Here’s some of my doodles, patterns, and scenes in my world right now! That’s a detail of my cool spirograph journal above!
Until next time Swellions!
Alexa
1/365
So, here I am doing something I claim I never have time to do…the 365 project where you take a photo of yourself each day of the year. The truth is that I always thought it was a cool idea, but there was a big part of me that didn’t know if I could be committed to it. It is a commitment that I am going to try to make. Even if it is with the crappy iphone camera.
Chris told me I should do it, cause he’s doing it, and I texted him back saying that I in a few sum words, “Needed to lose weight”. Well, I thought about it and there’s always going to be something that’s going to keep you from doing something if you let it. I need to just be sometimes and accept myself for the way that I am.
I do like my hair in this photo, but I’m not fond of the wrinkles that are starting to show (actually, I’ve always had bags under my eyes…even as a child). Like most people, I can be pretty darn critical of myself and I’m starting to see the signs of aging on myself. Also, I think this has a lot to do with my lack of sleep, which seriously isn’t healthy.
If you know me, you know I’m not a very revealing person. I plan on not revealing too, too much with this whole 365 thing, but I think you can tell a lot in a person’s eyes and I don’t know that I’m that great at faking emotion. Sometimes I am, just depends on my mood.
I used Daniel Diaz’s b/w filter from Action Central on this. It’s my favorite filter. I tried 5 other ones that frankly made my photo look worse. I would also like to expand my knowledge on color correction with this project as well.
So wish me luck. We’ll see where it takes me, considering I’m in a whole new place (literally) in my life.
Until next time Swellions!
Alexa
Thursday in Black & White
Went with my Flickr friend Chris tonight to take some cool artsy shots. I get in the mode from time to time to get in tune with my fine art photography. Tonight I felt a little off…must be because I’m really tired. Sorry to be so short in my post tonight, but I’m finished for the day. Just wanted to share a few of my shots (all of which I made black and white thanks to Daniel Diaz’s Black and White action in Photoshop, downloadable at Action Central’s site. I suggest you go over there and check out their actions if you do Photoshop on a daily basis like I do. This is the favorite action I’ve ever used.
Staring back at me
Shot at the UK library. I rode the elevator down and Chris stayed up there to photograph me at the bottom. Very triangular indeed!
Just Shoot Me
Chris in the elevator. I like how the slanted framing turned out.
ART
That’s what my world is all about!!!
In the Round
I like this; however, I noticed that there’s some weird imperfections at the top left. I wonder how stuff gets jammed up in there/ripped off like that. This in the UK library and this is at the very, very top. The library has like 6 levels, so I have no clue how anyone even gets up there. Those windows must be really hard to clean!
Hope you’ve enjoyed the pics. As I was uploading one of the pictures, I really fell asleep, so I better get some rest! It’s funny how you are fine and then BAM! (not refering to Emeril, by the way) you are out in the blink of an eye. Guess our bodies just work that way!
Until next time Swellions!
Alexa
Colorful crafty photo day!
Yo yo. This week is just flying by! I am a busy bee as of late. Spent last night trying to actually organize some things. I don’t know about you, but I have to be in the mood to that and then when I’m on it, I’m on it! If I get distracted or have to go somewhere, everything goes to pot. I just have to be in that mode. I get really frustrated when I clean/organize for two nights in a row and get really excited about my progress, and then have a string of out of town/out on the town activities to do. It’s not that I don’t enjoy doing these things, but by the time I get back into organizing again, my place is worse or and I have to start over all over again! Ugh!
So, I took a few photos last night that I wanted to share. They’re crafty inspirations, I guess you would say. I’m actually thinking about selling some of my old scrapbook/paper craft stuff like these things and putting items into mini bundles on etsy or ebay. I have a lot of things I just don’t use and they are just sitting around not being used (the types of things I bought for just one project, but have no use for otherwise)…if I can make a little bit of money off of them, I’d rather do that than just hand them off to Goodwill, ya know?
I wanted to remind everyone of my current contest/giveaway
Just leave your name in the comments and check back next Wednesday. I’ll announce a winner then to win my cute vintage-inspired pumpkin man!
Also, a reminder for anyone wanting to participate in Terrorific Tuesday! Get those blogs posts up before next Monday at 6pm! And then e-mail me. Read all the rules here if you are interested in participating.
Have a great day Swellions!
Alexa
5 Swell and random tidbits
I am giving myself 15 minutes to write this blog post today. Must.stay.focused. Sometimes I do it in a rush…other days, it takes 2 hours to post. Ugh, but I’m going out tonight to dinner with Jeremy (not quite sure, but I’ve been wanting to go to the Melting Pot, which just opened up here in Lex). Anyway onto my swell and random tidbits (I always liked the word tidbits, don’t you?)…
1. I just got one of my bracelet designs into a beading magazine and some of my ideas accepted into a CraftStylish publication for the holidays. Some projects I did for the magazine Jewelry Creations should be coming out any day now as well.
2. Picking up photos of the Dame tonight or tomorrow and going to get some mattes and a frame for it. I’m framing an 11×14 version for and then selling prints at Street Scene here in Lex. I inquired about selling something different than my jewelry and they took me up on my offer. The Dame actually was just demolished (it was an iconic nightspot for music here in Lex), so I’m hoping it’s demise will spark some interest in my photos.
3. I’m taking off tomorrow and going to the Kentucky State Fair tomorrow in Louisville with my friend Molly. I’ve lived in KY for close to 30 years and have never been to the fair. I plan on taking my camera and snapping some cool pics!
4. Why does it always weem you have to pay out the wazoo all at the same time/day?? Today I had to fill up my tank, change my oil + get new wiper blades, and pay for a prescription. Grr. I hate that!
5. I’m making some really cute cupcake photo toppers like these for my friend’s b-day this weekend with funny sayings that she says/has said. I think she will get a kick out of it. I don’t have to make the cupcakes, so one less thing I have to do. Seems like my days have been jampacked as of late. I’m a busy girl, just don’t ask me to do anything more!!! I hate that olden’ phrase!
I have one minute to spare. I did it! A successful blog post in 15 minutes. It really can be done!
Until next time Swellions!
Alexa
Fun with Flickr apps and plug-ins!
I love little apps like this that you discover online. Actually there is a lot at this link. I decided to check out a few that they showcased.
This site pulls letters from a flickr group and comes up with cool creations like this…
So, granted…I wish it were all on the same line, but it will do 🙂
At flickrvision you can see photos as they are uploaded at different locals all over the world…all in real time.
I went to Islands of Consciousness and frankly, it was a bit disturbing. I can respect what the artist was doing, but I came upon a kid juxtaposed with a haunting visual of a man. It kinda weirded me out. It’s totally random, though, so you nver know what you’re going to get. I do give them an A+ for the font they used on their page. I dig it a lot.
This little memory game at Pim Pam Pum was fun. You just type in a tag and it randomly comes up with a memory board. Hey, it beats playing with that lame Disney version.
This cool tag browser lets you search for a tag and then it branches out all kinds of related tags of that basic topic. Think of it kinda like those crazy brainstorm clouds you had to do back in school. Looks like it would be great if you weren’t sure exactly what you were going after.
Man, the internet is a fascinating place!
Hope all your flickrites (hopefully you swellions are in that mix…if not what are you waiting for?) have fun playing around with these cool little toys. I sure did.
Inspired by Rainbows
1. Rainbow T’s, 2. After the rain has fallen…, 3. Eye Candy, 4. Colorful Rainbow Balloons 114/365, 5. Rainbow of Peace, 6. A Vibrant Glow, 7. bookshelf, 8. 222 – Fargay, 9. 100_6449
I love color. I love seeing it together in rainbow shades or just by itself, but especially when it’s bold and intense (this must be why I’m attracted to the neon chunky jewelry I saw at Target tonight). I wanted tonight’s post to be colorful and fun and thought I would share the spectrum of colors from my own personal photos as well. I love looking at photos and illustrations. Sometimes someone’s image or view of the world helps me leap off the page and go out on my own tangent. I love that feeling! Following the ROYGBIV color sequence, here’s my photos:
RED
ORANGE
YELLOW
GREEN
BLUE
INDIGO
VIOLET
Until next time Swellions!
Alexa
All content/photos copyright, © Alexa L. Westerfield, 2008
Backtracking a bit
Well, I didn’t post my Wed. is Lensday post cause I had to get my Thursday link up by Wednesday night, so, I have a few photos to post for tonight!
Chris and I went out for another one of our infamous Flickr walks out and about around Lexington. At first, we were going to go to the Lexington Cemetary, but it was closed. Bummer. But we did end up going to an old garden nursery where he found a lot of cool pics to take and I found just a few. Here’s one (that I oded to my friend Retta, an amazing photographer who loves to take nature pics)…
Here’s the old nursery…it had a lot of character but there were a lot of no trespassing signs and whatnot, so I wasn’t too adventurous with my photos… I love the bold letters on the brick.
After a dinner break at Chipotle, I ended up snapping these three photos in the same block. Sometimes inspiration just hits at the same time…oh, and my telephoto lens takes some pretty good quality photos (I love how it does a subtle and natural vignette around the frame).
Here’s Chris posing rather lonely/distressesque. He’s a good model.
I find that I always think of Dave Coulier when I think of scissors. Anyone else remember that show Out of Control that he was on? I always loved the opening and who can forget Diz? UhhhhhhhhhhhhuhUNH! That’s the closest way for me to type the screeching sound she made on that show. Check out the intro here!
This was just some random scroll fence set up next to a tattoo parlor wall. I don’t know what it is…maybe I just connected with the blue/grey color cause I’ve been feeling a little that way of sorts personally. It seems like emotions come in waves, doesn’t it?
Hope you enjoyed the photos Swellions! Catch ya tomorrow!
Alexa
All content/photos copyright, © Alexa L. Westerfield, 2008
Wednesday is Lensday: Irish Acres Edition
I’m actually posting early for me. Usually my Lensday post ends up being on Thursday technically speaking. I guess with this whole blogging thing, though,I will have to plan ahead on some days or post during lunch when I have some available time.
I wanted to first off share a few photos from my lunch at Irish Acres last Saturday. I mentioned last week that I would share details. If you are ever in these parts, or if you live here and haven’t experienced it, it is a real treat (It’s just outside of Versailles in the heart of picturesque KY horse country). It’s one of those types of places that has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens. It’s actually an old converted school house that was turned into a antiques gallery (not much into antiques but the bakelite jewelry was to die for) and a restaurant in the basement. It has a lot of character and it is decorated with lots of twinkle lights and charm.
As far as showing off my photo skills, this isn’t the best photo, but I sure found this image funny from my view during lunch. It was a gigantic painting. Very Blanche Deveraux if you ask me, don’t you agree?
I loved these pink walls mixed in with chandeliers and gold ornate accents. And of course the fact that the adorable gentlemen sign was mixed in with it. I’ve always been a big fan of hot pink + gold + black. I think a Christmas tree in those tones would be awesome, actually.
Here’s me in front of the ornate gothic-looking mirrors. It was gigantic and black and very cool…but only for the right décor. They did need to Windex it though.
The décor in that place is plentiful and all the hanging lights, ornaments, crystals, and baubles are stocked up on, in the event that you saw something that you had to have at home. They had 2 inch plastic gemstones that are gigantic versions of the ones I make earrings out of. They weighed a ton!
They had a carousel horse too. I think they are very pretty, but this one was especially girly (well, actually the whole place is girly, what did I expect?)
The reason I actually went there was for a bridal luncheon for my friend Dana. Here’s a cute pic of her. I’m actually making her jewelry for her wedding, so I gotta get on it like right away…it’s a week and a half away.
Hope you enjoyed looking at my photos. Lunch time is over. Until next time swellions!
Wednesday is Lensday!
Went over to my friend This a link to Retta’s house tonight. She graciously had me and my other friend, Chris, over for a night of crafting. We made stencils out of contact paper. Retta and I made a bag, while Chris made a shirt. We had some success and some misses (bleach has a mind of it’s own, if you didn’t already know).
Anyway, 15 minutes away from Thursday, so I better get this Wednesday Lensday thing on a roll!!! Maybe I should think about posting my Wednesday post on Tuesday? Then again, it gives me one less day of the week to post photos.
While doing our stencil project, we also had fabric paint on hand. Retta put it on her beautiful black and white swirl dishes, and well, I couldn’t resist.
Retta lives right near the electric company, so she has voltage galore going on just behind the fence. Combined with the moody sky, it made for a nice photo.
You gotta “hand” it to Retta, she has some pretty swell stuff, like this old, vintage Brownie camera that you shoot into and create these cool old-time looking vignette photos. She actually had this crazy contraption going on using a Pringles can. You actually look shoot your camera down through the pringles can into the Brownie viewfinder. The viewfinder is a little weird and hard to aim, so I didn’t have much success, but I thought this photo was the best of the bunch. And must give my props to Retta, she totally worked it! Ha ha.
Getting ready for a big weekend trip to Nashville (my sis is turning 40). We are going to a Taste of Nashville dinner and then dancing afterward (my sis really can dance!). It should be fun, but I have photos to color correct (those reunion ones that I took on Sat) and then I have to burn it to a CD. I also have to pack and do some other last minute stuff. Also have to send some photos off to Snapfish to be developed to be displayed in a local coffeeshop. My friends I just mentioned and I are going to be featured. No big show or anything, but it’s good exposure, nonetheless.
Until next time, keep reaching for the top, Swellions!
Alexa
All content/photos copyright, © Alexa L. Westerfield, 2008
