One from the archives.
“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans,” said John Lennon, though he wasn’t the first. This certainly happens when I’m in Photoshop. I started with creams and greens and a romantic couple walking on the beach. An experimental change of blending modes with the textures, one of which is a freebie from French Kiss, produced this vivid mahogany-like backdrop and I was sold!
I added a photograph of the Russian ballerina Tamara Platonovna Karsavina (1885–1978) from The Library of Congress and turned her into a silhouette. The result reminds me of the lustrous designs on Ancient Greek pottery, hence the title, Dancing in Greek.
Take care and keep laughing!
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![Original & vintage art © First Night Design [www.firstnightdesign.wordpress.com]
Photograph by “Nicolai Bernsten”:DJ;KGH; at “Unsplash”:http://unsplash.com
Textures “2LO Confetti 17 and 2LO Distressed 12 from”:http://2lilowls.com](https://i0.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/e289blog.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "The Boat House")
![Photo Unsplash
Texture - 2LO Haunting 14 & 2LO Haunting 23 - “2 Lil’ Owls”:http://2lilowls.com.
Original & vintage art © First Night Design [www.firstnightdesign.wordpress.com]](https://i2.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/e285blog.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "Night Landings © Sarah Vernon")
![The Boat House Tote Bag © Sarah Vernon [Fine Art England]](https://i1.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/totebagfae.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "totebagfae")
![Butterfly Cascade © Sarah Vernon [Crated]](https://i0.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/e250blog1.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "Butterfly Cascade © Sarah Vernon [Crated]")
![Original & vintage art © First Night Design [www.firstnightdesign.wordpress.com]](https://i1.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/e221blog.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "Bring up the Curtain")
![Romance in Stone [framed] © Sarah Vernon](https://i2.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/romanceinstoneframed.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "romanceinstoneframed")
![Original & vintage art © First Night Design [www.firstnightdesign.wordpress.com]](https://i2.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/ma077blog.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra - Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (")
![Photograph from the ex-Mrs FND
Photograph from Unsplash
Texture 2LO Ancient times 2
Clock created for Behind Time
Original & vintage art © First Night Design [www.firstnightdesign.wordpress.com]](https://i0.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/e353blog.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "Beating the Blues")
![Gabrielle d'Estrees and one of her sisters [unknown]](https://i0.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/ma015frame.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "ma015frame")
![Artful Pumpkins © Sarah Vernon [Redbubble]](https://i0.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/hl008blog.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "Artful Pumpkins © Sarah Vernon [Redbubble]")
![Butterflies from China, Japan, and Corea: “Biodiversity Library”:http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45490916
Texture: “Kerstin Frank”:https://www.flickr.com/photos/kerstinfrank-design/9181048645/in/photostream/
Flowers: “Rijksmuseum”:https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/my/collections/150967--sarah-vernon/mijn-eerste-verzameling/objecten#/SK-A-3899,0
Original & vintage art © First Night Design [www.firstnightdesign.wordpress.com]](https://i1.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/e309blog.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "‘Happiness is a Butterfly’")
![Original & vintage art © First Night Design [www.firstnightdesign.wordpress.com]
Vintage Henry Irving and Ellen Terry as Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing from The Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/97514042/
The background is a blend of the interior of The Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace in 1851 from an old encyclopaedia — the venue was originally built in Hyde Park and the exhibition was organised by Prince Albert and Henry Cole — and textures from “2 Lil’ Owls”:http://2lilowls.com.
http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/g/great-exhibition/](https://i0.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/e284blog.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "Beatrice and Benedick")
![Bird on the Beam © Sarah Vernon [Crated]](https://i0.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/e254blog.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "Bird on the Beam © Sarah Vernon [Crated]")
![Original & vintage art © First Night Design [www.firstnightdesign.wordpress.com]](https://i2.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/photorehabcovermakeoveraugust.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "#photorehabcovermakeoverAugust")
![Venetian Rose Water © Sarah Vernon [Crated]](https://i2.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/e257blog1.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "Venetian Rose Water © Sarah Vernon [Crated]")
![Yacht: https://www.flickr.com/photos/zakhark/572331622/in/faves-83665426@N05/
Texture: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kerstinfrank-design/19581317079/in/faves-83665426@N05/
Original & vintage art © First Night Design [www.firstnightdesign.wordpress.com]](https://i2.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/e303blog.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "Sailing to the Moon")
![Original & vintage art © First Night Design [www.firstnightdesign.wordpress.com]
Advert from The Graphics Fairy](https://i0.wp.com/firstnightdesign.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/e286blog.jpg?w=84&h=84&crop=1&ssl=1 "Vintage Pettit’s Eye Salve")
10 comments
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11/09/2014 at 16:19
Kendall F. Person, thepublicblogger
The colors, vibrancy and voice of your blog feels like the first day of spring. #blogaces indeed. Will thank Sally for the tweet grouping.
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11/09/2014 at 16:22
First Night Design
What a beautiful thing to say, Kendall. Thank you so much.
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10/09/2014 at 21:14
joanntomaselli
Beautiful work! I wish I wasn’t so scared of PhotoShop – lol!
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11/09/2014 at 10:09
First Night Design
Thanks, Jo Ann. Feel the fear and do it anyway! Trial and error works best.
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08/09/2014 at 21:03
davidprosser
The background really reminds me of old documents. The silhouette fits nicely on there, stands out well.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
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08/09/2014 at 21:10
First Night Design
Massive hugs to you, David, for the compliment. xxx
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08/09/2014 at 08:42
olganm
Beautiful. After spending a few days in Florence it reminds me of the beautiful marble and stones I’ve seen there…
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08/09/2014 at 12:56
First Night Design
Much thanks, Olga!
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08/09/2014 at 08:25
Rajiv
That is a super design… I like that quote from John Lennon
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08/09/2014 at 08:30
First Night Design
Thank you, Rajiv!
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