Anne's Creative Cornucopia: August 2009

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"Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster..." ― Friedrich W. Nietzsche

Definition of Bigot: a person who is intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group with hatred and intolerance.

"When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind." ― C. S. Lewis

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Monday, August 31, 2009

"Mardi Gras Sun Goddess – Marilyn Monroe"

This week’s Think Monday – Think ATC challenge was “Marilyn Monroe.” I made her into a Mardi Gras Sun Goddess.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

"Fish"

This week’s Sunday Postcard Art challenge was “Fish.” I created the complete circle from a partial image. I made the background from a section of another image.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to comment on my Botanica postcard last week. I normally catch up with looking/commenting on challenges I’ve entered within a few days, but this past week I haven’t had time to do that, nor work on new challenges, until this weekend.

"Golden Gothic Arch" - The Red Rose Rag Cover

This week’s Soartful Saturday challenge was to use “The Red Rose Rag Cover” image provided by the challenge site. I used the frame to create a Gothic Arch, which I plan to reuse. I put the urns in the upper corners. Then I tiled a star pattern tile and colored the blank areas gold. I have included the original picture from the challenge site.

"Happy 100th Dollface!"

This week’s Thank God It’s Friday challenge number 100 was the number “100” in celebration of the site’s 100th challenge. I used this handsome 1940s looking guy and modified the image somewhat. Then I added the words “Happy 100th Dollface!” and the red kiss lips.

"Triskelion" - Tag

This week’s Tag Tuesday challenge number 14 was “trio” where the challenge was to use three of something. I remembered the word triskelion, which I always liked, and decided to use three of them. The tag fastening point is the traditional triskelion that I had first seen when I learned the meaning of the word.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

"Art Creations Friday - Challenge 38"

I created a 4x6 postcard for the Art Creations Friday Aug 28, 2009 challenge (number 38). The challenge site provided the ballet couple image, titled Swan Lake. I ended up going in a slightly surreal direction.

Notes: For some unknown reason, when I used Firefox to save the PNG file from the challenge site, it was actually a JPG file inside, and the background was white instead of invisible. In parallel with getting help from Marie, I decided to try Explorer, and it saved the file correctly. I need to investigate further what is going wrong with Firefox.

"Cupcakes" - Gothic Arch

This week’s Gothic Arches challenge was “Cupcakes” in celebration of the site’s 2-year anniversary. There will also be extra challenges during the next two weeks. I used birthday clipart and a banner. I used a tracery window, which I modified, for my arch, then colored it.

"Hands"

This week’s Three Muses challenge was “Give us a hand,” where the idea was to use a hand or hands. I couldn’t come up with a good idea for this, so I made something simple. I didn’t like the first simple one I came up with, so I didn’t post it. This one is so-so. I’m also over a week behind on looking/commenting on challenges, and I haven’t had time to work on any new ones since last weekend.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

"Botanica"

This week’s Sunday Postcard Art challenge was “Botanica.” If I understood the challenge correctly, it consists of three parts: the botanica feature image (I used a bird), the background it’s placed on (I used Old World maps), and finishing elements (I used stamps).

I used a vintage bird picture and created 20% of it, to make it complete. I created the magnifying glass and added a handle that I had to bend to make it fit around the arc. I then enlarged the portion of the image that was under the magnifying glass.

"New York City - Brooklyn Bridge"

This week’s Gothic Arches challenge was “Cities.” I couldn’t think of anything creative to do for this theme. I used a vintage picture of the view of New York City from the Brooklyn Bridge. I used a tracery window, which I modified, for my arch, then colored it.

"pseudo Fleur de lis Background"

This week’s Tag Tuesday challenge number 13 was “Background.” “The challenge is to recreate or be inspired by your favorite background paper.” I don’t really have any favorites, but there are some I like more than others, including a tiled fleur de lis background. The pattern I used isn’t a fleur de lis, but it reminded me of one, so I used it. I colored it gold and purple, then checkerboard tiled it. I added the regal man and horse, which is what I imagined on top of the background. I used a shield for the tag fastening point. And I added gold diamonds to the tag border. The colors of the scanned images are a little washed out. I still need to work on scanning.

Friday, August 21, 2009

"Art Creations Friday - Challenge 37"

I created a 4x6 postcard for the Art Creations Friday Aug 21, 2009 challenge (number 37). The challenge site provided the background image, which I cropped slightly, then tiled and flipped to create a 2x2 background. I centered it the way I did to form a backdrop for the angel that I added.

"Rhinos Rule" Banner

This week’s Thank God It’s Friday challenge number 99 was “Banners.” I made a rhinoceros banner and used a map of Africa for the background. I also used a jungle scene. Images are from the Smithsonian Institution Libraries and Maps ETC. These pennants/banners are a lot of fun to make. I might make more.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

"Winged Horses"

This week’s Three Muses challenge was “Wings On Things.” My piece ended up being more along the lines of “Things With Wings,” specifically horses of the land, sea, and sky variety. I created a rainbow background and colorized the two “stamps.”

Sunday, August 16, 2009

"Halloween Pennant"

This week’s Art On The Darkside challenge was “Halloween Pennant.” The challenge site provided the music sheet template. I added the images, and had a lot of fun making this.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

"Glamour Girls"

This week’s Sunday Postcard Art challenge was “Glamour Girls.” I used several images to create my postcard, and modified some of them.

"Little Boys and Frogs"

I combined two challenges. This week’s Soartful Saturday challenge was to use an image of a book cover containing frogs, which was provided by the challenge site. This week’s Gothic Arches challenge was “Little Boys.” I erased part of the frog image and modified the little boy image to combine the two. The arch is one I’ve used before.

Art Creations Friday - Challenge 36

I created a 4x6 postcard for the Art Creations Friday Aug 14, 2009 challenge (number 36). The challenge site provided the image of the woman.

"Super Pi Day" - Tag

This week’s Tag Tuesday challenge number 12 was “More Than A Tag.” I made a fold over tag. My theme is what my friends and I have dubbed “Super Pi Day” which will be March 14, 2015 (3/14/15). For more information on annual Pi Day events, see Pi Day » The official web site for Pi Day, March 14th.

I used my Siren Lunar ATC for the outside of the tag, with the original intent of cutting it along her leg and the moon to make a flap opening that overlapped the inner full flap showing her. But after I glued it and was done, it was a little bulky, so I decided to leave it alone, and treat the process as a learning experience that needs improvement. Also, the writing inside looked fine on the computer, but dark when I printed it out. I tried it with gold instead, but it was still dark, so I went with the original black. (The camera ran out of power on the third picture, so that’s why it looks red at the bottom.)

Notes to myself: Creation process:

Step 1) I used a 3 panel wide ATC template, since the Siren was ATC size. I made one for the outside and one for the inside of the tag. I exported the end results as TIF files. I created a new file that was the same width as the panel, but one inch taller in height, to leave room for the tag fastening point. I copied the two TIF files into that. Then I made the oval tag fastening point, filled it with the background, and added stars. I exported the inside and outside tag images as TIF files.

Step 2) I glued (glue stick) the outside tag to thin recycled cardboard and cut it out. (The cardboard might not have been thin enough.) I cut out then glued the inside tag on the other side, being careful to line up the tag fastening point first. (The end result has gaps where the cardboard is visible. This process needs refinement.)

Step 3) I couldn’t “score” it to make the bend points because that would’ve cut the paper. (I don’t have the tools to do that anyway.) I improvised and used a stack of stuff with a VCR tape on top, for the hard edge to fold the ATC over. For the solid line edge of the outside tag, it was easy to judge where to fold over. But for the other side, I used an existing printed out ATC as my guide, to fold over the other side. (Note: after folding over the first side, it was a little difficult to get the tag flat enough to fold over the second side.) I put a pile of books on it, to flatten it. (The crease lines inside were a little bulky for both folds, even after flattening it.)

Thursday, August 13, 2009

"Hats"

This week’s Three Muses challenge was “Hats.” I struggled to come up with an idea, thought of a “brilliant” one, ran out of time, then needed to come up with a “simple” idea instead. First I discovered this lovely looking woman wearing a hat, and decided I wanted to use her. Her posture made me picture her seated in an old fashioned car, so I looked for that next. Then I wanted to put her in a scenic location, so I added the trees.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

"Flower Power"

This week’s Think Monday – Think ATC challenge was “Flower Power” with this description on the site: “… what comes to your mind? Love & Peace? Woodstock, which has it´s 40th anniversary next weekend? You are completely free in your interpretation… if music, peace-sign, flowers, hippie-fashion…”

The words on my ATC are: “But he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke the same cigarettes as me.” They are lyrics from the song (i Can't Get No) Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones.

"Sleeping Beauty"

This week’s Soartful Saturday challenge was “Sleeping Beauty.”

Sunday, August 9, 2009

"The Masque of the Red Death"

This week’s Gothic Arches challenge was “Edgar Allan Poe.” I based my piece on The Masque of the Red Death, my favorite short story by Edgar Allan Poe. I show the view through the gothic scarlet window in the western chamber at midnight, when Prince Prospero confronts the mummer who appeared at his masked ball.

Notes to myself: Poe's Memorial Grave and map for Baltimore.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star"

This week’s Sunday Postcard Art challenge was “Nursery Rhymes.” I used, “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” as my inspiration. I used several images to create my postcard, and modified some of them.

Friday, August 7, 2009

"Pens and Brushes"

This week’s Thank God It’s Friday challenge number 97 was “Pens and Brushes.” I used two etchings, then painted one of them. Everything is digital.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

"Nasturtium" - Summer Flowers

This week’s Tag Tuesday challenge number 11 was “Summer Flowers.” I chose the Nasturtium (Capucine) and used several images to create my tag. This time I scanned in my tag, and it came out much better than my pictures do. But the colors are a little washed out and it’s crooked.

The theme made me think of the line, “And summer's lease hath all too short a date,” from William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18. The past few weeks I’ve noticed the sun rising later in the morning, the first sign to me that summer is waning. This morning the sun was a red ball as it came up. It was beautiful! (I wished I had my camera.)

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

"Art in the round"

This week’s Three Muses challenge was “art in the round.” My primary piece is an arcane devil theme. I used digital stamps on it. My secondary piece is my initial experimenting with a circular pattern that reminded me of Moroccan tiles. I tiled a gold dot for the background.

Monday, August 3, 2009

"Friendship"

This week’s Think Monday – Think ATC challenge was “Friendship.” I made an ATC showing the friendship between little girls.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

"Bingo"

This week’s Sunday Postcard Art challenge was “Bingo.” I used several images to create my postcard, and modified some of them. The text says, “Harlequin instructs Pierrot on the finer points of Bingo.”

Saturday, August 1, 2009

"Vintage Toys"

This week’s Gothic Arches challenge was “Vintage Toys.” My piece consists of three sections: The background behind the gothic arch, the gothic arch itself, and the area inside the gothic arch, where the theme is. I used a B&W picture of vintage toys, which I colored. I tiled a carousel horse to look like wallpaper in a child’s room for the background inside the arch. The arch is the same one I used last week. I tiled a gold dot to create the background.

"Purple weave background"

This week’s Soartful Saturday challenge was to use a purple weave background provided by the challenge site. I used only a 4x6 section of the background, leaving the original copyright visible. I added the bride, who I got from June’s freebie pictures. I also added the frame, which I modified.