Blossoming in Nature

Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature. 

Gerard De Nerval 

Little Things

White Campanula in the early morning garden 

It's the little things declaring beauty that one must cling to in this tumultuous time,

to fight the despair that threatens to overwhelm.

#resist

16 Photos in 16 Minutes #365phew #80

A challenge on a day we were traveling home from my nephews wedding - take sixteen photos a minute apart.
We were driving through Washington wine country... and not all were in focus, but they give a feel of the road traveled. :)

This last photo was several miles up the road - a rest area at the top of the hills between Yakima and Ellensburg. Besides a view back the way we came, it had a cryptic sign that warns to "Watch for Rattlesnakes."

Tutorial - Setting up your Google+ Brand Account

I've just gotten into promoting my Etsy Stores on Google+. I started with my main Google+ account, but have just set up a "Brand Account" for my Vintage Shop and am sharing to help fellow sellers. Note that I work from a Windows PC.

To create your Brand Account Page: https://support.google.com/business/answer/4570248

1. In a web browser, visit the page creation portal.
2. Follow the instructions on your screen to finish creating your page.

After you've created the page, it takes you back to your main account (at least mine did). You can’t edit the Brand page from there, so go up to your profile avatar and LEFT click (on PC), which brings up a list with your Brand Account. Click on your brand account, and you can edit it as you did your original Google+ page.  

To change your banner and avatar go to your Profile - found in the column at left of screen. If the list is not showing click on the three lines at the top of the screen to the left of Google+ and it will bring the list up.

Click on “About” and it brings up a screen where you can add your banner image and avatar as well as description. Add images by clicking the camera icon, and text by clicking the pencil.  I matched it to my shop for consistency.

Note: when I click the camera it brings up the photos I have on my google account (from phone), if it does that click again and it should give you a choice to access your computer.

You follow the same basic steps to create “Collections”. Just click on the Create a collection and edit away.

*Note that you will remain in the last collection you posted, so go to “Collections” and select YOURS to pick the appropriate collection.

Also *borrowed  from a fellow seller-Alex* A reminder (or new info if you don't know) to speed listing y on G+, hot keys are your friends! Here are the most usable ones below:

Mac:

Command and C = copy

Command and V = paste

Command and Z = undo

PC:

Control and C = copy

Control and V = paste

Control and Z = undo

Good luck setting up your Brand Account page!

Art Every Day - Nov 7 Choose Happiness

I have been doing #100happydays since July 10, 2016. A friend started doing it, and because I think it's good to focus on HAPPY things (law of attraction), I decided I'd play along. Because, seriously, I get to choose how I feel (so do you!), and I choose to be happy! 

My "100 happy days" actually ended October 18th but I had decided to keep doing it through election day. Well... we're almost there! I'll still focus on happy; it's become ingrained in me. 

Coincidentally, Sunday's Story People was on happiness - which pretty much sums up my thoughts as well. 

The bottom line is, life is all in your attitude. Find the happy thing in whatever is going on in your life... there's always SOMEthing to be happy about. Look for that silver lining, and you're sure to find it. 

Choose Happiness! 

Art Every Day - Nov 6 Teabag Found Poetry

 Playing around with teabag art... as in using a "used" teabag to create some type of something upon.  This is not what I thought would happen, but it was a fun learning experience. 

I stamped the image on the teabag, and added the found poetry cut from an old book page. 

I placed a textured paper towel (with paint from a gelliplate off print) cut (mostly) to size, to add texture and interest. Then I applied beeswax, using my mini iron, to meld together. 

It didn't quite work as I thought it would, but I still kinda like it. I'll play around with this a bit more. Stay tuned.... 

Art Every Day - Nov 5 Golden Ginkgo

Sharing a photo today of a stand of Ginkgo trees, discovered near our grocery store. They've been there for some time, and I just noticed them because of their brilliant yellow leaves and the fact that they were still attached after our recent winds! 

Aren't they gorgeous? 

Mushrooms - AEDM #1

Art Every Day Month - for Nov 1.

This was an already in progress painting using water color layers like collage - using stencils and inks. Tonight I added the butterfly, layers to the mushrooms, and ink details. I may add more details, but this is where I left it tonight.

November - a month of promise and a month of art

Today is November 1st. While I'm still not sure where summer went, I am ready for a new month filled with PROMISE! And it's Art Every Day Month, hosted by Leah @ createeveryday.com. Luckily the rules are "lax" and can include photography. I don't know if I can keep up with posting here daily. but at least I'll share what I create daily a few times a week. 

So, since I have yet to create today (other than a stew in the crockpot) I'll share a photo to celebrate our sparkly new month. 

This is a close up of alyssum still blooming in our garden, amid the falling leaves. It was a heavy dew morning a couple of days ago, and I just got to editing the photos today. 

I look forward to sharing my Art Every Day Month with you! 

The beauty of nature

Now available as a poster in my Etsy shop

It's Pumpkin Time!

To clarify... the pumpkin FLAVORED everything this time of year isn't what I mean. Now, I DO love a good pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie, but pumpkin coffee, tortilla chips, oatmeal or yogurt? Gah.

What I really love to see are the variety of pumpkins on display.  This is the Cinderella style pumpkin display at our local Garden Spot Nursery.  They always have fun decorative arrangements of whatever is in season.

My favorite pumpkin is the little Sugar/Pie Pumpkins. Smaller IS better, after all.  :) They weren't there when we visited last week, however will be in sometime soon. I use my little sugar pumpkin for display through Halloween up to Thanksgiving, and then it is frequently used for pumpkin pie.

Now that's what pumpkin is meant to do... ;)

Angel - Random Act of Kindness

Angel of Love

Made for a friend of a friend who is stage 4 ovarian cancer. 

Angel of Love is cut out of chipboard covered with a gelli-plate monoprint in blues and purples, with gold tone charms, inks, gel pen, stickles and butterfly wings. 

Tea bag wisdom ATCs

I've been participating fairly regularly in a local Artist Trading Card trade for the past 12ish years. I don't always attend and sometimes attend without cards to see the lovely artists in the group. However, I have actually created ATCs for the upcoming using my "tea bag wisdom" tags from tea I drink daily.

A lot of those participating in our local trade make identical cards for each trade... I tend to find that boring and generally use a theme and make similar but different cards. These use a recycled tea box as the background - with inks to tint, a stamped image, watercolor pencil, sharpie water based paint pen, vintage teacup images and the tea bag wisdom. 

Happy Friday! 

100 Happy Days - a project

My friend Cheryl Ann started a 100 day period of focusing on happy - so needed with the tragic headlines these days. So I'm playing along - mostly posting on Instagram (hhcampbell22) and Facebook, however decided to do a few here as well. 

Here's the last few days. They focus on my garden... where I spend a lot of happy hours this time of year. :) 

#8 Gratitude turns what we have into enough. ‪

#7 Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. 
Lao Tzu 

(i.e. zucchini at last.)