Keeping With The Times

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Gift From a Friend

February 27, 2015 by Barb 13 Comments

When I went to the mailbox last week, I was delighted to find a gift from a friend! This treasure came out of the blue and into my hands on a cold, dreary, uninspiring winter day. Although I didn’t photograph it right away, it inspired me for the whole week and I went about my days with new enthusiasm.

All week I was dreaming about a still life “from above” which has to be my favourite type of image. Don’t get me wrong though, I can appreciate a stunning focus and shallow depth of field just as much as the next person …

I tried not to overthink it and went with the obvious sewing theme. Following is the original image with the usual tweaking in LR to get it presentable; exposure and tonal adjustment, lens correction, and cropping etc.

Friday Finds, Gift From a Friend, Keeping With the Times

Read on for the rest of the story, and a couple different edits in LR …

kk_today:Friday Finds, Gift From a Friend, Keeping With the Timeskk_gentle:

Friday Finds, Gift From a Friend, Keeping With the Times

So what was the gift, and who sent it? Well, the gift was two vintage spools; one with blue thread and the other with no thread. The gifter was Caz and she blogs at Caz Sultz Photography. I am so bowled over that someone would send me a gift just because … thank you, Caz! from the bottom of my heart! You are a great on-line friend and who knows … we may meet someday. I’ve met quite a few blogger friends in real life, and it’s an amazing and enriching experience.

So just a few more tidbits about the items in my photo. I found the round (thing?) of needles sitting on a shelf in my favourite junque store … no one wanted it … it was dirt cheap … I gasped when I saw it. The embroidery hoop, key, and velvet perfume cover were my Moms, and I added a few dried poppies and leaves from an long ago bouquet.

Today, I encourage you to reach out to a friend. Tell them how much they mean to you. Give them the gift of you.

You will not regret it.

Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot com

 

Filed Under: Artful Photography, Still Life Tagged With: friday finds, still life

Comments

  1. TexWisGirl says

    February 27, 2015 at 9:42 am

    really cool. you make great art!

    Reply
  2. amy of four corners design says

    February 27, 2015 at 9:49 am

    yes – those unexpected gifts are the best – and those spools are wonderful! and yes – that round of straight pins – I adore it! so glad you rescued it… Happy weekend Barb – stay warm!

    Reply
  3. kim klassen says

    February 27, 2015 at 9:53 am

    what a truly beautiful gift…..Caz is so amazing….just like you…
    lovely story…. both words and image.

    beautiful.
    happy weekend… xo

    Reply
  4. Beverly says

    February 27, 2015 at 10:40 am

    Oh my gosh! This is one of the best sewing themed images, ever!! The lines, rounds, and all the vintage pieces. Barb you are just amazing, and inspiring. I love the bottom edit with Kim’s preset…just he right touch of soft and dark colors. Yes, Caz is just a dear, dear online friend, and so sweet for her to send you these unique spindles. And your words of encouragement to reach out to a friend….spectacular! Thank you so much for sharing this.

    Reply
  5. Dotti says

    February 27, 2015 at 11:18 am

    What a sweet surprise! And you’ve put the gift to good use. It’s so amazing what changing up presets can do to a photo. Kind of fun to play, isn’t it? Have a great weekend!

    Reply
  6. Caz says

    February 27, 2015 at 12:41 pm

    I’m glad you enjoyed the surprise Barb :) I love that roll of pins you found, and the whole composition. It’s amazing how much the presets change the look !

    Reply
  7. Nancy Jeanne Morlino says

    February 27, 2015 at 2:22 pm

    Wonderful composition and words. Your expertise and contributions to The Studio Online are much appreciated!

    Reply
  8. odile lm says

    February 27, 2015 at 2:57 pm

    Such a great and admirable post Barb, style as well as content… I love your very graphic, clear and efficient composition with sewing notions… and I agree totally, having and keeping friends is such a priceless privilege…

    Reply
  9. Rhadonda says

    February 27, 2015 at 4:17 pm

    Love the composition and the story. Surprise gifts are THE best!

    Reply
  10. Donna says

    February 27, 2015 at 4:24 pm

    Wow, I get to admire two friends at once in this post! Barb, I know the thrill of receiving a gift from a friend, made even more special when they arrive for no particular reason. I often feel that my friends treat me far better than I deserve – and this is my favorite definition for grace. Your treasures speak to my heart – you know how much I love the sewing notions. Caz, you are a giving person and we know you like a sister, whether we ever meet or not! Barb, your photos do justice to this lovely gift.

    Reply
  11. Roxi says

    March 1, 2015 at 8:25 am

    I love the Gentle preset on this. Gifts are so cool. Especially when they speak to our hearts. Sometimes we have trouble believing we are worthy of a gift though.

    Reply
  12. lisa says

    March 1, 2015 at 10:47 am

    What a thoughtful gift, and a truly lovely arrangement.
    I really love those old spools.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Sunday Sundries (a link-up) - Keeping With The Times says:
    February 28, 2015 at 6:04 pm

    […] a gift in the mail from an online friend. Such a wonderful and inspiring […]

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Welcome! I'm Barb, and this is where I practice my mantra to "learn something new, try something different". It's my hope that something I do here may inspire you! Read More…

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