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Texture Tuesday: Vintage Laundry

It's another e-dition of Texture Tuesday with Kim Klassen! Our challenge for today was to use at least one layer of her texture called aurora.

 I decided to do a little vintage laundry for the gathering today...

 

 

 
Much more fun than doing the real laundry.

Thank you Kim for hosting this fun event! I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone's done with this wonderful new texture Kim sent to everyone on the Texture Lovin' List. If you're not on that list, but would like to be, the info can be found on her sidebar.

Wishing you warm breezes and sunshine {or rain for those who desperately need it!}...xo, Sue

Texture Tuesday with Kim Klassen

Today's theme for Texture Tuesday is "Pink"....

And this little winged fella plunked himself down in such a way that I could use the backdrop of my pink Crepe Myrtle trees for my pink.

 
...a layer of Kim's newest freebie texture, Aurora. Only had time to play with it a little but just love it! 
...another shot of this adorable little dragonfly with a layer of kim's aurora texture.

Would you like to see his teeth? Sure you would....

 
I betcha you didn't even know that dragonflies could smile...

Life is full these days. Busy full. Fun full. And some days just too full. So much for that lazy days of summer saying...!

And can I scream out a little about winning a NEW EPSON PRINTER from Cathe Holden's blog?!!! The last two printers belonging to me both ended up in the hands of our college-aged kids who needed them for school after theirs bit the dust. The most recent hand over just occurred so the timing couldn't have been more perfect! Plus, like many of you familiar with her work, I just adore Cathe {her art and her heart} so there's an extra layer of special to winning one of her sponsored giveaways!

Flea Market Finds for Texture Tuesday

 
(Kim Klassen textures applied: sonnetmagic and pourvous)

I was a girl on a mission. There were two things on my list I was hoping to find on my trip this weekend to Scott Antique Market. A HUGE antique/flea market show held once a month in Atlanta. {They also have an Ohio venue as well.}

The french boy mannequin is something I bought in Florida last summer on vacation. He's not new. But he was fresh off the crate from France when I just happened thru the doors of this antique store I love to visit when we're in the Destin area of the Florida panhandle. These two delightful dealers also set up monthly at Scott's and will happily bring any merchandise up from Florida to Atlanta. If you're ever in the Destin area, and you love European antiques at FAIR PRICES, you need to visit Misty and Ann at Antiques on Holiday.

So what did I find? Those blue doors! They were on my "mission list"....!

 
(Kim Klassen textures: mayzee. Also applied a dry brush effect.)

 About a year ago, which is how long it's been since I last attended Scott Antique Market show, I passed up a pair of doors quite similar to these. I've thought about them ever since. The same dealer was there again and this time I bought a pair from him.

I didn't find one of the things on my list, but I made up for any disappointment with some other wonderful finds!  The silver trophy champagne bucket was one of the things I dragged home. It is engraved with a date of 1953 on it. YEAH! Something older than me! ha ha!

I'll share some of the other little treasures another time. Meanwhile, if you'd like to see the magic others have worked on their photos using Kim's textures, head over to Kim's to check out the other participants in today's Texture Tuesday party.

Bird chatter

 

 

Pink Rose for Texture Tuesday

 
Joining Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday party. Used two layers of Yesteryear (multiply and soft) and one layer from the May magic pack.

If you've ever wanted to learn Photoshop, Kim is a great teacher! I noticed on her post today that she is offering up another session of her Photoshop Essentials course. The highlighted link above will tell you more...

Happy day to one and all...xo

Why God Made Mothers

 

...how time flies...blink, and we're now well into May.

My days have been jam packed with fun, and the not-so-fun...in other words, life. One of the funs is my continued love of taking photos.  Today, to wish my sweet bloggie friends a Happy Mother's Day, I'll share a few of those photos taken of my flowers.

But with a little humorous twist...

You've all probably seen this somewhere along life's path, but it's just too stinkin' cute not to share again. It's entitled: Why God Made Mothers. The answers were given by second graders. Enjoy...

 
WHY DID GOD MAKE MOTHERS?

1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

HOW DID GOD MAKE MOTHERS?

 1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
 2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
 3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger 
parts.

 
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE MOTHERS MADE OF?

1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in
the world and one dab of mean. ha ha ha
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use 
string, I think.

 

WHY DID GOD GIVE YOU YOUR MOTHER AND NOT SOME OTHER MOTHER?

 1. We're related.
 2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

 
WHAT KIND OF LITTLE GIRL WAS YOUR MOM?

 1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
 2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty 
bossy.
 3. They say she used to be nice.

 

 WHAT DID MOM NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DAD BEFORE SHE MARRIED HIM?

 1. His last name.
 2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk 
on beer?
 3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to 
chores?
{{having been a former elementary school teacher in one of my lives, i can attest to the fact that these answers are mild compared to what many teachers hear!}}

 
WHY DID YOUR MOM MARRY YOUR DAD?

 1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot
 2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
 3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

 
WHO'S THE BOSS AT YOUR HOUSE?

 1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof 
ball.
 2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the 
bed.
 3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

 
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MOMS AND DADS?

1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work. 

2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause 
that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine..

 
WHAT DOES YOUR MOM DO IN HER SPARE TIME?

 1. Mothers don't do spare time.
 2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

 
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO MAKE YOUR MOM PERFECT?

 1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of 
plastic surgery.
 2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

 
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR MOM, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

 1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid 
of that.
 2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did 
it not me.
 3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of 
her head.

 
Here's sending out loads of gratitude to all the mothers of the world, and those who practice the gentle art of mothering {a trait found in many women who never had their own biological children}, the world is a sweeter place because of you.

And special hugs and whispered prayers for the precious hearts that for a number of reasons, find this day extra hard. May grace give you the strength you need...

Xo, Sue

p.s. Joining Miss Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday today!

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen Cafe

 
Oh YIPPEEE SKIPPEEEE!

Been so busy catching up on real life [meaning less computer time] that I almost missed the news about Kim's newest inspiring adventure, TEXTURE TUESDAY!

I'm also known to spend way too much time out of doors once Spring hits my hometown. Like it's done! The above photo is one of my favorite of favorite trees...The Red Bud tree.

After applying a couple of Florabella actions, I added five layers of Kim's textures:

~scratches, 2 brushed linens, just golden, and an all time favorite, grey day!  

 
Thought I'd show the original pic before I applied the textures. It wasn't that long ago that I knew "zero" about Photoshop, and even less about adding textures to a photo. But both of those changed when I happened across Kim's blog! I took a couple of her online classes and a whole new world of fun was discovered.

If you've ever wanted to learn Photoshop {any of the versions}, I have, and will continue to highly recommend Kim's classes. There's even a free one to get you started. Just click on this link and you'll find the listing of classes on her sidebar.

 
Dragged home from the greenhouse a few pots of these adorable flowers to add to my flower beds last week. They are called Scabiosa, or more commonly known as the Pincushion flower.

Kim Klassen textures that I used: just blush, mona, sepia scratched, and 3 layers of softly. {also used a texture from flickr from boccacino}.

Head over to this post and check out all the other players in Texture Tueday and be inspired!

One Thousand Gifts

 
When I saw the package from Amazon, I tore into the thing thinking for sure it was one of the photography books I just ordered.

Instead, it was this book.

A book I didn't even remember ordering.

For a moment, I got a sick feeling thinking I just ripped open the neighbor's mail. And then just as quickly hoping it wasn't the same neighbor...you know, the one whose package I accidentally opened at Christmastime.  

Looking at the order sheet it definitely had my name on it. Whew. In fact, I preordered this book back on November 13th. No wonder.

Oh my.

Go get this book.

"A book destined to become a classic; the sort of book you dog-ear and re-read for the sheer joy of cherishing the words and experiencing the depth of the heart that wrote it." ----Mary DeMuth, author of Thin Places: A Memoir

I'm only a few chapters in and I wholeheartedly agree with Mary. And I don't even know Mary...never heard of her. But she's right. I have underlined so many passages...

...here's one I put to some photos I snapped yesterday.

It begins: "...I wonder too...if the rent in the canvas of our life backdrop, the losses that puncture our world, our own emptiness, might actually become places to see. To see through to God."

 
 

 
 

Even though... and a free texture!

 
Even though it's freezing outside

{i am not a fan of freezing}

I will give thanks

because I have a warm home to live in.

 
Even though my old computer

with lots of photos i never backed up,

and the only computer where i can gain full access

to all the contents of my email

is frozen,

and displays a screen that the computer

 geeks in my google searches refer to as

"the blue screen from hell"...

I will give thanks...

 

...because my little Sophie dog cares.

Take note of that soulful look of empathy

I receive from her everytime I moan and groan

when my attempts to fix the computer fail. 

~~~~~~

Now, for all you texture lovers, here's

a copy of the texture I used on the two

photos above...please feel free to

make a copy for your own files!

 
This is actually a photo I took from the

underside of one of those old

enameled kitchen tables!

On the flower picture, I applied the texture

twice, once at 100% soft light, and the top layer

at 50% screen. On puppy, it was two layers

of the texture, both soft light,

the first at 100% and the second at 27%.

I think this would look really FUN on a snow scene...

we don't get snow in Atlanta.

Usually, anyhow.

So I will give thanks for that too!

{okay. maybe a little around Christmas would be nice.}

tee hee...

Pink Roses

 

Given to excessive quantities of "distractability" seems to be intrinsic in my nature...

or wait...

...maybe it's merely high levels of interest in a multitude of pursuits?

...or a volatile mixture of both!!!...

 No matter...either way, "focus" is a word I often have to remind {{{beg}}} myself to do!

Another challenge for me in life is passing up beautiful bouquets of flowers at the grocery store that are reasonably priced. Like these beauties...3 pkgs for $12. Not only do they add enjoyment and beauty to my surroundings, but they are also fun subjects to photograph.

    
But adding to the pleasure of getting lost in my own world with a dozen pink roses, baby's breath, and a camera, was the reflection of light on the water! Ignoring my disdain for cold weather and sacrificing being able to feel my fingers, I headed outside in order to capture my newest "groceries" in the glory of the early morning light.

 
Before long I remembered that old window in the garage...the one that hopefully will one day soon house my favorite photos of our children. Plans are to convert some favorites to sepia tones and place them behind each square pane. So many ideas...

 

And as long as my old green chippy chair was still outside from another camera outing...

 

 
(without a texture applied)
 

 
 

  

 
I took a pathetic number of pictures...roses floating on water, tucked in other flowering beds...you name it, I tried it. And I have the picture file to prove it!

Playing around with textures in PSE only adds to the fun of it all...I would love to take Kim Klassen's newest e-course on textures that begins soon, but that old naughty calendar tells me this would not be a good time. Poo!

So many details of life to attend to in the coming weeks...

...yes, I do believe that LIFE is in the details..

 
And a huge thank you for all the great suggestions on my paint challenge...! That's one of the details in life that needs my "focus" right now. I'm now mixing paints to find that perfect color...how pathetic is that?!

May all your details be fun ones!

Xo, Sue

credits: All applied textures are from Kim Klassen.