Tomorrow is the anniversary of my grandfather's death. I have been working on a collage for many weeks now...something i made to help me deal with my grief. I will not post it in my gallery because i do not wish to cross boundaries of the galleries. I took many of these photos but not all. Also, there is one 2D image in this collage that i made in Painter. This is for Papa. He is inside me. You can't see me without seeing him. i've been wanting to tell him some things. Thank you for listening and commenting. I would like help with one image. I will show the image i made...the postworked version that is in this collage. When i resized it, it came out looking terrible. You all have any ideas on how i can make it look better? (Cindy, this is the image i was telling you about a few weeks ago). Also, tell me what u think of this collage. i decided on sepia instead of color, thinking it would give it some uniformity. Whatcha think? Thanks to you all!!!! hugggzzz, sheila

here's that image i was tell u about. did it come out looking bad because it's compressed to much? how can i make it look better in the collage? Thanks!

hmmm...i'm thinking when i changed this to sepia, that's when i lost the details of this image. maybe i need to go in and work on the sepia version more...and not the above version????

I will be happy to work on it for you. My company does photo restoration! Dee-Marie

I think it may be just a matter of contrast Sheila, in regards to that one particular image.... really wonderful collage. PS.... you've got such a beautiful smile. :~)

Dee-Marie, that is SO sweet of you!!!!! you are SO thoughtful! it's not a high quality piece of work by any means, but honestly, if there are improvement to be made on this collage, i would like to do it myself. I'm sure your company could make this so much better, and you blow me away with your kindness, but this is so personal to me. i want to put all my effort and love into it. know what i mean? not all these images are mine, but at least i can say many of them are and that it is something i made with my heart and with love. i hope u understand that by working on this, it gives me a chance to work through my feelings. if you have your company do it, then i lose something...the chance to put my feelings and love into this...and the chance to learn. Thank you though SO much for being so caring and kind!!! Michelle: Thanks!!! I will work on the contrast on that one then and see what happens!!! Thank you for your very kind words. This was really hard for me to do. So tears i have kept bottled up while working on this image, which is the externalization of my thoughts and feelings...things I wanted to share with Papa. :)

You're adorable...so there.

OK - let me know what you think.

I also enlarged the baby pictures just a tad - as I felt that the white around the images distracted from the overall feel of the image :) I can send you the zipped file if you want - as it would be better quality than the web version. Just let me know your email address. Dee-Marie

I would hope that you would not think that I took too much away from your work :) As I only really did a little cropping one image :) If nothing else, it can give you an idea of what you can do, and you can mess around with it on your own :) Dee-Marie

Dinner time - see you all tomorrow :)

Dee-Marie: Wow! How'd ya do that??? and so fast??? You have ANY idea how long i spent trying to get rid of that white. OMG...Hours...trying to fit everything just right. and u do it in 10 minutes???? It's fabulous!!!! THANK YOU!!! Yes, I would love it. I'll send you address in a minute!!

No, Dee...not at all!!! What you did is JUST PERFECT!!! You made this SO much nicer. I will definitely mess around with it. this is only my 2nd collage. i have so much to learn!! Rachel, you are SO silly!!!! So there! :) Yes, i think you're right...that Papa did tell you to tell me something! xoxo, sheila

Email and instructions for opening and downloading were just sent - Nightly night all - I will see you in the morning :) Dee-Marie

I see You have Grand Pappas Hat on....You are ok Kiddo...it will all be just fine :]

yep...that's his hat. he mostly wore French berets when i was little. thanks, Brian! yep. i'm ok. tonight i shall write funny memories of him. i shall be laughin' my ass off! oh...and tomorrow i eat only sourdough bread, mine and Papa's favorite food!!!!! :)

Dear tvernuccio, You don't know it till now but you have gripped the strings of my heart and tugged a bit...that is a wonderful thing now, since my papa went on in 1982. I do have an image of him, cherished, not a good photo but of him that means so much. This is a work of love and that shows in the first render you posted. Amazing sometimes how the heart does truly affect the visual and how the visual opens the heart. Thanks lady. Thanks and a ((((((((tvernuccio)))))) hug. Blessings and Peace. TomDart.

THANK YOU, Mr. Tom Dart!!!! Your words made me smile ('cept the part about the passing of your own papa...i'm sorry :( Maybe u might think about posting that photo of him. I would like to see him! I wanted to do a collage of nothing but pics of Papa...and maybe a few of my baby pictures. sigh but i never could get the images scanned. i only had these few that my dad sent me. i'm glad you saw the love in there. that's important. that's what i wanted to show...how much i love him and miss him...how hardly a day passes that i don't think of him. Each of these pictures tells a story. I know he can't read it, but still....somehow it helps. gotta go before i flood the forum!!! thanks for seeing...and for your words {{{{{{{{{{TomDart}}}}}}}}} hug back from me! much joy and peace, sheila

looks like i'm late in joining in
you did great in putting this together sheila...
i know how long it must've taken you to scan, resize & compose,
full of the luv you feel & happy times...
makes me miss my grandpa too
the sepia was very good choice in tying it all together
& Dee was very fast at polishing it up for you
the one image, cropped closer, with a higher contrast
with time your skills will only improve
& be happy in your memories hugz

huggggzzzzz Cindy!!!!! THANK YOU!!!! i'm glad u can feel the luv and stuff! hard missing our grandpas...huh! sorry :( glad u liked the sepia!!!! i am pleased. i have worked SO hard on this...thanks for recognizing this! being happy today in my memories!!!!!!!! xoxo, sheila