Queen's day in the Netherlands is the most celebrated national holiday and every year our flag hangs outside and my husband and I watching the live Dutch tv. with a cup of thea and orange ! cake.
We are enjoying ourselfs to see that this public feast is possible in our country and that our Queen and her family celebrates this whit us people. We're proud on our Royal family!

But now...Netherland is in mourning true this incident at a parade in Apeldoorn. And so am I. Shocked deeply and in disbelief when a saw it happen on tv.

Therefore...instead of a usual photoshoped picture...this time out respect for the victims..my prayer.

Theme ; PUZZLE tutorial with photoshop
For quite some time I walked around with this idea but my son said to me (when I showed him the tut. that I found) "Mom..that's NOT possible with YOUR version of photoshop"! "You have CS2 and for THIS you need at least CS3"!!
But ohh my gosh...I can be soooo pigheaded whahaa. And LOOK...I succeeded !! And you won't believe it. It took only 15 minutes time to learn.
And my SON ? Well he was so impressed and PROUD of me that he cuddled me hihi. He had a BIG smile when I tould him that THIS time I was his teacher. For the first time it happend the other way around. What a moment ! LOL
*****
I will try to make a tutorial of it but actualy, the credits are for ; photoshopessentials.com ( I've changed it a little on my manner because I have the CS2 version)
The picture is from Valerie Brinchek.

Tutorial;

Pffjoei....trying something totaly new in photoshop and creating a abstract background with those pigeons.
Although it hasn't entirely become what I had hoped of, for my first attempt I am rather satisfied. I think (when the time is there), it will get a continuation to learn more. But nevertheless, I find this of the nicest possibilities in photoshop.
Try and try - fail - struggle, but finaly I succeed and rarely I throw a creation away.
Credits for the pigeons sxc.hu

From time to time I LOVE to create scenery's.
To make something of 'nothing'.
This one reminds me of my childhood. A picknick in the forest with our family and especially with my mom ! My father died already 18 years ago but my mom is still living and in july she will be 84. There are times that I wished that she could see what i'm "fiddling" here on my computer. I think that some pictures would bring a lot of memory's back to her. Some of them are so personal (without telling it) that she exactly would know which one :D

*Just click on the pictures for a larger view.
CREDITS

A "Quicky" :D
Another vintage digitalcard with a babyphoto from Corbis and a pram from Happy-digiscrapper.blogspot.

Creating an old postcard with a lovely and colourful CanCan dancer that I found by Valerie Brincheck.

Femmy was this time the guest-designer for Artarazzi.
The beautiful image to work with is from Charles Joshua Chaplin and is called "Girl with a Nest".
First I followed a tutorial by Melissa Clifton to make a sort of popart with the picture but halfway... I changed it into this :D
Sometimes I simply don't have my day.

Just click on the pictures for a larger view.
Credits

Theme; Challenge by Artcreationsfriday.
This time I want to use a few personal things to add at this entry. It seemed me nice to try it at once.
When you look at the background from the first picture, you see me walking in the "Brabantse" forest. (The province where I live)
Further I wrote some words (with my Wacom tablet) to the journal that I made. (it's my own handwriting) and add a little photo of our garden.

After that; I started with the Challenge.
When I saw the picture I first had to think about Calamity Jane but when I google't I saw that she was more "sturdy ?" then the picture given by Femmy :D
My second thougt was to use a covered western wagon....but FINALY it became this.

*Just click on the pictures for a larger view.
I used the technique of the Quick-mode (Q) to separate every piece of her clothes and skin. Then I changed the colour-balances. Further I add the filter highlights with a blendingmode/ color burn and some brushes.
* CREDITS for the background > CLICK here <

Thanks for looking and I'm glad to see this week all your creative entry's made for this challenge.
Warm greetings. Rian

Just playing around with the chanel-mixer, curves and gradients.

*Just click on the picture for a larger view.
CREDITS

And some links to remember (label "Geheugensteuntjes")search-tips
1)Emma Alvarez / 50 free photoshop pattern sets.
2)Planet photoshop com / tutorial PIN UP effect.
3)Polyvore.com / TIP (to see wonderful collages)
4)Agoogdyarn.net / a few vintage pictures.
5)Antique clipart.com / These clipart images are ALL from vintage sources, and have been scanned, restored, and placed into the Public Domain by AntiqueClipart.com.

In my language we call it "De franse lelie"
In French "Fleur-de Lys"
But in English ??

Theme ; Tutorial / a quick way to cut out a picture with photoshop.
(I generally use this manner :)
Credits for the photo by Valerie Brincheck

Fabulous Hilda. One of my favorite subjects.
Ok, maybe it's a little naughty but I had to laugh out loud. :D
*****
The background is from sxc.hu that I altered

After the new brushes...now some new fonts that I found.

Trying the first new brush that I've download yesterday. (grunge-vector)

*Just click on the icture for a larger view.
CREDITS
1)The grunge vector BRUSH (see previous post below) circle--of--fire Deviantart.com
2)OldTimer / Anneli Anderson happy-digiscrapper blogspot.com
3)Background /sxc.hu

I'm always searching for new things to try out with photoshop, and today I found some new brushes. I remember the first time that I want to install them...but how ?? pfffff.
My son was so kind to help me and from that day on I add them as follow;
(You can do it on many different ways but for me, this works the best:)

This are the brushes that I download and maybe this week I post some lay-outs, trying them.

Theme; a WONDERFUL challenge by Artarazzi.
This one took ours to work on Vron but 'djeeez' what a feast to make this picture !
During my photoshop 'proces' the crying manequinn changed into a gipsy.
I will include the tutorials how I did it and hope that someone like it. If there are any questions..please ask and I will try to help you.

Tut.Part 1
Tut. Part 2
CREDITS

Theme ; Challenge by ArtCreationsFriday. / RUTTING SEASON (in Dutch we call it the BRONST-TIJD)
Sometimes I simply have to make a funny picture so you can gues how my mood was today. :D
I hope that it's forgiven me that I once pass the credits and the tut. I promise that next time I will add it again.(however, most of the deers and stags I found by mr. google and the background by zastavki.com) Further I used a lot of flowers and filters to finish with a scenery-dreamy look.
Thanks Will for this picture and you all for looking !

Theme; Tutorial.
Last week I found such a adorable picture that I decided to give it another try to make a tutorial. I think that you allready now that I'm NOT a profesional tut.writer but I hope that true this humble 'gift' I can help you this way, to learn a little bit more about photoshop.

CREDITS
TUTORIAL

Theme; Designing Banners.
Generally I consider first a topic and this time was my idea "GOBELIN".
(Just click on the pictures)

Searching for elements and backgrounds on my computer and the internet.

Lets play ! Oléééé :D

Each Friday and Saturday I participate to a challenge and this time Vron (from Artarazzi) has given us a beautiful piece of modern art by Boris Vallejo. Because I had never heard of this artist I went immediately to Mr. Google. What a incredibly beautiful art makes that guy ! Thanks that I have learned something of you Vron.
For my picture I used also another art piece of him and I hope you like it.
*Just click on it for a larger view.

CREDITS

Theme; Challenge by ArtCreationsFriday.
What a beautiful picture you gave us Pepeetje !!
I used for this one a image from a Fabergé egg that I found on Ebay.
It is perhaps not copyright-free but I hope that they will understand that it's only for personal use and that I only place ONE post with it.
Further credits and how I change some things you can see below.
Thanks for this Challenge and I wish all my visiters HAPPY EASTERdays !!
(Vrolijke paasdagen voor de Nederlanders onder ons)
*Just click on the pictures for a larger view.


And this is my final result.

And then finaly...(de paasdagen staan immers voor de deur) Before the easterbunny is knocking on our door...the last two banners.
I suddenly realise that today is "good friday" and it's maybe not proper to post the horror banners but I hope that you will believe me that this happened accidentally.
In fact..I doubt if I must publish them.
*****
Maar ach...'t is MIJN blog ! Toch ?! Ik denk dat er nog genoeg mensen zijn die niet eens weten wat goede vrijdag eigenlijk inhoud en er totaal niet bij stil staan. Is ook helemaal niet erg...ik zou de laatste willen zijn om iemand daarop aan te spreken.
(Zo..en nou heb ik me genoeg "in gedekt" ZOOOOOOOOO rooms ben ik nou ook weer nie.)
*Just click on the scenery-banners for a larger view.

One - Two - Trio en hoppaaaa.
Alle goede dingen bestaan in drieën, zeggen ze dan....ofzoiets toch.
*Just click on the banners for a larger view.
Tomorrow the FINALE en dan heb ik 't wel weer ffkes gezien met die banners.

And the story continues....
Today one banner with my favorite flowers. The poppies.
Again I used a personal photo that I made during a weekend trip to Belgium with my sister. ( What a LOL we have hè Melanie!)
By the way... I'm so "in love" with these flowers that even our trashcan has stickers with poppies :D and every year my husband Johan gives me the seed of the wild growing poppies so I can scatter them in the garden. Each time it is a feast to see al those "little red pearls".

The third banner(s). Theme; HOLLAND !
♪♪ Wilhemus vahahan Nasauwuhh ♪♪ Our national anthem-folksong.
Typical Dutch pictures with not only the tulips, Delfts blue, the windmills etc. as our country is well now but also a image from a "poopy dog" .Netherland lies full with that. :D

I used some personal photos for the first banner. (The background, our doggy Murphy and the horses). The orange colors are there because our Queens name is "Van Oranje" For the second banner...Google, LOTS of google !

And again...just click for a larger view.

The second Banner/Header which I made this week.
Yesterday I found a lovely hydrangea wreath by google ( In Holland we call the flowers "Hortensia") and I decided that that had become the basis for this work.
It took me almost 2 hours with the eraser tool (what a terapy haha) but however...once ready I safed it as a PDF image. When I need a wreath the next time I only have to grab it :D
The style is quit similar as the first one but this time in some blue/green colors.

*Just click on the Banner/Header for a larger view

One of the nicest things to do, is designing Banners/Headers.
(At least...I find that :D )
For this reason , the next week I will post a few more.
How they will look like ?
Hmmzzz in very different styles I think but for now....this is the first one.

*Just click on the banner for a larger view.
Credits...A lot !!
The most important; Graphics Fairy - Corbis - sxc.hu - and Google of course.

♪♪ Ut lève is goed in't Brabantse land ♪♪

Het is weer laot dus ik pies langs 't potje
maar heb 't af, deez schòn pink plaotje. :D

De credits... sjah het is wa pover
die slaoj ik dus mer ne keer over.

Theme; Challenge by Artarazzi.
I'm in a funny mood today. :D
When I saw that the challenge went for a sea gull I had to think immediately of the last time that we were at the sea. There flew so many gulls at that beachclub where we sat that my man Johan said "Rian...nog ffkes en ik sch**t hen op zunne kop" whahaahahaaa. (sorry if I translate that Dutch sentence Mr.Blogger wil maybe angry) LOL.
But however...Vron and specially Stacey...Thanks for this joyfull moment. It's maybe not my best work until now but I had so much fun to make this challenge with your "ZEEMEEUW"(seagull)

*Just click on the pictures for a larger view.
CREDITS