Photoshop Exploration

I just finished (until I decide to go tweak something) editing some photos for a friend and my daughter's senior pictures.  I have a couple more photo projects waiting, but I needed to just explore photoshop for fun for a bit.

So I present to you my daughter, Bonnie, in three of Pantone's popular colors for Fall 2017!  Autumn Maple, Navy Peony, and Tawny Port.

I've been wanting to learn how to do this for some time, so thank you to Benny Qibal and this youtube tutorial!

I love the effect of simple solid color blocking!  It's because of the new lighting I have that I posted about here, that I could make this effect work well.  I have so much to learn, but the learning process is wonderful.

~have a great Monday~

Autumn Drieds

My obsession with dried flowers, pressed flowers, and seed pods continues.  I hope it's contagious and you are enjoying them too!

I pressed these a couple of years ago, maybe just last summer.  I think they are from a flowing succulent I had in the tank garden.  This fall, as I started to use my pressed flowers, I thought these would really look nice framed.  

I had the frame already that I picked up at Target because it just seemed "so right" for something.  So this is that something!  I used navy mat board for the backing and it was very easy to put it together.  Not so easy to photograph!  Glass reflects, and it reflects everything.  Sometimes you can use that to your advantage, but mostly, it's just tricky.

Recently I picked up this old frame at Cottonwood Antiques in Columbus.  I almost talked myself out of it because I have other old frames....  This one had a parrot needlepoint in it that didn't really fit.  And it needed laundering.  So now, it's clean, but I'm not sure what I'll do with it. (And, it's kind of wonky looking.)  The frame had another calling. 

I painted some burlap fabric with navy craft paint and then glued on some seed pods.  I love this so much! I believe it will stay up year round until I do something else with the frame because as you can guess, this won't store well!  They are secure, but they won't take anything being stacked on them.  But, that's fine.  Isn't that part of the beauty of these seed pods?  You can toss them.  There will be more.

On this board: Wild Cucumber Vine, Asiatic Iris, Blackberry Lily, Love in the Mist, Fennel, Sunflower, a skeleton from a Tomatilla, Hyacinth Bean Vine, Button Weed, and one I can't remember.

• You can see more decorating with seed pods and drieds here.

• I needlefelted some of the acorns in the top picture and I bought some from Lisa here.

• You can read more about the little paper house here.

 • The crocheted stones were a gift from a friend. ♥

    

Playing in the Ditch

I've posted milkweed pictures before and I will most certainly post them again.  They are magical and beautiful.

We had a little bit of time on Sunday to stop and play a bit in a ditch on a dirt road.  I had tried on Saturday, but was pulled right down into the ditch when I pulled over on to the deceptively somewhat dry looking road side.  I was able to drive out with our four wheel drive engaged, but very slowly and very carefully.

Thinking another day was needed for things to dry, I waited for Sunday to try again.

Ditches, creeks, and milkweeds.  ♥

(But we were careful for mud, itch weed, and thistles.  Exploring doesn't come without risks, ha!)

These girls are always ready to play and explore. And, thankfully, so is my husband.

Now I have a couple more bags of fluffy seeds and pods.  I don't really do too much with them, except put them in a jar to enjoy. (And plant them!) I used one pod once to needle felt a baby Jesus in.  My own milkweeds that I had in my tank garden got all dark and almost oily and I had to pull them.  They apparently prefer growing in the wild!

September: Scene and Story

Hello October!

I switch from loving it to feeling emotional about it.  Fall affects me oddly. How about you?

Once again I'm linking up with Sarah for Scene and Story.  Although I have many favorite photos from this past month of still lifes and Claire's Senior pictures, this is a favorite with a good story.

Claire was a candidate for Homecoming this past Friday and the older kids were able to come home for it. :)  Lauren brought our oldest granddaughter too and it was her first football game so everything was exciting for her.  Then when her aunt got a flower she was thrilled to hold it!

Claire was so afraid she would trip in her high heels or sink in to the field as they had to walk across while the spiel of their high school career was read.  No tripping and no sinking I'm happy to report!

Of course after the very brief coronation we had to take photos.   Will, is wearing my first husband, Jim's, coat that was gifted to him by the school 20 years ago as he used to be the unofficial football team Doctor.  He took the coat a couple of years ago when he went to college and loves it.  I love seeing him wear it especially here on the football field.

I can't say I'm a fan of Homecoming coronations. I believe it to be unnecessary stress and stirs up unhealthy competitive feelings in our high school students. Thankfully, Claire just kind of slides with it all.  But, I am a big fan of school spirit and of seeing the gifts that came from where you grew up.

~happy fall to you all~