Muse on Vacation?

Okay, I guess there is no guarantee that my Muse's vacation will not conflict with MY vacation! I'm having trouble settling in with a project now that I have the time to do so. I've begun by cropping some of my past collages to expose smaller vignettes within the original images My husband recently installed Adobe Elements on my laptop.

We have the full blown version on our desk top, but that necessitates my waiting around for him to vacate the desk when I want to work. In addition, I have tried in vain to master Photo Shop over the past two years. My brain refuses to think in "layers". It's an interesting problem since my collages are all about layering. I think the difference is that the layers of my collages just kind of happen as they will. I don't tend to plan them out ahead of time. With Photo Shop, I feel as though I'm supposed to keep track of what each layer has on it. Elements seems to be a little easier so far. I'm hoping to be more successful with this version.

At the very least, Elements provides me with a resource for cropping and enhancing images of my work. I like to zoom in on smaller areas of my collages thus creating a whole new piece. It's as though there are mini stories taking place within the larger statement. It also gives me something creative to do while waiting for my muse to return from her unscheduled vacation!