I got a Christmas gift today from Kate of The X-Files Touchstone. She has chosen this site as her *first* "Featured Site". I just want to thank Kate for the honor and encourage all of you to visit her site to see her fabulous sketches. I envy anyone who can draw ... my lines come out crooked with a ruler. Also, there are two new pieces up on the site. The first can be found on the lyrical page, as title and text are taken from the Jewel song Standing Still. The second can be found on the general page. Title and text taken from Izumi Shikibu's poem "In this world".

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Two very special people celebrate their birthdays in December. Angie had hers on Monday and DecemberLady is celebrating on the 19th. You can see my gift to Angie here. DecemberLady's is here. Both can also be found on the general page.

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In case some of you haven't seen it yet, Steph of Philedom2k has a wonderful Advent Calendar up for the holidays. The wallpaper I created is featured as today's piece. Thanks so much Steph! And in keeping with the holiday theme, I posted two new Christmas works. You can find them here and here. The first takes it title and text from Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, the ONLY version being Bing Crosby's. The second takes title and text from the Darlene Love song Nobody Oughta Be Alone on Christmas.

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I added a new link to the site today ... one I'm *sure* you're all familiar with. Visit Rose's fabulous site The Whole Damn Apple (how much do I LOVE that name??) to see what she's up to. A redesign was just finished and it looks amazing. Rose's work is an inspiration. Also, Vered's been updating VBrush again with some great new brush sets. If not for her brushes, my work would be so unbelievably boring. Thanks for all your hard work Vered!

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I love epiphanies, don't you?? So of course I had one today. *Some* sites that link to this one have a straight link to the What's New Page. So of course, if you clicked on that link and ended up here, you won't see the new holiday design. In that case, click on this link to view the redesigned layout.

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I've been experimenting again. There's a new collage archived on the general page. You can find it here. Text and title taken from the poem Sudden Light by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. This looks better than the original version and I have my Partner In Crime to thank for that. Also, thanks to her encouragement, I'm posting a third wallpaper which you can see here. In the meantime, Angie has redesigned her site for the winter season and done a beautiful job. Go look. By the way, congratulations to all the winners in Val's fan art contest. Wonderful showing everyone.

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More boasting abounds. I've been chosen as the featured site at Keep The Faith, an X-Files archive. Marlen had some absolutely wonderful things to say about the site and I am honored that she chose to showcase me. Also, I'd just like to mention the redesign Tere did on her site. The new colors are gorgeous and the wallpaper she added is currently adorning my desktop. On a final note, I also want to mention the recent addition of episode collages on Val's site. Innundate her with e-mail telling her how talented she is when it comes to episode based collages ... she never seems to believe me.

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Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the states. I have a few things to update today. First, I had forgotten to mention this, but I'm an official Shipper Fan. I also joined the fanlisting for Dana Scully ... my Mulder button was getting lonely. And I've pledged my allegiance to The Unnatural. I've joined the Gillian Anderson Webring too. I actually have a new merge to post. This one is a bit more elaborate than previous merges and somewhat odd, but interesting all the same. And finally, don't forget to vote in Val's contest. There are some wonderful collages up there.

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I have something to boast about. Yes, get ready because this is going to be big. This site has been chosen as Tere's Site of the Moment. When Tere told me she was planning on featuring me ... well, needless to say I almost fell out of my chair. I can't even explain how much of an honor this truly is. If you happen to glance at the list of previous sites featured, you will see that I am in some of the best company imaginable. Tere, hon, I cannot thank you enough for this. Makes all the long hours spent squinting at code worth it. Thank you.

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I've finally decided to officially declare my love for Existence. I joined the Existence Fanlisting. I'm also now a self-proclaimed Spooky Lover and an all things fan. Don't you just adore these listings? You can find them all on the main page. But wait, there's more. A new wallpaper for your viewing pleasure. These are almost as much fun as buttons. If you'd like the wallpapers in resolutions other than 800x600, let me know. It's come to my attention that stretching the JPGs makes them "wiggy", so I will fix them for you.

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For those of you who don't already know, my very good friend Val runs an art contest every month. I FINALLY decided to enter. You can find my submission here, as well as on the lyrical page. This month's theme is favorite actress. Voting doesn't begin until November 18 when all the submissions are posted here. The artists never disappoint in rising to the challenge, so stop by even if you aren't planning on voting.

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First and foremost, I got bored with the header again, so I made a new one. I'm so fickle. You'll also notice the addition of a wallpaper page. Didn't take long, huh? Second, a milestone for the site ... I've surpassed one thousand visitors! As a bit of a thank you, I made this for everyone who stops by to look around. Obviously, I couldn't have gotten this far without you all. Finally, I added a new link to the site ... a wonderful brush resource site run by Vered call VBrush. It is a collection of her PhotoShop brushes, as well as links she has gathered. Many of my collages have incorporated brushes from this site.

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Just a few things today. First, a new link ... Ririn1013's X Chamber. Ririn does amazing things with her canvas and her site design is rather innovative. Second, a new merge. And finally, something totally new for me. Between all the time I spent at Tere's kickin' site other day staring at her wallpaper section and Val's incessant nagging (and you KNOW I say it with love sweetie), I've made a BIG piece. It's my first wallpaper. Eventually I'd like to give it a permanent home, but right now it's just floating out in cyber space.

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More technical stuff today. I FINALLY added the link to RoadRunners, a comprehensive X-Files site run by the fabulous Megan. She does such an excellent job keeping it current with daily updates and has more information than CSM can shake a Morely at. Keep up the wonderful work Megan. And for those of you wondering what happened to Angie, she's back .. with a vengeance. She's put up some GORGEOUS new collages, so head on over there and gawk at the beauty that is her work ... I do that on a daily basis.

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Just technical stuff today. I got tired of seeing the award Linzee gave me on the bottom of the main page, so I created a new page for "all" the awards I've won. With any luck (and maybe a bit of cajoling), I'll have more to put on the page soon, but for now, Linzee's award is a lone soldier. Also, check the bottom of the main page for a link to EchoEcho.com, an excellent resource site and a MUST see for web designers.

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If anyone tried to rate me using the button on the main page (and bless you if you did), I'm sure you noticed it didn't work. That's what happens when you aren't awake while you update. It's all fixed now and should work just fine. And because I didn't want this update to be nothing more than technical, I made another merge. I don't know why, but I'm suddenly into these again. Hopefully I can make a real collage soon .. the muse is so tempermental sometimes.

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I've been added to The X-Net Links site. If you've never been there before, check it out. They link to some eXcellent (sorry, couldn't resist) pages run by some very talented people. Art wise I've added a new merge (GASP!). I broke out the dictionary for this one too ... interminable means "endless". Fitting, wouldn't you say? I've also finished another episode collage (s'about time) for Bad Blood . You can find that on the Season 5 page.

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Check out the bottom of the main page. I am now listed at the X-Files Search Engine. Feel free to rate me. There are some wonderful other artists also listed there, so go check it out. I've also now got art archived at the X-Files Auto Archive. And I added yet ANOTHER lyrical collage to the site, again using the new brushes from Vered's links. This one takes it name and text from the song As Long As It Matters by the Gin Blossoms (I didn't name them either).

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I finally created a new merge. I have to admit, the page was mainly created for the simple fact that merges were really what started me collaging ... I had so many of them on my hard drive, that I figured what the hell and put them all in one spot. Lately, I've felt stunted creatively, so I thought I would go back to basics and work from there. And this is what resulted. It's a basic merge with some new brush strokes recommended by Vered. For you aspiring etymologists, affiance means "truth".

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In case you haven't noticed, I changed the header picture. The old one seemed too boring all of a sudden, so I altered it slightly. If you think the other one looked better, tell me. I also renamed the Banners page. Same great taste, now only half the fat. Kidding. It's now called the Link To Me page. Adore my originality?? I added a new banner to it. Finally, a new collage in the same vein as the last two posted. Again, two versions located here on the general page and here on the lyrical page.

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I finally got around to changing the What's New page. I thought it was somewhat ridiculous to have ALL the previous updates in one place. I no longer found it necessary to keep them here, so all but the five most recent have been moved to the aptly named Older News page. This will be the policy from now on, making it easier for those with dial up modems to view this page in a decent amount of time.

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Two new pieces to add today. The first is merely an experiment with a new style. There are two versions, located here and here, only real difference being some brush strokes. The second is a piece I am very proud of. It was the first time I made something completely in PhotoShop. I want to say thank you to Val for all her help with PS and encouragement in general. In case you're wondering, the lyrics are from All I Want by Toad The Wet Sprocket (don't roll your eyes, I didn't name the band), one of my all time favorite songs.

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Just technical stuff today. I was going through the What's New page the other day and noticed that a few of the first updates contained the wrong e-mail address. Those linked to an older Hotmail account that I no longer use. Therefore, if you sent mail to that address, got no response, and didn't hate me enough to stop visiting, resend the mail to my Yahoo! account at AmbientBlu@yahoo.com. I'm sorry for any mixup.

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I've added two new collages to the lyrical page. I'm not sure if I like them or not, but I'm happy to have come up with something. Both of them take their titles, as well as their lyrics, from the song I Will Love You by Fisher. It's a lovely song, evoking so many emotions. And it screams MSR, which I know I need a taste of right about now. First one can be found here. The second here.

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There's not much new to report today. I've been itching to make something new which I haven't been able to say in some time, but due to real life sucking, it's been hard. ANYway, I don't want to keep you here with my rambling (blah blah blah), so this is all I wanted to say ... I added a new button to the bottom of the
main page . It's a Kim Jang design (I love that girl). She created and maintains the XDesign site and the new button is one she created for members to PROUDLY display their allegiance. Thanks Kim!

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In an attempt to return to something approximating normal, I've added three new links to the links page. The first is Under Another Sky, Eve's site dedicated to individual artists. Once every week or so, she features another piece of creativity. The second is Megan's page, X!ART. Megan never ceases to amaze me with her work. Make it your business to check out her site. Third, but most definitely not last, is Angie's site
Je Souhaite. Angie is amazing when it comes to blending ... her work is always so soft and inviting. Lose yourself in her beautiful compositions.

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I am a New Yorker, born and bred. There isn't a whole lot more to say.

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Apparantly the main page has become the place to be. I added a new button that I recently made in honor of XDesign and all I've learned from its members. If you haven't already, consider joining. It's an experience, and one you won't regret. I also added another button the the banners page. They're just so much fun to make I can't help myself.

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I won an award! The lovely and talented Linzee deemed my site worthy of one of her awards, so I now proudly display it for all to see. It can be found at the bottom of the main page as well as here. I also grabbed two more buttons from Vered, who just rocks for creating all these for other people. Those can also be found at the bottom of the main page.

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Could it be? Two updates in as many days. Be still my beating heart. First off, new lyrical collage. The lyrics come from the Lifehouse song Breathing . The second is a general collage. I was trying something different for a background and this is what I came up with. Finally, added a new link to the site. Check out Linzee's wonderful site. She has some amazing works, excellent videos, and the cutest little Pixel People. She inspired me to try my hand at The Gunmen.

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Wow, could I have waited any longer to update. At the very least I can say I bookended the month. OK, I've added a slew of new banners and buttons to the site. Some are new designs completely, others are remakes of older banners. Only one banner survived in tact, the rest were either redone or just plain thrown out.

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I added a link to Tere's site. Check it out, she really has some wonderful works housed there. The layout
is fresh and easy to navigate, something I know I look for in a website, and the design is beautiful. Apparantly I've arrived late to the party, but I'm glad I arrived at all. Wonderful job Tere, keep up the good work.

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Looking for a new episode collage? Look no further. I've given Per Manum a shot. Different style, different type of background, more new filters. Speaking of which, I created two buttons for the site, in case these look better on your page than the banners. They both look totally different from anything else you've seen on this site before, thanks in part to the aforementioned new filters. The first is here and the second is here.

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Another response to an XDesign challenge, which can be found here . Next off, a simple piece I came up with one day. The title is inspired by a poem written by Paul Lawrence Dunbar. And yet another piece inspired by a poem. This one takes it's title, as well as it's text, from the poem "Reply" by Naomi Padgett Madsen. Finally, a lyrical piece. Title and text taken straight from the song "Wherever You Will Go" by The Calling, this one has another version which can be found here on the general page .

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It's been quite some time since the last update. Life always seems to get in the way of art. Anyway, a new collage has been added to the general page. Finally, something that isn't blue. For those who are curious, the short poem included in this picture was penned by me. I've always been a poetry fan, favoring free verse, and this is the product of one night's attempt at trying my hand. Note this DOES have a spoiler picture for Existence ... I know some countries have yet to see the episode.

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Look, it's BANNERS . Yes, I have decided to create banners just in case people want to link to me.
This one is the original version of the picture below. Some XDesigners suggested making it a
banner in light of its size. Thanks guys. I've also created a links page, just to show you a few of my
favorite art sites. The people who created and maintain these sites are some of the
best on the web, and it's an honor to be part of their group.

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I added a mytharc collage to the site. This isn't the original version, this one has been tweaked as per the advice of XDesign . Bless you guys. This version is better because of them.

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A new lyrical collage was added to the site. The lyrics are from the song "My December" by
Linkin Park. It is a wonderfully dark and angsty song and I highly recommend it.

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I've added two new pages to the site. One is dedicated to all the collages that are lyrically inspired
and can be found at the aptly named lyrical page. The other page is comprised of my responses to
individual XDesign challenges. Be forewarned, the collage there now DOES contain spoilers for the
season finale, "Existence".

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I finally added an all things collage that I think I can live with. I've been attempting
one since the episode aired, but was never happy with the results. The final version
can be found on the season 7 page.

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I added a Requiem collage I'd made some time ago to the season 7 page. A map was added to the
What's New page to make navigation easier. The links at the bottom still work, but I'd hate to
make people scroll unnecessarily.

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Updated the site with three new pictures on the general page. These were my first posted works on XDesign . The guestbook is up and running, something that never got accomplished on the last incarnation of this site. All links should work just fine. If not, please let me know.

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Welcome to my new layout. I've been hanging around XDesign lately, and some of the
member pages have inspired me to renovate. Here's what I came up with. I'm trying to keep the
same basic design, along with the ease of navigation I was told I had, while streamlining the look.
Let me know what you think.