Photo Blocks Featuring the Beautiful and Graceful Deer

She watches, waits and wonders. Always careful and cautious, her eyes are wide to take in all that is around her. Only then does she move - gracefully, sometimes quickly and always quietly.

Click on the images for more information about these photo blocks.

Blooms Echo Life

I took this picture last summer while visiting some friends out at the lake.

This bloom has weathered much, it seems. Tired and worn, she continues on. Last summer I felt similar to how she looks here. Sometimes life is like that.

I am seeing fresh new flowers and growth all around me these days. The blooms are full of energy and ready to burst. Sometimes life is like.

Beauty All Around

I felt I missed so many sights as I kept my eyes on the path for exposed roots and fallen trees. Though these dangers held a wonder all their own, I just knew there was beauty all around me that I was missing. A return trek would be in order. Stopping along the way, I was able to see more. I was not wrong; there was beauty.

Balanced Breakfast To Go

We all know how important it is to have a balanced breakfast. Now you can have a "Balanced Breakfast" to go in the form of a photo block. Previously only available as a print, now this whimsical image comes mounted on a 4" x 4" x 3/4" block. You can bring this anywhere!

Click on the pictures to shop.

Seeing Beauty

You cannot rush it. Seeing beauty requires looking, lingering, watching, wondering and waiting...taking the time to move closer and then closer still. When I'm that close, close enough to take a picture of the beauty I have found (or has it found me?) I hold my breath. I don't want to miss the shot because of camera shake but I wonder also if I don't want to miss the moment. Sometimes it is as though time stops when I look through my viewfinder. My breath catches and in that moment, that is all I see. Beauty.

Kitchen Decor

Here is the perfect gift for a chef or someone who loves fresh fruit! This is a great accent piece or pair for your kitchen. Click on the images to shop.

Daisy Delight

'Tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes!

~William Wordsworth, "Lines Written in Early Spring," Lyrical Ballads, 1798

 

 

Rain in the Forecast

We've got rain in the forecast for the next several days. One of these days of rain will involve heading to an open air concert. I will not opt out because, well, because it is U2! Instead, I will attempt to put a positive spin on the whole idea of wetness for that particular day.

Spin #1 - I will have another chance to don my funky rain boots.

Popsicle Petals

Like the bright, cheery colours of the icy goodness from our childhood days, these blooms bring smiles to faces only without the sticky mess.

Flame Throwers

Flames shoot up from the forest floor.

Breathe Between the Lines

Breathe between the lines. There is room.

And now for a change of pace...

This week I would like to shine a bit of a spotlight on a fabulous Etsy shop called McLDryGoods. Fantastic and functional bags and organizers will greet you when you pop in for a visit. The classic handmade and repurposed luxurious satchels, totes, messengers and clutches make me feel like a kid in a candy store!

Here's a taster of what you'll find at McLDryGoods on Etsy. Click on the titles to see more!

Pattypan Handles Messenger

Spotted Beast Leopard and Supple Leather Clutch

Utility Organizer

River

The mark of a successful man is one that has spent an entire day on the bank of a river without feeling guilty about it. ~Author Unknown

What in the world?

Can you solve this puzzle? Do you know what this is?

Lift-off

Do you ever feel as though you've just begun to lift off? I don't mean in a plane and not on a cart as pictured below, but in life. Do you feel as though you're starting to move in a new direction and that direction is up? Life is not always this way, to be sure, but every now and again we get to this place where it is so.

New opportunities can bring this feeling. Healing from sickness and also sorrow may as well. I feel this way when I've taken a step out in faith. Whatever the reason, it is rather exhilarating, this feeling of my wheels up off the ground and the possibility of soaring before me.

Converge

I am all over lines. I love compositions that are strong and linear. They can be simple pieces but often must have a little bit of chaos for me to be wowed. The chaos' source can be colour or contrast, it doesn't really matter. It cannot overtake a piece; the lines must rule.

Treasure

She held a treasure. She held it close.

Blessings

"It was a good idea to put blessings on the pie." Maybe in more ways than one!

This is relatively easy to do. Don't be so hasty to discard the pie pastry scraps. Roll them out and using a paring knife, cut out a blessing for your pie. Be sure to dampen the underside of your letters or shapes with a little cold water to help it adhere to the top crust of your pie. And you're done!

Diner

A throw back in time. Can you hear the tunes and feel your bare legs stick to the vinyl chair? Maybe you've ordered a double dog and are reaching for the ketchup. Whatever the case, these nostalgic images remind me, maybe you too, of summer fun, diners and maybe even drive-ins. What else comes to mind?

Each of these blocks are available to purchase in my Etsy shop. Click on the image to take you to the listing.

Back Door

Are you a back door friend? Sometimes we are comfortable enough to use the back door to enter into a home. We are immediately welcomed into the kitchen and find a seat at the table. The dirty dishes left from breakfast do not bother us, nor do they bother our friend. This is comfort.

I wonder if it would be as comfortable to use this back door.

Electric Fence

Positively electric! I can feel the power blast and bend the links. Excitement and sparks find their own way through, looking not for someone else's path but rather their own.

What in the World?

A new puzzle! What in the world is this? If you know, comment below.

Full Moon Rising

The moon was spectacular. If I simply glanced at her, she would appear still, suspended without movement. As I turned my attention to her, I could see she moved. Or was the movement mine?

What in the World?

Where are my puzzle solvers? Do you know what this is?  If so, comment below. Be specific.

Coming Soon to an Etsy Shop Near You!

After a few tweaks, my photo blocks are just about ready to find their way into listings on Etsy. It certainly has been a process, figuring out what is the best way to create these little beauties.

At 4"x4"x3/4", they are small enough to fit just about anywhere: a bookcase, a curio cabinet, an office cubicle, a window ledge. They are wide enough to easily stand alone - no need to nail a hole in your wall. There is a hole in the back of each of these so should you prefer, you can nail a hole into your wall and hang them up. Hang two together!

They are the perfect gift for dads, moms, grads, just because, bridal parties, art lovers, housewarming gifts, you name it!

Here is a sampling:

Road Less Travelled

Is this road less travelled by trees, trains or the graffiti artist? Or maybe you are on a road less travelled.

What in the World?

Puzzle solvers unite! Do you know what this is? If so, comment below. If not, I win.

Sugar Coated

Soft and sweet, dusted with powdered sugar, she is sure to melt your heart.

Steel's Tears

Even the strong shed tears.

Orange Velvet

She has velvet petals, orange fading to yellow. The textures and tones do not work independently to bring beauty, but rather together. One without other would not be so lovely.

 

I used my 60 mm macro lens to capture this rose. Getting close and making sure many of the edges of the petals were sharp while allowing the rest to flow softly was my goal. Using the right depth of field was crucial.

Experimenting with aperture and taking multiple shots is the best way to find the right settings for each subject choice.

Once captured I brought it into Lightroom to process from RAW. I warmed up the hues and increased vibrancy for this final result.

Irresistible

From wee on up, puddles can be irresistible. This one seems to be particularly inviting.