Altered Art & Stuff...

Embracing the new…

Rosie — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:14:37 +0000

Due to the fact that I have started to concentrate more on digital and photo art more than traditional mediums, I won’t be posting to this blog as much anymore. I have started another wordpress blog called “Embracing Life Digitally“ to showcase all my things photographic, digital and haiku – a far cry from where I started out as a blogger in 2006!

I hope you’ll visit me there, but here is where journal pages, rubber stamping and mixed media belong, along with all the altered art that I am best known for! ♥

One of my faves…

Rosie — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:58:30 +0000

Posting one of our favourite photos is pretty popular this time of the year, but I’m going to post one of my favourite subject: Millie-mou! She’s small and quite obliging in her own sleepy, lazy little way and she is quite simply adorable (if you can’t smell her breath… yuck!) for a Yorkie cross.

I used Friday as my texture – thanks Kim (Klassen)… Joining in with The Creative Exchange for this year – new beginnings!

Happy New Year!

Rosie — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:04:02 +0000

Happy New Year to you all…

I am happy that 2011 is firmly behind me/us. As a family, it was a real year of change, ups and downs, some very unpleasant times that I thought would never end and a real learning curve. It taught me that I will go to almost any lengths for my family and that I can and I will do what makes us happy as a unit. If they’re happy, I’m happy – simple!

I resolve to be more positive this year and to be happy with what I have, instead of unhappy wanting what I haven’t got – which can be illusory at best!! No, no more time wasted thinking I need things I don’t… I have more than enough to make me happy – I don’t need to chase rainbows to achieve my goals. I’m looking forward to moving home and moving on this year; taking more and better/more interesting photos; playing with textures and digital art; making photo art and getting back a reasonable level of fitness.

I have another busy and happy year ahead of me I think!

I want to wish you all that you wish for yourselves and your loved ones this coming year – most of all I wish you health, fun and laughter. Be well, be safe and smile, a lot! ♥

Leftover leftovers…!

Rosie — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:33:32 +0000

I made spicy potato cakes for brunch today and now I have leftovers from my leftovers…

All I did was cook a sliced leek and add that to the leftover potatoes, along with seasoning, a knob of butter and some cold stuffing. I heated up the pan, coated the base with a little oil and fried them on both sides. Yummy!

Served with cold chicken, pickles and beets – and now we have some left over…

Photo taken with my new camera – a Finepix T200

Edited with Kim Klassen’s “Lilly” texture!!

Sleeping with the enemy!

Rosie — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 14:48:40 +0000

Does anyone else have pets who pretend to get along but beat other up when you’re out?! That’s the only explanation for Millie and Shadow… Shadow’s a complete swine and really ready with the “paws” – he’ll box anything his size, bigger or smaller. Millie’s an attack-dog in her head, but can be really cowardly too… Hmmm – so this is quite a rare capture!

I wonder what that cat’s thinking?

Gratitude…

Rosie — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 13:23:47 +0000

I am feeling content today – there’s the wonderful aroma of good food cooking, family gathered, DD’s napping and DH is playing on the Wii. Life is good and I am so grateful for the abundance we have.

Merry Christmas to you all and a very Happy New Year… ♥

And the winner is…

Rosie — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:23:25 +0000

I had 9 entries into the MMS giveaway draw – here are the names written down and put into a bowl.

And the name that came out is:

Julie Watson! Congratulations, Julie. Please let me have your email address so I can contact My Memories and let them know you have won! I bet you’ll have an enormous amount of fun over the Christmas Holidays, taking pics and making layouts! Making memories for your family!! :)

For those of you who entered and didn’t win this time, I shall be hosting another giveaway next year, so stay in touch!!

Happy Holidays and I wish you all the very best for 2012! ♥

Regrets? I have a few…

Rosie — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:01:23 +0000

Just messing about with words and numbers really! For Take a Word this week – “Sepia”…

I’ve always thought this woman is pretty eerie! Thanks to Bonnie Zieman for the textures and to Photoshop Warrior for the tutorial which showed me how to create a ‘classic photo effect’!

The images are all from Elizabeth Golden (Last door down the hall) – thank you!

Please note: I shall be drawing the winning name for the My Memories Suite digital scrapbooking software tomorrow, so if you want to be in with a chance of winning, please go HERE and enter!

You are so boo-tiful!

Rosie — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 11:10:06 +0000

I am enjoying a very loving relationship with my DD’s new kitten – Boo – at the moment, as he doesn’t live here and I can see him grow via the photos she takes with her Blackberry! I then demand those and set to work playing around with them…

It may have started life as a blurry, not so great image, but I love how it has transformed into such an adorable image, right? Ah… the magic of Kim Klassen’s textures and some judicious blending of layers with Photoshop!

I used Zuzu and Edward from the 12 days of textures that Kim is giving us each day in the run up to Christmas. What a generous gift indeed!

Oh and the font? Adorable… yep, that’s what it’s called – so apt!! ♥

On a commercial note, I do have a Custom Pet Portrait service, available through my Etsy shop. Happy Holidays!!

Stormy weather…

Rosie — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 10:59:41 +0000

I was thinking about what a week of pretty foul weather we’ve had here in the West Country this past week… Admittedly, we haven’t had snow per se, although there was a light snow shower on Tuesday night in Milton Damerel, just enough to coat the cars’ windscreens, but it has been epically windy – even for here – and a constant battering on the psyche wears you down eventually.

We have two old-ish dogs – a Yorkie and a German Shepherd – both of which have appeared on my blog in photos and layouts, and on Wednesday night at around 11pm, there was the most horrendous thunderclap, which literally shook the house. It felt like an explosion had happened nearby. I have no objection to a Yorkie landing in my lap, quivering with terror, but fighting off a 40- kg. (85lbs. approx.) male dog, in a similar condition, is no joke! (It’s a funny visual though…)

Luckily, there were only 4 more thunderclaps and then just the persistent howling of the wind down the chimney, plus rain and the occasional hail shower, for the rest of that night…

Ergo, my haiku this week is dedicated to the tenacity of weather fronts in general!

The mighty wind roars -

thunderclaps, Nature’s applause -

power clearly shown…

I got the lovely image HERE.

For more haiku, go to Recuerda mi corazon, hosted by the lovely Rebecca.