Baby Blanket

While my hip has been healing, I wanted something fun to do to help keep me distracted.  My sister crochets baby blankets that she donates, and I had her bring over some yarn so I could crochet one.  Lynn's daughter-in-law is a minister at a Methodist church in California.  The baby blankets go to her, and get distributed to newborns. 

A close-up.  The blanket is done in double crochet.

This one has been mailed with two of Lynn's blankets, and they're on their way to California.  I'm well into my second blanket and really enjoying crocheting again.

Six Word Memoir

This is an art card (2.5"x3.5") that I purchased online.

"Ship At Night" ACEO by jerise@jerise.com - Nov. 2010

This is today's response to the latest prompt at Beyond Layers.  Use six words to describe your life, a memory, whatever.  I added this text to the above picture:

Crossing Atlantic, collided with nightmare ship.

That happened in 1988, but it still haunts my life.

Simple Seagull

I've begun a course called Beyond Layers.  Today's project was to use a texture layer provided by Kim Klassen, and use it in simplifying a photograph.

This is my original photograph taken of a gull hanging out at the beach.  In Photoshop, I made a duplicate layer of the original.  On the duplicate layer, I used Color Balance and adjusted Cyan to -50.  I added Kim's "awaken" texture layer using soft light at 100%.  I felt this made the gull too pale, so I used the eraser tool on the texture layer.  I worked at 25% opacity, and ended up doing it three times, so I guess that would equal using the eraser tool at 75% opacity.  Next, I flattened the image.  My last step was to adjust the mid levels from 1.00 to 0.75.

I've used this photograph of this gull before - maybe he deserves a name?  Let's try Gunther, that seems to suit him!  Here's a link to my earlier post when Gunther was used with a more pronounced texture layer, as well as a layer that was a photograph of ocean waves.  That time I used hard light instead of soft light.  Today's image is definitely more subtle.

Hip, Hip, Hooray!

I just got a call from the hospital.  I report tomorrow morning at 6:15 a.m. for my hip replacement surgery.  I'll be in the hospital till Friday.  Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.  I will appreciate all the help I can get!  :o)

Thanks,
Jean

Hard Light

I developed this image using the blending mode in Photoshop called Hard Light.  I worked with four layers, most of which had the Hard Light blending mode applied to them.  Blending modes are fun because they let the different layers show through, blending them together.

This is my original photograph that was the source of the seagull.  I deleted the background in this picture so that it wouldn't interfere with the other layers.

I used this photograph for one of the layers.  You can just barely see the waves in the background in the first picture.

I had scanned a piece of silk fabric to get this image.  It also provides a texture background layer.  I had lightened it quite a bit, but you can still see some of the color from this layer showing up in the final image.  Another layer was a solid light blue.

And here it is again.  I like my final image - it has a sort of ethereal look to it.  Now I need to come up with a name for it.  Any suggestions??