Led Astray | LMAC Collage FreeStyle No. 96

4 months ago

The LMAC Community run by @shaka holds a weekly collage contest for its members. In the Community, you'll discover a variety of themed entries submitted for consideration. If selected for the final round, contest hopefuls anxiously await results indicating their placement that determines the prize awarded. It's a fun contest that any Hive member can participate. If you'd like to join in, just visit the LMAC Community account here and follow the rules of the contest for details on the latest round.

The LMAC Community also offers an opportunity for members to create and post in the Community "freestyle" collage themes. In the freestyle option, more freedom is allowed to design your creations without having to incorporate the weekly contest photo. However, contest rules still apply.

Please visit the Community page for any questions on how to successfully publish in the LMAC Community.

For my Freestyle Collage No. 96, my theme is led astray.

Often a person can be led astray with promises of riches or free items. Also, the popular belief that the "grass is greener on the other side of the fence" proves more than not to be untrue.

Once a person is enticed to follow another, the situation one can find himself in may not be so easy to extricate. Sometimes I wonder whether animals can be led astray by following the leader or by other means. Would the herd mentally prevent them from pausing and assessing the situation, noting that there may be danger ahead? Thoughts to ponder.

My story involves a young lover of animals, especially cows. Mattie raised her livestock under the guidance of her father. However, once the animals matured, they began to wander father from the farm. Beyond the castle they ventured to the edge of the sea.

Across the waters lay another larger farm. Mattie noticed a strange being approaching the shores of their land. Startled, she recognized the being as an enchantress. Lovely with words whispering gold and riches and a pristine farm with greener pastures that would produce quality milk products, she taunted Mattie.

However, Mattie refused. She remembered her father's teachings. "The grass is not always greener on the other side," he would admonish her for staring across the waters into the glistening sunset. The farm lit up like a holiday celebration.

Eventually, the cows noticed the bright lights and emerald grass growing ten feet tall. The grass beckoned. Unable to resist, her cows followed the enchantress.

Mattie, alone and distraught, needed to counter the spell and allure of riches across the sea.

She consulted with her father who devised a plan. He'd dealt with the witch long ago and hoped she had been vanquished from the region. Upon hearing she'd returned, he plunged into action. Contacting his own source, he managed to secure the potion that removed the spell.

Once the potion to remove the spell was inserted into the bale of hay, Mattie called to her cows. They answered and were returned unharmed from the incident.

She didn't blame them, only welcomed them home with a loving embrace.

In preparing my theme, I envisioned a fantasy moonlight with an enchantress who crosses the sea to entice animals to the other side. The idea presented itself with the LMAC contest image depicting a lone cow. The animal appears to look up at something or someone, so I decided to transport it to a fantasy land where it could have an adventure.

^Source

Below are the additional images I included to complete my theme. I located a young lady with her hand out. The implication is that she is enticing the cows back home with a magical bale of hay.

Item	Contributor	Source
Woman in yellow moon	Pixabay	Link
Bale of colored hay	Pixabay	Link
Girl with butterflies	Name	Link
Stool	Contributed to the #LIL by @agmoore	Link
Children's colorful chair	Contributed to the #LIL by @alex2alex	Link
Pure Fractal titled "Pink Donut"	@justclickindiva	Link

When compiling my freestyle collage design, I upload my images to Canva. It's my design program I use to blend my images. Below are the procedures I use that incorporate the tools at my disposal in my Annual Pro Membership Subscription.

Step 1	Step 2	Step 3
^{To a blank white canvas, added a Canva free sunset background image.}	^{Added female in the water and resized her.}	^{Added the bottom castle landscape image.}

Step 4	Step 5	Step 6
^{Added girl, chair, stool. Positioned.}	^{Added the LMAC cow image and bale of hay.}	^{Removed backgrounds; resized, then duplicated them to place in various locations. Completed project.}

Below is my completed freestyle collage:

Thanks for your visit. I appreciate it. I hope you like my freestyle collage theme.

CONTEST RULES

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

It is imperative that you read the post LMAC School - Public Domain Picture sources (Free Materials for creating collages) by @quantumg, which discusses public domain issues. The post offers valuable information on images for commercial use. Links are included to sources that offer public domain images and other images that are free for commercial uses. Using public domain pictures and free pictures for commercial use are requirements for all collages that are submitted as entries in the LMAC contest and the LMAC Image Library (LIL).

What is Let's Make a Collage?	It is a weekly photography and collage contest.
Who created the contest?	@shaka is the contest owner.
What type of contest is it?	This Contest utilizes a single photo provided by the contest owner as the basis for you to create your own photo collage by adding to the photo provided.
What are the rules?	1. Use as your starting point for your collage the photography provided by the contest owner. It is located on the contest owner's post for free use without any copyright protection.
	2. Entries are required to be posted to the LMAC community and must contain a link to the contest post.
	3. Entries need to set the LMAC account (@lmac) as 20% beneficiary to be eligible for the dynamic component of the prize pool.;
	4. Extra support with the LMAC trail to all collages where LIL assets have been included AND the respective LIL-contributors set as 2% beneficiaries;
	5. By submitting your contribution you agree that your artwork remains public domain and that it can be copied, modified and distributed, even for commercial purposes, without requiring further permission.
	6. Any graphical element that is added to the photography either needs to be your own original work (e.g. own artwork or photography) OR needs to derive from sites whitelisted by LMAC.
	7. IMPORTANT: Indicate the source of all materials used in your accompanying post. Otherwise your entry can NOT be put up for the final vote.
	8. All sort of editing, modification and/or manipulation is allowed as long as no copyright is affected.
What do you win?	Prizes listed on the contest owner's post.

Good luck everyone with whatever your endeavors.

SOURCES:
a) JustClickindiva's Footer created in Canva utilizing its free background and images used with permission from discord admins.
b) Unless otherwise noted, all photos taken by me with my (i) Samsung Galaxy 10" Tablet, (ii) Samsung Phone, & (iii) FUJI FinePix S3380 - 14 Mega Pixels Digital Camera
c) Purple Butterfly part of purchased set of Spiritual Clip Art for my Personal Use
d) All Community logos, banners, page dividers used with permission of Discord Channel admins.
e) Ladies of Hive banner used with permission of and in accordance with the admin's guidelines
f) Thumbnail Image created by me in Canva.
g) "Flames." What is Apophysis 2.09. https://flam3.com/

English is my native language.
If translation included, I use DeepL to assist my readers.
Thanks for your patience an understanding.

diy aliento hispapro nexodigital lil indiaunited lmac bdcommunity creative-writing contest

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10 comments

@pixresteemer 71

4 months ago

!PIZZA

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@pizzabot 58

4 months ago

PIZZA!

$PIZZA slices delivered:
@pixresteemer_(2/5) tipped @justclickindiva

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@agmoore 74

4 months ago

She didn't blame them, only welcomed them home with a loving embrace

I love this line...and the way it applies to the story. Have we not all (those of us who have lived a long life) been in Mattie's situation? Are there not loved ones who stray, who are tempted by this or that? When they return, do we refuse them, or do we welcome them? Always, I hope, a welcome.

It's a wonderful collage. It perfectly expresses the sentiment in your story.

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@justclickindiva 76

4 months ago

Hello @agmoore. Yes, we have all encountered family, friends, and acquaintances who fit the scenario of "gone or led astray" for whatever reason. Some people are able to return safely in mind and in body. The key and question is how will they be received once they return? Individuals may fear rejection for their choices, so decide to stay away and disconnected from others, especially family.

Thanks so much for your visit, thoughtful words, and kind compliment for my freewrite. I appreciate them and your support as always. Take care and have a good rest of your week.

!LADY

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@ladytoken 51

4 months ago

^{View or trade LOH tokens.}

@justclickindiva, you successfully shared 0.1000 LOH with @agmoore and you earned 0.1000 LOH as tips. (1/22 calls)

Use !LADY command to share LOH! More details available in this post.

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@djbravo 72

4 months ago

The pictures with the sun are very sad and after watching it we are also sad.

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@justclickindiva 76

4 months ago

Oh @djbravo. How unfortunate that the scene caused you to be sad. It was a sad story that the cows were led away from their farm with magic by an evil witch. But they were saved in the end by the girl who wanted her cows returned.

Thanks so much for your visit and engagement. I appreciate it.

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