rats.

http://www.redbubble.com/people/ellen

i have a site on redbubble where i sell matted and canvas prints of my photography and artwork. i came across ellen's work there. i really like her work, she has a keen eye for photography. it revolves around a love of nature and animals, especially her pet rats. i'm not a personal fan of rats, but she makes them look so cute...i almost fancy myself having one! please check out her work and support great art. it will make you smile!

abstract flowers.

i have a few silver.toned brooch/pendant settings on hand. thinking i will make some photo brooches using sections from some of my florals. because they are only sections, they will be abstract. i have found i am a bit of an abstract realist. here's the first...

made from this print of a photo i took of a carnation...

all the pendants like this one, will be mounted in the silver setting and measure 40x30mm. all will be capped with an acrylic cap. i think this one came out lovely! i named it whisper for its softness.

ps. this is a print i had in my scrap pile. its printed on epson's matte photo paper and the tones and quality are super!

epson's ultra premium matte photo paper.

i've been working out some pendant designs using a print of one of my originals, the tree that grew love. i have a nice horizontal design that i am going to try to make into a resin pendant set in a large metal frame. here is a test run for my round capped pendants...

i'm not super happy with the print quality. i bought the store brand premium matte paper at office depot. i don't much care for it. before the office depot paper, i had some photo postcard paper from staples. i was pleasantly surprised with it and hope to get more soon. my favorite matte paper is epson's ultra premium photo paper. i always gorgeous results with it and can't wait to get more. little expensive for cards and pendants though...i will probably get the staples for card and jewelry making. any budget brands y'all would recommend?

keep looking up.

for father's day, i made a couple of these bookmarks up for my dads...my hubby's dad and mine. of course, they will not be going out into the mail until tomorrow....

happy father's day dads!

jonesboro community garden.

we toddled up to our community's garden today. i've seen the sunflowers in bloom as we have driven past coming and going from here...and there. its in the 90s and as we walked about, we were almost blinded by sweat, but it was well worth the view!

special people.

Special People

Artists are special people. He or she makes lovely pieces of art. Artists can draw or paint, sew, or craft. Some artists write music or poetry. Here are some examples of famous art, the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da vinci, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky. Artists help make the world more beautiful. When I grow up I want to be an artist.

The End.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

this is a story my 8 yr. old daughter wrote for class today. she wants to be an artist when she grows up. yay!

smitten kitchen.

have you been? looks super yummy...gonna try some new recipes!
http://www.smittenkitchen.com/

i'm dying to try red kidney bean curry. it sounds so good!http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/02/red-kidney-bean-curry/

pendant.

vintage wallpaper mounted under an acrylic cab.

antique brass setting. 35mm round.

victoria kloch (see my blogroll) recently posted about georgia o'keefe. this paper made me think of her larger than life florals and watercolors. it also reminds me of her fondness for the southwest and desert landscapes...its gorges and canyons. still have yet to name this and get better photos. this by far has been one of the hardest to photograph. the paper is iridescent and the acrylic cab is reflective. perhaps georgia is on my mind.

wondrous love.

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb Who is the great “I Am”;
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
While millions join the theme, I will sing.

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on.

old hymns are so rich and are something i greatly love. this is an american folk hymn. we sung it today during service. i had committed it to memory sometime ago. it means so much to me. i count it among my precious things. the tune to which we sung it can be heard here,
http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/w/h/a/whatwond.htm

arresting.

kind-a-pizza.

cheesy pizza rice (6-8 servings)
.......................................

4 cups cooked rice
2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella, colby-jack blend)
3 cups or so of italian style meat sauce (i make my own with tomato sauce, spices, sugar, ground sirloin, garlic, carrots, and onions)

pour 1/2 - 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 inch casserole pan. layer rice. layer cheese, reserve 1/2 cup of the cheese. pour on remaining sauce. sprinkle reserved cheese over the top. bake at 375* until cheese is melted, 15-20 minutes. Yumm-o!

another budget friendly meal...infact, it's what we're having for dinner tonight!

five.

this is one of five custom brooches i am finishing up. they are all a part of the same order. i have to totally re.do one, the print ripped when i tried to adjust it under the acrylic cab. i also had a few prints to print up for this order. hopefully everything will be ready to go out this week.

souper food.

we have a very tight budget for food thanks to cutbacks in my husband's work hours. beans are one way i shaved the food bill this month. i made some really yummy soup with navy beans. we had it for supper lastnight and will be having it again tonight with biscuits and jam. thought i'd share incase your eating lots of beans this month too and needed a new recipe!


vegetable soup with navy beans (6-8 servings)
----------------------------------------
1lb bag of dry navy beans

rinse and soak beans overnight then cook till tender but still firm. drain cook water and set aside in large bowl.

6 carrots
4 ribs of celery
1 large onion

mince onion, chop vegetables, and set aside.

1 gallon of water
2/3 cup tonne's chicken base
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 1/2 tsp cumin (may want more or less. i don't measure )

mix vegetables, onion, water, chicken base, and spices in a crockpot. cook on low 4-6 hours until carrots are tender. add beans. salt and pepper to taste. cook an additional hour or so to heat beans and blend flavors. chicken base may clump and need to be swished around.

we really enjoyed this and hope y'all will too!

and the winner is.

And the winner is....(drum roll please)...QUILTING DIVA! thanks so much to all of you who took the time to post on my blog and leave me feedback on the bookmark design. look for another great giveaway in the not too distant future.

congratulations QUILTING DIVA!

card design.

i have some business cards that i use, but they don't have my updated info. i may submit this for printing. this has my shops and blog addresses as well as my alias, mrs. matryoshka. i don't have redbubble on the old ones and i like the artsloriotphotography better on this card.

sleepy boy.

charlie.

this really wasn't the best photo as far as crispness, but i really liked the composition. i softened the edges and brightened the photo after cropping it. i think the softness works as he is sleeping. furthermore, this would make a great smooth.tone piece. this is when he still had longer hair. he has a super short, like 1/8th inch, buzz cut now...he says it is embarrassing to him to have it this short, but it will keep him cool this summer.

nexus.

we took a day trip to desoto state park and spent the afternoon with my husband's grandparents. it was so nice to take lunch together and visit. this is one of the photos i took on the trip, i actually already blogged awhile back about the playground equipment. i edited this photo and think i will try to sell prints from it. i really like it, but i am kinda weird in my tastes. sometimes i am not the best judge of what others will like.

bookmark giveaway.

bookmark design.

the tree that grew love.

2.5 x5 print.

you could have this paper bookmark FREE! just comment on this post...tell me what you think and why. leave your contact info. i will pick a winner from those who post on saturday. sweet!