Too windy...

Taken with my iPhone - Textures by Kim Klassen

Yes, it has definitely been much too windy to get a decent flower shot these days and so I decided to try something new. Buildings have the advantage that they don't move in the wind - at least not normally...

For this image I decreased the saturation a bit and then used Kim's textures Cool Grunge and KK2 - that's it. It amazes me that it looks a bit like a sketch.

Enjoy the last day of July and have a great start into August, where I'm sure we'll all meet for August Break! Now off to see all the beautiful pictures over at Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday.

I fear I lost it...

Taken with my iPhone and processed with Kim's textures Elevate and Trust

I was so looking forward to playing around with textures for Texture Tuesday, and today's rule to simply use 2 of Kim's textures on one's photo gave so much opportunity for play... and here I am - totally frustrated with my photos and my use of textures.

However happy I am when snapping photos with my iPhone, I tend to get more and more frustrated when uploading them on my computer, let alone trying to process them. I always loved to play around with textures, but now I can't decide which textures to use, try around almost endlessly and then I don't like the results.

I still love taking photos with my iPhone, but I also notice that I take different photos with my iPhone than with my DSLR, photos I'm not sooo satisfied with most of the time. Well, maybe it's just my impatience to be able to get going again with my Canon... but I do hope to get back that feeling of satisfaction after playing with textures and loving the photos I take.

Though I'm not really happy with my photo today, I'll still put it up here so as not to lose the routine of posting that I'm trying to get into again.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

A Sad Good-Bye

The last days and weeks feel like a blur to me. Working longer hours has become something of a habit and the days off I was fantasizing about were simply that - fantasies.

Today, it was my goal to start out again, get back into the habit of being here at least on Mondays for Lisa's Creative Exchange.

I'm glad I made it today, because I would have hated to miss the last week of this wonderful creative space, Lisa has created here. Especially after these last weeks I more than understand that life is often about having to adjust priorities, but nevertheless I will miss Creative Exchange on Mondays dearly. It was really something I was looking forward to at the beginning of each week.

Thank you, Lisa, for all the time and effort you had put into this wonderful project and all the best for you!

A Quick Note And Some Felicity

We are in the 5th week now with half of our team away and I must say I'm ready for a break! I had to cut back my hours online here (my apologies for not visiting!) and I guess it won't get any better for the next two weeks. But I plan to take a day or two off when everyone is back again.

I thought I was in for a little treat and so last Friday I decided to buy some flowers on my way home. I was lucky to grab the last bunch of tulips available at the supermarket - even at a discount as they were a bit damaged - and then indulged in having a go at them with my camera on Saturday  and happily playing around a bit with textures, too.

I will link this up at Lisa's Creative Exchange (one day later than planned, but I wouldn't want to miss it!) and then also at Kim's Texture Tuesday, as I just found out that I fulfill today's rules of using at least one layer of her "Felicity" texture.

Have a wonderful week everyone and sorry again for not visiting so much these days!

All In One

I won't loose a word about how behind I'm with everything - I've accepted that I won't be able to finish my Christmas preparations as I would have loved to.  And so I'm really proud of the fact that I at least made it here to Lisa's Creative Exchange to wish you all a wonderful holiday!

I used Kim Klassen's textures Zuzu and Wonderfulmagic_Stars on my photo, textures Kim is giving us for free in her "12 Days of Textures".

Happy Holidays to all of you - have a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Time?

Before I start complaining that I don't feel Christmassy at all with all the rain we are having and that I haven't found the time to bake Christmas cookies or even put up my Christmas decoration, let alone look around for Christmas gifts, I'll just link up this photo of my Christmas baubles that are waiting to embellish my chaos here to Lisa's Creative Exchange.

Kim Klassen started her 12 Days of Textures today and I used today's texture "Lilly" on the photo.

I'm afraid it will take some time to get around to everyone but I promise I'll do my best.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Solitary Rose

It's Mid-November, but I still found a single rose on a walk these days  - unbelievable, isn't it?

As I liked the brown tones in the photo, I added two layers of Kim Klassen's free texture "Phoebe" (multiply at 100 % and soft light at 65 %) to emphasize those. Now I'll hop over to Kim's Café to link this up to today's Texture Tuesday.

Have a wonderful day!

And Then Some...

Texture: Kim Klassen ("And Then Some)

Linking up to Texture Tuesday

As some of you were asking: here they are - the muffins I made yesterday. So, please grab one and enjoy - I hope you'll like them!

Have a great day!

Red on Wednesday

Texture by Kim Klassen

So it's Wednesday already and I missed Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday...

The challenge was to present something red, processed with one of her textures. As I have this beautiful red dahlia here ready, I thought I'd put it up nevertheless, even with a one day delay. Sometimes time just flies...!

Have a great day!

Aurora on Wednesday

This is my contribution for Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday. I know it's Wednesday already, but I still wanted to share this one with you.

This rose is one of the few that survived the cold temperatures, the rain and the storms and I thought I'd honour her with a little processing. I used two layers of Kim's freebie "Aurora" - I really like it on the photo, as it somehow integrates the brown spots on the petals in a beautiful way.

The First Ones

After a longer than planned treatment at my dentist's yesterday, I wasn't up to anything else than lying down. Which is why my photo today is both my entry for Lisa's Creative Exchange and Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday.

This photo shows one of the first "guests" on our balcony, as we decided to risk planting some flowers this weekend, even if it's still freezing during the nights. It's so great to have flowers again just outside the window and I'm sure you are going to see the whole lot over the next weeks...!

Although I liked the SOOC already, I added Kim Klassen's textures "sweettreat" and "sweettart" (one layer of each with a soft light blending mode, opacity of around 45 %) to link it up to the texture party today.

I hope you had a wonderful start into the week!

Weekend

The weather forecast for the weekend is wonderful and I plan to have another look at those lilacs...!

In the meantime here is a little flower for you (isn't that colour just too beautiful?) wishing you a most wonderful weekend.

Lilacs

Florabella Texture

This might be my only shot of lilacs as rain mixed with snow has been forecast for the next days, which will most likely turn the lilacs into a brownish sad sight (as already happened to the magnolias here).

I'll link this up to Lisa's Creative Exchange and can't wait to see what the other participants have contributed.

Have a good start into the week!

Texture Tuesday

This is my entry for Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday processed with Kim's free texture "Serenity" as was the rule for today's texture party.

Go over and have a look - the entries are so amazing.

Derelict Beauty

I came by this old building today on a walk and isn't it just perfect for Justine's Partially Seen theme. I decided to enhance its derelict beauty with one of Kim Klassen's texture.

I hope you had a great weekend so far!

Macro Friday

The weather is really ghastly at the moment and being confined to indoor shooting I decided to take a macro today for Macro Friday at Blogging From Bolivia. This photo shows one of my finds during warmer times at the beach.

I keep the shells in an open wooden box and I must admit that my macro lens demonstrated very adamantly that I should dust more intensely... I tried to hide that fact by using one of Kim Klassen's textures on the photo. Wouldn't it be great if that worked in reality, too?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Creative Exchange

I know, I'm a bit late for it, but I wanted to participate at Lisa's Creative Exchange. This is a macro shot of a star made of glass, and as you can see I was playing around with Kim Klassen's textures again.

I don't feel so very creative at the moment and it's really difficult for me to focus. Is it just me or are you also having difficulties to get everything done and still have time for your creative projects?

I wish you a creative Wednesday!

The Last Lily

My lilies have dropped their petals and this is the last one still holding up, posing for my photos. As it is Creative Exchange time at Lisa's blog I worked with textures by Kim Klassen on this photo and also tried a few of Kim's tricks on saturation and gradient map.

Have a wonderful day and enjoy all the creative entries!

Texture Time

Time flies - it's Tuesday again, the day for Lisa's Creative Exchange and my occasion to play around with textures!

I used Kim Klassen's amazing textures here and also applied some of her tips on using different blending modes. So much to learn, but also so much fun!

Enjoy your Tuesday!

Creative Exchange

It's time for Lisa's Creative Exchange again. Lisa has created her first texture and used it on a photo - very impressive! Go over and have a look!

For me it's textures, as well, today, and no black and white, as it just didn't work out with what I was trying. I decided to take one step after the other in this whole learning process... I used Kim Klassen's textures, by the way. She is so amazing and I'm really glad about her video tutorials on working with textures.

Enjoy your Tuesday!