tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19138353287628506582024-02-19T11:32:27.360+01:00Rural France Photography<br>A diverse blog featuring all sorts from old photos to new artists,<br>
and an equally wide range of subjects from nature photography<br>
and art, to vintage cars and digital designs - whatever takes my fancy!RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-79642433261537250222015-12-13T20:30:00.000+01:002015-12-13T21:37:07.302+01:00Natural patterns foxgloves for the home<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/lilac_and_white_foxgloves_kaleidoscope_throw_blanket-256232247470139864?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow"> <img alt="Lilac and white foxgloves kaleidoscope throw blanket" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/lilac_and_white_foxgloves_kaleidoscope_throw_blanket-r5bffe7e92a344917870c2dd19f25a71a_zikrb_325.jpg?rlvnet=1&bg=0xffffff" style="border: 0;" /> </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/lilac_and_white_foxgloves_kaleidoscope_throw_blanket-256232247470139864?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow">Lilac and white foxgloves kaleidoscope throw blanket</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/natural_patterns*" rel="nofollow">Natural_Patterns</a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtky8peKQqith3R6lcjQw37XhhsUBZuekHKvaLKEfa6Hmu8hUY4b3gQm5CUAMvl4X_2zJ_LD4XoB2XIrZrC99x623NLl1O-CVv7NQNq_o8Nu6HcNEEkX7VD4jkdczamMDQ3kZsghEvLIj/s1600/foxglove+pattern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtky8peKQqith3R6lcjQw37XhhsUBZuekHKvaLKEfa6Hmu8hUY4b3gQm5CUAMvl4X_2zJ_LD4XoB2XIrZrC99x623NLl1O-CVv7NQNq_o8Nu6HcNEEkX7VD4jkdczamMDQ3kZsghEvLIj/s320/foxglove+pattern.jpg" width="320" /></a>Introducing my Natural Patterns store whose raison d'être is my love of flowers, photography and my love of making patterns, It's not all photography, and not all flowers, though that is for a later post. Being a keen gardener with a preference for wild flowers, these are my first and foremost subjects of choice, so to start with, the humble foxglove.<br />
A foxglove has immense benefits for health with it's digitalis for heart problems, of course that makes it a dangerous plant - you don't want to chew the leaves or flowers! I'm amazed by the number of potentially harmful plants that are available for gardens. I've only just managed to eradicate some aconitum, or monkshood, which was growing here when we moved in. Now that we have dogs, it's a risk I can't take, pretty though they are. But back to foxgloves. I love the way the flower colours range from white in the unopened buds to a spotty lilac purple when open. They seed themselves everywhere, and none of the animals are interested in them, so they are allowed to carry on. Bumblebees love them, and the sight of the majestic flower spikes in June means that summer is just around the corner.<br />
The photo above shows the pattern and the photo that made it, something I hope to repeat throughout this blog.It's not as simple as just putting a photo into a pattern making machine, I often spend hours getting it to look just right. The parameters for making patterns are infinite! I settled on several patterns, and this square is the one I finally decided would look best.<br />
So I hope this collection of foxglove patterns for the home will find it's way into the home of a gardener or wildflower enthusiast somewhere. The design is available on tablecloths and accessories, with more to be added later.<br />
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<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/collections/natural_patterns_foxgloves-119973912975937446?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow"> <img alt="Natural patterns foxgloves" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/natural_patterns_foxgloves_119973912975937446-r_zruem_jdr1n_425.jpg" style="border: 0;" /> </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/collections/natural_patterns_foxgloves-119973912975937446?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow">Natural patterns foxgloves</a> <br />
by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/mbr/238190912085200941" rel="nofollow">RuralFrance</a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowT3b9gpCWwoUlmmCGRKaaaaYEBam6PTHNjVSioI5vKAarEg3GxCY8yoLfK6vKGBS3Slc9oK4FvSHdd7fldOTRUIeOwWw92y5ag37d9131vn7kQhANPT1lpsswv2sTUm_NY8ckGacfIhc/s1600/foxglovepalette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowT3b9gpCWwoUlmmCGRKaaaaYEBam6PTHNjVSioI5vKAarEg3GxCY8yoLfK6vKGBS3Slc9oK4FvSHdd7fldOTRUIeOwWw92y5ag37d9131vn7kQhANPT1lpsswv2sTUm_NY8ckGacfIhc/s640/foxglovepalette.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foxgloves colour palette</td></tr>
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</div>
RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-17346945568258352472015-11-03T20:46:00.000+01:002015-11-03T20:46:17.859+01:00Fractal flowers<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhp9TeriU5wf-iMW5LPR7j2Ya9JEuYhav_uDHUYc3hIreFU6OSyoZ_ZLAlsKAS8aWme3L3wuRp5k5zn8ZFjGHughMUohNhMgcGN10Q3lLqH_l7cZslCk0KNXdRz2OMrzYeccTdQzw7H_v/s1600/flower+spray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fractal daisies" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhp9TeriU5wf-iMW5LPR7j2Ya9JEuYhav_uDHUYc3hIreFU6OSyoZ_ZLAlsKAS8aWme3L3wuRp5k5zn8ZFjGHughMUohNhMgcGN10Q3lLqH_l7cZslCk0KNXdRz2OMrzYeccTdQzw7H_v/s320/flower+spray.jpg" title="Fractal flowers close-up" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up detail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After several solid days and a steep learning curve, I think I'm beginning to get to grips. It's not easy! When you have about ten layers, changing one layer can alter things dramatically, it's the unpredictability that makes it hard work. But still, I had a look around the internet at fractal flowers and thought, I'd like to do something like that. So, exploring various formulae and transformations, I came up with this, which I'm quite proud of! It consist of 8 layers, all the same formula but with different parameters, and using combinations of hard light, soft light and multiply, with some transparency in several layers.<br />
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<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/delicate_fractal_flowers_canvas_print-192538785193000403?design.areas=%5Bdynamic%5D&view=113082064178247605&rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow"> <img alt="Delicate fractal flowers canvas print" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/delicate_fractal_flowers_canvas_print-r40a5147e9531480b92a52ebc860f1ab7_2ub7_8byvr_325.jpg?bg=0xffffff" style="border: 0;" /> </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/delicate_fractal_flowers_canvas_print-192538785193000403?design.areas=%5Bdynamic%5D&view=113082064178247605&rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow">Delicate fractal flowers canvas print</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/rainbow_pixels*%20rel=%22nofollow%22">Rainbow_Pixels</a></div>
The flowers are a combination of daisy like settings on a flower trap, in shades of delicate pink with a darker green for the foliage, with fine lines curving over the background of pastel blue-green and lilac. It started off as an idea for a Christmas design but evolved into this, simple but, I think, effective. I liked the corner idea as it left plenty of room for text on invitations and cards. Here it is on a wedding invitation:<br />
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<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/flower_spray_fractal_wedding_5x7_paper_invitation_card-256743986234277946?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow"> <img alt="Flower spray fractal wedding 5x7 paper invitation card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/flower_spray_fractal_wedding_5x7_paper_invitation_card-r29f3825a21a54e5da94cf0efd47d3e51_zkrqs_325.jpg?rlvnet=1" style="border: 0;" /> </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/flower_spray_fractal_wedding_5x7_paper_invitation_card-256743986234277946?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow">Flower spray fractal wedding 5x7 paper invitation card</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/rainbow_pixels*%20rel=%22nofollow%22">Rainbow_Pixels</a><br />
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and looks equally at home on cushions and pillows:
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<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/pastel_colors_daisy_flower_spray_throw_pillows-189309050088557167?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow"> <img alt="Pastel colors daisy flower spray throw pillows" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/pastel_colors_daisy_flower_spray_throw_pillows-rdfcb63b7f8bf4ae593b152f496019c7a_i5fqz_8byvr_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /> </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/pastel_colors_daisy_flower_spray_throw_pillows-189309050088557167?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow">Pastel colors daisy flower spray throw pillows</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/rainbow_pixels*%20rel=%22nofollow%22">Rainbow_Pixels</a></div>
RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-79194566459310204662015-11-01T12:17:00.000+01:002015-11-01T13:14:24.394+01:00Fractal frolics - Ultra Fractal 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqxujPWxhN_1HiU8XJpF_DTSu7Kf0UDGydlky-ThBrEY9xzc1DyxSAB9okfXeS5n8SbHMGkWKs6GFG9kELP0x1G6WDzABW1WcAGFNZBQGa8NN2RXgPbGX_-hTE3yyM5al9M8AzWkeTosy/s1600/blogpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Two styles of fractals" border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqxujPWxhN_1HiU8XJpF_DTSu7Kf0UDGydlky-ThBrEY9xzc1DyxSAB9okfXeS5n8SbHMGkWKs6GFG9kELP0x1G6WDzABW1WcAGFNZBQGa8NN2RXgPbGX_-hTE3yyM5al9M8AzWkeTosy/s640/blogpic.jpg" title="Two styles of fractals" width="640" /></a></div>
Last year I bought a copy of Ultra Fractal, but didn't have much time to play with it. Now I have and I'm just discovering the infinite possibilities. I'm not maths oriented by any means so it's a question of pushing buttons until I see what I like.<br />
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The software has a vast range of formulae and transformations - some I only just discovered this week! It also has layers, with all the overlay modes, so you can combine different formulae, colours and transformations. There is probably more but I've only just started. Large size or complicated fractals can be rendered in tiles to stitch together later.<br />
The first finished one I rendered in December last year is a curly tentacle-like pattern with background shading that gives it some depth, so it looks like a writhing sea monster waking up in the ocean depths - or is that just my vivid imagination? It's a simple single layer fractal in two colours, which I decided to change the colours later in Photoline.<br />
<br />
These, I think, look particularly good on cushions and
iPad cases. They were made using the Pheonix (Julia) formula with
Triangle Inequality Average outside (these terms mean nothing to me, but may be of use to someone!)<br />
<table> <tbody>
<tr> <td><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/fractal_tentacles_throw_pillows-189517521257746899?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow"> <img alt="Fractal tentacles throw pillows" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/fractal_tentacles_throw_pillows-r58f6fc468d3049ab8f1ec4e23968debb_i5fqz_8byvr_300.jpg" style="border: 0;" /> </a>
</td><td><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/yellow_blue_black_swirls_fractal_ipad_air_cases-256389385198804748?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow"> <img alt="Yellow blue black swirls fractal iPad air cases" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/yellow_blue_black_swirls_fractal_ipad_air_cases-r85b245c08c0d44f2b80bd3a3bffb484c_id92e_8byvr_300.jpg?bg=0xffffff" style="border: 0;" /> </a>
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</tbody></table>
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Appropriately just in time for Christmas, I've discovered how to make some very attractive fractal snowflakes, with shading on blue that makes them look cold and icy.<br />
They are again single layers, both using Newton2 formula with Orbit Traps and Kaleidoscope mapping set to a symmetry of 6, one using Waves and the other Lines trap shapes. I'm finding it fascinating, and sometimes frustrating, how zooming in on different sections gives a completely different look.<br />
<br />
<table> <tbody>
<tr> <td><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/icy_snowflake_stylized_pattern_greeting_card-137789474779629542?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow"> <img alt="Icy snowflake stylized pattern greeting card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/icy_snowflake_stylized_pattern_greeting_card-r15416bb5aeef499f9ccddf649c10282a_xvuat_8byvr_300.jpg" style="border: 0px none;" /> </a>
</td><td><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/icy_fractal_snowflake_greeting_card-137668869170164248?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow"> <img alt="Icy fractal snowflake greeting card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/icy_fractal_snowflake_greeting_card-r517a74b2c91745938633aaed27c2e2f9_xvuat_8byvr_300.jpg" style="border: 0px none;" /> </a>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Still using the same formula, but with no mapping this time is a lacy white fractal wedding invitation, using Mirrored Waves and a cube root transfer function. This gives it a soft floaty effect which reminded me of a bride's veil with a lacy and sparkly edge. The last purple wedding invitation is my favourite so far. It's a 3 layer fractal using the Slope (Scaled Ikegana Newton) formula and Unroll Cardioid mapping, the bottom layer using Orbit traps gradient (UF5), second layer Lighting, and top layer Minimum Functions. Of course there are many other variables involved such as colour gradient, zooming, transfer functions. This one reminds me of peacocks, perhaps two birds circling each other, as the central motif has an eye like a peacock feather, with blue and yellow tints - only a small section of it is on the invitation, the complete version is on the canvas below.<br />
<table> <tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/blue_and_white_fractal_wedding_5x7_paper_invitation_card-256359288805452063?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow"> <img alt="Blue and white fractal wedding 5x7 paper invitation card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/blue_and_white_fractal_wedding_5x7_paper_invitation_card-r0e2f8619ce3c4205a3dd9f634dfc7f73_zkrqs_300.jpg?rlvnet=1" style="border: 0;" /> </a>
</td><td><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/purple_fractal_peacock_feather_wedding_5x7_paper_invitation_card-256652973529301047?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow"> <img alt="Purple fractal peacock feather wedding 5x7 paper invitation card" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/purple_fractal_peacock_feather_wedding_5x7_paper_invitation_card-r7a94cbf188f94c438b9e517263fe7e36_zkrqs_300.jpg?rlvnet=1" style="border: 0;" /> </a>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/dancing_peacocks_fractal_canvas_print-192940918859190042?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img alt="Dancing peacocks fractal canvas print" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/dancing_peacocks_fractal_canvas_print-r7b715e96bed1439b914f4634d88a2500_vkgu_8byvr_500.jpg" style="border: 0px none;" /> </a></div>
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/dancing_peacocks_fractal_canvas_print-192940918859190042?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow">Dancing peacocks fractal canvas print</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/rainbow_pixels*%20rel=%22nofollow%22">Rainbow_Pixels</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/rainbow_pixels/gifts?cg=196535642487256377?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow">My fractal portfolio</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Designs available on greeting cards, pillows, canvasses and more</div>
RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-56957600288364597532015-10-28T21:19:00.002+01:002015-12-11T17:25:22.244+01:00Dog Christmas, birthday and get well greeting cards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMZ6ohiYR6mRNYo1lj1AR9EP_uuvPiWwvyIRi-YqiXHnt7rG28J-cxvlLwiO3jrEnH0L3oNf0cMOWXOb-4Xfx-HqollGkoSupbCz-ytJGwGnMSYNf7KyEsi6zgYA1laVqU3LYlCRyfTwy/s1600/raffles3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMZ6ohiYR6mRNYo1lj1AR9EP_uuvPiWwvyIRi-YqiXHnt7rG28J-cxvlLwiO3jrEnH0L3oNf0cMOWXOb-4Xfx-HqollGkoSupbCz-ytJGwGnMSYNf7KyEsi6zgYA1laVqU3LYlCRyfTwy/s400/raffles3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
One of the many nice things about being owned by a dog, is the photo opportunities. Having had dogs all my life, and being dogless for 10 years, I decided my new other half had better get used to me having dogs again. I was determined not to have a puppy and go through all the puddles, chewed shoes, teething and sleepless nights that ensue, so off we trotted to the local shelter. Here in this part of France it's <a href="http://www.spa-creuse.com/" target="_blank">SPA Creuse</a>.<br />
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This being rural hunting country, many of the dogs are hunting breeds. We looked around them all - some tiny terriers, some hounds built like horses, some with massive problems that perhaps I could cope with but not keep a marriage intact at the same time. I also wanted a male, for some reason I prefer them. We couldn't see one that said "take me home", so in desperation one of the volunteers said "we've got some puppies". OK, I'll just take a look, I thought. So here is Raffles:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnFymd_KSTqIotI1SV5AjIneeWUICwJ5gz2gCjSPp3ptQtxZoNL2crT118MKbpIC-Ra7JJ8MHIkTKweAl-0iypXp3Z868bQ2HnfAx9A-Xv6PK6mMAdcIsAHW_18fDUQPnksX3Uy6FsBrg/s1600/raffles+licking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnFymd_KSTqIotI1SV5AjIneeWUICwJ5gz2gCjSPp3ptQtxZoNL2crT118MKbpIC-Ra7JJ8MHIkTKweAl-0iypXp3Z868bQ2HnfAx9A-Xv6PK6mMAdcIsAHW_18fDUQPnksX3Uy6FsBrg/s320/raffles+licking.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Take me home!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: right;">
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How could I resist the waggy tail and licky tongue. He was 4 months old, and his papers say he's a Griffon Korthals though he looks nothing like one, I'm inclined to think there's more Bleu de Gascogne in him <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffon_Bleu_de_Gascogne" target="_blank">(wiki)</a>. He certainly has the same markings but his ears are tiny in comparison.<br />
<br />
I decided to go for crate training from the start. Some people seem to think it's cruel, but getting a dog used to a crate is a real boon. If you do it right, it's a safe haven for them, and if they have to stay at the vets or be contained on a car journey, they're already used to it - in fact, more often than not, he sleeps in his crate with the door open.<br />
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The first few nights, as expected, there was a bit of crying, but I slept on the settee and he soon settled down. House training was super easy - he just doesn't want to go on his own territory. Teething was another matter, it was a whole year before he grew out of play biting.<br />
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Training has been a bit hit and miss, a) because I can't devote much time to it, and b) being a scent hound he has an incredibly high prey drive. I doubt if I'll ever be able to let him off lead safely in an area that's not fenced, because he's just off after a deer, a boar, a bird, a leaf, a spider...! So, he'll come when he's called, maybe, if there are no distractions, he can sit, lie down, roll over, give alternate paws and weave in between my legs.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvb50BTnQfrmt8Lub90S3Lx_BJutHoe2MBXot44Ccgz0slxE_qP4rFSwWTcffAO6k2jNIQH_hU7eD27q6NF-qchebWHAGooCJyGYQUgyXmiT6h1-vlefBbiThhx1H7xGT9EGHPklhNmq9c/s1600/rafflesleave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvb50BTnQfrmt8Lub90S3Lx_BJutHoe2MBXot44Ccgz0slxE_qP4rFSwWTcffAO6k2jNIQH_hU7eD27q6NF-qchebWHAGooCJyGYQUgyXmiT6h1-vlefBbiThhx1H7xGT9EGHPklhNmq9c/s320/rafflesleave.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leave!</td></tr>
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He'll leave a kibble placed on his paw, but just try to get him to give up a dead mouse! He does get a run in the woods in the summer, when he's hot and not so energetic, but he'll still disappear for 20 minutes. One major problem we had with him was him wanting to chase cars - it's a fear thing, he's not very brave. It took me 18 months of feeding a treat and making him sit when a car came past to stop him lunging at it. He's <i>almost </i>cured of it now.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ginny</td></tr>
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Two years on, we decided it would be nice for him, and he was mature
enough, to have a girlfriend (neutered), so we went back to SPA and
found Ginny. I think she's a Patterdale terrier, or at least a mix of
that breed. I was worried that she might be a bit small for our
bull-in-a-china-shop Raffles, but they get on famously, and Ginny
usually has the upper hand. She's a real sweetie but with a high prey
drive again, so she's either full on or in couch potato mode. Couch
potato wins most of the time! She was about 3 when she arrived, and
apart from one wee on the floor in the first few days, and pulling like a
tank engine on walks, she's been no trouble at all.<br />
<br />
We have a very small fenced garden, so they rely on their walks to let off steam. We're lucky enough to have a fenced paddock that we keep for hay, so for most of the year they can chase each other round to their hearts' content, and dig for voles which is their other hobby.<br />
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Winter can be a tricky time for keeping dogs occupied. One game we devised that works for us, is <br />
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putting some kibble inside a box, sometimes inside a box inside a box. It satisfies the chewing habit, needs a bit of brain power, and is fun for the humans too! It helps if you drink beer. You can also use empty loo rolls folded at the ends. Another 'game' involving food is throwing kibbles - it's a bit more tricky with two dogs as they have to be thrown in opposite directions. Raffles get's his thrown up the stairs while Ginny charges around the kitchen after hers. If the weather is dry, I throw a handful of kibbles onto the lawn - it takes them a little while to find them all in the grass. There are all sorts of variations - if your dog is sensible with plastic, you can put some kibble in a plastic bottle, but be warned, it's extremely noisy on a hard floor! Before Ginny came along, I used to let Raffles outside, then hide treats on various ledges around the house - good for teaching them to look for something.<br />
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Back to photos, dogs are characters, each with their own funny little ways, and if there's one thing that Raffles has got in spades, it's pathos, which makes him very suitable for get well and 'sorry' cards. Here is a selection with Raffles and Ginny, including Christmas cards, and some other dogs as well. Photographing dogs romping in the snow can be quite tricky, especially with a black dog on white snow, it took many many photos to get these few!<br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/collections/dog_greeting_cards-119172083692751626?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow"> <img alt="Dog greeting cards" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/dog_greeting_cards_119172083692751626-r_zruem_jsp4b_425.jpg" style="border: 0;" /> </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/collections/dog_greeting_cards-119172083692751626?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow">Dog greeting cards</a> <br />
by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/mbr/238190912085200941%20rel=%22nofollow%22">RuralFrance</a> </div>
<br />RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-80663198121835048052015-08-05T12:47:00.000+02:002015-08-05T13:00:14.199+02:00Zippi Tote Bag - review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDh0QWvhnegFOsozSooXCA_j_FyB3F_bsMR8-TxFD2iGl559lZXRO0l0Asmwn0eYwmgXegEHbZN201KpeTKVN8WWwjwdYdDGsLOgJwOgNsYdzpafLAy8AjFZu9CoDk_01OxDXlTnhv0P1/s1600/totebag1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDh0QWvhnegFOsozSooXCA_j_FyB3F_bsMR8-TxFD2iGl559lZXRO0l0Asmwn0eYwmgXegEHbZN201KpeTKVN8WWwjwdYdDGsLOgJwOgNsYdzpafLAy8AjFZu9CoDk_01OxDXlTnhv0P1/s320/totebag1.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
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I received my sample tote bag in the post today, 5 days including printing, and a weekend, from the UK to France - pretty good!<br />
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Made of recycled PET (a type of polyester), though you wouldn’t believe it as it has a wonderfully soft cotton feel to it, and feels strong as well. The comfortable handles are long enough to slip over a shoulder. I tested it for weight and volume with items from my store cupboard, and it comfortably held:<br />
550g box of cereal, 1.5l bottle of lemonade, 3 x 225g tins of pineapple, and 2 x 415g tins of baked beans<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1G9HR3qtxlqmSMFaSMHAGlgDbQZojoH8HgQndeOHQoVQHvW4vDMKjiG4lapYCfF4qVxSFEaWCBhX92cRb0tPl7nSA9LrkKGgdbKqIqaN8cmk5EN679j-7lCfdEZihqoBB1JOL7o765z2/s1600/totebag2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1G9HR3qtxlqmSMFaSMHAGlgDbQZojoH8HgQndeOHQoVQHvW4vDMKjiG4lapYCfF4qVxSFEaWCBhX92cRb0tPl7nSA9LrkKGgdbKqIqaN8cmk5EN679j-7lCfdEZihqoBB1JOL7o765z2/s320/totebag2.jpg" width="320" /></a>The total weight was about 4.5 kilos. I’m not sure I’d want to carry that much weight in it too often though it certainly felt strong enough. That makes it ideal for popping down to the corner shop or to the library, or to take a thick jumper and a shirt if you’re going out somewhere and not sure of the weather.<br />
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The print of my dark blue clematis design is very true to colour, though appears lighter due to the limitations of printing on fabric - you can see in the close-up that the white grain of the bag shows through and lightens the overall colours, but still it's a very clear print.<br />
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These bags are available for the sale price of £8.99 at the moment, reduced from £9.99, with <a href="http://www.zippi.co.uk/designs/tote-bags" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">several thousand designs</a> to choose from (<a href="http://www.zippi.co.uk/designs/tote-bags/dark-blue-clematis-square-tote-bag" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">including mine!</a>), or you can easily make your own with a favourite photo. If you’re looking for an ethically produced tote, you can’t go far wrong with these.<br />
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A very nicely made and useful bag - thank you Zippi!<br />
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<br />RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-22546052181856584512015-08-04T17:34:00.000+02:002015-08-04T17:34:51.236+02:00Bags of Love<a href="http://www.bagsoflove.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bags of Love</a> looks like an interesting prospect. For a start, it's the only print on demand company I've seen so far where you can actually design matching sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases. UK based, they have a large range of products from fabrics, kitchen and home furnishings, gifts for the person who has everything, electronics cases, pet beds, bowls and leads, a good range of clothing and more. What is especially good is the number of products with all-over printing. Not the cheapest, but reasonable European postage costs and potential quality make up for that.<br />
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There is talk of designer shops being available soon, so watch this space. In the meantime, go along and have a look, upload a favourite photo, and design your own gifts!<br />
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When I can decide what to buy, I will purchase one of my own designs and write a review here, so watch this space.RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-39790074109992661932015-07-30T17:01:00.000+02:002015-07-30T17:04:51.121+02:00Zippi, print on demand in the UK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark blue art nouveau clematis pattern close-up</td></tr>
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Having recently joined Zippi, a UK print on demand company, as a designer, I was pleased to see two sales - one for an iphone skin and one for a tote bag. Let's hope it's the start of bigger things!<br />
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The tote bag design is one I redrew from a vintage illustration, in vector format which makes it easy to change colours. The design is a stylised clematis with twining leaves and flowers with parallel border lines, made into a pattern. This one is a square pattern with a dark blue background and lighter blue leaves with orange brown flowers.<br />
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The totes are made from recycled material and measure 41cm x 37cm, and printed on both sides. <br />
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This design is also available on messenger bags, phone and laptop skins and cases, mugs, mousemats, coasters and placemats, keyrings, t-shirts, canvasses and even jigsaws.<br />
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<a href="http://dh4pzatwjvlc6.cloudfront.net/resize-product/490/7a6/tote_bag/rainbowpixels/Dark-blue-clematis-square-69618/original_web_0nly.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAI2AGUGFA7DVDZM5Q" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dark blue clematis square Tote Bag" border="0" class="" src="http://dh4pzatwjvlc6.cloudfront.net/resize-product/490/7a6/tote_bag/rainbowpixels/Dark-blue-clematis-square-69618/original_web_0nly.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAI2AGUGFA7DVDZM5Q" data-src="" height="400" id="img490" width="400" /></a></div>
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Zippi's products are made in their Southampton base in the UK, which make them ideal for European delivery, though their worldwide shipping costs are also very reasonable.<br />
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This design is available in four other colours at present: Light green with orange brown flowers, light beige with blue flowers, dark brown with violet flowers, and dark green with violet flowers.<br />
<a href="http://www.zippi.co.uk/portfolio/rainbowpixels/dark-blue-clematis-square" target="_blank">See all products with this design</a><br />
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Please see the whole range of designs in <a href="http://www.zippi.co.uk/portfolio/rainbowpixels" target="_blank">my portfolio here</a>RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-31068130198458705592015-07-28T17:52:00.002+02:002015-07-30T17:07:32.086+02:00Art of WhereAs part of my branching out exercise I've signed up with ArtofWhere, a Canadian company. I just wish I was a bit younger as I'd love some of their dresses, but they've still got cushions and scarves, leggings, and phone cases. The upload systems is a bit time consuming as you have to upload an image for each range of products, and they can be quite large files. They do two styles of dresses - flare and bodycon (which is a figure hugging style).<br />
This is a design of indigo blue shaded stripes in a diagonal flowing pattern on the flare style dress. Just my colour! You can see all my designs <a href="https://artofwhere.com/shop/artist/15093" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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<br />RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-21453605700705846962015-07-28T15:54:00.001+02:002015-07-28T16:40:45.651+02:00Judy Adamson's Art & Design Blog: Egyptian Patterns, a New Venture and International...<br />
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<a href="http://judyadamsonartanddesign.blogspot.com/2015/07/egyptian-patterns-new-venture-and.html?spref=bl">Judy Adamson's Art & Design Blog: Egyptian Patterns, a New Venture and International...</a>: One of my Screen Prints from the late 1980s! Sadly, it's been next to impossible to do anything remotely creative this month, ...RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-44536187556259069142015-07-22T18:49:00.002+02:002015-07-28T16:05:46.089+02:00Rest of the world PODsFor PODs read print on demand companies. Zazzle was lovely, but due to various US tax shenanigans, I've decided to look for "rest of the world" outlets. So far, I've signed up with;<br />
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Redbubble, an Australian company offering electronics cases, clothing, "pillows" (why can't they call them cushions?), duvet covers, prints and a few other products.<br />
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/ruralbusiness/rainbow-pixels-on-redbubble/">https://www.pinterest.com/ruralbusiness/rainbow-pixels-on-redbubble/</a> <br />
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Zippi, a UK based company offering similar items but sadly without the home furnishings, though I believe cushions might be on the cards.<br />
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/ruralbusiness/rainbow-pixels-on-zippi/">https://www.pinterest.com/ruralbusiness/rainbow-pixels-on-zippi/</a><br />
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Woven Monkey, UK again and my favourite so far, is print on demand fabric. I well remember the days of buying fabric in a shop - like the design but not the colour, like the colour but not the design. I love making patterns so this suits me well.
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/ruralbusiness/rainbow-pixels-on-woven-monkey/">https://www.pinterest.com/ruralbusiness/rainbow-pixels-on-woven-monkey/</a><br />
I've uploaded a range of designs from modern digital to vintage, so please come along and have a look! <br />
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Unfortunately I haven't worked out how to get image links from any of these yet, but the year is young! What I really need, however is a freelance designer based POD printing business cards and other paper goods - they seem to be very much in short supply - a niche for you European printers?RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-33700607976168416152014-08-24T10:06:00.000+02:002015-12-10T18:04:16.773+01:00Leon Bollee or Hurtu?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I just love these old photos - a glimpse of days gone by that will never return. I like old cars, motorbikes etc, but I do like a bit of life from the era as well, and a bit of history. This latest photo I found, is a photo of a man called (according to the written description on the reverse) Hilaire Malgras, father of Jules Malgras, on the road to Pulnoy.<br />
I had no idea when I bought it what the vehicle was, but it soon narrowed down to either a Leon Bollée, or the same made under license by Hurtu, tandem two-seater three wheeler, from around 1897-1899. A nice addition is the fringed shade and the (picnic?) basket over the rear wheel. Pulnoy is more or less a suburb of Nancy, in the Moselle area of France, and probably very little of this landscape remains. The other things that make it interesting, is Hilaire is standing and holding a large scythe and a rather fine tartan patterned hat in the other hand. His wife(?) at the rear of the vehicle, appears to be holding some opera glasses - a rather strange scenario!
I love the composition of this photo with the road meandering away into the distance - it makes a good panoramic view on a print, and a cropped version on a postcard shows the detail.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_tandem_3_wheeler_postcard-239085124954979265?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Léon Bollée three-wheeler postcard" border="0" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LzL8dQA_1dMGf3S2ORmGjj1zlB5-op3svxqZUli19Vo3XwQBo8okpMDxyn3tK95VFn3qu6VlLVyOIH_v0AwMo6x-JxZMGJyNSDXlXqx3hnOC0ilHmn8D5K3Q81Uk-9nDZ0R9dNg-cRki/s640/bolleesmall3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Léon Bollée tandem three-wheeler postcard</td></tr>
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RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-12831051157241000952013-01-27T10:51:00.000+01:002013-01-27T10:51:19.049+01:00Digital designs for home decor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsESPzgmQiako4Zq1xiQFqxVy_R2CxZ4hIT4Ybwin1Vttd34uRsvRrD_-Q4JEYMsvtj3uhEIpFab66gPs2vEUlNdc_-6yhSvoXKVhap1OA7aiBzRdxnHxacbfuJFtFhacWLDds-XYJsgm9/s1600/maple_abstract_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="220" width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsESPzgmQiako4Zq1xiQFqxVy_R2CxZ4hIT4Ybwin1Vttd34uRsvRrD_-Q4JEYMsvtj3uhEIpFab66gPs2vEUlNdc_-6yhSvoXKVhap1OA7aiBzRdxnHxacbfuJFtFhacWLDds-XYJsgm9/s320/maple_abstract_small.jpg" /></a></div>
Continuing my break from photography, a combination of Zazzle's new products and my love of colours and exploring new techniques has resulted in the creation of an array of digital patterns and art. The new pillows (or cushions as we like to call them over here) are perfect showcases for these, and I'd love to buy lots of them myself, but there are only so many cushions you can have! Using a variety of software, I've created a colorful range of designs and patterns, some with satin-like effects, some with plaids or tartans, and some abstract water reflection effects.</br></br> The pillows are made in the USA by Mojo, from 100% cotton and are machine washable. These patterns are available on all sorts of products for the home from canvas art, napkins, placemats and kitchen towels, wall clocks, espresso cups and mugs, as well as gifts from stationery to phone & laptop cases. </br></br> Much as I'd like to show more here, there are just too many, but these are a few of my favorites - they are also available as a rectangular lumbar pillow. Most are from my <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/rainbow_pixels?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog">Rainbow Pixels</a> store.
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An abstract design with an effect of rippling water reflections, in shades of aqua, blue and black; red, yellow and black; and from my <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog">ruralfrance</a> store, a dark blue green with shades of red, yellow and purple, from a photo of a Japanese maple.
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/abstract_blue_reflection_throw_pillow-189054440163719753?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/abstract_blue_reflection_throw_pillow-rb50fccc100264cbf8bf3fd02a8b601c6_2izwx_8byvr_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Abstract blue reflection throw pillow" style="border:0;" /> </a><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/abstract_yellow_red_reflection_pillows-189352755430072648?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/abstract_yellow_red_reflection_pillows-rb90d673cb49b48178f2a0a75967250fd_2izwx_8byvr_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Abstract yellow red reflection pillows" style="border:0;" /> </a><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/maple_reflections_abstract_throw_pillows-189674453059770175?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/maple_reflections_abstract_throw_pillows-r9fda31d1b62b47f5a571dc6c5c0e60d2_2izwx_8byvr_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Maple reflections abstract throw pillows" style="border:0;" /> </a></div>
Three diagonal plaid designs in spring colors of pale pastel green and yellow; shades of mid to dark blue and yellow; and one in the colors of sunrise or sunset in shades of purple, blue, red, and orange. Also available in violet purple, cherry red and a yellow grey beige mix, with more to come.
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/green_plaid_pattern_throw_pillows-189437456177787579?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/green_plaid_pattern_throw_pillows-rf1195b7d4bbf475eb1eadf74dd463d46_2izwx_8byvr_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Green plaid pattern throw pillows" style="border:0;" /> </a><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/blue_and_yellow_plaid_pattern_pillows-189937643011228826?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/blue_and_yellow_plaid_pattern_pillows-ra100903b734f468dac52e50ccaa673aa_2izwx_8byvr_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Blue and yellow plaid pattern pillows" style="border:0;" /> </a><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/purple_sunset_plaid_throw_pillows-189041743260564197?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/purple_sunset_plaid_throw_pillows-r5948ed54b17144c6ac49e4ee182c3ff5_2izwx_8byvr_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Purple sunset plaid throw pillows" style="border:0;" /> </a> </div>
Although the pillows are a woven cotton fabric, these richly colored designs are made with diagonal shaded stripes to give the effect of a satin or silk style. These are in a whole range of colors from aquamarine or turquoise, dark indigo blue, lilac, pink, sunset, and teal green to "gold and silver" - a yellow, black and grey mix.
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/aquamarine_silky_waves_throw_pillow-189165154693585667?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/aquamarine_silky_waves_throw_pillow-rd84667c9186d49f097b44a9c1512045e_2izwx_8byvr_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Aquamarine silky waves throw pillow" style="border:0;" /> </a><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/indigo_violet_blue_satin_style_stripes_pillows-189806542550532848?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/indigo_violet_blue_satin_style_stripes_pillows-rba5365044a954bb2b2829e67086056f7_2izwx_8byvr_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Indigo & violet blue satin style stripes pillows" style="border:0;" /> </a><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/cherry_red_satin_shaded_stripes_pillow-189595052807669914?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/cherry_red_satin_shaded_stripes_pillow-r9f05677664ac4d74880d373c22d3eb6d_2izwx_8byvr_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Cherry red satin shaded stripes pillow" style="border:0;" /> </a></div></br><div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/purple_stripes_sunset_colors_throw_pillows-189664463485336391?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/purple_stripes_sunset_colors_throw_pillows-ra77123075d614b4aa760e66ad9bd04d8_2izwx_8byvr_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Purple stripes sunset colors throw pillows" style="border:0;" /></a><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/golden_yellow_and_silver_grey_satin_style_stripes_pillow-189845357971906614?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/golden_yellow_and_silver_grey_satin_style_stripes_pillow-r0ed40095130e4686ae311e0b0c330c85_2izwx_8byvr_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Golden yellow and silver grey satin style stripes pillow" style="border:0;" /> </a><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/dark_teal_green_satin_waves_throw_pillow-189384038926891155?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/dark_teal_green_satin_waves_throw_pillow-r866eff46462e4d68beee2dfdc622c0c7_2izwx_8byvr_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Dark teal green satin waves throw pillow" style="border:0;" /> </a></div></br><div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/emerald_green_shaded_stripes_throw_pillow-189133177595269453?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/emerald_green_shaded_stripes_throw_pillow-rd0b8bc61a9ae4bc494dfad10f569a5fb_2izwx_8byvr_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Emerald green shaded stripes throw pillow" style="border:0;" /> </a><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/red_black_shaded_stripes_throw_pillows-189667371421786685?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/red_black_shaded_stripes_throw_pillows-r07209005fd254534816f3876083177f1_2izwx_8byvr_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Red black shaded stripes throw pillows" style="border:0;" /> </a><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/aqua_and_royal_blue_wavy_stripes_pillows-189837636572381448?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/aqua_and_royal_blue_wavy_stripes_pillows-ra0ce150c28b84f3ba55ee2e23d3c8938_2izwx_8byvr_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Aqua and royal blue wavy stripes pillows" style="border:0;" /> </a></div></br></br>
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Please note that links in these blog posts contain referral and tracking codes. The referral code allows me to earn just a little bit more for my work, with no extra cost to the customer. The tracking code enables me just to see how effective my blog is!</i>RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-74158095853231921942012-11-12T18:37:00.000+01:002014-12-01T18:42:55.318+01:00Berliet and more French soldiers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydXB-QiVJsa8LgN8anIV0P-NTg9iCX_TTWNlCBbEOwGxKEjkxw35T5Id19HWq5aZYA4H0Ilu_gt7eAQUn8qb8Y6HtbVFuFuJ1rQ87JUZd1hoXL6rXrGiLvRdqOqTqyzbIO97y_oqTIogP/s1600/berliet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydXB-QiVJsa8LgN8anIV0P-NTg9iCX_TTWNlCBbEOwGxKEjkxw35T5Id19HWq5aZYA4H0Ilu_gt7eAQUn8qb8Y6HtbVFuFuJ1rQ87JUZd1hoXL6rXrGiLvRdqOqTqyzbIO97y_oqTIogP/s320/berliet.jpg" height="302" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MLRRI3JTJ3IkL89GNvVs8Yhqz40ydc7DzmHih7zcc4kaL4Hz25VPyQwCuAmEWQDmR_jKNtv6S9gMlJgCmlRTOaQMzfkwP9lfIcl0OYuLKP_OVouKB7uHvyVIl5D5vV_ZMXuCfgsvwdUb/s1600/berliet2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MLRRI3JTJ3IkL89GNvVs8Yhqz40ydc7DzmHih7zcc4kaL4Hz25VPyQwCuAmEWQDmR_jKNtv6S9gMlJgCmlRTOaQMzfkwP9lfIcl0OYuLKP_OVouKB7uHvyVIl5D5vV_ZMXuCfgsvwdUb/s320/berliet2.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>Another pre- or during WW1 photo. This is a Berliet phaeton - a model C1 perhaps?, the Berliet - Lyon marque stamped on the wheel hubs. The two officers in the back could be a captain and a major, and another rank in the front with epaulettes. Their insignia is not clear enough to determine, but perhaps aeronautique militaire or even military police. It's incredibly hard to find out what these isignia are. Wonderful handlebar moustaches though! To the left are close ups of the rear passengers, and the Berliet logo on the wheel, and below is the photo on a poster.
I'm no car expert, so if anyone knows which model/year it is, please let me know! The style of car says 1908, but of course the photo could have been taken years after that.<br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/berliet_vintage_car_photo_reproduction_poster-228050319589563933?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.zazzle.com/berliet_vintage_car_photo_reproduction_poster-228050319589563933?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWZcw7EJMHizYK-d9GMFkSmS8Y_wsR_oYdqs4cAaIpjG9kYemsgsgZKQeZGILBowI0E8zbvHPh9omyTEVABzn1MHaivab5rxoIHz43tnUJzhc-EwdjfWN-9rB8I6NhGttBtwawoxgCJBz/s1600/berlietposter.jpg" height="408" width="640" /></a></div>
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RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-33694851879313136022012-11-09T18:08:00.000+01:002014-12-01T18:39:57.830+01:00A Magnat Debon and ?My latest find, this vintage photo of a group of military personnel and their vehicles, has been a real labour of love, for a start, though a lovely historical record, it wasn't cheap (though I managed to get 10 euros off!). Secondly, nothing in it was identified, and thirdly it needed retouching - about 10 hours worth as there were little spots on it where the emulsion had been distorted.
The first to be identified was the motorcycle which seems to be a Magnat Debon from between 1905 and 1910. I haven't had any luck with the car at all, though it has quite a distinctively shaped radiator grille and very plush seats, and it's in the phaeton style of that era, probably used for collecting officers from the station.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXn2xDCcMMn24Y0ZfJks1RJfKcI-cqp3k0poc0Pw7Js0rXykOcPDCZZMwuAS23f2OwH2NtZGK2x6QqsfAfnKShcBDXN4hMJzKLQfjtf1YiCbM63tckQsURZrc8RBEkHkfxOEO3_keww_P5/s1600/insignia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXn2xDCcMMn24Y0ZfJks1RJfKcI-cqp3k0poc0Pw7Js0rXykOcPDCZZMwuAS23f2OwH2NtZGK2x6QqsfAfnKShcBDXN4hMJzKLQfjtf1YiCbM63tckQsURZrc8RBEkHkfxOEO3_keww_P5/s320/insignia.jpg" height="103" width="103" /></a></div>
Most of the men have a distinct insignia on their lapels, which I also haven't been able to identify. One has a white armband and others dark armbands - one with writing on it which is unfortunately not readable. the soldier on the motorcycle doesn't have the lapel insignia, but a logo on his puttee which can just be seen through the motorcycle - no clues there either! He's also carrying a rifle slung behind his back, it took me several hours to notice that, and up until then I thought they might be civilian - railway workers or postmen.
Next, on to the location - there must be thousands of "Hotel de la Gare"s in France, so it was just down to dogged persistence and looking through old postcards until suddenly I came across a different view of the same hotel. Double checking on Google Earth confirmed. The cafe, which says H. Caziot above the door, is now a house and the hotel is now apartments, in the region of no. 22 Avenue de la Gare, Gannat, Allier, France, which is not too far from a garrison in Clermont Ferrand. Coincidentally or not, I'd already discovered that the car registration "F", if a private car, was registered in Clermont Ferrand.
This is a very detailed photo which enlarges well, here it is on a poster:<br />
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/french_soldiers_car_motorbike_print-228023456024142280?rf=238190912085200941&tc=blog" target="_blank"><img alt="Hotel de la Gare, Gannat, France" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ve2rsBB7ZRRGSz_ZwRN2rji0NC0H2W3ZhxaNlSrVCYulePZK7bEdBjhi4IoGdLBn0c82DOez4b9gFSenRnV4K5UMscb400iGftb1Wtk3lYfQ7bRCg7S67BKzNH0eFM3LMs5CwiXrBqA1/s1600/hoteldelagare2.jpg" height="404" title="Hotel de la Gare, Gannat, France" width="640" /></a></div>
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RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-36703181653351837632012-11-04T18:05:00.000+01:002015-10-25T07:33:04.576+01:00And possibly a narrowboat anorak!I now have a blog dedicated to waterways - please visit http://canalsthenandnow.blogspot.fr/<br />
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I've loved canals for years, ever since my first holiday on the Llangollen in 1968. Numerous holidays later, including helping people move boats from A to B and many happy trips on Aber in the 80s, I now live in France, a good 2 hours from the nearest canal. So, to help with the withdrawal symptoms, I've been going through my old trannies and copying a few lucky find postcards.
<i>Large Woolwich Aber (GUCCC no. 101) and Heidi, the bearded collie</i>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMh6tzur1Ge3yzDlYEbsOnn7LATV3v11Gdzo6-gwMRK__r_sL_8KviITbiQiP-jrsKM6ojjxEIqTX0PBlHjD3EJFl_PqhjkazWl2xgoyvGtJJ5rC4o6E9HObkZWUpktmt6-nLtIb29BeHH/s1600/aberheidsmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMh6tzur1Ge3yzDlYEbsOnn7LATV3v11Gdzo6-gwMRK__r_sL_8KviITbiQiP-jrsKM6ojjxEIqTX0PBlHjD3EJFl_PqhjkazWl2xgoyvGtJJ5rC4o6E9HObkZWUpktmt6-nLtIb29BeHH/s320/aberheidsmall.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></div>
Many thanks to the various people with FMC resources who have made my research much easier!
The first one is I believe a pair of Fellows, Morton and Clayton narrowboats moored up in the entrance to a lock presumably at Berkhamsted on the Grand Union. The butty could possibly be Grange No. 261 though the boats are slightly out of focus for artistic reasons, I can just make out NGE on the left side and it could easily be GRA on the right. The wording on the cabin of the motor can only be Fellows Morton etc. The photograph was taken by J T Newman of Berkhamsted and was posted to France in February 1917 with this wording on the back.
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<blockquote>
This shows the frozen canal. The ice has been broken by a special "ice-boat".</blockquote>
The icicles on the lock gates are just fantastic. the original has a slight sepia tinge but I've given this a pale blue tint as it looks coooold! Here shown on a Christmas card but prints and other items are available (sorry for the plug, but one does try to earn a living!).
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<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/narrowboat_and_butty_in_ice_berkhamsted_card-137393164931481835?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" > <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/narrowboat_and_butty_in_ice_berkhamsted_card-r2166c69d28b9499985f9f3ff37b30bdd_xvuat_8byvr_325.jpg" alt="Narrowboat and butty in ice Berkhamsted Greeting Card" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/narrowboat_and_butty_in_ice_berkhamsted_card-137393164931481835?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" >Narrowboat and butty in ice Berkhamsted Greeting Card</a> by <a href='http://www.zazzle.com/puddled_clay* rel="nofollow"'>puddled_clay</a></div>
The next boat took some research, as the low resolution image on the sale site gave me the impression it was another boat, however, it turned out to be FMC Bison No 289. Here seen running through the ice on the Grand Union next to the now rebuilt Wolverton station, Milton Keynes. I don't know the age of the photo but it must be fairly late. I still remember working boats at Croxley Mill in the 60s - what a pity I didn't take any photos!, but this is quite a bit earlier than that.
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<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/fmc_bison_in_winter_greeting_card-137851741315185755?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" > <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/fmc_bison_in_winter_greeting_card-r833f757121594cc3b4993a949a0615f6_xvuak_8byvr_325.jpg" alt="FMC Bison in winter Greeting Card" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/fmc_bison_in_winter_greeting_card-137851741315185755?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" >FMC Bison in winter Greeting Card</a> by <a href='http://www.zazzle.com/puddled_clay* rel="nofollow"'>puddled_clay</a></div>
RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-69282722401331478762012-11-01T21:04:00.000+01:002015-10-25T11:19:31.071+01:00I also love vintage motorbikes & carsand photographs, and postcards. So, this blog is changing tack. It all started with me acquiring a couple of negatives of my grandfather and grandmother on a motorcycle. I printed them in the old fashioned way and recently photographed the prints with a digital camera. I don't know what the bike is except that it's belt drive, has acetylene lights and Premier on the crankcase.
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_motorcycle_unknown_make_photo_print-190706202883814222?ratio=1.30785454545455&rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow"> <img alt="Vintage motorcycle unknown make photo print" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vintage_motorcycle_unknown_make_photo_print-r2cf25376041d44afa403af3279965166_vfxhi_8byvr_325.jpg?bg=0xffffff" style="border: 0;" /> </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_motorcycle_unknown_make_photo_print-190706202883814222?ratio=1.30785454545455&rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow">Vintage motorcycle unknown make photo print</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/past_impressions*%20rel=%22nofollow%22">Past_Impressions</a></div>
Not long after getting the negs, I bought a BSA B18 (lovely bike - I miss it!), so the motorbike aspect is obviously inherited.
The photo above was taken sometime in the 1920s.
Just lately, I bought a scanner (an Epson v600) to scan my old negs and trannies, and my postcard collection. This unfortunately has lead me to scout out more photos and postcards to scan - an expensive operation!
My three latest acquisitions are this 1900 De Dion Bouton vis a vis car, scanned from a tiny faded photo - it's quite amazing what detail some of these old photos hold, this one was only 8x8cms - and what a great scanner the v600 is (if your budget won't reach the next one up). Written on the back is August 1900 (in French).
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/1900_de_dion_bouton_photo_print-190771030041246683?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow"> <img alt="1900 de Dion Bouton Photo Print" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/1900_de_dion_bouton_photo_print-r7ce97fdf4456488ebf90e766790009b7_fk99_8byvr_325.jpg?bg=0xffffff" style="border: 0;" /> </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/1900_de_dion_bouton_photo_print-190771030041246683?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow">1900 de Dion Bouton Photo Print</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/past_impressions*%20rel=%22nofollow%22">Past_Impressions</a></div>
Next was this Unic taxi with chauffeur, easy to identify as Unic is written on the wheel hubs. I've been scouring the internet for tips on removing the silvering from old photos - one was using silver polish. As this wasn't a particularly rare card, I gave it a try - it works wonders! You do have to be careful not to leave any smears as they show up badly in the scans. It doesn't seem to have done any short term damage though I'm not sure I'd use this method on a valuable photo, and I did rinse it afterwards (after all, photos are meant to be wet at some point in their lives). And of course, it's not that simple, there's still an enormous amount of retouching to do afterwards.
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<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/unic_taxi_cab_poster-228868380025655705?design.areas=%5Bdynamic%5D&rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" > <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/unic_taxi_cab_poster-r40a4e8c8a52f4836b124fd56b5ac0b74_wzk_8byvr_325.jpg" alt="Unic taxi cab poster" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/unic_taxi_cab_poster-228868380025655705?design.areas=%5Bdynamic%5D&rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" >Unic taxi cab poster</a> by <a href='http://www.zazzle.com/past_impressions* rel="nofollow"'>Past_Impressions</a> </div>
The third car I haven't managed to identify - I thought at first it was a Darracq but it appears to be something else. I'm a bit suspicious of the people in the photo, as they seem to crop up in various combinations in other cars. None of the others have the driver with the lovely moustache though. I have no doubt about the age of the photo though, probably around 1907-10, and perhaps the variations I've found were just photographers license. It certainly appears to be the French countryside.
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<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/c_1907_phaeton_with_tourists_poster-228256805403054884?design.areas=%5Bdynamic%5D&rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" > <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/c_1907_phaeton_with_tourists_poster-r7af8664634234c179411a5f70fa616fb_wzk_8byvr_325.jpg" alt="c 1907 phaeton with tourists poster" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/c_1907_phaeton_with_tourists_poster-228256805403054884?design.areas=%5Bdynamic%5D&rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" >c 1907 phaeton with tourists poster</a> by <a href='http://www.zazzle.com/past_impressions* rel="nofollow"'>Past_Impressions</a> </div>
Any identification help or corrections gratefully received!RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-62302550695686200802012-05-07T21:10:00.000+02:002012-05-07T21:18:17.619+02:00I love insects!They make fascinating if unpredictable subjects. I forget how many tries I have at each subject, but there's normally one that's OK. Hoverflies are great - they hang motionless in the air - until they move! Hummingbird hawkmoths on the other hand, hover for a second and then they're off!
This is a hoverfly in full stop.
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hoverfly_hovering_postcard-239149666245595872?gl=ruralfrance&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/hoverfly_hovering_postcard-p239149666245595872en8sh_325.jpg" alt="Hoverfly hovering zazzle_postcard" style="border:0;" /></a></div>
Hoverflies are one of the major garden friends - their larvae feed on aphids. This next photo is of a hoverfly laying her eggs on a honeysuckle flower smothered with aphids - a ready made buffet for her babies!
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hoverfly_on_honeysuckle_postcard-239290482632339635?gl=ruralfrance&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/hoverfly_on_honeysuckle_postcard-p239290482632339635en84n_325.jpg" alt="Hoverfly on honeysuckle zazzle_postcard" style="border:0;" /></a></div>
They are not too hard to catch, as long as you creep up on them delicately, they will stay motionless for ages. With hummmingbird hawkmoths on the other hand, they hover for a few seconds, and you need to focus on where you think they will be next.
For the technically minded, this was taken with a Nikon D5000 and a 400mm Novoflex lens wide open (5.6) at 1/1000 sec, resting on a tripod but not fixed.
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hummingbird_hawk_moth_hovering_poster-228368610023722910?gl=ruralfrance&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/hummingbird_hawk_moth_hovering_poster-rc31f781b5e5e48738ebfae7bfdb54bba_z2k_325.jpg" alt="Hummingbird hawk-moth hovering zazzle_print" style="border:0;" /></a></div>RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-11270399097902262832012-02-02T17:22:00.001+01:002012-02-02T17:30:17.422+01:00MylittleedenI know this blog is mainly photography, but I do like to feature some talented artists from time to time, and this is one of them, and also subject related since there are birds. Sarah is British but moved to rural Australia in 2010. Her flower and animal paintings are just stunning, and here are some of them: An eagle owl, a kingfisher, two beautiful irises - a yellow and a purple one, a wonderfully lifelike rabbit portrait and a red chrysanthemum.
Find out more by visiting her Zazzle store, <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/mylittleeden?rf=238190912085200941">Mylittleeden</a>, or clicking on an image below. These are available as wrapped canvas prints /and or posters, as well as on some other products.
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/portrait_of_an_eagle_owl_canvas_fine_art_print-192262587509697742?gl=Mylittleeden&view=113082064178247605&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/portrait_of_an_eagle_owl_canvas_fine_art_print-r943a28d2a98d40e78d871b63e220cd19_xiyw_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Portrait of an eagle owl canvas fine-art print wrappedcanvas" style="border:0;" /></a><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/kingfisher_ornithology_portrait_fine_art_print-228458098503984853?gl=Mylittleeden&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/kingfisher_ornithology_portrait_fine_art_print-re1313e449cdc4ef89868d0ce21b1bc54_khu_250.jpg" alt="Kingfisher Ornithology portrait fine art print print" style="border:0;" /></a><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/iris_inner_beauty_warm_yellow_square_canvas-192015587953105344?gl=Mylittleeden&view=113082064178247605&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/iris_inner_beauty_warm_yellow_square_canvas-rcfbe825dba904d58a04b0b6246c84464_wt7_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Iris inner beauty (warm yellow) square canvas wrappedcanvas" style="border:0;" /></a><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/flag_iris_purple_and_mauve_poster_print-228198267179428521?gl=Mylittleeden&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/flag_iris_purple_and_mauve_poster_print-r313c829ed9914914bff34dbc1b2f9be2_wvc_250.jpg" alt="Flag Iris (purple and mauve) poster print print" style="border:0;" /></a><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/portrait_of_a_rabbit_grazing_boxed_canvas_print-192465347402839328?gl=Mylittleeden&view=113082064178247605&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/portrait_of_a_rabbit_grazing_boxed_canvas_print-rd357d0fb8aee47bea8757c2a78e02382_ax75p_250.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Portrait of a rabbit grazing boxed canvas print wrappedcanvas" style="border:0;" /></a><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/red_floral_canvas_original_fine_art_print-192349195511253354?gl=Mylittleeden&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/red_floral_canvas_original_fine_art_print-r5389e65c92c64e7e9d7398b9b04b74e8_a0mk_250.jpg?view_angle=%5b0.0000%2c315.0000%2c0.0000%5d" alt="Red floral canvas original fine-art print wrappedcanvas" style="border:0;" /></a></div>RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-39072115337946034562012-01-31T18:40:00.000+01:002015-10-25T07:43:28.283+01:00Last years birdsWell, I did manage to take one or two birds last year, the first is this nuthatch sitting on the garden table. It's a European or Eurasian Nuthatch, Sitta europaea, which is slightly different in colouring to the American version. They are quite tame here and always on the bird feeder in winter. Taken with the nikon 18-55mm kit lens
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<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/nuthatch_photo_canvas_print-192179185389562295?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" > <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/nuthatch_photo_canvas_print-r9782f39e6c324dd88032e2a5f17ddbee_6bps_xwzpz_325.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Nuthatch photo canvas print" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/nuthatch_photo_canvas_print-192179185389562295?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" >Nuthatch photo canvas print</a> by <a href='http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance* rel="nofollow"'>ruralfrance</a></div>
I'd taken a series of photos before, but none of them big enough to use on their own, so I had the sudden brainwave to make a collage. It's all the same bird but in different poses. This one was with the Nikon 70-300mm lens
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<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/nuthatch_postcard-239943855022418393?rf=238190912085200941"><img alt="Nuthatch postcard postcard" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/nuthatch_postcard-p2399438550224183938ss_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/nuthatch_postcard-239943855022418393?rf=238190912085200941">Nuthatch postcard</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance*">ruralfrance</a></div>
Another collage is this Middle Spotted Woodpecker and chick, Dendrocopus medius. We had just parked near a lake when I saw the hole in a tree, and the woodpecker fly up to it. I took this with my "new toy", a 400mm Novoflex. It's a huge lens and I was in contortions almost on the floor of the car to get enough angle to point the lens out of the window. It had to be a collage as the chick disappeared every time the parent arrived!
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<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/woodpecker_and_chick_postcard-239054348035268251?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" > <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/woodpecker_and_chick_postcard-rd4691024d339463f914f753ac2e04509_vgbaq_8byvr_325.jpg" alt="Woodpecker and chick postcard" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/woodpecker_and_chick_postcard-239054348035268251?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" >Woodpecker and chick postcard</a> by <a href='http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance* rel="nofollow"'>ruralfrance</a></div>
Another lucky encounter was this Common Sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos, again from the car while we were parked by a lake. In fact, it was so well camouflaged sitting about 10 feet away, that we didn't notice it until it moved.
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/common_sandpiper_postcard-239710546323092824?rf=238190912085200941"><img alt="Common Sandpiper postcard postcard" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/common_sandpiper_postcard-p2397105463230928248ss_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/common_sandpiper_postcard-239710546323092824?rf=238190912085200941">Common Sandpiper postcard</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance*">ruralfrance</a></div>
Another photo taken with the Novoflex, this time the Goldfinch, carduelis carduelis, was only about 6 feet away as it came to drink at the garden pond, so I needed to use the macro bellows.
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<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/goldfinch_postcard-239890141767254462?rf=238190912085200941"><img alt="Goldfinch postcard postcard" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/goldfinch_postcard-p2398901417672544628ss_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/goldfinch_postcard-239890141767254462?rf=238190912085200941">Goldfinch postcard</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance*">ruralfrance</a></div>
RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-1412575602014093452011-11-15T09:30:00.002+01:002011-11-15T13:59:49.601+01:00Highton Ridley featured photographerIt's been a while since I updated this blog, but photographer Highton Ridley inspired me to get cracking by mentioning his well deserved bronze merit award in the 2011 International Loupe Awards photo competition. The image with the award is the July image in the 2012 calendar shown below. I've long been a fan of Highton's work which covers a broad range of styles from traditional fine art monochrome, to the use of HDR and other effects. Two of his works were featured earlier in this blog, but I thought it was about time he had his own special feature. All of these works shown below are available in his <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hightonridley">Zazzle store</a>, but to know more about the man himself, you might like to visit his <a href=" http://www.highton-ridley.co.uk/">web site</a><br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/highton_ridley_fine_art_selection_calendar_2012-158893968689060063?rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/highton_ridley_fine_art_selection_calendar_2012-p158893968689060063zx8oa_325.jpg" alt="Highton Ridley Fine Art Selection Calendar 2012 calendar" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/highton_ridley_fine_art_selection_calendar_2012-158893968689060063?rf=238190912085200941">Highton Ridley Fine Art Selection Calendar 2012</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hightonridley?rf=238190912085200941">HightonRidley</a></div><br />
Some more of his lovely work, these are just a few of my favourites that I've chosen to show: A night time view of the historic Barbican area in Plymouth UK., full of rich colours and reflections, this image is also being featured on a magazine cover. This is the place from where the Pilgrim Fathers set sail, as well as Sir Francis Drake.<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/plymouth_barbican_view_by_night_wrapped_canvas-192039267796475701?gl=HightonRidley&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/plymouth_barbican_view_by_night_wrapped_canvas-r808ff160ff35411ba19851576bcb8cb2_28ij_325.jpg?view_angle=%5b0.0000%2c315.0000%2c0.0000%5d" alt="Plymouth Barbican View by Night - wrapped canvas wrappedcanvas" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/plymouth_barbican_view_by_night_wrapped_canvas-192039267796475701?gl=HightonRidley&rf=238190912085200941">Plymouth Barbican View by Night - wrapped canvas</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hightonridley?rf=238190912085200941">HightonRidley</a></div><br />
Entitled "Last Surf of the Day", an early evening sunset with a golden sky shining through heavy clouds, and three surfers wading through the waves on a beach in Devon, England.<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/last_surf_of_the_day_gallery_style_poster_print-228699674615302851?gl=HightonRidley&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/last_surf_of_the_day_gallery_style_poster_print-r097d50b4279c431c949fb34272613595_wa3_325.jpg" alt="Last Surf Of The Day - gallery-style poster print print" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/last_surf_of_the_day_gallery_style_poster_print-228699674615302851?gl=HightonRidley&rf=238190912085200941">Last Surf Of The Day - gallery-style poster print</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hightonridley?rf=238190912085200941">HightonRidley</a></div><br />
Flowers. Everyone takes photos of them, but not many manage show their true beauty as in this photograph. As a fan of contrasts, I love the gentle gold and pink petals of this cosmos flower lit by the evening sun against a dark background.<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/golden_cosmos_wrapped_canvas-192455059386294502?gl=HightonRidley&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/golden_cosmos_wrapped_canvas-re0a97ae9c399463599e1af2f0fc9dd72_5uo3_325.jpg?view_angle=%5b0.0000%2c315.0000%2c0.0000%5d" alt="Golden Cosmos - wrapped canvas wrappedcanvas" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/golden_cosmos_wrapped_canvas-192455059386294502?gl=HightonRidley&rf=238190912085200941">Golden Cosmos - wrapped canvas</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hightonridley?rf=238190912085200941">HightonRidley</a></div><br />
A beautiful study in textures and tones, a rough rope knot on a smooth wooden post in monochrome.<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/knot_a_rope_knot_poster-228772612327348022?gl=HightonRidley&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/knot_a_rope_knot_poster-r0cbe3070090b46dbb8fe193d86d5bde8_w2g_325.jpg" alt="Knot A Rope Knot poster print" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/knot_a_rope_knot_poster-228772612327348022?gl=HightonRidley&rf=238190912085200941">Knot A Rope Knot poster</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hightonridley?rf=238190912085200941">HightonRidley</a></div><br />
A portrait of a Dhol Drummer, capturing the rich colours and textures, and at the same time, full of the atmosphere of a musician absorbed in the rythyms.<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/dhol_drummer_poster-228421174157714689?gl=HightonRidley&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/dhol_drummer_poster-re5c442a3dfba424d8154f801e2288184_fuzh_325.jpg" alt="Dhol Drummer poster print" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/dhol_drummer_poster-228421174157714689?gl=HightonRidley&rf=238190912085200941">Dhol Drummer poster</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hightonridley?rf=238190912085200941">HightonRidley</a></div><br />
It's been hard to pick just a few favourites, and I'd certainly recommend exploring Highton's work further!RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-18673799460051361592011-02-23T13:22:00.000+01:002012-01-29T21:42:33.665+01:00Birds on ZazzleThere are some great photographers on Zazzle, and as a taster, I've asked a few people to contribute some birds. In a future post, I shall go into more detail as birds are some of my favourite animals - and some of the hardest to photograph! Many of these are available on other products too.<br />
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First up are some black swans (Cygnus atratus) which originated in Australia but are now fairly widespread, and a mallard duck doing some yoga exercises (or it could be just stretching a leg!)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/black_swan_poster-228709099373784441?gl=hildurbjorg&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/black_swan_poster-rf78b607ad6e54627a785d580f3d22c92_vmyh_260.jpg" alt="Black swan poster print" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/black_swans_poster-228939892650630314?print_width=25.8941&print_height=38.8411&rf=238190912085200941">Black swans</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hildurbjorg?rf=238190912085200941">hildurbjorg</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/yoga_duck_postage_stamp-172164177467316952?rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/yoga_duck_postage_stamp-p172164177467316952852dt_260.jpg" alt="Yoga duck postage stamp stamp" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/yoga_duck_postage_stamp-172164177467316952?rf=238190912085200941">Yoga duck postage stamp</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hildurbjorg?rf=238190912085200941">hildurbjorg</a></div></td> </tr>
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From Bebops: This poster features two migrating Canada Geese sitting on a log in a shallow pond. Their brown, black and white markings are reflected in the water. The water ripples create a fascinating vertical pattern of reflected tree trunks. I have digitally enhanced my original photograph to create a watercolor effect. The second poster features a pair of house finches perched on a branch. The male has red plumage on his head and breast. The female is tan and brown with stripes. They stand out beautifully against the luminous green background. These belong to the American rosefinch family.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/canada_geese_poster-228633356413371895?print_width=24.975&print_height=24.975&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/canada_geese_poster-p2286333564133718958phc_260.jpg" alt="Canada Geese print" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/canada_geese_poster-228633356413371895?print_width=24.975&print_height=24.975&rf=238190912085200941">Canada Geese</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/bebops?rf=238190912085200941">Bebops</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/lovebirds_poster-228818264021817058?print_width=20.979&print_height=14.985&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/lovebirds_poster-p228818264021817058vsu7_260.jpg" alt="Lovebirds print" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/lovebirds_poster-228818264021817058?print_width=20.979&print_height=14.985&rf=238190912085200941">Lovebirds</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/bebops?rf=238190912085200941">Bebops</a></div></td> </tr>
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The Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) is a native of the American tropics, and Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) A north American woodpecker.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/parrot_mousepad-144498619519726166?gl=ValeriesGallery&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/parrot_mousepad-p1444986195197261667pdd_260.jpg" alt="Parrot Mousepad mousepad" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/parrot_mousepad-144498619519726166?gl=ValeriesGallery&rf=238190912085200941">Parrot Mousepad</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/valeriesgallery?rf=238190912085200941">ValeriesGallery</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/king_of_the_world_magnet-147758669019866251?gl=ValeriesGallery&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/king_of_the_world_magnet-p1477586690198662517pdm_260.jpg" alt="King of the World Magnet magnet" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/king_of_the_world_magnet-147758669019866251?gl=ValeriesGallery&rf=238190912085200941">King of the World Magnet</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/valeriesgallery?rf=238190912085200941">ValeriesGallery</a></div></td> </tr>
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Sparrows sitting on a white picket fence, and an American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/white_picket_fence_2_poster-228985987202596158?print_width=50.949&print_height=17.9820&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/white_picket_fence_2_poster-p2289859872025961588phc_260.jpg" alt="White Picket Fence 2 print" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/white_picket_fence_2_poster-228985987202596158?print_width=50.949&print_height=17.9820&rf=238190912085200941">White Picket Fence 2</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/animotaxis?rf=238190912085200941">animotaxis</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ibis_mousepad-144605460432577840?rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/ibis_mousepad-p1446054604325778407pdd_260.jpg" alt="Ibis mousepad" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ibis_mousepad-144605460432577840?rf=238190912085200941">Ibis</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/animotaxis?rf=238190912085200941">animotaxis</a></div></td> </tr>
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A delightful tie with a pattern of flying egrets and some cut out Canada geese swimming around a mug.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/flying_egret_1_tie-151993058791877941?rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/flying_egret_1_tie-p1519930587918779418gnz_260.jpg" alt="Flying Egret 1 Tie tie" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/flying_egret_1_tie-151993058791877941?rf=238190912085200941">Flying Egret 1 Tie</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/mikes_photo_designs?rf=238190912085200941">mikes_photo_designs</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/geese_swim_around_your_mug-168557923872795329?rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/geese_swim_around_your_mug-p1685579238727953292149f_260.jpg" alt="Geese swim around your Mug mug" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/geese_swim_around_your_mug-168557923872795329?rf=238190912085200941">Geese swim around your Mug</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/mikes_photo_designs?rf=238190912085200941">mikes_photo_designs</a></div></td> </tr>
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This postcard features an original photo of a vibrant Red-Bellied Woodpecker rests in the dappled shade of a Peach tree. The poster is of a beautiful Little Blue Heron, searching for his dinner in a pond, surrounded by water Iris foliage.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/red_bellied_woodpecker_post_card_postcard-239252385211186957?rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/red_bellied_woodpecker_post_card_postcard-p2392523852111869577mpi_260.jpg" alt="Red-Bellied Woodpecker Post Card postcard" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/red_bellied_woodpecker_post_card_postcard-239252385211186957?rf=238190912085200941">Red-Bellied Woodpecker Post Card</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/debinsc?rf=238190912085200941">debinSC</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/little_blue_heron_poster_print-228652474956121773?print_width=23&print_height=34.5&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/little_blue_heron_poster_print-p2286524749561217737g1w_260.jpg" alt="Little Blue Heron Poster Print print" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/little_blue_heron_poster_print-228652474956121773?print_width=23&print_height=34.5&rf=238190912085200941">Little Blue Heron Poster Print</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/debinsc?rf=238190912085200941">debinSC</a></div></td> </tr>
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Seagulls never miss the opportunity for a free lunch, and here one is homing in on some food being held out for it.<br />
The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on its wings. Adults have long red legs and a long pointed red bill. The two subspecies, which differ slightly in size, breed in the warmer parts of Europe (north to Estonia), northwestern Africa, southwestern Asia (east to southern Kazakhstan), and southern Africa. This stork is a strong migrant, wintering in tropical sub-Saharan Africa as far as southern South Africa, and also on the Indian subcontinent.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/sea_gull_ever_dreamed_of_flying_poster-228239841229765936?print_width=32.1828&print_height=23&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/sea_gull_ever_dreamed_of_flying_poster-p2282398412297659367g1w_260.jpg" alt="Sea gull - ever dreamed of flying? print" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/sea_gull_ever_dreamed_of_flying_poster-228239841229765936?print_width=32.1828&print_height=23&rf=238190912085200941">Sea gull - ever dreamed of flying?</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/cammily?rf=238190912085200941">Cammily</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/white_stork_mousepad-144149992543899588?rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/white_stork_mousepad-p1441499925438995887pdd_260.jpg" alt="White Stork Mousepad mousepad" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/white_stork_mousepad-144149992543899588?rf=238190912085200941">White Stork Mousepad</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/aapshop?rf=238190912085200941">aapshop</a></div></td> </tr>
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A Steller's Jay and some baby robins - I'm not sure which but I would imagine they are American Robins.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/stellers_jay_postcard-239954159764968588?gl=mlewallpapers&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/stellers_jay_postcard-p2399541597649685887onr_260.jpg" alt="Steller's Jay Postcard postcard" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/stellers_jay_postcard-239954159764968588?gl=mlewallpapers&rf=238190912085200941">Steller's Jay Postcard</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/mlewallpapers?rf=238190912085200941">mlewallpapers</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/robin_babies_print-228158642873766738?gl=mlewallpapers&print_width=22.3876&print_height=16.7832&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/robin_babies_print-p2281586428737667387g1w_260.jpg" alt="Robin Babies Print print" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/robin_babies_print-228158642873766738?gl=mlewallpapers&print_width=22.3876&print_height=16.7832&rf=238190912085200941">Robin Babies Print</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/mlewallpapers?rf=238190912085200941">mlewallpapers</a></div></td> </tr>
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From bkmuir, a peregrine falcon and a tern in flight.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hoodie_bird_of_prey_tshirt-235624318992062956?group=kids&lifestyle=classic&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/hoodie_bird_of_prey_tshirt-p235624318992062956x97h9_260.jpg" alt="Hoodie - Bird of prey shirt" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hoodie_bird_of_prey_tshirt-235624318992062956?group=kids&lifestyle=classic&rf=238190912085200941">Hoodie - Bird of prey</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/bkmuir?rf=238190912085200941">bkmuir</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/keychain_tern_in_flight_magnet-147572029260677485?rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/keychain_tern_in_flight_magnet-p147572029260677485vgrk_260.jpg" alt="Keychain - Tern in flight magnet" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/keychain_tern_in_flight_magnet-147572029260677485?rf=238190912085200941">Keychain - Tern in flight</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/bkmuir?rf=238190912085200941">bkmuir</a></div></td> </tr>
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An interesting mandala pattern made from seagulls, and a colourful southeast Asian bird, the Nicobar pigeon, the only remaining member of it's genus Caloenas.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/sea_gull_bird_mandala_mousepad-144207979555088206?gl=Digital_Mandalas&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/sea_gull_bird_mandala_mousepad-p1442079795550882067pdd_260.jpg" alt="Sea Gull Bird Mandala mousepad" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/sea_gull_bird_mandala_mousepad-144207979555088206?gl=Digital_Mandalas&rf=238190912085200941">Sea Gull Bird Mandala</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/digital_mandalas?rf=238190912085200941">Digital_Mandalas</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/nicobar_pigeon_bird_photo_print-228447837751053443?print_width=23.3366&print_height=35.005&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/nicobar_pigeon_bird_photo_print-p2284478377510534438phc_260.jpg" alt="Nicobar Pigeon Bird Photo Print print" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/nicobar_pigeon_bird_photo_print-228447837751053443?print_width=23.3366&print_height=35.005&rf=238190912085200941">Nicobar Pigeon Bird Photo Print</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/rossicards?rf=238190912085200941">RossiCards</a></div><br />
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The feral pigeon is often given bad press as a pest but has some pretty colours in it's plumage, and a Canada goose posing at the water's edge.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/pigeon_postage-172040445518385333?rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/pigeon_postage-p172040445518385333anr9r_260.jpg" alt="Pigeon stamp" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/pigeon_postage-172040445518385333?rf=238190912085200941">Pigeon</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/seashell2?rf=238190912085200941">seashell2</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/goose_postcard-239021272722280188?rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/goose_postcard-p2390212727222801887onr_260.jpg" alt="Goose postcard" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/goose_postcard-239021272722280188?rf=238190912085200941">Goose</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/seashell2?rf=238190912085200941">seashell2</a></div></td> </tr>
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What bird blog would be without some cute ducklings - they must be amongst the prettiest of baby birds. The second photo is an injured owl recovering in a sanctuary.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/spring_duckies_postcard-239260191461178340?rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/spring_duckies_postcard-p2392601914611783407onr_260.jpg" alt="Spring Duckies postcard" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/spring_duckies_postcard-239260191461178340?rf=238190912085200941">Spring Duckies</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/redneckhillbillies?rf=238190912085200941">RedneckHillbillies</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/owl_with_prey_magnet-147651934229843078?rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/owl_with_prey_magnet-p1476519342298430788gm5_260.jpg" alt="Owl with Prey magnet" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/owl_with_prey_magnet-147651934229843078?rf=238190912085200941">Owl with Prey</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/redneckhillbillies?rf=238190912085200941">RedneckHillbillies</a></div></td> </tr>
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Native to Texas, a photo showing a screech owl in it's grey phase, and a mousepad with photo of a Roseate Spoonbill which is a wading/shore bird also found in Texas.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/screech_owl_keychain-146202719758782581?gl=VisualJourney&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/screech_owl_keychain-p146202719758782581xzpq4_260.jpg" alt="Screech Owl keychain keychain" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/screech_owl_keychain-146202719758782581?gl=VisualJourney&rf=238190912085200941">Screech Owl keychain</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/visualjourney?rf=238190912085200941">VisualJourney</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/roseate_spoonbill_mousepad-144799061517588677?gl=VisualJourney&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/roseate_spoonbill_mousepad-p1447990615175886777pdd_260.jpg" alt="Roseate Spoonbill mousepad mousepad" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/roseate_spoonbill_mousepad-144799061517588677?gl=VisualJourney&rf=238190912085200941">Roseate Spoonbill mousepad</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/visualjourney?rf=238190912085200941">VisualJourney</a></div></td> </tr>
</tbody> </table>RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-69683186787556455022010-09-14T20:31:00.006+02:002015-10-25T07:26:39.819+01:00More draft horsesFollowing on from my last draft horse post, this is another photograph taken at the cheval de trait, or heavy horse, show in Cressat, France. This was just one of those moments that you hope to capture - a foal with it's eyes closed, with a thoroughly fed-up expression, resting it's chin on the back of another foal as if to say "Can we go home now?". This would make a fun print for a horsey office. <br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/funny_sleeping_foal_poster-228911499848405823?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" > <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/funny_sleeping_foal_poster-r1760ee5255cb4cb98f99a62b4c155522_w2u_8byvr_325.jpg" alt="Funny sleeping foal poster" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/funny_sleeping_foal_poster-228911499848405823?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" >Funny sleeping foal poster</a> by <a href='http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance* rel="nofollow"'>ruralfrance</a></div>
This is a portrait of my own Welsh section D mare, Vaynor Bay Lynn, as she was standing in her paddock. She's about twenty three now, but wearing very well!<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/welsh_section_d_poster_or_print-228533923139021514?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" > <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/welsh_section_d_poster_or_print-rac6ac536b8b243a4941b08a05aa2c5a3_akrm0_8byvr_325.jpg" alt="Welsh Section D poster or print" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/welsh_section_d_poster_or_print-228533923139021514?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" >Welsh Section D poster or print</a> by <a href='http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance* rel="nofollow"'>ruralfrance</a> <br /></div>
For those not familiar with registered Welsh, there are four sections, A-D, A being the smallest ponies, and D a more chunky pony or horse, good for riding and in harness. They are built like a small draft horse and come from a very small bloodline in the Welsh mountains, which makes them very hardy.<br />
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These photos are available on a wide range of products, including mugs, mousepads and greetings cards. Every horse lover should have one!RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-80397204637129805332010-09-07T15:11:00.001+02:002011-02-13T15:54:35.596+01:00More horses and poniesOn the subject of horses and ponies, here are some photos from other Zazzlers. I love seeing other people's photos, and the different perspectives they come up with. All of these (including mine!) would make great gifts for horse lovers with Christmas not far away. Many images are available on different products, so be sure to check out each store by clicking on their names.<br />
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First, from Welshpixels in Wales UK, a portrait of a chestnut horse on a mug and a postcard of windswept Welsh pony on a cliff top in Wales. Welsh ponies are a hardy breed - we have two Welsh cobs, and when it's snowing, they would rather be outside than in their barn.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/horse_mug-168141350685889671?rf=238190912085200941"><img alt="Horse Mug mug" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/horse_mug-p168141350685889671214ro_260.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/horse_mug-168141350685889671?rf=238190912085200941">Horse Mug</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/welshpixels?rf=238190912085200941">Welshpixels</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/welsh_pony_postcard-239424018477005397?rf=238190912085200941"><img alt="Welsh Pony postcard" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/welsh_pony_postcard-p2394240184770053977onr_260.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/welsh_pony_postcard-239424018477005397?rf=238190912085200941">Welsh Pony</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/welshpixels?rf=238190912085200941">Welshpixels</a></div></td> </tr>
</tbody> </table>From Blayzeink, a peaceful postcard of two horses grazing, with a white picket fence in the foreground, and from Naturesmiles, a sticker with a group of chestnut horses and a cute little skewbald foal.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/grazing_horses_postcard-239406940707387098?rf=238190912085200941"><img alt="Grazing Horses postcard" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/grazing_horses_postcard-p2394069407073870987mpi_260.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/grazing_horses_postcard-239406940707387098?rf=238190912085200941">Grazing Horses</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/blayzeink?rf=238190912085200941">BlayzeInk</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/bc_horses_group_stickers-217780521452280713?rf=238190912085200941"><img alt="BC- Horses group stickers sticker" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/bc_horses_group_stickers-p217780521452280713836x_260.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/bc_horses_group_stickers-217780521452280713?rf=238190912085200941">BC- Horses group stickers</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/naturesmiles?rf=238190912085200941">naturesmiles</a></div></td> </tr>
</tbody> </table>Two lovely tranquil posters from Bebops, in autumn with colourful leaves and in winter with the light catching the bare trees, both with a horse in the foreground.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/autumn_in_the_horses_orchard_poster-228523428816179610?print_width=15&print_height=15&rf=238190912085200941"><img alt="Autumn in the Horse's Orchard print" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/autumn_in_the_horses_orchard_poster-p228523428816179610vsu7_260.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/autumn_in_the_horses_orchard_poster-228523428816179610?print_width=15&print_height=15&rf=238190912085200941">Autumn in the Horse's Orchard</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/bebops?rf=238190912085200941">Bebops</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/horse_in_winter_poster-228303421428781040?print_width=14.985&print_height=22.4775&rf=238190912085200941"><img alt="Horse in Winter print" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/horse_in_winter_poster-p228303421428781040vsu7_260.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/horse_in_winter_poster-228303421428781040?print_width=14.985&print_height=22.4775&rf=238190912085200941">Horse in Winter</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/bebops?rf=238190912085200941">Bebops</a></div></td> </tr>
</tbody> </table>From Galind in Poland, a different slant on horses - two posters showing a reenactment of the Polish cavalry. I love the action with the blurred moving horses' legs in the first one.<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="text-align: left; width: 700px;"><tbody>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/charge_poster-228305305906650082?dim=22.4074x15.0000in&width=22.4074&height=15.0000&size=small&print_width=22.4074&print_height=15.0000&rf=238190912085200941"><img alt="Charge! print" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/charge_poster-p228305305906650082vsu7_260.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/charge_poster-228305305906650082?dim=22.4074x15.0000in&width=22.4074&height=15.0000&size=small&print_width=22.4074&print_height=15.0000&rf=238190912085200941">Charge!</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/galind?rf=238190912085200941">galind</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/to_the_front_poster-228372496846536996?dim=22.4074x15.0000in&width=22.4074&height=15.0000&size=small&print_width=22.4074&print_height=15.0000&rf=238190912085200941"><img alt="To the Front Poster print" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/to_the_front_poster-p228372496846536996vsu7_260.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/to_the_front_poster-228372496846536996?dim=22.4074x15.0000in&width=22.4074&height=15.0000&size=small&print_width=22.4074&print_height=15.0000&rf=238190912085200941">To the Front Poster</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/galind?rf=238190912085200941">galind</a></div></td> </tr>
</tbody> </table>Some more posters, from Hightonridley in the UK this time, a Dartmoor mare feeding her foal in the Devon moorlands, and a beautiful black and white print showing a close up of a Dartmoor pony with the wind blowing it's mane.<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="text-align: left; width: 700px;"><tbody>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/pony_mare_feeding_foal_poster_prints_canvas-228373027699456701?dim=69.8610x49.8901in&width=21.0045&height=15.0000&size=small&print_width=21.0045&print_height=15.0000&rf=238190912085200941"><img alt="Pony Mare Feeding Foal poster prints / canvas print" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/pony_mare_feeding_foal_poster_prints_canvas-p228373027699456701vsu7_260.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/pony_mare_feeding_foal_poster_prints_canvas-228373027699456701?dim=69.8610x49.8901in&width=21.0045&height=15.0000&size=small&print_width=21.0045&print_height=15.0000&rf=238190912085200941">Pony Mare Feeding Foal poster prints / canvas</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hightonridley?rf=238190912085200941">HightonRidley</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/fine_art_pony_head_and_mane_poster_print_canvas-228529172168101131?width=15.0000&height=15.0000&size=small&print_width=15.0000&print_height=15.0000&rf=238190912085200941"><img alt="Fine Art Pony Head and Mane poster print / canvas print" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/fine_art_pony_head_and_mane_poster_print_canvas-p228529172168101131vsu7_260.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/fine_art_pony_head_and_mane_poster_print_canvas-228529172168101131?width=15.0000&height=15.0000&size=small&print_width=15.0000&print_height=15.0000&rf=238190912085200941">Fine Art Pony Head and Mane poster print / canvas</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hightonridley?rf=238190912085200941">HightonRidley</a></div></td> </tr>
</tbody> </table>Tlcgraphix has these two atmospheric early morning photos, the first with the sunlight shining through a chestnut horse's mane and tail as it trots along a fence, and a portrait of a big grey horse against a misty background.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/sunkissed_jewel_poster_print-228776911548094240?width=21.0000&height=15.0000&size=small&print_width=21.0000&print_height=15.0000&rf=238190912085200941"><img alt="Sunkissed Jewel Poster Print print" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/sunkissed_jewel_poster_print-p228776911548094240vsu7_260.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/sunkissed_jewel_poster_print-228776911548094240?width=21.0000&height=15.0000&size=small&print_width=21.0000&print_height=15.0000&rf=238190912085200941">Sunkissed Jewel Poster Print</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/tlcgraphix?rf=238190912085200941">TLCGraphix</a></div></td> <td style="vertical-align: top;"><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/who_are_you_looking_at_poster-228520656190102651?print_width=13.9061&print_height=19.4705&rf=238190912085200941"><img alt="Who are you looking at? print" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/who_are_you_looking_at_poster-p228520656190102651vsu7_260.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/who_are_you_looking_at_poster-228520656190102651?print_width=13.9061&print_height=19.4705&rf=238190912085200941">Who are you looking at?</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/tlcgraphix?rf=238190912085200941">TLCGraphix</a></div></td> </tr>
</tbody> </table>RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-14171309386720471502010-09-06T20:05:00.003+02:002015-10-25T08:50:38.379+01:00HorsesThere just aren't enough hours in the day. No sooner had I come back from holiday, but there were various local agricultural shows to go to. So, not having sorted through all the holiday shots, now I have dozens of horses to sort through. One of my favourite animals as we have two of them (and no time to ride).<br />
Digital cameras are great, but... Yes, you don't have the cost of film or the wait while sending them off to have them returned cut in the wrong places, or not fixed properly, or using dirty developer, or even someone else's film - yes all of those have happened to me! The downside is, that in one day I took 170 photos (of that about 10 are usable) - that's great, but they all have to be sorted and stored.<br />
Anyway, we managed to combine a draft horse show with an agricultural show all in one day. I won't bore you with the tractors, but here are the horses:<br />
These first two are Breton draft horses, a mare and a foal. They are nearly always chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail. The breed originated in Brittany, but this show was in the centre of France. They are probably the most popular breed in France.<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/breton_draft_horse_mare_poster-228534318711165696?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" > <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/breton_draft_horse_mare_poster-r810b941aedd14e77b3e53c8d1df9b654_a6f0z_8byvr_325.jpg" alt="Breton draft horse mare poster" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/breton_draft_horse_mare_poster-228534318711165696?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" >Breton draft horse mare poster</a> by <a href='http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance* rel="nofollow"'>ruralfrance</a></div> <div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/blond_chestnut_foal_poster-228546806806664049?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" > <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/blond_chestnut_foal_poster-r3058ce24fecd43f5ad944df84e30e243_wvs_8byvr_325.jpg" alt="Blond chestnut foal poster" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/blond_chestnut_foal_poster-228546806806664049?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" >Blond chestnut foal poster</a> by <a href='http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance* rel="nofollow"'>ruralfrance</a></div>
The next two are Ardennes or Ardennais. They are generally roan in colour, or sometimes bay. The tail of the first one was plaited with yellow red and green braid, and had these flowers added - a nice touch! The second is a roan foal which was trotting to catch up with it's mother in the show ring.<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ardennes_draft_horse_poster-228803993084719390?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" > <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/ardennes_draft_horse_poster-re378e54a4bb341ce82b7d3aafdce18e0_aijw6_8byvr_325.jpg" alt="Ardennes draft horse poster" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ardennes_draft_horse_poster-228803993084719390?rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" >Ardennes draft horse poster</a> by <a href='http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance* rel="nofollow"'>ruralfrance</a> <br /><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/an_ardennais_draft_horse_foal_print-228357842706028738?width=15.0000&height=22.0798&size=small&print_width=15.0000&print_height=22.0798&rf=238190912085200941"><img alt="An Ardennais draft horse foal print print" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/an_ardennais_draft_horse_foal_print-p228357842706028738vsu7_325.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/an_ardennais_draft_horse_foal_print-228357842706028738?width=15.0000&height=22.0798&size=small&print_width=15.0000&print_height=22.0798&rf=238190912085200941">An Ardennais draft horse foal print</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance*">ruralfrance</a></div>Lastly a Percheron, another French breed, colours ranging from light grey to black. I haven't got round to the Percheron foals yet.<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/dapple_grey_horse_birthday_greeting_card-137287712029368031?design.areas=%5Bcard_5x7_outside_print_horz_front%2Ccard_5x7_outside_print_horz_back%2Ccard_5x7_inside_print_horz_side2%5D&rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" > <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/dapple_grey_horse_birthday_greeting_card-r8906ffbd9d274b12967fbe05846039c2_xvuak_8byvr_325.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Dapple grey horse birthday greeting card" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/dapple_grey_horse_birthday_greeting_card-137287712029368031?design.areas=%5Bcard_5x7_outside_print_horz_front%2Ccard_5x7_outside_print_horz_back%2Ccard_5x7_inside_print_horz_side2%5D&rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" >Dapple grey horse birthday greeting card</a> by <a href='http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance* rel="nofollow"'>ruralfrance</a></div>
<br />
In the afternoon, there was a western riding competition at the other show, and I was rather pleased with this - having to shoot through barriers with a hand held zoom lens. This is apparently called calf cutting (no calves were cut in the taking of this photo), which means separating one calf from a group and trying to get it into a pen. Not many people managed it (two, I think). The rider is cropped out, to avoid the necessity for a model release, but I still think it captures the essence of the event.<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/calf_cutting_in_action_poster-228603827984312857?print_width=20.7437&print_height=15&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/calf_cutting_in_action_poster-p228603827984312857vsu7_325.jpg" alt="Calf cutting in action print" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/calf_cutting_in_action_poster-228603827984312857?print_width=20.7437&print_height=15&rf=238190912085200941">Calf cutting in action</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance*">ruralfrance</a></div><br />
I do remember someone saying once that photography is easier than art, but at least with art you don't have to worry about: focus, depth of field, shutter speed/movement, what's in the background (especially bright red beer tents!), or if the pose is right. If you draw or paint, you can have your subject in the pose you want, when and where you want. Hmmm, maybe I'll take up painting again :)<br />
<br />
As a compromise, I've since made another print from that photo, and with various filters, made it look more like a watercolour sketch. I think it works better like this, but who knows - beauty is in the eye of the beholder.<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/calf_cutting_horse_rider_print-228694872927268220?print_width=27.6489&print_height=23&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/calf_cutting_horse_rider_print-p228694872927268220xbta_325.jpg" alt="Calf cutting horse rider print print" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/calf_cutting_horse_rider_print-228694872927268220?print_width=27.6489&print_height=23&rf=238190912085200941">Calf cutting horse rider print</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance*">ruralfrance</a></div>RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913835328762850658.post-43145539263263435512010-08-27T21:51:00.004+02:002015-10-25T11:50:59.011+01:00Austria, Germany & Czech RepublicWell, I've just come back from a super holiday touring Austria, Bavaria and the southern Czech Republic. The weather was terrible, but we managed a few sunny days, so time to post a few of my own photos. Even in the rain the mountains are beautiful, and I like the light just after the rain as the sun begins to appear. The first photo is just at that moment, when the cloud is lifting from the valley, and a ray of sunshine just catches the church spire. This is the Kaunertal valley (a tautology, as 'tal' is a valley), in the Tyrol, which runs southwards almost to the Italian border. It's a popular area for skiing, but then, so is most of Austria.<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/kaunertal_austrian_tyrol_poster-228688237083276914?width=22.5000&height=14.9440&size=small&print_width=22.5000&print_height=14.9440&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/kaunertal_austrian_tyrol_poster-p228688237083276914vsu7_325.jpg" alt="Kaunertal Austrian Tyrol print" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/kaunertal_austrian_tyrol_poster-228688237083276914?width=22.5000&height=14.9440&size=small&print_width=22.5000&print_height=14.9440&rf=238190912085200941">Kaunertal Austrian Tyrol</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance*">ruralfrance</a> </div>Kaunertal before the sun, but with some lovely fluffy alpine cows.<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/alpine_cows_kaunertal_austria_poster-228249131334118298?ratio=1.50559808743419&rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" > <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/alpine_cows_kaunertal_austria_poster-ra2c4239b703c41638553caf610dffe11_ity_8byvr_325.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Alpine cows ~ Kaunertal, Austria Poster" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/alpine_cows_kaunertal_austria_poster-228249131334118298?ratio=1.50559808743419&rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" >Alpine cows ~ Kaunertal, Austria Poster</a> by <a href='http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance* rel="nofollow"'>ruralfrance</a></div>Several days later, and missing out Kitzbühl, which I haven't uploaded yet, we had the sunshine again. Up in the Salzburg area is equally stunning scenery - it's just a pity you can't print the sound of cow bells! This is Hochkönig, the highest peak in that area though the top of it is in the clouds.<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hochkonig_titled_poster-228130900107166701?width=22.5000&height=14.9440&size=small&print_width=22.5000&print_height=14.9440&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/hochkonig_titled_poster-p228130900107166701vsu7_325.jpg" alt="Hochkönig titled poster print" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/hochkonig_titled_poster-228130900107166701?width=22.5000&height=14.9440&size=small&print_width=22.5000&print_height=14.9440&rf=238190912085200941">Hochkönig titled poster</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance*">ruralfrance</a></div>Then we went on to Český Krumlov in the Czech Republic. This is a Unesco world heritage site and is probably the best known town next to Prague. I had been there once before but wanted to go back as I knew it was photogenic. Sadly the weather didn't agree, but we had a few sunny moments.<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/cesky_krumlov_old_town_postcard-239543494342738856?rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/cesky_krumlov_old_town_postcard-p2395434943427388567onr_325.jpg" alt="Cesky Krumlov old town postcard postcard" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/cesky_krumlov_old_town_postcard-239543494342738856?rf=238190912085200941">Cesky Krumlov old town postcard</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance*">ruralfrance</a></div>Leaving Český Krumlov, we passed through the Šumava National Park. The river Vltava which runs through Prague, has it's source in the Šumava, and here it is just beginning to form Lake Lipno, to the west of Český Krumlov.<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/sumava_national_park_poster-228773219500323124?ratio=1.50562098501071&rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" > <img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/sumava_national_park_poster-r5bce2f1338ea42829df7f81053971a94_jy9o_8byvr_325.jpg?bg=0xffffff" alt="Sumava national park poster" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/sumava_national_park_poster-228773219500323124?ratio=1.50562098501071&rf=238190912085200941" rel="nofollow" >Sumava national park poster</a> by <a href='http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance* rel="nofollow"'>ruralfrance</a></div>After stopping at Linz overnight, we had an unplanned stop at Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany after the car broke down. Well worth a stop though. It's better known as a ski resort, but has a beautiful old town. More rain, but we managed to catch a few brief moments of evening sunshine.<br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/garmish_partenkirchen_poster-228146205856724561?width=22.1722&height=15.0000&size=small&print_width=22.1722&print_height=15.0000&rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/garmish_partenkirchen_poster-p228146205856724561vsu7_325.jpg" alt="Garmish Partenkirchen print" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/garmish_partenkirchen_poster-228146205856724561?width=22.1722&height=15.0000&size=small&print_width=22.1722&print_height=15.0000&rf=238190912085200941">Garmish Partenkirchen</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance*">ruralfrance</a></div><div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/garmisch_partenkirchen_at_night_postcard-239066766462711627?rf=238190912085200941"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/garmisch_partenkirchen_at_night_postcard-p2390667664627116277mpi_325.jpg" alt="Garmisch-Partenkirchen at night postcard postcard" style="border:0;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/garmisch_partenkirchen_at_night_postcard-239066766462711627?rf=238190912085200941">Garmisch-Partenkirchen at night postcard</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance*">ruralfrance</a></div>I've managed to make a calendar from the Český Krumlov photos, and another one will be on the way soon for Austria. Edit: Latest version of this and other calendars available <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ruralfrance/gifts?cg=196549154676098151&rf=238190912085200941">here</a>.<br />
There, I bet that's the quickest trip you've ever had through anyone's holiday snaps!RuralFrancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251545432901543762noreply@blogger.com0