Dianes Creative Mix Up

MFD texture set by Fictional Bookshelf

2011-08-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

I love the Morphing Fantasy Dress, so Many possibilities in a single clothing item. Recently, I discovered a mix and match texture set created by Marissa of Fictional Bookshelf that is Waay cool! Beautiful Greens and Golds, that can be combined endlessly, I Love it! I sent her a render, and she posted it on her blog. You can see the blogpost and download her textures here:
Fictional Bookshelf Blog

Click on the image to see it larger.

Judging a book by it's cover

2011-07-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

I picked this book up because I loved the cover. And know they say you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but this time it was Great! So much so that I ended up reading another book by the same author and loved that too! Both are magical fantasy books, very fast reads, and were a great find! Here's a link to a review of Amaranth Enchantment. It's kind of a Cinderella story.

So if you're looking for something in the fantasy realm that's based on a fairy tale, you might want to take a peek at these. They are both by Julie Berry. And if you want to take a look at her website, the Link is here.
And her blog is here.

Experiments in Lighting

2011-07-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

I've been playing around with sparkly lights. I want to make her wings look more glittery. The gorgeous character is Syrah by addy, outfit is Steampunk, hair is Nannette & wings by fabiana. Click on image to see a close-up.

Star Wreck

2011-07-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

A Silly Parody for your viewing pleasure!

GoAnimate.com: Star Wreck by phaedrusalt

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

Kelly's Journal Classes

2011-06-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd start posting some of my older works here that were done in other classes taught by Kelly Kilmer. She's The Major Influence in my Art Journaling, I find something new every time I take one of her classes. She doesn't do "project" style classes, they are more about discovering your own style and bringing it forward.

Here's a sampling from her Soul Collage Cards class(above). I like this size, because it's smaller, less intimidating. And you can actually come out with a deck of cards in a short time. Really fun!

The one on the left is from her Altered Books Class. I used a lot of actual materials, like leaves, and flower petals and ribbon in this one.

Click on the images to enlarge.

A Life Made By Hand

2011-06-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

These are pages from "A Life Made by Hand", early last year and, I tried to focus on the composition of the page, and keep the messages simple.

I did something a little bit different, because I worked on loose pages rather than a bound book, and then when I was done, I bound them using a spiral binder. It was handier for carrying around, and I stuffed everything into a cigar box. So there's a lot of cut up stuff in this one.

I called this one "My Life in Comix". One of the women in the class (Dixie) had posted this link on her blog, where you could create your own comics on the Web. So I did that, printed it, and created a page about it. This is how I imagined I'd look as a cartoon character.

Some Journal Covers

2011-06-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

A couple of journal covers, the one on the left is from Journal Bliss. It has a microscope slide and a tiny glass bottle wired thru an eyelet. The one on the right is the Goddess journal. I loved this one because of the interesting shape, very feminine.

Hooked on Polyvore

2011-06-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

I am hooked on this site Polyvore, every time I inadvertently go there, I end up spending Tons of time looking through all of their stuff! It's partly because it's web collage, very similar to what's in my art journals, but also because it shows a lot of the same themes we see in media and I guess we're sort of brainwashed about what we should be paying attention to.

Lately, I 've been looking at extending my "stuck in the rut" color schemes, so these give me more of an idea on what can be done. And, I love that even though it's focused on fashion, a lot of the people who create sets using their tools, are seeing them more as tools for expressing themselves.

(I'm happy that I Finally figured out how to get this to display as two images with the text on the sides.)

Naiad, a cool character

2011-06-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

Just got this character by Liquid Rust, and had to do a render with her! And one of my favorite hairstyles, it's Ophelia.
Just added this beautiful free dress, it's a really nice one from Rose2000. Here's the link:
Rose's Dreamwalker Dress

Artfully Recycled ATCs

2011-06-26T16:11:00.000-07:00

These are ATC's made from toilet paper rolls, and old book pages. First off I have to say that I LOVE making art out of recycled materials, I get a thrill when finding junk and turning into something (like a special form of Alchemy). So, I was inspired by Monica Zuniga, of Hands and Heart, who created a group for Artful Recycling. You take things that you'd normally throw away and make them into something. I put the link for her group on the right, but you can take a look at her instructions & beautiful works of art that she created here:
ATC instructions from tp rolls

Music to Wake Up to

2011-06-21T06:21:00.000-07:00

Dog Days Are Over

Yikes! White Space

2011-06-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

OK, so after the last few pages I decided to make a simple page with Lots of white space. So then, I suddenly get a Terrible case of Writer's block, something which Never happened before! I realized that if I left a large white space, I felt compelled to say something Profound and Important! So, I left a blank spot for "future profound thoughts" and covered up the rest with a paperdoll :)

Window Page and Inner Voice

2011-06-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

Here's a window fold out page, made with the inside of an envelope. The pocket is made from a transparency. The page on the right is called "Inner Voice", and it's all about the arguments that I perpetually have with myself. After I did these 2 pages I decided that my journal pages look too cluttered, and I'm trying to figure out a way to keep more blank space for writing.

Edwardian Red Paisley

2011-06-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've done any 3D, and I really missed it, so here's a render of David 3, in his Edwardian suit. The texture is free from "Old Fashioned Woman", really goes nicely with the vest. You can get it here: Edwardian Paisley Texture
The clothes are a mix and match of the Edwardian Casual and Edwardian Evening suits. Hair is Cuffed Tail 2. The D3 model is Trey and the texture is Boyd. If you want to see the image larger, just click on it.
I ended up redoing the render because I didn't like his face, and I thought the lighting was too dark. Same outfit with the default David 3 (not Trey), and better lighting.

Journal Pages - About Hats

2011-06-02T16:39:00.000-07:00

These are a couple of Before and After pages I did about hats. It all started when they made such a big deal about Princess Beatrice's hat at the Royal Wedding, and how everyone was focusing on that, and come on, it's just a Hat! So then I started speculating why I'm not a hat person, maybe it's too hot here. But anyway, I decided that if I were a hat person, I'd wear a cap like the brown one on the "Make a Wish" page.

Seeing the Positive in the Negative

2011-05-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

This entry was prompted by my recent conversation with my friend Jennifer. She was talking about how to try to stay positive when negative things were happening. And I was reminded of something my hubby said to me, that I shared with her. He'd told me once that my leg injury turned out to be a good thing. And I was shocked when he said that because, how could that ever be considered a good thing? Then he reminded me that after that happened, I started to play the piano, choreograph, compose music, draw, and do computer graphics. And if it hadn't happened, I probably would've been content to just keep dancing and never try any of those other things. And I had to admit in looking back, that he's right. We tend to follow the same familiar pathway of activities because they work for us, and only venture out to the unfamiliar because we have to.

I did a "before and after" of the collage, so I could see how the handwriting changed the design of the page. Page was done with scrapbook paper, tissue paper, magazine images, wrapping paper, glue stick and pens.

Kitty Hugs

2011-05-28T13:46:00.001-07:00

Too cute for words!

"A Knock on the Door" by Duirwaigh Studios

2011-05-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

I'd forgotten about this beautiful video "A Knock on the Door". If you love fairies, Celtic music and an uplifting message, you're in for a treat! They also have a sequel to this video, so if you want to see more, here's the link to their site:

Duirwaigh Studios Film Page

Kelly's Journey Of You Class - Cover

2011-05-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

Whoo Hoo! Kelly's teaching an online class that I couldn't resist. In case you haven't heard of her, she's an Amazing Art Journal instructor, and is the one responsible for getting me addicted to Art Journaling. You can see the link to this class description in my Links list (to the right). I'll be posting my pages from the class here on my blog. I'm probably going to do them as "before and afters". I want to get better at incorporating my writing as a design element on the page, something that she's so good at!
Here's the cover of an easy pamphlet stitch book that I made for it. Supplies were: scrapbook paper (shh! wasn't supposed to), tape which my sis brought back for me from Japan, rubber stamps, pens, color pencils, a sticker, and some rub-on letters.

Another Piano Piece "Enchantment"

2011-05-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

Here's another piano piece titled "Enchantment". I like the minor key sound, sad and suspended. I think I saved it because I thought it'd inspire a variation. Again, it is me playing, but not my composition.

Click Here to Play "Enchantment"

Beatbox and Cello, What a Great Combo!

2011-05-09T16:18:00.000-07:00

I love unusual combinations, and think this is Awesome! Kevin Olusola, a classically trained cellist, combining his music with beatbox

Tuning into My Inner Soundtrack

2011-05-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

I’d turned to my piano, when I wasn’t able to dance, telling myself it was a substitute. So, after I'd started taking dance classes again, I didn't feel compelled to continue with my music. My piano got dusty. But recently, when I heard my own songs again, I reconnected to something that I'd left behind, a sense of resonance.

It’s something I can’t quite explain. And the closest description is a feeling of “waking up”. It’s a shifting of focus, and improves my ability to “see” with my inner eye. I noticed that, while my drawings focused on characters, my music sought out landscapes (water, rain, bells). And that brought me to a new vantage point. I call it "Tuning into my inner soundtrack". It feels like remembering something I’d forgotten, so there’s a sense of coming home.

I think that I let go of it because I felt out of step with the music that I hear commercially. In this age of constant media, it’s easy to compare ourselves unfavorably with what’s out there. Now I realize that’s kind of the point. I wouldn’t be able to find my songs; so I’d have to create them for myself.

I wanted to post this piece, written and performed by my cousin, who is a major creative influence in my life. Her song "Don't Let the Song Go Out of Your Life" reminds me that I need to hang onto my unique experience.

Don't Let the Song Go Out of Your Life by Eileen Uchima

Some Clothing textures for Jan's 1930s dress

2011-05-04T00:04:00.000-07:00

Jan created this beautiful 1930's style dress and I wanted to make some lace textures for it. But, I got carried away with the colors. Click on the picture to see it larger.

A Musical Piece that I Can't Remember the Title Of

2011-05-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I found another piece hidden in my piano, and don't know the title. It's not my composition, but I liked it, so I'm posting it here. And it is me playing. I'll try to find out more and amend the post later.

Click here to play the Music

Maggie Stiefvater is My Hero (and Funny Too!)

2011-04-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

I love her stuff! She did the stop motion trailer art for the book she wrote; and composed and played the music for it! WOW!! And if you liked this one, check out her Play Doh version, too funny!

Beautiful Mucha Dress

2011-04-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

This was a free dynamic dress from natrix that was so Beautiful, I Had to do a render with her. Oh so Pretty! If you click on the picture, you can see a larger version.

Amazing Views from The Mountain

2011-04-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

These time lapse photos make me wish I could see them that way in real life. The clouds look like waves on the ocean. This one's worth seeing in full-screen mode. So Beautiful!

A Mountain Forest as a Musical Instrument

2011-04-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

This is So Cool and Amazing! They used the Forest downhill slope to cause the xylophone to play. I Love it! It even includes, key changes, Wow!

Another Of My Music Pieces

2011-04-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

Here's another one of my music compositions, that was sitting on my piano, and finally transferred to my computer. I remember the challenge that I set for myself for this piece was to start with only the black keys. And from what I learned from my cousin who is a musician, this gives the song an "open" feeling.

Click Here to Play my Song

P.S. (This song has a fairly long silence at the beginning which I don't know how to edit out)

The Virtual Choir

2011-04-07T16:15:00.000-07:00

This piece moved me to tears because it showed how power of the human voice can reach out and touch us. Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir of 185 singers from people around the world singing together. It's about connection, and sharing.
To hear about the back story behind the music, click on the link below:
The story about the Virtual Choir

And here's the piece Lux Aurumque on YouTube.

Sadie Head on Lores Girl Body

2011-04-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

OK, so here's another thing I learned from Brian Haberlin's Webinar, about "Frankensteining" one head onto another body, and keeping all the morphs from the original head. Here's Sadie's head, pasted onto the Lores Girl's body. And she follows and still can do all of her expressions.

Because I Love the Puffs Pals Kids

2011-04-01T17:23:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday I listened to a great Webinar with Brian Haberlin, and he talked about how he created variations on his 3d characters using the stock characters built-in to Poser. It inspired me to try out some of his methods.

I’ve always loved the little characters in the Puffs (Kleenex) commercials, and really wanted to make one of my own. So, I used Sammy. This is what I came up with. I still have more work to do, but I’m really happy with the how the base character turned out.

Rediscovering My Music

2011-04-01T16:33:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, a friend of mine and I were talking about how much we loved music, dance and art. She talked about composing her music in Garage Band, and it reminded me that a while back when I couldn't dance, I'd composed some piano pieces. So, when I got home, I looked back and realized that I'd left those pieces stored on my piano! So, here comes hubby to the rescue, and he figured out how to convert my files, so I could save them and transfer them into midi files. And I thought I'd post one of my compositions here.

Click Here to Play my Song

Red Riding Hood

2011-04-01T16:28:00.000-07:00

I Love fairy tales, they inspire me to create art. Maybe because they evoke memories of childhood, maybe because the tales can be innocent or dark depending on your focus. I participated in an ATC swap and here are my cards. The sketch was from my journal

Fits and Starts

2011-04-01T16:08:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I started a blog at DevHub, and had to abandon it, due to lack of technical support. So I'm restarting here! I'm hoping to post my current "works in progress"; and they can range anywhere from drawing, 3d, music, dance, books, programming, whatever catches my interest at the moment. I hope you'll have a chance to stop by for a visit.