Dragonfly - Take a Word Challenge: Insects

Credits: TBaxter Flora Finery, Botanicals Summer, Flypaper edgers

Sometimes things are connected in unexpected ways, and so it is with this tune and the challenge theme. I'm  more inclined to believe the tune is coming from deeper places and so too the colors and textures of the layout, less so the obvious content or verse. So sit back and enjoy the man of the world in his hey day before his beauty was swallowed up...

As always, thanx for stopping by for a peek! 

peace, 

pam

Remains of the Days...

Not much left in the garden and with the temps going into the 40'sF tonight, it's almost certain that few flora and fauna will grace my place before next spring. But, this zinnia was there yesterday and the painted ladies were still there 2 days ago, well the smaller one anyway, so in the spirit of extending their memory for joy's sake, I created some photos for note cards and tried out some grunge textures recommended by Beth Conklin. I usually make my own grunge overlays, but these offer a lot more variety and nuance...love them so far!

As Always, thanx for stopping by to take a peek!

peace, 

pam

Guilt - #2 Character Series

...the act does not make a person guilty unless the mind is 

also guilty... Latin legal term

"We have a strange illusion that mere time cancels sin. But mere time does nothing either to the fact or to the guilt of a sin" 

-- C.S. Lewis

My god has shown his sympathy for all the spirits lost

I'll pray for salvation and peace for ages

Standing in the summer breeze inhaling life again

A new day has come

A chance to relive

Forget and forgive

Somebody hides inside my mind

We're bound together

But this is my confession

Soulmate or enemy

A thorn in my religion

Release my heart, unfold my tongue

Save a place for me in heaven we'll meet another day

I found forgiveness and the meaning of it all

My fear is gone

Gone

My god has shown his sympathy for all the spirits lost

I'll pray for salvation and peace for ages

Standing in the summer breeze inhaling life again

A new day has come

A chance to relive

Forget and forgive

Kamelot - My Confession Lyrics from MetroLyrics 

As always, thanx for stopping by to take a peek!

peace, pam

Treachery   #1 Character Series

Credits:  BRimmer Frosted Fairy tale; FCD Blown Away;  Pink Lotty journal papers

Dante Aligheri -- Divine Comedy, The Inferno

Treachery, is the ninth Circle of Hell. "This last circle is dedicated to those people who betrayed their loved ones, friends, bestfriends, countries, cities, guests, and even to their masters.  Dante and Virgil come upon a vast frozen lake, as clear as glass—Cocytus. In the ice, souls stand frozen up to their heads, their teeth chattering. (This) First Ring of the Ninth Circle of Hell is called Caina (after Cain, who, as Genesis recounts, slew his brother, Abel), where traitors to their kin receive their punishment." 

"Third Ring, Ptolomea, which houses those who betrayed their guests. The souls here lie on their backs in the frozen lake, with only their faces poking out of the ice. Dante feels a cold wind sweeping across the lake,  ...although these individuals have not yet died on Earth, their crimes were so great that their souls were obliged to enter Hell before their time; devils occupy their living bodies above ground."

http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/inferno/section12.rhtml

Madeleine Peyroux : "Love and Treachery"

I put on my gloves tonight, pull onto the road to San Berdu
They remind me of hustlers, confidence men, and you
My hands are warm beneath them, and easy on the wheel
Without your love and treachery the calm is all I feel

I shiver in the mirror, pull my belt across my hips
The leather's hard in bending as your fingers to my lips
I wrap it tightly in defense as if your arms were near
But for your love and treachery there's nothing left to fear

As always, thanx for stopping by to take a peek!

peace, pam

My Bedroom Wall 1971

This is a PSE recreation of my bedroom wall from 1971. I painted a mural of Robert Plant with, of all things, poster paint and a sponge which is what I had on hand. I had been ill for many weeks at a time with multiple kidney stones and surgery during the years 1971-72, alternating stays in the hospital and home. Well, even a 17 year old will get bored after a while no matter how illness may otherwise impact her, so paint I did. I actually did it on the wall with the door on it so that my parents would not see it if they stood in the doorway. They eventually did see it of course, my dad liked it and even suggested the colors for the other walls in the room, and my mom rather tolerated my behavior.  After I left home, the mural was painted over with creme paint but before they painted, they did take a photo. This PSE layout is done with that photo and you can see the date: "May '77" stamped in the lower left corner by the photo developer.  The mural is clearly amateurish as I had no art training, but it was done with a lot of heart.

Bron-Y-Aur Stomp

Little known fact: The song is about Plant walking in the woods with his blue-eyed Merle dog named Strider, named after Aragorn (often called Strider in the books) from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

As always, thanx for stopping by and taking a peak!

peace, pam

painted lady butterfly

Butterflies in the Air

This is my second you tube video and I think I'm happy with it, given that I'm still in practice mode. There's been a pair of Painted Lady butterflies in my yard yesterday and today, feeding on the Mexican Sunflowers. The flowers are really faded and the bees have been visiting daily but in few numbers due to the cool weather. But yesterday and today have been warmer and these guys were a pleasant surprise. They were not too shy and when they did flit away, they came right back. Yes, the butterflies were not the problem this time, it was my canon bridge that just would not focus for me, so I went to video mode, it worked better. 

Turn on the volume, watch her dance to the dainty notes, and enjoy!

As always, thanx for stopping by to take a peek!

peace, pam

Page - Three Muses Challenge

Altered Playing Cards

I was late with this challenge and actually was going to skip over it this week. But then, I picked it back up this evening and finished. 

What's this about?  Ah! I fell in love with electric guitars at the ripe age of 16 when Led Zeppelin put out their second album. The song was Heartbreaker and the guitar hypnotized me, really. Then played Living Loving Maid, then Whole Lotta Love. I developed a taste for the Rock of many groups beside them but that's a really long story. I eventually fell in love with violin too. 

 Credits: TFS Cartes de Jeu, TBaxter and KPertiet grunge borders, 

and Page pic is by Cynthia Blair

This video is Led Zeppelin in 1969 taped while they were live on a Danish radio station. No background noise, it's really quite good if you are a fan, and Jimmy is on target with the guitar, playing pretty clean, little slop. 

In case you want to share this video, the you tube link is:

http://youtu.be/UNVRIPgfRNE

As always, thanx for stopping by to take a peek!

peace, 

pam

New Backgrounds

Early Autumn in Michigan this year and I am missing the flora and fauna already. There are still some zinnias in the garden as they tend to do well until October or even November at times. I took some one of the lavender zinnias and played with my light box, did some more magic and came up with some new ATC backgrounds. 

Also, trying to find the best way to present my bookmarks, for those like me who still like the smell and feel of real  books rather than electronic ones. The bookmarks are made, of course, from photos taken in my garden...

I was browsing through the artist blogs and noted Johanna created some inspiring art which was a tribute to Leonard Cohen as his Birthday was September 21.  I can't fine a really good video of him doing Hallelujah but found this rendition by Jeff Buckley a few years back and feel it to be the most moving cover of the tune. He starts singing at 1:20, sit back and enjoy!

As always, thanx for stopping by!

peace, pam

Indiana Jane Steampunked

Take a Word Challenge

Credits, Xquizart dolls; BRimmer Steampunk Harvest, Steampunk Art Dolls,

 Steamtown Detectives; FCD Art Journaling Tiles; Mr Whisker Steampunk 3

Thank you! thank you everyone for your kindness, your generosity in comments, you are all a fabulous bunch!   I am so very fortunate and grateful, to have found Three Muses and Take a Word...it's been re-fueling my creativity which I need so much at this time in my life. You all are tops!!

As always, thanx for taking a peek !

peace, 

pam

The Caged Bird's Kindred Spirit

I sat down with the sole purpose of using one of my new over-sized ATC backgrounds (created of course from garden photos) in a layout and arrived at this piece. There was no plan...I just started and I think the vote in Scotland this past week must have been sitting at the back burners of my mind. Now, I have no opinion on the subject, though I know I had been curious about its history. Moreover, I have long-standing strong opinions about confinement of wild animals, even with good intentions, even fish in aquariums. That started with a book I read in the '80's called King Solomon's Ring by Konrad Lorenz, and Austrian Scientist. He discusses many issues about animals and their likeness to humans, including "ways in which a pet's captivity can make it miserable and explains how to avoid each of theses causes of discontent." (Wiki)

Then, when I Googled caged birds I found the poem by Maya Angelou "I know why the caged bird sings"...she of course was speaking of people.

Credits: Xquizart Sunshine kisses; Holliewood Beast of Burden, Once upon a time add on,

 Sign of the Times; Cryztal Rain Food Journal; Redju Botanical Garden; Mr Whiskers Bird Cages

As always, thanx for stopping by and taking a peek!

peace, pam

Roses -Three Muses Challenge

This is one of my floral cards from this summer... Just a rose from my garden, extracted, background created in PSE...  :)

and here are 2 ATCs and a few ATC backgrounds I made from the same rose:

Credits for doll and text: itkupilli imaginarium

Credits: FCD Gothic Fairy Children

As always, thanx for taking a peek!

peace, 
pam

Bee Photo Op

Still unseasonably chilly today, but the sun came out and by  late afternoon, it was warm enough for some of the surviving bees to come out and play in the stone crop. Of course I went out to join them :) These are Green Sweat Bees and yes, they are supposed to be attracted to sweat of some sort...but it really wasn't me, really :) They are so very photogenic!

Eyes  Take a Word Challenge: Windows

Credits: Crowabout Studio, Mr Whiskers Garden, FCD Bees, Pink Lotty papers, the rest are my 

creations including flowers from my garden :)

I can't say how long I've loved flowers, it seems I may have been born loving them. Now I grow them, photograph them, hang them on my walls, send them and sell them in a next generation form :) So when given the challenge to portray what the word "windows" inspires in me, I found myself using the time-worn expression of the eyes being the window to the soul. There is no one original source for the quote and it's been long known as an English proverb. Some credit Shakespeare, but it's in none of his writings.

So, if someone were to really look into my eyes, I think they would find some flowers...

...then I finished another one today, Sunday...

As always, thanx for stopping by and taking a peek!

Peace, pam

  

Blue Period

Credits: Holliewood Studios Lifestyles, Sign of the Times; background public domain (altered), I cannot recall where 

I got the overlay but if you believe it to be yours, please email me and I will give you credit. 

I had a friend recently post how the change of seasons from summer to fall often had an emotional impact on her, and she was in a "funk" over the weekend. I did this last year, never posted it because I thought it was too personal. But I am older this year, losing my self consciousness and decided to share. 

It's called "Blue Period" for the meaning of "blue" we use for sad moods, and because I used mainly blues, whites and browns.  

The name isn't very original: as I recall, a name for the piece didn't come easy and I was influenced by a print in my hall, "Blue Nude" by Picasso that I've had for years. He had a series of paintings that were he used mostly blues: http://www.pablopicasso.org/blue-period.jsp


"The Blue Period of Picasso is the period between 1900 and 1904, when he painted essentially monochromatic paintings in shades of blue and blue-green, ..."

I also love his serigraph, or silkscreen, animals: 

As always, thanx for taking a peek! :)

peace, 

pam

Tea for Two - Three Muses Challenge: Two

Credits: all kits from Tumble Fish Studio and Holliewood Studio

Andre Rieu has a fun rendition of this old 1927 tune:

Thanks for taking a peek!

peace, pam

We Have the Stars  Take a Word Challenge - Birds

I’m not a big enthusiast, but I do like some of the great old movies. One of my favorites is Now Voyager with Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains. 

From Wiki: Now Voyager was selected for the preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The film ranks "23 on the American Film Institute's 100 years...100 Passions, a list of the top love stories in American cinema. 

And at the end of the movie when the lovers are saying their goodbye at the window, and they agree to remain apart with infrequent visits for the sake of his child (he's married), Jerry asks: 

“And will you be happy, Charlotte?”

And she responds, “Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars.”

Credits:  Birds are mine, background from public domain, light bulb  is from 

Altered Emporium, overlay is Christina Renee

As always, thanx for taking a peek!

Peace, pam

The scene from the movie is posted here, and try to get past the 2 of them blowing smoke in each other's faces. I don't know how that never got edited out, even for the times. 

The entire movie is truly worthwhile. Here's just the clip:

September ATC Swap - Life is a Circus

Front                               Back

 All elements and papers from Halloween at Mischief Circus

Front                               Back

As always, thanx for taking a peek!
peace, pam

Autumn Colors - The Three Muses Challenge 

As much as I dislike the extremes of weather like temps over 90F and below 20F, I still enjoy the 4 seasons and especially the fall. To me spring is busy and fall is calm, even though there is busy work to do like yard clean up, the mood is serene, there is no hurry. So when outdoors in the fall, the temps are usually comfortable, the air is clean and there is more time to spend with nature, my friends.

Credits:  Xquizart Don’t Forget Your Hat Darling, Fruit Punch, altered; Mr. Whiskers Green House; Holliewood Somewhere Else, Knock on Wood, Bird Boxes; Cryztal Rain Hi lightz.

As always, thanx for taking a peek!

Peace, pam

Monarch on Mexican sunflower 2014

Flew away from one flower and landed right in front of me...I was standing verrry still...

a little bit closer, now...

almost face to face!

don't look back...

Above are photos from my front garden this afternoon. There are a pair of Monarchs that have taken up residence here and seem to absolutely love the nectar from the Mexican Sunflowers I started from seed this year.
And this is my very first video clip, created today and uploaded to YouTube. Monarch butterfly feeding on my Mexican Sunflower plant in the garden!

As always, thanx for stopping by and taking a peek!
peace, pam

Desiderata

The one I've had for years tore and the frame cracked. Haven't been able to find a frame or mat board that works. So I created a new background, picked the font, and now have a new Desiderata to hang in a frame that I already have on hand.