Spring Dreams

I called Ms. Spring and left a message,

 "Please come to visit and stay a while.  I miss you so!"

I haven't received any reply.

So, I continue to cross country ski on the snow (no lie)...

looking at white fields, forests, and frozen lake.

But, I daydream of spring....

And, hear the florist's shop calling my name.

And, purchase small tulips.

And, revel in their delicate form.

And, dream of spring.

Wishing you a colorful and creative spring!

Chained

Currently I'm chained to my studio...well, figuratively anyway.

I'm busy working toward a bead show deadline.

Coming up for air in a couple weeks.  

See you then.

In the meantime, happy creating!

P.S. Check out this link which gathers together

numerous links showing how to convert

 a purse into an attractive camera bag.

I need to try this!

In the Works

Dreams, plans, projects, and goals make life interesting

 and keep us moving happily forward.

I know they do for me, anyway.

As for projects, I've got a couple exciting ones I'm working on right now.

The first is an elaborate beaded necklace for a show.

  I'll share a photo later when I finish, but for now you'll have to use your imagination.

Picture nature magnified under glass cabochons, bedazzling Swarovski crystals,

luminous dichroic glass, gold plated beads, and carved stone.

Sparkle aplenty!

The second is a personal project, a book project.

As you may have guessed, I'm a book lover.

So, I've dreamed of putting some of my macros together in book form.

I decided this is the year to do it!

I'm currently printing out images and designing the layout of the double page spreads -

balancing color, detail, form, and subject matter.

I can tell you it's really fun and engrossing.

Next, comes answering questions like - 

where to have it printed, how many copies to print, and what size book do I want ????

Caroline made me aware of Artifact Uprising,

which looks like a great printing possibility.....

hmmmmmm.

Yep, life is interesting with projects in hand and lots of dreams.

What projects do you have in the works?

Winter Rain

A few weeks ago, we had a winter rain.

This is not the norm for the frozen north,

but a welcome sight for someone who loves water drops, 

reflections, and worlds within worlds.

Yes, that would be me :)

Happy hunting for fascinating views!

Snowy

I'm taking a break to spend some time with my family.

Wishing you happiness and wonderful creative times!

Comments are turned off today.

Books and things...

I currently live in a backwater, a place not really by anything.

Add to this the cold and isolation of winter,

and one thought jumps to mind - road trip.

So, that's just what my husband and I did last week.

We took a little road trip to my favorite, funky old-time bookstore.

Picture really tall ceilings and rows of shelves jam packed with books

 on every conceivable subject.

Oh, and add the scent of old books to this picture.

All in all, a bibliophile's heaven.

We had a wonderful time ~

great books,

great mocha lattes,

great lunch,

and great conversation.

A great day in my book! 

Speaking of books, have you read Whitney Otto's novel, 

Eight Girls Taking Pictures (link)?

In the author's note, Whitney states, "This book is a work of fiction inspired by 

several real women photographers whose lives and work have influenced my own."

I enjoyed how history was woven into this book - 

politics, international events, camera types and technology, 

plus fashions and fads of the times.

Also, I feel every artistic woman can relate to the struggles of the female characters 

as they juggle career and creative desires, 

against family and social expectations.

Timely and timeless.

Wishing you a week filled with great times and great books!

Polaroids

A couple months ago I bought two old Polaroid cameras,

 a Spectra and Colorpack II Land Camera.

At $20 for the two, I've been told I got quite a deal.  

But, the best part is they both work!

In the Spectra, I've tried the Impossible Project's PZ 600 Silver Shade film.

Out of eight captures, this is the image I like the best.

It looks to me as though it could have come out of my great grandfather's old 

luggage chest, with its soft edges and vintage coloration.

I'm looking forward to more Polaroid fun,

especially experimenting with double exposures.

Have you tried anything new lately,

photo-wise?

Weather Wisdom

Sometimes, I almost miss the day.

By this I mean, the day may seem too hot, too rainy, too icy - or this time of year - 

too darn cold to want to venture outside with my camera.

On days like these, I like to hole up in my studio and work on bead or quilt projects.

These images are from just such a day.

Icy, snowy, drippy with a bone-chilling dampness...

the great outdoors didn't seem very appealing.

But, once outside I found beautiful soft light and 

small wonders hanging from every surface -

reminding me to take advantage of the day,

whatever the weather!

I'm wondering do you go out with your camera in less than perfect weather,

 or is it all good in your book?

Wishing you creative days filled with weather you love.