work an old print look. Hope everyone is having the start of a wonderful week. Check out The Cafe` for more uses of the new texture called "Lilly". Thanks Kim.    

12 Days of Christmas.

Celebrate

This week Texture Tuesday is all about "Celebrate" since we are in the season of celebration. Last yr. we took a walk around the neighborhood to take photos of the lights. I decided to use my lens baby with the specialty filters that give spectral light shapes. This was in one of the yards near my home. I loved how the filter gave the light around the Nativity the look of bright stars in the night sky.

Let's all celebrate the reason for the season. Head on over to Texture Tuesday and celebrate with all the creative artists this week. Happy Holidays to all my friends.

Gratitude

This week at Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen's Cafe` we are to celebrate our gratitude since it is the week after Thanksgiving for us. When I stop to think of ALL the things in my life that I have to be grateful for, the list always starts with my family. Last week my mother celebrated her 94th birthday, we celebrated her special day with an early Thanksgiving feast with my brothers and families all there. I had spent several days with mom but wanted to be home on Thanksgiving. My daughter knew I would be tired from traveling from mom's that week. She invited us to have dinner with all of them. I really was worn out and not looking forward to taking on another whole dinner. I am so grateful for such a kind and caring daughter. It was a wonderful dinner and a very nice day spent with them all.

The photo I have used for Texture Tuesday is from an old 35mm slide taken by my mom. This is the farm where I grew up. Not sure which winter this was but by looking at the small trees in the lane maybe our second winter. I am so grateful for growing up here. Now mind you, that was not always the case, as a teenager I really didn't like it!! We lived 20 miles from town and all of us from the farms were the "country" kids. But I must tell you that as I have grown older this place has much more importance. This old lane holds so many memories. Getting off the school bus and rushing up to the house because we could smell the fresh baked bread mom had spent the day making, we knew there were probably be some yummy cinnamon rolls too. Meeting my girlfriend after all the chores were done. I'd always say "meet me in the lane". In the summer waiting anxiously for the bookmobile to get there so we could get more books to read. So many memories.

The lane is still there of course, but the old house is not. Mom and dad built a new house after I had left home, so I grew up in this one. Several yrs. ago my uncle died and my aunt decided to move near family on the farm. This old house was torn down and her manufactured home was put in it's spot. Even though I knew it was happening, the first time I drove up the lane and the house was gone and all that was there was an empty space I had a flood of emotion. I tear up even now thinking about it. It was such an empty space in my heart. I am grateful that we have all been there for my aunt and that she is close to us.

My daughter spent many happy hours at her grandma and grandpa's playing with her cousins, I am grateful that she had that opportunity and it fills my heart with joy when I hear her talk about the wonderful times she had there.

I used two different magic scratched textures on this and Kim's latest one "Poetic" Check out ALL the amazing work over at The Cafe`. So many talented people and such a wonderful group, I am also so very very grateful to Kim for all of her generous giving. She is a wonderful teacher and just one of the sweetest women I have met. (well, not exactly met, as face to face) but in the cyber world we are all so connected that all the friends I know through Texture Tuesday I feel I have "met".

Texture Tuesday