Wordless Wednesday



http://marilyn-wilson.artistwebsites.com
www.etsy.com/shop/CalicoSkyCreations



Calico Sky Creations

It's so ironic, isn't it? Here I am with a blog, (a blog! on the Internet!), and yet in person I am such an introvert who doesn't like to talk about myself.  In person, I take a long time to open up to new people (old friends will say I never shut up!). 
Ah well ... I have found one of the benefits of getting older is I am more willing to stretch my boundaries.  Hence this blog, and my photography site, and my Etsy shop, and Zazzle ...
Anyway, I have been working on my 'About' page for my Etsy shop (Calico Sky Creations). I found it really hard to write this, and it will likely change and evolve, but this is what I wrote for now.
Tell me what you think. Is it okay?
I will copy and paste what I wrote here, as well as include the link.  Here's the link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CalicoSkyCreations/about

About CalicoSkyCreations

Calico Sky Creations

I have many interests and hobbies, but among them, my camera and my knitting needles are the main contenders for my spare time. I have a family and a day job, so that spare time is precious to me, to be filled with something I love to do.
About 2 years ago I decided to open a shop here on Etsy, to share, with you, some of my photographs. Since then, this shop has evolved to include not only my photos, but also some of my crafts. Sometimes my son includes some of the photographs and crafts he has created as well. This shop is always evolving and changing.
The name Calico Sky Creations comes from this:
- I have always had a calico cat in my life, I love the Paul McCartney song, Calico Skies, and my son was born at dawn, under 'calico skies'. 
It just seemed to fit.
Remember this shop is always changing, so I hope you come back often to look around.
Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday


*On Wednesdays all over the internet, bloggers post a photograph with no words to explain it on their blog. Hence the ‘wordless’ title.*

Photo available at both my sites:
www.etsy.com/shop/CalicoSkyCreations
http://marilyn-wilson.artistwebsites.com



My new camera!

My new camera arrived today! It's a Pentax K-30 in a snazzy Crystal Blue colour, and it has more bells and whistles than my older one. (Which I am still very happy with, by the way).  Funny thing is, though, I am feeling quite disloyal to my beloved Pentax KM, like I am betraying her somehow.  (Yes, I know I said 'her' instead of 'it', but she's been my BFF for quite some time now. I'll probably end up having a heart-to-heart talk with KiMmy, telling her that she's still loved by me, it's just there is room in my heart for another Pentax sibling. (Not that I'm anthromorphizing or anything ...)) But she'll have to share her camera bag and tripods. Oh - and her lenses too, seeing as this new one is quite blind without them. (I bought her 'lens-less', because I have several and they are interchangeable.)

Anyway, here is my new family member ... I mean, camera ...

I have to figure out a name now.  Maybe Penny.  Hmmmm.....

Does my cat control me?

Does my cat control me?  Does she rule the roost? When she is on my lap, or anyone's lap in this family, do we call the shots? Do we say, as the so-called dominant species, that we make the rules?  That we may have other, supposedly more important things to do than to relax and stay put while she s-t-r-e-c-h-e-s out on our laps and snoozes the time away?
Do we dare to disturb our princess?  Of course we don't!
Perhaps she is showing our busy little family that it is important to take some time out from our activities and carve out some down-time for ourselves. It has become almost a golden rule in our household that when Tia or her other two kitty siblings are sharing our laps, that we don't disturb them unless we absolutely have to. (You know, if the house burns down, or the basement floods or some other minor emergency ...) 
When our son was a baby we did the same thing with him. Now that he's older and busier and doesn't take too kindly to Mom gazing adoringly for hours at his little face, and those tiny fingers and cute little toes, I guess the cats have taken over that duty. 
Time passes so quickly, and lately it seems that our days are filled with so much busy-ness. 
Yes, when my cats lay on my lap for a snooze, I think I am all the better for it if I let them.  I know I feel so much better after I have spent time doing nothing, with them on my lap. A quiet meditation time, with soft furry comfort thrown in. 
And aren't her little white toes cute?

Photo for Wordless Wednesday.

Red Crossbill Finch

The Red Crossbill finch has a peculiar bill which allows it to feed on the seed cones of coniferous trees that are its main food. I came across a flock of them yesterday while photographing wildflowers in a field nearby.

Hoppy Easter, everyone!

Today, if he were still on this earth, would be the day my Dad would have donned his bunny suit and wandered around town passing out small chocolate Easter eggs to everyone. It used to embarrass me to no end... But now I miss it. So, on my Dad's behalf, I am wishing you all a Hoppy Easter!

Early Morning Mist photograph

Tendrils of fog cling to the meadow at East Sooke Park, outside of Victoria, B.C. This was taken on our hike this morning. It was a beautiful sunny morning but the fog lingered here in the shade.

Wordless Wednesday

*On Wednesdays all over the internet, bloggers post a photograph with no words to explain it on their blog. Hence the ‘wordless’ title*

Relax and enjoy today!

New Etsy listings

I have been busy working at my Etsy shop.  I carved out some time this past weekend to update my listings and rearrange my items. I think I am finally beginning to get the mix of photographs, cards, and crafts that I have wanted to do, with the shop. I have been slowly working away at this, but it takes time, so I have learned to work at it in bits and pieces. I'm getting there, slowly. 

Here are two new listings I have added.



https://www.etsy.com/listing/117693578/scarf-moebius-infinity-scarf-cowl-brown
(Isn't he the most handsome model?)



Gardens of the World card set
https://www.etsy.com/listing/121872222/sale-greeting-card-set-all-occasion

Something new this way comes

Here are two handy gift sets for the knitters in your life, or perhaps you might want one of these sets yourself.
Pick any one of my in stock stitch marker sets and the accompanying blank notecard, perfect for writing your own sentiments inside, comes along. Envelope included. Available at my Etsy shop.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/121748124/gift-set-stitch-marker-set-blank?ref=v1_other_1

https://www.etsy.com/listing/121741228/gift-set-blank-notecard-greeting-card?ref=v1_other_2

Sunny Days in Mexico card set



https://www.etsy.com/listing/80672083/sale-cards-greeting-cards-note-cards-set



To remind us all of sunnier days, in this cold winter.  'Sunny Days in Mexico' card set on sale now at my Etsy shop. 

Stay warm!

Wordless Wednesday

*On Wednesdays all over the internet, bloggers post a photograph with no words to explain it on their blog. Hence the ‘wordless’ title*

Enjoy your Wednesday!

Enchanted Woods



Enchanted Woods

When my mother was alive and we would go for walks together, she would often point out faces she would see in the objects that we would pass.  Now I find I do the same thing with my son on our walks together. I like to think of this as the three of us going for walks together  - myself, my son, and my Mom, in spirit, walking beside us.

Can you see the face and the shapes in this tree trunk? Feel free to comment - I am interested in what you see.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Once again, I can't believe how quickly the time has passed. More and more it seems I just turn around and a month has gone by. I have been busy, both in 'real life' and my 'online life'. 

I have rewritten my biography for my site at http://marilyn-wilson.artistwebsites.com/ , with a few modifications for the Etsy shop.

Born and raised in Victoria, B.C., photography has been an interest of mine since my early teen years. In this beautiful area of Canada, surrounded by trees, mountains, and the ocean, I am drawn to photographing the natural and scenic landscapes of Vancouver Island. Lines, shadows, textures, reflections, and architectural details also interest me. Add to this mix the photos I have taken while travelling, plus the animal images I love to take, and I have quite a variety of photographs. I have learned to experiment with different styles and techniques of photography, and I am learning to see the world in different ways. I am rarely without a camera and I can always find something to photograph.
Most of my photos are as unretouched as possible, with little or no post-processing added. I do, however, enjoy playing with the different textures and effects that computer software programs can provide. I can spend many happy hours lost in creativity this way, changing this effect, and tweaking that texture, until the original photograph has evolved into something more.
I enjoy photography, and I hope this enjoyment of my hobby is conveyed to you through my images.
Thank you for taking the time to read about me and to visit my site.
As this site is continually growing and changing, please come back again.

How I Gift Wrap in 28 Steps

Merry Christmas everyone! Thought I would share my experience with you. (true story, by the way - living with 3 cats things are often this way!) 



Notice where she is looking
(at the gold ornament), and see
where her paw is? (On the quilted ornament)



Sheer bliss!



How I Gift Wrap in 28 Steps (sorry if you find cat hair in your presents)

1. Find gift.
2. Find wrapping paper.
3. Lay gift on floor.
4. Push cats away.
5. Wrap gift.
6. Find wrapping paper too short.
7. Put scissors down.
8. Find more wrapping paper.
9. Push cats away.
10. Find tape.
11. Find that tape has run out.
12. Find new tape.
13. Find glasses to see beginning of new roll of tape.
14. Push cats away.
15. Can't find glasses.
16. Found glasses.
17. Find scissors.
18. Found scissors.
19. Push cats off gift.
20. Lay gift on new wrapping paper.
21. Push cats away from wrapping paper.
22. Wrap gift.
23. Can't find tape.
24. Found tape.
25. Take tape away from cat.
26. Push cats off gift.
27. Push cats off wrapping paper.
28. Unwrap cats.

Sometimes the best intentions ...

It's a dull, dreary, rainy day here on the West Coast of Canada.  (Surprised?) I am inside trying to take new product photographs of my new stitch marker sets and some other items that I want to list on Etsy.  I'm also helping out a friend and listing a few of her handsewn pillow covers and a lovely quilted bag she has made.  Easy, right?  I take photographs all the time, and so taking photos of these items ought to be simple, right? Wrong ...
I don't know why they are so hard to photograph, but they are! The lighting in my house is either too dark for the photos, or too glary, or too uneven, or a myriad of other things ... and it is too dark, rainy and gloomy to go outside to try taking them out there in the natural light.
I am waiting for the camera to upload the pics to the computer so I can see if I can at least adjust the lighting there.  My friend has some lovely cushion covers, but of course I don't have any pillows of the proper size to fit them. I don't feel my pictures have done her items justice. *sigh*  At any rate, I have taken the photos and we'll see how they turn out with perhaps some post-processing magic.  I can always list them and then replace the photos later. Or, if the photos are really bad, I can wait for a brighter day.  Stay tuned!

Oh - and by the way, please feel free to share my blog with your friends, and comments are welcome!

Christmas Gift Suggestion

These dark, dreary, wintry days leave me longing for sunshine and warmth. This photograph was taken during our Mexican cruise of nearly two years ago. Just looking at this photo makes me want to go back there! Maybe you would like to be there too? You can, in your imagination, if you purchase this stretched canvas print offered on my Limited Time Promotion.  It is offered in the 16 x 20 size for only $70.00.  The special is good until 12/14/2012.
Details found by clicking the link below:

http://fineartamerica.com/weeklypromotion.html?promotionid=101122

Please feel free to share this news and my blog. 

Guilty!

I am guilty of something that has been niggling at me for awhile now.  I am guilty of neglecting my blog.  I began with such good intentions. Instead, my blog has been languishing at the bottom of my 'to-do list', as more and more activities and 'must-do's' take precedence. 
I have been busy adding to my ever-growing website on Fine Art America, and have over 500 photographs listed now.  I have sold a few.  :) 

My Etsy shop has suffered, however, as I have been concentrating on adding more photographs to my Fine Art America website.  As a result, I haven't been updating Etsy as often as I should.  I am feeling a little bit pulled in all directions these days and I keep telling myself to 'focus'.
So ... Focus I will.  (As Yoda might say).
First things first.  The following special is still running, until Dec. 31, 2012, on the photographs on my Fine Art America shop.  As I have stated earlier, I have added many more since this blog began, and add several new photos per week, as time allows.

Special discount on all prints on my Fine Art America website until 10/31/2012. Use code AGVZEX at checkout! http://marilyn-wilson.artistwebsites.com/  (Cost of materials excluded)

 

This discount applies to everything in my Fine Art America website - cards, prints, framed prints, canvas prints, etc.  Keep in mind that cards are 5 x 7 prints, and they come singly, or in sets of 10 or 25.  The price per card decreases substantially with the number ordered.  Why not wander on over and take a look?  I welcome comments and questions. 

 

Also, my Etsy shop, at http://www.etsy.com/shop/CalicoSkyCreations has a special running until the end of the year.

 

10% off of anything in my shop, using the coupon code CSC10 applied at check-out. 

 

One more exciting thing has been happening.  I have signed on with Krista May, who runs an online agency called 'Painturdreams'. This agency acts as agents for numerous artists on a global scale.  Krista has designed, with my input, the following site for me, which also joins together my online pursuits, with FAA and with Etsy.  Krista will be helping me to publicize my sites, and I am quite excited to see what happens!  Check out the site here:

http://painturdreams.weebly.com/marilyn-wilson-photography.html

 

So, as you can see, all of this plus my day job is keeping me out of trouble. Oh - and we (as a family) did go to see Paul McCartney live in concert in Vancouver on Nov. 25, 2012.  It was so exciting! He was fabulous and everything I'd hoped for.  (I am a long-time Beatle fan).  I saw George Harrison in 1975, on his Dark Horse tour, and now I've seen Paul!  Couldn't have asked for a better concert! 

During the finale to the song Live and Let Die, the fireworks set off at the back of the stage were hitting the dome of the stadium!



During one of the final encores (there were several), Paul sang the song, Mull of Kintyre. The Delta Police Pipe Band joined him on stage. I don't think there was a dry eye in the place! The audience went wild. Here is the link to the newspaper article, and, hopefully the video will play.  http://www.thenownewspaper.com/McCartney+gets+Help+from+Delta+Police+pipe+band/7611867/story.html



It was definitely a night to remember!

 

'Til next time,

 

Marilyn