Texture Tuesday: Out on the Pond

A couple of Sundays ago, my second daughter, my husband, and I went out for a walk and down to our ponds. It had been awhile with the cold weather, short days, and activities going on in our lives.

My daughter proceeded to "perform an ice ballet".  If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen my fast speed video. 

Also out on the small pond today, Bonnie graced us with a little ballet. #balletonice #fastmotion #icedancer

A video posted by Jill Ruskamp (@jillruth) on Jan 18, 2015 at 3:31pm PST

The day was gorgeous with the colors of fall still there and the hint of the winter that we've had still lingering.

So pretty even when the only bold color comes from my husband's work gloves. :)

All three of the images were textures using an overlay blending mode and Kim Klassen's textures from her November Trio collection.  The textures add just the subtle warmth needed for the photos.

So, after the fast motion video, I tried a slow motion one.  I'm telling you I can have fun with my phone.

 

 

Out for a walk by the pond today. #slowmo #slowmotion

A video posted by Jill Ruskamp (@jillruth) on Jan 18, 2015 at 3:16pm PST

(I hope the embedded videos work!)

Texture Tuesday

Have you seen these head planters in garden shops or perhaps you have one?  I was smitten with them. Maybe someday.  We went to a new to us garden shop this spring and I first saw them there.

Ideas growing and flowing out of our minds is what I thought of.  Reminds me of this post. All that beautiful potential we all have. 

You really can take this further and maybe down a different path. What are the fruits of our thoughts?  Is what we busy our minds with life giving?  Does it produce beautiful growth?  Reminds me of this post. 
These little reminders are good for me.

The above image was textured with Kim Klassen's Plaster texture.

It's Apple Season!

Well, so far there has been apple sauce, apple butter, and frozen sliced apple for use in the winter.  I anticipate a lot more apple sauce as there are a lot more apples as that is the easiest, and my kids are big apple sauce fans.  I was thinking today that there may be too many apples left.

I had to stop to take some pictures though as apples can be so picturesque.

This particular composition has been textured with one of Kim's older textures, Antique Texture using the hard light blending mode.

I hope your week is going well! 

Linking with Kim and Texture Tuesday

Let Your Light Shine: Texture Tuesday

This light fixture was in my daughter's upstair's hallway...pre-painting/remodel.  It's a great fixture; just doesn't match the house at all.  I'm glad I got a picture of it before the wallpaper came off.

As I edited it, the children's song This Little Light of Mine came to mind. :)

I textured the photo with one of Kim's old magic textures on a low opacity. She's having a giveaway to one of her classes this week.

Phillippians 4:8 Texture Tuesday

This text is from one of my favorite scriptures.  

When you find yourself wallering around your mind with worries or stewing about a situation...our Lord gives us permission and encourages us to not only trust Him, but that it's okay and desired by Him for you to think of good things.  I find such consolation in that!

The base image is from an empty room in my daughter's apartment. I've come to the conclusion that I like to photograph empty rooms as much as vignettes, actually, maybe more so.

I pray these words come to you when you need them. 

Texture Tuesday: Fresh :: Local

We do garden, but our fresh grocery list still need supplementing.  We made a few trips to the small Farmer's Market here in town before our garden kicked in and I hope to get there again now this fall. 

Our garden is sooooo full of weeds you would never know that there is produce hiding in there!

After our first visit we snapped a few pictures of the sugar snap peas we picked up before we devoured them within minutes of getting home.

I just wanted to give a plug to fresh and local wherever you are!

I used Kim's texture "2810" desaturated on the above image.  It's one of my favorite textures of hers.

Texture Tuesday

Still getting ready for school here in these parts.  Lots of "ordinary" going on. :)

The above image was textured with Kim Klassen's "2810"

Texture Tuesday

It's been so long since I've posted here I was a little rusty remembering how I go about it.  As I type my 14 year old just "rosined up the bow" to try and play her sister's violin.  No one here knows how to play it, but there is desire.  And, you tube videos.  

The words "dying cat" were just uttered.

I took this picture in my oldest daughters "new to them" house.  It was built in the 1920s and I was pretty excited to get some pictures in it before the new paint and flooring is in.  I sure hope to share more of their before and afters here.

I keep hearing "where did the summer go" uttered around town and the web...I certainly don't have the answer, ha!

I thought I'd jump back in to blogging with a Texture Tuesday post with Kim Klassen.  

Begin again....fresh...each day... is what came to mind as I edited this picture.
Promising. Hopeful.

Hope to see you back here before another 2 months roll by!

Texture Tuesday: Yellow

This is a photograph I took a few years ago and have even posted it before, however this is a new edit...textured with "Cybil" from Kim Klassen's Downton Abbey collection. 

Sometimes, we need the reminder to be our own sunshine.

Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday

Happy Tuesday!

Texture Tuesday: First Holy Communion

Our daughter made her first Holy Communion this past Sunday.  She had a wonderful day!  It was raining when we left Mass, but it cleared up later to a gorgeous day.   I let her wear her pretty dress all day and she didn't want to take it off when she went to bed.  It seems to me the most joy in something like that is in the moment, not in finding a perfectly preserved dress in a box years later.  

Unless, of course you are like me and the dress belonged to someone else....found at a flea market or auction 70 years later....that would bring me a lot of happy! 

I textured the photograph with Kim Klassen's "sweet treat" texture.  

View other links here.

Texture Tuesday: Simple

Hello!  I hope you all had a blessed Easter weekend!  

Today's theme at Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday is "simple".  She says to post whatever comes to mind...and what came to mind, were the pictures I took of one of my daughters drawing last week.  The sun was shining in on her so I grabbed my camera. When I edited the photo, I used Kim's newest free texture "simple" also.

Paper and pencil...so simple...and yet such very powerful tools.

Texture Tuesday

Last night my daughter woke me up to see the blood moon.

It was worth getting up for!  However, I wasn't up to getting my tripod set up for a picture, as it was cold and icy on our deck.

I could use the deck rail for a tripod with my camera laying flat looking up set on "bulb" mode to catch some stars.

I layered the above image with Kim Klassen's texture "Xanthe" which brightened the stars just a bit without increasing the dark sky.  The night was perfect for star gazing!

But, the blood moon was off to the side from my camera lens on the deck rail.  So, I decided to streak the Moon (and Mars) with the "bulb" setting as it would be blurry anyway without a tripod. (I moved the camera with the shutter open.)

Look how bright the Moon and Mars were compared to the other stars!   There wasn't enough exposure to see the other stars.

The theme at Texture Tuesday is Perfectly Imperfect.  I may be stretching this a bit (you think??) as God's sky is actually pretty perfect. :)  But, my photo because it couldn't be perfect...is kind of fun with the trailing moon.

It's Holy Week so I think I'll be back here next week.  

I have much to share in the upcoming weeks: the abandoned house pictures I mentioned earlier... a two year old's birthday party....an antique store....an abandoned theater....a frosting recipe....

May you have blessed week and a JOYOUS EASTER!!  

(My 8 y ear old daughter gave up all electronic entertainment...her idea...and she said the other day, "I'm ready for Him to be risen already!")

For the Love of...Decay

The theme at Kim's Texture Tuesday this week was a fill in the blank.  "For the Love of...."

After shooting on Sunday, it was easy to fill in the blank. 

What always speak to me:

 Leaf skeletons?  Decay.  

Chippy paint? Decay.

Rust? Decay

Rotting logs? Decay.
Abandoned buildings? Decay.

I really like how this house sits back in all the overgrown trees, emphasizing it's neglect.  Out of sight...out of mind, as the saying goes.

I textured the image with one from Kim's Downton Collection, "Mary".

Happy Tuesday to you!

Quiet: Texture Tuesday

About 14 years ago, my sister in law introduced a revolutionary idea to me.  Maybe not to you, but it was to me at the time.

She told me that one time, she gave up noise for Lent.

Gave up noise??  

Radio and TV mostly.  All that fill in noise.

I didn't give it up for Lent then, but later, I pretty much gave it up for life.  

Lately, I've been reintroducing some music back in and I've enjoyed it.  But, in small doses.  Now, I have quite a few kids so there is plenty of noise around, don't get me wrong.  But, when I have a choice, it's quiet.

I found that the "fill in noise" was not life giving.  Now, there is the noise in what one reads to deal with also.  And, the noise of our thoughts...much harder to give up what isn't life giving there! 

Today's theme with Kim at Texture Tuesday is Quiet.  My images were textured with Kim's texture "Enlightened". 

Ironic, yes.

"What are the images?", you may wonder.  

Light snow caught in the headlights of our car a number of weeks ago. And, the car lights illuminating a bush by our house. Aside from the engine noise the night was dark and quiet.

I hope your Lent is fruitful and that you find some quiet time.

The Foundation Remains

Do you remeber the post I did on our barn being moved to the Fairgrounds?

I didn't get to see it being moved, but I did watch a clip from one of the news shows as they sent a camera out to cover it.

A number of weeks ago, the younger girls and I went up to the farm.  This is the foundation that remains.  

The date, Aug. 9 1919 was etched in two places in the concrete foundation.

Hmmm...if we could cut this and dig it out...you know this would make a great piece to set in a garden!!

 

I am so drawn to the symbolism of this.  Especially, during this Lenten season.  It makes you think doesn't it?  

 

When all is gone, what is etched on your foundation?  

 

Linking with Texture Tuesday, I used Kim's texture "2711".

Texture Tuesday

 

Wood burner + Blocks + Radlab + Kim Klassen's "Taped Edge" texture = GIF

Texture Tuesday
 

Roots

 

 

 

 

I've yet to grow carrots or potatoes.  Think about it every year.  I did try beets once, but it didn't go well.  So, maybe this year?! I was about to peel these for supper and was thinking how satisfying it would be to grow my own.

I really enjoy peeling and cutting up vegetables. I guess it's the color and the texture that appeals to me. 

 ~::~

And, speaking of carrots.....

If you have time and weren't around here in 2009, heck, even if you were, maybe you'd like to read this again because it still makes me laugh!

 

 

I'm linking up with Kim for Texture Tuesday.  The above image was textured with "allard".

Texture Tuesday: Light

Last weekend when we ate at King Fong's, we of course, had tea.  The mood and lighting in the restaurant was warm and it was such a nice time.

 ~my daughter's hands~

I textured the photo with Kim Klassen's texture "Sanded".

This week the theme at Texture Tuesday is "Light"

Texture Tuesday

Texture Tuesday::Love

Kim's theme this week is "love" for texture Tuesday.  More paper dolls and hearts. You really should make some. :)

These were done with half of a doll and half a heart drawn on the accordion folded paper.

I used Kim's texture "Black and White" on the above image.

Linking here with Kim for Texture Tuesday.

Staring It Straight in the Eye

This Sunday, I will turn 50.  

A couple of weeks ago, I was going down the rabbit hole of links on the computer and found myself at BHLDN.  It's the wedding site associated with Anthropologie.  I clicked on the sale tab and here were the most beautiful candle holders on clearance for $2 a piece.  I thought, hmm...who could I buy one for and then saw that the only numbers left were 0, 4, & 5.  Well, that left out my kids. Granddaughter for coming years?  And, then it hit me, 50!  Me, I could buy them for me.

And, I did.

Click, click, click, they were bought and on their way without me second guessing myself.

So, they've been sitting out for me to enjoy and contemplate this milestone birthday.

I'm not sure I have anything profound to say about it except that I'm grateful.  So very grateful for e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g in my life.  And, I'm happy to be celebrating another birthday.

A dear friend told me that I will never feel any older in my mind than I do now and I believe that is true.

How about you?  Any thoughts on growing older? 

Texture Tuesday

The above image was textured with Kim Klassen's "Epiphany" texture.