IMAGES & Inspiration

Part of the reason I also wanted to do this project is because of
how many times I have heard women say on their blog,
"I've never posted a picture of myself..."

I'm not really sure why that shocked me, and that I wondered,
why do women give every once of themselves,
to everyone else, yet take no time for themselves??

So part of this is to get folks to once again break out of the box.
Artistically and For self esteem reasons!

Picking your image.

I sifted through a bunch of photos when I did that first post....
A few are recent and one, the black and white is about 6 years ago...
It's a photo of myself with B, and she can get that real laugh/smile out of me...
Even though my mouth is huge!

so what!

the washed out image is probably the most ME...
I'd rather blend into the background, I'm very comfortable skirting around the edges...
not really having to talk to anyone...

and the Bug eyed glasses one, is pretty embarrassing for me.
so it was the the one I chose to "PUT OUT THERE"
so I could just get over it....
Make the uncomfortable feel comfortable...
I need to laugh at myself more...
I may do that bug eyed picture, but in the end for me,

This picture, my daughter B took of me(at 40) , who said,
it was a VERY ME picture, sums it up...
it also fits with the idea I have in my head of a cross between
one of Katherine's portraits

(please go visit her site, they are so fun!!!) and
some Art deco style portrait...(like at the very top of this post)
something fun and silly with lots of color! Not necessarily an accurate life like!

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Photo shop is a good place to play with your image too. It will help with scale, or even to make a pattern... Unless your a good artist and can whip it up the way you like! Or maybe you just go with the flow and start cutting stuff and laying them out..
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So whatever picture you choose to use as your inspiration,
I am sure you'll have many reasons why you chose it...

Embrace it.
And keep "FUN" in the back of your brain...
We want to go to the silly side, and have FUN discovering perhaps a new skill
technique or even a little something new about yourself!
Rock what you got...

We are who we are...

Now, pick your photo, tell me a little story,
and let's have some fun!

I have invited a few people to show us their process who have done portraits before.
Keep checking back, post often your work..
We will all be teachers to each other...


Judy did this REALLY CUTE portrait of a dog... I just love it...
She is doing one of a cat on her blog now.
click here



Quilt rat, did her self portrait and talks about it here


Mrs. Moen did one of her daughter a while back and learned many tricks along the way...
read her link, she went through a few ways of finishing her quilt...

And here' s yet another link for inspiration..FUN FUN FUN!

And another link

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So know that they can be fun and frilly or quite complex.. Whatever your style...
Think about maybe at least one new technique that you may want to try
for example,
painting on fabric
thread painting
fusible web
computer help in your design
drawing it yourself
hand quilting
machine quilting
embellishments
applique

etc.

Whatever your little hearts desire... Don't fret to much about this,
it's new to most of us, Just have fun with it, and see where it leads you.

Can't wait to see how you all start this process!


Here's a little button if you want to add it to your blog..