Old hydrangea

Too cold and wet to go outside to find something to photograph, then I remembered that I had cut some hydrangea heads before the bad weather set in, so I spent a happy half hour photographing this with the 50mm lens, adding a Kim Klassen texture and using the 'angelic wars' font.  I think the quote was from a psalm in Eugene Peterson's The Message.  Something to remember, whether the feeling goes with  it or not!

Happy Christmas!

Wishing all blogland friends a happy and peaceful Christmas!

Sorrow

Sharing in the grief of the parents who lost their children and their teachers.
"The smallest amount of light is infinitely more powerful than massive amounts of dark"  (Rob Bell)

Im-mobile

The cranberry was a bit worse for wear and the strawberries don't have much taste but it was the best I could do!  (Still using the mobile phone.)

Facing the light

I haven't any photography lights or flashes (except the one on the camera) so I usually use light from a window or more recently a torch, but I pushed the boat out with this one and used the light from my mobile phone!  Taken with the 50mm lens in a dark room!

Christmas lights

Hanging on

Last leaf

Well, not quite the last leaf but a few windy days will see a lot of the leaves disappearing!  Used one of my own textures on this - a shot of a rusty pipe.  Enjoy the rest of the autumn  days!

Mabel

Meet Mabel, the latest family member!  Not a big hit with Holly the dog - yet!  Holly just ignores her but doesn't like Mabel getting any limelight.  I'm sure they'll hit it off , eventually.

Autumn light

 I didn't get further than a few steps from my front door when I saw the morning sunlight through the leaves of the hydrangea bush.  Nearly missed this.

Last of the summer wine

In spite of the snow and wind of the last few days, there are still some roses hanging on.  Thinking of blogger friends in America at this time and hope you are still hanging on there.  Be safe.

Amazing grace

Thanks to Eugene Peterson for this phrase which he uses in The Message.  (Psalm 17)

Hydrangea

All these hydrangea heads came from the same plant.  Some of my favourite colours! Amazing that one plant can be so varied.

It's got to be autumn

Growing in my garden but don't know the name! Two of Kim Klassen's textures, with 'Clive Barker' font.

Artichoke

A friend gave me what I thought was a large thistle, but since the artichoke is a perennial thistle that's not surprising.  What was a surprise was the inside of the head - I thought it would be like the inside of a poppy  or a pineapple!  Just shows you never know what something contains!

Summer's end

Wind and rain have finally demolished the last sunflowers.  At least I won't be on the hunt for snails any more!

Full bloom 2

Prize-giving day tomorrow for the highest sunflowers!  Must confess to some jiggery-pokery as the recent high winds broke some of the tallest ones off, so had to do some quick name tag rearranging so that all GKs would get a prize!  This one however wasn't in the garden - except in my imagination!

Full bloom

At last the sunflowers in our garden are fully out even if they are not very tall.  A piece of goldwork makes a new centre!

The first one!

Just when we had given up on any of our sunflower heads appearing, the first one emerges, closely followed by three more!  Better late than never!

Edlingham Castle

We've just visited Edlingham Castle which can be found between Alnwick (famous for its castle with Harry Potter links) and Rothbury This is one of the many castles to be found in the border (with Scotland) county.
Always plenty to explore!  Come before this one falls down!

Sea mist

To go with the grey rainy day I've been working on this photo I took a couple of weeks ago, using two of Shadowhousecreations  textures.  We're planning a bbq tomorrow if the water in the garden disappears!

A new me

I decided it was time I came out from behind the camera.  'Groma' by Nathan, age 6!

Animation

I've just found out how to do this animation in the Beyond Layers course that I'm following . It was quite simple once I'd figured out how to  load it to the blog.  Not the best subject but will now try to find a more suitable one!  Don't get dizzy!

Poppy

Taken with the 60mm lens, using a filter 'drawing' effect, with the font sverige script.
Another bright sunny day here,  the fields are gradually drying out after so much rain but water is still standing in the cornfields.  Hope they dry out before harvest time.  Our garden sunflowers are still struggling to grow and we aren't expecting to see any flowers soon, if ever.  Still, a lot of fun was had planting them and they have been watered over-enthusiastically!

Lavender palette

Using one of the lavender images to make a palette for Color Me Weekly.  I used a gradient fill on the background and a 'glitter' brush for the different colours. It's still sunny!

Summer scents

A painterly effect added to the lavender image, then the sponge effect applied.  Summer seems to have arrived at last!  Spent yesterday at the Sunderland Air Show along with a quarter of a million other people; HI was in his element  (and it was his turn for the camera!)

Thriving

Most of the flowers in our garden (and we don't have a lot!) are dropping petals at a furious rate due to the rain but at least the hydrangea loves the downpours.  Snails and slugs also abound but I can't bring myself to photograph them - I'm sure they must serve a purpose but does anyone know what it is?!

Thought for the day

Weathering the summer

We talk a lot about the weather here!  Whilst folks in the US are keeping out of the heat, we are sloshing about in wellies and reading about streets becoming rivers and homes being under feet of water.  Fortunately that hasn't happened to us although we would like to see some sun! The sunflowers we planted with the GCs are only about 10cm high, so the competition for the highest sunflower may be off!
These pics were taken at Blyth when there was a thick sea mist; it was rather strange to walk on the beach and hear the waves but not see them.  Hope you are having good weather wherever you are!

Revelation

Since I mentioned the pod-opening I thought I'd show the result.  Amazing to think they will all turn black and escape through the 'vents' one day (you can tell I'm not a biologist!).

Pick a poppy

Playing with poppies to join in with Color Me Weekly palettes.  I opened one up to see what was inside - white, not black, seeds.  I suppose they turn black as they dry out.  Then we can cook with them!

Orchid

Adding borders to an image - Day22 of Kim's Beyond Layers course.  Finding out how to add a frame to an image. Going to try out other methods and effects.  Although I knew how to do this I'm finding that Kim is demonstrating other more effective methods.  It's a great course and I love discovering new things!

Scotland