This is how my “Birthday Fairy” looks after putting together the elements (doll, outfit, hair, textures and lighting), posing and then rendering the image in Poser.  (Click to see full-sized.)  Not bad and I’ve seen many images in 3D galleries that look just like this.  I’ve managed to pose her without any poke-through (when the body comes through the clothes) and though the lighting looks a bit too harsh, it’s adequate…doesn’t leave too many dark smudges on her skin.

This is what she looks like after several hours in Photoshop.  I soften every harsh line, paint over skin tones, enhance eyes and lips, clothes, add shadows and highlights, paint on hair, wings and create a background usually using Dave Nagel’s FREE dynamic brushes.  I duplicate layers, playing with layer blend modes and layer opacity.  Takes quite a bit of time but I find it very relaxing and get quite a bit of satisfaction out of making my Poser renders ’soft and purty.’  *smile*  However, after finishing, I usually find something that I wish I had done differently (with this fairy…I don’t like how I posed her eyes and the angle of her wings looks wrong to me).  Each one is a learning experience.  *smile*

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PioneerWoman (I love, love, love the new site!) has promised to post a set of cool Photoshop Actions (Old West and B&W).  Hopefully she’ll get them posted this week.

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ShareCG (where I post most but not all of my freebies…you’ll find lots of graphics and other downloads hiding here on my website that’s not offered at ShareCG) creates a Portfolio page which conveniently lists all of my downloads I have posted there.

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Happy Birthday, Jeanne!!!!

Some photos…Michael actually took a movie of the plane taking off.

Both were excited (said it felt like riding a roller coaster) but I don’t think it sparked a real interest in flying.  My Daddy went with us (on the right, in dark blue jacket, jeans & white sneakers in first photo) and I think he was more interested in the program than the boys.  *smile*

Quinn had gotten up very early yesterday morning (and so was sleepy by mid-afternoon) but also a bit intimidated by all the people in the cold hangar (where the class was conducted) and decided that he preferred to go back to the relatively warm car with his Happy Meal and shake.  Grandad came back a bit earlier than Michael and the boys (to get warm too) and held Quinn and sang him to sleep with “Me and My Teddy Bear.”  Brought back warm memories of when I was a little girl.  *smile*

ven though it’s a wee mite chilly this morning, Spring has really sprung here in Baltimore. The spring trees are flowering, the morning birds serenade, the water fowl splash about. I recently saw a new bird sitting on our pier’s piling…a Belted Kingfisher. My Daddy, who lives just a bit further down the creek from us, also saw him. Yesterday evening one lone little Dark-Eyed Junco hopped around on my back deck, eating some seeds that had spilled from the feeder. That’s probably the last one I’ll see until next winter.

Shelley has a great post on birds…The Birdies are ‘A-Courting!

Spring is busting out all over at ColourLovers.com. Beautiful spring-ish vector-made patterns and matching Photoshop Palettes (.aco). My favorites:

• Spring.
• Springy-ish
• Spring Disease
• Spring Break

Matthew Mead has some pretty new downloads.

I made my pretty little flower bar with brushes from Scrap Stew Sue.  Make sure you click on Older Posts to find all the goodies.

Free Spring clipart.

What’s cooking…

• Seasonal Cooking: Spring
• Family Fun’s Month of Meals
• A Spring Tea Party Menu and Recipes…the Teapot Cake is absolutely adorable!
• …and still eating those left-over hard boiled eggs from Easter?  Try Martha’s Favorite Egg Salad Sandwich

A frog’s a very happy thing,
Cool and green in early spring,
Quick and silver through the pool,
With no thought of books or school.

Oh, I want to be a frog,
Sunning, stretching on a log,
Blinking there in splendid ease,
Swimming naked when I please,
Nosing into magic nooks,
Quiet marshes, noisy brooks.

Free! And fit for anything!
Oh, to be a frog in spring!
~ John Farrar ~

We had a great time yesterday!  We had a bit of trouble getting there due to a wacky GPS system and dare I say, Mrs. Jenn’s wacky driving, *smile* but once there spent about 2 1/2 hours going through the museum.  I fell in love with the religious sculptures and paintings.  Afterward, we headed to Little Italy’s Sabatino’s Restaurant for some pasta and salad.

My friend, Di, left me the sweetest surprise yesterday in her blog…and it really made my day.  Thank you, sweetie!  {{hugs}}

Passing on this award is actually very easy…my dear friend, Jeanne, whose beautiful blog always has a kind and encouraging word and who always makes my day.  Love you!

• Quinn fed the ducks in our backyard

• I baked some chocolate, chocolate cupcakes that my sister’s family and my family loved

• Connor had an idea to spell out “Life Lessons” with all of his many karate belts

• Cade had a biking accident and took quite a bit of skin off of his arm

• Our homeschool’s co-op class on Air and Space

• Cade and Connor at Ski Liberty

• The boys getting ready to go downhill

• Some of our group on the way up to the top of the mountain

• The ride down…whee!

We had a blast yesterday snow tubing.  The rain held off until the last downhill run.  I think it was a toss-up as to who had more fun…the kids or the parents though I do think the parents will definitely be feeling a bit sorer today.  I know I had leg and butt cramps during the night from muscles that I didn’t know I had. 

You know whenever I read about the lack of socialization, interaction amongst peers, I really have to laugh.  In the past few weeks we’ve been to Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, and next week is our co-op’s field trip to the Air and Space Museum located in Virginia and we’re this busy each and every month.  Yeah, we homeschoolers are a sheltered bunch, aren’t we???  Thank you, dear Lord, for the opportunity to homeschool my boys!

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Today the twins are playing paintball with their scouting and karate friends…I’ll be recuperating from doing belly flops down a mountain.  *smile*

Dealing with the Darkness

hile visiting my friend, Kim’s, blog recently, I ran across her post on this little tooth faerie pillow that she made for her son, Roo, when he lost his tooth. Well, I thought it was adorable and told her so and mentioned that Quinn has an appointment with the oral surgeon in February to have four of his baby teeth removed and she offered to make one for Quinnie. Being the type of mother who cringes when the twins bring home karate and boy scout patches that must be sewn on, and uses a liquid stitch to do most hems, I gratefully accepted her very kind offer. Well, the box arrived yesterday and I immediately thought, “Wow, what a large box for such a small pillow!” Indeed inside was the little pillow (with a quarter already in it!) but she also sent a beautiful tote that she made, an adorable little bunny softie, 2 books (one for me and one for Quinn), markers, colored pencils and a pad of paper plus the twins had a ball popping the bubble wrap…something for everyone!

Kim, words can’t express how grateful I am…Quinn loved everything and I love my book, my beautiful tote and though I know it was meant for Quinn, the bunny.  *smile*  Thank you!

Thank you, Mrs. Kim!!!

ary Engelbreit has two sets of coloring pages and several cute projects to do on her website.

Free stationery to print out at Susan Branch.com plus new recipes for February/Valentine’s Day.

My friend, Shelley, is offering pretty little graphics for use on your blog.

Present Past Collection has beautiful little business card cases for sale.

A Treasure Pocket…what a cute idea!  I wish she took Paypal though I’m sure Michael’s glad she doesn’t, right sweetheart?  *smile*

I love the name of this website, The Antique Paperie. I’m bookmarking it because I love ephemera and treasures are promised by the first of February.

My Romantic Home showcases some really gorgeous birdhouses.

Somebody likes my artwork…besides you, Jeanne! *smile* Hey, it made my day.

…happy browsing!

ur homeschooling co-op met yesterday afternoon for some pizza and duckpin bowling fun. The twins had a great time bowling and hanging out with their friends and so did Quinn…

flirting with Mrs. Lisa,

dancing/bowling on the alley and

eating his pizza though by this point he was getting a bit fed up with my picture taking and requests for smiles.

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I took over 30 photos yesterday but very few were keepers.  Michael bought me a nice little Kodak camera for Christmas and I’m really not doing it justice.  (Michael always takes such great pictures and I wanna too!)  I guess I need to re-read my manual and figure out how to get better shots.

ran across this interesting post from Notes from A Cottage Industry on creating framed initials. I’ve been wanting to get to the store to buy a small gift for my friend whose birthday was last week but haven’t been able to get out due to sick me and sick kids. Yesterday, I took my Momma to the grocery store (my Daddy is sick too!) and took advantage of getting out of the house and stopped at the store to pick up some birthday presents for my twin nieces (who are 8 years old today!) and while shopping I found a really pretty silver frame. I’m hoping to get back out to find some silk rose ribbon to loop through the frame before I give it to her.

My friend, Shelley, sent me the most wonderful CD full of vintage images…Thank you, sweetie!  I played with one of them this morning.

This looks like fun…a Vintage Heart Swap from My CHERRY Heart.