.

.

Playing With My Prize My Memories Scrapbook Software

I had the good fortune of winning a giveaway earlier and want to share with you the blogger who ran the giveaway: Zucchini Summer Etsy Blog and who also has a shop Zucchini Summer Brought to You By the Bargain Babe her shop on Etsy .

My Memories Suite was the software giveaway, it is a digital scrapbook site which offers a variety of  elements to make a scrapbook online.  This was my first ever experience with digital scrapbooking, I'm still playing around with it, learning and trying out different looks, styles, etc.

I made this page to thank Zucchini Summer and My Memories.  If you click on the image it will enlarge.


I like plaids and houndstooth, I know lots of people don't, I also like paisley, anyway, I used houndstooth as the background for the page. It's so easy to drop in a photo and crop, turn, and resize it.  

It might be hard to let go of the glue and make a scrapbook online, then again, it might be easy to unstick your fingers, this way you can duplicate it, share it, print it, or save it.  In case anyone is interested in getting this software for themselves, there are lots of giveaways going on, try googling and hopefully some will still be going on.  

Edited to add that Katherines Corner  is hosting a giveaway for this software, go over there to enter the drawing!   Simple Wyrdings  is also hosting a giveaway! 




Falling Into Autumn


After having a recent birthday, I think I am getting younger not older.  A few weeks ago I walked into the open desk drawer and now I have a three inch long scar to remind me of it, and this morning I took a really bad fall while working in the yard.  What's up with me and getting new scars?  I thought that was long behind me, I've got scars on my body from so many mishaps.  I really didn't need this to happen today.  Who does?

This photo, is not mine, I found it on the web, but it is how both of my knees look, a deep gash, though mine is more crescent shaped, and add a big lump on each knee.  I also bruised and scraped my right arm and twisted both wrists.  My face had a little scraping, not too much.  I can't hold the camera to take a photo, plus I really don't want to be reminded of this once I've healed.


I broke my turtle when I fell, a pottery one, not a live one, and had to get my husband to finish the work I was doing.  The irritating part is I'm allergic to most bandages and adhesive tapes so it's really hard to keep these cuts covered.  I get welts and start bleeding where the bandage touches my skin.  Last week I had a blood test and within two minutes of the adhesive tape being on my arm, there were welts all around it and I couldn't get the tape off soon enough.  Latex free tapes make the welts as do the regular tapes.

Hoping to feel better tomorrow, going to put the ice back on now and see if the bleeding will stop.  I really don't want to go for stitches if I can avoid it.   Will let you know how this goes.  Has anyone used the scar remover, "Mederma?" or something like it; I think I need it.


Sunday Straphanger Pumpkins in NJ

Sometimes autumn can be hot, and it was deeply hot, though not humid on the day we stopped at this roadstand in New Jersey.  It was much bigger than a roadstand image comes to mind, with fresh pies, a place to get a drink, and lots of "Punkins" as the sign said.




Inflation has probably raised the price of these mini pumpkins since I took this photo.  Baskets of apples, colorful corn to decorate tables and doors, and dodging all the bees- fun times.

Colors and Keys Mixed Media Collage Welsh

Obedience is the mother of success, and success the parent of salvation; Aeschylus.

Parents can only give good advice or put them (children) on their right paths, but the final forming of a person lies in their own hands;  Anne Frank.



and finally,  a third quote which suited my theme is,

One can be the master of what one does, but never of what one feels;  Gustave Flaubert.

IA Art Challenge for September 19, is, "Keys."    Clicking on the image will enlarge it.  The piece is 5 3/8 x 9 inches, collage and watercolor on coldpress paper.  Join in if you like, no membership required!

The End of Summer Aceo Collage

Summer's ending is not set in stone, despite the calendar, the solstice, or back to school sales.  It means so many different things to each of us, depending which side of the equator you are on will also confuse us here.

When I was young, we always tried to get one more beach trip in before school started.  We couldn't wait to get that first glimpse of the soil changing colors from dark brown to reddish, and finally to sand.  The tree species would change, the land became flatter, we could drive for miles without seeing any buildings/shops/houses- it was a full out production to get to the shore.

Once there, the smell of the salt water ocean was intoxicating.  The ocean was deep green and brown, with little whitecaps on the waves.  It was safe to walk barefoot on the beach, unlike now with the heaps of garbage of all types depositing.  Walking barefoot and feeling the sand erode with each wave was fun and dizzying.

The Aceo Challenge theme for September is what the end of summer means to me.  Since I can't incorporate so many ideas into one little aceo, I made this one, with little bits and pieces of summer excursions, wrapped up and put away, loved forever, if only in memory.   If you click on the image, the view is larger.

It's Bigger Inside Than it Looks Tardis in Shed of the Year Contest

With K-9 (2)I'm still waiting for a nice shed for my yard.  One to potter about inside or one to open up the doors wide and sit with a drink and a new magazine.  More like a big girl playhouse with pretty curtains and a place to get away for a solitary, melancholy mood.

Still waiting and then I came across these sheds.  If you know about The Tardis and Doctor Who, you might find these suitable for a little spot in your backyard, too.

very snowy Tardis

All of these sheds and more can be viewed at :TARDIS where there are hundreds of all designs of sheds and there is a Shed of the Year Contest each year.  The last image the owner said, "I don't think of it as just a shed - more a David Tennant trap."  Oh yes.

She Waited All Year For This Birthday Cakes and a Welsh Cake Recipe



Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting




Lucy's looking for some birthday cake, I'd better go and find some, as it's my birthday today.  I "posterized" and edited Lucy's photo on Picnik.

I found these delicious looking cakes by searching; not baked or photographed by me.  Here are some cakes which would do with champagne or tea:
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Icing

Blueberry Cheesecake or Any Cheesecake Will Do





Welsh Cakes, as is or with Butter and Jam
The older I get, the faster time seems to pass, but not the calories.  What about you?

From Sian Llewellyn's book, here are a couple of recipes, simple, hearty, and tasty.

Click on the image to enlarge it.


Until next year's birthday, enjoy these on my birthday from me to you.
Now, anyone have a candle?


A Trim and a Cat Nap Who's That Sleeping on My Car?

I'm sitting here with about 5 less inches in hair length and some shape cut into it, and I cut it myself. It was time for a spruce up and letting go of the barrettes I use most days to keep the hair out of my eyes and off the back of my neck in the heat and humidity all summer long.

Kathryn Morris of, "Cold Case" and other programs said she cuts her own hair and so did Angela Lansbury - two opposites in style.  Plus after watching Nick cut so many heads of hair on, "What Not to Wear"  I gave it a go a few years ago and have since been cutting my own hair.  I used to spend a fortune at the hair salon and not always been happy, so now I do the job myself, if I could find someone great in these parts, I'd probably give them a try, but this suits me for now.

I saw this little visitor on the car, just taking a nap in the sun.  It's a good thing Lucy didn't know, she does not like cats.   I took the photo through the window screen so as not to disturb it.  It wasn't a cold day and the car hadn't been used. Husband said he's seen the cat around, so it's not homeless, good thing.

Time to Change the Wardrobe Aceo



The leaves have been falling on one particular tree since the second week in August:



Onto the change of wardrobe, the theme this week at Inspiration Avenue is Autumn Splendor.  This may not exactly be splendiferous, but it is autumn themed.

Here is my aceo of a tree changing its wardrobe of leaves, the photos keep coming out blurry, and it won't scan properly because it's not flat:


Everyone is welcome to participate, go to the link above to view more art and to add your own.

Remembering a Day September 11, 2001 Aceo

September 11, 2001.
My collage and mixed media aceo.


Physical wounds and gaping spaces may yet not be healed in hearts, bodies, and landscapes.
We determine to get on with ordinariness and still not forget.


Here's my older post with World Trade Center photos. 


Happiness for the Ones That Got Away Mixed Media Tropical Waters with Fish

I had this "Happiness" and Chinese letters stenciled and watercolored page sitting to the side on top of the rolling cart for a while.  A while being at least one month, probably more.  I didn't like most of the coloring, and the word/letters staring at me just left me stymied and too stubborn to paint over it so as to satisfy my "waste not" gene to save the paper.  Hah!

When the Creative Challenge, "Patterns"  came my way last Monday, it just hit me,  this wasn't about My Happiness, it was for someone else.  Immediately I saw the fish with patterned skin and scales, the aquatic plants, pearls, sea creatures, etc.  Their happiness is escaping the baited hook and the now broken net.  Aquariums, I don't have one, but just to look at them seem to ease the stress away.  The real ocean waves, ebbing and crashing are more therapeutic for me, but I'm happy to have this finished and Saved the Fish!  Size is 9 x 11 inches.

Everyone welcome to participate in the challenge, to see others click the above link.  It's not so easy to capture happiness by net.

Love Letters in the Sand the Estuary at Laugharne, Wales

The creative challenge theme this week at Inspiration Avenue is "Beaches."  Make something with things you would find on the beach.  I found this love story.  I took my original, pre-digital photo, scanned it, and then went over to Picnik to change it to this:


If you click on the image, it will enlarge.


This is the original photo.

I'm also sharing a post because I found it inspiring and wanted to tell you about it, too.
You can read it here: tribute .