Friday, December 18, 2009

What I’ve been doing for hours

This evening, after I accomplished my goal of wrapping gifts for a few of my co-workers, I sat down at the computer and haven’t moved much since. I’ve been playing around in Photoshop designing holiday cards.

It’s what I do for fun.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll have them printed and offer them for sale next year. Or give them away as gifts. Here, I’ll show you what I was working on.

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I like the night sky in this one.

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There’s just something about the sky at night, isn’t there?

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This one’s sort of traditional.

The thing about this photograph is that I took it on a very warm August day. Doesn’t it look like December, though?

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I really like this one a lot. I love those squiggles of Joy St. Claire’s free holiday textures. Although the edge is a little too dark for my taste, at least in this photograph, I got my typeface exactly as I wanted it.

I think.

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This one will have the words inside. And I’m not sure I’m loving this last one. But for now, it can hang with the gang.

So that’s what I’m up to tonight.

And if you’ve read this far, you deserve to be entered to win a prize. Surprise! Leave me a comment telling me which was your favorite card and I’ll enter you in a drawing to win one of the key fobs from this post. I don’t know what they’re called, key chains, key fobs. So go ahead, leave a comment, and just tell me which card do you like the best?

I’ll use the random.org to choose a winner an will announce this Saturday (December 19) in the early evening.

Until then, my friends . . .

74 comments:

Ellen said...

I like the pine cone picture - to me it's so peaceful and reminds me of the winter.

Astaryth said...

Ummmmm... I like them all LOL! Still, if I have to choose, I think I like the one with the berries best... no wait, the one with the pine-cones.... Yes, definitely the pine-cones. :)

Cindy said...

They are all beautiful and it's hard to choose a favorite. I guess I'm mostly traditional so I'll say my favorite is the Holly berries.

Have a great weekend.

Cindy

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

Lovely work!! They are all very unique and attractive in their own right. I was particularly drawn to the last two, but will choose the blue spruce branches.

Hilary said...

I like the very first one, although I had to look at them all several times to be sure. The dark trees and the snow falling.....I just love that one.

Heidi said...

They are all beautiful but I think my favourite has to be the Peace on Earth one.

RURAL said...

Gulp, ah I like all of them.

But the pinecones do edge out the others slightly for me.

Stunning.

Jen

Michelle said...

I like them ALL, although the last one draws me in with its intricate pattern. How about putting the circular squiggle pattern with Merry Christmas (stacked) in the open spot at upper right, or at least the words? I would love it!

Julie Harward said...

hi Kate...WOW..I am so impressed! I love them all..the little red bird up in the trees in the first one...the stars, so pretty, I was waiting to thinking that any minute I would hear; "Angels we have herd on high". Here where I live, the sky at night feels so close to us and alive..I swear we have more full moons than the rest of the world! But..my favorite is the ice on the window. I grew up in an old farm house and in the winter the windows had ice on them just like this. I loved to look through them at the lights...nothing is as pretty as that! The warmth of the old stove and icey windows. Come say hi :D

Tess Kincaid said...

Well done!! They're all lovely, but my fave would have to be the last frosty one.

Dessa said...

They are all beautiful, but I think my favorite is Peace on Earth. Love that sky.

Char said...

great job - my favorites are #2 and the last one. if i could offer a very tiny suggestion...i would move the text on the 1st card a bit more to the right and put it off center and perhaps down a scoosh.

Molly said...

oh the first one is my favorite, though they're all beautiful.

Brynwood Needleworks said...

My personal favorite is the first one - "Seasons Greetings" - with the beautiful snowy trees. I like them all, but that's the one I like the most. I can see how you'd get lost in play like this!
Hugs,
Donna

Mattenylou said...

I love them all, so nice, and they certainly represent the season. I'm going to go with Jack Frost's handiwork on the glass as my favorite. It would be appropriate for Christmas or a New Years' card, any winter occasion... it would even be a neat little note card or invitation ... or add a little red heart and 'melt' some frost, for a V-Day card. I love it!

Emmi said...

Oh Kate they are beautiful! Great job :) I think I like the fourth one the best(pinecones), gorgeous! I can't wait to see who wins :)

Emmi

Sweetpea said...

...the last one, frost...perfection of the season and a photo as individual as each tiny frost flake...:>]]

p.s. Howdy George.

Vickie said...

Kate, I like the very first one. It's mysterious and magical, and I expect to see some mythical creature slinking around in the depths. That doesn't sound very Christmasy, tho, does it? They're all beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Do I really have to pick just one? It's hard - I love that first one with the little red bird - but then the traditional holly one calls to me too. Okay - I'll pick the holly one! It's bold!

Sugar Creek Beads said...

Great job, they are all terrific but I am going back and forth between the holly and the pine cones. If I am very traditional I would pick the holly but... Well guess I will go with the holly. Your very special Christmas tree would be wonderful in a card, even Hallmark would love that one! Jeanne

Skogkjerring said...

I probably like the first one best because it looks like I could be looking into the forest around my house here and I like how the snow flakes are so big!!
Have a super Friday, we're off to Sweden to finish our Christmas shopping and relax a bit!!

Caroline said...

OMG!!!!!!!!! All are so so so pretty! My goodness...your talent is so inspiring!

Anonymous said...

Can't pick just one, all are beautiful... I did the same thing last night with not such great results...and my neck and back are complaining this morning...lol..

Happy Holidays -

Elizabeth Seaver said...

I like the first one with the fairy lights or snow or sparklers...any way that one floats my boat. They are all lovely, though, and time well spent! Thanks for sharing.

Deb said...

The last one is my favorite. You could get lost in the patterns of the frost. They are all great :)

Scriptor Senex said...

I'd definitely keep the last one as well - a great collection.

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

These are all absolutely gorgeous and would sell like hotcakes.

The last one is my favorite because it's so different. You could add a simple word like Peace in gold lettering and it would be wonderful. (The wording on the inside would work too.)

Anonymous said...

I like them all! But if I had to choose only one, I like the one with the berries

kblaidlaw

Laura ~Peach~ said...

love them all but the last one with the frost is my fav!

Diary From Africa said...

My favourite is the 2nd card - just lovely, and so unique ....

Talia said...

Wow! You absolutely must sell these! They are beautiful and you've quite the talent.

My two favorites are the second card and the frost (last card). Both so serene and peaceful.

Thanks for entering me to win!!

A New England Life said...

Seasons Greetings, definitely. And there's that little cardinal again. He seems to pop up in the most unusual places!

I know, it's so addicting once you sit down at the computer to just keep going from blog to blog or work in Photoshop. So many photos, so little time.

Sharon

Deb said...

They are all lovely, gorgeous and beautiful. But if I must choose one, well, two, it would be the first and last one that tickle my fancy!

Love your photography.

Unknown said...

Definitely the first one is a fave, but they're all great.

~Andrea~

Anke said...

Oh my, they are all so beautiful... If I had to pick just one, I guess it would be the second one. I love the sky at night, so peaceful.

Annie said...

Ah, they are all so lovely...you are very clever...I love them all! But most of all I love those pine cones..just perfect!

Mary said...

Kate, they are wonderful!!! I think the pine cones card is my fave, though...

Lucy said...

Love the first card and how you have to look at it closely to see the cardinal on the branch. All are lovely, though!

The JR said...

They are gorgeous. Love them.

S. Etole said...

Can they all be favorites?! I guess the traditionalist in me loves the holly. That little red bird in the top one is magical.

Daryl said...

Seasons Greetings AND the icy window cards

CBW and I have an idea ... lets talk when you have a sec

Linda said...

They are all wonderfull but I like the night sky one the best.

Hilary said...

Peace on earth is my favourite. I love those shades of blue.

Mental P Mama said...

I am seeing a business opportunity....

Carolynn Anctil said...

I like them all, but I think I like #1 the best for two reasons. It reminds me of my favourite Robert Frost poem, Stopping at a Wood on a Snowy Evening, and because the little red bird perched up in the tree. It's a sweet little surprise.

JC said...

I would pick the first one.
I love nature scenes.

The sky one is nice too..

(Hope you have a Fun Weekend)

Susan said...

They are all wonderful. Each one got better as I paged on down until the last one. Stunning. So different, so peaceful, so simple. Just frost. If you produce them, I'll buy a box. Course, I'll put glitter on them.

Anonymous said...

the fourth from the top.

Donna said...

I LOVE the first one with the night sky and snow....but the last one is very special, also.....I have always loved the patterns of frost on the windows...they are magical fairy drawings!

JacksDad said...

I like #1. But then again, I'm a sucker for snow!

Unknown said...

There is something about the blue and brown in the first picture that I like. I'd love to just have the original picture to hang on the wall.

tainterturtles said...

Actually, I love them all! Photoshop looks like such a cool program to learn. You are inspiring me.

wildbanshee said...

I love all of them, but the first one with just the tip of red from the Cardinal is my favorite, you can almost hear the silence.

Chocolate Cat said...

Hard to say which is my favorite but I do love the pine cones one! Where is the 'George' christmas card though??

resewn sally said...

I love them all, if i had to choose i'd say the trees and snow, seasons greetings. beautiful.
ResewnSally.

Egghead said...

Hard choice because I love all of them...even the last one. But I guess the first is my favorite. Sweet!

Gayle said...

All great, of course, but I am crAAAAAAzie about the first one.
:)
Gayle

Katy said...

I love the texture in your last picture. They are all completely wonderful.

Betty said...

They are all so beautiful.I like the blue in #2 but I like the little red bird in #1. I pick #1
~~ Love Hugs and Good Thoughts~~

Jessica Stier said...

Beautiful!
I think my favorite is the first one with the snow falling in the trees. I think it is because of the red bird just left of center. Amazing!

alphabet soup said...

I'm for the Happy Holidays, red and green holly and berries. I know, very traditional but it is cheerful, clear and clean. However I must just comment on the last one as ice patterns on windows are one of my very favourite images. The words would need to compliment the image....
How dare I tell you how to do things when you do them so well!!

Ms Soup

rosie said...

Hi Kate,
Wow, they're all beautiful (and I was going to leave a comment even before reading about your giveaway)but the night sky really caught my eye, something about those dark branches against the beautiful color of the sky.
Rosie

Jill of All Trades said...

Kate,
I just want to take this opportunity to tell you how much I love your blog. I have so many in my Reader and sometimes I am so guilty of just saying mark as read and not reading them but yours, well I save your blog post and savor them. Your blog is quite beautiful and your writing and your gentleness is beautiful. I am glad to call you my blog friend. Merry Christmas. Carla

susie said...

Hi, I have to say that my favorite one is the pine cones. I really like your photography, and all the textures you add to them

Gail said...

Ah, gee, do I have to choose? I like the first and second and cannot choose between them. They are both equally beautiful.

Check out my photo card giveaway a few posts back.

Jeanne Walker said...

I am a tradionalist so I like the Holly Berries the best, but would like for it to say 'Merry Christmas'.

Looks like you are in for a pretty good snowfall albeit a windy one!
Stay in, stay warm, drink a good cup of hot tea along with a freshly baked cookie. Now that's breakfast, what's for lunch????
Merry Christmas, Y'all! Jeanne

Suzanne said...

Kate, I like the Holly but I love the pinecones. They are all lovely.

Jessica White said...

I love, LOVE, LOVE the first picture....how did you do it? Is it straight out of the camera or did you do something in photoshop?

tea4too0 said...

I like the pine cones.

Donna S. said...

Ooooo. Season's Greetings or Peace On Earth!! Like them all.

Stickhorsecowgirls said...

WOW!!! I love them all! If I HAVE to choose a favorite--I suppose it would have to be the pine cone one because I have a thing for pine cones, acorns and pumpkins! I'm lovin the texture you used! V.

Cloudia said...

Though I too love the night sky, the last image pleased me mucho!



Aloha, Friend!


Comfort Spiral

Lea and her Mustangs said...

If I have to pick it would be the very first one. That little red bird in the trees just catches my heart. My second would be the holly but Love the first one.

cottage farm villa said...

I am going to have to get photoshop one of these days...but I would never get anything done if I had it to play with!!!! Loving the pinecone pic, and the two night skies as well .... can't possibly choose ;)