Saturday, June 30, 2007

Kalei Art Can Be Beautiful

Good morning to you all!

Another beautiful Saturday, and another project in kaleis.

Kalei art can be beautiful.

This piece started with some shades of brown and gold and evolved into flowers and buttons. At any time, you can adjust the hue and saturation coloring of any object you can select.

I found this project to be eye-pleasing.

The "kalei world" is a fascinating place to play. Of course, you would have to find them fascinating and interesting yourself.

Have a really great Friday.

I'll see you tomorrow!

Friday, June 29, 2007

Friday Pixel Fun and Kaleis

Good morning! It's FRIDAY!

A little pixel fun for you this morning, and a dose of kaleis also.

I hope you enjoy this Friday! See you tomorrow!

Missing Thursday Post

Thursday came ... and went.

I ran out of time, and missed my post.

So here is something for Thursday.

Have a great day!

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Good morning all!

Today's offering is just a little boy I did in Cosmic Blobs, and then some beautiful gold buttons made from kaleis of the little boy.

Each button is a combination of kaleis that I put together that I thought were attractive.

All the buttons were sharpened in psp. The very first button was sharpened more than the others which began producing some blues and reds.

Have a great HUMP DAY, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Star Power

Good morning!

Today, I thought I'd take a picture of a star; in this case, Elvis, and show you things you can do.

I found this picture somewhere, and because I remember him like this, saved it.

The picture you use could be your husband. It could be anyone you love.

Using psp, you can remake pictures to share with friends and family.

You can make a card featuring a family member to share special occasions.

If you have or create a fair amount of accessories you like, you can have a battery of designs at your disposal for adding that final touch.

Have a really great Tuesday ... and I'll be back tomorrow!

Monday, June 25, 2007

Silly Birds for Monday

Good morning!

Well, Mera, the bird, has had a good weekend. She spent Saturday in the Bird "Ultra Beauty" Shop, and she's ready for this week.

Her feathers have some real color now, and she also had a tattoo applied to really spice up her new look.

These 3 birds are all the same bird, but with different views. Each was colored a little differently to give them each a little different look. The original bird was made in Cosmic Blobs - The Lab Rat Edition.

There must be a deluxe version of this program, as the website I've been visiting for tutorials, shows a different version. It has features my program does not, and appears to be a little more functional. The Lab Rat Edition is for kids.

Have a great Monday!

I'll see you tomorrow!

Sunday, June 24, 2007

A "Ducky" Sunday



Good morning!

This creation was made with 3 programs.

The duck was drawn freehand with my Wacom Graphire tablet and pen.

The flower was made in Cosmic Blobs.

It was put together and finished in Psp!

The duck was easier to draw than I thought. First, I drew it on paper. I laid the paper on my Wacom tablet and used my pen to draw the outline. I had to pick up the pen several times, and found it difficult to place it back down exactly where I wanted it, so instead, I produced a new layer each time I picked it up. As I went along, I just moved each layer to line up where I wanted it. I was then able to merge the final outline together to get my duck.

I used psp to color it. I just used a big brush with the color I wanted and pushed it inside the outlines. To me, it's easier than erasing.

After doing this, I've decided the pen is excellent for drawing. I really like it.

The flower was difficult. My Cosmic Blobs doesn't always let me rotate just one piece. Even though I select the rotate tool, place my mouse over the object to rotate and then start, the other pieces act like they're glued together and rotate as well. Very hard to rotate a piece into position with others so you can look at it from all sides to make sure alignment is right before gluing together. It is frustrating.

The only way around it is to design one piece at a time, save it, then duplicate it so I don't destroy the original copy. Of course, once you finish it, I can always delete (smash with the hammer) each of the original pieces and just keep the finished product.

As long as you duplicate your original, you can always pull it back out and hit the undo step to get all the pieces back apart.

While I love Cosmic Blobs, it is NOT always easy to work with. There are not many tutorials on it, but I've found one website that is fantastic. He has lots of video tutorials. It's at:

http://blobfans.blogspot.com/

Have a great Sunday. I'll be back tomorrow.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Happy Birthday to Me Experiments

Good morning,

And a good morning I hope it is. So far, so good!

Today is my birthday. How old? Ain't saying! But. I am NOT ANCIENT yet. But "well-seasoned".

For my birthday, my husband bought me a Wacom Graphire for my computer. Knowing how much I love experimenting in my art world, he knew just the right thing to get me.

And so, I've been doing just that -- experimenting.

The message on the top was on my computer when I arose this morning. He managed to "sneak up early", and play with it himself. I was tickled to find this.

Now my husband also does some very nice artwork, so don't judge him by the simplicity of what he gave me. Like every new toy, it takes a LOT of experimenting to start to feel at home with your new tools. And this is no exception.

And knowing me, if you do by now by observing my artwork, you know how much I love kaleis.

So I set to work experimenting with his original artwork. I kalei'd still I was blue in the face.

I then took my new pen tool and began colorizing images that I liked that were produced from the kaleis. These two flower variations were two different creations I came up with.

But, I couldn't stop there.

I kept on and on, taking new creations from each varying kalei, building new creations.

It was lots of fun!


And here is the final outcome of two different projects.

Everything here today originated from that artful message my hubby left me, each gradually building on the next creation.

So, thank you, honey! For contributing to my art addiction by selecting such a marvelous new toy for me to play with. It is truly a wonderful addition to my arsernal of weapons!

Have a really great Saturday, everyone!

And I will return tomorrow!

Friday, June 22, 2007

Friday's Sleep Half Moon


Good morning!

The sleeping moon is a Cosmic Blob! It started as an experiment playing with a blob circle and using the freehand line tool. This tool can be grabbed and pulled into the blob to create new shapes.

While rotating my blob, it looks different from any other view, but in this view, it just looked like a sleeping moon, so I added an eye sticker to it.

The bottom portion of my blob was a little jagged and undefined, so I made a tongue to add to the moon's mouth.

I then pulled my creation into psp and finished it up. My experiment turned into a final creation. That is always the best part!

The fun fest went great yesterday. While it was still a little warm in the 80's, there was a very nice breeze all day.

While food and the craft tent cost money, everything else was free. Our fire station had their firetruck out, and gave kids a ride on the extending ladder. Lots of inflatable balloon-type slides, which my granddaughter was very fond of. She did many of those. They also had several rides, but she wasn't interested in those.

Many booths had games, and the prizes were stuffed animals. My daughter steered Taylor away from those, as a little girl CAN HAVE TOO MANY stuffed animals!!

We went through a tent that gave out info, and as always, lots of free things: frizbies, cups, water bottles, pens, pencils, pads of different shaped paper, a zippered change purse, and coloring books. Just lots of fun things.

I introduced my husband to many of my co-workers as he got there before most had left for the big celebration. My daughter and granddaughter arrived later, so only got to meet a few of those I work with.

It was a beautiful day.

Have a great Friday as we all slide into this weekend.

I'll be back tomorrow!

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Fun Fest Thursday

Good morning!

It is going to be a beautiful day today.

Featured today, is a Cosmic Blob creation. Only the face and hair were made in Cosmic Blob. I am still experiment-
ing with this amazing little program. While it can be frustrating at times, it is truly a remarkable addition to my art world. I just love it!

Today is a day of celebration. It is a multi-cultural fun fest day. We work 4 hours, and the other 4 hours are dedicated to visiting the fun fest. Family and friends are welcome on this day.

My husband, daughter, and granddaughter will attend. It promises to be a very delightful day.

It starts off with a parade at 11 a.m. Last year's parade was spectacular.

There's going to be a carousel and lots of activities and games. The kids will just love it.

Here's wishing you a "fun-filled" day. I will return tomorrow.

NOTE ON KITTIES: They are doing well. They must be about 6 weeks old or so by now. They are now eating solid food that I put out for mama, although she still nurses them some. The kittens can get up and down the deck stairs with ease now, and love to peer in the window at us. They allow us to come up to our side of glass, get down for a face-to-face shot, and just stare. It is their first real look up close at us. But open that door, and they move away very fast.

When I got home yesterday, mama and 2 of the kittens were curled up together in a deck chair, napping. It was sweet. One of the black kittens is now more of a mottled coloring, but still predominately black. The other black kitten is solid black with little white toes on it's hind feet only. They are adorable.

I was worried for awhile because 2 of the kittens had appeared to wander off. I hadn't seen them since my family came over two weekends ago. They were back yesterday.

Another large black cat appeared on my deck last night. I assume the father of one or two kittens. Mama didn't like him being their and was agressively watchful. I went out and scared off the black cat. Mama came towards me standing in the doorway of the deck and meowed and meowed like she was saying, "Thanks, lady. I needed a hand with that." And then she plopped down and relaxed.

They are amazing little creatures. I am happy they are all together again.

Have a great day!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Hump Hump Wednesday Creation


Good morning,

I took a break from Cosmic Blobs for a minute, and just put this together from some kaleis and shapes in psp.

I was busy looking at some abstracts on the web, which is basically how I came up with the two designs on either side of the flower.

It was just a little exercise in simplicity.

Hope you have a terrific HUMP DAY.

I'll see you tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Faith Is Graphic

Good morning!

Another quick post.

I was so busy playing in Cosmic Blobs this morning, that I almost forgot to post.

This picture was made using kaleis, as well as my warp brush. A lot of selecting, pasting, copying, and moving into place.

And this was the final result.

Have a terrific Tuesday.

See you tomorrow.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Monday before and after picture


A good morning to all,

Monday is back! And a new creation!

I am playing madly with my Cosmic Blobs. It's an amazing program.

In this picture, I started in my new program, and finished up in psp. The versatility of the new program is wonderful, but I'm still trying to work using a model all the way around.

Everything done in this new program can be seen from every view: front, right, side, top and bottom. A very new prospect for me.

Hope you all have a great day. See you tomorrow.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Happy Father's Day! 2007


Good morning to all dads out there!

Well, well. It is Father's Day, so in honor, I drew this little creation.

Personally, we do not have a father to honor today. Mine died many years ago, and my husband's dad died within the last 10 years.

But we have good memories of both of them. So Happy Father's Day, dads.

The L in love, and green inner tube were both done in Cosmic Blobs. What a wonderful little program.

Have a great day all! See you tomorrow.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Mysteries of the Deep Graphics


Ahhh -- and a Good SATURDAY MORNING it is!

Well, you can see I've been playing with my Cosmic Blobs this morning. Oh my! What fun!

These two fish were made from scratch with some "stickers" in the program.

Yesterday, I said that it was from the Learning Center, but it is actually from the Learning Company. Quite a "nifty" program.

It reminds me of poser. But only in the way that once you buy the original package, you must buy more packages to get additional characters, stickers, music, etc. You can actually make an avi or movie with this. I have NOT been successful with this yet.

The nice thing with the program is, I can create new characters of my own and actually finish up the creation process in psp, which is what I did here.

This program is for kids; but then again, I am still a kid (at least, inside).
You will see many new creations here. And, I've promised myself that I will buy at least 2 new packages a month -- to expand on the original.

Well -- I've got to be off! Too much playing left in me to just sit here and write today.

Take care ... and I'll see you tomorrow!

Friday, June 15, 2007

New Art Program


Good evening!

I am posting rather late tonight.

I purchased a new program to play with called Cosmic Blobs from the Learning Center. And from it came this little girl.

It is still very difficult for me to operate, and I will need some time playing with it to get what I want. This was my first creation started in it, and then moved to psp.

Will post again tomorrow.

Have a great evening!

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Loving Pink Gif

Good morning!

It's Thursday, and today I thought I'd do a gif.

This one is called, "Lov-ing Pink".

Little girls just love pink. It is my grand-daughters favorite color.

Now pink was never one of my own favorite colors. I go more for red!

So, this one is for you, Taylor.

Have a great day. And I'll see you tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

PSP Your Moods


Good morning!

HUMP DAY! Yes!

PSP is wonderful for making little cards or just decorative sayings.

It only takes a minute to throw together a creation if you design lots of little tubes.

A short post again today.

Have a great day ... and I will post again tomorrow!

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Gold Flower For Tuesday


Good Morning!!

Back to work for me today. So a simple post.

A gold flower for today, courtesy of another kaleidoscope.

Hope you all have a great day!

See you tomorrow!

Monday, June 11, 2007

A FREE Frame For You To Snatch Up

Good Morning!

I am on vacation today, so I slept in a little. I am back to work tomorrow, but an extra day here and there is wonderful.

This is a little blank gift tag that you can feel free to copy and use. It was made out of ONE kalei, duplicated many times to make a small card. Perfect for a gift tag of some kind.

It was left blank so you could add your own words, either by computer or by hand.

I thinks its a handsome gift tag, so feel free to copy and use it. Just print it out on card stock, and cut.

Enjoy!

Here are two versions to show you what you can do with the gift tag. The first has no shadowing on the words, and the second does. You can see how adding a shadow makes the wording stand out more.

Would look pretty on a gift bottle of wine, which is what my oldest son gave me yesterday. We then all shared the contents. Hmmmm! A dry red wine that was quite delicious. Thank you!!


All my children were here at my home yesterday for a visit. And my grand-
daughter. It was a lovely time visiting for just a few hours. Today, they are off for Cedar Point!

Everyone was quite taken with the kittens.

My granddaughter, of course, would love to hold them. She'll be 7 in August, so it is hard for her to understand that they are wild, like their mama.

When we went out before they left, two of kittens were hiding in their bush. Two were nowhere to be seen. I hope they haven't wandered off somewhere. I guess having so many people around was just too much for them.



Well, that's if for today!

Have a really great day. It is the third, absolutely beautiful day in Columbus, Ohio.

We haven't had enough rain yet, so I'm hoping we will get a little.

My tomato plants are growing bigger though. I can't wait to see the little blooms starting, so that I'll know tomatoes are on their way.

That's it! See you tomorrow!

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Kaleidoscope Versatility

Good morning!

You saw this same flower pot in picture 1 on Saturday, but today, I thought I'd show you a variation of it.

On the same flowers, I used curlicue effects. The original tube I made was not colored in on the flowers. The colors in them on Saturday were kaleis.

On this version of the pot, I also used the warp tool which another favorite tool of mine. I just reshaped the pot to my liking after I did the curlicue effect.

I had made a stick of bamboo many months ago, and decided it would look good in this creation. I copied the first and then applied effects to it also.

To get the swirl, I took a third bamboo stick, and used the effect "wave". I liked the effect after placing it, and duplicated it and then mirrored it, and moved it up and made it smaller. Overall, I think the effects of the first creation came out very well.

This second creation is using the flower and pot again, but this time, I added a red background. I then applied a white background behind the red, and to get the white flower, I erased some of the red.

To get the pink flower, I added a layer on top of my red layer, grabbed my paint brush with some pink paint and just dabbed it where I wanted it, leaving some of the red to show through.

I redid the swirled bamboo stick from the previous creation, pasting it to the left of the pot and positioning it where I wanted it. I then duplicated and mirrored it to frame the flowers.

I grabbed another kalei flower I'd made to put in the center of the top swirl. The flower was also red, so I had to sharpen it to make it stand out.

From the original bamboo swirl, I selected the item that is bean shaped, copied it, and pasted it to a new layer and flipped it. I duplicated it again and mirrored it.

The two little squares at the bottom were from a previous kalei made months ago. I took just a small portion of it, and pasted it here.

The frame was added. After I choose the pattern I liked, which I picked up somewhere, I duplicated it and beveled it. I then put a shadow on the top and left side of the frame, went back to the original and put a shadow on the bottom and right side.

I always put my shadows on separate layers. You can apply affects to them also. They are also great for making silhouettes.

You can take a picture and add a shadow to another layer. When you "x" out the picture, only the silhouette remains. It's an interesting affect, especially when used together with a picture to show how they should look as opposed to what the character would like to be doing.

An example of what I'm talking about would be a picture of an angelic child. On a separate layer, you could put little horns on her head. Then you could add a shadow to the little girl layer, and to the horn layer, which would look like one shadow. You would then "x" out the horns or delete it. When the picture is merged, you'd have this angelic little child, but the shadow would show a devilish characteristic to them.

You could make the little angelic child much smaller, leaving the silhouette to show the child's hidden tendencies to always be "up to something".

That's it for today.

NOTE: The kittens are frolicking now. They no longer wobble along, but run and pounce. They are wild.

After returning from our dinner date with my kids last night, I actually touched one of the kittens. It was hiding in a bush. I separated the branches of the bush and reached in to gently stroke one of the kitties.

The hissing and spitting was unbelievable. I initially reacted to the spitting, as I've never had a cat spit at me before. I'd forgotten that they could do that. It threw me for a minute, but I resumed petting it till it managed to run like the dickens for the shelter of the hammock against the house and under the deck.

Have a great Sunday, and I hope you'll visit to see what I post tomorrow!

Saturday, June 9, 2007

A frame, flowerpot, and colorful design

Saturday, Saturday -- and Good Morning!

Today's offering shows off more kaleis and their uses.

The first shows a picture frame and flowers in a pot. Almost everything in these are kaleis.

A little cutting, pasting or using the selection tool here and there make each area their own.

The frame is its own tube as are the flowers in the pot.

The world of kaleidoscopes is unlimited in their use.


And this picture started with just one kalei which was duplicated, merged, and then duplicated to make smaller.

The center flowers are just one kalei copied and moved two times.

The progression from its top to bottom is 2 flowers, 3 flowers, and then 4 flowers which I found pleasing to the eye. I also liked the brightness of the colors.

My middle son has come home after two years for a quick visit.

Tonight, my husband and I are having dinner with he and his fiancee while they're in town. They are staying with his oldest brother as they were always very close. His dad and his wife will be there, as well as his sister, and then one of their best friends and his gal are also joining us. It will be a wonderful evening.

Today promises to be a beautiful, sunny day in Columbus, Ohio.

I hope your Saturday is beautiful, wherever it might find you.

See you tomorrow!

Friday, June 8, 2007

Friday's Art Tube

Good morning!

It's Friday, so another kalei-graphic in its honor.

Actually, two, in one picture.

I came home early yesterday, and sat out on my deck steps to watch the kittens. I didn't grab my camera though.

I watched 3 of the kittens as they played in and under a flowering bush. The other striped kitten is still hiding in an old cushion under my desk. This one that hides is the smallest of the litter; the one with such a sweet face.

One of the two black ones had managed to climb up on a branch of this flowering bush, and you could see the limb bending under it's weight. It was a great lesson in balance. The larger striped kitten lay under the branch, watching its playmate swagger on the branch above it. Occasionally, it would lift its paw to swipe at the one swaying overhead. It was so cute.

Previously, the black and striped kitten had been rolling around together playing. The other black kitten was surveying the brush around the house, and finally saw mama laying in the grass under the old swing.

It approached her head first, receiving a licking here and there before it made it way to her belly to get an quick snack.

The black kitten in the bush finally descended from its perch and practiced "pouncing" on something it saw on the ground. So cute.

The striped kitten that had been its partner in play went back to the bush they lived in before we finally mowed the lawn. It went inside the bush, but came back out.

When I looked under the deck, the smallest striped kitten had left its cushy comfort and rummaged back behind a hammock we have there laying up against the house. It is the shy kitty.

Unfortunately, they are growing up wild. I've only touched and held them that one time, and they are very wary of people. Watching them scramble away if I get too close is funny, but they move faster now.

They have to be close to "weaning" age. I've put food and water out for them also, but have never seen them eat. I know mama has brought them a bird, or has at least eaten a bird, under the deck. I watched one kitten ramble over to some feathers and lick one.

They are adorable. The dilemma soon will be "what to do" with these kittens. Our neighborhood does not need more cats roaming around to produce more little offspring. My husband will probably be carting them off to a shelter soon.

I will enjoy watching him chase them to catch them. Perhaps I'll help; just so I can hold them once again.

Enjoy today ... and I'll be back to post tomorrow.

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Kalei Mania Graphics


Good morning,

This kalei creation also includes some line art to create side borders.

The background behind the kalei started with one gold bar line. I then created a grid tube from the gold bar which I use sometimes.

The heart I drew from vectors, and one day I created many kaleis and filled many different hearts with different kaleis. This is just the one I chose to put in this creation.

The top item is a larger kalei with a smaller one inserted in it.

I made one round item many months ago out of a vector and worked with shine. I put a little design on it, and then duplicated here at the bottom of the largest kalei.

Two more working days till the weekend. I hope it goes fast for everyone.

Make the most of today ... and I'll post again tomorrow!

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Star and Hearts Graphic


Good morning!

I was looking through some of my past creations that I had in folders on my computer, and I ran across this one.

It's a kalei, of course, and done back in January of this year, but I thought it was pretty and so, I'm sharing it today.

Today is going to be a very busy HUMP DAY for me, so this will be short.

Enjoy your day. And, I'll see you tomorrow!

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Just For Fun Tuesday Graphics

Good morning,

Ah! It is so nice to have electricity! Wonderful!

This clown is something I started over the weekend. He was "just for fun"! Again, most of him is from kaleis.

And then I threw in some other kaleis I had in folders. The frame is a partial kalei of a star.

Hope you can find "a little fun" in this Tuesday.

Have a great day. I'll see you tomorrow.

Monday, June 4, 2007

The World of Elves


Good evening!

I was unable to publish this morning. During the night, we had a very big storm and lost our electricity. When we woke up this morning, it was still out. Only about 2,000 people lost their electricity. So, without electricity, no computer.

This is a creation I did this last weekend to post for today.

As usual, I used a fair amount of kaleis. The elf's hair is a kalei. The pic beside the Pro's and Con's of Magic is also a kalei. And the bar code is from a kalei.

It was fun to create a magazine cover.

The evening is here, and I am off to bed.

I will return tomorrow.

Sunday, June 3, 2007

Tags Are Great Accessories

It's Sunday morning!

This little creation could sport any tag; a name, a hello, or a sentiment.

Again, it was made mostly with kaleis.

I liked the textures and designs in this one. And, of course, the black and white.

I had hoped to post a picture of the kittens, but they are currently very well hidden under our deck. My hubby cut the grass, and they scrambled for new shelter.

As they are growing, they become more wary of people. I haven't seen them playing out in the grass as much as they used to.

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday planned. Enjoy this final day of the weekend.

I'll see you tomorrow.

Saturday, June 2, 2007

Saturday Designs


Good morning,

It is Saturday morning again, and a wonderful morning it is.

The creation for today was made from kaleis as usual.

This morning, I was looking through a book on design. I tried putting together lines of different width, shapes, etc. I then just kalei'd until I found things I liked.

I am a big fan of black and white kaleis. They give you such distinct designs.

Hoping your Saturday is wild and exciting ... or just restful.

Note on the kittens: While mama is still around, I have not seen the kittens in about 3 days. I am sure they are much bigger by now.

I hope to get a picture of them sometime today. If so, I will try to post one.

Have a great day. I'll see you tomorrow. (I have a very busy day planned!)

Friday, June 1, 2007

June 2007 and Friday Graphics


Good ... Friday Morning!

Ah yes! Kaleis again.

This picture shows you my beginning picture. The one in the pink box. After that, you see the different outcomes of kaleidoscoping it.

Before I kaleidoscope it, I select it using my circle or eclipse selection tool. You could also use your point-to-point selection to get other shapes.

I used a variation of shades, in red only. I also like to vary the shapes and width of my original lines because they produce more interesting kaleis.

I then took one of my kaleis, not listed in the summary box (I make 14 each time, and they didn't all fit). I took one to make this frame, so you can see what you can do with them.

Here is the finished result.

Everything in this picture is from a kalei except the actual frame I made and the words. I found the finished product pleasing to my eye. I like the composition of it.

I had another one for today, but it really didn't go with these, so I'll save it for tomorrow.

June is here! Our weather is very warm now. Around 90 each day, but the humidity isn't too bad yet.

My garden of tomatoes is growing out of seeds from last year. I didn't have to buy any seeds as I take over-ripe tomatoes from the vine and toss them under the plants. I leave the dead stalks as they are all winter, and remove them in the spring. When I went out last weekend to pull weeds to survey the area, I found I had many more tomatoes growing than I bought last year! I will have to thin them soon, but I'll leave the strongest to produce my crop this year. There is nothing like fresh garden tomatoes!

Make it a great Friday. It will go quickly.

See you tomorrow.