Sunday Morning Gallery - Wildflowers of the Rockies

It is not easy to define a wildflower; what one person considers a wildflower may be a weed to another. All we may safely say is that they are wild plants with flowers and that they may be found almost anywhere. Here are a few from my neck of the woods.

Stemless Daisy

Rocky Mountain Columbine

Scotch Thistle

Narrowleaf Penstemon

Datura

Western Wallflower

Visit me on Etsy

Friday Favorites - Desert Color

I have always loved vibrant desert color. The color of a Sedona sunset, coral and turquoise jewelry, and the giant red mesas in the old John Wayne movies of my childhood send a warm happy feeling right through me and down to my toes. Enjoy these gorgeous pieces from some very talented artisans. Please visit their shops by clicking on the piece's title. Enjoy!

CEREMONIAL HEADRESS
by Original Art Studio

Robin's Egg Blue Semi-precious Stone and Copper Earrings
by TK Designs

Enlightened
by Kenna Foster

Desert Oasis Necklace
by Kelley Livingston

The Horseman
by Uncle Lee

Pussy Willows in Rocky Mountain National Park

Pussy willow is a name given to the genus Salix (willows and sallows) when their furry catkins are young in early spring. Before the male catkins come into full flower they are covered in fine, greyish fur, leading to a fancied likeness to tiny cats, also known as "pussies". The catkins appear long before the leaves, and are one of the earliest signs of spring.

These cute little fuzzy buds remind me of my childhood. My Mom was very good at seasonal decorating with whatever grew beside the road and pussy willows were always in a spring bouquet. I used to love to stroke the furry little "paws" and imagine that someday I would have a real kitty.

Do you have a memory connected to pussy willows? Which shot do you like the best? I'd love to hear from you.

If you are interested in purchasing information for Pussy Willows just click the link. Thanks!

Sunday Morning Gallery - Black and White Photography Part 1

I do not work with black and white photography often although I admire the work of other photographers immensely. Because of being inspired by the wonderful black and white photography that I have seen I have been playing with some of my own photos recently. I hope you will tell me what you think. Have a wonderful Sunday!

Etsy Buy Handmade JulieMagersSoulen

Friday Favorites - Sunflowers of Etsy

This week I would like to shine the spot light on the fantastic photographers of the Photographers of Etsy.

Here are a few of my favorite discoveries from POE. Be sure to visit each shop by clicking on the item name or shop name. Enjoy!

Sunflower Morning
by
JMcGuinness

As Far as the Eye Can see
by
The Eye

Bee and Sunflower
by
Cat Ludwig Studio

After The Storm Sunflower
by
Celtic Cat Photos

Visit me here.

Tattoo Me by Love

As some of you know I recently got a tattoo and as I promised I am sharing my experience. After talking over my idea and giving Mez Love some photos she worked up a sketch of my idea. We talked about it and fine tuned it until it was just right.

The day of my appointment I was a little giddy and a little nervous. Getting a tattoo has been on my "bucket list" for a long time and I was ready. But since this was my first I wondered how much was this really going to hurt! People had been telling me quite frequently all the stories they had heard about how much it hurts. Well, I can tell you from experience that the anticipation was much worse than the reality. I clenched my teeth waiting for the first sting of the needles and was surprised that it was mostly just irritating.

The first thing Mez does is put on the ink template from her sketch.



Mez Love really does love her work. She starts by doing all the outlines in black ink.



The black ink is done and it really is starting to look like a tattoo.



In spite of everyone telling me what horrible experience this was going to be I had a great time chatting with Mez while she worked.



Time for a break and a peek at the progress.



It's done! I absolutely love it! The pinkness will fade and heal in a couple weeks and I have my specially designed by Mez Love tattoo. Thanks Mez!

Sunday Morning Gallery - A Night at The Stanley

I am going to take you on a journey back in time. Come with me to The Stanley Hotel circa 1909. Built by F.O. Stanley, the same that invented the Stanley Steamer, the hotel has been featured as one of America's most haunted hotels with numerous stories from visitors and staff. In 1973 Stephen King, inspired by The Stanley's remoteness while staying in Room 217 during an intense winter storm, wrote "The Shining." And yes, it is Room 217 that Maid Elizabeth Wilson likes to visit. There are other regular ghostly visitors as well; ghost children like to play on the fourth floor, Mr. Stanley hangs out in the lobby or bar, Mrs. Stanley loves to play her piano, and Lord Dunraven resides in Room 401. So when night fell and the hotel became quiet I could not resist prowling around looking for ghosts.

The lobby looks quiet and without any apparent ghostly activity.

I crept closer to the piano wondering if Mrs. Stanley would materialize in front of my eyes. The amber glow around the stage gave the room a haunted mood and I have to admit that I was getting spooked.

Time to go upstairs and explore.



Wait, what is that movement by the light! It must have been my imagination. It's gone now.



I hope someone leaves the light on for me.

Friday Favorites - I'm Seeing Red!

This week I would like to shine the spot light on a wonderful group of artisans at Peace and Love on 1000 Markets.

Peace & Love's market profile states that their goal in the new millennium is to capture the essence of the 60's and 70's, when handmade products were fashioned from a culture of free spirit thinking. The Peace and Love market is a trip down memory lane but is also the evolution of this spirit into new twists on old ideas.

Here are a few of my favorite discoveries in this exciting market. Be sure to visit each shop by clicking on the item name or shop name. Enjoy!

Other Realms
by
Karen Casey Smith

Hand-painted Rectangle Keepsake Box
by
Painting Rocks!

Atomic Lace Top in Fiery Red and Golden Yellow
by
Dye Diana Dye

red, Red, RED HEARTS!
by
Sacred Sparks

Mystery at Night

Here is my latest treasury on Etsy. To find any item you would like to have a closer look at search for the sellers name on Etsy. Enjoy the romance of a mystery at night.



Visit me on Etsy.

Sunday Morning Gallery - A Day with Mom

Last summer during my Mom's semiannual visit we loaded up the 4Runner and headed up the Poudre Canyon west of Fort Collins, Colorado. Our destination was Long Draw Reservoir. The road to Long Draw opens in late June and is usually closed by September so the window of opportunity to drive it is limited to the peak of summer. The road is used for cross country skiing in the winter.

After a few stops to take some family photos next to the raging Poudre River we made it to Long Draw Road. Here's Mom and Ric.

The South Fork of the Poudre River follows the winding dirt road and was bubbling and burbling music to our ears.



A wet meadow opened up as the road came around a tight bend and to our delight a bull moose was grazing on the tender new growth. Oops. He saw me.




Then we forded the little South Fork, climbed a rise, and there was the beautiful vista of the Long Draw Reservoir with the Never Summer Range in the distance.



It was a lovely day with Mom. Wishing all you Moms a wonderful Mother's Day.

Friday Favorites - Rocky Mountain Market

There is a new market at 1000 Markets. It is called the Rocky Mountain Market and it has "High-Altitude Artisans" from all over the Rockies.

Products are the kind you might discover at a great farmers market, craft fair or at a quaint little ski-town boutique. There is a wide variety to choose from too! You will find arts and crafts - from pottery to photography, jewelry to papercraft, and everything in between.

Here are a few of my favorite discoveries in this brand new and exciting market. Be sure to visit their shops by clicking on the item name or shop name. Enjoy!

Desolation
by
Nine Dragons Sculpture Art

For Our Children
by
Aspengold

Solitare
by
Highwood Studio

Freshly Cut - Tulip (5 Notecard Set)
by
Katie Blair Designs

Birds of a Feather

Here is the latest "treasury" of my favorites on Etsy. Simply search for the seller's name to find the shops selling these items.

Friend's Award

I was surprised to find that "The Weblog of Artist Athena Workman" honored me with this lovely award. Thanks Athena!

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbon of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."



Thank you so much! Here are my eight awardees:

Shop n Blog
Gypsy Moon Designs
C. Wade Photography
Celtic Cat Photos
Urban Junkies Artist Lounge
allieart: Photography Benefitting Children
Beholden to Nature
Clancys Classics

Sunday Morning Gallery - Alpine Loop to Cinnamon Pass

Today's Sunday Morning Gallery is Part 2 of our Lake City vacation. After finding our campsite (see the April 26 blog entry in the archives) and enjoying a day of rest we packed up the 4 Runner with dogs and lunch and headed up the Alpine Loop 4WD road to Cinnamon Pass.

Cinnamon Pass Road is part of the Alpine Loop in the San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado. This route is opened by snowplow early in the season. Be warned though, in the summer peak season Cinnamon Pass Road is an extremely popular 4WD route. Parts of the road are a single lane rock shelf with no pull offs. Uphill traffic has the right of way in these situations and believe me when I say that you do not want to back up on some of this road! There are also a few switchbacks that a full sized SUV can not navigate without several passes. If you are squeamish about steep plunging drop offs without guard rails this may not be your cup of tea.

Like many trails/roads in Colorado, the Cinnamon Pass Road was travelled originally by Native American Indians, in this case Ute Indians. The first documented travel by white settlers was in the early 1860s when Charles Baker used Cinnamon Pass in his exploration of the San Juan mountains.

Cinnamon Pass is at 12,640 and there are signs located here explaining the tundra conditions at this altitude. By the way, this is not paid advertising for Toyota. But don't you think they should send me money for this shot?

After a fun day driving up to the pass we headed back to camp and our room with a view, popped a beer, and kicked back. Not a bad day.