Its time for another ♥ I Heart Macro Sunday! ♥
I had these pine cones on display for Christmas. I love their spiraling patterns and wanted to share them with you, for your Macro Sunday enjoyment. And now that I’ve shared them, I can pack them away until next year.
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Lori of Studio Waterstone hosts a weekly blog hop of close-up photos.
Visit Lori to get links to more great macro shots.
Its time for another ♥ I Heart Macro Sunday! ♥
We have a large barrel cactus that we’ve had for over 20 years. In the summer it sits out on the deck – hence the pine needles in some of the photos. In the fall we haul it back indoors.
One time, many years ago, the woman who cleaned our home, accidentally backed into it while she was vacuuming. She told me later that her husband wanted to know why she had so many pin pricks on her butt! Believe me, she never made that mistake again!
Center of the cactus with new growth.
Caution: These hurt!
Youch!
Top of the barrel cactus
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Lori of Studio Waterstone hosts a weekly blog hop of close-up photos.
Visit Lori for links to more great macro shots.
Its time for another ♥ I Heart Macro Sunday! ♥
My husband found a molted snake-skin in the garden. All our snakes here are harmless and I am fascinated by the patterns formed by the scales. I hope this doesn’t creep anyone out.
molted snake-skin
Molted snake-skin.
Molted snake-skin.
Molted snake-skin: the snake's head
Molted snake-skin: the entire snake
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Lori of Studio Waterstone hosts a weekly blog hop of close-up photos.
Visit Lori to get links to more great macro shots.
Its time for another ♥ I Heart Macro Sunday! ♥ I know I kind of dropped out of this for a while. But, hello, I’m back!
I absolutely love autumn colors! They are so inspiring to me. The macro shots really capture the complexities of the colors along the veins of the leaves.
Autumn Leaf Close Up
Red and Yellow Autumn Leaf
Fall Leaf Close up
Autumn colors also inspire my jewelry design. I just added “Smoky Autumn Earrings” to Linda Landig Jewelry on Thursday. The great autumn colored lampwork glass leaves are handmade by Havana Beads. I accented them with flawlessly clear smoky quartz, carnelian and brass bead caps.
Smoky Autumn Earrings
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Lori of Studio Waterstone hosts a weekly blog hop of close-up photos.
Visit Lori to get links to more great macro shots.
Brandi Hussey, author of the Brandi Girl blog, designs jewelry, takes amazing photos, dispenses advise for online businesses and creates inspiring color palettes.
Brandi’s is hosting her third Color Palette Blog Walk today, but this is my first time participating. Color is what makes my heart sing when I design jewelry, so I was ready to hop on board for Brandi’s Round 3. Each participant was to choose photos of whatever brings them joy and then to make color palettes to go with it.
This is Riley, my grandson. He has a smile that melts my heart. Such a joy!
Flowers are tremendous source of joy and inspiration for me. If you’ve followed my blog, then you’ll know that I often post floral arrangements that I’ve designed, or pictures of the orchids I raise. Here is one of my favorite orchids.
Autumn is my favorite time of year. I was born on the first day of fall and the rich colors just reverberate with something deep in my soul.
And this will be of no great surprise to you: Designing jewelry brings me a great deal of joy!
Check out the other wonderful Color Palette Blog Walk participants and find out what brings them joy!
Francesca at Francesca Watson Designs
Lori at Pretty Things
Marsha at Marsha Neal Studio Blog
Cindy at Sweet Bead Studio
Kerry at Kab’s Concepts
Cynthia at Ornamental Style
Linda at Linda’s Bead Blog & Meanderings
Emily at Good Things*
Erin at Treasures Found
Jenni at Jenni’s Beads
Shari at Exploring the Wonders of Life
Brandi at Brandi Girl Blog
~-:¦:-••-:¦:-••-:¦:-• Here’s a link to my Bead Soup post. •-:¦:-••-:¦:-••-:¦:-~
Its time for another ♥ I Heart Macro Sunday! ♥
I was taking macro photos in my friend’s garden when she noticed that a grasshopper had found a comfy spot in one of her dahlias. I zoomed in and here are the results. I wish I could have such a lovely space in which to sit!
Grasshopper in a Pink Dahlia
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Lori of Studio Waterstone hosts a weekly blog hop of close-up photos.
Visit Lori to get links to more great macro shots.
Its time for another ♥ I Heart Macro Sunday! ♥
I have a small collection of orchids on my kitchen window sill. I water them when I remember, but I don’t fuss over them. Two are blooming now. The blooms last a month or more. I had one orchid that bloomed from the beginning of Dec. until the middle of July this year!
Phalaenopsis Orchid
White Phalaenopsis Orchid Buds
White Phalaenopsis Orchid
White Phalaenopsis Orchid
White Phalaenopsis Orchid
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Lori of Studio Waterstone hosts a weekly blog hop of close-up photos.
Visit Lori to get links to more great macro shots.
Its time for another ♥ I Heart Macro Sunday! ♥
I went blueberry picking last week. I’m not very fast. My friend filled up two cans in the time it took me to fill one. But I enjoy getting out and picking berries and then having fresh berries for breakfast smoothies and muffins! I was struck by how beautiful the partially ripened fruit was, with its greens, magentas and blues. And I love the little “frill” at the top of each berry.
M-m-m-m, fresh blueberries!
Check out those colors!
The colors make me wish I could paint!
And here is one of the results of all this picky-picky-picking!
Warm blueberry muffins, right out of the oven!
I also love to make smoothies for breakfast. Here’s Linda’s top-secret recipe for:
Superior Smoothies
Serves 1
1/4 cup frozen blueberries (or any berries of your choice)
1/2 sliced banana, frozen
1/4 cup 1% or nonfat milk
1/4 cup nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt
Buzz the ingredients in the blender and enjoy! The frozen berries make it cold, like ice cream, only its full of good health. Cheers!
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Lori of Studio Waterstone hosts a weekly blog hop of close-up photos.
Visit Lori to get links to more great macro shots.
Its time for another ♥ I Heart Macro Sunday! ♥
Sunflower
Sunflower
sunflower
Good morning, sunshine!
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Lori of Studio Waterstone hosts a weekly blog hop of close-up photos.
Visit Lori to get links to more great macro shots.
Its time for another ♥ I Heart Macro Sunday! ♥
I was going to go sit by my husband on the front porch one day this week, when I discovered that “someone else” had already claimed that chair. This little guy was perched on the top cross-bar of the chair back.
Western Chorus Frog
Pacific Northwest Chorus Frog
He (she?) sat there very patiently, while I ran into the house and got my camera. I took macro shots from all different angles.
Pacific Northwest Chorus Frog
We have a protected wetland area behind our house. Having so many frogs in the area is considered a sign that the wetlands have a healthy ecosystem. This guy is a Northwest Chorus Frog, and believe me, these guys can really sing! On spring nights their love songs are almost deafening.
A third grade class at Boston Harbor Elementary School in Olympia, Washington successfully proposed, to the state legislature, that the Northwest chorus frog should be the state amphibian. And so, in 2007, the Pacific chorus frog (Pseudacris regilla) became the official state amphibian . Now why states need official amphibians, I don’t know. But it was a cool project for the third graders!
Pacific Northwest Chorus Frog
After awhile the Mr. Frog grew tired of his photo shoot and started climbing down the chair.
Pacific Northwest Chorus Frog
Pacific Northwest Chorus Frog
Eventually he hopped onto the seat of the chair and then sprung off into the garden.
Northwest Chorus Frog
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Lori of Studio Waterstone hosts a weekly blog hop of close-up photos.
Visit Lori to get links to more great macro shots.
Linda's Bead Blog & Meanderings 