The SDS Challenge — Third “Envy” Voting Reminder plus . . .

. . . dead flowers artsified, paintified, and otherwise modified.

If you are new to the SDS Challenge, a little background.

Three writers will each write one story a month going down the list of deadly sins. The stories can be anywhere from 666 words to 6,666 words in length, although those numbers are not set in stone. If ambitious, the writers will provide accompanying graphics. These stories will not be anonymous because some writers may want to use the same characters for each story and write a series — or book — encompassing all seven sins. Finally, interpretation of the titular sin is up to the writer. Meaning, each ‘sin’ can take multiple forms.

Disclaimer: The writing challenge has no restrictions and the stories will likely span a wide gamut of genres. The majority of the stories fall in the PG-rating range with a few perhaps pushing into the soft R-rating. Some readers might find a few of the stories disturbing because of the topics, language, and/or plot points, and if so, stop reading and move on.

If you want to read the Seven Deadly Sins submissions for the Sin of Envy, and then vote, your gateway is THIS POST <<link. There, you’ll find links to each of the three stories and a poll for you to vote after you finish them (if you be so moved).

A few days ago, in THIS<<link post, I showcased dead — or quasi-dead — African daisies. In that post, I threatened the artsification of those pictures in the near future . . . and that future is now!

Whereas I mostly use Topaz Lab’s Impression, for this effort I used a combination of Topaz Lab’s products including Glow, Textures, Studio 2, Simplify, and Adjust AI.

I’m also not presenting these in order because I want to finish with the renditions that I like best. Not that there’s anything wrong with the above and this next offering . . .

Or, for that matter, this closeup . . .

Actually, I deem the first two ‘better’ than the third, but I’m too lazy to go back and reorder them.

These leafy offerings are not too shabby, but . . .

. . . this leaf is a bit better . . .

. . . and this next one, better yet . . .

This monochrome rendition of a closeup photo isn’t bad . . .

. . . but the artsified version is definitely better (in my opinion and in this context).

What then, pray tell, do you, oh conceited self-declared expert Disperser, consider ‘better’ efforts?

OK, that’s not bad, but it’s hardly leap and bounds above the others.

Yes, but I’m not done. Either of these next two could easily occupy the top slot and I did, in fact, go back and forth, struggling with the decision to pick one as better than the other. Certainly, my opinion could be easily swayed, and I did flip-flop like a politician reading poll data telling them what to think.

But, I don’t have the luxury of living in a state of perpetual indecision, so here’s my offering for the second best effort of this group . . .

Don’t get me wrong . . . I like the colors, I like the boldness, I like the details . . .

. . . it’s just that there’s a bit much of each one for them to work well together. Someone is sure to disagree, but I believe this next offering is the better version (and best of this post).

There’s a hint of ‘metallic’ in this version, probably because of the slightly muted colors with the gray highlights. I think on the whole, it works better than the other, and much better than all the other artsifications.

Anyway, if at all interested in reading three tales about Envy, you now know where to find them (and where to vote for the one you like best or hate least) . . . you be got two weeks left.

That’s it. This post has ended . . . except for the stuff below.

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