See what I've been up to ....

I've managed at last, thanks to my friends Maggi and Linda, to use a 'mask' in Photoshop to give some pictures a 'rough' edge.  I'm delighted with the reslts and this is the first one.

 An 'after' above and a 'before' below!

The photo is of Hollocombe Water, which I pass on my daily walks, and was taken last Spring.
It was a beautiful day and the reflections were really wonderful.

 Same with the iris ...... using a different edging.  I rather like how in this one I've incorporated a very soft original backgrouns.

 The iris was in my garden last week, but has since disappeared!

This was a layer with its own rough edge.   Certainly makes a real difference to the overall colour of the picture.

 The cockerels live at a farm just down the lane from me - they sell farm eggs too!

Now we get to a page from my sketchbook.  A watercolour of some leaves on a white background that I scanned.

I used my own 'layer' I scanned of a textural experiment I painted, then added a text layer. and 'rubbed out' some of the layers over the leaves to make them pop.

Same leaves, but used different layers, this time the background is a watercolour page from the sketchbook, and played a lot with the opacity button etc. and managed to make the leaves really stand out.

Finally, same leaves stretched a bit by the look of it, and a third layer (wallpaper that I painted and scanned).
Till next time .....

Catkins ....

Catkins and daffodils in a vase, this time of year, always remind me of my childhood.

There are loads of catkins in my garden at the moment, but no daffs yet, not in bloom anyway!
I must admit, I have never noticed the little red tufts on the top of the buds before, until yesterday, when I had my nose up real close to get some pictures. Aren't they just amazing - such a bright colour.

A couple of little red tufts here too, among all those lambs tails (which reminds me I must try and get a good picture of a newborn lamb.)

I picked a twig of catkins and took some photos indoors, to play with Photoshop Elements .....

Before and ..

after. I'm delighted with this - I used two different textures from Kim Klassen.

Another 'before' - love that little red tuft on the bud ....

and 'after'. I think this texture also came from Kim, though it could be a picture of my baking sheet!

Finally, I did play with one of my snowdrop pictures. I'm quite pleased with that too - I have managed to make the flowers look quite papery, and I love the 'misty/out of focus' background.

Till next time ......

Happy Valentine's Day

Hope you all have a loving Day, whatever you maybe doing.



Here are a few pix of my altered book Dreaming of Love.........

Come February - Snowdrops abound ...

Even though I live in Devon, we are situated 500ft. above sea level, and the farmer next door tells us we are three weeks behind the general growing and flowering seasons!

I have to wait a little bit longer for nature to do her bit, but when it happens it is just magic!
Up come these wonderful white jewels among all the winter ditritus to lift the spirits .....

I've been trying to get some pix from different angles ....

and some closeups to maybe enhance a bit in Photoshop Elements.

The daffs are following behind - won't be long now .....

a cyclamen has crept in here .....

soooooooo pretty ......

even against the light they create a lovely silouette ...

and what a colour scheme ...

in the shade ..

Oooops! how did that get there - promises of things to come ....

Till next time ...

In the January garden .......

Wandering round my garden in January is not really one of my favourite things, specially when it's cold, but a bright morning, with a camera, is something else.

I was looking for the last remnants of colour, and was surprised to find some. Against the blue sky, the sprays of berberis looked lovely. I really must have a play with this picture in Photoshop Elements, and add a few layers in the background! A frosted ice plant, and some honesty. Hopefully they have seeded!!

This berry really shows up against the 'drab' of January ..... it grows horizontally really, and droops down covered in these berries. The birds love it!

and here this looks like Autumn but isn't - I have caught the early morning sunlight on the bottom of the trees and shrubs, which really does add some warmth.

Amazing what colour is in the January garden when you really look.

Till next time .....