Happy Birthday Class of 1970

Saying hi and happy birthday to my high school friends from the class of '70 who, along with moi, turn the big six O this year.  Since we're all celebrating on different days throughout the year I thought, since next week is June 1st and almost the half way point of the year, that this was a good time to wish all of us a good ol' fashioned happy birthday.  Plus on June 1st, I'll turn 59 1/2 which is the magic age when your financial status changes.  It's odd that it's 59 1/2 and not 59 or 60 but none the less, it is an important milestone when it comes to finances.  When you reach 59 1/2 there is no longer a 10% penalty when you withdraw money from a tax deferred plan.  Not that I'm ready to make any withdrawals but nice to know that we've reached the age that we're penalty free!

Happy Birthday Friends.

I processed this in Photoshop with several adjustment layers, filters and textures.  Using the magic wand, I selected the background on the image layer and then added it as a layer mask on one of the texture layers.  I then added a pattern and colorized it.  The text is a free font called The King and Queen.

This is the image Straight out of the camera (SOOC).

Digital Frames

I came across a site where you can download these darling frames for free.  Lots of fun and so many possibilities especially if you are into digital scrap booking.  Click HERE to get these free frames and more.  I opened the frames in Photoshop and then added my own pics each on their own layer.  I made the dog foot prints by using the custom shape tool which is one of the tools listed with the rectangle tools.  I then added patterns and colors to the the foot prints. 

Pattern Play

In Day 25 of Kim Klassen's Beyond Layers class, Kim encouraged us to play with patterns.  A pattern is an image that's repeated or tiled when you use it to fill a layer or a selection.  You install patterns in Photoshop in a similar method to loading brushes or actions.  You can find lots of free Photoshop patterns on line at subtlepatterns.com.

Here's my enhanced Photoshop image -  using a pattern, textures and various adjustment layers.

SOOC

Bakelite mah jongg tile focal

I had so much fun with my practice mah jongg tile necklaces that I ordered some cool, vintage Bakelite tiles from a gal named Bethany from Frankenbeads whom I found on Etsy. We really bonded given that we are both Beth's and both from Cleveland, Ohio.  She didn't know that much about the game of mah jongg so I helped her with the descriptions and to properly name the three suits - Bams, Cracks and Dots.  She in turn did me right on the sale of the tiles.  The tile in the picture below is a Flower and although it has the #1 on it, it is still just a plain old flower with the number being insignificant.

This is a necklace I made with the Bakelite mah jongg tile as one of the focal beads.  I also used a circular semiprecious green jade bead, a green Buddha, and a variegated glass bead as focals.  Hanging from the maj tile are three pieces of sterling chain.  Coral branches hang from the chain as well as a vintage green glass bead.  The necklace closes on the side with a handmade sterling wrapped hook which loops through an old Asian coin.  Semiprecious and some glass beads are all wire wrapped on sterling. 

If you are interested in purchasing this necklace or a similar one, please click HERE to contact me.  Thanks for taking a look and thanks for your support and comments which are so much appreciated.

Flowers in a Jar

This is the image SOOC.  I took this shot of a pretty jar of flowers that was on the counter at Buttonwood Farms Winery in the Santa Ynez Valley where we went wine tasting this past weekend.  

This is my Photoshop processed image of the jar of flowers.  I used several filters, adjustment layers, masks and four layers of two different textures, including one with the word GRATITUDE that I got free from Pixel Dust Photo Art.