My new addiction

I've recently fallen head over heels in love with Photoshop Elements. Just this week I've started an online class with Texas Chicks, and even from the first lesson, I feel the course has been worth it's price! If you are a photo and travel junkie like me...it will change your world.
These were photos from my last African Safari, that I was completely thrilled with at the time.
I am absolutely amazed by what a couple of quick adjustments can do.

Just have to share some of my before & afters with you:

african lady painting

Today I just needed to play, so I painted this little African lady on a book page. I hope to paint some more little African ladies soon.

she flies through the air

In Maui, I climbed to the top of a very high ladder, to a very small platform, I stretched way out and grabbed a heavy bar, I bent my knees, someone yelled "HUP", and I jumped from my platform, and flew through the air on the flying trapeze. (I also screamed the whole way).
This was one of the funnest, most amazing things I've ever done, and I highly recommend running away and joining the circus!

 And here is a little graphic I've made up, inspired by my favorite photo, and a quote that I now adore.

And, here it is on some lovely products in my Society 6 shop! 

more african inspired sketches

I am still spending my free time sketching whimsical African ladies.

 

 

I will probably draw them digitally soon, maybe to create some card sets. I'm not too sure, but they are making me very happy.

 

On to Christmas shopping, baking, and wrapping! 

African Lady

 

 My heart is in Africa, and these days, Africa is calling my name very loudly. I've been doodling lots of African style ladies, but I'm really happy with this one. I haven't decided yet what to do with her. For now, I just enjoy looking at her.

 

 

travel journal

For the last ten days I've been soaking up the sun in southern Thailand. Now I'm home and trying to get caught up on work, life, laundry and sleep. I've just signed up for Fabulous Faces online class. I've got a brand new journal that I can't wait to start working in. I've got all sorts of things I want to get going on, but right now I don't have much to share so thought I would just share a bit of my little travel journal.

 

Filled with ticket stubs, envelopes, boarding passes, maps, business cards, money and other little paper goodness.

#6 - Go to Asia

 

I'm off to Thailand to cross #6 - Go to Asia - off my list.

 

I'll be posting on my travel blog while I'm away, and I have a few posts scheduled here while I'm away, including my list of 25!

 



the big island

I'm off today for a five night work trip in Hawaii - the big island.

Here's a little illustration I created to include with my work report, and also to practice my illustration skills.

 

Looking forward to some sun, sand, and manta rays!

spring seedlings

Spring is still a long way off in my corner of the world, but this mini collection of spring seedlings has been in my head for a while.

 

In the forests of Brazil, I spotted this plant. I was in love with the collection of little circles, with the smaller little circles inside, and right away they became seed pods in my mind.

 

 I sketched and resketched my interpretation of these pods.

 



Until they finally became part of this little spring seedlings collection. I dont love the tree, but the rest of them I'm pretty happy with.

 



Brazil!

Well I'm off to spend the next two weeks travelling through Brazil. I'll be blogging my adventures at www.brazilbriana.blogspot.com

This little graphic was created as a sharpie sketch, scanned and manipulated to become the cover for my little notebook I will be using during the next two weeks. 

Here it is, all blank and ready for an adventure! 

See you in October! 

explore. dream. discover.

When I saw the theme for The Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap, I couldn't wait to get started. 
This time around the theme is DISCOVER, and right away I thought of one of my favorite quotes:


“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

- Mark Twain 

This quote has inspired me often to abandon my fear and go discover.

I sketched out simple shapes of worldwide iconic travel buildings, added acrylic paint, and quick sketchy lines in pen.

Then, even though I'm not very good, and I was worried I was going to mess the whole thing up, I got out my free motion foot, and added sketchy outline's in black thread. 

And I'm pretty happy with it. And extra happy because I'm done early, instead of leaving it to the last minute, and it is so much more enjoyable that way. And I got to practice my free motion stitching.

Now I'm just waiting to see where I will be sending my little postcard.

The Windy City

I finally sat down and just did it. Made the little Chicago mini album. I'm trying to do more, just stop thinking about how I'm going to do it, and just get stuff happening.

I started out with a little tin accordion album I've had for years.

I designed the main pages on the computer, sizing the photos, adding titles and text.

I had a few ticket stubs and extra things to add, but I couldn't figure out how to incorporate them with the limited accordion pages.

Last night, lying in bed, I had my genius moment. I used clear tape to add ticket stubs by laying the ticket stub on an inside fold, and adding a piece of each tape to either side, so that this new page/stub, could flip just like a regular page.

I attached my main pages overtop, to hide some of the joining tape. A bit hard to explain, but it was exactly what I needed to incorporate my extra items.