the patchwork dress

5 x 5 x 5

This blog was 5 years old on the 5th of the 5th month of May... just to show what a terrible blogger I've been I haven't even got around to posting until today!

Five years of blogging has opened some amazing doors to me, including meeting lots of other crafters and bloggers, making things, and connecting with folksy and etsy to sell my wares and buy others!  Lately I have got absorbed away from this life into other areas - and that may be what this year is about, mainly my work life and just more downtime for recovery inbetween.  Sometimes I don't feel like saying much - or maybe I don't have much of interest to share!

A habit I've developed is being swayed by technologies hosted by other blogs - over the last 5 years I've tried facebook and scrapped it, (it just annoyed me, I don't 'like' it although can see it suits a lot of people), looked at twitter and couldn't be bothered, started a tumblr but couldnt get it to work or pursue it, oh - and Polyvore - same with Pinterest... note to self "must persevere".. or should I? Do I actually have the time?

I recently upgraded my phone to one that has 'aps' - and passed my old phone onto N - who promptly amazed me by discovering all these functions on it that I never knew it had, or even tried to work out!

So, resolving to play around and explore more with the new phone, I recently downloaded the Instagram ap (which again have seen now on numerous blogs)- and played with the filter process on these 5 pictures from the weekend - which were all taken on my phone.

I really like the effects and wonder if this is something I may stick at - however there is something about having too much technology at hand for instant results, like Pinterest etc which detracts from the process of cutting out a picture, grouping it with others and sticking it down.. I'm not sure if I am a technophobe or not - or if there is something about the satisfaction of hand and eye which trumps all aps.

I heard on the radio today about the futures of 'augmented realities' with google specs that will do this and that for you - and to be honest I am concerned about losing function of the brain and the senses - the subtleties of energies, sixth sense and intuition - all of which enrich life far beyond any ap - giving the sense of wellbeing technology is supposedly freeing us up to find.  But sometimes the best days are the ones you leave your phone in your pocket, or even better your house, while you go out and use your amazing nature given and free aps of the senses!

But don't listen to me, this last shot is often my replacement for the television set.

Luss

"Iz ziss ze bouss to Louss?" is something we say quite a lot at home.  A question often overheard from visitors from abroad who wish to board the bus to the beautiful Loch Lomond village of Luss..

above: the pier; coffee in the 'Coach House Coffee House' - lovely tables for writing, log fires and candlelit storm lanterns in winter..

I featured a September walk around the village way back when I started this blog.  Since then it has become a favourite haunt for me 'out of season' - after the busyness of summer, the tearooms are a bit quieter, and it is a nice place to go to wander, contemplate... and take photos.

above: the pier looking back towards the village and hills; end of the pier looking out across Loch Lomond.

Walking round I considered that you can revisit a favourite place time and again, it's often the details or the cumulation of them that enriches the experience - like these 'old roses' that climb the cottage walls, or the faded hydrangea peeping out near the shoreline.

...or the beautiful ironmongery on the church door (I've got a bit of a crush on chevrons at the moment).  The church at Luss is especially beautiful with its covered gates. When it is open to go inside, there is a beautiful stained glass window of an angel.

...and then, in the churchyard - I thought I saw a little brown angel hovering amongst the tombstones

 - ha! it was this chap..

autumnal coloured lichen on the tombstones.

 

october colour

It's been a grey old October here - in fact generally this year!  So I caught a bit of colour the other day with my new (!tadah!) camera (before it started raining again). I've wanted a new camera for ages, and although I love my compact (Canon Powershot A80) - bought in 2004 for a trip to New Mexico, has started me up with all the photographs so far on this blog, and captured images for the photocards etc - I felt I was missing a good landscape camera, plus generally wanting to broaden the scope and quality of my photography.

I'd been hanging about with this idea for a couple of years, moving it from desire list to desire list, and decided to treat myself this year after a run of hard contract work.  

I wanted to stick with Canon, and when I first started looking it was a blur - too much info to take in!  Then I saw a promo for the Canon EOS 600D and it just sort of called me.  I also checked out two of my favourite blogs whose photography I admire to find out what cameras they were using.  Both were using a version of the Canon EOS, known in the US as Canon Rebel T range.

At school and college I used a basic Pracktica SLR, so felt a bit overwhelmed by the technology of this new camera.  I will have to teach myself how to use it, refresh on all the SLR settings for focal lengths etc - another task for winter evenings going through the instruction book.

I don't think the potential of my old compact was realised, so hopefully by relearning on the SLR I can go back to the compact and over-ride some features to capture SLR type shots with it.  The settings on Canons are very similar and use the same symbols etc across the range.

Hope you find some sunshine and colour this weekend, wherever you are!

touchstones 4

...seaside towns (this is Ayr) - fairground style graphics and painted villas..

- have you thought about your 'touchstones' yet?

touchstones 3

the (local) landscape...

...part 4 tomorrow x

 

touchstones 2

...natures details, stumbled upon in close up..

the peacock butterfly was one of many observed on one single walk a few months ago, when they seemed to be all over the local nature reserve - don't think I have ever seen as many butterflies in one day - just amazing!

part 3 tomorrow!

touchstones 1

Have pulled out a few photos from the last few months that I did nothing with, but which remind me of personal Touchstones, things that I connect with and love.  What are yours?

nice coffee and drawing by hand (the old fashioned way!)...

...more tuesday x

 

say cheese...

I thought of this post title after taking this group portrait who had come over for a nosey at people walking past today...  I think they may be related.

I was then looking back over the past 12 months of photos, and realised, that aside from being many photos taken and meant to share... there are also several random cow portraits, so thought they could all feature together here.  Say cheese!

 

...this wee ginger guy was actually mooing, maybe he was saying cheese.

...beautiful face and nose ...

... a favourite from the summer, you can just about make out the wingnut head of the cow towards the left. who only just made it over the crest to see who was going by!

 

last days of summer

...the last days of summer in the garden - although I could count on 2 hands the number of days I've sat out this summer!

...and coffee from my new Anthropologie mug (imagining I am sunning myself at a Finca in Portugal) - Anthropologie now in George Street, Edinburgh!

earth day offering

As a special thank you and to celebrate Earth Day on 22 April, followed by Easter... I am offering a 20% discount to any purchases made in my OneGoodMarket shop until midnight (GMT) on Monday 25 April.

Just enter the code EARTH11 at the checkout.

10% of sales will still go to Scottish Wildlife Trust, and postage + packing is still free in the UK.

Can you see the tiny sliver of moon in the top left corner?  This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago when the sun was setting on the horizon and sending an amazing beam of light up into the sky.