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!

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!

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...

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!

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!

Growing ......

Hello Weekend!

and 

Hello visitors! 
My name is Pam

 and

I'm so happy to be participating in the

party

hosted by

Viki  

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!