MY DEAREST HUSBAND'S ART BIO - click for a larger view! 

MY ART GALLERY BIO - click for a larger view!

CAT AND MOUSE PAINTING COMPLETE

I've had a lot of fun making this painting, using ArtRage. This will be printed out on a 16 x 20 canvas and I will add to it to enhance. I'm so impressed with the power of ArtRage - if you have an artist inside you, waiting to get out, then you would love to go to www.artrage.com and download the free version and paint your own masterpiece today. Now, if you are to do this, and become addicted to the dreamy, creamy oils in ArtRage, then you simply have to have a wacom tablet - because who wants to paint with a mouse? This would be like trying to wash your hair with mittens on! A wacom is a graphics tablet and pen. You can check one of these babies out at www.wacom.com All you need to get started is the 4 x 5. Once you 'paint' with a pen and tablet you may retire your mouse forever. I've heard tell too that the pen is much easier on those who suffer from arthritis or carpal tunnel. Besides getting the pen and tablet, you recieve a bundle of software, which purchased alone would be about the same price as with the tablet - about $100.

Today is biograhpy day. Miles and I need to have our biographies prepared for the upcoming show at our local art gallery. The show is called "A Few of Our Favorite Things" We will submit two items. One is a marriage of our talents, Miles photography and my acrylic painting enhancing the scene. My painting is called "A Nice Hot Cuppa" and when the show is over I will upload here to share with you.

MY SWEET LITTLE FRIENDS!

This is my latest scrapbook layout!

CLICK ON IT TO MAKE IT LARGER!

Papers and Elements and decorative letters are from the Rubber Duckie kit by the EKG gang SBB

Date Stamp courtesy of Deb F. from her blog site. TFS!

UNC GETS NEW PEEPERS!

Recently my Aunt sent me an email to inform me that my Uncle had bought a new pair of glasses - the first in a very long time, and, something modern and classy! We had been speculating if he would choose something cool - and he did not disappoint. Unc - your specs make those news reporter's glasses we saw on Global during the election look like chicken wire...

MY FIRST ANIME OR MANGA OR - WHATEVER YOU CALL IT!

This is what I have been doing for the past two days - in the time between helping Dearest Husband (at least I THINK its helping...) and life's neccesary efforts. I've refined my processes a bit and can see that its not a hopeless challenge. I decided to create an ANIME or MANGA theme - basically a sort of Japanese inspired comic art. Its the thing with kids these days. If you would like to learn more you can go to this website:

http://www.polykarbon.com/tutorials/index.htm

1. I did my first sketch in ArtRage and exported it as a png.
2. I drew my lines using a vector layer in Acrylic.
3. I painted the comic in Photoshop.

Hope you enjoy watching me grow! I'm afraid it's got my attention to the exclusion of other projects for now. I will keep you all posted! :)

VEXING VECTORS

It may not look like much. Marvel Comics would not seek me out just yet, but its a milestone for me. This is a drawing using VECTORS. Vectors are lines that you draw in certain software programs. They will not degrade in quality if you have to enlarge them. If you've ever looked at a children's coloring book, chances are they are vector lines. Making them is a challenge, and a big learning curve is involved. Miles is currently working on a website - one that will be a true showcase of his talent as a web designer and he has asked me to make some illustrations using vectors to create some downloadable coloring pages, as well as some drawings that could be used to create a simple animaton.

I had downloaded a program a few months ago, a program which has a new tool called a b-spline on it. The company said that the b-spline would be a useful new implement to make smooth lines, and I determined that THIS was the program I wanted to use. Miles has been impressed at my determination and sheer 'doggedness' (stubborness, really) to learn. I have noticed him donning his earphones a few times through my ramblings and tirades. I won't even check if he is actually listening to music or just 'cancelling' me out.

I think it will be interesting from here, and I will keep you all posted.

The other things that have kept me 'glued' are my newly paid membership at Scrapbook-bytes.com It was a Valentines gift from my friend Sonya - who lives in California. Sonya and I have been friends on the internet for over a year now, and she and I visit almost daily. I almost cried on my graphics tablet when i got the notice that she paid my subscription. Wuv U Son!

My other new toy is a full version of ArtRage. Miles bought it for me and I am currently working on a pastel portrait of him. Wow, its hard to create a likeness of someone you know and love. He's stopped giving me loving feedback so that his head stays on his neck. I want to be meek and graceful but its not working. I want my first complete painting to be of him, then I will display the rest of my 'stuff' for you all to see.

Miles has just printed off some of our photographs. We are entering some into the next art show at the gallery, opening March 3rd. He's also working on several websites and I will give links when they are complete...

Please leave me a comment if you can!

POST VALENTINES RAMBLINGS

I'm posting the last graphics challenge I did, another ATC (Artist Trading Card) This is Mikey roaring like a wild animal, so I simply helped him out with some fur around his face.


So, have you been faithfully checking back to see what the TOP SECRET things were? Well, I can give you the goods now. A few weeks ago while I was picking up some small items at our local dollar store I saw they had some HUGE four foot helium "I love you" balloons, so I paid for them right there and then. On Valentines I went to the store and purchased a chocolate bar and a candle shaped like kissing lips and tied them to one of the balloons and took it to Miles at his school. He was embarassed and happy about that! The students loved it too. The other balloon I took home to add to our display.

Miles came home at noon to take me out to lunch. At that time while he was in another room, the doorbell rang, and it was a reporter from our local newspaper. She took a picture of us with our display to be published next week. Miles was kinda shy about this, because he will also be in the Oliver paper this week for his work with the gifted students he teaches there.

While we were out to lunch at a sweet little sidestreet restaurant, I confessed to him that I was going to have a LONG, LONG nap as I had not been able to sleep the two nights before, due to the excitement of making plans. He grinned when I said this, but did not say anything at this time. Then when we got home he gave me a gift and some news. The gift was a professional print of a painting I had created of our wedding. The news was that he took the afternoon off to be with me. How sad...I had to nap away one hour of our precious time. He also rented a movie too, and we spent a quiet afternoon together. This was very special because he had to work in the evening.

I also got another gift on Valentines, that entirely touched my heart. My friend Sonya from California - fellow scrapbooker, bought me a paid subscription for Scrapbook-bytes. I near cried on my graphics tablet.

This morning I cleaned my office area up...shoosh, it needed it pretttyyy bad...but I did not have to do it alone. My sweet friend Alison got to looking for a paper at her household too...and in the process started a spring cleaning blitz...by noon we had things really going. I had to do errands downtown, but she worked all day. She may still be at it for all we know.

MY VALENTINES SURPRIZE!

This is a big day for us at the Derksen household. I have a tradition each year of making something special for Miles. I think it started one year when we were really short of money - I was forced to be creative in a gift. It has just stuck, and these years later I've found out its not just Miles who's looking forward, the entire neighborhood is waiting to see what will be outside this year. I enlisted the help of our neighbors to come first thing to hang the poster up...but it was so early that the dew on the garage door prevented them from taping it up, and they ended up anchoring it to the ground with several big rocks. I understand they tried to tape it to the van, the front door, but to no avail, it was too wet. I still have one more surprize that I have to go downtown for yet, won't let the cat out of the bag here in case Miles sends anyone to this blog! (wink, wink!) The three pictures here are of the original scrapbook layout I made on the computer, the second picture is the garage door done up, and the third is a close up of the beautiful roses I created from our tent poles, metallic gift wrap, green paper streamers and coat hangers. Hope you enjoy! Have a wonderful, romantic Valentines and DO SOMETHING for your hunny - trust me, even if they SAY they don't need it, they will LOVE it, and you will get more joy than you give. God Bless!

VALERIE'S KIDS ARE JUST SO 'SCRAPPABLE'!

This is Gabrielle 'hamming it up', which I understand her mommy says she does all the time. In fact....she has another picture I am dying to get my hands on - where Gabrielle has 'decorated' her brother too. He does not look willing or impressed in the least!

FOR MY SWEET FRIEND VALERIE

I created this layout for a calendar crop challenge last night at Scrapbook-bytes.com.

A BIT OF THIS AND A BIT OF THAT

First I'll give ya the good news - our friend Valerie is coming to visit today. Valerie used to live here in Osoyoos and we were close. Unfortunately Osoyoos does not have much to offer in the way of good employment so Valerie moved back to Quebec. Well, obviously it was only unfortunate for us...as Valerie has since found a wonderful Man and has had three beautiful children. Uh, does not seem like she is suffering from her choice in any way.

The bad news? Its just sort of a rant on my part. I experienced a severe 'hanger tangle' this a.m. You know - we've all had one...when we are in a hurry in the closet to hang something up, you grab a hanger from within a bunch and it in turn grabs the ones next to it and no matter how hard you try you cannot seperate the one you want. The furthest you will get will be to dislodge 1/2 dozen together and they wind up at your feet. Sheesh.

Would love you to leave a comment and tell me about your RANT! :)

MY FIRST 'OFFICIAL' ATC

Last night at Scrapbook-bytes the challenge scrap was to create an ATC. Basically an ATC is an ARTIST TRADING CARD, and the concept is getting more exosure as artists everywhere take ownership of this idea. You can learn more about ATCs at the following link: http://www.cedarseed.com/air/atc.html

I've created mine as sort of an expression of who I am. I used a combination of ArtRage www.artrage.com and Photoshop.

MY LATEST SCRAPBOOK PAGE

This is my latest scrapbook layout. This one will print out to two 12 inch pages which will fold open in a scrapbook album. This one took me quite a bit of time, but I learned some very useful new techniques. The journalling tells about how Miles was adopted, and how Mom explained this in a way that was very touching. She said that they picked him because he was special! By the way, you can click on any of the pictures in my blog to see them larger. I've included a poem that was passed to me by my sweet friend Sonya Johnston. It reads as follows:

Not flesh of my flesh,

Nor bone of my bone,

But still, miraculously my own.

Never forget for a single minute,

You didn't grow under my heart,

But in it.

Author Unknown

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Sweet Husband of Mine

You have loved me through the years,

Laughed and cried and wiped my tears,

Held me through both good and bad,

Shared with me of all you have,

Stood by my side, day out and in,

Loved my heart, forgiven sin,

You love the person I call me,

With passion unconditionally,

I look forward as the years unfold,

To wear with pride your ring of gold,

And be with you and by your side,

To share with you in joy and pride,

Our marriage together - our precious treasure,

Each day special and a pleasure,

I find my happiness measured through you,

Has grown more since we said "I do"

Thank you my dear, sweet husband for always being there for me. For loving me as the "spoiled princess" that you have enabled me to be. I awake every day with a joy and excitement that is multiplied when I share it with you. I love you with a passion that cannot be expressed in words alone.

Except Thou build it, Father,The house is built in vain;Except Thou, Saviour, bless it,The joy will turn to pain;But none can break the marriageOf hearts in Thee made one,And the Love Thy Spirit hallowsIs endless love begun.

AN OLD DOG LEARNS NEW TRICKS

My latest project is a double page layout about Miles being adopted. He was SUCH a cute baby. The pictures I've chosen were in boring old b & w so I've tried my hand at colorizing the largest one. The process is not so bad really - perhaps I will even write a tutorial on it. Let me know what you think!

By the way...I don't believe I have ever given a link to my virtual second-home, thats Scrapbook Bytes and you can visit me there at www.scrapbook-bytes.com
My username is lalalime and you can search the gallery to view all my layouts.

A KODAK MOMENT

This is my latest layout - a tribute to Dez for her birthday. Hope you enjoy!