Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all my bloggy friends!  May 2014 be filled with curiosity and creativity!

Cheviot

Cheviot is the pinnacle of the Cheviot range of hills in Northumberland and looks spectacular in all kinds of weather.  This is a photo of an encaustic wax picture which I did some time ago and decided to add one of my textures and play about with blend modes and opacities.  A good activity for a rainy day!

Going small

Two views (100mm lens) of a wonderfully blooming orchid (these are some of the buds) - it never ceases to amaze how orchids just keep on going when everything else (almost) is waiting for warmer weather.  Hope you are all surviving anything the weather is throwing at you at the moment!

Christmas greetings!

Wishing all my blogging friends a happy, healthy and peaceful time!

Last hydrangeas

Found three small glass bottles on a secondhand stall in the market place.  Brought one of the last hydrangea blooms inside (without insects!) and had a go at this still life.  I added two of my own textures and a vignette.  Still looking for the best place in the house for natural light, so far it's in the kitchen.  I really ought to be thinking of winter/Christmas themes but I think I'm still stuck in autumn!

Winter's grip

Well, not exactly a 'grip' yet, just a hint of what may be to come.  We did have the 'surge' on the coast but we are a few miles inland but know that many have been flooded out along the west and east coasts of England and Scotland.  Awful to see on the news some houses disappearing into the North Sea.
This photo was taken on a sunny walk - an icy pool, using my iPhone.

Calling all gardeners!

These lovely blooms were in a heated greenhouse, but even after searching in my flower books I still can't identify them.  The second image is of a plant with beautiful petals which looked like frosted sugar with the sun shining behind them.  I guess at least one of you will know what they are!

Autumn jewels

More seeds, this time rich red ones of the pomegranate.  So many orange and red colours this time of year, can't help but be cheered up by them!  You really have to work hard to get these to eat, the word 'digging' comes to mind.  They are supposed to be really good for you once you've got them all out!

Fading beauty

The hydrangea flowers are fading now but still beautiful in a subdued way.  Hope that is true for all of us!

More of 'nothing is wasted'

A little bit of Photoshop using the previous image, using my own textures, masks and frames.  Yesterday I wanted to do a still life using autumn bits and pieces, eg leaves, dandelion seedhead, chrysanthemums,  but nothing seemed to go right.  I tried various combinations with bottles, wooden bowls and finally decided to give up.  As I was packing away and trying to carry everything to another room, I put some seed heads into the jar to carry them - and voila!  I liked the result! Maybe I was trying too hard!

Nothing is wasted ...

More of the same

Two more of the dandelion - the first with one of my textures which was a photo of the side of an old boat, the second with  a solid colour adjustment layer added, hue blend mode.  Both with natural light using a piece of cardboard covered with foil to reflect a bit more brightness.

dent de lion

I love looking at the small detail, especially in natural objects.  There is something so fascinating about the design.  Who could have thought of something so small but effective?!  The name apparently comes from the shape of the leaves which someone decided  looked like lion's teeth, hence 'dent de lion'.  Better not mention the other French name!

Red, white and blue

Red rosehip berries, blueberries and calling on gardening friends to name the  white berries!  Taken with the 100mm lens at the end of the kitchen using light from two windows.

Web design

One of the first mornings where there is dew on the grass and hydrangea in the garden - almost an abstract quality to the drops caught in the web. 

A little bit of France

I bought this small basket in a market in St Cast in Brittany where we went for our summer holiday.  It's been put to good use since then!  Although it's officially autumn we are having some warm summer days!  Hope it lasts.

First signs

Brittany, France

A few photos to remind us of our holiday in Brittany - St Cast, Dinan, St Malo - and of course some wine!

Painted tongue

Another beauty seen in Wallington Walled Garden.  Had to look it up but think it is called 'Painted Tongue' which would seem quite appropriate!  If anyone knows it by another name let me know!

Viewed from above

Taken with my 50mm lens, Dry Brush artistic filter and Topaz Low Key2 added

Chocolate cosmos

Another image from Wallington - lovely dark red-brown flower, so called because it smells like chocolate!  Added one of Kim's textures, kk_anne.  (Click to enlarge)

Allium seedhead

These huge seedheads were about 15cm in diameter, surrounded by flowering plants of all kinds, but just as beautiful in their own way.  Seen at  Wallington Hall, a National Trust House and Gardens.

Daisies

Made a drawing of this daisy image - wanted to do a mouseover but haven't worked this out yet!

Just opened

A newly opened seedhead processed with two of Kim Klassen's textures, kristin and mayzee, with a topaz filter added.

Dandelion

This seems to be turning into a mini-series!  I carefully carried these home from the beach - it was one of those rare days when there was no wind and a perfect summer evening. Hope this weather lasts!

Lavender

Lavender out of our garden, processed with Kim Klassen's textures sybil and dustyrose.

Daisies

A bunch of daisies picked next to the beach path.  They probably have a better name than just 'daisies'!  Joining in with Kim Klassen's BeyondBeyond course, day 23.

Red and yellow

It is unusual to see a mixture of red and yellow in fields as the rapeseed (canola) usually flowers in April, but with the cold spring it is mixed in with the poppies this year.  I've noticed that farmers seem to be leaving the edges of fields for wild flowers, good for the wild life which is in danger of disappearing in some areas.

Poppies

I finally got to grow some poppies in the garden after one of my DILs gave me a cutting from her garden about 18 months ago.  These huge fragile blooms didn't last very long with the wind and rain (and a battle with slugs) but the colours were very intense and rich.  Hopefully there will be more next year. Love them!

Plantain

Template created in Lightroom with type added in Elements.  I'm finally getting to grips with LR thanks to Kim Klassen's excellent Round Trip course.

Mountains and beaches

Just got back from our favourite corner of the British Isles - the south-west corner of Scotland.  A week of good weather to enjoy walking and seeing the fantastic scenery.  I have to admit that the photo of the top of Suilven isn't mine but was taken by younger son - he and HO climbed to the summit while I stayed below!

Cornflower

A cornflower out of my garden with Kim Klassen's texture 'yesteryear' at overlay 26% and a cloned background.  Thinking of  and praying for Kim's husband who has just been diagnosed with leukemia.