Texture Tuesday

I used two layers of Kim's texture, little things. The first layer set to set soft light with an opacity of  65% and the second layer set to multiply with an opacity at 65%, too.  When I use textures I want to see the texture so I tend to keep it stronger.  I like the grunginess of it. The brush is also from Kim Klassen.  It says a whole lot in a few words.

Did you know...when you want to change the color of a brush in Elements 10 just press Alt on a PC and the eyedropper comes up.  Click on a color in  your image and voila! your brush has a color to match your image. 

You'll find more little things in a big way at:

Has March been strange or what?  Here in sunny nw Ohio we're dabbling in 70 degree weather!  Most years we're longing for spring and watching for snowdrops and crocus...this year the world is all ready awake and turning green.

The trees are budding out.  Look closely...there's a riot of color in those catkins. No pastels or soft greens...

Orange, yellow, and... 

 bright reds cling to slender branches. 

Around the corner a cluster of buds nestle snug and safe within the arms of long thick leaves...

  hiding the sweet fragrance of hyacinths within tight buds. 

And then there's this...

The first daffodil blooming in the yard.  It's the first daffodil I've had blooming in a yard where I lived for quite some time and what a joy it is to see the lemon drop yellow trumpets heralding in spring.  

Daffodils were planted all around the house, so expect to see loads of daffy-down-dilly photos in the next few weeks.

Talk of Spring

I took a break from the Cottage for a few weeks or didn’t you notice? Anyhoo…I’m back and ready to march into spring with a trowel in one hand and a camera in the other. While I didn’t post, I did read many blogs and commented here and there. I look forward to getting back into the swing of blog posting, reading, and commenting.

So what was I doing over these last few weeks? I was getting my ducks in a row, working on writing beyond blogging, and dreaming. I basked in a photography theme I called Flowers for Five. I purchased flowers for about five bucks and took loads of photos. The pink roses from the Pink Roses or Undies post got me started. The next week I picked up a fistful of red tulips and then it was creamy, edged-in-red mini carnations.

I went looking for spring on a beautiful sunny-so-warm-I-didn’t-need gloves March 1st and did I ever find it! No, I didn’t find shoots of spring green emerging from the inches of snow, but I found buds!

I came home to a pile of seed catalogs, a plan for the front flowerbed that has been sorely neglected for who knows how many years, and a cup of hot coffee.

Yes, I’m ready for spring; for planting, rearranging, photographing, and sharing my passion for growing. I did a little spring cleaning in the Cottage with a new header and white background. I have a bit more to do, but it can wait.

Kathy Sue Loudermilk, a Lewis Grizzard character, said, “Spring is the land of awakening. The march winds are the morning yawn.” I can feel that open-mouthed yawn that lifts the shoulders to the ear lobes, clears the head of cobwebs, and gets the day going. Bring it on, March; I’m ready for kite-flying, starting seeds, cleaning up clay pots, long walks as the sun sets in spring pinks, lavender, and blues. I anxiously await snowdrops, crocus, daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths. It’s time to plant a pot of Johnny jump-ups and primrose. It’s been a long winter and spring can’t come too soon.

What a silly question to ask, but are you ready for spring? Is that a roar of yes I hear? My but it’s good to be back.