Eye Candy - DoverPictura

Wow folks, this morning I stumbled across a site via another blog that I follow that I think is going to be my new best friend of the internet. DoverPictura is eye candy for image addicts.

As their tag line states, DoverPictura is an online source for "Rare, Unique and Exotic Digital Image Collections" that are royalty and/or copyright free.  Their collection is HUGE and covers a multitude of interests/ subjects  from Angels to Warcraft and anything you could imagine in between.

                             Cropped Screenshots via DoverPictura.com

For a very reasonable fee, you can download either an entire 'book' of images or selected image sheets. Then you can either use the images as a source of inspiration, or use them directly - because they're royalty free y'all!!

My immediate favourite 'books' included:

Butterflies and Moths

Full-Colour Old-Time Animals

(that jaunty little dog in the hat and coat kills me!)

Think this site couldn't any more awesome? Well, they have a blog for crafty ideas on how to play with their images. Hello, amazing! What do you think? I'd love to hear some of your favourites!

Stuff I Love: Buckhorn Spring Craft Show Round-Up

I had the great pleasure of exhibiting at the Buckhorn Spring Craft Show this weekend and met some awesome, enthusiastic craftspeople.  These are three of my favourite online-accessible makers from the show:

Little Kitchen Gourmet

Besides being a totally awesome and kind person, Patricia, from Little Kitchen Gourmet, makes some amazingly tasty stuff.  My booth was across from hers at the show I did previously, and I spent every slow moment taste-testing off her table.  She's got modern takes on classic recipes that are unique enough to impress the biggest food snob and have the quality of grandma's kitchen (For example, Tequila Sunset Red Pepper Jelly). Check out Little Kitchen Gourment online, or in person in one of their upcoming Southern Ontario shows.

image via: http://littlekitchengourmet.wordpress.com/savoury-jams-jellies/

Eva + Dell

When Ann walked into the banquet hall in a kick-ass vintage-style polka dotted dress, I figured I was probably going to love whatever she was selling.  And I did.  She makes very high-quality, vintage inspired clothing and accessories for girls and boys (check out these suspenders - too adorable, right?!). Like me, she's both a  mom of a toddler and recently turned her crafting hobby into a job.  Check out Anne's webpage and Etsy shop (there's a few things there for women too.)

image via: https://www.etsy.com/listing/101398402/sixties-swing-top-and-bloomers-briar?ref=shop_home_active

Cottage Lights

I was fortunate enough to have my booth beside Rhonda from Cottage Lights.  Together with her mom, Colleen, Rhonda had me in stitches whenever there was a break in traffic through the show.  Rhonda has a highly stressful full-time job, and she relieves stress by (meticulously) hand-pouring 100% natural soy candles.  For people who love beeswax, but want a more cost-effective natural candle, check out soy.  Actually, soy candles just seem all-in-all better than conventional candles in terms of scent-throw, burn time, and clean-burning. Cottage Lights offers custom scent blends for a variety of tastes.  Check out Rhonda's website for upcoming events and retail locations in southern Ontario.

images via: http://www.cottagelightscandles.com/products.html

Stuff I Love: Anthropomorphic Animal Portraits

Lately I'm lovin' old-timey portraits of animals doing people things.  I'm not sure if this new-found love is because these remind me of characters from childhood story books, or because they're just so compellingly weird. I own this Young Mr. Fox portrait and I'm thinking that it would like some company on my wall.  Here are the top 4 on my wish list, but you can see the whole treasury of 16 portraits on Etsy.

 

Inspiration: Seeing things Like a Child

My toddler received one of those "kid proof" digital cameras as a gift.  It honestly wouldn't have been something I would have bought for her - it seems a bit crazy (to me) that a two-year-old should have her own camera.  I was enlightened after watching her play with it for awhile.  She took pictures of everything; her ball, her snack, her sister baby, a chair, looking out the window, looking in the mirror... Anything that was interesting, she'd tell it "say cheese" and snap a pic.

In looking through the [200+] pictures she took in the first few days, you could really see though her pictures the things that she thought were interesting.  Her photos were little tidbits of her life that she captured with a childlike curiosity.  No editing. No framing. No posing.  Just capture.

My little girl with her camera inspired me to get outside (during naptime with baby-monitors in pocket) and capture a few pics of things I found interesting in the wooded area around my yard. I wish I could turn off the editing/ framing that is imprint in my brain, but alas, I am a grown-up.  My friend Pablo said it best, perhaps:
“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child” (Pablo Picasso)

Here are a few of my captures:

Here's hoping this encourages you to get out and capture quick pics of some of the things in your life that inspire you!