Tuesday Treasuries

Look at all the wonderful and unique finds!

Take a some time and doing some shopping.  Valentine's Day is just around the corner!

 

'February' by CindiRessler

Are you ready for some football! Superbowl Sunday with the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens! Who's your team! Happy Birthday all you February folks......Birthstone-Amethyst Happy Groundhog's Day Happy Valentine's Day

Amethyst Necklace Ster... PoleStar $55.00	Bill Murray as Phil Con... andyrama $4.00	San Francisco 49ers Nin... Motley1219 $4.99	Valentines 1, original ... RosoffArtwork... $20.00
Baltimore Ravens NFL &q... SincerelySadi... $10.95	Amethyst Ring - Purple ... FantaSeaJewel... $94.00	Be Mine, Bumble Bee and... hdnickerson $15.00	Keep Calm Groundhog Day... WildGeeseDigi... $8.00
A Jaunty Woodchuck wit... poordogfarm $5.00	Winter Wedding Romance ... CreatedByStor... $40.00	Amethyst earrings Sterl... BarronDesignS... $45.00	San Francisco 49ers Tea... AmericanAllSt... $19.99
Love 6" x 8" ... NYoriginalpai... $20.00	Ray Lewis Baltimore Rav... ArtbyCleatres... $25.00	Happy Groundhog Day Gif... Judyscrafts $4.99	February Birthstone - P... TouchOfSilver $26.00

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

'Our Weekend' by busybonniebee

We spend many a weekend at the beach. Even in January! And there is always a sandcastle. Featuring: from paradise with love www.etsy.com/shop/FromPARADISEwithLOVE?ref=seller_info

Seashells - Beach Photo... FromPARADISEw... $10.00	Made in france round br... GreenFlamingo... $55.00	sunrise beach print oce... TheGinghamOwl $19.00	Copper Earrings "S... CENTiment $16.00
Natural Turkish Towel, ... TheAnatolian $24.00	Original natural seawee... AlgaNet $50.00	CHRISTMAS CARD Christma... PhotographyBy... $6.50	Red Retro one piece gir... RedDollyGirls $27.99
Vintage boys swim trunk... myswagshack $7.00	Pelican Hand Painted on... roseartworks $50.00	Blue Turquoise Bohemian... OlenaDesigns $39.00	Beach Chairs KarenRomanoYo... $75.00
Beach Coasters Polaroid... PIXELGRINphot... $23.00	VTG 1970s 70s Gunne Sax... WhenDecadesCo... $118.00	Black Bellied Plover, 5... CindiRessler $12.50	Teal Mexican Blanket boxofhollyhoc... $38.00

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

  

'It Hurts To Set You Free' by LEXIBAGS

Trendsetting Treasury Team Challenge #29 Featuring Lisa�s beautiful necklace. Join our fun! www.etsy.com/teams/12915/trendsetting-treasury-team

It Hurts To Set You Fre... crownofstorms $30.00	Desert Scape Earrings /... scarlettgarne... $78.00	Snake&Skull Chandelier ... OriginalSkull... $2800.00	Vintage Exemplary 21k Y... diamondmaster... $3998.88
Mourning Cloak Butterfl... CindiRessler $12.50	Disco Headdress Necklac... scarlettgarne... $90.00	A Love Affair - 5x7 Fin... LaurenBPhotog... $12.00	Macro Photograph, Cats ... TheShutterbug... $30.00
1823 GEORGIAN/REGENCY 1... Wantitnowjewe... $829.00	morning - 8x12 print sixhours $30.00	Antique (1830) GEORGIAN... magwildwoodsc... $1995.00	mourning, pt II - 8x12 ... tanjatiziana $110.00
Ear Cuff Blue Mourning ... JennyzImpress... $16.99	Kundaleden AmarnathArt $1800.00	Photo Photograph - rid... MaudesMisfitF... $19.77

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

Monarch and Their Relatives

 

 

Happy Monday!

Last Monday I had mentioned that I was rearranging my work/office space and so far it is working out fine.

This Monday I have 3 new photographs that I have added to both my Etsy shop and Fine Art America.

 

 

Common Crow Euploea core

 

The beautiful butterfly above is known as the Common Crow.  Who would name such a beautiful butterfly such a name?  Some interesting facts about the Common Crow also known as the Oleander Butterfly.  They're related to the Monarch in that they have similar body types and feed on Milkweed and the Oleander plant which both have a toxin which the caterpillar ingests to protect it from predators as a caterpillar and as an adult butterfly.  The Common Crow is found in Australia,  South Asia and India.

 

I photographed the Common Crow at the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory in South Deerfield, Massachusetts.  For the past couple of years on my way to Connecticut I stop by and do some photographing and to just enjoy the quiet and beauty of these magnificent butterflies.  The Monarchs I photographed in my gardens.

 

Monarch Danaus plexippus

I've been playing around with some new techniques and I wanted to get your opinion on which photograph you like better.  The process with the above Monarch is using French Kiss textures to soften and give the photograph a more pastel feel.  Where the Monarch below is what I like to call a traditional photograph with some minor adjustments.

I have to say that I'm kinda in between, I love the softness of the above Monarch, but I love the bright boldness of the Monarch below.

Monarch Danaus plexippus

 



I guess it is a matter of preference.  The softer Monarch photograph would be great in a little girl's room or nursery.  Would even look great in a bathroom as would the bolder Monarch.  Well needless to say you can find them both in my Fine Art America and Etsy shops.

Speaking of shops....in the next few days I will be in the process of revamping my shops, mostly adding keywords and description for better SEO. 

 

In case you missed it here is last Friday's "Food Friday"post.

 

Tomorrow is Tuesday Treasuries and there are some great fines!

 

Have a great week! 

Food Friday....Featuring Red Raspberries

 

 

The wonderful Red Raspberry!

 

Quote of the week........

 

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.

Don't be trapped by dogma-

which is living with the results of other people's thinking.

Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.

And, most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. 

They somehow already know what you truly want to become.

Everything else is secondary."

Steve Jobs

 

This tasty little red berry can be eaten alone or in a variety of ways!  The Red Raspberries go well with yogurt, on a bowl of cereal, make them into a smoothie, great as a sorbet, but my favorite is with dark chocolate. 

Valentine's Day is just around the corner so way not take these tasty little red berries and turn them into a decadent dessert.  Take a look at the photo below....you're looking at a golden almond shortbread with a lightly sweeten layer of red raspberry with champagne preserves topped with rich dark chocolate.  YUM!!!

This is a pretty easy recipe to make.  So instead of buying something sweet for him or her....why not make it and make it with love.

Red Raspberry Champagne Chocolate Bars

2 ½ cups flour
1 cup sugar
¾ cup finely chopped almonds
1 egg beaten
1 cup cold butter
10 oz red raspberry with champagne preserves
1 2/3 cup of dark and milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 13x9 baking pan

Stir together flour, sugar, almonds and egg in large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender (or you could use a fork) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside 1 ½ cups crumb mixture.  Press remaining crumb mixture on the bottom of prepared pan. Stir preserve to soften; carefully spread over crumb mixture in pan. Be careful not to spread the preserves all the way to the edge leave about 1/2" all around to prevent the preserves from burning on the pan which would taste icky.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Crumble reserved crumbs mixture evenly over top (you can add the extra crumbs mixture if you want. I've chosen not to)
Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack

Prep time: 30 minutes
Yields: 16 bars
Cook time from start to finish: 1 hour 30 minutes

Here are a couple of footnotes to the recipe.........as far as the chocolate chips, you can use just dark or milk chocolate or mix them up, your choice.
Regarding the Red Raspberry with Champagne preserves.......you can use just regular red raspberry preserves or any kind of preserves you would like.  If you want to order the Red Raspberry with Champagne preserves you can get it from Fieldstone Farms.  Fieldstone Farms is a wonderful small business here in Maine.  They run their business right from there home.  They use the freshest ingredients and the taste of these fruit spreads are FANTASTIC!!!!!   I would highly recommend you visit their website!

Interesting Facts......

 

~Red Raspberries are a good source of fiber, antioxidants and vitamin C.
~Grow Red Raspberries in full sun in well-drained soil and space the plants 2-3 feet apart.
~Red Raspberries are ready for harvest in midsummer.

While I was working on this blog post the Internet quit working due to the high winds and many power outages that had occurred here in Maine.  So that gave me the opportunity to review my garden plans.  I have planned out what vegetables I'm going to grow and I've also figured out how I'm going to redesign my flower garden.  Now I'm very anxious for the arrival of Spring.  Although I've been ready for Spring for about a month now.  My gardens are my inspiration for alot of my photography.

 

Watch for Monday's post.....Have a wonderful weekend! 
 

Speaking of which it is Superbowl weekend.  Are you watching the Superbowl?  Which team do you want to win?!  I have to say since the Patriots didn't get to the Superbowl and even though I'm not thrilled with them I'll be rutting for the Ravens.

 

Oh and Hey don't forget the champagne to go with those Red Raspberry Champagne Chocolate Bars!!