THINK MONDAY ~ THINK ATC ENTRY

Well, sometimes I go weeks without a post (think computer meltdowns etc) and then I do two in one day.  As ole Pinkie Lee used to say "strange things are happening" and if you are not over 55, you have no clue who I'm talking about! Anyway I made my very first ATC (artist trade card to the unknowing). I don't know what happened to the focus. It may be my eyes. I honestly think I may be losing my eyesight. I think it is time to go see my favorite eye surgeon. 
Anyhoo ~  here is my entry, such as it is.

I colored the keyhole ~ I think I am going to have to take kindergarden coloring 101 over again at 63 LOL. Well, they say everyone goes thru a second childhood in old age. I guess it is my turn.
Here is a link to see some how real artists treated the subject.  http://tmta.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/schlussel-schlusselloch-key-keyhole/
I hope everyone has a great week.
 Now where did I put that practice coloring book?????
Mary

BRAG MONDAY AND TAG TUESDAY

Well I finally finished one project.  I have made a tag for http://bellesouth-blogchallengegarden.blogspot.com/2011/08/tag-tuesday-letter.html  one day before the challenge ended.  Better late than never!!  That should go on my tombstone.  I used an angel that came from Dover books on clip art.  The letter I found on Google images and hand painted it,  and the background is from the Graphic Fairy.  That image I trimmed and turned upside down to suit my purposes.  I love angel images and this past week Tag Tuesday's challenge was the letter "A". So far I think we have all used a different word for the letter A.  That's good, it shows kindred minds with different ideas.  Here is the link to the Brag Monday at the Graphic Fairy.  If you have never been the see the Graphic Fairy, I believe she has the largest collection of FREE images especially in vintage images.  http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/2011/08/brag-monday-antique-chair-candy-bag.html Be sure and go see the entries at Tag Tuesday too, these folks have such varied styles of art from all over the world.  Both are worth the time and effort to check them out.
 I am losing my grip on reality. I almost forgot to post my entry.  Oh well.

The glitter on the wings doesn't show up so well.  I was trying to keep it simple.  Hope ya'll have a great day and week. God's Blessings to each of you.

Mary

1000 SHEETS OF PAPER GIVEAWAY AND 'I'M BACK!!!

First things first.  I am back, finally.  I still haven't recovered much from my computer's meltdown, but I am slowly finding my favorite blogs and sites and some new ones along the way. I truely would not wish a meltdown with no good backup on ANYONE !!  Later on I am going to post some pics from some sites I had collected and can't remember whose work it is. There are 2 such pics of some things I really liked and would like to watch her progress, but lost her blog site in my meltdown and crash.  That's for later.
Now I am going to tell you about one of the largest 'giveaways' I have ever seen for folks that like to work with paper.  Amy at http://athousandsheetsofpaper.blogspot.com  is a blog giveaway in which she will give one lucky person in this whole wide world 1000 sheets of 6x6 inch decorative, scrapbooking, altered art type papers.  But that is not all!!  She is giving away  several second prizes of 200 6x6 sheets and a stamp.  To be truthful while I would be set for life if I won the big prize of a 1000 sheets, I probably, no would be just as happy with one of the second prizes.  I am very stamp poor and don't have hardly any money to buy stamps with, so winning a free stamp (all of them are beautiful!!) would be great for me even if it didn't have 200 sheets of paper.  I have really gotten into the card, tag, journal and scrapbooking thing lately. It's fun, quick, and I like being part of a challenge. You get to meet folks from all over the world and it really doesn't cost so much to have fun.  You get to create something new in a hurry and then see what everyone else did with the same prompt you had.  Fun!! So now you should hop on over to Amy's site and check it out and leave a comment and an entry on your blog if you want a chance at all that paper.  The last day to enter is Sept 23 and the drawing will be on Sept 24,2011. Here is your link http://athousandsheetsofpaper.blogspot.com/2011/08/1000-sheets-for-thousand-sheets-again.html Come on a join the fun ~ the more, the merrier!!!

JULY 16, 2011 THRU SEPT 23,2011

HELP ARRIVED AND I AM BACK ON LINE ~ SORTA

The Dell man came and went in 20 minutes. That's how long it took to put a new hard drive in.  20 minutes. Part of that was paper work !!  Of course it took me two hours to figure out how to 'pin a Favorites tool' on my toolbar.  It still doesn't act like it used to (the toolbar). I guess I am getting too old, I hate change.  I want my old toolbars back, and my favorites list like I had it. I am tired. But I do have a computer back and I am reloading all my software. I am just tired. I don't know enough about computers and I am scared to touch ANYTHING.  I guess that is all for now.  If I live thru getting everything back like I want it I will talk to ya'll in a day or 2.
God please bless ALL of us.
Mary

BACK IN THE SADDLE ~ MAYBE ??

Three weeks ago my computer crashed while shutting down. I messed with it, trying to keep from losing all my clipart and documents. Nothing else mattered. Because we had had attacks on both our computers I had started down loading on cd's my clip art but ran out of discs, I didn't get it finished before it crashed. Was someone up above trying to warn me maybe?? Anyway, I fooled around worrying with the van (transmission is gone in it), finally got my husband's computer up again, and lots of other problems that just would no let go. I finally gave up and called Dell and for once in my life got lucky.  A really nice guy named Deepak tryed to help me.  We could not get him logged on to my computer and nothing we tried with him walking me thru the steps from my end worked.  He asked me how much I valued my documents and clip art. He said if I could lose them I could get my computer a new hard drive for free because it was still under warranty. I hate losing all that but I just don't have the money to pay for saving it.  I can let go. I don't know which is worse losing my favorites lists or my pics I had collected. I am now writing down ANYTHING I add to a favorites list.  There are web sites I like that I may never find again. I am going to make hard copies of my favorite images for my art so I do not have to rely on anything electronic or mechanical. I have a thingy to plug in and back up my computer, but I only used it once and I think I am not going to use it to restore any thing.  I will start from scratch again.  I have learned some lessons, and I am going to put the knowledge to use.  The main thing being hard copy masters of my documents, favorite pics, and favorites list.  I had tried to be scientific about having folders listing my blog followers, the blogs I follow, favorite tutorials, etc., etc., I really tried but there are some sites I may never find again.  I am lucky that I had printed off a lot of clipart to use for new things I am creating to list on ETSY. I can make copies of those to save (some of them from Mind Wide Open, the first challenge I ever entered). That blog is gone now and Gail doesn't have those images available for sale (atleast I haven't found them). I guess I just have to let go of some things.  Over the last 7-8 years I have had to let go of a LOT of things.  I have to remember that I really am lucky because I still have my home, and am still alive and able to function. I have to remember the folks that lost EVERYTHING including family members just a few miles from me in the tornadoes in April. 
Thank you LORD for what I do have and help me handle what I don't have.
The repairman will be here in a few minutes.
Mary

COMPUTER CRASHES, WEIRD KEYBOARDS AND OTHER STRANGE THINGS

This is going to be short. I am writing in my husband's weird keyboard and it is like I don't know how to type. I got Don's computer up and going. My computer crashed Thurs of last week and frankly there may be no hope in sight. I was doing a control/alt/delete to escape the virus attack and one of the .exe files didn't close right and now my computer is caught in 'safe'mode and just loops from boot up to shut down and boot up again, over and over.  I can't even get into the computer settings to try a system restore to save my files or anything.  All it will do when I push the start button is boot up and shut down, boot up and shut down with me just sitting and looking at the screen. I will be glad when July is over, it has been the month from hell for us. The transmisson died in our van and will cost more than I paid for the van. Now this thing is printing in italics?? I hate this keyboard!  Anyway two computers down, one back up, van trash, refridgerator acting up, heat that feels like you really are in hell, I had the flu ( or something like it and still feel awful), Riding lawn mower won't cut. Just on and on and on. August just has to be better. Of course the Federal gov't will probably go belly up. At least I don't count my debt in the TRILLIONS. I hope you all are doing ok. Not sure when I will be back on my own computer. I will try to keep ya'll posted from the sunny and oh so hot south.What was it Carrie Fisher wrote 'Post Cards from the Edge'?? I like that title but never read the book. Thats how I feel tonite, like a postcard from the edge of somewhere!!!!
God bless all of you. I could use a prayer or two also. If any of you have any ideas on how to stop the looping on my computer PLEASE comment.
Bye ya'll
Mary

BRAG MONDAY AT THE GRAPHICS FAIRY

I have been visiting the Graphics Fairy for years (and years). I just can't wait to see what pretties and facinating images she has found.  Finally I am going to join in on her Brag Monday where all of us that have collected and used her images show off our crafting use of same images.
This one I already had in my collection when Soarful Challenges used it a couple of weeks ago as the inspiration image.  Here is the original and my take on it.

original

Thought I would add a little humor to it.  I think it came out ok since I was running out of color ink in the printer. 

 Anyway, thanks to Karen for all her hard work to give us this huge library of images for us to play with and give our imaginations freedom.

Here is a link to Graphics Fairy: http://www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/ and a link to Soarful challenge in case you would like to join the fun and challenge your imagination: http://jeanette-soartfulchallenges.blogspot.com/

PS she is using another Graphics Fairy image this week ~ a pretty honey bee.

Mary