Alderbrook

A relaxing dinner in our room.
Thanks Grannie, and Grandma & Grandpa Cukamo!

Here's my new button. Grab it ya'll!

It needs some color, but I'm not sure what to do.  Any suggestions for jazzing this up a bit??

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What? Playing outside?

Sam and Jane commissioned this chalk art by Mom today. It's so nice for them to run around a bit in the yard and ride bikes.

Black & White Conversion



After

 

Before







So it's slight, but I used a "healing brush tool" to essentially airbrush the ketchup/chappedness off Jane's lower lip, cropped it so it was just her, then did a B&W conversion. I dialed up/down the different B&W effects because I wanted to created enough shadow to notice her 3 dimples and her big eyes.  Then I dialed down the opacity to allow a little color back into the photo, so you can see the pink/yellow/purple stripes of her jammies - barely.

Thanks for the nice comments I've been getting.  Be sure to "follow" me, k?  (Click on the Follow box next to the thumbnails of all my followers, I mean, friends.)

Tonight's Homework

Before

I've been watching and RE-WATCHING the videos for my online PSE course.  I can't believe I don't have a headache - yet.  Well, my lovely husband DID just bring me another a glass of wine, so there's time.  Anyhoot, I did not take the above photo - it was provided by the instructor of my ecourse - but I did play around with different layering effects, filters, hue/saturation, applied a texture and a blending mode, dialed down the opacity, and "airbrushed" a few "unsightlies" (my term).  Again, I like how vintagey (can I make that a term too?) the after photo is.  I totally sound like I know what I'm doing, right? 

Man, I'm dangerous with a hobby.  I get that from my dad.  Love you, Dad!

Okay, must finish wine and turn in.  I forgot how draining homework can be. :)


After (the wine)



What I've been up to...

So I'm taking a photography e-course on Photoshop Elements.  Brett gave me PSE9 for Christmas, and Rachel suggested I take this class to lean some basics.  PSE looks awesome, but SUPER overwhelming to a newbie like me.
The above picture was taken of us last summer by our wonderful photographer, Crystal, the mastermind behind Crystal Ball Photography.  It was taken in the Curran Apple Orchard Park right across the street from our house.  It's a special place to us, and we love all the pictures Crystal took of us here, especially by our adopted apple tree.  Anyhow...I was doing my "homework" on this photo tonight, playing with "blending modes", "textures" and "adjustment layers".  I have about "this" much knowledge of what I just typed, but it sounds good, right?  And I love the way our picture turned out kinda "retro/vintagey" looking.

Look out! I'm feeling crafty...



Robert Allen Cats Cradle



Premiere Prints Amsterdam-Birch

It must be contagious.  I just ordered a BUNCH of fabric from Fabric Guru.  I just found this site while surfing the world.wide.web and saw they have the CUTEST prints.  Check out the "Contemporarty/Retro" prints.  And one of the best things, beside the price I mean, is they have a flat $5 shipping rate for ALL THE FABRIC YOU WANT.  I got some cute stuff.  Wait until you see how crafty I'm going to be.  Now where on the web can I buy some free-time?



Premiere Prints LuLu



Premiere Prints Crowing





See?  Cute, huh?