Dance to the music

In 2014 dance to the music!

Celebrating the new year the theme in The Three Muses is Color Me Happy.

My color is blue, don't know why, it just makes me happy. 

Besides, the old Hollywood musicals always make me happy.

Futhermore, nothing has the power of changing my mood like music. 

Last but no least, I hate exercising but love dancing.

I guess  by now my collage has enough justification :)

By the way, they say that moving to music sheds stress, eases pain, and even sharpens the brain.

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire are dancing to the music in Swing Time (1936). I colored the original black and white photo. Texture by Kim Klassen. Dance to the Music was a hit by Sly and the Family Stone  in 1968.

Hope

Hi, my dear friends. Take a  Word asked us to illustrate the NEW YEAR and I couldn't miss this opportunity to wish you peace, love, prosperity, good health and the strength to pursue your goals.

All elements by Createwing Designs.

Feliz Natal! Merry Christmas! Feliz navidad! Joyeux Noël!

Hi! Take a Word asked for Seasons Greetings and here are mine. 

I did this simple card beginning from a wood Santa I painted years ago. 

The Christmas Tree is a metal small one I have.

I wish you all a peaceful happy Christmas alongside your family and friends.

I also would like to share with you a little bit of the real thing:

Sisters

Hello! Take a World asked TWO of anything. I remendered of these sweet sisters, then enhanced their beauty a little bit and put together a princess set for them. Unfortunately I don't have sisters, only a bunch of brothers, but I have two daughters and I'm happy to say that they are best friends. 

Background: Cindy Ritter; texture: Beth Rimmer; Castles: Caffeine (dA); other elements: Createwings designs.

Queen of Spades

Hi, guys. The Three Muses asked for Altered Playing Cards. I did a Queen of Spades card beginning from the photo bellow (from Flickr The Commons). 

Background: free wallpaper; texture: Shadowhouse Creations.

Ladies of the castle

The castle has gone long ago, but miladies keep their glamour...

Hi, blogfriends! Take a Word asked for vintage and I dug out my files these two vintage beauties adding some color to the original b&w. They are so lovely that I highlighted them bellow. 

All elements by Createwings Designs. Sorry I don't remember where the girls came from...

Flying Scarlett strikes again

After recovering from all those tragedies (culminating with the divorce from Rhett), Scarlett became a globetrotter. The only means of transportation she needed was her red umbrella and a windy day. She was a showoff, every city she visited she used to send a postcard to her Atlanta friends.

Hi! This is my contribution to The Three Muses which challenge for this week is to create art inspired by GONE WITH THE WIND. Great theme!

Backgroumd by Graphics Fairy; texture by Buzillo Stock (dA); arm and umbrella from a stock photo by Moonofsun (dA); plus a few filters...

Mary Woodpecker & sons

Hi there! Take a Word asked for feathered friends and it reminded me of dear Mary Woodpecker and her birds whom she loved as if they were her children.

I digitally colored a black and white photo; birds are Hairy Woodpacker and Downie Woodpecker; background and elements by Createwings Designs.

Ballooners

Take a Word asked for balloons. And I decided to tell you what happened on Saturday. We went to a friend's house for a girls night. We had wine and some delicious treats, talked a lot and laughed even more. And after a few more glasses of wine everybody went ballooning! Or something like that...

Thanks to Createwings and Mr. Whiskers.

Mighty Tiger & Sad Parrot

Hi, guys! I'm back! After a very tough period in job and a well-deserved vacation with DH I'm back! I guess... :)

This is  my contribution to a new and improved Three Muses Challenge which theme this week is GRUNGE/PRINT BACKGROUND. I wish to the brand new TTM all the best. These three ladies have awakened my muse who had been sleeping for 30 years! :)))

I don't know if I succeeded but I tried to add some grunginess to two photos I took recently in Jungle Island a kinda zoo in Miami. It was sad to see those magnificent animals locked in cages, although they were obviously well treated.

Other than my photos, textures by Buzzilo Stock and Mighty Backgrounds.

Twins

Blessed be childhood, which brings down something of heaven

 into the midst of our rough earthliness.

Henri Frederic Amiel

Hi there! These lovely twins enjoying Springtime (it's Spring around here) are my

contribution to Take a Word which theme this week is CHILDHOOD.

Background: free wallpaper; texture: Kim Klassen; twins: Art-e-ology. You can check the original picture bellow:

Dare to be different

Hello! The challenge in The Three Muses is EYES and this is my contribution.

Background: two different papers by Beth Rimmer; Eye: Faestock (dA).

This challenge reminded me of a piece I did for Digitalmania two years ago inspiref by Salvador Dali:

Dali's nightmare after seeing North by Northwest

Little Red Hood first photo

Hi! The theme in Take a Word is AUTUMN and like Marie, in my part of the world seasonal changes aren't dramatic at all. We could summarize them in the rainy period / period of drought. As my country is very large, rainfall and drought occur at different times depending on the region. In Brasilia we are about to enter - Thank God! - in the rainy season. So whenever the theme is AUTUMN, I seek a beautiful photo of an Autumn I've never seen to be the background of the scene I imagine!

I'm also submitting this to Digitalmania which theme is free this week as long as we use a vintage picture altering its background.

Background by Emerald Depths (dA); leaves by Maureen Older (dA); baby by Jamie Miller; texture by Natalya Semenchuk.

Father daughter time

Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve,

 too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.

Henry Van Dyke

It seems unfair that we at some point have to say goodbye to our parents, but time passes and this time comes eventually. I'm very grateful to have my father around and to be able to spend some time with him almost daily. He's a kind and fun guy and a loving grandfather. 

This is my contribution to Take a Word which theme this week is TIME.

Everything happens to everybody sooner or later if there is time enough. George Bernard Shaw 

Art déco beach

Hi! The theme in Take a Word is WARM COLORS and it reminded me of Miami Beach and its art déco architecture.

The background is a photo I took there; the goddesses, birds and sun are part of the façade of the building bellow (also my photo). There's a Kim Klassen texture and a pattern that is a Dover free sample.

Wild Spirit

All things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man... 

the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.

Chief Seattle 

Hi there! Take a Word asked for Wild Animals and as you can see I love cats, especially the big ones.

I googled everything but the texture that is Kim Klassen's.

“The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men.” - Alice Walker

"Os animais existem por suas próprias razões. Eles não foram feitos para os humanos, assim como os negros não foram feitos para os brancos ou as mulheres para os homens." - Alice Walker

Circles, Squares and Glasses

"Men seldom make passes / At girls who wear glasses" ~ Dorothy Parker

"Rose-colored glasses are never made in bifocals. Nobody wants to read the small print in dreams."

 ~ Ann Landers

Hello! The challenge is CIRCLES AND SQUARES in The Three Muses and it reminded me of glasses. They are a curse with which I have lived from 9 to 13 years old. Contact lenses replaced them until I was 26. So I had the surgery and up to 39 I was just having fun with sunglasses. By 40 the curse has struck again... 

A Friend in the dark

“I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light.” ― Helen Keller

Hi! Take a Word asked for DARK and it occurred to me I could did a darker version of this collage.

Thanks to Last Door Down the Hall, Zeldona at Mellowmint, Omnigenius and Shadowhouse Creations.

Bela Rosa

“I feel as if I had opened a book and found roses of yesterday sweet and fragrant, between its leaves.” 

― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of the Island

This week we have a color challenge in Take a Word. It's PINK (and shades of pink or even mauve). I was in a nostalgic mood and did this. Thanks for passing by.

Note: I'm not taking part in the challenges as actively as I wanted because I just haven't had time (too much work and a lot of trouble!). I hope things come back on track soon...

Girl: Collage Obsession; background: MC Designs; Elements: MC Designs, Eenas Creation, Angie Young and Mariella Corugati.

Don't forget your hat, professor!

Watch out! Professor McGonagall doesn't suffer fools gladly!

Hi! The theme is HAT in Take a Word and I went for witch hats again...

The background is a photo I took in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Island of Adventures - Orlando/FL) and depicts their version of Hogwarts Castle. I added a starry night and a big full Moon. My witch is Professor McGonagall impersonated by great Dame Maggie Smith. I gave her a glittered hat. Texture by Pareeerica.

Butterflies

Butterflies for Audrey

This week the theme in Take a Word is BUTTERFLIES. I guess we'll never have enough of them. They can add joy to almost everything. 

In this collage lovely Audrey is wearing a Philip Treacy hat for Alexander Mcqueen (Spring 2008). The background is my own. There's texture by Princess of Shadows.

I did other two pieces for Digitalmania which work perfectly for this challenge. The theme is Nick Bantock.

Letter to Zenaida

As you can see it's the same background with different filters. It's a faux mail to my mother-in-law who lives in Cuba.

Sending Butterflies

The last one is a letter to DH. 

Background: Kim Klassen (altered);

Sky: my photo; 

Butterflies: Dover; 

Flowers: Redouté.

True Happiness

Hello! Take a Word asked for TRUE HAPPINESS. The day of the wedding, the birth of the first child or the long awaited trip to Paris are exhilarating moments of immense joy. However, for me, true happiness is being at peace with myself and have serenity. Happiness is something that is within us and can not depend on others. With this collage I tried to transmit this feeling of peace and serenity. I hope I have succeeded.

This collage was also inspired by artist Catrin Welz-Stein which is the current challenge in the group Digitalmania on Flickr.

Lilian Gish (colored and altered) is a cortesy of Doctor Macro; Texture by Kim Klassen, Butterflies from Dover; the sea and the sky are my own photos.

June Bride and Groom

Hello! The Three Muses asked for JUNE BRIDE. As bride's month in Brazil is May, I thought I could make of my vintage sweethearts (colored and altered) a typical Festa Junina's couple. The Festa Junina (June Festivals) occurs throughout my country. It celebrates Saint Anthony, Saint John The Baptist and Saint Peter with typical food, music and dance (quadrilha) and it differs from region to region. In common the celebration of rural simple life of the past. In the quadrilha there is always a mocking wedding with bride and groom properly dressed. If you would like to know more about the festivities go here.

Once upon a time there was two princesses that loved plants

Hi! Take a Word asked for BOTANICAL. I took a princess I drawed yesterday for the group Drawing a Fine Line in Flickr (another lovely idea of Marie) and gave her a red-haired sister. Then, I gave them lovely floral dresses made of a photo I took a few months ago. They deserved, of course, beautiful jewelry and perfect flower bouquets. 

Background has my photo, then several botanical plates (Last Door Down The Hall) and finnaly a texture by Kim Klassen.

I'd rather be an odd bird...

... 'cause it's the beautiful bird which gets caged :)

The Three Muses asked for BIRDS and I wasn't in the mood for Birds of Paradise and other beauties like this... Then I was wondering what if a Eclectus Parrot met a  Bolivian Squirrel Monkey?

The background and wings are Beth Rimmer's. The quote is a Chinese Proverb.

Lighthouses on my way

Take a Word asked for COOL COLORS and I decided to take a look at  that old trunk of photographs.  Everything including texture came from my own photos. Thanks for passing by.

Gothic arches, wig and wings

I love the gothic aesthetic, I find it beautiful and romantic. However, I've been there several times. So, I decided to stick with the Gothic architecture only. Then I added some luxury to the  scenery by including one of the fantastic Marina Bychkova's dolls a la Marie Antoinette. Hope you like it.

Background (altered): Historyfish (photochrom dated between 1890 and 1900 and available from the Library of Congress of La Sainte-Chapelle, located near the Palais de la Cité, on the Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris). 
Amazing Doll (altered): Marina Bychkova.
Wings:  brush by Obsidian Dawn.

Orange Night

Hi! The theme in Take a Word is ORANGE. This is a composition of my own photos. I took them when I was wandering around South Beach with DH. I swear to God all those lights, neon, headlights and shop windows looked orange to me...

Blue Zetti

Hello, dear friends! The challenge this week is ZETTI in The Three Muses and this is my contribution. Thanks for passing by and for your kind comments.

Some elements and background by Beth Rimmer and Tumblefish Studio.

Flowers

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; 

they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.

Luther Burbank

Hello! I took this photo in Orlando last April. I cut out parts of it and reassembled. There's also a Jerry Jones' texture. This is for Quotography which theme this week is "Your choice".

Bubble babies

Hi! After a vacation visiting my husband who is living in Miami, I came back somewhat melancholic. In addition, work has drained my energy lately. Never mind, I'm very happy because I'm back doing my digital collages and eager to see your beautiful work.

I did my bubble babies for Take a Word which theme is BUBBLES.

The Maiden, the Mother and the Crone

The maiden (waxing moon)

The mother (full moon)

The Crone (waning moon)

Hi, fellows! These are my contribution to Take a Word challenge which theme this week is MOON.  The idea is phases of the moon symbolizing different stages of female life cycle. Thanks for passing by.

The maiden: background is a free wallpaper; crow by shoofly stock; texture by shadowhouse creations.

The mother: background is a free wallpaper; photo by Nigel Barker (altered); texture by pareerica.

The crone: photo by John Thomson (colored), texture by pareerica.

Postcard to Cláudia

Hi! This week Take a Word asked for Mail Art and I grabbed the chance to say happy birthday to my dearest friend who lives in the most beautiful city in the world, unfortunately very far from me...

Postcard and texture by Jerry Jones (Shadowhouse Creations); Girls: illustration by Jessie Willcox Smith.

Steampunk Beauty

The Three Muses asked for STEAMPUNK. Always a difficult task for me. Maybe it's my tropical soul...

Well, I find this gal with a very artistic makeup (by Emma Reed) and it seemed to me she would fit perfectly to a steampunk environment. 

All elements by Finecrafted Designs.

Prime color of the world

El verde es el color principal del mundo, y que a partir del cual surge su belleza.

Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.

Pedro Calderón de la Barca

This coloring thing is kinda addicting.  When Take a Word asked for Green it seemed a good idea to take an old photo of a beautiful teenager and to transform her into a Green Fairy. Then I found this photo gently shared by Jamie Miller and did that:

Flight of butterflies: Dover; Texture: Kim Klassen.