Presto Chango - From Color to Black and White

On Day 18 of Kim Klassen's Beyond Layers class we learned come B&W techniques including making initial adjustments in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) which is a Photoshop plug-in...who knew!!!  Once I converted the image to B&W in ACR and made a few exposure and contrast tweaks, I brought it into Photoshop and made some additional changes. Below is the final image, the initial image done in ACR and the original shot that I took at Mareeba Wetlands in Queensland, Australia.

Final Photoshop B&W image of a heron at Mareeba Wetlands - Queensland, Australia

Initial changes made in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR)

My original image of a heron at Marbeeba Wetlands - Queenland, Australia

Creating a dreamy, hazy image

Kim Klassen's Beyond Layers Day 16 challenge was to create a dreamy, hazy image using the new techniques she presented to us in her video.  Here's what I did with a image of an orchid that I recently shot at the Koele Lodge in Lanai, Hawaii.

• Added lens flare to a blank layer, soft light, 50% gray
• Added a Levels Adjustment layer and adjusted the output slider 
• KK texture, "Flouish", Screen, 24%. Used layer mask to remove some of the texture from the orchid.
• KK texture, "Veil", Soft Light, 38%. Used layer mask to remove some of the texture from the orchid.
• Two text layers - Engravers MT for the main font and Century Gothic for the name.

My dreamy, hazy image of an orchid

Before Image

Aloha from Lanai

KIM KLASSEN'S TEXTURE TUESDAY - Before heading to the Lanai Airport for my trip back to Honolulu and then back to LAX, I had breakfast at the beautiful Four Seasons Koele Lodge followed by a peaceful walk through the gorgeous gardens. The grounds are simply beautiful and there was a huge hot house filled with nothing but orchids in luscious colors.  I combined two different photos of the orange orchid for this image.  I used a layer mask to delete some portions of the second image.   I added two layers of Kim's texture Happy Heart, one at Multiply 80% and the second at Overlay 80%. The font is Callie Hand.

Hand made greeting cards - Lanai, Hawaii

Hand made greeting cards from my Lanai, Hawaii photos

I've made some blank note cards from four of the photos I took in Hawaii (see below).  I manipulated them in Photoshop, printed them out on photo quality paper and mounted them on beautiful deckled edge 4x6" card stock.  I signed them all.  An envelope is tucked inside.

If you're interested, you can purchase a set of these 4 unique cards for just $12 including shipping.  Just post a comment below or pop me an email at:
safari1@verizon.net

Hawaiian Plantation Style – The Early Days

Hawaiian plantation homes in the early days may be                              generally described as having a low-profile wood  fame with vertical plank siding. Large porticos were also common. Perhaps the most distinct feature of these Hawaiian plantation homes was their roofs which tended to be wide-hipped with deep-bracketed eaves.

The name of the architectural style comes from the plantation laborers who came to Hawaii from China, Japan, the Philippines, Portugal and many other countries to work on sugarcane plantations, and to a lesser extent pineapple plantations, rice farms and other agricultural endeavors. The plantation style was often used in the homestead areas that housed plantation laborers. in size and reflecting a unique Island charm, Hawaiian plantation style architecture blends nicely with the Hawaiian environment. Hawaiian plantation architectural style is somewhat similar to what is known on the mainland as a bungalow style home.  

A rare an delicate beauty(pertaining to this orchid or you!)

My hand made greeting cards

Lanai orchid

Lanai orchid, a photo by jpbeth on Flickr.

Nuno Felting Workshop - Lanai, Hawaii

Thank you to the  Lanai

Arts Center for inviting me to teach a two day sustainable professional development weekend workshop in nuno felting preceded by a artist's reception on the Friday evening.  The island of Lanai is beautiful and the people are gracious and caring.  The workshop was a huge success and very fulfilling to me.  I already got notice that one of the newly made scarves just sold in the gallery.  Adding nuno felting to the repertoire of the fiber artists will be a huge kudo to both the artists and the Lanai Arts Center.

Rona modeling her newly made nuno felted scarf

Day 1 - Nuno Felted scarves hanging to dry

DAy 2 - hand dyed nuno felted scarves

Harriet modeling her periwinkle dyed nuno felted scarf.

Nat modeling her nuno felted scarf.  Started out with black silk gauze.

Nat modeling her hand dyed nuno felted scarf.  Started with white prefelt and white silk gauze.

Joy felted in fringes from an old scarf to add some pizazz.

Dr. Sharie and Eric collaborated to make this gorgeous scarf which they gave to me.  I am so jazzed!

Alicia felted this to look like Van Gogh's Starry Night - great job and it already sold in the gallery.