Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Creative Gifting....

This past year
I decided that I was going to try
and make a lot of my gifts
instead of buying.
For basically two reasons
1- Save Money!
2- I had been thinking about
holidays,etc. and I honestly can say
the gifts that stood out in my mind
or I could remember at all...
were ones that were made for just me.
Like pictures, crafts, even baked or special made foods.

I made this Journal for my bestie girl Esta...
She of all my "people" I know 
has appreciation for hand crafted  and personal items.
A gift she made for me years ago is 
honestly one of my all time favorites.

I made her this journal for her birthday....
It was only a few months late...
(Hee-Hee)
but we live quite a few hours apart 
and today was a perfect day for us to catch up!
Hope you're having a lovely day!

Monday, January 28, 2013

Snow woe is me.....

We've had quite a few
fun days lately...

Aside from the fact that I am
dealing with some serious back pain
and trying to stay up and at em' as much as I can...
I am on the mend hopefully...
I was born with some of my problem
and didn't know it until a few years ago ,
so I have to watch myself -
but as we get older 
you know...
sometimes you don't have to do anything 
and 
BANG- your back goes out!
So I'm muddling through and doing what I can. 
Hoping my meds are kicking in!
I thought I'd share a few pics of our fun in the snow!
Our 1918 Village....



Squirrel Nutkin climbed down
and then right back up to his little hole in the Mighty Gumball...
too cold even for his little toesies....

Our happy Little Keeper and our one eye'd snowman...





 I have also been working on a few projects
the last few days...
but
 I have to keep them a secret for a day or two more.
Both gifts! 
I'll share one with you tomorrow!
Hope you're having a beautiful day!

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Snowy Saturday...

The much anticipated snow
 finally arrived yesterday...
We have been outside for 4 hours
sledding and pelting each other with snowballs...
I just wanted to share this
because I thought it was so peaceful
and amazing to see.
Background on why-
The Outer Banks has been "My" vacation spot 
as long as I have been able to remember.
I'd love to be able to  move there
and set up my own little studio at the beach.
This is just so unusual and beautiful...
Hope you are having a wonderful weekend...

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Techno for Thursday......

I'm going to try and dedicate
Thursdays to some of the
"Technical"
side of creative exploits that are available now.
I have talked before about
my love for
the photography Apps
that are out there.

In talking with others,
I realized a lot of people are unaware
that you don't have to own an IPHONE
to use these apps!

If your IPOD touch has
a camera.
You can download pretty much the same apps
and
 create / filter/ alter your photos 
to your hearts content!

From what I understand though
the camera may not be quite
as "good" on the IPOD
because it has less magapixels.
WHA?
(Techno blarg...right ?)

In a way -
like a regular T.V. vs. a High Definition.
Here are a few shots I have taken with my IPOD...
I'm going to show you a range
of different types of photos.
I want you to see just how
different the effects and definition can be ...

 This was taken out my car window!
Then later
 filtered and focal blur added.


 Taken inside the car...
Same as above
 later filtered and focal blur effects added.


Taken outside on a decent sunny day.
Filtered, Vignette added and focal blur.
 Taken inside but with daylight only.
Filter and frame added.
(if you are not from the SOUTH - that is a plate of biscuits and white gravy!)
 Taken indoors but with broken daylight.
Filtered, focal blur, and frame added.
 Taken indoors.
Filtered and framed.
 Taken on a drizzly, overcast day.
Focal blur and custom filter applied, framed.
 Different types of pics all flitered
but this time
placed in a customizable collage frame.
 Taken at sunset, low light.
Filtered, focal blur, framed.



 All collage examples are set of fours.
I think this is a great example of how a
 filter can give a certain type of mood to your photos.
 Taken from inside the car.
Daylight,filtered, focal blur.
 More collage.
No changes or filters made to these.
 Outdoors, rainy, overcast day.
Custom filter applied, severe focal blur.
One of my favorites.
Rainy, overcast day.
Custom filter applied, focal blur,vignette.

 Out the window of a plane!
No filter-
 true to life photo.
 Indoors,daylight.
Filtered, framed.
Outdoors,overcast.
Focal blur only.
 Not too bad, huh?
That is really just a SMALL sampling
of my photos from the IPOD! 
Of course any photo is going to be
more defined
when they are smaller on your device screen
vs. blown up like they are here.

SO now you know!
If you would like to look at APPS for photo taking-
Go to the APP store
 just like for any other purchases.
Look for the photography category
and 
browse.
Start with some free ones.
One thing that helps is how new your TOUCH is also.
Some APPS aren't compatible with 
the older TOUCH models
or
 you may need to upgrade the software.
The store will instantly tell you weather you
are compatible when you try and download.
I hope this helps or gives you some info you didn't know!
Next week I'll post some of the neat
sites offering ways to print your 
Ipod/Iphone photos!

Thanks for visiting
and Happy Thursday!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Finally winter has arrived!
(we had a teeny bit of snow this week!)

In the land of humidity ...
I look forward to the winter months.
A time when my hair will stay the way I styled it...
I have the excuse to bake because turning on the oven
adds warmth to the room...
Living in a nearly 100 year old home
definitely has its quirks.
Let's just say sometimes I pretend I'm 
one of the Dashwood sisters
and the occasional draft through the window
is perfectly normal
when the winter wind is howling...

Winter is also when I can sit 
and work on some of those
projects that are just right for a snow day.

Do you have anything that you just 
love to do
when it's too cold to go out?

I find that I love to sit and go through all my magazines,
tear out the things that interest me
and organize them into my 
inspiration binders...
I started to re-copy my personal
recipe  book because my old one was
falling apart...
Speaking of baking....
I turned on the oven today
for a yummy winter snack...
Pumpkin Cranberry Scones...
someone was talking about scones this morning 
and
then I had them on my mind
until I broke down and just HAD to bake these!
Waiting for the coffee to finish brewing...
the smell is divine!

last week when we had our 3 days
of torrential downpours...
I started this little project.
For a few years
I was making calendars at Christmas for gifts.
This year I did not make any
and
I had previously purchased several blank ones
and stored them up for the following year.
After Christmas was over I almost went and bought
one and then I thought...
why spend money when I could make my own?!
I decided I would make each months artwork as 
that month approached instead of making
them all at once.
Just a happy little grouping for January to get through
the gray days...

Any special projects or recipes going on in your
house right now?
I'd love to hear what they are.
Thanks to everyone who 
has
 and is still 
visiting from
the Blog Party sponsored by
Viki at 2 Bags Full
it has been wonderful!
If you would like to read my post from the 
hop
it is 
HERE 
Happy Tuesday everyone!

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Growing ......

Hello Weekend!
and 
Hello visitors! 
My name is Pam
 and
I'm so happy to be participating in the
party
hosted by
at 2 Bags Full
For those of you who are visiting for the first time today
I thought I'd share a bit about myself and my blog...
The more I thought about it...
it truly was difficult to narrow down all the things I'd love to share...
so grab a cup
and browse a bit!
A few years ago I started blogging because I found
that as a new mother I was VERY lacking
in time for my SELF.
I have always been a watercolorist/craft dabbler/thriftstore and flea market
junkie...
I was so starved for time to do what I loved
that the world
of blogging allowed me to visit with others
who had the same loves
 even when I could not get out...
Then I decided to take a leap and become a blogger myself...
and thus
thefinderskeeper
was born.

It is my little space I use 
when I can't pull out the paintbrushes and get messy,
 when I want to share my thoughts or experiences
and the things that I find beautiful...
What exactly will you find here?
I love to share my thrifty finds and post them weekly...
Here are a few of my favorites from over the last few years...
Love Putz Christmas houses!
Started collecting back in college...
Vintage Camera collecting!
I love finding them at yardsales and flea markets
The little greenie is my favorite find ever!

So cute vintage paper dolls!
Tins, dishes, and LOTS of jewelry...
I love to repurpose the jewelry into one of a kind pieces...
 Kitsch...like this chalkware witch...
and photos...
I have a photography passion!
It is one thing I have  had a long
time love for....
What do I like to photograph?
Everyday life , travels, you name it..
This past year I especially took it to a new level for myself in trying to take
one photo at least each day to make into a book...
I  use a DSLR and am obsessed with all the APPS out there available for the Iphone.
I try to post my Iphone collages weekly
but am changing things up a bit this year.
Here are just a few of my favorites 
from my manual and Iphone Cameras....
This is my "Little Keeper" a few years ago....


My first trip to Italy this year
which has been a long time dream...
 
Poppies at Pompeii...
Beaches of Caprii...
 Gelato...
 Fishing Villages...
Rome...

 Beauty...




 There is so much more of Italy it was hard to choose!
I also enjoy being able to share some of the finished 
pieces of my artwork as I complete them...


ATC's
Ornaments...

Lots of mixed media projects...



 I frequently participate in swaps like the one above
which was an altered Altoid Tin that was later filled with buttons for my partner..

I feel like creativity seeps into every part of my life...
 thus
the
adventures in Life, Love, Art and Junking....

Cooking ...
Family and Friends...

(myself and all the lovely ladies from Ignite Italy -plus one handsome movie star)


Projects
(one of my soldered shrines)
and
JUNK!


I hope you have enjoyed a peek at my blog
and will continue to return
and become

one of the gang!

Please take lots of looks through the other
blogs at
2 Bags Full 
Thanks so much...

Stay Creative and always be true!