oh my blog!

So neglected, I know!

To amend, I'm posting photos I took during of a crazy storm last week. I have never experienced such a massive rainfall, the heaviest raging for about two hours.
To be clear, most of the water was gone 15 minutes after the rain stop. Beside pool chemistry being totally off and the pool becoming murky pond - no damage.

More photos on my Picasa.

memory scraps fb train

Mscraps iDSD celebrations are always huge, filled with activities, fun, and with an enormous, free collab kit you can collect on CTs' and designers' Facebook pages and blogs. This November is no different, only that the collaborations is bigger than ever!!

Here is a preview of the whole kit:
(not all parts in in the preview)

and the is my part, available on my FB page.

the things we do to take a picture

I'm sharing pictures from a recent trip to Lundy Canyon in Eastern Sierra Nevada range. 

 I have never seen a beaver dam and here they were everywhere!. My husband loves to make 360˚ panoramic pictures and too often I watch him with knots in my stomach on some high spot, turning around as he takes photos. Spots like this include a cliff, a high rock or a top of a beaver dam - as in this case:

If you drag slowly toward the bottom of the window, you'll see me in action :-)
(don't forget to zoom in or out to get a different view)

http://www.360cities.net/image/lundy-canyon-beaver-dam-ii#567.99,39.69,70.0

and here is another 360:

http://www.360cities.net/image/lundy-canyon-beaver-dam#-93.19,9.42,26.2

some creations by master beavers

preset smitten

I have a preset as a thank-you for my Facebook fans. It's great for portraits as well for landscape and urban shots. It is 2012 process version, written for LR4 but LR3 will apply it as well, although the results will have more contrast. Personal use only, please.

You can collect it on my FB page - For My Fans tab. 

Feedback welcomed!

a couple of recent layouts

Here are some pages in a simple, sorta artsy style with lots of brushes or masking, probably closest to my heart. Celebrate the hour in which Jopke and her designs landed in Mscraps  :-)

Crafty Art Snippets 3 - Jopke Designs

Wavy World template by Cornelia Designs

monterey in august

We were meeting our daughter, who was coming from Southern California, halfway - in Monterey. I feel so lucky to live in an area with so many inspiration around, lurking, waiting to be explored...I just need to have my eyes open.

It started by spotting some classic cars in the Wharf while driving through Monterey, then we enjoyed typical coastal atmosphere, watching harbor seals watching us. 

I don't know about you but I consider eating Thai food a visual experience as well.  :-)

We spent the next day strolling around the picturesque city of Capitola (still the Monterey Bay) where I shot one of my five-star photos (link), experienced close encounter with brown pelicans and dissevered surprising beauty in watering fields north of Santa Cruz.

Don't miss the rest of the photos!!

art journaling at its finest

Oh dear me, do you know Ania-Maria (or Anna-Maria) Wolniak and her art journaling pages? I'm so getting out my watercolor paint!
I discovered her talent in one of the Stampington magazines, I can't remember which one.
She's definitely awaken some jittery spark in me!!

b&w preset rome

When processing photos from my trip to Italy, I made a bunch of nice B&W Lightroom presets, one of them I'm sharing with you today.

Rich contrast and slightly pronounced grain makes it perfect for architectural or urban photos. I would advice against using it for portraits, there is too much contrast.
Don't dispair, I'm planning on making some more! :-)

As always, I'd appreciate some feedback, and respecting my TOU. Thanks bunches and enjoy!

some examples:

this right here

Heather T. has a new kit - This Right Here - at Mscraps, I made two pages with it:

Now Is When It Counts

on a whim

There is a beautiful kit by Heather T. being released at Mscraps - On A Whim...and lookie lookie my pages with it:

I'm Just Happy

recent layouts

A couple of pages I made in between my trips:

Earthly Delights

Juice by Co&Zo

liguria and tuscany

I would like to share another batch of photos from Italy (first part was surprisingly interesting Genova). So much to see around Genova and Florence! Little towns rich with history and beautiful atmosphere:  Lucca, San Gimignano, resort-like Portofino or well known Pisa. See them all HERE.

(photos shown here processed with my presets)

San Gimignano

inspiration from venice

Shame on me, really. My last post was in May! In my defense, touring beautiful cities in Europe, visiting family and friends comes first.

I invite you to have a taste of some of the places I've visited: Genova, Florence, Venice, Prague...

gondolas in Venice

moonhunt

Shame on me, really. 

Five years I've lived in the area but this was my first time taking pictures in Sacramento. It had to be the bright spotty orange ball on the sky which made me finally go and explore one of the most recognized landmarks - Tower Bridge.

Not much luck with the moon there. The moonrise was around 10:30PM, the sky was too dark to have any detail on the Moon. Add to it a long exposure I wanted to have calm, mirror-like water - a recipe how to reduce the Moon to a cute, sparkly star.

I don't mind though. The shots of Tower Bridge are nice enough.

The sushi dinner by the Riverwalk Park wasn't bad either.

choochoooo!

Mscraps is kicking off iNSD celebrations with this fantastic FB/blog train. Those are always such a huge hit - you don't want to miss it!

Just look at the preview - the collab is huge and free to pick up in pieces of Facebook pages and blog of Mscraps designers and CT members. Amazing, isn't it?

Did I mention the sales already started?

my golden poppy quest

There are about 10 known locations in California where you can find great fields of Golden Poppy (state flower), worth taking photos. I opted for Bear Valley in Northern California, about 80 mins drive from me. I was hoping to try our 17mm Tilt-Shift lens. Those are optimized for f/16 and higher and with tilt functions I could have an image sharp from 0 to almost infinity. COULD.

I drove through the valley which is beautiful itself, only no signs of the poppies. Eventually, I had to turn back because the roads were extremely bumpy and I couldn't bear the suffering my dear car was going through anymore.

Well, here is what I found instead of the fields of gold:
(can you tell I have a tendency to apply photo treatment to any rustic or vintage photo?)

mother's day coming

I bet you didn't know :-)

I can imagine there is going to be a flood of mom-themed kits and I got to play with this one - Mother Light by Heather T.

Mother's Love

new releases

We have new designers at Mscraps and we are literally bathing in awesomeness!

And I played! It seems that I love orange these days (giggle):

Whatcha Got

with Soccer Star by Erica Zwart

new layouts

One recent layout and one I made almost a month ago (giggle):

 Two Of A Kind

made with Coordinate - Studio Q

art journaling bits

Bunch of cool products at the store (Mscraps, hello!!) from Heather T. Called Art Journaling Bits but, believe me, they can be used in various styles!

 Veiled In Mist

(GSO at gallerystandouts.com)

Art Journal Bits - Jagged Frames

Making Up

american classic

Looking for a nice retro effect for your photos? Here is my new preset American classic 1, for both Lightroom 3 and Lightroom 4.

my TOU

shopping in style

Some men don't mind running to the store for groceries. It all depends on the ride.

Harley-Davidson Screamin' Eagle Softtail Springer. Sounds like a name with a pedigree. :-)

the rain is gone

Here, when it rains, it pours.

The word "storm" is typically used by anyone I know when saying that there is a system bringing rain or snow. In 95%, there would be no thunder, no lightning…just rain. Heavy, never ending.

The thing about California is that after 5 days of raining, the sun is up, sidewalks are dry in a couple of minutes and the only sign of the pour would be my soaked, sploshing lawn. I have to be quick if I want to capture beautiful droplets on the leaves.

the maple trees outside my window, 

mercilessly whipped by cold strands of water

letter art at mscraps

Guess who is hosting the Photographic Challenge this month?

It's about finding letters of alphabet around us, to train our eyes to see those hidden forms in everything around us. Don't get discouraged by my example - I collected my letters in Paris, two years ago. Yours may be waiting in your garden, the mall or streets of your town.

Lifetime by Meta Wulandari

Decorated Corners by Heather T.

free template

Here is a freebie I am offering as a "thank you" to my Facebook fans. You guessed right, it's available on my FB page, under For My Fans tab. Hope you'll enjoy it!

Life In Circles 2

(PSD, TIF and PNG format)

The tiny sample is made with Year Of Hope 2 by Heather T.

by downloading you are agreeing with my TOU

Never Lose Hope

My girlie looking dreamy...with help of a new kit by Heather T. - A Year Of Hope 2, available at Mscraps.

Hope

credits: A year Of Hope 2

design by Heather T.

B&W leaf study

finding interesting forms...

Trying something new - abstract

I am hooked up. 

I was never a fan of abstract arts. But this is totally different. Flowers and leaves show me their hidden, mysterious side. It's something I don't make, I only take several extremely close-up shots and let myself be surprised.

I call these Microphoto Abstracts.

Decorated Corners

If you need to accentuate your photo or a block of text - this something you would love:

Decorated Corners

Everybody carries his load...

Thanks to my friend Ona for prompting me to write this revealing testimony (giggle).

Our needs for accessories vary because of our different approaches to photography, or diverse subjects. I've been searching for a camera bag that would suit me and, honestly haven't found anything which would satisfy me completely.
I really don't like so popular fashion camera bags - almost none of them have sufficiently padded straps and the openings are usually too narrow, so it becomes a hassle to put in a "full size" DSLR. I was also looking into backpacks - for either hiking and around the city. Backpacks can hold lots of stuff but they sit directly on the person's back and don't allow for ventilation. Which in California is a big deal, you know, I don't want to have my clothes wet from sweating.

Here is how I carry my stuff, I'm still trying to find the right setup. This is what works for me - a hiker and an active traveler.
(Photos without a location stated are from New Zealand)

 Life before I had a camera was easy - a tiny backpack for water and some food.

I remember laughing a lot.

  

cables to Half Dome (Yosemite NP) and Narrows Canyon (Zion NP)

Narrows in Zion NP

January photowalk in San Francisco

I was still in the middle of processing and digesting photos from our previous trip when I decided to drag James Bond (code name for my husband) and myself to San Francisco. According to the Weather Channel, the weather was supposed to be clear after a couple days of rain.

My challenge pages

Our Birthday Party at Mscraps was truly a fabulous and massive event. Here are my pages I made for some of the games.

Carrie

template by Elisa (zizazzi)

Me Do It, Alpha Buttons by Heather T.

Forever Yours by Anita and Deca Designs

Goodies at Mscraps

I would really be able to keep up and post on time! Here are some of new (or a bit older) kits by Heather T.:

my page Sweet Talk

(I also used kit Jump)

Rice paddies in Sacramento

We've been passing Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area since...forever. It's right by I-80, the main highway connecting  Northern California and Nevada. Some waterfowl and herons are still there, seemingly oblivious to the traffic right next to them. When they leave, the fields will be turned back into rice fields - paddies. What a pretty thing to photograph during sunset, right?

Photos on Picasa.

More pictures from New Zealand

I've been massively uploading and flooding friends and family with more photos because I can't just keep those to myself. Only separating the whole chunk of my memories into thematic albums allows me to show them as they deserve. 

I am not showcasing my photography skills but merely sharing the breathtaking beauty of the country.

More photos from Fiordlands, the coast, and urban-like pictures on my Picasa website.

The Fiordlands are a region where you could spend 2 months wondering around with your mouth open. I can only recommend cruises in Doubtful and Milford Sound (even though we strongly dislike organized tourism), especially the overnight trip in Milford Sound, which will occupy #1 spot among our activities in Fiordlands. 

I can't tell much about the West Coast of South Island, we only stopped for night in Franz Josef Glacier area, as we were heading south towards the Fiordlands.

Catlins Coast (south of the South) welcomed us with extremely windy and chilly weather, nevertheless, forest hikes around waterfalls, gorgeous coastal scenery and wildlife made up for it! Even for a terrible hostel in Owaka and the rain!

There was no time to place a rose by the ruined cathedral in Christchurch, as instructed by my friend Suzie, we only had 25 min to get to the airport from the downtown.

We certainly did rush through many places!

Doubtful Sound, Fiordlands

South Island

New layouts for new releases

Lots of nice kits were released today (that means 20% off) at Mscraps. Here are some I worked with:

by Pink Poppy Press (formerly Joyce Paul) - set of brushes Brushes And Stamps 1 and 2

New Zealand photos

I'm finally getting close to having my photos from our January trip sorted, GPS tagged, and somewhat processed. Simultaneously, I am proccessing my mental images from this beautiful country, who knows how long THAT's gonna take!

Sheep 
(more photos)
Abundant EVERYWHERE! Sitting, laying, huddling together - they will forever be one of three things which would pop in my mind when you say New Zealand. They seemed a bit afraid and curious at the same time. Whenever we stopped on the side of the road they would scatter very quickly, then paused and watched. Their hair is very greasy, even that of little baby lamb.
Did you know that there is more sheep in NZ than people? Surprisingly, it's not easy to find lamb on menus in restaurants, supposedly the meat is expensive there.

Fern

(more photos)

Probably the most recognized symbol of the country. You could find the fern logo on merchandise, guides, on company logos, etc...

Some fern grows tall, into graceful and mysterious plants, which you could easily mistaken for palm trees. Others can be really small, showing funny, caterpillar-like spirals. Add deep green moss, covering the ground like a carpet, fallen logs and even tall trees. 

Magical!

February Challenge

I'm hosting the Template Challenge at Mscraps. For this, I have a template I made from one of my previous pages:

Glamorous

Glamourous by Ju Oliveira