Challenging Behaviour

Just lately I’ve been immersing myself in some digital scrapbooking, well not so much books as pages. I have been using a mix of Photoshop Elements 10 and Serif’s Craft Artist Professional.
I am familiar with layers, masks and blending modes but apart from that I am not overly familiar with the very powerful capabilities of these two programs.
Sooooooo I have been finding tutorials and challenges to help me get to grips with some of their features and these are what I’ve done so far.

This picture came about from an Oscraps monthly challenge whereby you had to lift another layout with the name or tag “coffee” in the title. We could either do something coffee related or not, as in my case. This is actually November's challenge no 6.

This is challenge no 1 where by we did a tutorial on using the “Minimum” filter. It sort of converts a photograph into a pencil sketch using layers and inversions and things. No idea how it works mind but I like the effect.
There are six challenges each month so I guess I’ve got to go and do the other 4.
Catch you all later. xx

Autumn Ramblings

My last few posts have been very intermittent I have to say. But I guess I do have an excuse as we moved yet again. Still in Scotland but closer to England. I hadn’t totally finished unpacking from the previous move either. We weren’t even at our last house 12 months before we had to move again. I had 4 days notice to pack a whole house and move. I also had my two eldest grandchildren staying with me at the time and was still working. Talk about stressed out or what.

I’m not sure if where we have moved to is going to be for very long. The house is literally in the corner of a bunch of derelict farm buildings. It’s cold and damp in parts. Let’s see how it is during the cold winter we have been forecast. On the plus side there is a nice view from our lounge window and also a lovely view over the old Mill Pond where there are two resident swans and a family of ducks and assorted other water fowl. 

I am finding all these moves (9 in 8 years) very stressful. I don’t ever feel as if I can call anywhere home, it takes me a while to make friends and find quilt or craft groups to go to and I keep losing the continuity of my medical care.

I keep trying to continue with my small soap business although I lost most of my trade customers when we moved from Shropshire as the people I sold to were committed to buying local. I try to keep sane – although my sanity is questionable at the best of times – by sewing and making things for me and my family. I’ve even done a couple of craft stalls but it’s never going to make me rich.

I did join the Galloway Craft Guild as they have a little shop in town where you can sell your crafty bits so I have put a few things in there.

My soap book has been updated and has gone off for a reprint. 2500 copies this time so I hope they sell well, the first book did. I have added 8 more recipes (I think).

I have been doing some more digital scrapbooking and I think I’m going to start keeping an art journal.

I did this picture for my hubby yesterday. I may print it off and frame it for him for Christmas.

 

I am trying to stay positive about my life but I feel like I keep having the rug pulled from beneath my feet all the time. But whilst I draw breath I will keep going.

I’ll try to post more often more for my benefit than anybody else's really although I do have some nice things to show you.

Moan over

Blessings

Joy x