Some photographs from Assisi, Italy

Here are some flowers, doors and windows from my trip to Assisi, Italy. It is such a beautiful place in the Spring.

Hope they bring you joy. Any of them can be ordered in my Etsy shop;https://www.etsy.com/shop/LDphotography?ref=si_shop Happy Spring!

Free tutorial how to make photo / business cards bookmarks

I like to give a small gift to people who purchase items from my etsy shop.  I came up with this idea to make a small photo / business cards bookmark.  I use some of my photographs, black card stock, business card and wrapping tape to make them.

You cut out the card stock to fit the photo and the business card.  Glue the photo down on one side and then glue the card on the back side.

I made this message and printed it out on my printer.  I cut it out and added to the photo side of the bookmark.

Then I covered each side with two overlapping pieces of  wrapping tape to seal it and cut off the extra tape.

Now they are ready to add to a purchase from my  etsy shop as a small bookmark gift.

Hope this little tutorial will inspire you to create something unique with your business cards.  Enjoy.

Retirement equals time to learn how to use Adobe Photoshop elements program for my photographs

I love doing photography and art.  These two combine when you can be creative using a photo editing program like Adobe Photoshop elements . When I was working there was not much extra time to learn and experiment with this program but now…retirement means time! So here is an artistic photo that I created by blending a photo I took here in Popotla fishing village and a textured paper that I had in my photo stash.     Here are the 2 photos I used;  This is the photograph of a boat on the shore.  Not the greatest photo ; over exposed on the top.This is the paper I used to layer over the photo of the boat.  Then I used the Overlay blending tool in the elements program and adjusted the opacity to make  this photograph.This is the result; a subtle but interesting textured photograph.  I love retirement.  Blending layers is the lesson for tonight.

Tiger eyes and a baby lion cub takes a nap photographs

Went to the zoo today and brought these two cuties home with me.  I am selling them in my etsy store here; https://www.etsy.com/shop/LDphotography?ref=si_shop   You can order them in any size you want.  I love them.God makes beautiful creatures/  enjoy!  Here are two more photographs of the two lion cubs playing in the hills.

Hello 2014 , I want to share with you my evolution to creative and juicy living

I wanted to look at all the changes that have happened to me since 2008 when I opened my Etsy shop;  ldphotography.  This is a travel log of my Artistic evolution.

 I started out listing my photographs in my Etsy shop.  I had been taking photographs as a serious hobby  for about 30 years and had
Very quickly I got to know some of the other creative people on Etsy and began to realize that I did not have forever to explore my creative side ( I am approaching retirement which made me think about what amount of time I have left) .  So I started to evolve and discover my artistic world.   

What could I do with my photographs to make them useful for everyday enjoyment not to just hang on a wall?   I started to expand my product line.  I made photo magnetic bookmarks, photo ACEOS, photo pendants on rummy-O game tiles, ceramic photo coasters and photo greeting cards.

 Then I discovered mixed media collage and started making collage ACEOS ( art cards), and that led to learning how to make mixed media art and travel journals. I discovered on youtube how to alter old books and make them into journals or smash books. What fun, gesso, metallic paints and vintage paper and prints.

 Since I  needed  vintage paper and prints  in my collage and journal work,  I started looking in thrift stores and estate sales for old broken books.  I discovered that I like collecting and selling vintage books , old maps, and art prints.

Oh my gosh, there were all kinds of interesting items being sold at estate sales.  I got the privilege of seeing the memories and artifacts of some interesting people.  Their treasured items reflected their memories from long ago. What an insight into some ordinary people with some extraordinary experiences.  One couple, whose sale I attended, had traveled all over the world. There were small gems among their memorabilia.  Some of those treasured  items I have kept, but some I have listed in my shop.

On a note of reality, I am a psychologist and I still work in my private practice but only part time now.   I am helping my patients live a more fulfilling life because of my own road to discovery.

I hope that by sharing  my creative evolution it  will help you understand  why there are so many different items in my shop.

 My wish for you is to discover your creative and juicy life force and revel in it.  My  hope for me is to continue to evolve and explore my world and share some of the more interesting discoveries with you.

happy dance I am featured in Melinda’s Creative Wishes blog come on down

come by and leave a comment.  Thank you

 

 

 

Melinda’sCreative Wishes: Thrifty Crafter – Linda  

here is my new blog Creative Vintage Studio

I hope to use this blog to bring my friends news about my art, my photography and my life.  I will be posting free tutorials that show easy techniques to do mixed media collage.  The emphasis will be on the word EASY.  I often try to follow a tutorial and I get lost ( which is not a good feeling).  So simple , easy to follow directions is what I like and I hope you do too.  I have been experimenting with mixed media collage techniques now for a couple of years .

I also want to share some of my photographs with you.  My dear husband and I travel whenever we can and I always have my camera in hand.  I love to take landscapes , nature and animal photographs.  I have been lucky to have a couple of them win photo contests and be published in nature magazines.

 

Recently, my work in mixed media collage , especially making art and travel journals, has led to a new passion; collecting vintage children’s and adult books and paper.  Oh no… my poor husband and house.  Now there are boxes of old books lining my hallway in neat categories waiting to be photographed, scanned or sold.  We all step around them now.  I hope to have a room cleaned out so that I can do my photography and book collecting in one place.

 

So there are always art  experiments going on and new adventures occuring my my Creative Vintage Studio.  I hope you can join me, and I can share some useful information with you.  Please feel free to come by my etsy store; ldphotography,

and my facebook page.  Thanks for taking the time to read this introduction.  Here are some samples of some of my work.