Back Yard Bird Party

Excited by a recent visit of a hawk, I bought a bag of seed to attract more birds to our back yard. Since then it's been bird-party time all day long.

Check out their cute bird behinds and the little one with a beak full of snow (left side, big pot), and the fellow taking a snow-bath. (If you click on the photos they get larger.)
Here they are again, after the sun came out. Bill and I are really enjoying having these birds around. And it reminds me of the positive impact even a little decision can make on your life.


January 31 Update: Now what I've been feeding the birds for a few weeks, they wait for me to arrive and more come by - very cute. Above are some photos Bill took this morning. Enjoy!

These photos are all of sparrows, but we also see finches, mourning doves, and mocking birds. And of course the hawk who started it all. The Red Tailed Hawk sheltered in our yard during a snow storm. Here's a link to that photo - http://personaltreasures.blogspot.com/2009/01/back-yard-hawk.html.

Back Yard Hawk

It's a snowy, blowy, cold afternoon and I was curled up, staying cozy in my Center City, Philadelphia living room when I looked out and saw - a hawk! It was not five feet from me, probably sheltering from the wind by coming close to a house.

I called my husband Bill who took this shot. If the branches look
a tad blurred, it's because the photo is taken through a window, in a snow storm.

Here's a link to another hawk he photographed in Rittenhouse Square http://personaltreasures.blogspot.com/2008/01/red-hawk-in-rittenhouse-square.html

And here's some exciting Red Tail Hawk photos Bill found on the web - http://www.komar.org/faq/colorado-red-tailed-hawk/

Red Tailed Hawk in Rittenhouse Square

A Red Hawk has taken to hanging out in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square. As you can imagine many people gather to watch it, including my husband Bill. Here's a photo he took today. The hawk's tail is moving but you can see the reddish blur. Bill saw the hawk eating a pigeon a few weeks ago and has been carrying his camera around hoping to see it again.

Update!! Here's a photo of a hawk taken right out of our living room window http://personaltreasures.blogspot.com/2009/01/back-yard-hawk.html

And here are some other photos Bill took in the Square - http://personaltreasures.blogspot.com/2007/12/snow-in-rittenhouse-square.html.

Purple Snow Peas by Kathryn Short

Kathryn Short, who describes herself as a photographer and all-around artist, is the creative force behind Etsy shop Purple Snowpeas http://PurpleSnowpeas.etsy.com. Kathryn loves to knit and crochet, take photographs while walking outdoors, craft small books for collecting thoughts, and anything else that keeps her hands busy and her shop reflects these interests. At Purple Snowpeas you will find handknit hats and wristwarmers, hand bound books, and fine art photographs and note cards.

The hand knit items are colorful and appealing, the books are interesting and sensitively designed, but I was wowed by her photographs, so they will be the focus of this article. Kathryn attended the Maryland Institute College of Art as a photography major and now teaches art and photography at the high school level.

The photo heading this article is titled "Mill Wheel." It is part of a series of evocative photos of older buildings in Northern Virginia. It is a Vandyke print, differing from traditional black and white prints in that the emulsion consists of iron and silver (as opposed to solely silver) producing a brown image. The print measures 3-3/4" by 4-3/4", with a brown 1/4" border around the image. This next Vandyke print is titled "Stone Barn." These prints are small, but very powerful in impact. Consider combining two or three into a single frame. The next photo is part of a series taken while Kathryn was travelling through Spain along the Camino de Santiago. This particular shot titled "San Juan de Ortega" captures hikers crossing a plateau on a foggy morning in the area just outside of Burgos. This is a color photograph printed on Fuji Crystal Archive paper measuring 9-1/2" x 9-7/8" (length by width). And here is another stunning landscape from the series titled "Navarra, Spain" the same size as "San Juan de Ortega."

I encourage you to visit Kathryn's shop to see more of her work, these images are just a sample, and also to visit her blog where she writes about knitting and Etsy artists participating in the "90 Features in 90 Days Challenge: http://purple-snowpeas-shop.blogspot.com/

Let it Snow - Rittenhouse Square, Philadelpha

It's snowing here in Philadelphia this afternoon and I'd thought you'd enjoy these photos, taken a few hours ago by my husband Bill while walking in Rittenhouse Square.

Tiffany Teske

Photography is Tiffany Teske's passion. The thrill of photography captured her imagination at the age of seven when she was given a 110 camera to document a family trip. She has continued her involvement through the years, moving from Minnesota to Arizona, Florida, New York, Maine, Ontario and Quebec before settling in Banff, Canada. She has been earning her living as a photographer since 1998, and she is incredibly prolific and accomplished as both an artist and a commercial photographer (which pays her to travel).

Tiffany maintains an ETSY shop athttp://TiffanyTeske.etsy.com where she donates 10% of all sales to the local Victory Thrift Shop's snowsuit and winter clothing fund. This article focuses on a very small portion of Tiffany's output, photographic art cards that will make thoughtful gifts for friends, co-workers, an others, and an interesting way to begin to explore Tiffany's photography.

She offers a series of twenty different images and at $5 a piece they are comparable in price to mass produced cards, yet each one is a 4x6" matte photograph that has been printed at a professional photo lab and titled and signed by Tiffany. These cards are the perfect size to fit into a 5x7 frame, at which time the white border of the card acts as a "mat" for a visually pleasing display. Every card and envelope is packaged together in a clear plastic envelope with a resealable flap. Tiffany is offering free shipping on these items for the holidays.

The card heading this article is titled "Strawberry Smile".The card above is titled "December."This final card is titled "Red Poppies".

The majority of images in Tiffany's shop are beautifully atmospheric photographic originals, Polaroid transfers and emulsion lifts. She offers close to 200 images and you will have an engrossing time absorbing the sensitive detail in these images.

Tiffany is a participant in the "90 Features in 90 Days Challenge." You can read her reviews of the other participants by clicking on Portfolio, then ETSY Artists and Artisans at her website at http://www.oldesage.com. You can also view her photography portfolio at that site. More images are available at her Flickr account http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyteske/. And you can see even more images at http://www.jpgmag.com/people/tteske.

Give Gifts That Give Twice: Holiday Presents from ETSY that Benefit Charity - 2010 Edition

If you are looking for ways to make your holiday gifts more meaningful, these suggestions, all handmade by sellers at ETSY.com, help change the world, one gift at a time.

When you choose holiday gifts that benefit charity, you multiply the impact of your choice. Everyone benefits, from the person who receives your wonderful gift, to you and how you feel about yourself, and to the charity that receives vital support to carry out its mission.

Due to the great reponse to this article I've written additional gift guides; for children, animal lovers, holiday cards and ornaments, and more. You'll find links on the right under "Gifts That Benefit Charity".

Find a little beauty where ever you are...

Heading this article is a vibrant original oil painting on canvas, "Grassy Delta" which measures 8 x 10 inches. It can be found, along with a selection of lush and beautiful landscapes, seascapes, and skyscapes, at Etsy shop "Painting Well" http://paintingwell.etsy.com. 100% of the profits from all of the paintings in this shop go to fund cancer research through "Stand Up to Cancer" http://www.StandUp2Cancer.org.

Also on Etsy you'll find a collective of artists affected by cancer, "Hand Made Help," at http://handmadehelp.etsy.com. All profits from Hand Made Help are also donated to "Stand Up to Cancer."






Your purchase of "Enchanted Emerald" earrings from Morning Glory Design will fund designer Willie Zuniga's free "Angels in the Parlor" jewelry making classes for cancer patients. Read about Willie's project here: http://www.etsy.com/people/MorningGloryDesigns. At her shop you'll find many vintage-styled, richly colored Czech glass and antiqued brass filigree treasures: http://etsy.com/shop/MorningGloryDesigns.com.

Who on your list loves animals? Here are some gifts that benefit animal charities:

Perfect for the tea drinking elephant lover, this glass mosaic teapot from Slumptown Glass is part of a series about endangered animals (http://bit.ly/akAj6a). 20% of the profits from this teapot will be donated to World Wildlife Fund (http://www.worldwildlife.org/) for their work with elephants.



Each "Bow: ring from "Rock My World, Inc." is handcast from a piece of string as a 'forget me knot' ring. 20% of the proceeds goes to the Tri-County Humane Society of Florida (http://www.tricountyhumane.orghttp://rockmyworldinc.etsy.com.

The following gifts improve the lives of people in far reaches of the globe.

You can find this charming greeting card titled "Radiant Faces" by Bamboo Village Press at http://bamboovillagepress.etsy.com where you find a variety of beautiful Asian-inspired art and materials. 25% of every purchase from the Press supports the Bamboo Village Educational Fund, a program set up keep children in rural Sichuan, China, in school and out of sweatshops. You can keep up with evolving news from Bamboo Village at http://bamboovillagepress.blogspot.com.
The icy set of six handsome, handmade photo cards above at Mavora Cards http://www.etsy.com/shop/mavoracards?section_id=5732729 is a project of Big Picture Cards, single cards and card sets that allow you to send thoughtful notes to the people you love while giving beyond your circle of friends. 50% of card profits goes to aid disaster and poverty stricken lands through World Vision http://www.worldvision.org.




Festive gold earrings with sparkling Peridot briolette gems add warmth and color and style. These earrings are from my own "Personal Treasures" shop http://PersonalTreasures.etsy.com where 50% of the proceeds from all of the refined jewelry of gold and silver, gemstones and pearls supports the children at "Charity Orphanage" in Robertsport, Liberia, West Africa. If you looking for more casual and romantic jewelry, 50% of the profits at my shop "Mufi Jewels" http://mufi.etsy.com also benefit the orphanage. You can learn more about "Charity Orphanage" and my husband and my involvement here http://bit.ly/cvjxBC

This charm/pendant ($10) from http://jjbackman.etsy.com benefits the Zambia Satellite, a division of Good Samaritan Ministries, which empowers Zambian nationals to improve the lives of children and adults through education, nutrition, health care and faith. http://goodsamaritanministries.org.

And the following work is by artisans who donate their sales to charities that help their neighbors, near and far:

Due to the growing crisis in the Gulf Coast, jewelry designer Andy Collins of Andy's House is donating 50% of the price on intriguing, marine-themed pendants and earrings to The National Audubon Society: http://www.audubon.org and The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana: http://www.crcl.org. You can see the collection here: http://bit.ly/9s3K3d.



The products at "Second Line Frames" (http://secondlineframes.etsy.com) honor a timeless New Orleans tradition – the colorful parade that follows a funeral procession to turn tragedy into a celebration of rebirth.

Second Line Frames builds their frames from authentic wood siding salvaged from homes destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. It’s their way of preserving a little part of the beloved memory of old New Orleans while helping to rebuild it toward a better tomorrow. 20% of each sale goes to assist in the rehabilitation of affected neighborhoods. For additional frames visit their other shop Rebirth Frames, http://rebirthframes.etsy.com. And if you'd like to read more about what the folks at Rebirth Frames do, check out this in-depth interview: http://blog.sub-studio.com/2008/05/second-line-frames.html.



I'd like to close by mentioning another great resource for "Gifts That Give Twice," the shop Etsy for Charity http://etsyforcharity.etsy.com, with a wide variety of work, donated by a group of sellers to benefit a specific charity every month. Members reach from America, Singapore and the UK! November sales from ETSY for charity will benefit Amnesty International.

*To read part 2 of this post click here: http://personaltreasures.blogspot.com/2007/12/gifts-that-benefit-charity-part-2.html