Focusing On Life~Week 14~Up Close

 Looking at any object up close transforms it into an unidentifiable landscape,

a scary terrain seemingly from another planet

complete with hidden caves and stalagtites

 It can even sometimes take on human characteristics

like these hands and fingers which seem to reach up out of the ground to grasp an object

You can see well defined patterns and rows of shapes that would otherwise go unnoticed

And textures not visible to the naked eye

You begin to wonder,

what am I looking at?

Then suddenly it all makes sense.

Head on over to The Studio Sublime to get up close and personal this week.

I Heart Macro - Aerial View

Can't you just see the outline of some volcanic island chain, with the blue waters reflecting the sky and clouds and wind currents?

Or some undersea adventure with all the aquatic life around?

A strand of micro worlds

All woven together into a universe of sorts

I sat down yesterday with instructions in hand and created my first Kumihimo necklace with boro glass drops and hand dyed silk ribbons that I picked up last weekend at Beadfest Philly.

The rain stopped long enough for me to take it outside and get a few shots to do this post and link up with all the I heart macro goodness over at Studio Waterstone.

Head on over to see what everyone else is focusing on this morning.



I Heart Macro - Pony Swim

Last week marked the 87th annual Pony Swim and auction here on Chincoteague Island.

For all those who live here it is a tradition we are happy to see come and then go as it brings with it a large congregation of tourists which makes for one of the busiest, most demanding weeks of the year if you are in business, as we are.

Last year I posted about the Pony Auction here.

So on Monday, our day off, I ventured out to the pool for a little R&R and this is the first thing I saw when I got into the water.

A Pony shaped leaf.

I took a picture of it as it lay underwater, (see below) but it was really hard to get into focus as the water kept rippling, so I gently raised it up onto the edge of the pool for this shot.

The veins in the leaf coincide perfectly with the outline of the horse head don't you think?

It's amazing what you can see when you take the time to notice and really look. That's why i love I Heart Macro.

Head on over to Studio Waterstone and see what everyone else focused on this week!



I Heart Macro- My Cup Runneth Over

Believe it or not, I tried to do this post 2 weeks ago for I heart Macro Sunday over at Studio Waterstone and due to a whole lot of technical difficulties, am just getting it done today!

Don't you just love the architectural details on this handle?

The handle  belongs to this beautiful, well loved , silverplated cup that was gifted to me 2 weeks ago.

Cindy Wimmer and her wonderful family, (hello boys!) stopped by to visit with us at our restaurant and near the end of dinner, she reached into her purse and handed me this gift, wrapped in bright pink paper.

While on their trip to Adamstown PA a few weeks prior, she spotted this and thought of me and picked it up. 

Just writing those words fills me with such gratitude for such a sweet, thoughtful friend, my cup runneth over!

As if it's even possible to be more special than that, it is engraved with my name!

The workmanship is amazing, the details of the chased flowers, all so different, you can see lily of the valley, daisies, roses, sunflowers and what I believe are forget me nots.

The hallmark on the bottom even has a set of scales, another coincidence, I am a Libra!

Thank you Cindy for such a meaningful gift but most of all for your friendship, I will treasure them both!

PS, as a result of the above macro shot, which helped me to be able to read the hallmark, I did a little investigating to find the history of this piece. I just love history and find the history of a particular piece sentimental and romantic.

Anyway, it seems Meridan B Company was the Meridan Britannia company from Meridan Ct. of 1852 which bought Rogers Bros in 1878 and later joined other firms to create the International Silver co. in 1898.

This particular piece is a child's presentation cup, in the Aesthetic style, quadruple plate which they say is the best and not done after 1900.  188 is the pattern number for the leaves and flowers and dated to mid 1800's. How very cool is that??

I Heart Macro ~ Tenacious

Today is I Heart Macro over at Studio Waterstone .

It's been a few weeks again since I have gone out and focused on the little things in life and i have really missed it, while tending to all the big things like work and preparing for the holidays and family visits.

Looking out my windows from the warmth of indoors, everything looks dead and barren and wintry.

But upon close inspection this morning I find that nature is tenacious.

The strawberry leaves are coated with color and frosty sprinkles.

Long after the delicate petals of the lillies and iris have gone, the weeds still bloom and sprout life. 

Some of the bushes pose as holiday cards 

The salvia still basks in the morning sunshine, soaking up the dew and warmth for as long as it can 

The winter blooming camellia provides a tender contrast to the evergreen leaves that surround it.

So much beauty to appreciate when we just take the time to notice.

Hop on over to Lori's to see what everyone else is appreciating this morning!



I Heart Macro

It's time once again for I heart macro over at Studio Waterstone

While taking the pics this week for the virtual blog book tour I couldn't help but see algae bloom underwater in this enameled piece.

Fall sweetness- we got raspberries on the bushes that survived this first year,

not enough to make jam but it's a start

When I looked at this shot, I saw a tapestry of sorts over to the right so I copied and cropped it out

Good inspiration, sort of impressionistic for artwork and jewelry dontchathink?

For even more inspiration, head on over to Lori's to see more macro goodness



I Heart Macro

It's I heart macro sunday over at Lori's, won't you join us?

For this weeks' shot I didn't actually have my macro lens, i was taking jewelry pics outside and i think I actually may have put my tile down where this little guy was sitting because he shot me this glance when i realized he was there. I can only imagine what he's muttering.

Hop on over and see what everyone else is sharing today!



I Heart Macro - A Metaphor

Today is I Heart Macro Sunday over at Studio Waterstone.

I haven't been able to participate for the past 2 weeks and am so glad to be back!

This Morning's shot is of my electroetching pan.

 After looking at it on my counter for days, watching the water level slowly decreasing to nothing and leaving behind this alien landscape, I got to thinking.

On this somber anniversary of 9/11 this pan is like a metaphor of what we have been through as a nation.

To get started, copper sulfate granules, simple nondescript blue granules much like aquarium gravel, are totally dissolved in distilled water in the pan. It is this liquid mixture which creates the beautiful patterns and textures on the copper by removing a little of the copper and mixing it in solution and finally adhering it to the pan.

We as a people are much like that, a mix, a blending of sorts, creating our lives, making something new and beautiful for our futures, something that will last.

 What happened on 9/11 tried to take that away from us.

But what happened was a transformation instead. The familiar granules are no longer seen, the water ( life) is gone and can't be reclaimed, but what remains is a beautiful new landscape filled with bigger, stronger more beautiful crystals in it's place.  

The crystals are no longer separate and free floating. They are connected and adhered to the foundation.

Peace.

I Heart Macro

This morning is I heart Macro over at Studio Waterstone, won't you join us?

These are the buds of my tuberose plant. The perfume I wear is velvet tuberose so I thought it might be fun to grow a few this year. It is said that Cleopatra wore tuberose.

I planted the bulbs in pots on my steps so that when they bloomed I could enjoy their fragrance each ime I walked by.

This bud had been growing and expanding for 2 weeks now. I just hope it blooms before a strong wind in the upcoming thunderstorms snap it off before I get to enjoy it!

Most of the flowers have succumbed to the extreme heat we have had over the past few weeks/month but the phlox still has some pretty blooms on it.

Have a beautiful Sunday!



I Heart Macro

Say a prayer before takeoff.

It's no secret, I love dragonflies, damselflies, skeeter hawks, whatever you choose to call them. they are my favorites in the garden.

They pose so nicely for the camera, never shy away and always seem to be smiling.

Each one with it's individual colors and markings, a work of art.

This guy, with his herringbone tweed pants, found an overripe cucumber that was hiding from view until it turned a bright yellow in the kids' garden.

The foxgloves that I planted this year are finally staring to bloom.

The hibiscus, along with the rest of us, are wilting in the extreme heat.

The figs are liking it though, they are ripening and bursting at the seams with sweet goodness.

It'll soon be time for fig jam and maybe even some candied figs (Sshhhhh) if we get enough before the birds find them!

Head on over to Lori's at Studio Waterstone for the rest of the macro goodness and maybe even join in!