Hi, I'm Torrey. Welcome to Left Field, where creativity runs amok and imagination is ALWAYS more important than knowledge. Shoes are not allowed but ties are optional. This is a repository of snippets from my life out here in Left Field. One never knows what shiny bits of creativity will be found here... cards, scrapbook layouts, photography, poetry, recipes, ponderings, rantings and musings. It could be anything! Life in Left Field is always changing, always real, always ...interesting.

July 29, 2012

The Great Adventure

The Great Adventure...

I am NOT talking about skydiving into an active volcano crater...although, that would be quite an adventure (albeit a very short one).

The adventure to which I am referring is...reading.

One would think I'm an avid reader (being that I am a writer), wouldn't one?

I'm actually...not so much.

I do read--cereal boxes, candy wrappers, and the occasional Chinese food delivery flyer that gets stuck to my front door. Other than that, I only manage to read about a book every couple of months or so. I'm a painfully slow reader. It takes me FOREVER to get through a book. I'm not dyslexic or anything...I'm just...slow. I read at about the speed at which I speak...and when I read, I hear my voice in my head saying the words. Not only that, but I actually have different voices in my head for each character...so it makes it really fun, but really S L O W.

I just finished reading "A Sweethaven Summer" by my crafty friend Courtney Walsh. It was an awfully good read! Yes, there was tearing and Kleenex was used. I'm very impressed with her first novel, and can't wait to read its sequel, "A Sweethaven Homecoming". It's a story about love, forgiveness and...scrapbooking. You can find it in Kindle-form on Amazon for 99 cents right now! That's an incredible deal!!

Ok...now onto my latest project. Over at A Day For Daisies, they're hosting a challenge called: "Add Some Script". They want us to incorporate script or some sort of typography. I chose this beautifully simple vintage-style image of a boy reading. I printed him out on Kraft cardstock and then colored him with my Prismacolor pencils (they're back, by the way, from a vacation--they tell me they were having SUCH a good time that they forgot to send a postcard. Typical. I suppose their next excuse is gonna be that they couldn't find anything to write with).

I digress.

I had a VERY detailed idea of what this card was going to look like...in my head. So, like Dr. Frankenstein, I went searching for images to bring my creation to LIFE. And also like the "good" Dr. F, I ended up having to combine several images--public domain (clipper ship, octopus, waves, thought bubble) to accomplish what I envisioned. I then drew a paper boat in Photoshop...'cuz he needed a boat. The script behind him is a passage I wrote just for this card--because I couldn't find what I wanted. I didn't just want random, decorative script. I wanted it to have meaning. I wanted it to be real. So, here is the script in its entirety--if you're curious as to what it says:

...and up from the depths
rose the giant beast--a
monstrous octopus as big
as the ship itself. Its
tentacles slowly creeped 
over the side of the deck
and fingered their way up
the masts. A horrible
sound screamed out as the
masts broke under the 
crushing pull of the beast.
The mighty ship splintered
as its sails, ripped free, took
flight in the wind like an
eerie flock of ghosts set free.

I nestled the text in a digital stamp from Bombshell Stamps. I fussy-cut everything out and really popped the boy/paper boat/thought bubbles off the background. Ok, enough description. Here it is.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:


Ingredients:
"A Classic Book" image - A Day For Daisies
"Wanted Poster" image - Bombshell Stamps
Prismacolor Colored Pencils
star brads - Creative Impressions
cardstock - cranberry, black, Kraft




12 comments:

  1. Fabulous card, so well thought out and beautifully coloured. A joy to look at. pat k.x

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  2. Wow. That's outstanding. Wonderful design, beautifully colored, and I love the story.

    Now you need to write a bodice-ripper story for one of our Bombshell pin-ups!

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  3. First of all...."I suppose their next excuse is gonna be that they couldn't find anything to write with."

    Bwah ha ha ha ha. Now that's funny!

    Absolutely fantastically creative card! I just adore the layout and the idea of this.

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  4. Phenomenal card! I love the details, the colouring, the text you've written. I also love where it takes my imagination. WoW!

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  5. Your card is very cute. I like your digi stamp images. You've done a nice job of coloring them. I love the way you wrote the passage for the card and then fit it inside of the digi scroll. Very cool idea! Your vision for this card really is wonderful! Thanks for joining us at Simon Says Stamp and Show. <3 Candy

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  6. Cute card! Reading does take you on adventure. Thanks for joining us at Robyn's Fetish for the Summer Fun challenge. Edwina

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  7. What a gorgeous, and very thoughtful, card ! It looks like its own book. I am so glad you joined us at The Kraft Journal this week - you are very talented !!

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  8. Gorgeous card Torrey - thanks so much for playing along with ADFD & congrats on your win!

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  9. Gorgeous card! Simply stunning. Congrats on winning at ADFD!

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  10. Wow! An amazing card, so well thought out and I love the text! You are so talented!
    Congrats on your well deserved win at ADFD. :)

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  11. Congrats on winning the challenge at ADFD! I had to check out the deets on this gorgeous card after seeing it on their blog. WOW! The details behind this card are amazing! You really did your homework on this one (pun intended! :D). I love your coloring, and the layout is superb! Give yourself a big pat on the back from me for a job well done !

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  12. This is absolutely stunning!! :) Lovely!

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Thank you for taking the time to comment! It is always wonderful to get virtual pats on the back!! I truly appreciate every comment...they are little bits of love.