Hair New Era

Oh, how do I love the challenges at Inspiration Avenue! Often they force me to try something new or really put my thinking cap on - anyway, they are a challenge and sometimes it's a real stretch for me. This week I was mainly pre-occupied with One World One Heart which starts tomorrow - look for my OWOH-post then - so that the IA challenge was put on the backburner - until yesterday. The last bit was done this morning before breakfast. The challenge was "broken pieces".


I took a photo of Half Dome in Yosemite and converted it to Black&White in Lightroom. I had some scrapbook paper that I tore into pieces and reassembled it by gluing it to a gessoed canvas panel. Then I attached the photo and used the paper towel technique to apply some blue acrylic paint around the edges of the photo. Unfortunately, I applied a tiny little bit too much - and the top of Half Dome was covered with paint! Not my intention! What to do? Well, it took some courage, but I finally sanded it with a small piece of fine sandpaper - and look at the outcome! I'm really pleased how Half Dome now peeks through the paint. That was something very interesting to learn. I'm glad I did it. The last few touches were applying snowflakes, a quote and some more gesso at the edge of the panel - done. Not difficult at all (honestly, if I can do it, everybody can do it).

This also has encouraged me to go and convert more of my pictures into B&W or sepia. How convenient that I am currently taking the "Photoshop - the Essentials" class with Kim Klassen!

There are many inspiring and very talented artists who participate in Inspiration Avenue - please check it out.

My dear blogging friends,

Thank you so much for your lovely wishes for my birthday!! It was such a lovely surprise and so much joy to come back from my weekend trip and find all these nice comments.


I think with all these good wishes and encouragement I should be able to fulfill my birthday wish for this year - and beyond. To be honest, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside, because of you.


And if you wonder where I spent my birthday - we went to Yosemite National Park. We always call it "the national park in our backyard" because it's only a five hours drive over there, a piece of cake. We love this place with all our heart, and spending a winter weekend there is simple the cherry on top! We started this tradition several years ago, when I said I don't really need any presents for my birthday, but would love to spend the long weekend in the snow instead (how convenient that my birthday always is so close to the Martin Luther King weekend and therefore gives us the gift of an additional day off!). We missed it only once so far!

I will tell you more about this wonderful weekend in one of my future posts.

Kaefer named a number this morning to find out who is the lucky winner of my Yosemite calendar.

It is... - drumroll please...




Congratulations, Susan. Please e-mail me your mailing address and I'll send the calendar on its way.

The idea has been going around my head for quite some time, but only in December I finally knew what to offer. I wanted to say thank you for all your lovely comments and that you come back regularly to my blog... so I was thinking of a giveaway, and of course it had to be something with my photography - and since this is the start of a new year, why not choosing a calendar?

I made a few calendars as Christmas presents - and one as my first giveaway (or "blog candy" as I so often read on other blogs, a name I love, makes me think of chocolate). Either way - giveaway or blog candy, this calendar is all about Yosemite, a national park I love with all my heart and I visit every year. Yosemite is one of the most divine places I know and I never tire of it. I especially love it in the winter when there are almost no crowds and quite some snow. It wasn't a stretch for me to come up with the idea of making a Yosemite calendar.

So, how can you get into the drawing? It's pretty easy.

- Just leave a comment to this post and you have chance #1 to win.

- Chance #2: Tell about the giveaway on Facebook, preferably with a direct link to this post. Leave a comment about this.

- Chance #3: Tell about it on your blog and link to this post, then leave a comment.

If you do all three chances you'd leave three separate comments to this post. This giveaway is for everyone, no matter where you live.

On Sunday, January 9th 2011, my daughter will pick a random number and the comment that matches that number is the lucky winner. Please make sure that I can contact you!