friday finds Archives - Keeping With The Times

Purple Haze

June 12, 2015 by Barb 13 Comments

It seems that when I was choosing flowers and pots for my garden and deck this year I gravitated towards so much purple that I dubbed my Instagram feed “Purple Haze”.

So today when I was writing this post, and entering a keyword for SEO purposes, up popped “purple haze lyrics” … hmmmm … oops, I have to admit I didn’t know (or remember) the Jimi Hendrix song, so that led me down a cyber path whilst I did some research … very interesting. Serendipitously I named the following photo “let’s dance”.

Purple Haze, Lavender Love, Keeping With the Times, Friday Finds

“let’s dance”

OK, how about “let’s hang” …

Purple Haze, Lavender Haze, Keeping With the Times

“let’s hang”

Here’s the soap dish, on the back of the green door, served with wild cranberry florets and cranesbill geranium …

A purple haze post would not be complete without my little Johnny Jump-Ups …

Bachelor buttons, anemones, columbine, and wild vine”y” things …

This is my interpretation of “the human touch” for The Studio On-Line” … me, myself, and I at the potting bench … I have quite a few more ideas for this prompt, swirling around in my head, it’s just too much fun …

Check out my “purple haze” post on IG …

I wonder if it's time to move on from the purple haze? ??

A photo posted by Barb Brookbank (@keepingwiththetimes) on Jun 6, 2015 at 6:40am PDT

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Lightroom and Finding the Light

May 22, 2015 by Barb 10 Comments

I’ve been so inspired by Kim’s bright and airy images lately, that I set about finding (creating) the right light and then enhancing it in Lightroom. Now I think I’m going to change my dining room window situation from no curtains, to white opaque curtains …

Oh, and I’m loooving the new presets she’s created, some of which are available in The Studio Online … can I say magical … basically one click …

Lightroom and Finding the Light, Keeping With the Times, Friday Finds, white cosmos, flowers

kk_DayDreamingLightRight

When I saw this vine at a local greenhouse, I didn’t hesitate one second before putting it in my cart … it’s called a Wire Vine … love …

kk_Lilly

Light + Lightroom Presets = Magic:

kk_Air

The weather has turned so incredibly beautiful and I’m finding it hard to stay inside … hmmm … I just happen to know where to find a garden that needs to be weeded …

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot com

Fabulous Friday Finds

May 15, 2015 by Barb 21 Comments

Good morning! Another week has flown by and I have some fabulous Friday Finds to tell you about.

What an amazing week! I’ll start with my second best find—a chippy little green door … to.die.for. but I think I say that about every treasure I drag home … look at that chippy goodness, the dirt, the scratches, the colour … swooning here … and it’s small and light, which makes it easy for me to pick up and carry around.

When I walked into One Man’s Treasure, there it was … the sun was hitting it, and I think I heard angels (just kidding). But those people that own that store can see me coming, and they set these treasures right at the front, in a very prominent position, and I’m a lost cause … .

It was just what I needed to set beside my new chippy potting bench from the Carvel General Store …

… so let the fun begin, it’s green door party time! Notice that little door knob … I wonder how many people get excited about door knobs … adore …

So, now, here’s my best Friday Find this week: Carolyn! When I first “met” Carolyn in The Studio, I knew right away she was a lovely, lively, sweet lady. She’d made some comments that made me laugh out loud, and I knew she was for real. Then, much to my surprise (because I am hopelessly reserved, and an introvert as well), Carolyn contacted me and asked if I would like to meet her for lunch. She only lives about an hour away … amazing … why hadn’t I thought of that! Um, because I am hopelessly reserved and … well you know.

Anyway, long story short—we met, we hugged, we laughed, we talked—we connected. A kindred soul who shares a passion for food, photography, and life, (hey … that’s part of my blog by-line!)

We met for lunch at 12:00 noon and didn’t leave the restaurant until 2:30, and that was only because we had some serious shopping to do.

shaky iPhone shot …

I could go on, gushing and gushing, but I’ll finish by saying how amazing it is to be a part of The Studio Online. So much goodness in there … and not just still life, but real life. On-line friends, and “irl” friends. What more could you ask for? I am already looking forward to seeing Carolyn again, she has the biggest heart (truly).

So, have a wonderful weekend everyone! We’re heading into our first long weekend of the year. The dock is in, the boat is (almost) in, and the s’mores supplies are ready.

Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot com

Potting Bench for Friday Finds

May 8, 2015 by Barb 15 Comments

Of course you knew you were going to get more of the potting bench for Friday Finds … right? And about Friday Finds …I can hardly believe it … where did that week GO? It’s just … gone …

kk_MatterFact

It was a crazy, chaotic, and creative week—I had messes all over the house; from the basement, to the deck, and everywhere in-between …

kk_still

Parts of it were a bit more organized, like when I went to town to get a hair cut, and then groceries. Of course I had to visit every greenhouse in the area (just to look, I told myself).

However, I did bring home a few pretties … such a miracle after a long, cold, colourless season …

kk_litely

Oh yeah … we did have a bit of this … aaacckk …

… and I fell down some icy stairs (ouch), but other than that, it was all good …

Potting Bench, Friday Finds, Pansies, Keeping With the Times

kk_Midnight

Thank you so much for dropping by today!

Free Download for Subscribers

April 10, 2015 by Barb 13 Comments

I can’t believe it’s time for Friday Finds already, and today I have a free download for subscribers!

Goodness the days fly by …

I found a couple new-to-me stores here in Arizona. First, Home Goods which is much like our Home Sense in Canada, and then a Marshall’s right beside it.

Oh my … the hubs is a saint taking me to all these places … I found so much loveliness … I never buy anything too expensive, just a lot of little things which add up … we talked about that at The Open Studio last night. It seems to be a problem with all of us lovers of “still life”, but I think we beat ourselves up a bit too much. I don’t spend money on much else … I certainly have no vices (insert smile) … anyway, I found some sweet little garden-themed props to go with my hyacinth print. I’m including a link to the full resolution file of this print with my next newsletter (going out today).

I also found three hyacinth bulbs which I scooped up, brought home, and proceeded to plant into their own separate little containers. I think I’m trying to satisfy my gardening bug whilst in Arizona … in a condo.

I love what the “chocolate” preset did to the following image … and do not those scissors look like they are sitting right there?

Tip: if you need a prop, perhaps a photo of a prop will do :)

Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend (perhaps I’ll see you on Sunday for Sunday Sundries.)

Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot com

Gift from Cristina Colli

April 3, 2015 by Barb 14 Comments

I recently received a beautiful set of prints from Cristina Colli as a “thank you” for sharing my dinner plate art to #12monthsofhappystills.

I live in a rural area, and as I sat in my car at the community mailbox, I took a quick peek inside the package before carefully wrapping it up again. I was very excited, but I wanted to save it until I got home so that I could savour and document the moment. After sending a quick note to let Cristina know I had them in my hands, I carried on and didn’t fully open it for a full two days! Is that crazy? I don’t think so … the weekend was busy and I wanted to be alone … sitting with a cup of tea with no chance of being interrupted.

When I finally had a quiet moment, what I found was a lovely tag, a beautiful “polaroid” of pink blossoms against an impossibly blue sky, and a gorgeous origami envelope. Cristina demonstrates how to make these envelopes on her blog here. I’m pretty sure I’ll be trying my hand at this real soon.

When I opened that beautiful envelope, I discovered 5 more stunning prints.

As I set the string down, it fell into a heart! This is the absolute truth … oh … my … I was spellbound for a moment … .

Of course I had to rearrange the string on top of the prints, so I pinched the bottom where the string came together, and carefully slid it on top. Can you believe the perfect bow on the side?

Cristina’s images have inspired me to get busy and have a few of my own florals printed. I have tons of them sitting on my hard drive … and I hope to “pay this forward” very soon.

Sharing with Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot com

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.

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

kk_today:kk_gentle:

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

Friday Finds: From the Cutting Room Floor

December 5, 2014 by Barb 13 Comments

In my parts, the “window” to capture photos while it’s still light outside is dwindling (pun intended). Then, if I have to leave the house to run errands, and later, other stuff gets in the way, I’m not left with a lot of time to play. Therefore, for Friday Finds today, I’m pulling a couple photos from the cutting room floor.

I took these images when I was baking my zucchini loaves back in September and today I used the kk_film-ish preset I found in the Start to Finish downloads. I love the soft tones it created, especially in the egg yolks which can be a bit too colourful for my liking.

Friday Finds

I also found the watermark feature in Lightroom to be kind of interesting. I used it on my photos today … what do you think? OK? Annoying? Distracting? If I’m going to continue to use one, I’ll tweak it a bit, but LR sure makes it easy to apply one. I copyright my photos by adding a notice to the Metadata, but a watermark is obviously more noticeable. Does it take away from the “art” of the image?

Friday Finds

So, short and sweet today. I’ve got lots to do (as I’m sure everyone does) and I had better get going. Have a wonderful day!

I have a little give-away going on … if you want to check it out go here.

Friday Finds at kimklassen.com

I Found Some Time!

November 28, 2014 by Barb 18 Comments

Oh my gosh, I found so many things this week! First of all, I found some time!

With a winter storm raging outside, I’ve been forced to hunker down inside, and I’ve made the most of it.

After organizing and cleaning house, I sat down and finished writing my tutorial for Digital Scrapper, and then I recorded the first version! Woot! I still have lots to do, but I should be finished it this weekend, which means I won’t be stressing about it before Christmas … so.very.good.

I’ve been able to catch up on a few Be Still lessons, and today I present my “butter and eggs” … what a lovely relaxing afternoon … (hazelnut and cream cheese cookies are coming soon to a blog near you).
Butter and Eggs, Friday Finds, Keeping With the Times

I found brown eggs, which I feel guilty buying, but the photographer in me can’t help it …

Butter and Eggs, Friday Finds, Keeping With the Times

An earlier find would be my chippy white bead board mirror/coat rack which I’ve been using in almost all my shots lately. I am so glad I didn’t let this one go …

Butter and Eggs, Friday Finds, Keeping With the Times

I also found that I can’t decide what type of processing I like best … I like the natural true-to-life versions, and then I see this one processed with Kim’s kk_gentle … oh, my …

Butter and Eggs, Friday Finds, Keeping With the Times

And here are five more finds for me this week:

a new MacBook Pro (squeeeee)
the realization that that was just the start … next comes a new external drive, a backup drive, what about a mouse … keyboard … yikes …
it was an easy, no-hassle experience to download Creative Cloud, CC2014, LR5, and Bridge CC for the Mac (easier than it was for my PC)
my IG photo was a “pick” for the new #mystillsundaycompetition by Kim (so honoured!)
that I’m fortunate to have enough food to eat, and a warm place to stay (going to be making donations to the food bank and Salvation Army right now) (done)

Today I’m going to find some time to go out and capture the beautiful winter wonderland that we’ve suddenly found ourselves in. We’re literally buried under more than 30cm …

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful weekend!

Mortar and Pestle

October 31, 2014 by Barb 15 Comments

Another week has flown by and it was a busy one! Whew! Apart from the huge nap I had on Tuesday, it was go, go, go!

I make no apologies for that nap. In fact, if it was possible, I’d have a huge nap every day. I find that sometimes I even sleep better at night if I’ve had a nap during the day. I know, it makes no sense …

Anyway, yesterday, after I got my hair cut, I had to stop at HomeSense. I mean, it’s right next door to the salon. What’s a girl to do?

That’s where I found this granite mortar and pestle and thought it would make a nice friend for the white set I found ages ago at my junque shoppe.

Mortar and Pestle, Salt and Pepper, Friday Finds, Keeping With the Times

Salt & Pepper

This image was inspired by a photo I found on Pinterest. It’s from Nicky&Max Food Photography. I know mine doesn’t even come close, but I’ve found that I learn by doing and I plan to try a few more versions of this. I am so loving the dark food photography … can’t get enough of it … so I figured I just need to practice, practice, practice.

I’m simply drooling over the amazing photography I found on that site. I don’t do martinis, but I could do rosemary crackers … yummm!

Thank you for stopping by, and here’s to a wonderful weekend everyone!

Friday Finds: Inspiration

October 24, 2014 by Barb 22 Comments

Friday Finds … what did I find this week?

Well, I found two plaid flannel shirts at Superstore. What shouts “autumn” more than that?

kk_gentle

Bright, cozy, classic.The colour of leaves. But I found lots of other things too.

Autumn Plaids, friday finds

Such as how much I love the photo processing and inspiration that I’m finding in both Start to Finish, and Be Still 52. In fact, last week when I saw Kim’s photo of a pear and some leaves, I absolutely knew I had to re-create the whole darn thing! Incredibly it has ended up as my new blog header! I’ve been trying to come up with a new idea for ages but was at a loss as to what to do.

My WordPress theme is set up with a rather (giant) space for a header and I have no idea on how to change it. It’s simply too complicated and risky for me to go into the html code and mess around. I’d be flirting with disaster.

Suddenly, I saw potential with my pear and leaves photo. I took it into Lightroom; toning, straightening, and cropping. Then I used the preset kk_darkmood and finally, sent it over to Photoshop.

What you see in my final header is a combination of four copies of this photo, merged and cloned to extend the white bead board. Here’s what I started with (after LR edits) …

KWTT Header

I’m pretty happy with it. I needed something that fit with the photography element of my blog but still had lots of white space.

I also want to thank Beverly (our sweet blogging friend) from Lavender Bleu … she felt the same way about Kim’s photo and we conspired together that we were going to re-create it! What an inspirational community!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Finds at kimklassen.com

Friday Finds: Red Pepper Berries

October 17, 2014 by Barb 22 Comments

Friday Finds already? I can’t believe how time flies!

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, we received not one, but two beautiful bouquets … love … and in one of them, I spied what I thought looked like red pepper berries.

After picking one, and first crushing, then tasting it, my suspicions were confirmed—spicy, peppery, aromatic!

Happily, I’m still alive today, so I guess it wasn’t a poisonous variety. Friday Finds: Red Pepperberries

I thought they looked pretty nice paired up with my red pears …

Red Pepper Berries and Pears_4

… berry bokeh …

Friday Finds: Red Pepperberries

So this will wrap up my week-long obsession with red pears, that is unless they end up in a beautiful pear tart that I have to show you!

All images were processed in LR with the kk_warmandslight preset.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Pumpkin Plant Pot Display

October 3, 2014 by Barb 17 Comments

I’m so thrilled with my little pumpkin plant pot display! This week I found some cute little ceramic pumpkins at Home Sense and I thought they would make great plant pots for this time of year. They look great in a simple display, but also fit nicely with a Thanksgiving tablescape I’m working on.

Pumpkin Plant Pot Succulent in Pumpkin Pot_3 Succulent in Pumpkin Pot_2 So what else did I find this week? I found that sometimes I feel like I’m on fire, and other times I feel like I have a wet blanket draped over me. This past week was the wet blanket week. I have a project hanging over me and I’m dragging my feet, and consequently I don’t even feel like working on the fun things. When I read Kims post this morning … well, oh man … how does she manage to hit the nail on the head every time?! I really needed to hear her gentle encouragement today … I’m going launch Microsoft Word right now, and start writing.

Dolgo Crabapple “Find”

September 26, 2014 by Barb 25 Comments

Finding these beautiful Dolgo crabapples has been a highlight of my autumn preserving ritual. When making jelly, you won’t find a more beautiful, red, jewel-like result.

Earlier in the summer, I kind of “stumbled” upon the trees in a Superstore parking lot! At the time I didn’t know what they were, but every time I filled up with fuel, my eyes were drawn to the “berries” that were forming on them.

I assumed the trees must be some kind of ornamental variety … why would there be crabapple trees in a parking lot?

dolgo crabapple, keeping with the times

Yesterday, I was simply driving by and I couldn’t believe how loaded the trees were. I actually made a u-turn, headed back, and stopped to pick one of the fruits. I could smell the most wonderful “apple” scent and I knew right away. These were the real deal. Whoa … how could I walk away … well, obviously I couldn’t.

dolgo crabapple, keeping with the times,

I went back to my car, grabbed bag, walked up to the trees, and started picking. I didn’t look at anyone, in fact I kind of tried to hide behind the branches. It was one of those moments where, as a child you think “if I can’t see you, you can’t see me.”

dolgo crabapple, keeping with the times

At first I thought I’d just pick a few … enough to take some photos … but who was I kidding? I could not stop until I knew I had enough for one batch of jelly, at least.

dolgo_crabapple02

I rushed home and started cooking them right away. Oh the house smelled divine, absolutely divine. And the jelly is red, shimmery, tart and tasty. Oh yumm …

So guess what I did? I went back and picked some more. Now that is chutzpah! but wait until you see the jelly …

Go here if you want to check out a good article on the Dolgo crabapple.

These images are also for the Be Still 52 class where the prompt is “Organic”. I love this prompt … so full of possibilities (especially at this time of year) and I do have another “Organic” theme on the way …

Have you signed up for my newsletter? I’d love to be able to send you a happy note about once a week! Many, many thanks to those of you who already have!

Friday Finds: Oregano

August 22, 2014 by Barb 20 Comments

I seem to be drawn to tiny, understated flowers, so when I saw that my oregano was blooming I had to snip a few sprigs to play with.
oregano-copy-2

I think it would make a great bridal bouquet … for an elf …

Friday Finds: Oregano, keeping with the times

The cute font is free and is DJB Jacked Up Kinda Love from our own fontographer, Darcy Baldwin (from Digital Scrapper). You can find her fonts in the shop here, and Darcy can also turn your very own handwriting into a font! Check that out here.

LR Preset: kk_lightandairy

Texture: kk_poetic

Friday Finds: It’s Chokecherry Time!

August 15, 2014 by Barb 16 Comments

Sometimes you don’t have to go far to find something interesting.

As I stepped out my front door, I wasn’t feeling particularly inspired. In fact I was feeling pretty much the opposite of particularly inspired. But then I spied a pink flower in the bushes and went over to investigate. The flower was pretty, and quite unexpected (it was a volunteer Lavatera), but then I spied the chokecherries.
Chokecherry on Towel, Friday Finds, Keeping with the Times

It’s a big sign that we are tipping over the edge of summer.

This brings a ton of mixed feelings; the urge to scream no, then excitement and anticipation for the time of year I love most, a bit of nostalgia, and a feeling of calm.

I’ll soon be making jelly with these sour little bullets. I can’t wait to be pouring the dark burgundy liquid into hot jars, sealing them tightly, and adding a cute little lid and tag. Treasures ready for gifting.

Chokecherry on Towel, Friday Finds, Keeping with the Times

Oh, and here’s the pretty volunteer Lavatera that drew me in …

Chokecherry on Towel, Friday Finds, Keeping with the Times

Thank you so much for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend everyone!

August: Inspiring Reverence or Admiration

August 1, 2014 by Barb 9 Comments

It’s August! Did you know it’s the only month this year to start on a Friday? Cool interesting fact!

Did you know that the Gladiolus is the birth flower for August?

I wasn’t really aware of that as I picked up a bunch of these stately flowers. I felt a bit guilty paying money for them but, hey … they cost $5.00 and I won’t be seeing them at this price for another year.

Gladiolus, August, Keeping with the Times

noun

AUgust

1.the eighth month of the year, containing 31 days.

adjective

auGUST
1. inspiring reverence or admiration; of supreme dignity or grandeur; majestic: an august performance of a religious drama.
2. venerable; eminent: an august personage.

Gladiolus, August, Keeping with the Times

So that’s what I found this week. I’m going to treat this month with the respect and dignity it deserves.

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Country Roads and Friday Finds

July 18, 2014 by Barb 20 Comments

Quite often in the summer I’ll jump in the car and simply drive around. Yes, I’m searching for photos, but at the same time I’m soaking up life. If I hadn’t gone out and about I would not have discovered this wonderful barn. I sat and stared at it for the longest time. The whole scene brought me peace.

So orderly.

So tidy.

So loved. I wanted to take it home with me.

I could smell freshly cut lawn and clover.

I could hear tall grasses rustling in the warm breeze, and a squirrel chattering in the evergreens. Other than that … silence.

A Drive in the Country, barns, country, country living, keeping with the times, friday finds

Later in the day I visited Star Lake and ran into this fellow who was pretty much minding his own (business) …

A Drive in the Country, barns, country, country living, keeping with the times, friday finds

… seriously?

A Drive in the Country, barns, country, country living, keeping with the times, friday finds

OK. Goodnight! I’ll leave you alone.

A Drive in the Country, barns, country, country living, keeping with the times, friday finds

For the past few days we’ve had smoke from forest fires blanketing our area, so that’s why the sky in each of these images looks blown out and featureless. The poor air quality has been rated as high as 7 (out of 10) which is unheard of in these parts. And even though it does make for some interesting light I’m ready for some fresh air. Here’s hoping for a cool breeze and a bit of rain please.

Thanks for stopping by, I so appreciate it! Have a wonderful weekend!

Casual Country Garden Bouquet

July 4, 2014 by Barb 14 Comments

This week I’m like a kid in a candy shop. I”m finding flowers everywhere I look. Peony & Lilac Bouquet, keeping with the times, friday finds

To say my garden is exploding would be an understatement. I hardly know what to do with it all! Oh would that I could save some for January, February, and March! But alas I cannot, so photos will have to do.

Peony Lilac Bouquet

I could post a flower-a-day for 365 days I’m sure … .

So here are five random things that made me happy this past week:

Spending time with family on the holiday long weekend.
Lots and lots of delicious food.
Weather ranging from not bad to amazing, and that the big storm with giant hail did not materialize.
Flowers, flowers, and more flowers.
Taking photos (especially with my iPhone) and editing on my iPad.

So what did you find this past week? What made you happy?

Friday Finds: A Quiet Moment

June 27, 2014 by Barb 17 Comments

Friday Finds: Butterfly and Lilacs, keeping with the times

I had planned to write a rather large post to take you on a tour through my garden but somehow the day got away on me. It’s the Canada Day long weekend coming up and we’re looking forward to some quality family time. The house is clean, the beds are made, and the bathrooms are sparkling. I have steaks marinating in the freezer, hamburgers ready, and pies in the works.

Between all the preparations I took a minute and sat down with a glass of ice cold water, camera in hand, and waited for that elusive butterfly that had been taunting me all morning. It had been flitting through the yard and around my head and not once did it land anywhere near me. So I set out some bait: a jar full of lilacs. I knew it could not resist and sooner or later I would “capture” it. And yes, well the rest is history.

I edited this in Lightroom with one of Kim’s presets (kk_oldendays) … a click of a button and magic happens.

Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends! I’ll see everyone next week or you can find me on Instagram if you’re interested in our weekend shenanigans!

Friday Finds: and Happy Summer Solstice

June 20, 2014 by Barb 18 Comments

It’s been another busy week and I’m always astounded to realize that it’s time for Friday Finds. I found many things this week; this leaf, for example.

We had a lovely, soft, steady rain and there were droplets everywhere.

Friday Finds

The Alberta Rose is blooming. There are not very many this year and I’ve noticed that a lot of the shrubs have died off …

alberta-rose-copy

I love hanging flower pots …

flower-pot-copy

and the new leaves of Bishops Hat …

bishops-hat-leaves-copy

and the spent parts of the Alberta rose …

spent-rose-copy

alliums and sunshine …

Allium

Hollywood Dreamstate alliums …

Allium

Have a wonderful weekend and a happy Summer Solstice!

Friday Finds: More Barn Wood Inspiration

June 13, 2014 by Barb

I simply cannot explain how lovely it is to have a little barn wood-inspired garden right on my deck!
Barn Wood Inspired Garden, Deck Gardening, Gardening in Small Spaces, Keeping With the Times

After I finished all the hard work of setting it up, here’s the view as I sit and sip my tea …
calm, friday finds, keeping with the times, barn wood

calm, friday finds, keeping with the times, barn wood

Meet my new side table. My perfect little garden on the deck.

calm, friday finds, keeping with the times. barn wood

I mean, a girl cannot have too many places to put her plants, can she?

calm, friday finds, keeping with the times, barn wood

DSC_9694-copy

Barn wood. I simply cannot resist it. I won’t even tell you how many pieces I’ve collected, but I’ve put each and every one of them to good use.

But really, all you need is just one piece, with two shelves if possible … and it doesn’t even have to be barn wood. I’ve found that having a little garden right on my deck has inspired me in so many ways. Not only do I have my herbs close at hand, but it also saves them from the (cute), but hungry little bunnies that are constantly nibbling away in my big garden.

DSC_9718-copy

… safe …

Gardening on the deck

herbs_1

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Friday Finds – Stillness

May 23, 2014 by Barb 14 Comments

For Friday Finds this week I’ve been playing around with a minimalist style of botanical and high key photography. High key photography uses unnaturally bright lighting to blow out most or all harsh shadows in an image.

Let me tell you it is not easy but it forced me to slow down and really look at what I was doing.

I love the part about gathering materials and arranging them; there’s something so soothing about order and simplicity. I had to stop, look, and listen (be still).

Friday Finds, Minimalist, Keeping With the Times

Each of these four images was taken separately at different times of the day.

I set the plants on a piece of foam core outside out of direct sunlight, and set my camera on a tripod over top of them. I used low shutter speeds, high ISO’s, and apertures between F9 and F11. I also used a flash at times (gasp).

Even then I had lots of processing to do. I took them into LR and used curves to adjust the white background while limiting the effect on the plant itself. Those shadows are tricky!!

When I created the collage in Photoshop of course the whites were all different – if you hover your mouse over the image you will see the “before” collage. So again I used a combination of curves and levels adjustments. Then I dodged some pesky areas.

I was inspired by this beautiful blog Still by Mary Jo Hoffman. Her work blows me away and she’s a kind person who likes to share her techniques.

Anyway I shall not go on and on. I simply wanted to share that I’ve “found” something that makes me feel passionate. I’ve always loved this style but only tinkered with it. Now I want to learn more.

Side note: any images you may see on my Instagram feed were taken solely with my phone and edited in PicsPlayPro.

Now I’m off to see what everyone else has discovered this week.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Finds: The Colours of My World

April 18, 2014 by Barb 27 Comments

If not for the evidence found in this little fellas coat, I would say that winter is not going away this year.
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Rabbit, Spring

And if not for these …

Rabbit-Spring-PussyWillow-copy

Rabbit

Rabbit-Spring-PussyWillow-1-copy

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Spring, Rabbit, Keeping With the Times, Friday Finds, Kim Klassen

and if not for these …

Geese

It’s been a cold, snowy, gray/brown week. But also a happy, productive week.

I finished up a tutorial, went for lunch with the ladies and visited a greenhouse!! where I bought some sweet little succulents. I felt overwhelmed with happiness and anticipation of the new gardening season that is sure to come, right?

As this is the Easter week-end, hubby and I will be spending some time with our family (so excited).

I hope you have a wonderful and happy Easter!

Friday Finds: My Long Lost Photos!

March 21, 2014 by Barb 22 Comments

Tulips

You know how some days you get up, you have a plan; you know exactly what you should be doing but an hour later you find yourself immersed in something totally off-track?

Well that was me yesterday. I started out fully aware that I should be writing a tutorial but I ended up organizing photos in Lightroom … then 8 hours later I realized the day was gone …

But oh my goodness, a light bulb has come on. Suddenly I am able to see photos that have been buried for years and years.

I must admit it started out quite rocky when I imported the first batch and couldn’t find them, and then when I did, I couldn’t figure out how to move them. So I went and sat on the sofa for a few minutes and thought to myself “Barb! just use your head!” So I went back to the computer and followed my instincts based on what I’ve learned over the last year or so. I had to let go of my Windows Explorer and Bridge “brain”. I had to think differently.

Anyway, loooong story short, I’ve organized over 20,000 photos so far and it all makes perfect sense! Oh and hey! there are those vacation photos from 2009! wow! and look at all my flowers and still life images! and look at the grandkids – how much they’ve grown!! Now my husband will be able to look at all the photos I’ve taken (something he’s been wanting for years). I am so stinkin’ proud of myself! Plus, everything is also backed up, neat and tidy.

So that explains my tulip image this morning … it must have aged while waiting for me to find it!

Medalta Pottery in White: Friday Finds

March 13, 2014 by Barb 15 Comments

So Kim is back, and I ventured into the S2F classroom and oh, my, goodness. What a treasure trove of inspiration I found! It was just what I needed and I had to stop midway through a video to run and set up my still life. I love it when that happens.

When I watched how she set up her photo shoot, it reminded me that I have a pretty amazing spot to catch the light (if I’m early enough), and that would be our bathroom. In my previous post “Direction” I had revealed how I set up a small table in the bathtub. Today I covered that table with an old flour sack and hung some cotton tea towels on a foam core board as a backdrop. I found the tea towels at Williams Sonoma and they were worth every single penny. They wash beautifully and end up with just the right amount of wrinkle. When I’m finished with them I hang them on a back of a chair so that they don’t get fold lines since fold lines drive me nuts.

OK, so what did I find this week? First up, I found this beautiful big white Medalta bowl to go with my smaller bowls – major score!

I found that I could edit and save my collage in Lightroom with the help of Kim’s free template. I’m becoming a lot more comfortable with Lightroom (never thought I’d see the day) but this is the 5th version of my bowl collage, and I’m still not completely happy with it. In Photoshop I use lots of masks to control where adjustments appear and I haven’t figured that out in LR yet. What I did find amazing was that after I added my three images to the template, if I made an adjustment in the Develop Module, it was reflected in the template – way cool. It has been a great learning experience!

So that’s it for today! Thanks for stopping by, and I’m looking forward to seeing what you found this week!

Friday Finds

March 7, 2014 by Barb 22 Comments

Oranges-Still-Life-copy-2

There are a couple “finds” in this photo, the most recent being these yummy little Mandarins. I found them in a little store as I made my way to my country home this past week. It was the bright colour that caught my eye and at the time I wasn’t even thinking of photographing them. I picked up a bunch of daffodils too, which will soon be making an appearance here.

An older “find” is the four white Medalta bowls … swoon … . As I’ve mentioned before, I love to collect Medalta pottery. The cup I used in my “Heart Chocolate” is Medalta. I didn’t realize how much I love the white pottery … .

I find that I don’t have much to say these days. Yikes, I need an infusion of inspiration. This is where I say I’m not going to complain about the weather. I’m not going to complain about the weather. I’m not going to complain about the weather.

OK. I’m not going to complain about the weather.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Spring Fever in January

January 24, 2014 by Barb 9 Comments

succulent-copy

Oh my, the sun is shining, it’s 8 degrees Celsius and I can hear water dripping off the roof. It’s January in Alberta and I have windows open, fans running, and the sun is pouring through the windows. Bliss.

This is not the photo I set out to take this morning. I had been carefully arranging tiny pine cones and clay pots and nothing was working when I turned around and saw this succulent sitting quietly (of course) in my window garden. What gloriousness! And there’s my rosemary in the background! I had hoped that that would survive at least until Christmas but it has outdone itself and is thriving.

I need to get to work, but I think I have spring fever so a little watering and re-potting of plants is in order. Then I’ll get to work … I promise …

Happy weekend everyone!

Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot com

Feather Light Find and 14 in 2014

January 3, 2014 by Barb 19 Comments

We’ve been having some crazy snowy weather (again) and it’s a bit difficult to get around our country roads. A couple of days ago we were on our way home from “town” and we witnessed a car slide into the ditch. It happened close to an approach so thankfully the driver was able to navigate safely back onto the road *whew*!

So I’m sticking close to home. Trouble is, its even hard to walk around our back yard and when I went out I wasn’t feeling too inspired. But then I spied this little cluster of feathers sitting lightly on the snow. How delicate! The tips are white and a bit hard to see here, but this cluster almost fills the whole frame.

feather light

winter-day_0017-copy

Things are looking up, I finally wrote my list of 14 in 2014. As I was writing it, I became more aware, and more thankful that I already have so much; which is why it was hard to come up with 14 things!

A lot less pressure and angst when it comes to writing Photoshop tutorials for Digital Scrapper. This is THE biggest thing for me this year. I don’t have a complete plan on how I’m going to accomplish this, but I think it has to do with the WORD that keeps popping into my head … .
Write tutorials and share them here (completely separate from DS, and not always Photoshop either).
Take the photographers tour of Antelope Canyon in AZ. The canyon is beyond breathtaking … .
Make something artsy with real paper. Just one thing (to start).
Sponsored posts.
Improve my photography. Take a class in a real live classroom.
Get a @!#+*&%* handle on Lightroom (I’ll have a whole post on that one).
Print some of my photos/art and display it.
Evenings with no TV and no internet.
Reading. Good books.
Meet an on-line friend IRL. You know, one of those people who “get me”?
Improve my writing skills.
A storage room that I can walk into.
Growth of my blog.

Here’s to another lovely winter day and countless photo opportunities. It’s so strange, I didn’t notice the flag until I posted this photo. It’s cool how the fence drew my eye right to it. winter-day_0065-copy

Turn an Antique Grater into a Flower Vase

November 14, 2013 by Barb 37 Comments

When I saw a rusty old grater at my favourite junque store, it didn’t take me but two seconds to scoop it up and tuck it under my arm. If anyone else was looking at it, they were going to have to fight me for it…

The tag suggested that it could be used as a candle holder, and yes, that would work, but I had other plans. The globe thistles (echinops) that I had harvested from my garden and were drying in our basement were crying out for a home.
antique, flower vase, echinops, barb brookbank, keeping with the times

I knew instinctively that the rustic style and greyish tones would be the perfect complement to these quirky, spiky flowers.

Antique-Grater

I was quite surprised at the top of it. What would this grid have been used for?

antique grater, flower vase, barb brookbank, keeping with the times

Well, no matter. I saw the perfect flower frog! What a treasure!!

I donned my (thickest) garden gloves, stripped away most of the very prickly leaves, trimmed the stems, and stuck them into the grid. I put the tallest stems in the middle, and the shorter ones at the edges. Piece of cake.

I love it when a project comes together so easily. I couldn’t wait to post until Friday so here it is today…

Have a wonderful Thursday! and see you tomorrow!

Party Junk at Funky Junk Interiors

What’s Inspiring You?

November 1, 2013 by Barb 11 Comments

barb brookbank, photoshop, photography, texture That’s the question Kim is asking today at Friday Finds.

I can answer that one quite quickly; flowers.

Oh, and autumn, and spring, and summer, and winter.

My DSLR, my iPhone camera, Photoshop, and Lightroom.

Blogging, reading blogs, other people’s work, and lately, Flickr.

Books, catalogues, magazines, and manuals.

My creative “spidy senses” are always on high alert (sometimes I wish they weren’t). Good golly, can I not just watch a sunrise without rushing to grab my camera? Yesterday as I was grocery shopping, I picked up a fennel bulb. Hubby asked what I was going to do with it, and I said, well it has a wonderful licorice flavour, but… I think I want to photograph it… hmmmm… (that gave us both a good laugh).

So what about you? What is inspiring you? Head over to Kim Klassen dot com to check out some great “Friday Finds”. That’s a great place to find inspiration, I can assure you!

Have a wonderful Friday!