Thursday, May 31, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
An arenophile with a band saw
It all started with this image from a magazine so many years ago. Small bottles of sand from around the world displayed in a single row on a small shelf. Instantly in love with the idea. I remember saying to myself ... why haven't I been doing that all of my life with all the great beaches I have visited. But then I forgot about collecting sand until a couple of years ago and that image popped back in my head.
I don't have a spot in my house for a long, single shelf, nor do I have enough bottles of sand/dirt yet. Using this little cabinet I bought many years ago as a model, I made myself a larger version to hold the taller bottles that Tara found for the sand collection. (Thank you, Tara). At first I was just using old, odd bottles, but wanted something uniform. I used the band saw, odd pieces of molding and wood around the garage. I finally finished painting/distressing it tonight. I would call it cutely quirky in the fact that it is a little "off", meaning one shelf is about 1/4 inch unlevel. But, hey, it is my first effort. And even better, I finished something this week! I am so in love with my collection all ready! Tara brought some from a couple of her trips. I have been asking all my friends going on vacation to bring me back a snack baggie of dirt or sand.
More wonderful sand collections, A Sand Collector is called an ARENOPHILE, did you know it? Egg2Cake has a wonderful display of sand.
A great website called "sand collection" by Daniel Helbers. He documents and maps his collection. Impressive! Below, 300 samples of sand from his site. Cool!
Mark + Kim Pinkerton on Flickr have a great collection on just the shelves I would love to have.
Adam Hally has a great collection. As well as some great close up photos of the sand collection.
This is a great New York Times piece about Dr. Holman and his collection found via Completely Coastal's nice blog post about sand collections. (Wouldn't you love his collection!) Is that color-coded? ;)
Bakerella has a great collection from all over the world.
Would love to visit A Museum with Sands. Photos of grains of sand. For me, the variations, colors, the different grains is almost mesmerizing. I love it. I just wish I had been collecting my entire life. A collection of scans of the variety of colors from different countries at Science Art. The international meeting place for sand collectors at arenophile.com.
Through the Sandglass is such an interesting site.
Maybe I should make it official and join the The International Sand Collectors Society, discovering the world grain by grain. Isn't that cool??? Or the Sand Collecting group on Flickr.
So some day, I might have enough vials of sand and a wall space for something grand like this, a collection of over 8,000 samples by Marco Bonifazi.
I don't have a spot in my house for a long, single shelf, nor do I have enough bottles of sand/dirt yet. Using this little cabinet I bought many years ago as a model, I made myself a larger version to hold the taller bottles that Tara found for the sand collection. (Thank you, Tara). At first I was just using old, odd bottles, but wanted something uniform. I used the band saw, odd pieces of molding and wood around the garage. I finally finished painting/distressing it tonight. I would call it cutely quirky in the fact that it is a little "off", meaning one shelf is about 1/4 inch unlevel. But, hey, it is my first effort. And even better, I finished something this week! I am so in love with my collection all ready! Tara brought some from a couple of her trips. I have been asking all my friends going on vacation to bring me back a snack baggie of dirt or sand.
A great website called "sand collection" by Daniel Helbers. He documents and maps his collection. Impressive! Below, 300 samples of sand from his site. Cool!
Mark + Kim Pinkerton on Flickr have a great collection on just the shelves I would love to have.
Adam Hally has a great collection. As well as some great close up photos of the sand collection.
This is a great New York Times piece about Dr. Holman and his collection found via Completely Coastal's nice blog post about sand collections. (Wouldn't you love his collection!) Is that color-coded? ;)
Bakerella has a great collection from all over the world.
Would love to visit A Museum with Sands. Photos of grains of sand. For me, the variations, colors, the different grains is almost mesmerizing. I love it. I just wish I had been collecting my entire life. A collection of scans of the variety of colors from different countries at Science Art. The international meeting place for sand collectors at arenophile.com.
Through the Sandglass is such an interesting site.
Maybe I should make it official and join the The International Sand Collectors Society, discovering the world grain by grain. Isn't that cool??? Or the Sand Collecting group on Flickr.
So some day, I might have enough vials of sand and a wall space for something grand like this, a collection of over 8,000 samples by Marco Bonifazi.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
A little distracted
A crow is softening something in the bird bath. That crow lives at the bird bath when she is not walking around on the roof.
I have 8 snowballs blooming after hard pruning. (Waiting for next year). Have purchased another to plant to block a view in my backyard.
To stay off the computer yesterday, I had marathon-Netflix-movie-day. I felt better for it.
Honeysuckle blooming after a very hot day yesterday.
I have been very distracted lately. Trying to catch up with all of my projects. Making Brantlers. Cleaning house. I am getting ready for a big adventure in a couple of weeks. So much to do, so little time.
Found this little chive flower in the dirt. ;(
If your photo doesn't turn out, add an filter and make it look like it was on "purpose". ;0
I have 8 snowballs blooming after hard pruning. (Waiting for next year). Have purchased another to plant to block a view in my backyard.
To stay off the computer yesterday, I had marathon-Netflix-movie-day. I felt better for it.
Honeysuckle blooming after a very hot day yesterday.
I have been very distracted lately. Trying to catch up with all of my projects. Making Brantlers. Cleaning house. I am getting ready for a big adventure in a couple of weeks. So much to do, so little time.
Found this little chive flower in the dirt. ;(
If your photo doesn't turn out, add an filter and make it look like it was on "purpose". ;0
Friday, May 25, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Sick day
I have not had a sick day in a long time, but something got me yesterday. Today I am missing my Wordpress Conference in Seattle.
Due to heavy pruning, I only have a handful of Snowballs. Planted a couple of new mint plants last week. The Italian heather is all but dead.
The birds have finally returned to the yard, despite the feral cat I have to chase away daily. Talkative Stellar Jays, inquisitive Crows, Flickers running amok, and Sparrows darting around to catch a Crane fly meal. Pink Clematis petals litter the ground while every little thing is beginning to bloom. The sun feels good!
Because of my "bad spelling" and "faux pas", I feel obliged to check and recheck my spelling now as not to totally humiliate myself. ;0 Thankfully, I don't write for a living.
Due to heavy pruning, I only have a handful of Snowballs. Planted a couple of new mint plants last week. The Italian heather is all but dead.
The birds have finally returned to the yard, despite the feral cat I have to chase away daily. Talkative Stellar Jays, inquisitive Crows, Flickers running amok, and Sparrows darting around to catch a Crane fly meal. Pink Clematis petals litter the ground while every little thing is beginning to bloom. The sun feels good!
Because of my "bad spelling" and "faux pas", I feel obliged to check and recheck my spelling now as not to totally humiliate myself. ;0 Thankfully, I don't write for a living.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Dover Contest
How fun! This butterfly collage using Dover butterflies was used in a collage for the current Dover contest, so enter something. ;)
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Happy Mother's Day!
My heart went all-a-twitter when I spotted this Italian Heather at my local GFC the other day. Had to buy this one for mom and me for Mother's Day. Now if I can just keep it alive!
Managed to delete about 10 grocery bags of clothes that I have been holding onto for years. Still have lots to go, but this is a good start for now. Getting ready for the kids to move back in a couple of months. Lots of cleaning and cleaning out to do!
My heart went all-a-twitter when I spotted this Italian Heather at my local GFC the other day. Had to buy this one for mom and me for Mother's Day. Now if I can just keep it alive!
Managed to delete about 10 grocery bags of clothes that I have been holding onto for years. Still have lots to go, but this is a good start for now. Getting ready for the kids to move back in a couple of months. Lots of cleaning and cleaning out to do!
Scott Redden
I am so in love with the rolling hills, bloated clouds and subtle, geometric boards of the buildings in the landscapes by Scott Redden. Soothing with a touch of whimsy and isolation.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Tiny details
I honestly have no idea where my week went. Appointments, meetings, logos, finishing up my newest venture into laser cutting and etching ... but really, nothing that I can look around and say, wow, look at what I did this week.
It is all in the tiny details! Thousands of flowers raining down from the Maple trees, so small and delicate. They look like tiny ballerinas.
Thank you to my lovely neighbor for sharing her lilacs!
It is all in the tiny details! Thousands of flowers raining down from the Maple trees, so small and delicate. They look like tiny ballerinas.
Thank you to my lovely neighbor for sharing her lilacs!
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Visitor
Little visitor to my garden. I did a quick study of all the wonderful colors and exploding lines and patterns.
Sunday, May 06, 2012
Garden path
Pinterest, DIY garden edge with discarded wine bottles. Love. A visit to the recycle center? I want a worm bin! I want to make a shiitake mushroom log. The rest of my garden "wish list" on Pinterest.
And maybe a little shed made of bottles?
I LOVE these floral wine bottles created by Jonathon Fong. Below.
Painted! I am going to do this on my time off.
I feel like I need one dozen recycled bottle glass charms (pendants or beads) jewelry.
Okay dear friends, I am off to talk to the weeds.
And maybe a little shed made of bottles?
I LOVE these floral wine bottles created by Jonathon Fong. Below.
Painted! I am going to do this on my time off.
I feel like I need one dozen recycled bottle glass charms (pendants or beads) jewelry.
Okay dear friends, I am off to talk to the weeds.
Shining
The sun is warm this morning and it feels great! Planning to clean out at least one bed today.
Apologies to those that voted on my poll for no more flower photos. I just can't help myself.
Apologies to those that voted on my poll for no more flower photos. I just can't help myself.
Saturday, May 05, 2012
Super Moon
Matt and I have been running back and forth to the front of the house looking for the Super Moon. It finally appeared! We have all been watching it rise and it is amazing. Blinding. Eerie. Matt says he has had some really good energy today ... we were thinking it is the full moon.
But running in and out while the sun was setting, the air was so incredibly sweet. Filled with blooming wonderfulness... smells of sweet honey.
Matt and I just stood there, breathing in deeply, trying to describe what we were smelling. My last run out, there was the sweetness with a hint of a fire in someone's fireplace down the street. A magic evening.
But running in and out while the sun was setting, the air was so incredibly sweet. Filled with blooming wonderfulness... smells of sweet honey.
Matt and I just stood there, breathing in deeply, trying to describe what we were smelling. My last run out, there was the sweetness with a hint of a fire in someone's fireplace down the street. A magic evening.
Landscape
Harry Stooshinoff's Landscape paintings ... stunning. Colors, textures, shapes. Paintbox Landscapes on Etsy. Like you can just smell the thick, wet grass in this one! And Harry's Landscape Paintings blog.
May wallpapers
I created all of these May wallpapers for Smashing Magazine submission and completely forgot about them. ;( I realized I haven't made one in over a year! My how time flies. (Google has completely changed the way to share photos ;( so I hope the links work!)
1024x786 with calendar, with no calendar
1440x900 with calendar, with no calendar
680x1050 with calendar, with no calendar
1600x1200 with calendar, with no calendar
1920x1080 with calendar, with no calendar
1024x1024 with calendar, with no calendar
2560x1600 with calendar, with no calendar
iPad
1024x786 with calendar, with no calendar
1440x900 with calendar, with no calendar
680x1050 with calendar, with no calendar
1600x1200 with calendar, with no calendar
1920x1080 with calendar, with no calendar
1024x1024 with calendar, with no calendar
2560x1600 with calendar, with no calendar
iPad
I love Thee
I found myself on many floral blogs and sites this morning. A treat with my morning coffee. Reading the intro for one that said "I love flowers". And I thought I love flowers, but I love them one at a time. I love Thee, Flower. Shooting one, exploring one, watching them naturally do their magic and trying to record how lovely they are in bloom and out. I want to make a living from exploring, photographing, illustrating FLOWERS. Wouldn't that be a hoot!
Friday, May 04, 2012
Thursday, May 03, 2012
Woe is us
So I am not alone in expressing my fears, at times. I guess I am ahead of my time (by a week or two) ... ;)
Make Under My life ... things I’m afraid to tell you.
I may have participated a little too soon. Oh, woe is all of us.
Make Under My life ... things I’m afraid to tell you.
I may have participated a little too soon. Oh, woe is all of us.
The Forest Unseen
Heard today on KUOW, "The Forest Unseen: A Year's Watch in Nature" by David George Haskell. Biologist E.O. Wilson says the book represents "a new genre of nature writing, located between science and poetry." Listening to him read passages made me want to run to the nearest book store and buy it!
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
I want the moose! Don't you love this kind of vision, creativity and skill? Malen Pierson "can best be described as a folk artist, a collector of found objects, and a true innovator when it comes to the integration of old tools, farm equipment, antiquities, and all forms of metal. Few people have the creative vision to see what discarded items can become. Yet Pierson skillfully practices the art of fusion – weaving rare and abandoned metals, tools, and recycled materials into highly desirable art forms."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
