Happy 4th and It's Party Time!

So here it is again, our "4th" as some of us call it. An amazing 233 years of celebrating our nation's birth and independence! Today I am thankful for this beautiful country and those who have given so much to make and keep her free. May we never forget!

My heart is full of gratitude to God, righteous and industrious citizens and those serving our country in so many ways.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Please keep her free and preserve our liberty.

Here is a fun USA.gov site with some cool facts about this day.

And if you're in the kitchen or lighting up the barbecue, check out this great "How to cut a watermelon" tutorial by a darling young mom Natalie!

She has some awesome and yummy recipes on her blog that she shares with equally talented friends. KitchentoKitchen

Have a fun and memorable 4th!

rebecca ~ justgiddy

Another Illustration Friday - Worn

Illustration Friday topic - Worn

I couldn't pass this week's topic up as worn is what I love!

I created this Photoshop piece with an image I cropped from a large historical photo of the school children gathered to garner the vote for the new school building in early 1900's Orland, CA.

It was a black and white but I couldn't resist colorizing the flags, adding a texture border and heart shape (in background) from an old handmade valentine.

Here's another piece I created today with a worn look to it.

Man, do I ever LOVE PHOTOSHOP! I have been so busy that I haven't had or made the time to create anything lately, so now that I'm back at the computer I realize just how much I miss it.

Here's another worn image. Some of you may recognize this one. It was create awhile back for the topic Wrinkles. You can see the images used and some step by step for creating Wrinkles here....

Have a great 4th of July!

Rebecca ~ justgiddy

Illustration Friday - Hierarchy

Illustration Friday "Hierarchy" -- a digital collage.

I just love these birds that I found on istock last year.

I have used many layers in this image, so many that I created a file large enough to mess up my computer. I'm running out of disk space with my huge Photoshop projects. Oh well...maybe I need another hard drive with a hierarchy for Photoshop files. Yea, as if I know what I'm talking about...

Here are the images I used in "Hierarchy" -- Photoshop allows me to manipulate them like crazy to create the depth and texture that you see in the finished compilation.

Have a great week and don't forget mom on Mother's Day!

rebecca - justgiddy!

Illustration Friday - Theatre

Illustration Friday Topic -- -- Theatre

"From the start it has been the theatre's business to entertain people ... it needs no other passport than fun." BERTOLT BRECHT, A Short Organum for the Theatre

So... I present my own traveling theatre of fun.

Here are the images I used to create this piece called "Theatre" in Photoshop.

Thaks for visiting my blog -- have a great week!
rebecca

Illustration Friday - Instinct

"Motherly Instinct" -- Illustration Friday topic Instinct

I have always been intrigued by a mother's instinct in caring for and raising her child. An instinctive mother listens for those promptings and intuitive messages that relate to her child's needs and well-being. Many times I have felt that my child needed me to attend to them -- heeding those promptings I have found that they indeed needed me at that very moment.

For example, my son Jason was an occasional sleepwalker. When he was about 10 yrs old I was awakened from sleep in the night by a strong premonition that I needed to get up and look out our front door. Of course I was shocked when I saw Jason standing there in his pajamas, shivering from the cold and standing upright -- sound asleep! He hadn't knocked or rung the bell, he hadn't made a sound but I knew somehow that he needed me right then. I put him straight to bed with some warm heavy blankets and made sure the deadbolt was locked. The next day Jason told me that he had dreamed he had walked to the school bus stop in his pajamas.

I haven't always acted on those promptings, only to realize later that I should have.

Our instincts may be programed and embedded; but I know there is so much more to the "motherly instinct" than automated rearing of our children. Thankfully we can to be in-tune to personal intuition as it relates to that particular child.

Okay, on to the art/illustration...
Here are the elements used to create this digital collage in Photoshop.
Bee and Nest clip art images from Antique Clip Art .com

My motherly instinct tells me that I have some kids to call now and check up on...oh, how I love this part of motherhood, and boy those children of mine sure do make me proud...

Until next time toot-a-loo...

Romancing the Blog redirect...

If you are looking for my Romancing the Blog post for February 14th hosted by Flatwoods Folk Art, please go HERE>>> Just Giddy Typepad Blog for Rebecca Woodward.

Free images!
Four giveaways too! Drawing will take place Tuesday Feb. 17th in the evening...

Thanks!

Illustration Friday - Time

Illustration Friday post for the topic TIME

There's barely time for me to get this in before the next topic is posted. You see, I wasted some perfectly good time on an image I wasn't happy with, so here's one I created last year.
It's a sad one, as it relates to the problems facing beekeepers, their race against time and the impact it has on agriculture. Several of my friends are beekeepers and I am aware of their concern.

Bees, may time be on your side...

Keeping in line...

Where does one find time to keep up with their own blogs? Sheesh, I imagine that I just have way too many irons in the fire here to keep an interesting blog with timely updates and all...
There's a time and place for everything I guess, it sure would be nice to share some art and happenings here for friends to see.

I did make this invitation for Stephanie's birthday party. You are welcome to click on it and save it to you computer and use it for your very own party if you would like...

I also made up a quick colorized version of a favorite album - updated the format from cassette to CD.

The Toston Flats Band LIVE vol.6.
Dave Williams, Robin and Micki, and Avery Williams
I LOVE this music!

Please don't save this artwork to your computer. Thank you...

Have a GREAT week-end!

Illustration Friday - Flawed (ouch!)

Perplexed she was, as...

Always expecting perfection - she noticed the flawed and imperfect world around her.

Come on now girl, perk up a bit will you and don't let the little things get you down. After all, you don't really expect me to believe that you are completely perfect, do you? I will see your flaws eventually, peeking through and presenting themselves for scrutiny, wouldn't you want me to go easy on you at that point?

Your flaws will make you human and just like me!

Created late and flawed for Illustration Friday.
Digital manipulation by Rebecca Woodward.

Illustration Friday - Similar

Similar: Laurel of Studio Lolo fame suggested this week's topic for Illustration Friday.
It's a hit, as of this post, there are 311 entries on the IF site. I loved the topic but had the hardest time deciding what to create. I have a boutique coming up this Wednesday so I wanted to kill two birds... as they say. I think I can use this piece in something since it's kinda wintery.

I named it Marguerite's Mittens because I used a handwritten file card that has instructions for little girl's mittens from Jan 1929. I imagine that whenever you knit mittens you might want them to be similar in size and proportion. Maybe that's why I have only knitted caps and a scarf or two. I knew I could never produce mittens that were anywhere near the same or even similar.

Check out the compilation below for a peek at the images I used -- including the old card with the mitten instructions (used in the background).

Thanks for visiting my digital blog!
rebecca ~ justgiddy