tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30221023112022373052024-02-20T07:13:35.245-08:0013moons, Poetry, Art, and Herbs in the Garden13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-88925201446881557162018-08-04T16:22:00.001-07:002018-08-13T10:04:19.355-07:00Making A New Collage, with a Little Video Slideshow<br />
I always like to look at artwork that is a little complicated, that has layers and different techniques and media, things to engage, and to puzzle out. So mixed media collage art almost always draws me.<br />
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Although the process was not new, collage got its place of importance in the early 1900's art world from Picasso and George Braque, who coined the term, from the French word, meaning "to glue". Other artists of the era, such as Henri Matisse, an impressionist painter, began working in collage, in works like the famous "Icarus".<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7iEiQtL8Uv0/W2YvCXg5ltI/AAAAAAAAw4I/uEVT57_MAb0uV9jEoE5qf879xAfRoKPXQCLcBGAs/s1600/icarus%2Bmatisse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="470" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7iEiQtL8Uv0/W2YvCXg5ltI/AAAAAAAAw4I/uEVT57_MAb0uV9jEoE5qf879xAfRoKPXQCLcBGAs/s320/icarus%2Bmatisse.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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Although my recent art focus has been painting, just lately I've worked on a few collages. Not ones with clean, simple lines like this lovely Matisse, but more layered and complex works.<br />
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I started this new mixed media collage by first laying down both cut and torn papers, including text from old book pages, prints of some of my photography and acrylic paintings on art paper, onto a wood panel, glued down with Golden semi-gloss gel.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yrhqq1BR4C0/W2YpLpJEV2I/AAAAAAAAw30/HkxhfzVY2zUU4lrqpVRbMSegoyZ7lkVvgCLcBGAs/s1600/20180706_190408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yrhqq1BR4C0/W2YpLpJEV2I/AAAAAAAAw30/HkxhfzVY2zUU4lrqpVRbMSegoyZ7lkVvgCLcBGAs/s320/20180706_190408.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FuJoqxgkd_M/W2Yw96uamJI/AAAAAAAAw4Y/vkULTko23XIhC9sROvPBMAGmba7eOA6VgCLcBGAs/s1600/20180718_182902a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FuJoqxgkd_M/W2Yw96uamJI/AAAAAAAAw4Y/vkULTko23XIhC9sROvPBMAGmba7eOA6VgCLcBGAs/s320/20180718_182902a.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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Acrylic paint, colored pencil, conte crayon (similar to chalk pastels), sprayed layers of fixative, were then layered onto the base layer of papers.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3eB-kQtHkzs/W2YqPG2O12I/AAAAAAAAw38/6SAEZCkZctgFq0jBwOqBVop6XMcVX6lWQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180727_225915a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3eB-kQtHkzs/W2YqPG2O12I/AAAAAAAAw38/6SAEZCkZctgFq0jBwOqBVop6XMcVX6lWQCLcBGAs/s320/20180727_225915a.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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A few more bits of paper collage and a some final subtle mark making were added.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wEFFSb7_q5U/W2Yy-vNe7kI/AAAAAAAAw4k/n34W5tnYRkU6FnsDRY6cSyf3oLOLyS-AgCLcBGAs/s1600/20180724_173136a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wEFFSb7_q5U/W2Yy-vNe7kI/AAAAAAAAw4k/n34W5tnYRkU6FnsDRY6cSyf3oLOLyS-AgCLcBGAs/s320/20180724_173136a.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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I made a short video slideshow of the making of this collage in the movie making program Open Shot that I am in the process of learning.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SzTvkvvSQO0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SzTvkvvSQO0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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The cool music on this movie is called Mirage, and is from the YouTube audio library of free music.<br />
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Here are some of the supplies I used to create this collage. Click to see details on Amazon.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044TP6SE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0044TP6SE&linkCode=as2&tag=13moons-20&linkId=cc18bbfb9aed4a26dd134cbeb6e17d90" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B0044TP6SE&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&tag=13moons-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=13moons-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B0044TP6SE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006IEET/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00006IEET&linkCode=as2&tag=13moons-20&linkId=842bb3568f547e853b9dbffabbaa792f" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B00006IEET&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&tag=13moons-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=13moons-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00006IEET" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00074W9M6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00074W9M6&linkCode=as2&tag=13moons-20&linkId=f2099c0faf60c189b8a139399e066348" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B00074W9M6&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&tag=13moons-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=13moons-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00074W9M6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
And most important for all the shading: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0028D3ZOK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0028D3ZOK&linkCode=as2&tag=13moons-20&linkId=c89f571330da9177a2962a0353a35c86" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B0028D3ZOK&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&tag=13moons-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=13moons-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B0028D3ZOK" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-53626919288775135502018-06-06T14:20:00.000-07:002018-06-06T14:20:36.158-07:00I have been cheating on you. With another <a href="http://www.gardennomad.net/" target="_blank">blog</a>.<br />
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After my recent trip to Sicily, I started my new travel blog, at Garden Nomad.net.<br />
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I'm excited because I love to travel, and wanted a place to ponder and write about travels, adventures, food...food adventures, travel food, food.<br />
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I'm still keeping this blog, tho she has been neglected for a while, because it is my "kitchen sink" blog. Where I can come to talk about anything.<br />
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And I do have garden posts I am planning in my head, and art and painting posts I want to make. (Fluid acrylic painting is kind of new, and cool.)<br />
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But first let me talk about writing this <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5884469291883231665#editor/target=post;postID=6456913200484903435;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=0;src=postname" target="_blank">last</a> Garden Nomad post. Because writing is what this blog is about too. It was brutal.<br />
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I started out thinking I was writing an article about arriving in Palermo, with a little history, food, art, and photography thrown in. I was mistaken.<br />
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What happened was, all the grief journey and emotional stuff poured in, into my article and into my life.<br />
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Well, it is always there, and will always be a part of me. No surprise.<br />
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But it was really hard to finish, to blend into a cohesive whole, all of that. And so...I stopped.<br />
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Queen of writers, Procrastination, reared her head. I slept too late, played scrabble on my phone, scrubbed the floors, fought with my love. And while I went back into the computer file and sometimes did a little this and that, it was like a cat, hunched over and retching, tortuously retching, trying to get the thick mat of accumulated hair out.<br />
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 16px;">"The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible."</i><br />
<i style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 16px;"> -Nabokov</i><br />
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<br />13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-33386907721825518852018-05-18T16:58:00.000-07:002018-05-18T16:58:58.270-07:00How NOT to Exhibit Art in a Show<b>I'm sure</b> that I am not the only artist that gets a little warm fuzzy feeling upon seeing their work hung in a gallery with other inspiring works of art. After all, not only can you and your friends and family make a night out of going to the opening reception and a yummy restaurant, but you know you will not be showing said friends and family embarrassingly crappy artwork, because someone else has already validated it by choosing it for this exhibit. (Insecure, moi?) For me that process has been on the back burner for a number of years as I dealt with other issues, but earlier this year I started to peruse the call for art listings and chose two local shows I wanted to submit to. One in Dallas and one in my own town of Fort Worth.<br />
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So I did the difficult selection process, and the almost as difficult titling and pricing. Only paintings that were already adequately photographed were in the running. Dimensions were recorded, files were renamed, and the submissions with their artful (one hopes) images were sent off into the world of web. (And for those of us who were artists back in the day, isn't that a wonderful step up from having to get slides made and physically mailing them out?)<br />
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Then I planned for my trip to visit my friend in California for her birthday, all the while imagining how excited I would be if my paintings were accepted. I may have even mentally composed a FB post announcing my inclusion in the show.<br />
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Well.... after a lovely visit, during which, I assure you, I did check my emails and other essential media via my cell phone, I thought, Hmm, let's just check on those art submissions.<br />
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Joy! Two of my recent paintings were selected for the <a href="http://www.fwcac.com/" target="_blank">FWCAC</a> show. Great news, especially as this is a place Edward and I make a point to visit when we are available for their monthly gallery openings. They have several usually themed rooms, and always have some cool and interesting art. <br />
Sorrow! Because the intake of the art happened while I was in California, and I totally missed it.<br />
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This cringe-causing statement was in the Congratulations! acceptance message, <i>If you do not respond with the information above in a timely fashion, we will assume you will not be able to participate.</i> Sigh.<br />
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So, here are the two pieces that would have been in the exhibit.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C55BqMMmOfw/Wv9brQBfNuI/AAAAAAAAq6o/408WKEMskd8XNRKiFXsyKdElb6nxTbuDgCLcBGAs/s1600/Swan%2BLake%2BHaiku%2Bred%2Bcop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C55BqMMmOfw/Wv9brQBfNuI/AAAAAAAAq6o/408WKEMskd8XNRKiFXsyKdElb6nxTbuDgCLcBGAs/s320/Swan%2BLake%2BHaiku%2Bred%2Bcop.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swan Lake Haiku acrylic on canvas<br /><br /><br />Can you see the swan?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qisGn4lpFPE/Wv9d7di_-7I/AAAAAAAAq7U/pm0oZDa1Y4UjiibrIFXlX6-4evD_mtv0ACLcBGAs/s1600/The%2BDrawing%2Bof%2Bthe%2BMoon%2Bred%2Bcop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qisGn4lpFPE/Wv9d7di_-7I/AAAAAAAAq7U/pm0oZDa1Y4UjiibrIFXlX6-4evD_mtv0ACLcBGAs/s320/The%2BDrawing%2Bof%2Bthe%2BMoon%2Bred%2Bcop.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Drawing of the Moon acrylic and pen and pencil on canvas<br /><br /></td></tr>
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Both of these paintings have as their base a really interesting painting technique that I have been experimenting with for a while, fluid acrylic pour painting. So many marvelous results can be created with this technique, both as final products and as incredible backgrounds for further work.<br />
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So, to avoid this kind of disappointment, (because, given the post title, there must be a moral to this story) always read the details carefully, be aware of when the gallery or institution will be making its decision, and aware of when the intake of art will happen.<br />
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{In addendum: I want to acknowledge that I did, early this year, have some paintings in an absolutely lovely local gallery, The <a href="http://grackleartgallery.com/" target="_blank">Grackle</a>, accepted in a less formal way than I have talked about here. More about that later.}<br /><br />
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<br />13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-4514755212861781142016-06-16T16:39:00.001-07:002016-06-17T08:51:58.930-07:00Focus on Photography: EyeEm EyeEm is a photo storage and sharing site as well as a micro stock photo outlet.<br />
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A couple of months ago, I became interested in editing, sorting, and perhaps marketing my photographs. As I was doing research, I came upon EyeEm. I started uploading some of my photos.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.eyeem.com/p/85053042" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hLtO7O8S9KM/V2MsZZ5ijvI/AAAAAAAALNU/rJrhCk0F15QBptAP7LEDRUJXSW6HYNevACK4B/s320/20151228_140627a.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.eyeem.com/p/85053042" target="_blank">Southern California beach 2015</a><br />
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After a while, I read something disturbing—that some pictures might be chosen for the collection, to be marketed by Getty Images (seemed like a good thing), but that I would lose the rights to my images, and to ANY taken in the same batch (! seemed like a very bad thing). I could sell prints, like at an art fair, but could no longer market them to stock and micro-stock.<br />
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As I began to receive emails that some of my photographs had been chosen for the Collection/Getty Images, I felt both pleased (validated?) and conflicted that I would no longer have rights and control of my pictures.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.eyeem.com/p/84540417" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KW89B6NLhoc/V2MwAXzkA4I/AAAAAAAALNg/v2mxDikV1Wc3sGlM6Y8nsE_R7SYoSPcSgCK4B/s320/DSC07302.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.eyeem.com/p/84540417" target="_blank">Fall Color Blue Ridge Parkway 2015</a></td></tr>
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Fortunately, not too long after I started placing my pictures on EyeEm, the policy changed. Now the message about the collection says this:<br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #888888; font-family: , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><a href="https://www.eyeem.com/u/anitabarnard" target="_blank">EyeEm Market</a> allows you to offer photos from your profile for sale. Photos you upload to EyeEm attract a lot of interest from global brands, agencies, magazines and other creative industries. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #888888; font-family: , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">And this:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #888888; font-family: , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Market lets you earn money for doing what you already do best: taking real, authentic photography. Photos are made available through licensing. This means: buyers can use your photos and you keep the copyright and ownership of what you decide to sell. You’re always in control.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">So:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bovhik4jjlg/V2MzYHtwdyI/AAAAAAAALNs/WcgXyl5Vnk4VRAozXKBAKuM9tZ3NkSdfQCK4B/s1600/143703-r1-01-2a_2343688701_oa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bovhik4jjlg/V2MzYHtwdyI/AAAAAAAALNs/WcgXyl5Vnk4VRAozXKBAKuM9tZ3NkSdfQCK4B/s320/143703-r1-01-2a_2343688701_oa.JPG" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My kiddo in the Texas Snow<br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">So, woo-hoo! It's been really nice to go through my photos and reminisce. I have had many "likes" and quite a few "follows", and maybe I will get some sales. Who knows.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span>13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-6494749888066273132015-07-27T18:32:00.000-07:002015-07-27T18:46:01.324-07:00Grieving MomIt has been a really long time since I wrote a blog article.<br />
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I thought about sharing all of my thoughts and processes of grief much earlier, both because I heard and read that writing was a very good tool for healing, and because I thought sharing my feelings and experience might help others who had suffered terrible loss.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EJPWGg7bZyk/VbbVquelumI/AAAAAAAAB7A/cL-SNIWwkbE/s1600/Ian%2Bschool%2Bpicture.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EJPWGg7bZyk/VbbVquelumI/AAAAAAAAB7A/cL-SNIWwkbE/s320/Ian%2Bschool%2Bpicture.png" width="256" /></a></div>
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<h2 class="no-banner" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: none; color: #19447e; float: none; font-family: Georgia, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 26px; font-weight: 400; height: auto; line-height: 30px; margin: 25px 0px 0px; min-height: 32px; outline: 0px; padding: 7px 0px 15px; position: static; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; word-spacing: -2px;">
Obituary for Ian Patrick Barnard Kent</h2>
<span style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: none; color: #404040; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: auto; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;">Ian Patrick Barnard Kent, 27, left this world on Saturday, September 27, 2014, in Garland, Texas.<br /><br />Ian was born on January 14, 1987 in Fort Worth, where he lived most of his life. Ian was beautiful and talented. He had a good ear for music and a lovely singing voice. He played baseball for many years and had a great throwing arm. He was a cub scout and a boy scout. As a child Ian drew pictures and many cards for his parents and drew and wrote comic strips. In middle school his poem about Dr. Martin Luther King was selected for publication. He played the drums as a teenager, rode a skateboard which he continued to enjoy as an adult, and enjoyed playing disc golf. Ian had a kind heart and was a compassionate pet owner. During the below freezing temperatures the past winter, Ian rescued a stray kitten, “Kitty” whom he loved. Ian was an active member of the recovery community in Kerrville, Texas, where he sponsored other young men in their journey to wellness. As a young adult Ian was surprised to discover a passion and talent for dance and choreography. He taught dance to grade school children in an after school program and performed in dance troops in Fort Worth and in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, where he majored in dance at SRU before his back injury. Ian was sensitive and kind, playful and mischievous. He was a loving brother, son and grandson. </span><br />
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13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-67899385371784845262013-07-01T18:28:00.000-07:002013-07-02T05:22:40.625-07:00Ladies and Gentlemen...The BEATLES! A couple of years ago, my eldest daughter wanted an original piece of art from me for her birthday. Like all of our family, she loves The Beatles, and her favorite song is "A Day in the Life". I was so excited to find an image of John's hand written manuscript for that song to incorporate into a mixed media collage for my daughter. (Warning, these are not professional quality photos of these pieces, just what I took at home..the lighting is not so great.)<br />
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The next year she expected a new piece in the series. (I didn't know it was a series.) And I did Paul, and found his writing of the lyrics for "Hey Jude", which my daughter and I sang along with him (and thousands of others) a number of years ago at a concert in Dallas when she was about 13. (My oldest son was also there; he was working the show and had set up, handled Paul's instruments, and sat with us for a while before the show began.) It was awesome; I cried.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Beatles <i><b>In Their Own Write</b></i> Series so far, mixed media collage<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">This May I did the latest, George, with his handwritten words to "Something", a song that B loves and has often said she wants played at her wedding</span>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The epilogue to this is that later in the month we took my youngest daughter R on a long (school night) road trip to Tulsa, amid the risk and reality of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, to see Paul McCartney in concert. What a fabulous night!..even if we were soaking wet during the concert...and we were... </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Paul rocked long and hard, sang all the songs you'd want to hear, was charming, energetic, nostalgic, dynamic...and as her first real concert, all the shooting fire and indoor fireworks during "Live and Let Die" really blew my 15 year old away. (You can see pieces of this concert tour at youtube, and even of the Tulsa concert we attended. With the pyrotechnics.) I was so touched and emotional during his tributes to John and to George, and with the lovely Linda moment of "Maybe I'm Amazed", such a wonderful song, but my most emotional and moving moment was during the sing-along portion of "Hey Jude", once again, looking over and seeing R and Edward singing along. I felt teary, exulted, grateful, included in a meaningful community experience, full of love.</span></div>
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13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-60533520071944434512013-04-16T08:27:00.001-07:002013-04-16T08:27:58.136-07:00On the Dark Path—Out in the World and Available for Purchase<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was a long wait, but last week I mailed the fairy tale anthology to 47 poets, from the US, Canada, Spain and Jamaica (I was in the post office an hour! I didn't know you had to fill out custom forms for Canada. Also, discovered there is no international Book Rate or as it is known now, Media Mail...not even for Canada. On the upside, I did see two ducks waddling across the PO parking lot in the rain.)<br />
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On the Dark Path is also now available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Path-Anthology-Fairy-Poetry/dp/1482552868/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366124667&sr=1-1&keywords=on+the+dark+path" target="_blank"><b>Amazon</b></a>.13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-4953335786543631112013-02-27T09:08:00.000-08:002013-02-27T09:08:07.893-08:00Fairy Tale Poetry Anthology Ready Soon<br />
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<i>“On the Dark Path </i>is a hauntingly beautiful collection of poems that lead us deeper into these ancient tales than we’ve been before. Powerful, surprising, sometimes brutal, these poems enchant the imagination and linger in the mind for days.” <br /> —Michelle Rhea, editor Incarnate Muse Press <span style="color: #666666;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><br />
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So happy—the book is almost finished. We have the proof copy in our hands, and it looks wonderful! We have a couple of minor changes to make and are still looking at it closely. I have to admit that there were times that I doubted this anthology would ever be born.<br />
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We even have a reading and release party already set up, thanks to Karen X Minzer at <a href="http://www.wordspacedallas.com/anita-barnard-book-release-on-the-dark-path-an-anthology-of-fairy-tale-poetry/" target="_blank">WordSpace</a>.<br />
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<strong style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;">What</strong><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;">: Book Release: </span><em style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;">On the Dark Path: An Anthology of Fairy Tale Poetry</em><br />
<strong style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;">When</strong><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;">: Saturday, May 11, 7 pm</span><br />
<strong style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;">Where</strong><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;">: Lucky Dog Books, 633 W. Davis, Dallas (Oak Cliff)</span><br />
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Speaking to us from the woods and the cottage, from the marriage bed, the hospital bed, the writing group and the camps at Dachau, the forty-eight poets in this anthology of poems based on traditional fairy tales, edited by DFW poet and longtime fairy tale enthusiast Anita M. Barnard, bring their personal worlds to the fairy tale and the fairy tale out into the world at large. The reading will feature some of the local poets whose works appear in the book.</div>
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13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-88049873155629585902012-11-15T14:26:00.001-08:002012-11-15T14:26:07.706-08:00French Wedding, Zazzle and GIMPZazzle makes it pretty easy to coordinate your wedding (or anniversary, reception or other event) with all the stationery products you need, with customized cards you design yourself or a huge variety of interesting designs from other designers. I am going to use a few products that I recently designed as an example.<br />
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I have been kind of interested and charmed lately by the vintage bunting/garlands that have been popping up in many places lately. Some might recall the Halloween bunting I made for our home decor and my daughter's birthday party last month.<br />
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I used GIMP, my free image manipulation program, to make French ephemera wedding bunting to apply to various products in Zazzle. The background for the letters to spell out OUR WEDDING is made of lovely vintage French typography, advertisements, receipts, etc. - all from Karen at the <a href="http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Graphics Fairy</a>. It took a bit of time to shape each piece of ephemera into the pennant, or equilateral triangle, shape before applying the letter to each one. I used a great font called Chocolate Box Decorative.<br />
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I then applied a background and text and came up with invitations, Save the Date postcards and RSVP cards.<br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/our_wedding_vintage_french_bunting_invitation-161137819139286083?rf=238278615745519487"> <img alt="OUR WEDDING Vintage French Bunting Invitation" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/our_wedding_vintage_french_bunting_invitation-r84e5750304be4b2b87bce83bb85921ba_8dnm8_8byvr_325.jpg?bg=0xffffff" style="border: 0;" /> </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/our_wedding_vintage_french_bunting_invitation-161137819139286083?rf=238278615745519487">OUR WEDDING Vintage French Bunting Invitation</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a> <br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/our_wedding_vintage_french_bunting_save_the_date-239369799737941708?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"> <img alt="OUR WEDDING Vintage French Bunting Save the Date" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/our_wedding_vintage_french_bunting_save_the_date-p239369799737941708en8sh_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /> </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/our_wedding_vintage_french_bunting_save_the_date-239369799737941708?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">OUR WEDDING Vintage French Bunting Save the Date</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a> <br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/our_wedding_vintage_french_bunting_rsvp_card-161087329208010884?rf=238278615745519487"> <img alt="OUR WEDDING Vintage French Bunting RSVP Card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/our_wedding_vintage_french_bunting_rsvp_card-r436720ff1d70425bb8624bf93748aebe_8dnrb_8byvr_325.jpg?bg=0xffffff" style="border: 0;" /> </a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/our_wedding_vintage_french_bunting_rsvp_card-161087329208010884?rf=238278615745519487">OUR WEDDING Vintage French Bunting RSVP Card</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a> </div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">Table seating cards and menu cards are also </span><span style="line-height: 24.545454025268555px;">possibilities</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">I have the French Wedding bunting with alternative backgrounds that I have not yet posted on Zazzle. These are more colorful designs with swirls and leaves in the background in either aqua/teal or purple/lilac/tan.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">Now, I have to admit that I had the individual pieces of the wedding bunting done right after I made the Halloween banner, but I could not for the life of me draw a satisfactorily smooth line as the "string" the bunting pieces were attached to. I tried again and again. Guess my hand is just not that steady.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">So, in the interim, I have been watching quite a few GIMP tutorials on YouTube, and been reading a lot of GIMP advice. When I found this<a href="http://www.howtoplaza.com/draw-circles-gimp" target="_blank"><b> written tutorial</b></a> about how to draw a circle, and other shapes in GIMP, I knew it was just what I needed for this bunting project. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">Basically, you use your select tool, in this case the circle (or oval) select. Position your selection where you want your line to be; it doesn't matter if part goes off your image (mine had to a lot to get the correct curve) or if there is extra where you don't want a line, you can just erase later. When you have your selection positioned, go to Edit-Stroke selection, then make your line as thick as you want it (I believe mine were 3 pixels). This also works for squares and rectangles with the rectangle select tools and for other shapes with straight lines. This was a great discovery for me.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">I made this funky, fun design</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_octopus_christmas_card-137771188808803371?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"> <img alt="Vintage Octopus Christmas Card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vintage_octopus_christmas_card-p137771188808803371bhcf6_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /> </a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_octopus_christmas_card-137771188808803371?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Vintage Octopus Christmas Card</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a> </div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">...by drawing a circle the same way on a </span><span style="line-height: 24.545454025268555px;">transparent</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> layer as a </span><span style="line-height: 24.545454025268555px;">guideline</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> for laying out the wreath, then just making it invisible (or deleting it) later.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">I know this GIMP "discovery" is probably very elementary for most GIMP users, but I am still reading, watching and learning (mostly through trial and error) and it was just what I needed.</span></div>
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13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-31119402184527067702012-10-16T15:17:00.000-07:002012-10-16T15:26:53.492-07:00Halloween Party IdeasI know it has been about 100 years since I wrote a blog post.<br />
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My garden is still plugging along and getting a bit refreshed in the Texas 2nd growing season...I have lots of little red peppers, arugula and a couple of little Fairy Tale eggplant, plus so many happy herbs.<br />
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Also, I have continued with my art and craft projects, especially creating and posting lots of stuff to my Zazzle<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns" target="_blank"> <b>store</b></a>. I am totally unprepared, but a lot of people seem to be getting ready for Christmas already, and are buying their cards and ornaments, especially popular have been the<b> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns/international+gifts" target="_blank">international</a></b> Santas, like the <b><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns/paris+santa+gifts" target="_blank">Paris</a></b>, Rome and London<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns/santa+cards+stamps" target="_blank"> cards</a> and ornaments.<br />
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But here lately, I have to admit, I have been a bit preoccupied by Halloween. You see, my daughter, who has a mid-October birthday, has decided that she wants to have a Halloween costume birthday party at home. ! What, you mean I have to clean and organize my house?? Actually, I love the idea, and we have been brain-storming lots of cool decorations, foods and spooky activities.<br />
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Today, I made this "SPOOKY" Halloween banner, using scrapbooking paper, card stock, a scalloped paper punch, a great font, Elementary Gothic Bookhand, and small black fabric ribbon. Here it is hanging from our antique (past its prime) piano.<br />
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I had wanted to make another banner that I found as a free printable on line. I think this person did such a good job in designing this banner, but I just couldn't get it to print right, after selecting landscape a few times, and other options that should make that work with my printer...even tried it with another computer. Alas.<br />
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I do have about 2/3s of it printed out and cut out, so I will ask my computer expert to help me with this.<br />
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I spent a ridiculous amount of time today soaking, scraping and scrubbing labels off of various "potion" and "poison" bottles for beverages. Here are some cool sites and resources for printable Halloween bottle labels. The 1st is one of 2 I found at the <a href="http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/2011/07/vintage-clip-art-old-poison-labels.html" target="_blank">Graphics Fairy</a> site.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RIZvPg1v1Rs/TiMJUO-S9rI/AAAAAAAANaA/6Y6-ujxKcA4/s1600/poison+vintage+labels+graphicsfairy004b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RIZvPg1v1Rs/TiMJUO-S9rI/AAAAAAAANaA/6Y6-ujxKcA4/s320/poison+vintage+labels+graphicsfairy004b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pBB1NwgypKs/ToIwvahjXPI/AAAAAAAAIpM/tAAXknXEszg/s320/potions+copy.jpg" width="320" /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pBB1NwgypKs/ToIwvahjXPI/AAAAAAAAIpM/tAAXknXEszg/s1600/potions+copy.jpg" target="_blank">http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pBB1NwgypKs/ToIwvahjXPI/AAAAAAAAIpM/tAAXknXEszg/s1600/potions+copy.jpg</a></div>
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These are going to be awesome beverage labels for my daughter's party.<br />
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Also, I found out the most awesome thing online...but unfortunately, I do not remember what site it was on. If you add a little tonic water to a beverage, then it will glow in a black light. (I'm really excited about this one!)<br />
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Well, that is what is going on with us this season. Maybe, I'll post party pictures later. And after that is all over, maybe I will even get around to painting again.13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-55737181813569389072012-06-17T10:07:00.000-07:002012-06-17T10:09:45.247-07:00Chilling Yet Personable Dystopian Novel "When She Woke"<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4cZowmIhQxc/T94LQ4U9SBI/AAAAAAAAAqE/bTjGdKh_vJg/s1600/9781565126299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4cZowmIhQxc/T94LQ4U9SBI/AAAAAAAAAqE/bTjGdKh_vJg/s400/9781565126299.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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I have almost finished <i><b>When She Woke</b></i> by Hillary Jordan, a re-imagining of "The Scarlet Letter" set in the not too distant future, and reminding me a lot at times of Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" and often as disturbing. The reminders the reader gets that the novel is set in the future in our country, such as technological advances and gadgets, do not seem very far fetched at all, and the changes in policy, attitude and law that have pushed society to the situation in the book seem chillingly likely and address many present day political and social concerns. That the book is set mainly in Plano and Dallas, with mentions of familiar places like Oak Lawn, Mockingbird Station, SMU and Garland, only serves to bring it home more strongly to me, a lifelong resident of Dallas-Fort Worth who grew up in Garland. The main character, Hannah Payne, obviously a more modern day sounding nod to Hester Prynne, a young woman who grew up in a loving but very limiting, extremely Christian family and environment, is easy to care about and her emotions, predicament and realizations are very easy to identify with. The book addresses some pretty thorny topics, and I needed to take a little break from my growing apprehension as I approach the end, but it is also well written and engaging. I recommend it.<br />
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Hillary Jourdan is the author of Mudbound (2006), a prize-winning, New York Times bestseller. (Which I have not read, but I mean to remedy that soon.).<br />
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Thanks to Michelle Rhea for the gift of the book. (I hope you got one for yourself too!)13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-38744091400399023312012-05-18T10:55:00.000-07:002012-05-18T10:55:41.452-07:00Fused Glass and Arts Goggle Festival<br />
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It's time for spring Arts Goggle in Fort Worth's cool near Southside neighborhood tomorrow afternoon and evening. One of the things I have been doing this week to get ready is creating a few more fused glass suncatchers. (Starting in the morning before it's too hot to run the kiln!)<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pJlUbKRSMwA/T7aHt_7t8_I/AAAAAAAAAog/ixXpJjgtU-A/s1600/suncatchers+May+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pJlUbKRSMwA/T7aHt_7t8_I/AAAAAAAAAog/ixXpJjgtU-A/s400/suncatchers+May+4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VP7MUpt9dgo/T7aH4Z0cOOI/AAAAAAAAAoo/tiR-LxLmhWE/s1600/Suncatchers+May+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VP7MUpt9dgo/T7aH4Z0cOOI/AAAAAAAAAoo/tiR-LxLmhWE/s320/Suncatchers+May+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9wUMvUtYNac/T7aH70fnwRI/AAAAAAAAAow/OdyVgNNkAUE/s1600/Suncatchers+may+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9wUMvUtYNac/T7aH70fnwRI/AAAAAAAAAow/OdyVgNNkAUE/s320/Suncatchers+may+5.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few of the older suncatchers, available on <b><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/13MoonsArt?section_id=5634558" target="_blank">Etsy</a></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L12F23QNdNM/T7aH-ufpSzI/AAAAAAAAAo4/vLpK6MKGros/s1600/soncatcher+paris+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L12F23QNdNM/T7aH-ufpSzI/AAAAAAAAAo4/vLpK6MKGros/s400/soncatcher+paris+.JPG" width="97" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paris Eiffel Tower suncatcher</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NofbqPVhfxo/T7aIG2T2tvI/AAAAAAAAApI/Wk0kbdrdRKs/s1600/suncatchers+May+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NofbqPVhfxo/T7aIG2T2tvI/AAAAAAAAApI/Wk0kbdrdRKs/s320/suncatchers+May+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WBsU2py7UL0/T7aJOPUXZ_I/AAAAAAAAApQ/QBlPKjLRDwg/s1600/suncatcher+may+blue+swirl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WBsU2py7UL0/T7aJOPUXZ_I/AAAAAAAAApQ/QBlPKjLRDwg/s320/suncatcher+may+blue+swirl.JPG" width="175" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backlit with some sun shining through</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8mgECNadSyk/T7aJStGlGWI/AAAAAAAAApY/9u-1TfuiQFY/s1600/suncatcher+may+wirewrap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8mgECNadSyk/T7aJStGlGWI/AAAAAAAAApY/9u-1TfuiQFY/s320/suncatcher+may+wirewrap.JPG" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Experiments with wire-wrapping, copper inclusion </td></tr>
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Since I will have a space outside this time around instead of the large room and wall space I have had for some <b><a href="http://13moonsart.blogspot.com/2010/10/arts-goggle-fort-worth-2010.html" target="_blank">previous shows</a></b>, I will be showing mostly jewelry, these suncatchers and a few smaller pieces of art. <br />
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I'll be at 300 South Main Plaza Saturday May 19th from 4-10.13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-76281354748951981032012-05-01T08:52:00.000-07:002012-05-01T08:52:20.905-07:00May Day Poem and History<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Z3NNWWHGBM/T6ACLo_2y5I/AAAAAAAAAn8/1H7WEwh2_x0/s1600/maypole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Z3NNWWHGBM/T6ACLo_2y5I/AAAAAAAAAn8/1H7WEwh2_x0/s400/maypole.jpg" width="327" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Mayday!</td></tr>
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Today I thought I'd share a May poem from about 12 years ago. The daughter in question is now a beautiful young woman who will be turning 24 later this month.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My Daughter in Baptist Youth</span><br />
for Brenna, age 12<br />
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Sometimes I throw out words,<br />
casual, not an issue,<br />
words like Maia, Athena, Mara,<br />
names of goddesses.<br />
Words like myth and story<br />
when we speak of these old tales<br />
and dictums, histories of magic<br />
and supernatural cruelties,<br />
campsite tips - things we are<br />
told to live our lives by.<br />
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Sometimes, her faith <br />
held tight in her young heart,<br />
she balks, challenges,<br />
walks away, hurt and tearing.<br />
And so I keep it easy, thrown in,<br />
aside. The myths an option,<br />
all the other stories - tidbits,<br />
tastes of all belief,<br />
the names sprinkled in like salt.<br />
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Sometimes, on a spring night,<br />
we come together, blissful,<br />
around a leaping fire,<br />
roast marshmallows and<br />
admire the flowers resurrected<br />
after winter.<br />
Celebrate Beltane, her birthmonth,<br />
bring in the May.<br />
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by Anita M. Barnard<br />
published in <i>Above Us Only Sky</i><br />
<b><a href="http://incarnatemuse.com/" target="_blank">Incarnate Muse Press</a></b> 2003<i> </i><br />
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This is also Beltaine. The Celtic festival "Beltine (or Beltaine) was celebrated on 1 May, a spring-time festival
of optimism. Fertility ritual again was important, in part perhaps
connecting with the waxing power of the sun, symbolized by the lighting
of fires through which livestock were driven, and around which the
people danced in a sunwise direction." -<a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nora_Chadwick" title="Nora Chadwick">Nora Chadwick</a> (from Wikipedia, where you can read more). We love a festival involving fires and often make a fire in the fire pit on this evening...it also makes a good excuse for roasting vegetables (or marshmallows) over the wood fire.<br />
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May 1st is also Labor Day in many countries.<br />
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The vintage Maypole image is from the<a href="http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Graphics Fairy.</a>13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-10311569188025581872012-03-27T10:48:00.000-07:002012-03-27T10:48:51.806-07:00Designing Pillows —- Digital Art for ZazzleSometime in January I posted in a Zazzle forum calling for ideas for new products how cool it would be if independent designers (me, for instance) could design throw pillows to be produced by Zazzle. I was pretty excited on February 7th when I found out that they now have that in place, and I quickly designed 3 pillows on GIMP. A really nice thing about these pillows and the other housewares products that came out at that time, is that they are being manufactured by a company that "sustainably employs" and supports single mothers.<br />
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Here are the three pillow designs that have sold from my store so far. You can see a theme emerging as far as what is popular. (I also see that with my iPhone cases and cards.) Two of these have a digitally collaged background of vintage Parisian and French ephemera, including an old invoice, receipt,
handwritten letter, the handwritten manuscript of Madame Bovary, lovely
typography and old stamps, with a number of the vintage images from Karen at the <a href="http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Graphics Fairy</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_blue_hydrangea_french_ephemera_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-189024585031015672?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Vintage Blue Hydrangea French Ephemera Pillow mojo_throwpillow" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vintage_blue_hydrangea_french_ephemera_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-r3c06a5b14e5f462e9fb944769a6f17eb_2izwx_325.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_blue_hydrangea_french_ephemera_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-189024585031015672?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Vintage Blue Hydrangea French Ephemera Pillow</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/paris_eiffel_tower_butterfly_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-189798392308787432?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Paris Eiffel Tower Butterfly Pillow mojo_throwpillow" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/paris_eiffel_tower_butterfly_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-r587d2bc19ad64af4ba899499ffac5b7b_2izwx_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/paris_eiffel_tower_butterfly_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-189798392308787432?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Paris Eiffel Tower Butterfly Pillow</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_paris_french_ephemera_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-189046683568104672?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Vintage Paris French Ephemera Pillow mojo_throwpillow" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vintage_paris_french_ephemera_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-r9849ae9141ae43fdb88339e2f1004050_2izwx_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_paris_french_ephemera_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-189046683568104672?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Vintage Paris French Ephemera Pillow</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a><br />
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Three of my other pillow designs were featured products on Zazzle, wining Today's Best Awards.</div>
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_chandelier_gladiola_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-189179369038694899?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Vintage Chandelier Gladiola Pillow mojo_throwpillow" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vintage_chandelier_gladiola_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-r874c4723c3d244c1b2da91caff187745_2izwx_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_chandelier_gladiola_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-189179369038694899?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Vintage Chandelier Gladiola Pillow</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/sunflower_ancient_rome_italian_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-189797154019112459?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Sunflower Ancient Rome Italian Pillow mojo_throwpillow" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/sunflower_ancient_rome_italian_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-r163e603bef7a4ba4b50a4e51c5bef08e_2izwx_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/sunflower_ancient_rome_italian_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-189797154019112459?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Sunflower Ancient Rome Italian Pillow</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a><br />
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And just a couple of days ago:</div>
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_french_floral_dress_forms_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-189444072235149064?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Vintage French Floral Dress Forms Pillow mojo_throwpillow" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vintage_french_floral_dress_forms_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-r04af928bd9ad42749ffe22a8cedb2692_2i4t2_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_french_floral_dress_forms_pillow_american_mojo_pillow-189444072235149064?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Vintage French Floral Dress Forms Pillow</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a><br />
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I have actually designed 49 <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns/pillows?st=date_created#products" target="_blank"> <b>pillows</b></a><b> </b>that are available in my<b> </b>store<b>.</b></div>
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<b>If you are a Zazzle designer who has sold any pillows, add a comment to my post with a link to your best selling pillow design.</b></div>
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13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-77626198474216920312012-01-18T12:28:00.000-08:002012-01-18T15:27:40.786-08:00Fonts Are CoolI love fonts. I have just been on a shopping binge for fonts. I am so excited by the ones I got!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-USJgHPwKGMM/TxckgpNdc3I/AAAAAAAAAmg/JVcz5pxoSdU/s1600/my+new+fonts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-USJgHPwKGMM/TxckgpNdc3I/AAAAAAAAAmg/JVcz5pxoSdU/s640/my+new+fonts.jpg" width="496" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new fonts</td></tr>
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I got these at <b><a href="http://www.fontriver.com/" target="_blank">FontRiver</a></b>. There are thousands of fonts there...and thousands I haven't even seen Yet. I am really glad these people offer FREE fonts and amazed by the people who design all the wonderful fonts and then offer them for free. Yesterday after lusting after some great fonts for a while, with some help from Edward I learned how to unzip and install the fonts to my font folder. ("Font folder" I had no idea, and I can honestly say I had never been in my Control Panel before.)<br />
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I have no idea how I would ever use the <i><b>magical unicorn</b></i> font, but it was too fun to pass up. I love the Jane Austen one that is based on her handwriting.<br />
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I used the <b>Adine Kirnberg</b> font on this Shakespeare themed <b><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/90770005/cotton-pillow-cover-romeo-loves-juliet" target="_blank">pillow cover</a></b> I made.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i8nVY-4_pvE/TxcmP4twBqI/AAAAAAAAAmo/DKaV0035voA/s1600/pillow+romeo+juliet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i8nVY-4_pvE/TxcmP4twBqI/AAAAAAAAAmo/DKaV0035voA/s400/pillow+romeo+juliet.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shakespeare Romeo loves Juliet Pillow</td></tr>
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And the very pretty <b>Chopin</b> font for this one, that isn't sewn yet.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f16k-uFeHEo/TxcoZ0sLg4I/AAAAAAAAAmw/k-wJFPvhCnQ/s1600/DSC03183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f16k-uFeHEo/TxcoZ0sLg4I/AAAAAAAAAmw/k-wJFPvhCnQ/s400/DSC03183.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imagine Peace Pillow</td></tr>
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My brain is pretty worked up imagining all the things I can do with these fonts. I am offering <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/90881910/personalized-cotton-pillow-cover-with" target="_blank"><b>personalized pillow covers</b> </a>using a choice from five of these fonts in my etsy home <b><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/13MoonsDesigns?view_type=gallery" target="_blank">decor shop</a></b>.<br />
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<br />13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-89988533395270323232011-12-19T12:47:00.000-08:002011-12-19T12:47:58.855-08:00Christmas Digital ArtJust these, and then I'll quit. Really. Well, I do have another one sort of designed in my head, but I also have a million other things do to get ready for Christmas.<br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_deer_with_holly_christmas_card-137762357562354183?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Vintage Deer with Holly Christmas Card card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vintage_deer_with_holly_christmas_card-p137762357562354183f8a_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_deer_with_holly_christmas_card-137762357562354183?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Vintage Deer with Holly Christmas Card</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a><br />
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Fellow followers of the Graphics Fairy<a href="http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> blog</a> will probably recognize some of these vintage images that I have combined and manipulated for the deer art I made this morning.<br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_deer_seasons_greetings_christmas_card-137736057316135448?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Vintage Deer Seasons Greetings Christmas Card card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vintage_deer_seasons_greetings_christmas_card-p137736057316135448y3_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_deer_seasons_greetings_christmas_card-137736057316135448?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Vintage Deer Seasons Greetings Christmas Card</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a><br />
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I also put together this vintage typewriter "CREATE" card and mousepad since my last post. I really have a thing for old manual typewriters.<br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_typewriter_card-137210072584314170?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Vintage Typewriter Card card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vintage_typewriter_card-p1372100725843141707uu_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_typewriter_card-137210072584314170?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Vintage Typewriter Card</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a><br />
Shop for <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/cards?rf=238278615745519487">cards</a> at zazzle<br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_typewriter_create_mousepad-144237122791829182?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Vintage Typewriter CREATE Mousepad mousepad" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vintage_typewriter_create_mousepad-p144237122791829182aby_325.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_typewriter_create_mousepad-144237122791829182?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Vintage Typewriter CREATE Mousepad</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a><br />
Learn <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/sell/designers?rf=238278615745519487">ways to make money as an artist</a> on Zazzle.</div>
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The most popular holiday image by far has been this "Santa over Paris" Eiffel Tower picture—on cards, ceramic ornaments and as a print.<br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_santa_over_paris_christmas_card-137517871383715603?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Vintage Santa over Paris Christmas Card card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vintage_santa_over_paris_christmas_card-p1375178713837156037uu_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_santa_over_paris_christmas_card-137517871383715603?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Vintage Santa over Paris Christmas Card</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/custom/greetingcards?rf=238278615745519487">create cards</a> online at zazzle</div>
<br />13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-24497028956857415142011-12-06T06:22:00.001-08:002011-12-07T02:03:54.030-08:00Digital Art and More Image MagicI have continued working with GIMP, my image manipulation program, the last few weeks. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HbCbSKY49wI/Tt4v09fVYyI/AAAAAAAAAmM/U6iv48BZ5xc/s1600/WaterFliesred.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HbCbSKY49wI/Tt4v09fVYyI/AAAAAAAAAmM/U6iv48BZ5xc/s320/WaterFliesred.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paris Butterflies Digital Collage by Anita Barnard</td></tr>
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This little Paris Butterfly collage was my most ambitious to date, if only because it had more layers than I had used before in a piece and some fidgety placement and sizing and levels of differing transparency that I had to figure out. I am still playing with how to get to the right place for what are probably some pretty basic commands, and making this digital collage was definitely a learning experience for me. And satisfying in that I am happy with how it turned out.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P1oJsMn-gdg/Tt4vzxcJV7I/AAAAAAAAAmE/rGaxaRt6m8c/s1600/starrysantared.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P1oJsMn-gdg/Tt4vzxcJV7I/AAAAAAAAAmE/rGaxaRt6m8c/s400/starrysantared.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starry Christmas Night</td></tr>
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I had an idea of Santa's sleigh flying through <b>Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night</b> sky. After I found the vintage image of Santa and his sleigh that I wanted, I spent about 200 years clearing out all the background from in between the sleigh runners and all the little reindeer antlers...with a tiny erase brush and the image at 400% most of the time. (Okay, maybe not quite that long, but my hand was stiff and cramping a bit before I was done. There's probably an easier way of removing a background from an image that isn't all white or just one color, and I'd love some guidance if anyone can tell me what that method is). I am a big van Gogh fan, and I liked how this looks.<br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_santa_over_paris_christmas_card-137517871383715603?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Vintage Santa over Paris Christmas Card card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vintage_santa_over_paris_christmas_card-p1375178713837156037uu_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_santa_over_paris_christmas_card-137517871383715603?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Vintage Santa over Paris Christmas Card</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a><br />
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Having done all the work clening up the Santa image, I then found some great vintage postcards of Paris and Rome over at The Graphics Fairy <a href="http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>, and had fun positioning Santa to fly past the Eiffel Tower and over the Coliseum.<br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_santa_in_rome_italy_christmas_card-137339770520388817?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Vintage Santa in Rome Italy Christmas Card card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vintage_santa_in_rome_italy_christmas_card-p13733977052038881784p_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_santa_in_rome_italy_christmas_card-137339770520388817?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Vintage Santa in Rome Italy Christmas Card</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_santa_over_big_ben_london_christmas_card-137661935242722715?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Vintage Santa over Big Ben London Christmas Card card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vintage_santa_over_big_ben_london_christmas_card-p137661935242722715bgr_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_santa_over_big_ben_london_christmas_card-137661935242722715?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Vintage Santa over Big Ben London Christmas Card</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a></div>
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Many of my new images - and variations, as well as images of my hand cut physical collages and art have been put on some things like cards, mugs and shirts over on <b><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13MoonshineDesigns?rf=238278615745519487" target="_blank">Zazzle</a></b>. Here are some examples.<br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_santa_over_paris_christmas_ornament-175069903346069406?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Vintage Santa over Paris Christmas Ornament ornament" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vintage_santa_over_paris_christmas_ornament-p175069903346069406z89k2_125.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_santa_over_paris_christmas_ornament-175069903346069406?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Vintage Santa over Paris Christmas Ornament</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/van_gogh_cypress_artist_christmas_card-137850314254020636?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Van Gogh Cypress Artist Christmas Card card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/van_gogh_cypress_artist_christmas_card-p137850314254020636f8a_125.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/van_gogh_cypress_artist_christmas_card-137850314254020636?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Van Gogh Cypress Artist Christmas Card</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/chicago_ferris_wheel_love_necklace-177852565751007844?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Chicago Ferris Wheel Love necklace" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/chicago_ferris_wheel_love_necklace-p177852565751007844z8jnm_125.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/chicago_ferris_wheel_love_necklace-177852565751007844?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Chicago Ferris Wheel Love</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/paris_butterflies_art_collage_mouse_pad_mousepad-144565997030337519?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487"><img alt="Paris Butterflies Art Collage Mouse Pad mousepad" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/paris_butterflies_art_collage_mouse_pad_mousepad-p144565997030337519aby_125.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/paris_butterflies_art_collage_mouse_pad_mousepad-144565997030337519?gl=13MoonshineDesigns&rf=238278615745519487">Paris Butterflies Art Collage Mouse Pad</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13moonshinedesigns*">13MoonshineDesigns</a><br />
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<br />13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-25568768611604186922011-11-23T15:00:00.001-08:002011-11-23T15:33:17.536-08:00Thanksgiving, Food and the GardenI have made the traditional cranberry relish..cranberry sauce...I never know exactly what to call it...with fresh cranberries, orange, orange zest, clove and a wee bit of cinnamon...and the house smells great. Just like the holidays have arrived! Which I suppose they have. How did that happen already?<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aMrlKpIc-x4/Ts2CDXGG_kI/AAAAAAAAAl8/LFxrk4Hz_8I/s1600/autumnsquashvine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aMrlKpIc-x4/Ts2CDXGG_kI/AAAAAAAAAl8/LFxrk4Hz_8I/s400/autumnsquashvine.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I have also pre-cooked and mixed up the squash casserole with fresh yellow squash and fresh oregano from my garden. We are still enjoying going out to the garden for fresh herbs and some vegetables. Earlier this week we had roasted red peppers on homemade pizzas from the bell peppers that are now starting to turn red...and we have lots of them in various shades of green to red, still on the plants. We have several jalapenos ready to pick, lots of very green tomatoes that survived the cold nights a while back, and we picked two small eggplants several days ago. Wow! Eggplant and jalapenos in late November. My okra is huge, and still has blooms and little baby okra, but the growth of the okra has slowed down a lot in the cool weather, and it takes a long time (especially considering the usual growth rate of okra) for them to get big enough to pick. Even my basil is still surviving, which makes me very happy. I think that is what I miss the most through the winter and early spring...not being able to go outside and get fresh basil in just the amount I need.<br />
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Another dish I am making for Thanksgiving tomorrow is <b>buttermilk pie</b>. I have been a big fan and critic of buttermilk pie since we stopped at a small home cooking type restaurant in East Texas after berry and peach picking one summer about 6 years ago. Since then I have sampled and critiqued (right texture? creamy enough? too much nutmeg? no nutmeg? too dry?) many slices of pie from restaurants and cafes all over. But, I have never made a buttermilk pie myself. I know, it's funny, because I bake a lot...maybe I was a little intimidated. (Would I not live up to my own standards?) The recipe I am using we looked up on the internet a few years ago, is titled the "Best Ever" buttermilk pie. I recall that it was part of an article about buttermilk pie, and how a southern girl had to convince her friends where she was then living that the idea of buttermilk pie was not weird or gross but was in fact VERY good. Sounds great; however, this buttermilk pie recipe has no nutmeg...not the slight perfect amount, not any. So, of course I will be adapting that recipe and adding a hint of nutmeg with fresh whole nutmeg and the essential nutmeg grinder that my son Damon gave me.13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-86811469049368479682011-11-21T08:49:00.001-08:002011-11-21T09:37:20.466-08:00House of Hope and Striving Collage<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tyh8wjTAJrw/TsqGyBFBNpI/AAAAAAAAAls/SoGhO8lxNC4/s400/houseofhope001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="315" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House of Hope and Striving, Collage by Anita Barnard</td></tr>
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Here is another recent collage with a different interepretation of a house. The piece explores the theme of Vincent Van Gogh's yellow house in Arles, France
and the great hopes he had of creating an artists' community there. The collage is 8x10 on 11x14 Bristol board paper. It is comprised
of found and created papers, text, images, ink and acrylic paint. Two
examples of Vincent's handwriting from his correspondences appear in the
piece, including the larger word "Tristement" in the roof. Sadness.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dT6PdRaizq8/TsqG8-HN1yI/AAAAAAAAAl0/Lm-wYXmAqg4/s1600/DSC02938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dT6PdRaizq8/TsqG8-HN1yI/AAAAAAAAAl0/Lm-wYXmAqg4/s320/DSC02938.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I worked on the piece on and off for over a week, then I just let it sit for another week, sometimes taking it out and looking at it, or arranging the last couple of elements on it. Finally I quit asking Edward and my youngest daughter whether I should add the last bits or not and just glued them down. I don't know why some pieces of art feel more certain, and others are dithered over for a long time, but I am happy with the decision I made. (Which is good, because you can always add something later, but it's a lot more problematic to rip something out.)<br />
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It was an interesting piece to work on, and sometimes a somewhat melancholy process, as I spent a lot of time thinking about Van Gogh's work and his life while working, as well as about the life and ideas of artists in general.<br />
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An archival print or a <b><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/house_of_hope_and_striving_fine_art_collage_poster-228133768201909339">poster</a></b> of House of Hope and Striving are available on <b><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/13MoonshineDesigns?rf=238278615745519487" target="_blank">Zazzle</a></b>.<br />
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The images of wings came from The Graphics Fairy, a great site for vintage images.<br />
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<br />13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-15256439785848013322011-11-14T09:34:00.001-08:002011-11-14T09:58:30.317-08:00Two New Collages - Houses and Birds<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pIJKJG61SX4/TsFUgd5xCmI/AAAAAAAAAlU/rCvOvkQkWpo/s1600/collagebird001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pIJKJG61SX4/TsFUgd5xCmI/AAAAAAAAAlU/rCvOvkQkWpo/s400/collagebird001.jpg" width="395" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collage with Mixed Media 8x8 inches</td></tr>
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I've been having a lot of ideas for some little collages lately. Today I just finished up the images of two from last week. I keep thinking about house and home and all that means and that images of houses can symbolize and bring up emotionally for us. Like some of my other recent collages these two have the house image...and also some birds that crept in, which is not unusual in my collage work lately. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EQGslr4A-r8/TsFU4Zfr9hI/AAAAAAAAAlc/fXHEqivkOTE/s400/collagebird002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="397" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collage 8x8 inches</td></tr>
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The two pieces are very different in tone and color, one being more serene and pastoral, closer to a traditional landscape, and the other with more deep color and contrast, and as Edward said, more masculine "plus it has all those numbers." Now I'm not very into numbers, being more of a language and art person, but as a former quilter and sometime woodworker, these images of vintage tape measures and rulers just appealed to me.<br />
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<br />13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-66553533528500278912011-11-07T12:21:00.000-08:002011-11-09T07:37:13.102-08:00Mixed Media Collage on Wood<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j48YY55_xcs/Trg7JGgc1XI/AAAAAAAAAks/BlRSAfajfDM/s1600/small+stories+poire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j48YY55_xcs/Trg7JGgc1XI/AAAAAAAAAks/BlRSAfajfDM/s320/small+stories+poire.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small Stories 10 by Anita Barnard</td></tr>
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I'm posting some more of my Small Stories series of little collages.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g4NkajaZ8Rw/Trg7QLtj89I/AAAAAAAAAk0/WimMB1fVBQA/s1600/small+stories+swallowv2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g4NkajaZ8Rw/Trg7QLtj89I/AAAAAAAAAk0/WimMB1fVBQA/s320/small+stories+swallowv2.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small Stories 11</td></tr>
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These are about 51/4 x 5 1/4 inches x 3/4 inch thick so they can hang on the wall or sit on a shelf.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small Stories 12</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mdBdbBuaRgA/Trg7i1SSf0I/AAAAAAAAAlE/mgWcA9KbUGU/s1600/small+stories+butterfly+urn008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mdBdbBuaRgA/Trg7i1SSf0I/AAAAAAAAAlE/mgWcA9KbUGU/s320/small+stories+butterfly+urn008.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small Stories 14 (Sorry, this picture is unedited.)</td></tr>
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The old English garden urn image is from <a href="http://www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/">Karen</a>. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the Small Stories collage series</td></tr>
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Linked <a href="http://www.creationsbykara.com/">here</a>.<br />
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<br />13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-77867510867074878462011-11-03T07:17:00.000-07:002011-11-03T07:17:12.156-07:00The Garden in November<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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I just wanted to talk about my garden today, as we get close to the end of the season here in north Texas. Or more specifically, my potager or kitchen garden.<br />
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The okra plants are six feet high, a couple a little taller, and have been producing like crazy lately, since the scorching temps and drought eased a bit. Ignore them for a few days and all of a sudden I have huge okra, too big and tough to eat.<br />
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Late last week as a cold front was blowing in, I ran out to harvest okra, just before the rain hit. My plants were covered in buds, blooms and tiny baby okra.<br />
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I'm pleased to say the temperature only dropped to about 40 and they fared well.<br />
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I'm still hoping for all my green bell peppers to turn red before I have to pick them.<br />
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Today I have to pick yellow (so called "summer" ;-) squash and more okra. And since it will get down to 32 tonight, bring in the basil that's in pots and cover my peppers. Not sure what to do about all the still small green tomatoes. The heirloom plants are almost too big and sprawling to cover, but as we got almost no tomatoes during the harsh summer, I really hate to lose them.<br />
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Tonight may mark the end of some of the garden veggies, but even so, I think Fall gardening in Texas is the best.<br />
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<br />13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-22009298794825689622011-10-31T12:04:00.000-07:002011-11-01T07:35:39.003-07:00More Small Stories, Mixed Media Collage<br />
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First of all -<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Happy Halloween!</i></span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Orange Man" carved by Edward</td></tr>
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I've just finished straightening up in GIMP some more of the Small Stories series of small collages on poplar wood panels. This batch starts the ones that I made most recently, from mid-September to mid-October. Sometimes it seems that tinkering around with the images to get the colors and everything right takes longer than making the pieces...today is one of those times.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small Stories 10</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small Stories 11</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pqnUbx29NPg/Tq7vuxd-yII/AAAAAAAAAjs/HjpvnThfZNU/s1600/small+stories+venus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pqnUbx29NPg/Tq7vuxd-yII/AAAAAAAAAjs/HjpvnThfZNU/s320/small+stories+venus.jpg" width="314" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small Stories 12</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small Stories 13</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Thanks once again to the <a href="http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/">Graphics Fairy</a> for the vintage hand in the last collage.<br />
This post i linked <a href="http://vintagewannabee.blogspot.com/">here</a>. </div>13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-47308152754896477562011-10-28T14:42:00.000-07:002011-10-28T14:44:03.438-07:00Halloween Face Paints DIYFriday afternoon, as R was about to go out the door for the middle school Halloween dance, we decided to do some face make-up or face painting to complete her outfit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One side of the quicky "extreme" face paint..and my extreme daughter :-)</td></tr>
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I just happened to have some paint mixed up in a little container for washes on collage papers that was perfect for the job. This was a mixture of regular artsits' acrylic, or acrylic craft paint would work as well, mixed with a few drops of acrylic glazing medium and a few drops of water. It's about 50-60% paint and went on very smoothly. I'm sure just mixing with water (somewhat less than 50%, I think) would be fine, but a really great way to mix your own face paints is acrylic paint plus about a 1/4 to a 1/3 BABY SHAMPOO. I used to always use this a million moons ago when I painted faces at the big sidewalk sales for the toy store chain I worked for when I was just out of high school. It goes on very smoothly, that's very important with face painting, and why the glazing medium was good, and washes off the little ones' faces after like a dream. This is a great DIY face paint formula. Good for spontaneous face painting urges, or as an alternative to really expensive sets of professional face paints or the thick face "paint" crayons or wax sticks that don't give good fine lines.<br />
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BTW, I am now experimenting with kids' glitter glue in the squeezable plastic tubes as a face paint. First off, I'd say, spot testing it on the inside of your wrist is only good if you aren't going to be working and using your hands for a while. Plus, when it is dry, if it's on a moving, bending part of the body, it will crack. It makes a fairly fine line and ..I tried the gold from a 10 tube pack from Dollar Tree...is very shiny and sparkly. The downside: it takes a LOT longer to dry, so little children probably wouldn't be able to keep from rubbing it during the drying time. There is no itching, redness, pinkness or irritation from the glue on my wrist at all. I did get a brand that was marked non-toxic and suitable for kids over 3. Verdict: I'll probably be using this on my face before we go to help out at the kids' Halloween party at church Saturday afternoon, in blue and silver, to match my dollar store wings. Also, don't use it around the eyes for smaller children.<br />
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<br />13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022102311202237305.post-22245381618867288992011-10-27T11:05:00.000-07:002011-10-28T09:45:36.636-07:00Small Stories, Collage on Wood<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small Stories 5, Mixed Media Collage</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Today I'm posting the rest of the Small Stories series of fun little mixed media collages on wood that I did in the spring. (I have a bunch more to get the imaging right on that I did over the last couple of months. I seem to work in spurts as far as different projects go...a few weeks or months of intense collage or glass fusing or mosaics or....)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small Stories 6 Mixed Media Collage</td></tr>
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These are 5 1/2 inch square on poplar board that I cut, sanded down and sealed with a couple of coats before I started painting and pasting.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small Stories 7, Mixed Media Collage</td></tr>
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Linked to collections <a href="http://romantichome.blogspot.com/">here</a> and <a href="http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/">here</a>.13moonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06778953120734562885noreply@blogger.com0