Monday iMage Madness

It's been a while since I've showcased some of my image finds on this blog. Lately I've been showcasing those finds on my tumblr account. Today I thought I'd showcase some new RedBubble members - those that have recently joined the site. Take a look at the gorgeous thumbnail images below - the first four are t-shirt designs while the second four are gorgeous photographic prints. Click on each thumbnail to view the image in full - it's well worth it. If you're a RedBubble member, and you like their work, why not leave them a comment. Enjoy!







T-Shirt designers:
1. heyhodesign
2. Idkbbydoll
3. FluidBotDesigns
4. ConceptStores

Photographic Artists:
1. Yagosan
2. Roxana Crivat
3. Richard Carey
4. -Wink-

Book Review - "Presenting: Miss Bertie Page by Mel Brackstone"

I am absolutely delighted to share with you the arrival of an online purchase I made several weeks ago. I don’t know if you know or not – but recently RedBubble partnered with blurb, the creative online book publishers to offer a new service to all RedBubble members: publish your own photography/art books and sell them online! It was also at about that time that Mel Brackstone was capturing the dreamiest of images of Miss Bertie Page – doing what she does best - using a handmade loupy lens thanks to Matt Penfold. “Hmmm...”, me thought, “...wouldn’t it be great if I had a book where every page was a loupy lens photograph of Miss Bertie Page as photographed by Mel?” Luckily with the magic of perfect timing and the internet I’m now the proud owner of a “Presenting Miss Bertie Page by Mel Brackstone” Let me say the ordering process is straight forward, with emails sent to confirm your purchase as well as a confirmation email sent when the book is actually shipped.

I could not find fault with the sturdy packaging, and the book arrived in perfect condition.

The pages have a beautiful satin feel to them and are a good weight while the colour rendition is comparable to the images on Mel’s site.
With Christmas only a few short weeks away, why don’t you consider making your very own blurb photographic art book? Or you might like to purchase one created by another artist, like I did. They’re a wonderful gift idea, and really, you can’t beat online shopping! If you’ve created a blurb book, add your link here for all of us to view and admire.

Where have all the Spiders' Webs gone?

September Rain, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

I would love to boast and say the reason there are no spiders’ webs around my home is due to the fact I am fastidious and clean my eaves and gutters regularly. But that’s not the case. The photo I’ve included was taken over two years ago. The spider web was huge. I have iron verandah posts and plenty of shrubs and trees perfect for web making, and yet, not a decent spider’s web has been formed in such a long time. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of spiders. In fact last week I almost picked up what I thought was a dead huntsman spider – he wasn’t dead at all, and only moved at the last minute before I picked him up. Luckily spiders don’t frighten me, or I would have been in trouble. The flower pots on my verandah are riddled with red back spiders, but no webs. We used to have magnificent St Andrew’s cross spiders spin their webs amongst the rose bushes, but they’ve moved out as well. So, what’s going on? Where are they all? How can I invite them back? Where do I send the photo shoot invitations out to these unknown spiders who once resided in my garden? I really miss being able to take photos of their webs. I’m a much more patient person now with a few more skills under my belt and I would love nothing more than to take photos of their glorious homes. I will simply wait patiently until the spiders return. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions, then pop your feedback into my comments below.

If you would like to buy this image as a greeting card, wall art, canvas or print, it is available for sale at my gallery over at RedBubble.

What gifts are you buying this Christmas?

That's the thought on lots of people's minds at the moment as Christmas 2009 quickly approaches. I've started my Christmas shopping by selecting some t-shirts and photographic prints over at Red Bubble where I am a member. Logging onto the Red Bubble website today, I noticed a fancy-dancy new tab for people looking for gift-giving solutions. Not only does it look fab and you can type in your favourite keyword to search whatever your little heart desires, but you don't need to worry about parking, or the shop not being open or traffic or tired shop assistants! It's all on-line, and you can shop in the convenience of your pyjamas and it's delivered to your door - what's not to love! Go on, check it out...Happy Christmas Shopping!

An old lens is like an old friend...

sweetly do I surrender, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

Yes, just like an old friend that you come to know and love over the years, a beloved old camera lens can still make your heart sing...

I’ve been so infatuated with the lensbaby lens lately, that I almost forget I have other lens I can use. One lens in particular is my Canon EF 70-210 f/4 and one I picked up many, many years ago while travelling through Europe. Sure it doesn’t have the Image Stabilisation of its newer contemporaries, but I love it all the same. I used it this weekend for the first time in a few months, and as always, was pleased with the results. I’ve added a couple of images here to show you what it can capture. Both images are from flowers in my garden, the large daisy being a most unusual variety. Whenever I'm pressed for time and just need to have my camera in my hands, there's nothing like a wander through my garden to keep me going...

daisy in my garden, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

Missing Socks? The Magical Appearing Argyle Socks(223//365)

223//365, originally uploaded by medias res.

It’s common knowledge that single socks disappear somewhere between when they’re placed in the washing machine and when the wash cycle finishes. We don’t know how they disappear or even where they go. But disappear, leaving their partner behind, is a common sock phenomena. Now, explain this next little sock mystery – a pair of woollen argyle socks have appeared down the side of my lounge chair. How long have they been there? Why hadn’t I seen them before? How did they get into the house? Had anyone else seen them and chosen not to mention the oddity of a pair of socks poking out from the cushions on the lounge? Could it be there is a second family living in my house afterall and this is a piece of evidence to prove that? I have interrogated all members of my family to no avail. Nobody has ever seen socks like that before. I have done the Cinderella thing, too – forcing my family to try them on as erky as that seems – and no, they don’t fit anyone in the family. Strange but true.