Friday, 15 October, 2004

Woo hoo! I'm a Site of the Month! Aneesah from Malaysia chose me and has my site posted for October at her site!

Whilst you are perusing Aneesah's site, notice the very cool stitched look of her title bar! She did that with my Stitch in Time tutorial. Also be sure to check out her blogging and her artwork!

Monday, 11 October

I added a new listing to my Art Games page! Check out, under Puzzles, Stave's e-Puzzles! Great fun!

People are submitting their acceptance speeches and pictures for the September Challenge. Check us out!

Thursday, 7 October, 2004

Just uploaded a new short tutorial with a cropping tip!

Wednesday, 6 October, 2004

Just posted a new and updated Family Photos page. This is part of my Photo Album section, accessible from there by clicking the Family tab.

Each of the thumbnails on the new Family page will take you to a different "shoebox" of family photos. On each of these shoebox pages, you should find breadcrumb trail navigation at the top, including a link back to the Family page.

I have several new family photo shoeboxes posted, too! Our great-nephew Nathan's first birthday, our visit with our grandchildren, Liam & Wren, and our visit with Aunt Dots are all posted now!

I've just posted the 92nd courthouse of our Indiana Courthouse project! We now have the whole state up there. Be sure to check out the clickable map, too!

Friday, 1 October, 2004

We have a new Challenge going on! I'm calling it September, even though it is overflowing to October. I think that I'll have an October one, as well, though. I wanna do one for Halloween!

Janee's Birthday Month! I hope you're celebrating!

Thursday, 16 September, 2004

I have been very busy and haven't been doing much updating of note. SOON you'll be able to see my trip pics from our aborted trip to Orlando and subsequent visit to Wisconsin. You'll also be seeing updates for the Indiana Courthouse project!

Today I made an exciting discovery in Photoshop and wrote a new action for it. To see this, go HERE and look for new file from the contents of the clipboard. It is just wrong for me to be so excited about this! LOL!

Thursday, 26 August, 2004

Uploaded a new tribute to the site, the first one on the Tributes page. Also added this same image to Student Work on the Torn Paper tutorial from which it was made.

Busy busy these days, getting ready for our trip to Orlando, working on the book, and getting set for a new LVS session to start!

Monday, 23 August, 2004

Ok.. here is my new short hair!

Friday, 13 August, 2004

Err.. ok, still no haircut pics! I have been really busy with writing, though, so that's a good thing. Did some site updates today:

Added a letter to the Ask the Goddess page! I have not been keeping up with that very well at all, but this letter is a good one.

Uploaded probably the last acceptance for the Challenge Awards for July 2004. What a nice bunch of pictures we got this time!

Uploaded a new Tribute picture

and put this same picture with the Capsule tutorial, which the artist used to create this!

Monday, 9 August, 2004

I'm going back to school! Well, sort of. I'm taking Intro to Digital Photography from LVS Online and also taking a beginning drawing class at IVY Tech, our local community college, for one night a week, 10 weeks.

Still no haircut pics for you, but i'll work on that.

Wednesday, 4 August, 2004

Got my hair cut last night! Expect new pics soon.

Sunday, 1 August, 2004

Huge progress on the Courthouse project this weekend! No, we didn't go out and photograph more of them, but I DID finally process and post all the photos that I had already taken! YAY!

The new ones are the ones in the northwest corner and down in the southeast. Here's the clickable map, and here's the (now) alphabetical listing! Some fun photos here!

Friday, 23 July, 2004

Well, when it rains, it pours! JUST after I resigned the DPT magazine job, I got notice today that I've been relieved of my writing duties for NAPP's Photoshop User.

Whatever will I do with all my spare time?

Thursday, 22 July, 2004

I did some updates to my tutfx page, adding some nice new sites, and sadly, added several sites to my tutbadlink page, as well. It is a full-time job just to keep up with all the Photoshop sites that kick the bucket. <sigh>

Work work working on stuff. I've decided to resign the Q&A position with Digital Photography Techniques. They changed their Q&A format to one which really has squashed my creativity. My last issue will be issue 17. I hate to give it up, but some change just isn't fun. I'm planning to contribute feature articles to the mag, though, so i'll still have a hand in it. It's a great magazine!

Progress is happening on the book! Write to me if you want to be on the contact list for when it comes out. It is likely that i'll be drawing from this list a name or two to send free copies of the book.

Monday, 5 July, 2004

Well.. at least we're still in the same YEAR! I have not done much with updating the site for a couple of weeks, since our return from Michigan. I did get a few pics from the trip uploaded. I have not finished with the courthouse pics or even all the pics from our trip. I'll point you there when i get that done.

Been working like a fiend on my Q&A and on our new book. They changed the format for the Q&A, making quite a change for me, but i hope that everyone likes the changes. If you do or if you don't, I hope you'll write to the editor and let him know!

Updated my Publications page (finally) to reflect that I'm a writer for Photoshop User! Also used this page to announce my upcoming book, but its title is still a secret!

Updated my Classes page, adding testimonials for my Starting with a Blank Canvas course.

Monday, 7 June, 2004

Uploaded a site called Photoshopbrushes.com to my actionlist page.

Saturday, 5 June, 2004

Got my Q&A 15 all done and sent! And this morning, I posted a bunch of Challenge Awards Ceremony pics. Click the Challenge link and then the trophy for May. We had lots of great winners for this one and a good time was had by all!

I also uploaded a really great interpretation of my Transparent Capsule tutorial. Have a look at the first Student Work example at the bottom of the Capsule Tutorial.

We're going to finally get ourselves some recliners for the living room. We've decided on the ones from Ekornes. Have a look at these.. and a sit! .. if you get a chance. Amazingly comfortable! We're gonna go order them today!

Thursday, 3 June, 2004

I'm on the verge of getting finished with Q&A 15 and with Teaching Photoshop September!

The Challenge for May was great! Wonderful entries, even more wonderful Award-winners! Check it out!

I just now uploaded some of my animated stuff to my Gallery's Animation page. I also uploaded my animated banners to my Banners page, including the one that says we're "powered by E-Places.net!" What a happy happenstance to have met up with them!

Ok.. just a bit of work to go, and then I'll take the rest of the evening off!

Wednesday, 2 June, 2004

A new month! Today I uploaded a new tutorial index page -- an index of my pen tool, shape, and path tutorials.

I've also uploaded some new additions to my Brood X cicada page! Do have a look!

The Challenge for May is going well. Entries are closed, and voting is going on! Awards will be announced tomorrow!

Wednesday, 26 May, 2004

Happy birthday, Rachael & David! Zowie.. you're 35 today -- practically adults!

I did some significant updates on my Janeefacts page this morning. Also updated the Challenge to post the new entries, and added a new Tribute.

Monday, 24 May, 2004

We went walking on the IU Campus (through the Hillsdale neighborhood) on Sat and Sunday. On Sunday, I brought the camera along and got these pics of the cicadas! Their song is getting more intense as the days go by, with the high-pitched "alien spaceship" sound off in the distance and the silvery legs-rubbing sound closer in. Amazing.

Classes are going swimmingly. The Blank Canvas students are really happy about the new course, are learning the Pen tools, and discovering, I think, that this is not a beginner class. They are really having fun, though, and producing masterful work.

The Elements Photos into Artwork class is going great, too, with lots of good observations on the Board and an active group this go-around. Elements Intro? Man... they are ... not active at all. I wonder if they are alive.

I'm getting set to embark upon an exciting new project, about which you'll be hearing more after the details are finalized. Go check out the cicadas!

Friday, 20 May, 2004

I'm having such fun. I started the May Challenge and we're doing animations.

My LVS Online classes are going great! I'm teaching 2 Elements courses: Intro and Photos into Artwork. And I have one Photoshop class: Starting with a Blank Canvas. We're one week in and .. just great fun.

If you like my work... my writing... and want to learn more about Photoshop and just enjoy the comraderie of other like-minded souls, i invite you to check out my classes. You can read my course descriptions HERE.

Friday, 14 May, 2004

I have not updated this site in 11 days. I think that's a new indoor record! I've made up for that, though in NEWS!

I got my June issue of Photoshop User and ... would it be undignified of me to say how totally COOL it is to see myself in there? This is really THE neatest publication of the Photoshop community and I'm just so proud to be part of it! My column is Teaching Photoshop and it includes a whole tutorial-based lesson, along with Teaching Notes on the members' website. The layout looks so good, too. Ok.. so much for dignity! YAYYYYY!

Another thing... after I passed the ACE test on the 30th of April, the following Monday, I sent in my teaching credentials in hopes of becoming an Adobe Certified Instructor. Old life meets new life and now I have that, too. I got these FINE certificates just today from Adobe. I'm gonna frame 'em!

Ok... something for you! I did a new tutorial today after i finished uploading my NEW courses for LVS Online. The tutorial is on creating, optimizing, and saving GIF animations in Photoshop/Image Ready.

So now I'm going to prepare the new Challenge. Can you guess the topic?

Monday, 3 May, 04

Friday I took and passed the exam for my Adobe Certified Expert credential! The exam was quite comprehensive, with many twists and turns. I was quite glad that I'd studied well, and that I'd studied EVERYTHING, because it was all on there -- all the hard stuff, at least!

To make it just a little more challenging, I was taking it at a small business college in another town and the faculty was holding a very raucous meeting in the room right next to mine. Not only could I hear their items of business, but I was startled multiple times by laughter and applause. For some of my answers, I thought that laughter was more appropriate than applause!

The result came through just the very instant that I hit the Submit button. 84% and I needed only 69% to pass. Happiness!

Thursday, 29 April, 04

Today I uploaded a new Tribute. I also added a couple of schools to the list there of schools which use my materials.

In addition, I added a piece of student work to the Porcelain tutorial!

Wednesday, 28 April, 04

YAY I'm so loving this speed! I hope you are too!

I just uploaded my description for my new class starting in a couple of weeks, Starting with a Blank Canvas. You can read all about it here! I've also added some student comments about my classes.

Tuesday, 27 April, 04

Up to my old tricks, you may think! But actually, I have not added anything you can really see to my site... except SPEED!

Yes, the move to E-places.net has taken place! DNS propagation is done and we're home! Sure, there are still bugs to work out, like configuring my email! (If you have emailed me in the past couple of days and have not been answered, well.. I probably have not received your email!

I just uploaded a new tutorial! This was originally going to be part of one of my courses, but the lesson was going a little long, so... here you are! Keeping your Colors Safe. It discusses websafe colors and out-of-gamut printing concerns. I learned a lot researching this and you might like it!

The March session at LVS Online went swimmingly. There were really few glitches, the students were very happy, and so... cool!

I'm getting set for the May session, during which I'll be teaching Intro to Elements, Elements Photos into Artwork, and a new class for Photoshop -- Starting with a Blank Canvas. I hope that I get some students in these courses, because there's good stuff in 'em! I really must compile the evaluations I've gotten from the last classes.

Hey! What are you doing reading this! Get back to work!

Saturday, 3 April, 04

Results are in on the March Challenge! Click the Challenge link above and go to this month's trophy!

I'd also like to show off my students' work so far in my LVS Online course. This link will only be valid till the first part of May, so if you're seeing this later, you're out of luck!

If you find this intriguing, join in the fun! Registration is underway now for the May session. Head on over to LVS Online to check it out!

Thursday, 1 April, 04

April Fools! I've added a fun site to the More Links page! It is the Human Clock down under Other Sites I Like. Good fun!

We're moving! I mean myJanee.com! I've been pretty sick of the slowness of my current host, and another one dropped out of the sky to help us out. This new host promises much better service, much faster speeds, more available bandwidth, more storage space, more features.... omg, it's dizzying!

So who is this seemingly too-good-to-be-true host? E-places.net! He's even going to do much of the packing and moving FOR us! Hey... need I say that I'm pumped?

The big move will be taking place toward the end of April, so expect an announcement around then. The Community Message Board will be down for about a day, whilst we are packing and moving, but should be much faster and better when we do get moved!

Tuesday, 30 March, 04

Took that danged Pager off my Contact page! <shudder> Now you have to email me!

Moved San Francisco trip to myJanee.com. I'm for sure going to be moving the site to a new host! I'm getting a fantastic deal from one of the fantastic visitors of this site, who was unhappy with the s l o w n e s s of this site. That will be FIXED as soon as we can set it up!

Friday, 26 March, 04

I uploaded a new painting, the 4 apples on this page.

Found out today that some of my tutorials are going to be published in Portuguese on a website.. and also that my link is going to be added to the HP site!

Wednesday, 24 March, 04

I uploaded a new site to my gallerylist page. It is to e-murals. Go check this one out. This talented artist paints murals on buildings and shows you daily progress of his projects as he works!

The Challenge for March has begun! Click here and click March to get there. I posted it on my insightbb part of my site, just for speed. I know that the rest of my site is slow. I'm starting to shop for a host.

I have a new job! I'm going to be writing a column for NAPP's Photoshop User magazine, beginning with their June issue. It will be on Photoshop for teachers & students. Not sure what it will be called yet, but I'll keep you posted so you can look for me on the newstands. If you're a member of NAPP, you get this mag as part of your membership. Otherwise, it's $9.95, about par for the Photoshop magazine course, but it's really a great read. I'm quite proud that I'll be part of this!

My courses with LVS Online are going well. Of course, there are the little bumps in the road, but I'm getting things sorted out. I'm ... quite busy these days!

Sunday, 14 March, 04

Uploaded the pix from the San Francisco trip today! YAY!

Courses for LVS Online are going great! I have had a few assignments turned in already. I'll be posting them to the Student Gallery when I get more of them in.

Thursday, 11 March, 04

Work work working on updates to the site again today.

Uploaded a new tutorial! This is for my Porcelain Effect! I had it in DPT last fall and I posted it for NAPP. Finally I have it here!

Uploaded 2 new schools to my Tributes page.

Added Molecular Expressions to the GalleryList page.

Added AQ Art & Design by Anders Qvicker to the tutfx page.

I'm working on my SF pics, too! I should have them posted within a few days!

Wednesday, 10 March, 04

Added e-Scrapping.com to my tutfx page. Nice site with many great tuts and textures!

Added Photoshop101 to my linkslists page. I discovered that this site has nearly all of my tutorials listed and nicely annotated!

Added Accessify.com to my More Links page. This is a cool site with lots of helpers for creating web pages. Also did a massive update on the MoreLinks page, cleaning out dead linkage.

Did a bunch of maintenance on the Graphic Creations end of my site, deleting all references to my website construction biz, which I'm in the process of discontinuing.

Tuesday, 9 March 04

My three online classes start this coming Saturday! I have my lessons all online and several students have logged into the Board already. Very cool. I'm looking so forward to doing this!

The lessons that I've written are quite exciting, covering lots of topics that I've not seen covered before. I hope that it is all as fun as I imagine. If you are reading this today, you can still sign up! Go to LVS Online and find registration. My courses are labeled kinda funny. Introduction to Elements is called "PS Elements Intro," Photos into Artwork is listed as PS Elements Photo to Art or Photoshop 7/8 Photo to Art.

I just now uploaded updates to my Artlinks page. That page now has NO dead links! YAY!

I also uploaded two new acceptance pics for the February Challenge. If you have not seen the Awards Ceremony, click Challenge above and the current trophy to see them!

Photoshop World was pretty good, but I do have some complaints, in case anyone cares. It annoys me that the presenters keep trotting out their same old stuff from conference to conference. Don't they get bored with it? I know I do!

Another beef I have is with the "Photoshop for Educators" session. This was a panel where there were good people, but the thing was a poorly-disguised marketing ploy. "How many of you write your own content?" "How many of you write your own content because you like to have control over what is taught?" "We write books... what would it take for you to adopt our books for your classes?" <yawn> I write books too. Everyone in there likes writing their own content. So why not give us something that we want -- more ideas for ways to teach Photoshop? As this session was set up, we should have been PAID to sit there and answer their questions. Lame.

What a wonderful time we had in California -- AFTER Photoshop World. One good thing about PSW. I have to hand it to them. They do choose wonderful cities in which to do their conventions, and it makes for a nice vacation to tack on some days after the convention is over.

We were at the Argent Hotel in room 3036. I include the room number because that particular room was wonderful with views from two sides. We could see the Golden Gate Bridge and Coit Tower from one window and Union Square and the Oakland Bay Bridge from the other!

Whilst we were there, we did lots of walking, making it up to the tops of Russian Hill, Telegraph Hill, Lafayette Park, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Park, and across the GG bridge and back!

Shopping was fun. We milled around at Metreon, Fisherman's Wharf, Union Square, and Chinatown. All of the above locations had wonderful food, too!

We visited the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and the Legion of Honor, where they were opening a display of Art Deco and had an antique car exhibit too!

Weather was grand, with temps in the 60's most of the time. There were sprinkles of rain a couple of days, but nothing that necessitated changing our plans.

Friday, 27 Feb 04

Heading out today! I still have a load of work to get done in the 2.5 hours till i have to head out the door, but i intend to get it done!

Just now i uploaded a new student project in the Folded Paper tutorial!

I uploaded two new schools to my listing of schools that are using my tutorials.

I also have uploaded more Challenge Acceptance pics and speeches, so check those out by clicking on the trophies on the Challenge page.

This will be my FOURTH Photoshop World and i'm pumped!

Thursday, 26 Feb 04

Wow.. it's just Thursday! I got all of my work done for my upcoming courses at LVS Online and also uploaded my Q&A 12 for DPT! YAY!

Just now uploaded another acceptance for the Challenge Awards Ceremony. Click the trophy on the Challenge page to see it!

Ok.. time for me to beef. I was surfing around looking at some wonderful optical illusions on the web, and happened upon a site called eyetricks.com. DO NOT GO THERE! There are lots of great places to look at optical illusions, but this is NOT one of them. Upon leaving this site, i clicked my Home icon to go back to myJanee.com (where else?) and found that my homepage had been hijacked! I know for a fact that it was this site, because it was the only place i'd been.

Then I ran my Spybot Search & Destroy and found TONS of spy things on my computer. What on EARTH are these idiots trying to accomplish with all of this? Do they think that we will like them better if they force us to go to their page?

If your home page ever does get hijacked, you can fix it in IE with Tools > Internet Options > General > Home Page. I'm just pissed off that these people are so presumptious and lame. And i'm even more pissed off because i really did like the site, and was getting set to add it to my Art Games page.

Off to San Francisco tomorrow for Photoshop World and an extra several days of R&R! I'm excited and soooo ready!

Wednesday, 25 Feb 2004

Getting it all wrapped up now and ready to head out to San Francisco for my Photoshop World vacation! YAY!

Today I finished my Q&A 12 for Digital Photography Techniques. I'm also going to work on PDF'ing my lessons for LVS Online and am getting set to upload all of that. Classes begin on 13 March, so i'll hit the ground running when we get back!

The Challenge Awards page is getting some acceptances! Click this month's trophy to see 'em!

Sunday 22 Feb

Challenge entries are all in and the votes are coming in now. I'll be announcing the results on Tuesday!

I just now did a correction for the Pearly Button tutorial and uploaded it.

The class lessons are all written now and ... man.. looks like these are going to be fun-filled weeks! I can't wait till i have actual students working through them. See LVS Online for more info.

Friday, 20 Feb

I just uploaded the last of the Challenge entries for February! What a colorful Challenge this is. Do go check it out!

I'm still working like a fiend trying to get my classes all ready for LVS Online. Just this morning I finished a piece of art that I am recreating for lesson 6 of Photos to Art. I hope to get all the art I've done for that class posted to my Gallery ... soon!

If you are thinking about taking one of my classes and have any questions for me, feel free to contact me at the email addy on my Contact page.

Wednesday, 11 Feb

More Challenge updates today. Ydy got done with lesson one of Photos to Art. I have lots of great ideas for that class! Back to work with me now!

Tuesday, 10 Feb 2004

I've found out that people are signing up for my classes at LVS Online and i'm happy about that! I've put so many good hours into these courses and have some really groundbreaking (for me, anyway) stuff to offer, as well as fun projects and lotsa purty pictures!

Challenge is underway for February. If you wanna see it, and 6 months has not passed, click the Challenge link above!

I'm still working hard too on my monthly Q&A for Digital Photography Techniques. Great fun, but i'm so busy!

I'm really looking forward to Photoshop World coming up in March in San Francisco! We are taking the week off, so I'll have a bit of R&R time, as well as, hopefully, a great conference!

Thursday, 5 Feb 2004

Just uploaded the February Challenge Announcement!

I'm busy as hell working on my courses for LVS Online. I really hope that some people sign up for my classes. I can't imagine doing all this work and then having no students!

SuperBowl Sunday, 1 Feb 2004

Happy Birthday to myJanee.com! Today we're three years old! I've uploaded all ONE of the birthday wishes that we've gotten to the Tributes page. Have a look at all the stuff there.

Today I've uploaded our cruise pics finally! You can find them by clicking "Who is Janee?" above and going to Travel.

Winter continues apace. My Grandma died last week, and so I'm feeling a little sad about that. I can hear her voice, "Won't you have some beans?" What a lovely sweet woman. She was 94. My Grandfather is still going at age 100. I was thinking that it isn't many women who live to be 94 and never had to be a widow. She and Grandpa were married 75 years!

I've been working my hind end off on my Q&A 11 and my LVS Online courses. I'll be teaching Intro to Elements and Photos into Art, an applications course for both Elements and for Photoshop, 3 classes in all, beginning in March.

Friday, 23 Jan, 2004

I can tell already that i'm gonna be better at writing in my journal now what i've resolved to post everytime i update something on my site!

Today i uploaded a new Joke Site to my More Links page. It is the Pie in the Face site. Just good for a laugh, and who doesn't need a laugh this time of year?

I'm getting closer to getting my pics posted from our cruise!

More importantly, maybe, i have finished 2 of my 6 lessons for the Intro to Elements course. Wow! This is gonna be a great course. I hope i get a signup or two now.

Tuesday, 20 Jan, 2004

The cruise was great! I'll have more on it later.

This morning, I uploaded some new stuff to the site.

• Link to Janee's PS and Elements courses
• Link to W3 Schools, a cool site for web developers to be in my Computer links.

I've barely glanced at our trip photos, and so far it looks like a huge disappointment. I think it's back to point-and-shoot for me!

I'm going back to work this afternoon on my PS Elements course. Gotta get back to where i was before we left.

My Inbox is still well over 100 emails to answer. If you have written to me and haven't heard back, hang tight!

Thursday, 8 Jan, 2004

Man, can it be Thursday? Hard to believe that day after tomorrow we'll be leaving on a cruise!

This morning, I uploaded some student work to the Postcard Text tutorial and to Seeing Stars. Fine work from Mark Lusser.

I'm head-down working on my Intro to Elements 2 course for LVS Online, which will begin in March. This is looking like a fine course. Naturally, I'm trying to put in EVERYTHING I know, but at least I'm making it fun!

Besides the Intro to Elements, I'm also planning to teach 2 other Elements courses and 2 Photoshop courses. These will be Photos into Artwork and Making the Best of a Bad Photo. Though these will be similar courses, I'm going to have them separate, because the programs are different enough. The cost is reasonable enough: for each 6-week course, the tuition will be between $25 and 40 USD, which is less than $7 a week!

I'm still enjoying putting together the Q&A column for Digital Photography Techniques. I just submitted issue 10's article, which will be published in May!

Sunday, 04 Jan 2004

It has poured down rain for 2+ days straight! We now have lakefront property. It's getting colder, as well, so we might have skating rink-front property soon!

Today i uploaded some nice new links to my collection. In tutfx, I added Eye Digital Emotion, which has some nifty effects tuts. I added a new gallery to gallerylist, the gallery of Antoine Fanis. Finally, I added a link to Make-a-Flake, a snowflake creating applet. This is on my games page, an under-visited collection of some very cool time-wasters! Do check out these new links. Fun stuff!

January 1, 2004

Happy New Year! Today we did our first walk of the year outside -- on the Cook Trail. It was warm -- about 55, but windy. We walked from the far side of Ivy Tech up to Lowe's, about 3.6 miles round trip.

I just uploaded a small fix to my Elements tutorial on Elemasks. Next, i'm gonna make my Journal '04 Archive page. :)

Always me,