Live Life Creatively

Oh Those Eyes!

2012-10-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have posted, but life has been just crazy busy. This is the norm between juggling graphics, photography, family life and being in the heart of volleyball season.

I would like to share some images from a recent Senior Photo Shoot done at Gleason Park in Eau Gallie. There are so many beautiful natural backgrounds there that allowed me to showcase Jessie’s beauty. Here are some cropped shots showing a variety of poses with a couple different outfits.

Jessie has such a natural smile and amazing eyes that I wanted to be sure to highlight in her photo shoot. Prior to the shoot, we discussed the colors and likely outfits that she would choose to wear. This is always a good idea for photographers to discuss with the people that they will be shooting. It gives you a great opportunity to make suggestions to accomplish the overall look that your client is trying to achieve. Now with cell phones, they can send you photos and the two of you can work in a partnership to achieve a successful shoot.

Post shoot editing gives other opportunities to add styles and effects to create the mood for an image. If you look at the color version, shown in the right hand corner of the grouping above, you can see how different a feel a similar shot from that series has to it when stylized with my black & white allure action. Her eyes, oh those beautiful eyes, become the center of attention.

Selecting the Right Style and Effects for Images

2012-08-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

Many people view photography as simply as you take the picture and you print it. Done deal. However, photography is like a terrific recipe, there are a lot of ingredients that go into the perfect outcome. Taste is a subjective thing; so is the world of photo editing. You see, it is not just as simple as clicking the shutter. Post editing offers so many choices for both creativity and enhancement that can truly effect the outcome of a photo. So how do you go about selecting the right style and effects for images? How do you determine which choice is right for your customer?

As a photographer, you cannot possibly make the right choice without first getting to know your customer and what drew them to you in the first place. If it was merely the referral of a friend, then it is up to you to find out what photo styles they like. This can be accomplished by asking them questions about different sample images on your website or in your portfolio. Or if you have a group of actions that you typically like to use, perhaps you can take one image and show them different style choices for that photo. This may be something you may want to do yourself before editing a batch of photos from a session to determine which styles & effects best depict what you envisioned creatively. Let me show you an example of this...

You can see from the example above, how these simple changes to lighting & color can effect the overall tone and mood of a photograph. Now, the choice is up to you to match the imagery both the style of photography that you want associated with your name, and most importantly, creating a finished product that is what your customer desires. My tip is to really ask those questions before shooting so you know going into your shoot what look you are trying to achieve.

For more photo examples visit my website. I hope that this article inspires you to live life creatively both through your lens as well as through your post editing work!

One Shoot in Adverse Conditions - 3 inspiring results

2012-08-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

What do you get on a stormy night, with a bit of drizzle and a lot of enthusiasm? Three concepts for shooting in less than ideal conditions. Here is how you can think quickly on your feet and salvage a senior portrait session.

When we arrived at the park, it was still lightly drizzling with the weather predicting a one hour window before sunset, however clouds were constantly looming and lighting was tricky, so I started out under a large gazebo posing my model, Christy, while I sported an umbrella over my shoulder to protect my camera. Here are some of the images working within the confines of the gazebo.

We then moved outside the gazebo once the rain let up using, at first, a frame as a prop, then a brightly colored umbrella. Yes, mine! I thought, why not work with the weather in this situation and have fun.

For this model, who is a very natural beauty, the umbrella shots were some of her favorites from our session. To think, those might not have even happened if it wasn’t for the weather!

Another amazing outcome was the spectacular sunset that occurred. I used this opportunity to use it as a photo backdrop as well as to experiment with doing some dramatic silhouette, artsy style photos.

So the lesson of the day is, if you can work around the weather, you may be pleasantly surprised by the end result. Let it test your quick thinking, challenge your creativity and inspire new approaches to your portrait photography. For more photo inspiration, visit my website.

If you like what you see here, click the like button on my facebook page or subscribe to my blog for more creative inspiration and tips.

The Prop Connection

2012-07-21T09:37:00.001-07:00

Using props can always add an interesting element to a photo, but when you use a prop that has a connection to the main subject in your photo, it adds a deeper level of meaning. For instance, when shooting senior photos, I like to ask the teens that I am photographing what their hobbies and interests are. I even ask them to bring along a favorite article of clothing or jewelry, something that they have a connection to. One senior wore a necklace in her photos that was special to her. That way, regardless if the necklace was lost or damaged, she would have it forever preserved, photographically, for her to always remember. These props can be an old teddy bear, a heirloom from a grandparent, a favorite hat or a piece of their sports equipment.

The reason for this? When someone is passionate about something they love or even love to do, it typically comes through in the photos I take. My photography is not just about capturing images, it is about creating memories.

When you shoot a photo with a prop that they have selected, it reveals a little bit about that person’s life and evokes conversation and interest. Sometimes, it reveals a personal and sentimental connection. And sometimes, it just is a comfort zone that puts your subject at ease. In having something familiar from their real life in the photo session, it makes them almost forget that the camera is there. Of course, it helps to continue that chatty conversation which also helps to distract and relax them.

In the example above, I thought it would be interesting to bring along an old bike wheel that had some busted spokes as a fun prop since the model, Kylie, works at a bike shop. It makes the viewer wonder, “why does she have this wheel?” and creates more interest in wanting to know her life story.

Begin shooting with props and exploring ways how you can reveal a little bit about the life of the person that you are shooting and leave the viewers of your photos wondering...what is the prop connection?

For more examples, vist my website or Facebook Page.

The Perfect Photo Location Could Be Right Around the Corner

2012-07-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

Locations and backgrounds can be vital to creating an awesome photo...sometimes, equally as important as the subject itself. The setting can dictate the mood of a photographic image.

This photo, below, almost appears to be a painted studio backdrop, but don’t be fooled.

I realize that I am blessed to live 7 miles from the beach so opportunities exist for lots of gorgeous shots, however a creative type never falls back on the expected. We are always seeking new locations and cool places to shoot photos. For me, an amazing discovery proved to be right around the corner, one that I have driven by thousands of times over the past 8 years. The farm that backs up to our suburban community is sort of out of place. It sits on the roadside of a fairly busy road. There are horses in the stables and occasional cows in the fields. It is a reminder of my days out in Kansas when we drove to Zimmerman’s farm to pick out our pumpkin and enjoy Fall festivities.

Since I don’t know the owners, I thought about just stopping on the side of the road to start shooting a sunset photo session with my daughter, Kylie. We had plans to go to a park near the base of the causeway, but she agreed to try a few shots. We quickly discovered that there was no need to drive any further than right around the corner. Check out the amazing photos we took and the variety of looks simply by walking a few feet in one direction or the other.

In the shots below, which you can view larger by clicking on, you see the changes in lighting creates different mood & overall feel to the shots. This was accomplished by positioning the model in different scenery with the light falling in different directions. When shooting in manual mode this requires constant monitoring and changing of aperture and shutter speed...and as light diminshed, even changing the ISO for a few of the shots.

After we got just a wee bit too close to the farm and were chased off by some very large, not-so-friendly dogs, we scurried across the street where we saw the perfect fence and scenery for some brighter lit sunset shots...some of my favorites of the day! After applying a few actions and doing some post editing, you can see how different a look these images have. Remember, they were shot all within the same hour, just a change in scenery with actions applied. Pretty amazing, huh? Out of all the pictures we took, both Kylie and I agreed that these were our favorites of the night. Imagine that — my 17 yr. old and I agreeing on something! Pretty special.

So when you are struggling to make your photos fresh and new, a walk around the block may open up your imagination to some new photographic possibilities. Or if you are limited in new background settings, simply change the viewpoint, or position your model in different lighting, to create some fresh new images!

Drowning in Pictures!

2012-07-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

On Monday, I did a double photo session with our youngest daughter, Kylie, who is about to start her senior year. She is also a spokesmodel for my photography business, Cheri Wenger Design Photography so we did a DREAM session...twice the photos, twice the fun!

She and I are both not morning people so I wasn’t sure how waking at 6 am was gonna correlate into getting ANY good pictures, but I think you will agree that we did more than alright! She started off with a cute silky sundress to have a slightly more formal look with plans to change into shorts & a tee.

Living in Melbourne, FL provides awesome opportunities to shoot photos at the beach. We just couldn’t make the true sunrise at 5:30...no way, no how that would happen with either of us! We did some in the water, but she didn’t want to get too wet since we were just getting started. We played with bubbles. Note: it really helps to have an assistant for that shot so they can direct the bubbles while you snap away! We managed to get a photo or two, but I am gonna try that again, like planned, in her shorts and colorful t-shirt, which by the way, we never got to shoot. We'll save that for another more fun and playful photo session.

Hey, you don’t know what a success this really was. We didn’t have even one squabble AND despite sweating our tutus off, there were plenty of smiles and great shots. Now, we took a break at Starbucks for breakfast and some passionfruit lemonades to revive ourselves! Here are some of the shots taken by the Indian River along with a few from the beach session.

You know, I have always said that I am an evening person and my daughter is just like me, in more ways than one! She comes alive in pictures and I just seem to have more creative ideas for shots, angles and lighting. No, this couldn't have anything to do with staying up late working on design stuff for my business! As you can see by all these photos, I am in picture and editing overload, but lovin' every minute of it! The handheld ponytail shots at sunset are my mommy faves, and hers too!

If you want to see the complete gallery of photos from the a.m. and sunset photo sessions, check out my facebook page or go to my Cheri Wenger Design Photography website and you will see them as two of the featured galleries. Be sure to leave me a guest book message on my website and to hit the like button on my facebook page! Thanks.

Live Life Creatively: Photo Website Launch & Spokesmodel Search

2012-07-10T10:45:00.001-07:00

Live Life Creatively: Photo Website Launch & Spokesmodel Search: Today marks the big day...the launch of my long awaited photography website . Eventually, I hope to have a custom designed website whic...

Photo Website Launch & Spokesmodel Search

2012-07-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

Today marks the big day...the launch of my long awaited photography website. Eventually, I hope to have a custom designed website which will join together all of my creative worlds, but this new site is so exciting from a photographer’s standpoint. Here, you can find out more about me, my photo services, and check out examples of my portfolio.

Once you visit the homepage, you will see a slideshow of photos featuring babies, children, teens, couples & families. One unique aspect to my photography business is my not-so-secret weapon, my design & creative skills! As an artist, I bring my creative eye when composing photos, looking for colorful and interesting backgrounds, locations and perspectives. My extensive background in photoshop adds to my editing capabilities as well as the option to offer my customers custom portrait art combining design techniques with their photos. See examples of some art portraits on this page of my site.

I also use some of my own stock photography images to create photo art, both of which will be available for purchase as prints on my site. Be patient with me as I work on building to the stock photography library!

INTRODUCING OUR FIRST ANNUAL SENIOR SPOKESMODEL SEARCH CONTEST

Do you know a local high school senior who is outgoing, comfortable in front of the camera and enthusiastic when it comes to talking about things that they like? Encourage them to enter our Spokesmodel Contest. Note that we will be doing another contest for Juniors in the Spring 2013!

Click here to go to our Contest Website page.

If you pop by the photography website, be sure to leave me a message

and let me know what you think of it, and which are your favorite photos!

To keep updated on my latest shoots and happenings at

Cheri Wenger Design Photography, hit the like button on my facebook page.

You can click on the FB button link at the bottom of my website or click here.

The Beauty of Textures

2012-06-26T05:30:00.002-07:00

This is another photo art creation using photos taken of a bouquet of carnations. I merely wanted to take a picture of them to preserve their beauty so my daughter could remember that Valentine’s day gift. I couldn’t photograph them indoors because the lighting just wasn’t right, but when I simply placed them out on the table on our lanai, magic happened. I was able to photograph them like a painting and convey the beauty that my eyes were seeing. However, in adding Kim Klassen’s textures to the image, really turned this piece into art.

Beauty Fades

Photo art featuring textures by Kim Klassen.

To see the evolution, you must see the original photo.

It has a warmth to it, but I love the vintage look of the finished art

achieved by adding Kim’s Just Blush texture plus some of my own textures

and quote to it! Check out Texture Tuesdays challenges with Kim. This is her justblush texture:

Here are the two of my own photo textures that I applied to the image that helped to add that dreamy, watercolor look to the image. For those of you not familiar with photoshop, you can layer photos, textures, text and color over photos in varying opacities with different layer style choices to achieve very dramatic or very subtle effects.

The two photo images above were photos taken of the glass block window in our master bath. The third image, below, was a closeup taken of our textured wall. So you see, creativity exists all around us, just waiting to be used and appreciated!

In the first image, I changed the hue to a sepia tone look. It includes wispy textures from the floral arrangement that sits on the ledge.These are all colored textures, however you can use b&w textures/photos to create effects. Don’t be afraid to experiment & live life creatively!

Here’s a peek at my layers palette in photoshop so you can see the order of the layers used.

Live Life Creatively: Using the Hottest Colors in your Card Creations

2012-06-14T06:00:00.001-07:00

Live Life Creatively: Using the Hottest Colors in your Card Creations: ...see if you can guess from these two card samples the latest "in color"!

Using the Hottest Colors in your Card Creations

2012-06-14T05:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I picked up an issue of In Style magazine and my eyes settled on a page featuring shades of watermelon pink as one of the latest, hot colors to wear. Maybe I am a bit psychic when it comes to picking in colors, LOL, but I just created two cards last week featuring that color. In the first card I have paired it up with a hot coral color and used the technique I shared in my last post for handcoloring your stamp with markers, only I did not spritz this one, I let the markers blend the colors on the stamp.

Another fun thing to try is stamping a verse and cropping it with a punch so it is still readable, yet it works with diecut frame. I used varying circle punches on this example with a diecut frame by Stampin’ Up!®. The result is a clean, simple, yet cheerful birthday card.

Mum’s Birthday

The textured watermelon cardstock used on this card, below, was embossed with a texture. I added interest to my punched scalloped circle by doing the repetitive stamping technique to create light and dark values of ink using this beautiful stem from the Watercolor Trio set from SU. The loopy border punch is from the Martha Stewart Collection. I used multiple embossing folders & punches on this card to create interest and texture, especially on the petals which were created using the 5 petal punch, embossing then cutting them in 2 or 3 petal sections to create leaves. The scalloped circle was raised up using dimensional foam, also allowing the sheer ribbon and petals to be placed underneath.

Strawberry Floral

So before you start your next card creation, take a peek online or in the fashion and home magazines to see what the latest, hottest colors are. It may just give you the creative spark you need to...

Manly Cards for Any Occasion

2012-06-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

With Father’s Day just a week away, you may be looking for some inspiration for making some masculine handcrafted cards. From an easy breezy military themed sample to feeling the coastal breezes, here are some samples to get your creative juices flowing...

For this card I wanted to do something special for my husband who is a terrific dad so I built a scene from stamps and techniques. For this I used a wave and palm tree stamp. For the sun, I used a punched circle and a sponge to define the shape then used markers to color in the sun. The sky was created using pastels. See below for some tips on creating the white ocean edge and shoreline.

Coastal Paradise Card created for Father’s Day

(but is suitable for any occasion!)

I first tore a strip of card stock to create a deckled edge. When stamping the ocean, I stamped over top of the strip to create a more natural shoreline. Then I used the same strip and a blender marker to rub some of the ink over the deckled edge it and onto the card a slight space away from the bottom of the wave. This creates the white foam area. For the sand, I used a combination of colored markers and a to create the spattered look, I used my old Stampin' Up spitzer with brush markers for the ocean spray and to give the sand it's sandy texture.

Note: I also used Ivory naturals Cardstock as my background which already has some texture to it.

Tip: to extend the surf on each side of the palm, stamp a tree onto scrap and cut out. Use this as a mask with some temporary adhesive when stamping the waves in the background.

I wanted a softer edge, so I used my corner rounder on the 4 corners.

To finish the card, cut strips of coordinating cardstock and arrange in assorted lengths for background. I grabbed a piece of soft raffia from my scrap pile to tie around the art before mounting on the card. Being a tropical state of mind, I wanted to create another card with this palm tree image. I will also share with you my technique for creating the multi colored watercolored foliage stamped in the background along with a tip for putting coffee filters to use in your cardmaking. Read below!

Palmy Breezes Card

(another Father’s Day creation suitable for any time of year)

Creating a watercolor effect with multi-colored foliage:
Turn your rubber stamp face up and color entire image with a very light color marker. Randomly color over top with 2 - 3 other darker shades. Be sure to "clean" your brush marker off by rubbing off any of the colors it may have picked up onto some scrap paper before storing it away! Use a spray bottle of water to mist over the stamp lightly before stamping onto background. This is what gives it that watercolor, washy look.

Coffee Filters aren’t just for coffee!
Take a coffe filter and mist it with colored spray mist. I used a walnut ink on mine. Crumble and fold it, then tear of a piece of it to incorporate on your card creation.

Golden Years Birthday Card

(could also be used for Father’s Day or any occasion)

Sometimes card creating dictates trying things outside of your comfort zone or working with colors outside of your normal favorites. I created this card thanks to the extreme generosity of my stamping friend Ree Nathan, a fabulous SU demonstrator, who shared with me some of the new patterned papers, etc. from Stampin’ Up!®. I was so excited to test out the pack of In Colors and markers she gave me the day we had lunch and stamped...can’t thank her enough! I used some of those new In Color markers on the Coastal Paradise card, too! I got to play with some of the frame dies and new patterns. I wouldn’t have picked this color combination ordinarily, however I do like the end result.

Now it’s your turn...

Let’s slow things down a bit and end with an easy to make card layout. For my starting point, I merely stamped this old military theme rubber stamp into the upper area of a piece of trimmed cardstock I grabbed out of my leftovers stash. I built the card from there coordinating another patterned piece of cardstock and some solids to go with it. To complete the look, I added a pennant, a vintage gold button with thread and a Father's day stamped verse. To give it an aged feel, I sponged and dragged ink over the edges.

Military Style Father’s Day Card

(simply change out the sentiment to use for other occasions!)

Easy, Peasy, right? The rest is up to you! Happy creating and an early happy Father’s Day to all the great dads out there!

Fish all day...tell big lies!

2012-06-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

This fish themed poster is another addition to my Cheri Wenger Design Photography photo art collection combining my photo image with actions, textures and text. It is such a fun way to combine my design and photographic talents. Here is the finished result...

But here is where it all began..

This is a peek at my original photo shot at Indialantic Beach,

where all my creative thoughts began!

Next I used a combinations of actions and

layers in Photoshop to create this look...

Then I combined some yummy textures designed by Kim Klassen for

her Texture Tuesday Cafe. For this effect I used 2 textures,

revolution and musiclovin, shown below.

I liked the result, but really wanted to add a quote to turn

it into a fun work of art! I researched some quotes and

decided on this one by an unknown author to

finish the artwork shown above.

If you are interested in purchasing a print or canvas art

of this, contact me by email and I can get you pricing,

depending upon the size you would like at artz1@cfl.rr.com.

As You Graduate

2012-05-25T06:03:00.001-07:00

Today is the last day of school and now our baby will be an official senior. I am holding on because I already know how fast this ride goes! Summer will fly by in a flurry, admissions essays, SAT & ACT exams will be taken and Kylie will start her college applications and school tours. Next it will be her final season of volleyball, senior night, powder puff, senior project, prom and the final yearbook signing...all leading up to graduation night. It took me a few minutes to summarize in words and I believe this year will fly by equally as quickly when looking back. So seniors...savor every moment! Soak in every great lesson there is to learn and focus on having no regrets when you graduate. Congratulations to Joe, John, Meagan, Kaitlyn, Adrian, Nick and all the other graduates of the Class of 2012!

For this year's grad cards, I found inspiration from a card that I cased on Pinterest, created by Beth Apalooza.

Making it My Own

I modified the design slightly and created these cap & gown cards in assorted colors:

These are perfect to use as cards, announcements or thank you notes!

Here are some close up pictures of the individual cards...

The West Shore Colors (Navy & Silver)

Viera High Colors (Green & Gold)

Standard Black & White with Gold

(this one is for my niece's 8th grade graduation)

The easiest way that I found to mass produce these cards was to cut out templates of the paper piecings.

Here are some of the dimensions that I used:

Large triangle: 4-1/4" tall x 3-5/8" wide

Smaller triangle: 2" tall x 1-1/2" wide

Cap: 2-1/4" square

Striping: Cut 1/4" x 3-1/2" strips to glue and overlap under cap; trim excess from top of card.

Now for the tassel making tips:

1. Cut your template. I used a scrap of card stock 1-7/8"w x 2"h (*Note: the width doesn’t matter).

2. Wrap colored floss (embroidery thread) approx. 8 full loops around the cardstock and cut end.

3. Thread a small piece of thread under the top strands and knot.

4. Next cut the bottom strands to remove from template.

5. Cut a small piece of floss long enough to blend the ends in with the tassle.

6. Make another small knot to create the top of the tassle and blend threads in with the rest of the tassle. 7. Punch hole or make a slit with a cutting blade and mat to thread top tie of tassle through the hole.

8. Insert colored mini brad in hole, knot the floss and trim before gluing onto card.

**For added dimension, you can use double sided adhesive foam on back side of the cap.

Other ideas:

• Add a personalized mini diploma created on your computer.

• Dress up girl cards with rhinestones, mini pearls or bling, as on the card I cased.

• Use white or metallic alphabet stickers to personalize or add messages.

• Stamp a verse in versamark ink, then heat emboss in white or gold on the front or inside of cards.

(I did this on inside as well as to dress up the outside of the envelope. I used a collage of Good Luck, Congratulations and Graduation stamps and used the writing tip of the Versamarker pen to write in the lucky grad's name before embossing with gold embossing powder.)

In Search of Dolphins

2012-05-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Florida in 2004, oh yes, that dreaded year of multiple hurricanes! It was a very memorable one, and like most newcomers, we were thinking that we would be seeing dolphins and gators fairly regularly. The reality is that you are more likely to spot a University of Florida gator before ever seeing a real one, and as for dolphins, the tail goes like this...

We were renting a home beachside near the Eau Gallie causeway so for the first month, the girls and I would randomly drive up by the causeway, park and stand by the Indian River in hopes of spotting some dolpins. We went on the pier behind the library and waited...and waited. We scoured the water from above each time we drove over the causeway (the bridge connecting mainland to beachside), with no real luck. So we finally brought daddy along and discovered Mather's Bridge (a crossing for cars and people connecting Indian Harbor Beach with the southern tip of Merritt Island.) It was here that we had our first, exciting dolphin siting...two dolphins feeding and playing by the bridge. The girls were around 9 & 11 at the time and super excited to see dolphins this close. Finally, it felt like we lived in Florida!

Two years later, we got to experience one even closer doing the Swim with the Dolphins experience at Discovery Cove, something Ashley will never forget about turning 13. Charlotte was our dolphin, a very dominant female who wasn't exactly the cuddly type, however we got to kiss her, touch her, and hang onto her fin and go for a very fast swim through the water. Dolphins are so muscular and full of power. My sister and I posed for a funny photo trying to lift the dolphin, or at least pretend to. Good things our lives didn't depend on it because even in water, they are extremely heavy!

Today’s card reminded me of these fun dolphin experiences. I used an swirly embossing template on my cardstock, inked a sponge and rubbed it over the surface to bring out the texture more in random spots. In wanting to create a colorful layer, I chose to emboss the retired SU dolphin stamp in silver and use blender pens and markers to create the faux watercolor effect.

Try out some of these techniques when creating your next card:
• Rub ink over embossing to really make the texture stand out
• Use gold or silver heat embossing to contain the colors when using actual watercolors
• Create a faux watercolor effect using markers and blender pens*

*To accomplish soft, subtle colors, rub a brush end of a marker onto a slick surface such as plastic packaging or a piece of acetate. Use a blender pen (marker with brush tip) to pick up some of the color and brush it onto your stamped image. You can use a piece of scrap paper to test color first or to color on and lighten your color before applying to stamped image.

Making Birthdays Oh So Sweeter!

2012-05-22T07:48:00.003-07:00

Using the great embellishments and papers from Little Yellow Bicycle's Cupcake Love collection can make any birthday card just that much sweeter! See for yourself in these easy to create card samples.

Felty cupcakes are just so yummy!

On the card below I added some rhinestone bling to my verse to coordinate with the heart rhinestone on the cupcake. For bright cheery cards, try this color combo: hot pink, yellow, magenta and white!

The card below also combines a new patterned paper from Stampin' Up!®, a wonderful sample from my demonstrator friend, Ree Nathan.

Sunny Sweet
I just love it when I can mix together a bunch of scraps, some new patterned cardstock, pull a few elements from my vast cardmaking stash pile and turn it into something cheerful to wish someone a wonderful birthday!

Hope these ideas sweeten your day and help you to..

A Mother's Day Tribute

2012-05-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

This photo art was created as a tribute to all moms...whether you have given birth, adopted or fostered a child, or simply have been thought of in a motherly way. I started off using a photo image taken of an arrangement of carnations given to my daughter Kai on Valentine’s day. See below for a peek at that image so you can appreciate how it was transformed into the artwork you see on the right. I used two great textures that I purchased from Kim Klassen's Bens Collection.

Kim offers a Texture Tuesday challenge which inspires artists and photographers to use her textures creatively. For this piece, “In the Garden”, I wanted to create a painterly, watercolor effect. I used a combination of layers and effects at varying opactities. From the Bens Collection, I chose textures 2 & 6, and selected a quote attributed to Claudia Chandi as my verse.

So how did I create this?
I used Photoshop with my original photo on the main layer, add the textures on top. To make the type more interesting I mixed two fonts and three coordinating shades of colors: a deep olive, dark red and a medium shade of rosey pink. Now take a peek below to see all of the original images that were combined to create this art.

Here is the original photo image...

And here are the two textures from Kim Klassen’s Bens Collection that I used...

Check out her Texture Tuesday Cafe,

and be inspired!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the great moms out there who daily work your mommy magic!

Ooooh, baby, baby!

2012-05-09T11:09:00.001-07:00

There must be something in the air because this Spring, there have been a bunch of friends and family members having babies! This put me in the cardmaking spirit, something I have missed doing lately. I grabbed the cutest little embossing folder, a gift from my stampin' buddy, Trudy, to use on some cards. Keeping in line with a current design trend to use strips of pennants as a background, I created these baby boy cards...

Baby Boy Pennant Card (for new baby)

I added two navy mini brads to the wheels of the carriage! Make this in under 5 minutes!

Baby Boy Mix Card (outside view)

Layered patterned paper pennants with buttons, polka dots and an embossed baby carriage. This card uses a mix of subtle and bold tones of red, white and blue.

(inside view)

Don't be afraid to coordinate the inside of your card with the colors,

papers and design theme used on the outside!

Embossed Carriage Card

White and Blue tones paired up with embossing adds up to an elegant looking baby card. I made this for our friend, Meghan, who recently had her third boy. To bring out the embossing more, you can dip a small piece of sponge into light or dark ink and drag over embossing. On this, I used navy ink to bring out the edges and lighter blue over top of the embossing.

Can't forget about the girlies!!!

Lil' Something Card

Again, I used the same embossed carriage, except this time on a girly themed card. This was made as a congratulations for my cousin Chris and his wonderful wife, Kelly who gave birth to their second daughter, Jillian. By adding some delicate ribbons, a scalloped border and flowers paired with feminine patterned papers, you see how the overall look has changed to a girly theme.

And I couldn't forget about the big sis either!!!

New Baby Sister Card

Didn't want to leave out Brooke, the big sister, so I decided to see just what fun I could have using my owl punch from Stampin' Up!®. To recreate this card choose a couple solid shades of pink to coordinate with a sheet of pink patterned paper. You will also need a sheet of white cardstock and two shades of brown. I used a chocolately shade with a textured taupe color.

You will punch the owl once in white, once in brown and then in each of the pink papers (both solid & patterned). Mix and match the punched items to create the owls. For the diaper, you can cut by hand like I did. Or just cut the legs and top half of the body off of an owl punched from white cardstock...my delayed lightbulb moment! LOL. For the diaper pins, just snip your pieces of one of the solid pink cardstocks. For the Flowers, I used the Boho Blossoms punch and layered with some owl punch leftovers. I used rubber stamps selectively colored with a brush marker to stamp the words A, New, and Baby.

I wrote sister in my own handwriting with a pointed nib marker. By doing these on separate paper strips, I was able to trim to sizes needed and angle on the card. Congratulations was heat embossed with white powder. To make the big sis owl have a bit more interest, I used small white satin ribbon to make a bow. For the baby owl's bow, punch white paper scraps using heart from the owl punch. Combine two hearts with a tiny circle on top to form the bow.

Now that I have show you some cardmaking ideas for babies, next I will share a few cards for the moms. Check back for Mother's Day card Inspiration! Remember to Live Life Creatively!

Reasons to Visit Melissa's Blog

2012-04-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

You must check out Melissa’s blog. Why, you ask? Let me give you three good reasons:
1. Her awesome craftiness. You will know doubt be inspired by some of her amazing projects.
2. If you love ribbons, lace & projects with a vintage look, she will dazzle you with her beautiful handmade cards. She always makes the prettiest bows!
3. Her amazing blog giveaway! Just go to this blog link for more details & to check out her inspiring projects.
If you are a fan of Spellbinders, you will just love the giveaway! (hint, hint!) I know that I do!

Sign up to follow her blog and continually be inspired by her wonderful creations.

Another Photo Art Creation from Cheri Wenger Design Photography

2012-04-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

As I am getting things kicked into full swing with the photography end of my business, I am loving all the possibilities there are in combining all of my creative worlds together. Here is an example of some photo art titled “Contemplating” which was created using my photograph combined with Kim Klassen’s “little things” texture...part of her Texture Tuesday challenge for this upcoming week. You can check out Texture Tuesdays here...

Curious about the two images used to create this photo art? Let me give you a peek at those files so you can comment about the final art.

I started with this image that I took recently at a nearby park on a windy spring day.

Next I worked in photoshop overlaying Kim Classen’s Little Things texture with a style effect...

I merged the images (note that I always keep a copy of the layered elements should I want to edit anything) and used assorted grunge and distressing brushes to create the photo edging. And the final result is this photo art. Be sure to check out my post on Kim's texture tuesday challenge.

Be sure to leave me a comment and like my Cheri Wenger Design Photography Facebook page.

More to come on my new photography website.

Making the Pieces Fit

2012-03-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

Some days life is like a collage, which takes patience and planning to make things balance and work. This week has been a bit like that. Early in the week, I was excited to see the results of two projects that I had been working on recently. I designed a partial scrapbook using MyMemories™ scrapbooking software which I finished online using Shutterfly’s custom path tools. It was a birthday retrospect for my daughter's boyfriend of fun events over the past year. I was thrilled to see the 8 x 8 book, and James ended up loving it, too! (Pssst, check back soon for a giveaway and promotion involving My Memories scrapbooking software!)

But the day leading up to giving it to him, was eventful. My daughter had an allergic reaction to the lunch I packed. Unfortunately, I mixed up her gluten-free ravioli's with ours. The initial reaction wasn’t too terribly bad and was halted by some benadryl and claritin. She was a bit sleepy and had to chill out at home, which made it perfect for giving James his late birthday presents from us.

Here is James with his photo canvas collage of his high school soccer state championship highlights.

Most photo canvases are just one image stretched over the entire canvas, but Kai wanted to do a collage photos I had taken at the state championship game. Being short on time to execute this, she asked for my professional help. I worked on it in Photoshop to include as many of the important photos as possible along with the game’s scores, list of teammates and James’ name and number. Little did I know that the next day would involve some of the same challenges of trying to make things work out under stress...Kai had two recurring allergic reactions amounting in two separate ER trips in one day. That was a first and hopefully last time for that to happen. Returning home at 6 am the following day, we were less than thrilled with our second ER experience and the lack of care we received from our hospital. It seems more evident than ever that in today’s healthcare system, you are your best and sometimes only advocate for knowing what is best for your child.

Our lesson learned: if you even think you need epinephrin, you better get over the fear of the needle and administer it yourself. ER personnel seemed to have an even bigger fear or resistance to giving it to you. Who would have thought that I would be forced into a career in nursing, against all creative resistance!

So this canvas represents for me what it often life’s daily challenge...making many things work, fit and balance at the same time while insuring the outcome is pleasing. We send out a huge thanks to Dali Decals for their awesome execution of this 20" x 24" poster-like canvas art and their speedy turn around. We know it is special to James since he is contemplating putting it in place of his Kelly Slater poster!

I hope that your next project allows you to pull all the pieces together and

A Tribute to Mom

2012-03-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Mom, today is your birthday, but you’re not here to celebrate it. Still cannot believe that you truly are gone. You’re not gone from my thoughts. You’re not gone from my memory. And you will never be gone from the hearts of those who love and miss you. Remembering you on your special day. Hope you are showing those angels how to age "grace"fully in heaven!

The above tribute to my mother-in-law was creating using the happy heart texture from Kim Klassen’s Cafe, a Texture Tuesday download from her blog. I enlarged a snapshot taken before my days of owning a SLR digital camera. I masked it in photoshop, did retouching and applied layer effects to blend the photo with the background for a ghosted, subtle photo effect. The remembrance text was added along with design elements created with some of my own digital brush designs. To finish the vintage feel, a grunge border and some small distressing was added.

All about Sharing

2012-03-02T04:32:00.004-08:00

Today is all about sharing...sharing inspiration, sharing tips and sharing news!

Sharing Inspiration...Sometimes certain paper collections inspire me by their colors, the mood they convey or the wonderful designs and embellishments in the set. When this happens, I just can’t seem to stop using items from these in my cardmaking, even long after their debut release. One of these collections is Cosmo Cricket’s DeLovely collection. It has some of my favorite bright colors combined together with some super cute chipboard elements. Another is Crate &; Company’s Recollections collection. Love the warm, vintage feel of this collection along with the amazing color combinations. Another amazing line of papers and accessories is Little Yellow Bicycle’s Cupcake Collection. The colors and cute embellishments can’t help but bring an immediate smile the second that you look at them.

For these assorted handmade cards, I used two of my favorite collections and a few of my digi art designs, but one thing that these cards have in common are that they are all bright and cheerful. Two of these are hybrid cards (they mix traditional cardmaking elements with digitally produced & printed art) and the other two are traditional cards made using stamps and other embellishments.

The Hybrid Cards

Caring Owl Card

This hybrid card was created using a printout of the night owl from my Owl Love U 4ever clip art set. I trimmed around the image and mounted onto cardstock from the Cosmo Cricket DeLovely collection and added a flower, button and ribbon as embellishments.

https://picasaweb.google.com/110695546779084486087/CheriWengerDigitalDesignProducts#5702296605428644450

Hummingbird & Flowerpot Card

Hybrid card created using my Ain't Love Tweet digital stamps collection with

Cosmo Cricket’s DeLovely collection papers. Can be used as a sweet

everyday greeting or a special get well card for a friend.

https://picasaweb.google.com/110695546779084486087/CheriWengerDigitalDesignProducts#5696772910695400018

The Traditionally Made Cards

Little Late Turtle Card

Used a chipboard image mounted onto squares of Coordinations cardstock.

Stamped verses added with stamps from Stampin Up!®. A cute cupcake from

Little Yellow Bicycle's Sweet Shop Collection of Fabric Favorites was added

with a ribbon to dress up this cheery, belated Birthday card.

Birthday Sweetness Card

For this traditionally handcrafted card, I used an adorable felt embellishment mounted

onto a tied ribbon and scallop floral diecut from yellow Coordinations cardstock.

Stamped an old birthday verse with a stamp from Stampin Up!®.

Sharing Tips...Since this post is getting longer than anticipated, I will keep this tip short. It is a tip on how to integrate digital artwork into traditional cardmaking; something that I used on one of the cards above. TIP: Use Selective Matt Cutouts of Clip Art to add to your cards. Can you guess which card uses this tip? If you guessed the Caring Owl Card, you are correct! The easiest way of doing this is to place your print out onto a cutting mat, and use a sharp cutting knife (like an Xacto knife) to selectively cut around the contour of the image/design. You can leave as much of a white border as you like. Printouts can be done on cardstock or paper, although beginners may find it easier to cut through paper rather than heavier weight cardstock. Don't own or fear a cutting knife? You can do this with a pair of short blade paper snips.

Sharing News...Just couldn’t resist sharing news of a cool blog giveaway! My super talented friend and fellow crafter, Melissa Bove has a blog giveaway. For complete rules and instructions, check her Giveaway Time blog post on this event. You can win a $50 gift card and goodies from the Echo Park Graceful This and That collection! Here is a peek of just one of the items you can win! Be sure and mention that you heard about the giveaway here! (The neat thing about this collection is that it reminds me of a blend of Crate & Company’s Recollections collection with a mix of my favorite softer color hues!) Good Luck!

Leaping Ahead to New Adventures

2012-02-29T06:59:00.004-08:00

Leap Day is a special day. It only comes once every 4 years. What makes today special for me is that I will be leaping into new and exciting areas. The first is promoting my photography, a passion that I have kept pretty exclusive to my family. And through the encouragement of so many, I am now opening those doors and making it official specializing in on-location, natural lit portrait photography.

Yes, this will include families, couples, friend sessions, senior portraits, children, adults, pets...you name it! I can’t wait to express my creativity through the lens. My focus will be on capturing real moments, natural emotions that portray the real people behind them. My photography mantra is “capturing images; creating memories”. I will be able to combine my photoshop & design skills to create even more unique portrait, event and vacation memories as well as bring that creativity into fun photo shoots. For a little sampling of just some of that creativity, take a peek at yesterday’s blog post or take a peek at the vintage look given to this portrait of Kylie and James with his State Championship soccer medal.

I am working on putting together a website that will house all of this creativity, for Cheri Wenger Design, Cheri Wenger Digital Designs as well as Cheri Wenger Design Photography. It is a huge endeavor, but I am up for the challenge. Updates on this project will appear on my blog, so check back to see the progress reports. Feel free to contact me at artz1@cfl.rr.com for pricing information or to book a mini session or full photo session.

Change breeds more change, as they say. And with this, I will regretfully be closing up my shop at mygrafico.com to concentrate on these new endeavors. So if you are dying to purchase any of my sets, you can still do that today, or you can contact me directly about how you can purchase those by emailing me at artz1@cfl.rr.com.

There are so many exciting things happening right now. I will be hosting a blog giveaway for a very exciting product. Keep popping back and visiting my blog for more details on this, and as always, for inspiration on how to live life creatively!

Texture Challenge = Inspired Art

2012-02-28T15:04:00.000-08:00

A true sign of a creative talent is someone who is willing to share their gift with the world. This is truly the experience I found today signing up for Kim Klassen’s Texture Tuesday list. There are some simple guidelines for receiving and using the free downloads, all of which are very easy to follow. And did I mention the challenge that corresponds with the texture? Today’s challenge lead me to a fun mini still shoot, that I refer to as White Hot Shells. I plan to share more of these series of photos as I work on them, but I want to encourage everyone to check out Kim Klassen’s Cafe website and blog.

If you are a photographer wanting to experiment with combining textures and your images, you will feel like you found the pot of gold in the selection of gorgeous textures available on her site for purchase. And for those just dabbling, you can try out some of her freebie downloads...all are stunning! I purchased the Bens collection and the group of rectangle textures to get started. For my photo art project I combined a few of these textures, plaster & teddy, with one of her freebies, called Simplicity. Each of which I applied different layer styles, opacities and some masks. See what you think of my first photo art creation...

Be sure and leave me a comment to let me know what you think!

Here is what the original image looks like:

Here are some of the textures I used on this image. You can see the texture collections here.

simplicity

plaster

teddy

I challenge you today to step outside of your creative box and try

something new like I did. You may be pleasantly surprised with the results!