The Sketchbook Challenge

I don't usually use a paper sketchbook, but I was very interested in the 'Sketchbook Challenge' so I decided to participate using my own twist on the theme.  Each page is digitally altered using Photoshop Elements and then printed onto fabric and sewn to highlight the image.  One the cover, I decided to include the original banner from the official website.

The theme for January was 'Highly Prized'.  I had a beautiful photo I had taken of my dog, Casey, and her new kitten, Arbour (taken almost 9 years ago) and it spoke to me about trust, love, motherhood, etc.--all the things that I highly prize.  Using Photoshop, I added a painterly filter and the text to give the effect  you see.

February's theme was 'Opposites'.  For this page, I started by playing with Shiva paint sticks and rubbing plates, creating the same patterns on black and white fabric.  I then cut those out and sewed them together to create the background.  From there, I took the photo and imported it into Photoshop so that I could add the text and borders.

'Spilling Over' is the theme for March.  Needless to say, I was in a bit of a dark place when I created this page.  The photo of the eye was scanned from a magazine image so that I could digitally enhance it and add the text.

I will continue to post the new pages as the themes are announced each month...