I love macro Sunday

Trying to find something in my garden that is an interesting shape when viewed from an unusual angle is quite difficult really!  I seem to spend an awful lot of time on my knees ........

 However, I find it very exciting when some of my pictures come up on the computer, and are quite unrecognisable, but still beautiful.....

This is the same plant, different colour, but viewed almost from the top down (not sideways, which is the way I generally see it)

Know what it is yet ......

This is a slightly different angle - I think the leaves give it away ...

A real closeup of the top - yes it is a Lupin, but isn't it just exquisite viewed at this angle?
To enjoy other Macro pix click on the I Heart Macro on the right .
Till next time ....

My Flower Cloth is finished (I think!)

Well, that's weird.  In the photo album this picture is the right way up.  Why Blogger transferred it sideways, I've no idea.  Sorry about that - but this is the finished piece - stitchwise anyway.  I may add some more paint - haven't really made up my mind.

A few closeups of the lower half - you've already seen the top half.  A path I mentioned .....

These seem a bit lighter than the real thing - maybe it was because the 'flash' was on my camera!  The sideways picture of the whole piece is more like the real colour.

The only blue bit ...........

I loved the way this red/pink went acros the piece of dyed cloth so I just stitched 'grasses' into it .....

 I just had to have a blackbird in it somewhere, didn't I.  He visits us every minute of the day for some currants.  He is feeding the family at the moment, and is looking very bedraggled.
It was great fun, and I really enjoyed working on it.

I've also been playing with Photoshop Elements, and having a go at turning some of the closeup pix of flowers into water colours.  This is the Iris ....

 An Aguilegia .....

and a Poppy seed head.   Some photos work better than others.

 This, as you can see, is a picture of Hollocombe Water (turned into a water colour) which is just down the lane, at the bottom of course!

Talking of water, this is not a water colour, but a cropped picture of just the reflection in the water, of a picture taken at the same time as the one above.   With all those lovely ripples and strange shapes, it makes a beautiful abstract, don't you think?
Till next time .....

Texture Tuesday - School's Out!

The challenge for this week from Kim is to use a 'people or person' photo.

Last Half Term my husband and I visited Woodlands Theme Park in South Devon with some friends.

This is a picture of us trying out one of the slides!  My friend is a teacher, hence she was on Half Term Hols.  Her husband had broken his foot - hence he was on sick leave!  He obviously couldn't take the ride, but he took this great photo!

I've played with it in Photshop Elements, but must admit I couldn't say what I did, except I used Gradient Maps to make it lighter, then added 2 layers of  Kim's freebie texture Granny's Cupboard.  I'm quite pleased - I feel it has definitely added something to the 'warmth' of the picture.  Click on Texture Tuesday to see more 'people pictures'.
Till next time ...

Macro Sunday - a walk down the lane

Where I live in Devon, we have quite steep banks each side of the lanes.  Apparently, before the days of the car, the carts wore the lanes lower and lower, and the bankings got higher ad higher!!

 Anyway, on a recent walk down the lane, I spied this tree stump, quite high up.  It has weathered to this beautiful silver colour ......

and the patterns on it are amazing.  Going in even closer, you could see some lovely quilting lines.  Reminds me of a piece of work I did last year, with quilting lines based on driftwood.

This is a pic of the whole stump, must have been there

a hundred years or more .....

Further down the lane I found this amongst the moss - right at eye level.  I know it must be a fungus, but anyone know the name.

I've looked in my Mushroom and Fungus Book - nothing that resembles this.  It was enormous.

The closeup is in the top right hand corner, but the fungus covers the whole picture, as you can see. I actually took the picture in the Spring, as you can see from the primroses!

If you would like to see other macro pictures, click on the I HEART MACRO flower opposite.

Till next time .....

Shape and Texture - I love Macro

Up close and personal!  This post is for 'I heart Macro'.  Click on the button on the right hand side to see what other people are up to.

We all what know this is, but take another look.  The pattern and colours are just beautiful.  If I crop it any more it will break into pixels, but I love to look real close.

 The pattern of the veins, and the light on the left.  Those veins in the bud on the right .....

Wow! all those different colour blues in there - and the shapes.  Looks like a purple ice cream cone on the right!

This is the original picture - before I cropped it.

Can you recognise this - looks like a group of swans having a chinwag!  Love the soft blue colour.

 Same flower - different shot .......

Beautiful Granny's Bonnet (Aquilegia) that self seeded - what a gift!
Till next time ........

Update on my Flower Cloth .....

I've been busy stitching, in between gardening, but as it is raining today I thought I would share my progress.

 I've been filling in the gaps, and also touching up the petals with more colour, and using a black Sharpie marker pen in some of the middles.

I've added more white acrylic ink too .....

This bit is new stitching ...

 more white acrylic ink on the tiny flowers, once stitched ...

Some new shapes too.  I'm quite pleased with my progress so far - must start thinking about a pathway I reckon.
Till next time .........

Texture Tuesday ...

Kim's challenge for this week is to use words, in any way we choose.  I thought of a lot of beautiful poetic things, then I remembered this mug!

 Before ........

and After.  I used Kim's Linen texture twice, rubbed over the words and added the mask to get the lovely raw edges.  Click on Kim's button, Texture Tuesday on the right, to see more creativity.
Till next time  ...

Poppies .......

I'm posting for Macro Sunday - so if you like closeup pictures (not necessarily flowers) click on the 'I heart Macro' button on the right to see what other people have been up to.

This is an oriental poppy 'Patti's Plum' in its prime, and I was quite sad to see it going over, except when looking further it was still sooooooo beautiful, even though it was going to seed.

Just look at those colours and shapes ...........

and that sugar coated top.  I hadn't realised, to be honest, that it was pink!!!   I hadn't looked really close - all poppies have black middles don't they?!

This is the centre of an opium poppy, just opened this morning .......

 what about that lemon sorbet top ..............

Another oriental poppy, just about to open all that beautiful silk.  What about that hairy outer casing then?
Yep - I really do love upclose pix!
Till next time ....