Rainy Day Fun

It has been raining (with actual storms Friday night) since Friday afternoon. This is a very uncommon thing around here. Not wanting to venture out and get wet, I instead played inside.

I have had an idea mulling through my brain for the past week or so. I wanted to 'age' one of my lighthouse photos. I have always been facinated by lighthouses and the men and women who committed their lives to maintaining them. What a lonely existance! And what a huge responsibility!

This is the Cape Blanco lighthouse. It is just north of Port Orford, Oregon and sits on the farthest west point on the continental US. Because of very high winds which can easily blow you right off the point, this lighthouse is closed most days. And if it isn't the wind it is the dense fog! It took 3 trips there before we were finally allowed out to view the lighthouse. And even on the 'calm' days, the wind about knocks you down!

Imagine living in such fierce, constant wind that it rocks a concrete block building! And you are living in a clapboard house!!!

So I took my crystal clear, gorgeous blue sky photo and using Photoshop Elements 5, I 'aged' it. I used so many antiquing overlays that I lost count! LOL

I found this lighthouse keeper online. He was listed as 'unknown keeper'. Poor guy, he served his country, keeping his light lit so that ships would be safe and no one remembers his name. So, now he has a home at Cape Blance. I hope he likes it there. I must say, the view is gorgeous! And the lighthouse it beautiful.

If you like lighthouses, check out all of our lighthouse photos at www.tunnel13.com. Oregon has 9 lighthouses and we have been to 7 of them.

I Love Fall!

I can't help myself! I love fall!!!! And my favorite thing is pumpkins!!!

I buy as many as hubby will allow...some years I only get a few, other years I think he loses count and I end up with tons!!!! :-)

I put them on the hearth, the mantle, the dining table, my kitchen counters. A few end up outside on the front step, as bookends by the garage door and lining the front walk.

Their warm orange color just fills me with joy!

Another gorgeous day!

I spent my morning working...not a fun thing to do on a Saturday but when the boss says work overtime you really don't have much choice. :-(

But my reward was to go out afterward to a nearby town for their city-wide yard sale! I didn't find much but it sure was fun to browse! Oh to be rich and come home with all the goodies that caught my eye. And, unfortunately, I forgot to take a camera along...too bad, I saw some cool textures that would have been great for digital art! Oh well, better luck next time.

So, seeing how I am in this digital/fall/Halloween mood, I had another vision brewing in my head!

A friend had sent me a photo of an old woman holding these huge mushrooms many years ago and I have had it tucked away just waiting to use her. Well today she came out of the drawer! And into her own little castle LOL

I turned that poor old woman into the local witch. I removed one of her mushrooms...I swear the thing was bigger than a pie and in the old b&w pic that is what I thought it was the first time I saw it! Very strange LOL I replaced it with her spell book. :-)

So, now she brews up her spells in her tower room overlooking the ocean. Not too shabby. Well maybe a little shabby. It looks like she could use a decent housekeeper....but you know how hard it is to find good help. LOL

Enjoy.
BTW the cat is hubby's cat "Kitty". (imaginative name huh? LOL)

In the Mood for Halloween!

Over night we went from 100 degree days to 60s and 70s. I love it!!!!! Fall is my favorite season. I love the turning of the leaves, the cool nights, the clear skies. And I love decorating!

I am ready to fill my house with pumpkins!!!!!!!

But it also puts me in a 'learning' mood. Maybe a throw back to my school days? No matter the reason, I grabbed several of my Somerset Digital Studio mags and drooled over the images and tutorials and decided, with my new computer up and running, I needed to get back into digital art for a while.

I have been playing around with layers, overlays, creating brushes and just trying out all the buttons I never used before. There have been lots of mistakes! But you gotta love that back feature! WooHooo!

I don't know why (because I am deathly afraid of spiders) but I had a vision of a woman trapped in a web. So, here she is. And I had a blast creating her!

And anyone who knows me knows this is sooooo not my style LOL But I really like it!