The Lotus Tree

This one of the many Lotus Trees in our yard. I love when the pretty white flowers bloom on them, they are so pretty, though I don't think my allergies agree. I edited this with Kim Klassen's  OhMy watercolor texture applied in the soft light blend mode at 50%. If you sign up on her blog, you can receive free weekly textures and they are fabulous!

Little Things

For this week's Texture Tuesday on Kim Klassen's blog we have to use at least one layer of Kim Klassen's littlethings texture. Here I used it on a photo I took of a neighbor's flowering tree. I'm not even sure what kind of tree it is but the blooms on it are beautiful. I applied littlethings in the multiply blend mode at 25%.  

As you can probably tell, my blog is under a little construction, so please be patient!

Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday with Muffin

This week, Kim's challenge was something to do with the word "soft" and using at least one of her textures.  I thought I would use this photo of our dog Muffin. We adopted Muffin about 8 years ago from the pound. I was pregnant with Jimmy and Sydney, who was five at the time was with me. She hated the loudness of all the barking dogs in the pound! Muffin was the only dog in there who wasn't barking! She hated the loudness of it all too. She was so scared! When they took her out of the cage for us to visit with her, she immediately cuddled up on the floor with Sydney.  Well, that was it, we had to have her! We estimate her age now to be about 11 or 12 years old.  She is still scared of loud noises, but she is a great dog!

An Early Spring

I can't believe Spring is already here. It's a little too early here in Loveland! My Hostas coming up, even my Bleeding Hearts are abloom! For Kim Klassen's  Texture Tuesday the theme is Pink, using of course, at least one of her textures. On this photo I used Kim Klassen's Sweettart applied first at saturation 70% blending mode, then applied in the vivid blending mode at 27% and last but not least, I used kk_crackerjack applied at a soft light blending mode of 70%

Spring Horses

It was a very, very warm March day here in Loveland, Ohio. I went out to photograph a condo located directly beside a horse farm. The horses were out enjoying the weather and new grass. I just had to stop and photograph! This guy was edited with Kim Klassen's texture kk_seriously, multiply 86%, then converted to b/w in Lightroom3.  Lovin' Kim's b/w edition of Texture Tuesday!

The Climb

The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge runs across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Ohio to Covington, Kentucky. It was the longest bridge when it was built in 1855, at 1057 feet.

My picture of the bridge above isn't that great, I took it while leaving a Cincinnati Bengals football game after a few beers -I wasn't driving.  So why am I writing about this bridge? Well, the camera club I'm in, Misfits With Cameras, had a drawing and I was picked to be in the next group to climb to the top of the bridge! So exciting! The only problem is....I am terrified of heights! The photos the first group up took were absolutely beautiful. Pictures of the Cincinnati skyline, different aspects from and of the bridge. I was so envious!

There are steps that go up along the side of the bridge to the top of the stone part. They are grated steps so you can see thru them.  Then I was told that there is a railing that you either have to climb thru or climb over. I'm not climbing over anything up there, by that time we will be at the top! Hence my current diet. My biggest fear, besides falling to my death, is getting half way up.....and freezing. If the Cincinnati Fire Department has to rescue me I'll be so embarrassed. So now it's time to conquer my fear of heights.  I've got until May. What did I get myself into ;)

Another Kim Klassen Texture Tuesday

Boy, I haven't done a Kim Klassen Texture Tuesday in a while. I loved doing it but I've been so busy.. For this TT, all Kim asked is that we use one of her textures...easy enough! I've always liked her texture "Branded" but hadn't used it much. This little chickadee was hanging out on my deck on a cold day last month (one of the few cold days we've had). I thought this might go well with his pic. If you are here from Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday, please post a link back to your work if you don't mind. I'd love to see your photos too!

Happy 2012!

I hope everyone have a wonderful holiday season. You might want to head over to Crave Photography and check out her awesome giveaway. You can win a Nikon 85mm 1.4 lens or a Canon 85mm 1.2 lens. You choose!

Autumn Walk

My husband had taken the day off work to watch our son Jimmy so I could go to Sharon Woods (Cincinnati, Ohio) and photograph the Fall colors. I couldn't resist snapping a pic when this cute couple walked by. It's one of my husbands favorite photographs. 

For this photo I used Kim Klassen's Scripted Autumn applied as multiply at 50%.

To purchase this photograph please click here visit my Etsy Shop

Well, I had my first Art Show last weekend and it was fantastic! I sold a lot more than I thought I would. I found though that I was just as happy when people came it to browse, took their time and discussed my photos with each other!  Met a lot of wonderful people.

For Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday this week all we needed was a photo in which one of her textures was used. Well that's easy! Her textures are fabulous.  I took this photo last autumn in Sharon Woods in Cincinnati, Ohio. I used kk_scripted.

Texture Tuesday - Kim Klassen's Crackerjack

I love this texture. This is a photo I took at the Cincinnati Zoo a few years ago. The photo was ok, I love the tigers and it was so cool when this girl came over and growled. On this I used the Coffee Shop's free action Creamy Toffee Latte, which gives it a dreamy look of sorts. Than I applied Kim Klassens stampedsoftly texture in the multiply mode at 100% and then applied crackerjack also as a multiply mode at 100%

Texture Tuesday......Finally!

What a week! My computer crashed, when I finally got it up and running, my Photoshop Elements 7 wouldn't run. I went to re-install it and discovered the disc was cracked! I ordered one on Ebay at a very good price and now I'm up and running! I did discover through all this that I do have an addiction to Photoshop Elements 7, one that I'm not sure I can overcome! So here it is 11:57 pm on a Thursday and I'm finally doing my Texture Tuesday photo for Kim Klassens Texture Tuesday (another addiction). For this photo I used Prairie Woman's Soft Fade effect, then applied Kim Klassen's SweetTreat overlayed at 35%, then applied Kim's kk_aurora first as a multiply at 50%, then darken at100% and soft light at 38%. 

It has been soooo hot here in Loveland, Ohio. Today, it felt like a 110 degrees. I can't wait until Autumn!

Laughter Is The Best Medicine

Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday challenge for this week-the photo must have a person and at least one of her textures. PERFECT week for this! Three years ago this past Saturday, June 18th, my precious boy, who was four years old at the time, slipped and fell in the Little Miami River and was swept away. I went in after him and was pulled under by strong currents. My eight year old daughter was standing on the river bank screaming. As I grabbed a branch and looked down river, it seemed like Jimmy was far away and I could tell he wasn't moving. It was at that moment that I thought for sure he was dead. I yelled for my daughter Sydney to go get help. She ran to the small country road that ran by the river and stopped a car. In that car was a local musician Dan Dorff. And guess what Dan did over his summers as a teenager....lifeguard! He jumped in the Little Miami, grabbed my little boy and gave him mouth to mouth and called 911. Jimmy was air cared to Children's Hospital in Cincinnati and in a few days was back to his little ole self again. I love this picture of him with the blue nose, lips and tongue from a blue icee, I showed him his blues in a mirror and got this precious laugh out of him. I used Kim Klassen's Love Texture applied first as a color burn at 44% and then as a hue at 31%. Thank you Dan Dorff!

Jimmy Blue

Lambs Ear for Texture Tuesday

This week, for Texture Tuesday the challenge was any pic as long as it had at least one of Kim Klassen's awesome textures. For my Lamb's Ear I used Subtly Yours as an overlay at 41% and Mayzee as a color burn at 36%. I am having a blast with Kim Klassen's Test Kitchen too. Check it out if you haven't!

Words for Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesdays

I am so lovin' Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesdays. The challenge for the week is of course one of Kim's wonderful textures and words, either a photo of words or added after the photo is taken. I used Kim Klassen's Cinamon texture and a quote from Ralph Waldo Emmerson.  I'm new to this blogging stuff, so you have to excuse my sparse blog, but once I get going, you won't be able to shut me up :D

Fun With Photos

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! Was playing around with some pictures today. Gotta love Photoshop, so here's what I did, it was so easy.....

I layered the three photos from above and voila....I got this.......

I just layered the three photos and adjusted the opacity.

Kim Klassen and Texture Tuesdays

I am so loving Kim Klassen Textures and her Texture Tuesdays! This Tuesday's Challenge was to use any of her textures on a photo. So I took this photo of one of the beautiful Gerbera Daisies I received for Mother's Day.....

Soooo, I used the Coffee Shop's Creamy Latte action and then layered Kim Klassens Portrait Texture with a darken of 75% and then another layer of the same texture with a soft light of 20% and voila.....

I love how textures and actions can give you a whole new take on almost any photograph!

Loveland Art Show

Found out last week that I was accepted in to the Loveland Art Show, scheduled for September 18, 2011. My first art show....now I have to figure out how to set up my booth and what to put in the booth.