Tumblr Bound!

Hello dear lovelies! I've been doing a lot of thinking about my humble little blog here on blogger, & I've decided that it's kind of like those shoes that pinch your pinky toe, but you still wear them because they're in your closet already. Well, I'm tired of pinched pinky toes, so this little bloggy is moving to tumblr! It's going to be chock full of my best photos, & I hope you'll follow along!

Let me show you the brand new

Creatocrat!

Lingering Summer

Did you have a delicious long weekend?



We had loads of sunshine, & daily over-the-top bbq's with good friends- in other words, the perfect 3 day Summer finale. Summer isn't quite over though, another (rare) 80 degree September day here squashed any potential thoughts of Autumn boots & sweaters (& uhm.. buckling down at the computer for a full work day).

On Pause

This Summer has been ...eventful, some good, some not so good. It's time to take a moment to pause & reflect.



I promise to be back on Sept 6 with lots of new photos & website news. In the meantime, I'll be outside - getting some fresh air.

Happy Weekend

This blue patterned porcelain treetop against the bright blue sky was such an eye-catcher the other day. More about the "Witness Trees" in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle here.

Light in the Flowers

Can you go wrong with a shot of flowers at sunset?

Bookends

Did you know there's a matching Lady Liberty here in Seattle?



She's a paperweight version, & looks over a very different scene from the Lady in New York. In this photo, she's probably wondering where the Summer sunshine has been hiding!

Time for a Dip

The sun is out & in the people are in the lake - Summer has officially arrived in Seattle!

A Foray into Film

I finally shot & developed my first 2 rolls of film on the Holga! After reading about unpredictable light leaks, imprecise focus settings, viewfinder discrepancies, & needing a ton of light for proper exposure, I had no idea if any of the shots would turn out. Happily, I quite like 3 from each roll:



Black & white has me hooked, I will definitely be shooting in b/w a lot more:



Now I just have to work on a better "shots taken" to "shots I like" ratio!

Hello Summer

I'm saying hello to Summer, in hopes that it will come over to our neck of the woods & hang out for awhile. Available here!

Punch of Color

I was down at the Pike Place Market yesterday in hopes of bringing home a load of peonies, but I was distracted from my mission by these beauties:



They are enormous & so vibrant it's hard to believe they are real! They remind me of crepe paper flowers. Now all we need is a fiesta to go with them.

Chimney Rock Winery

Chimney Rock Winery has Spanish details & a pretty white roof,



a boisterous welcoming committee of red & white roses,



piles of delectable vino with labels that echo the roofline,



& a warm & unpretentious tasting room experience. It's unique & charming, & one of our favorite Napa stops!

Welcome to Wine Country

Do you feel like you are being welcomed with open arms?



If you visit the right wineries, you will be. What is it about wine that incites such passion from the people who craft it? Wine-making requires such intense attention, care & downright hard work, that everyone involved is personally invested in the quality of the product. It's a rare thing these days, & pretty darn inspirational if you ask me.

A Simple Request

A Dose of PDX

Just across the river,



there's a magical land of meticulously crafted coffees, triathlete pedicab drivers who will race each other if you ask nicely, & good times around every corner...

Unexpected and Familiar

The other day screamed out for a walk in some saltwater air, so we jumped in the car & headed down to Golden Gardens, here in Seattle.



I haven't been there in such a long time, I forgot all about this moody cluster of trees that live right on the beach. I'd like to remember to go back to get a photo when they have leaves on them. My thought is that by posting that about it here, I will actually remember before Winter sets in- we'll see if it works!

Cherry Pinks

Cheery cherry blossom photos never get old - right?



The pretty pink blooms are just so darn ... happy!

Allez Allez!

Just in time for Bike Month, there's a new print in the shop!



Allez Allez! Go Go Go!

Side note: Can you tell that someone around here has been talking incessantly about new wheels for his bike? Weaseled himself right into my work!

Paper Pops at Poppytalk

Say that 3 times fast! Then, check out Jan's gorgeous lookbook:

Open publication - Free publishing - More affordable art

So many tempting goodies!

Urban Skies

Looking up at the blue skies above the buildings downtown,



such a lovely contrast to the neutral tones of the buildings - much better than when everything is gray.!

Drive-by

The sky, the concrete, the woman relaxing in the sun...



It was a perfect little moment, & I had to be very quick with the iphone in order to snap it as we drove by.

Cotton Candy Sky

Pink Magnolias, pink cherry blossoms, & fluffy pink clouds in the sky:



Spring is looking awfully pretty this year!

Canopy of Pink Magnolias

I have passed by this gorgeous tree nearly every day for the last couple of weeks, & every day I make a mental note to come back & take photos of it before the blossoms are gone. To my own surprise, I actually recalled this mental note when I had my camera with me & time to pull over & take some pictures.



This is no puny tree, I took this shot from underneath.



Let me tell you, standing under a giant fragrant pink canopy with sunlight filtering through was like experiencing the best bits of Spring all at once!

Lazy Daisies

A new print just made its' debut in the shop!



This print makes me think of laying in the grass on a sunny afternoon with nothing to do but gaze up at the sky & look for shapes in the puffy clouds.

Stopping to Smell the Daffodils

There were no last minute road trips, or hopping flights to seek out our next adventure. It was a weekend right here in our own city, & it was beautiful.



So silly how sometimes we forget what is right in front of us.

Just a Peek

This is what could be seen from a gap in the curtains...



There's blue sky out there! Good thing too, I've been starting to feel a little like a mole. Maybe I'll get some happy shiny Spring shots to share with you this weekend - fingers crossed!

Meet the Real April Showers

April is off to a dark & soggy start here in Seattle:



Looks like it might be a movie weekend for us. If you have sunshine, frolic in it a little extra for me!

A Burst of Spring

Pink Cherry Blossoms get plenty of attention, but the white ones are quite lovely too.



I would have loved to shoot these beauties against a vibrant blue sky, but I'm afraid I had to settle for bright overcast today. I'm crossing my fingers for a sunny day before the blossoms fall off!

Goodbye to an Icon

A rare jewel indeed.

Going Holga

Does this cute little camera look scary to you?



It's just a toy after all. At least that's what I keep telling myself, but I have to admit I'm a little nervous to dive into shooting with film. Will all of my photos turn out over/under exposed? Will this $40 toy turn into a film & developing fee money pit? Will I run screaming back to the land of digital? Stay tuned to find out...

The Most Beautiful Sight

It just wouldn't be right to tell you about my Alaskan adventure without sharing a shot of the jaw-droppingly gorgeous mountains.



They went on forever....
Have a wonderful weekend, hope you see something beautiful!

Poppytalk Mad March Lookbook

Jan from Poppytalk has really outdone herself with the Mad March Lookbook:

Isn't the layout wonderful? & so many gorgeous goodies! I'm partial to page 23 :)

All Dressed Up & Ready to Go

We had the opportunity to hang out in the staging area for the Scottish musher Wattie McDonald. The mushers & some of the handlers showed their Scottish pride in kilts & knee-high socks, (& nothing on their legs, brrrr!) but the dogs stole the show in their red plaid coats & black booties.

Doesn't Varmit look pleased with the make-over?



Once in your uniform, you can close your eyes & visualize the course (these are elite athletes after all).



Meet Miss Congeniality, she was so sweet & kept coming over to us for more noggin scratches.



Despite being enthralled with the dogs, I did actually manage to get in a couple of shots of the musher.



It was a cold & sunny morning, there were more than a few "eyes closed" photos. This is Wattie's fellow Scotsman & 2nd sled musher Kevin Thain in full costume, making sure his eyes were open for the photo.



That's where the photos stop for the morning, because we were invited to run the dogs up to the start - sometimes you gotta put the camera down & jump into the action!

It's All About the Doggies

After a hearty breakfast, we put our dozens of layers of sweaters & fleece back on & headed out to see the real stars of the Iditarod - the dogs! The excitement of the dogs was palpable, they really want to run. Waiting is the hardest part for them, but there are a variety of ways they get through it.

Some of them get chatty:



some are anxious, some more meditative:



some know the drill & are calm but watchful:



but when the booties are on & the sled is ready to go, they know it's almost their turn, & they just have to jump for joy!

The Plan

Remember when I told you that I had an amazing photo opportunity this weekend?



Well, it was in Anchorage Alaska, for the Ceremonial Start of the Iditarod, & it all started with a breakfast plan...

A Different Kind of Pola

I'm thinking of all things cold & snowy today....



& I'm literally jumping up & down yelling "wooooo!" right now (no joke) because I am so excited for the photo opportunities I have this weekend! I hope to get some goodies to share with you next week :) Have a wonderful adventurous weekend!

Grey Day on the Ferry

Usually the Ferry trip from Seattle to Bainbridge Island & back is a serene & pretty day trip. (hmmm, maybe that's because I usually think to head over when the weather is nice?)



Yesterday was a different story. There were white caps on the water, cold rain & wind, even some wet snow. That doesn't keep Seattle folks from going about their business though. There was a bike event on the Island, & a few adventurous (& thoroughly soaked) kids with hoods pulled tight pretending to fly across the deck of the ferry. Good thing there was a hot plate of potatoes deluxe (mmm, cheeeeese) waiting to warm me up at Streamliner Diner!

Diorama Drama

Our San Francisco adventure included a photo bonanza at the California Academy of Sciences. Exploring the African Hall dioramas was fascinating, & more than a little eerie...





nothing gets by these guys, that's for sure.

Ready, Set, Go

We took advantage of the long weekend, & zipped off to San Francisco for a couple of days!



Good friends, good food, tons of photo time (more to come), & all with this amazing city as a back drop. Sure makes me wish for more long weekends :)

What Do All Artists Want?

Why, to catch lightning in a bottle of course!



(Usually when I process the heck out of a photo, I end up scrapping it, but this one turned out rather nice I think!)

Street Lights or Sculptures?

I thought these street lights looked so light & airy against the bright overcast sky (yep, no photoshop on the sky - it was really a blank canvas). Also, they reminded me of when Seagulls are drawn like this:



Do you see it too?