Donna B Miller

Propinquity Rebellion

As a member of Tangie Baxter's Art Journal Caravan workshop, I look forward to seeing what journaling prompts Tangie has in store for us each Friday. I was surprised at my own reaction to her word prompt last week. Instead of embracing the word propinquity, I found myself stomping my feet, and yelling, "no." Well, not literally. But, internally, I was rebelling like a little child. After all the closeness of the holidays, I guess I just need a little me time.

It wasn't long before I found myself humming Lenny Kravitz's I Want to Get Away. Finally, I just gave into it, and created this page.

Credits: Maya's Streetsmarts (background paper); Tumblefish Froo Froo (woman); Rosey Posey About You (dates); Create23 Revisited (butterfly); BittBox Grunge Wings (brushes)

One Little Word: Embrace

Always bad at keeping resolutions, the idea of choosing one word to serve as a touchstone for the new year appeals to my sensibilities. I don't even remember where I first heard of the concept, but it's been popularized by the My One Word blog and by scrapbooking guru Ali Edwards.

Back in 2010, I informally adopted the word "acceptance," and used it to gude me as I adjusted to the changes brought to my life by fibromyalgia. Last year, I got serious and signed up for Ali's "One Little Word" class at Big Picture classes. My word was "rejuvenate," and I completed a year's worth of activities and numerous related art projects. I even painted a canvas with rejuvenate spelled out in brightly-patterned letters so that I would have a daily reminder of my intentions.

It was such a positive experience that I knew I wanted to do it again in 2012, but I struggled for months to find a word. I knew I wanted it to have something to do with my struggle to find a new identity after my illness took my career and community activities away from me. I did what I always do when I have a problem. I read. One by one, I worked my way through all the classic books on dealing with life changes--Transitions, WishCraft, The Artist's Way, What Color is My Parachute, and so on. They were all wonderful books, but I did not find the answer.

And, then one day, it dawned on me. What if the life I have now, making a home for my family, creating art, spending time with my real-life and online friends, is the life I'm supposed to be leading? What would happen, if instead of trying to recapture something that is lost, I spent my time enjoying what I have? What if I learned to embrace what is? 

And so I have it. My word for 2012 is Embrace. 

(Credits: heading made using the Franklin Gothic font and Krista Mettler's Little Bits brushes; Rosey Posey's magnifying glass (Conundrum) and star charm (Discovery Heart); Tangie's crown (Happenstance), Christine Honsinger's scalloped border (So Edgy); TumbleFish boy and fish (My Picks, both colored); Catherine Designs background and wing (Create23 Revisited); too many brushes to list; and Misproject font.)

 

Starting a New Journey with a Trip to the Movies

How does one miss a whole year of blogging? Rather than go into it, I'll just say that I'm glad to see the end of 2011, and move on.

Before life became too stressful, I started a new art journal last January. My intention was to celebrate 52 weeks of being 52 by completing at least one art journal page a week. I made it as far as the cover (don't laugh; did I mention it was a stressful year?). 

(Papers and overlays from the CreateWings/Catherine Designs collab Create23; face brush from Maya's Weird is wonderful; bike from LaurieAnnDesigns Country Chic; alpha stamps from Kathy Moore; stapled strings from Sausan; and stamp from Mars. The font is Affliction.)

I still like the cover, so I'm keeping it, and trying again. I've enrolled in Tangie Baxter's year-long Art Journey Caravan workshop at Scrapbookgraphics, and I've bought all kinds of new supplies. So far, Week One was a good one. I finished not one, but two pages for my book. 

This one was inspired by the art at the end of the new Sherlock Holmes movie. I loved the movie, but from a visual perspective, the most exciting part was the end credits. I especially loved the technique they used of turning ink drawings into live footage. 

Check it out.

 

Here's my page. 

(Background paper from Rosey Posey's Discovery Heart; heart jewel, exit and paintbrush from Holliewood Studio's Thing Finder; card from Tangie's Art Journey 11; butterfly image from Rosey Posey's Buttefly Escapades; splash from Rosey Posey's Fragments Antiqued; and gesso from Tangie's Arsenic and Old Lace. The font is Dirty Ego.)

The idea of being both the canvas and the creator came from a comment by digital artist Angi Sullins in one of the videos she has posted on her site, . The idea fascinates me, because I can definitely see how art changes the way I look at myself and the world. 

This isn't the first page that I've done where I've been influenced by movies and their graphics. More than once, I've turned to husband Barry in the middle of a movie to say, "Remind me to look up that font when we get home." How about you? Do you ever catch yourself analyzing a graphic effect rather than keeping your mind on the plot? What movies have captured your attention? Link us up.

 

What to To Do on Super Bowl Sunday

While the guys are watching football, what's an art-loving gal to do? How about:

* Go blog hopping and win chances at more than 1,000 pieces of art by visiting One World, One Heart.

* Organize your craft room/supplies. I'm getting a lot of great ideas here.

* Participate in one of our Digital Art Quirks challenges.

ATC Swap: We just can't get enough ofthese little 2.5x3.5-inch cards. The theme for this month's digital swap is Summer/Winter.

Art Journaling: The theme for this month's Art Journal challenge is Solitude. Check out the Art Journal gallery for ideas.

Quirky Bookmark Swap: Talk about fun and easy. Create a 2x7-inch bookmark using the theme, Love, and send it in. In return, you'll get bookmarks from all the participants.

Digital Postcard Swap: Who doesn't love receiving Valentine's Day cards? Create a 6x4-inch card for this month's swap.

Quirky Book 2010: Each month, we're designing a 6.25x6-inch page seasonal page for swapping. At the end of the year, we'll have a huge book of quirky layouts. The theme for this month is Love.

Waiting for the muse to strike? Then look no further than our weekly Altered Works of Art Challenge. Each week you're introduced to a new quirky artist and challenged to create a piece of art inspired by their work.

Join us for our weekly Artist's Studio Challenge. Project themes, formats, and techniques change from week to week, so you never know what you'll be asked to create next.

* Learn a new Photoshop technique. Here's one of my favorites, Adding a Gritty, Bronzed Effect.

Or you could always do what I normally do. Take a football nap. Trust me, they're the best naps ever.

Friday Photoshop Freebies: Spooky Stuff

The theme of this month's artist trading card swap at Digital Art Quirks is "spooky," so I'm off on a search for goblins, ghosts and witches. And since it's Friday, I want them to be free.

First up, you'll want to check out The Graphics Fairy's huge collection of Halloween clipart. I'm in love with these bats. 

 

It won't be Halloween without a black cat, so be sure to visit Magic Moonlight's posting of vintage Halloween postcards and art. 

 

For the ulitmate in spooky, you have to download Annika von Holdt's Fifth Muse Photoshop brushes. These delicate, beautiful, and haunting images are so compelling that you'll want to use them all the time. (Am I gushing? They really are that wonderful.) This set is called Old Bones.

If you don't already have a Flickr account, it's worth getting one just to have access to the Collage Images group. When I searched for Halloween, the group yielded 279 photos, postcards, and vintage art pieces. I fell in love with this mask,

 

and this little Halloween chef. Both images were uploaded by SuzeeQue. 

DaFont has a whole collection of gritty, grimy fonts perfect for Halloween. Can you believe there's even a category called Destroy fonts? A couple of my faves are Billy Angel's A Bite and Dead Secretary.

Have fun playing with the freebies. If you're interested in joining our Artist Trading Card swap, you have until October 7 to sign up.

Autumn Window

There's no doubt about it. Fall is my absolutely favorite season. I love cool, crisp weather. Hot bowls of soup. Thick wool sweaters. Rainy days curled up with a good book. But, most of all, I love the jewel-toned autumn colors. The red and gold palette is the one I turn to time and again. It's the palette I used in this week's Three Muse Challenge to use windows in our art.

This piece came about as a result of a tutorial on fantasy photo effects in a recent issue of "Photoshop Creative." I used color-matching, the dodge and blend tools, and lots of blending to get the effect. 

Photo by Heather Sorenson, stock.xchng; background paper from the Picture Yourself Digital Scrapbooking disk; leaves overlay from Lie Fhung's Lumoz Whimsy; and frame from Sussie M's A Little Piece of Summer.

Photoshop Freebie Friday: Brushes

It's been awhile since I've gone searching the Internet for free brushes to use in Photoshop. Let's see what's new since my last search.

If you haven't been to Brush King, then you need to rush there now. With thousands of brushes, divided into 15 categories, you'll need a couple of hours to explore all that this site has to offer. Since I'm always searching for grunge brushes, I was thrilled to find these by lpnotika.

You'll find some of the same brushes, but some new ones, too, at Brusheezy. I'm a big fan of the brushes by Rubina119 from Deviant Art, especially the Beser Brushes.

Another favorite site is 500ml Brushes. I'm especially fond of the vintage brushes found here. Here's a set for the upcoming season.

But if I could have only one artist's brushes on my desktop, they'd be those of Eduardo Recife. His grunge brushes are my faves. While you're there, be sure to check out his awesome fonts, as well.

Swimming Along

We're focusing on mermaids for this week's Artist Studio Challenge at Digital Art Quirks. For mine, I was totally inspired by Victoria O'Neill's mermaid paper dolls, so I designed it in two pieces. It's mounted on chipboard, cut out, and attached with a brad that allows the tail to swing back and forth. I used a magnet to attach it to my refrigerator. 

Credits: photo from chickieonthego, flickr (painted in Photoshop); crown from Lisa's Altered Art; fish from Dover (filtered); wings from Genevieve Sass; and seagull from Lily Design's A Boy is a Boy

I have a feeling that making these could be addicting. I plan on making some using my nieces' photos that they can hang in their rooms. 

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know that I've been participating in Shimelle's online class, Learn Something New Every Day. It's Tuesday, so it's time to review the week for hidden lessons.

Sept. 14: Last week, I met a massage therapist at the Cain Fest that advised me that L-Carnitine was a great supplement for those with fibromyalgia. I did a little research, found a couple of studies to back her up, and purchased a small, very expensive bottle of L-Carnitine. I took a couple of capsules on Monday, and woke up more energetic today than I have in years. Lesson for Tuesday: Don't dismiss the words of strangers just because they're strangers.

Sept. 15: This morning, as I was surfing around the Internet, I ran across the Pioneer Woman's recipe for Apple Cake in an Iron Skillet. It looked so good and so easy to make that I couldn't resist. I polished up my iron skillet and proceeded to bake. If you like apples, you must try this recipe. It's heaven on a plate. What did I learn from this? There's nothing more rewarding than making something with your own hands for the people you love.

Sept. 16: It's a trite lesson I know, but today I was reminded to enjoy the little things. I ran into my neighbor when I was walking the dogs. We sat in the circle in front of our homes, lazed in the sunshine, and caught up on each other's lives. It was a perfect fifteen minutes that left me rejuvenated for the rest of the day. It's okay to slow down and enjoy the moment. It's those little breaks that make living worthwhile.

Sept. 17: I'm a voracious reader. I consume books the way that others consume chocolates. Mysteries, science fiction, romances -- I love them all. But today, I sat down to re-read the introduction to Julia Cameron's The Artist Way, and I found myself reading slowly and savoring the words. Reminder to self: Reading is not a speed contest. Slow down and enjoy the experience.

Sept. 18: I'm in the process of learning DreamWeaver so that I can update the Digital Arts Quirks site on a regular basis. Today, I learned how to format webpages. Now if I could just learn how to post the changes I've made.

Sept. 19: My husband and I are big believers in dating after you're married. Tonight, we ate dinner at a Japanese restaurant, and then went shopping at an Office Depot (yes, we're the kind of people that find office supplies fun). As a couple, time apart from family and friends reminds us that the most important relationship we have is with each other. 

Sept. 20: I spent Sunday organizing my craft room and calendar. I do this about every three months, stay organized for about a week, and then get sloppy. So, I've learned something interesting about myself:  I like organizing more than being organized.

Sept. 21: My lesson today is a rather simple one. Here's the conversation with my 20-year-old son.

Grant: So when does the season start?

Me: Well, autumn runs from September into December.

Grant: I meant the TV season; but isn't it Autumn already? (He's always correcting me; it's the way we communicate.)

Me: No, I don't think so.

Grant: I think you're wrong.

Me: (Googling the info.) Hah! Autumn starts Sept. 22, so I'm right, at least for today.

So what did I learn, in addition to learning how satisfying it is to one-up your children. Fall starts Sept. 22 in the northern hemisphere. Happy autumn, everyone.

Feeling Challenged

I just love art challenges, and the way they make me explore new subjects and try new techniques. They've been keeping me busy this week.

First up, is our brand new Artist's Studio challenge at Digital Art Quirks. It's an altered arts challenge where the themes, formats and techniques will vary from week to week. This week, we're looking at Moos, those little 1.1x2.76-inch calling cards made popular by the company of the same name. 

I ended up playing with the After Five collaboration kit, Down the Rabbit Hole, for this series of Alice cards.

Last night, I worked on Flickr's Collage Play with Crowabout challenge. Each week, Nancy Baumiller provides us with a collage sheet to use in creating a piece of altered art. I couldn't resist using the clowns as the ballerina's guards on this ATC.

Image Credits: autumnsensations(bingo card), frannie60(frame), Suzee Que(ballerina photo), clotho98(crown), valeriana Solaris (theater figures), Laineys Repertoire("now you can learn to"), ArtByChrysti(background music sheet), and a few images from playingwithbrushes, paperscraps,"T" altered art and nyctreeman.

Then, this afternoon, I finally had a chance to sit down and play with the Three Muses Challenge to use pockets as the theme for a piece of art. Once I saw this Yiddish quote, this ATC just designed itself. 

Image Credits: Couples image from SuzieQ, flickr; papers and paid stamp from Trish Jones; ledger brush from Nancie Rowe Janitz's Altered Bits of History. The font is Tall Paul.

Something New: Week Two

As I go into week two of Shimelle's online class Learn Something New Every Day, I find myself reviewing my day every night before I go to bed. And, I'm learning that every day holds a lesson. Not always a huge lesson, but a lesson nonetheless.

Here's what I've learned in the past week:

Sept. 7: When I reviewed the lessons I learned during my first week of September, I realized what a lucky woman I am. It's the small stuff that makes life wonderful.

Sept. 8: What a horrible day. I spent three hours at the doctor with my mother. I got caught in one of those rain storms that hits so hard and fast that you have to pull off the road, and I got lost in my own hometown because of highway construction. But my three-year-old grandson called and asked me to come over to see him ride his new skateboard. One little wet and germ-infested kiss, and all of my troubles melted away. My lesson: Nothing brightens a day like a grandchild's smile.

Sept. 9: Over at Digital Art Quirks, we've been playing the game Two Truths and a Lie. Members were asked to post three things about themselves, but one of the things had to be a lie. Now, I hang out at DAQ every day. We talk a lot about everything. But I've learned so much about my dear Quirk friends this week. So while my lesson may be trite, it's also true: You never know a person as well as you think you do.

Sept. 10: I met four friends from high school tonight for dinner. We've been friends for 38 years! Isn't that crazy? We only get to see each other a few times a year, but we always pick up just where we left off. There's no doubt, old friends are the best friends.

Sept. 11: Today, my Mac screen went black for about the tenth time in a 24-hour period. Now don't get me wrong. I love my Mac, and I really do think it's a wonderful machine for running powerful graphics programs like Photoshop. But as I rebooted, I thought about that series of TV commercials Apple is running, and realized: You really can't always believe what you see on TV.

Sept. 12: Today's lesson was one that I keep learning over and over again. Never say never. We headed out to the Southern Cairn Fest this morning to meet with other Cairn lovers and to support Cairn Rescue USA. The last thing I said before I left was "We're not getting another dog." Famous last words, indeed. Here's Sullivan, the newest member of our family. Isn't he a cutie?

Sept. 13: Today was my "baby" boy's 20th birthday. We teased him that he's no longer a teen, but not yet a man. He's in another zone entirely. Today, I learned that change can be bittersweet. While I'm sad that my children are grown and moving on, I'm also so very proud of the adults that they've become. And, I'm excited to see what life has in store for my husband and me as we head into this next phase of our lives.