'LIT List It Tuesday 11/30 - Have tools. Will travel!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes


Howdy and welcome,


While I was reorganizing my small travel tool pouch from last weekend's retreat, I had the brilliant idea to actually list what's in it for today's List It Tuesday!

There have been many iterations, trials and changes, to this little orange pencil case, but this might be the final configuration! It was SO stuffed before the photo, I could not even zip it closed.  The orange color really stands out so I can always grab-n-go really fast! Note: I put non-essential tools in gray pencil case that's still a different color from all my black pencil cases.

How do you store your essential travel tools? Do you use a little pencil case? A toolbox? or a MACK truck?!!! :-)

Would love to see your comments about this post - or any of my other posts.

Thanks for stopping by - and please come back again soon.


Peace,
LuLu

'Yipeee! I'm Published - again!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,

It's with great pleasure that I announce publication of another of my original poems in the Fall 2010 issue of the 'BAC Street Journal' - which is published by the Beverly Arts Center (BAC) in Chicago, IL! This is the third time my work has been published in the BAC Street Journal. They have previously published both my poetry and my photography! I am so thrilled to be included in this book again.

My poem 'Beneath the Gray Dome' is being published in the BAC Street Journal which will be available at an artist's reception, issue launch and open reading to be held this Sun., Dec. 5, at the BAC!

Woohoo!

Thanks for stopping by - and please come back to visit again soon!

Peace,
LuLu

'1st Blogoversary Winner is ...'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,

The winner of the super duper prize package is...

Phoenix Peacock!

Congratulations Phoenix!

I will send you an email to get your mailing address.



Thanks to all who became followers and entered my 1st Blogoversary celebration contest! It is great getting to know you. I look forward to visiting your blogs in the upcoming year.

Please come back to visit again - and be on the lookout for more giveaways in the new year!

Peace,
LuLu

"Giveaway treats: LuLu's and Ink Stains!"

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and welcome,
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Here are a couple of giveaway treats for today's post...

'Dessert from recent vacation in NY state'

1. Reminder! My 1st Blogoversary giveaway ends tonight Nov 27, 2010 at midnight CT! All 6 rules are required to be eligible for this fantastic prize package. Note: A 'Mystery' prize set has just been added to the prize package - it is not shown and not listed. But you will really enjoy these prizes! So don't delay - enter now!!! Click here for link to giveaway thread..
2. Pop on over to Ink Stains for a fun trivia contest with giveaway!
   
   
   Good luck!

I'll be back before midnight CT tomorrow night with the winner's name!!!

Thanks for stopping by, for commenting and also, to all of you who've entered my 1st Blogoversary giveaway!Peace,
LuLu

WOYWW 11/24 - LuLu's Garage Sale Finds!

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,

For What's On Your Workstation Wednesday (WOYWW) blog hop this week: I'm sharinging pix of goodies I bought at a 'garage sale' at the scrapbooking retreat I just returned from this past weekend.

 Stamping storage case, alphabet wood mounted rubber stamps,

'Somerset Studio' mag

published by Stampington (I love their mags!)

Stamping storage case with Stampin' Up supplies -

rolling stamper handle, roller stamps and inks.

Can't wait to play with these -

 I've wanted this tool for ages.

Garage Sale finds at The Scrap Cabana retreat -

just $6 - woo - hoo!

Go here to see more workstations in this fun blog hop.

Reminder: Deadline for my 1st Blogoversary Giveaway is midnight Nov 27, 2010!

Thanks for stopping by - and please come back again soon!

Happy Thanksgiving!

LuLu

'LIT List It Tuesday 11/23 - Top Chick Flick Picks!'

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and welcome,

For this week's List It Tuesday challenge, I had to conjure up a quick list due to my weekend retreat and PT on my sprained ankle for Tue and Wed.
You are wlecome to print this list if you have any interest in my movie picks.

My Top Chick Flick Picks - Nov 2010

Digital

Ms Publisher & MS Digital Image Editor

Alphabetical order

1. Elizabeth I
2. Elizabeth The Golden Age
3. Enchanted
4. Kate & Leopold
5. Marie Antoinette
6. The Duchess (warning: true story, tear jerker)
7. The Stepford Wives (new version with Nicole Kidman)
8. The Young Victoria
9. Titanic
10. View from the Top (very positive)
11. Washington Square (warning: tear jerker)

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by - and please come back to visit again real soon!

Peace,

LuLu

Scrap Cabana was a blast - and I won prizes, too!

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,

I'm back from 'The Scrap Cabana' weekend scrapbooking retreat in Aurora, Illinois! It was fun, in spite of my sprained ankle.

Some of my Scrap-A-Holics members also attended: Becky, Maria and Mary O. We had so much fun - as we always do at Scrap Cabana. This was the 3rd year for me and Mary O. We only attend once a year, in November. Becky and Maria go more often - and we all have our 'buttons' to prove it. The owner gives us a "Scrap Cabana" button every time a cropper attends. You should see ALL the buttons some ladies have on their lanyards!

L - R: Becky, Maria, Mary Lou, Mary O
We're all members of The Midwest Scrap-A-Holics of Chicagoland

Marianne
works in the IT(Information Technology)  field - just like I do!

First floor of hotel -
spacious crop room

Quiet scrappers on first  floor

Goody table with prizes laid out -
and baskets for raffle ticket entries

Owner Michelle -
giving out raffle prizes

My layout contest entry -  1

My layout contrest entry - 2

Layout contest winner

Scrap-A-Holics member Mary O - a BIG winner.
She won a FREE weekend at the Scrap Cabana - dates of her choosing.
Mary was in shock, because she said 'I never win anything!'

Me with my cane for sprained ankle - and guess what?  I won 3 raffle prizes!
Although I declined the 3rd prize - a huge organizing box, becasue I have no room for it in my house.
So it was raffled off again. And my new croppin' buddy, Dawn, won it!

My new croppin' buddy, Tammy.
She and Dawn were so nice. The three of us all stayed later to crop even more
 after the 'official' retreat ending time. Beacuse of my gimpy sprained ankle,
they helped my load up all my gear on the hotel's luggage cart -
 and then Tammy loaded stuff in my van for me!
How NICE was that?!!!

Scrapbookers are THE NICEST PEOPLE you will ever meet - and so much fun, too!

Would love for you to comment on this post - or any of my other posts, when you have a moment or 2.

And if you do art journaling, crazy quilting, collage or mixed-media art, please stop by my Give-A-Way post. Deadline is Nov 27, 2010! And also check out the additional prizes addendum posted on Nov 14!

Thanks for stopping by - and please come back to visit again real soon.

Peace,
LuLu

WOYWW - 11/17

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and welcome,

For What's On Your Worstation Wednesday, I've got supplies ready to pack up for this weekend's annual scrapbooking retreat at The Scrap Cabana in Illinois. Trying to travel light - ha! ha! ha! - because of my sprained ankle...We shall see.

Once every year, in November, I attend this fun Scrap Cabana retreat with a bunch of my fellow Scrap-A-Holics. Click here to see other artist Wednesday workstations!

Thanks for visiting - and please stop by again soon!

Peace,
LuLu
Celebrating my 1st Blogoversary with a Give-a-Way!
http://www.lulu-too-beaucoup.blogspot.com/

LIT- List It Tuesday 11/16!

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,
Here's this week's entry for LIT- List IT Tuesday. See the contents of this list on my Give-A-Way post.

'News Flash!'

Digital

c   mlh1  2010

TECHNIQUE:
This piece started with a scan of one of my original collages - made from a cut up workstation desk blotter. It had lots of random media, colors and organic shapes. Using PSE and DIE, I tweaked saturation, lighting, and added transparent shapes. Finally, I inverted a handwritten list and pasted it on top of 'frame'.

I really enjoy the texture of handwriting used in mixed media pieces. Here I'm going for the texture more than for legibility - although if you look closely, you can make out a few words!

I'd love your comments on this piece. What do you think of all the layers?

Check out all the other neat lists here at LIT.

Thanks for stopping by - and don't forget to check out my Give-A-Way!

Peace,
LuLu

NEWS FLASH! More prizes for Give-A-Way!

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,

News flash - more prizes have just been added for my 1st Blogoversary Give-A-Way! Check out  these prizes, which are in addition to the 26 prizes in the give-away announcement post!

1. 2 new pairs of vinyl gloves
2. plastic gems (Clearly Mosaics - The Beadery) - assorted colors
3. 1 clear glass spice jar
4. several mint tins containing: corks, puzzle pieces, mini-computer board, crystal beads 'soup, bottle caps, vintage m-o-p buttons, goldtone cord
5. games pieces: letter cubes
6. 2 new rubber headbands - to use asgiant rubber bands, great for holding journals closed
7. 2 Ranger Vintage Ink aromatherapy scented ink pads - lovely ink colors from the stash of mixed-media artist Tracy Miser
8. 2 plastic toy insects - these are fun
9. 10 foam puzzle pieces with adhesive backs
10. wallpaper sample swatches - great for ATC backgrounds
11. many commercially printed small cardboards - great for ATC bases or mixed-media substrates
12. 15 mini-Loteria cards (Mexican lottery game) - great collage focal points
13. 1 vintage ca. 1970's holiday cookie tin
14. 10 vintage bingo cards
15. 1 vintage French mint tin
16. vintage poker chips
17. 1 vintage ca. 1955 cigar box
18. match books
19. 1 matchbox - great for a little drawer in an altered book!
20. 10 sheets deli paper - great for inkjet printer image transfers!
21. 1 plastic fork  - great for texturing gesso, paint, etc - per Julie Fei Fan Balzer
22. 2 skeins acrylic yarn: 6 oz. and 8 oz.
23. 1 plastic card - great for applying glazes and paints to journal pages
24. Fabric Grab Bag (not shown) - scrap stash of polyester bridal gown fabrics donated by www.bridalchateauinc.com! If you emroider CQ tops, this stash will make you drool
25. 1 'starter' altered book -  spiral 'wish' book of designer luxury home plans: partially prepped by me with glue laminated pages, gessoed front cover and partially gessoed inside back cover). Lies flat! ready for your altering, painting, journaling and embellishements

Please click => October announcement for complete rules and to enter. Note: you must be a Follower to be eligible for the prizes...

Give-a-way ends Nov 27, 2010 at midnight!
Good Luck!

As always, I'd love to see your comments about this post - or any of my other posts on this blog. Don't be shy - tell me what you think.

Thanks for visiting, and please come back again soon.

Peace,
LuLu
http://www.lulu-too-beaucoup.blogspot.com/

Poppy White - and my tools for Digital Image editing!

Howdy and Welcome,

"'Poppy White's Passport to Europe - to sing bass in the new opera 'Porgy and Bess'"
Mixed media - Collage of inherited antique objects, Digital Montage
c mlh1 2009 - 2010

 

Would you be interested in the tools I use to accomplish my digital artwork? The following software products are in my digital toolbox. And also listed is my quick review of each product. These are loaded on the desktop PC I use in my upstairs 'office'. The top 2 are my most often used Faves, and these 2 are also loaded on my amateur photographer hubby's laptop PC in our living room. We both share the laptop for scanning:

MY DIGITAL TOOLBOX 

1. - Adobe Photoshop Elements (PSE) - opens slowly, huge learning curve, need to play with this almost daily - it has so much stuff to learn
2. - Microsoft Digital Image Suite Anniversary Edition Editor (DIE) - easy, very intuitive
3. - Corel Painter Essentials - easy borders
4. - HP Photosmart Essential - I prefer the old version for it's canned collage templates
5. - Microsoft Image Composer - easy effects but rarely use, limited functions
6. - Microsoft Paint - opens fast for quick check of images
7. - Microsoft Publisher - used for it's word art
8. - Microsoft Word - easy text
9. - Creating Keepsakes Creative clips and fonts for boys - rarely used, needs more variety
10. - Creating Keepsakes Digital Quick Pages by Ali Edwards - never used, but I want to!

COMING SOON

• I expect to be using my Wacom tablet and pen soon - I've only had them connected on the desktop for 4 years! :-) Isn't it about time I use them?!!!

WISH LIST SOFTWARE

• Would love to get 3D Studio Max, Bryce, Adobe Illustrator and Maya, too!

MORE ABOUT POPPY WHITE

 

What do you think of this image of my maternal grandfather, Lewis Victor White? My family all called him 'Poppy'. He was an English teacher in the Chicago Public Schools for over 20 years. 'By night' he and my grandmother were opera singers! He sang bass, she sang soprano. I inherited one of the record albums that he made - although I've never tried to play it...He sang in the opera 'Porgy and Bess' in NY and Europe when it first opened!!! Also he sang on WGN radio and in the chorus at the Civic Opera House here in Chicago! He sang in several languages. The first year I went to college at IIT was when he passed away. I remember him as a very quiet, gentle man with a good sense of humor. Just recenly I found out that he was an adventurer! Before the Great Depression, Poppy White 'rode the rails' for the experience.

 

HOW DID I DO IT?

 

This image combines scans of his passport, his record album, one of my original collages and some vintage advertising. I used transparencies, layers, erasing and gradients back and forth between Adobe PSE, MS Publisher and Microsoft DIE.

 

COMMENTS WELCOME!

I'd love your comments about this post - or any other post on my blog.

 

CHECKOUT MY GIVE-A-WAY

Also, I'm hosting a giveaway on my blog - to celebrate my 1st year blogoversary - yippee! If you are a mixed media artist or collage artist you don't want to miss this give-a-way! Ends Nov 27, 2010.

 

Thanks for stopping by - would love for you to come back for a visit - often!

Peace,
LuLu
Celebrating my 1st year Blogoversary with a give-a-way!
http://www.lulu-too-beaucoup.blogspot.com/2010/10/giveaway-giveaway-lulus-1st.html

Virtual Fall Studio Tour!

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and welcome,

Here are shots of the inside art studio that I will be using now (Autumn 2010) through Spring 2011. Then I'll move everything BACK to the Summer studio on the front porch - that's about 6 months from now...

Northwest view

My workstation - the size of a desk blotter!

 You can just make out my 'Apprentice' organizer in the left foreground.

I love this shot of the northern exposure with diffused sunlight -

 so you get to see it twice, too!

Thanks for stopping by - and don't forget to checkout my give-a-way post below!

Peace,
LuLu
Celebrating my 1st year Blogoversary with a give-a-way!
http://lulu-too-beaucoup.blogspot.com/2010/10/giveaway-giveaway-lulus-1st.htm

Mother and Child for Spot challenge!

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Here is my 'Madonna and Child with Three Hands' for the Mother and Mother and Child SPOT Challenge this week!

Click to enlarge for more detail

'Madonna and Child with Three Hands'
c mlh1 2010

There's a lot of texture in this digital picture. I reworked a previously posted Adobe PSE scan of this icon from an antique icon book. Layered it with an antique map, antique German hymnal pages and transparency effects using MS DIE.

Although hubby and I chose not to have kids, I do enjoy all the different artworks of the Madonna and Child. The paintings and sculptures by the old masters are SO inspiring!

What do you think of my entry? Your comments are welcome.

Thanks for stopping by - and don't forget to checkout my 1st Blogoversary give-a-way post below!



Peace,
LuLu
Celebrating my 1st year Blogoversary with a give-a-way!
http://lulu-too-beaucoup.blogspot.com/2010/10/giveaway-giveaway-lulus-1st.htm

What's in my bag?

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and Welcome,

Ensalada's post about all the bags she uses struck a chord in me.

I have a zillion bags - and a million of them are BLACK! Her post cracked me up, and inspired me to check what's in MY bag. Shown is the contents of the black bag that I used for our NY state roadtrip last week...

1. embroidered tissue holder
2. rescue inhaler
3. chapstick
4. lipstick case with mirror
5. lipstick
6. business card case
7. 2 ballpoint pens (but no notepad - yikes!!!)
8. skinny wallet - with cash, coins, coupons, credit cards, and allergies/meds list
9. phone
10. 2 ricola cough drops
11. obsolete shopping list from NY state trip we just returned from
12. tylenol in aspirin travel dispenser
13. keyring for our house and my vehicle - hanging outside of bag on d-ring of shoulder strap
14. satin scarf - hanging outside of bag on shoulder strap

Disclaimer: on our recent trip to NY state, I also carried a black daypack/backpack that had a lot of other essentials - 2 iPod shuffles with cords and chargers in Baggalini belt pouch, travel lotion, books, notepads, sketch book, journalling pens and brushes in eagle creek travel pouch, pocket moleskine, snack, small digi camera, small water bottle, etc.... You know, the non-essential essential stuff...

Thanks for stopping by - and don't forget to checkout my give-a-way post!


Peace,
LuLu
Celebrating my 1st year Blogoversary with a give-a-way!
http://lulu-too-beaucoup.blogspot.com/2010/10/giveaway-giveaway-lulus-1st.htm

List It Tuesday - The Cages and Roadtrip Ideas!

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

'The Cage and Roadtrip Ideas'

digital collage - approx .30 minutes

Howdy and welcome,

This week for List It Tuesday, I layered one of my practice sketches of bird cages with my 2 lists of improvements hubby and I compiled for next year's NY roadtrip. Used layers, effects, transparencies and inversions in Adobe PSE (Photoshop Elements) and MS DIE (Digital Image Editor). 

I just love the look of handwriting, art lettering and Leonardo Da Vinci's sketchbooks. I'm going for texture - not necessarily legibility. Just to try something different. What do you think? Pretty wild, eh? Would love your comments on this one!

Thanks for stopping by to visit - and don't forget to chekout my give-a-way!

Peace,
LuLu

Virtual Summer Studio Tour Completion - Autumn Arrives!

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Howdy and welcome!

Here are the 'After' pics of my virtual summer studio tour  - with all of the wet supplies and my most used supplies removed.

Summer Studio - Empty north view plus
west and east walls

 

summer studio - empty northwest view - closeup

summer studio - empty back wall  with
under-table rolling carts removed

Wish there were some way that I could use all this space during the cold of fall/winter/spring - other than for dead storage. But I suspect that putting a heater out on this porch would be way too expensive!



How do you think I should use this space during cold months of fall/winter/spring? Is 'dead' storage my only choice? Your comments and ideas are welcome.

Meanwhile, hubby and I just returned from vacation in NY state. Loved watching  all the home improvement shows on HGTV and working on my art journals. Twisted my right ankle again while visiting relatives out there. Now that we're home, I'm laid up here for a while until my ankle heals, which means no driving anywhere - rats! phooey! darn it!

Thanks for stopping by - and don't forget to check out my give-a-way post below!

Peace,
LuLu
Celebrating my 1st year Blogoversary with a give-a-way!
http://lulu-too-beaucoup.blogspot.com/2010/10/giveaway-giveaway-lulus-1st.htm