Irina's Photography and beyond

Valentine's day gift idea

2012-02-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

Are you still looking for ideas for Valentine's day gifts? Do you like small and cute gifts made with your hands? :) Well... if yes, grab your scissors and paper, and lets make the cute heart Valentines.

Download file there. Print it on any home printer on color paper. Well... who told hearts should be red only? :) You can pick any color... The file is 8.5x11 inches with 300 dpi resolution which is standard letter size.

Cut the hearts.

Place printed sides out and staple them making a pouch.

Fill the pouch with small candies, for example M&Ms, and close the pouch completely.

On the back side, there is an instruction where exactly to tear your heart :)

Inspirational source DanaMadeIt.com

Breakfast idea for Valentine

2012-01-30T01:00:00.000-08:00

It's just a little bit more than 2 weeks before Valentine's day, and almost everything is running around this holiday. We are preparing gifts, making decorations, probably, getting ready some special outfit, and so on. So I also want to share some idea for Valentine's day, and show how usual ingredients can make Valentine's day (and any other day) breakfast special.

For one heart, we'll need 1 hot dog and 1 egg. Cut the hot dog in half leaving one side uncut.

Shape the hot dog into a heart, and fix it with a tooth pick.

Place the heart onto roasting pan. Beat a little bit one egg with a pinch of salt.

Pour it inside the heart. If some of the egg leaked out, it's OK. It'll be fixed when it's ready.

Cover the pan and roast the heart on low heat until the egg is well done. Transfer it on a plate, remove the tooth pick and the spare egg. Decorate it with a couple hearts made with ketchup.

Enjoy!

Beaded fresh water pearl bracelet tutorial

2012-01-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

Once, I found a great tutorial how to make an adorable beaded bracelet. The DIY tutorial was published on EtsyRussianTeam blog and it inspired me to make one for myself. It took me a while to make the bracelet for myself. Honestly, I have a lot of different tutorials that I keeping, but not making anything. But this one... I simply had to make it! Why?... I don't know :) Maybe, because it's made of pearl that I like very much! Anyhow, here we go. The bracelet!

It became tender looking and... big. Yes, I made a mistake and got big beads. I would suggest to use 5-7 mm fresh water pearls for it. But mine is made of 8-9 mm once. So it became not so tender looking as I would expect. But it's OK. I like to wear bold jewelries... and it looks very nice on my wrist.

So as I mentioned before, the pattern is very simple. Anyone can make the same bracelet or even necklace. Even beginners... Try yourself :) The author of the pattern is Svetlana who runs LiriGal shop on Etsy. I think she is very pro confessional at making jewelries. Visit her shop, and you can see it with your own eyes :) Moreover, go to her web site www.LiriGal.com, and there are a bunch of inspiring free tutorials for jewelry making.

I hope you'll have good time making some piece of jewelry following the tutorial. It's easy; it's fun; it's affordable.

Enjoy!

Printable Christmas Gift tags

2011-12-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

It's middle of December now, and probably, all Christmas gifts are ready. So what about a small finish touch to make them perfect? :) I'm talking about gift tags that will be nice element of embellishment...

I've designed small gift tags that are folded. So they are not only tags, but also tiny note cards where you can put all your wishes. :) You need just download them, print, cut, and attach to you gifts.

The printable gift tags are available to download there. The digital collage sheet is 8.5x11 inches that is standard letter size with resolution 300 dpi. So you can easily print them on home printer as many as you need. For better result, I would recommend to print them on color laser printer on 60-80 lb heavy paper.

If the link doesn't work, please leave a comment, and I'll fix it. And don't forget to come and download the file :) More Christmas designs are available in my GraphicLand shop on Etsy.

Please, keep in mind that the Christmas printable gift tags are for personal use only and can not be sold in printed or digital form.

Happy Holidays!

Free cross stitch design for Christmas

2011-12-11T19:23:00.000-08:00

December has began, and it means that it's time to get ready for Christmas holiday season. People a rushing for Christmas gifts, decorations, and other essential for this holiday things. But not all prefer something from stores. A lot of people make all those things by their hands :) One of my friends Tatyana from AGardenCottage on Etsy is a real crafty lady. She crafts almost everything in her house :) And today, I 'd like to show a cross stitch Christmas tree ornament that she made... and share the free cross stitch pattern :)

I find it really cute and unique. It's very simple, but yet so adorable. And I think the Swarovski crystal adds an elegant touch to the ornament. It's so good idea to add it there :)

And if you are willing to spend some time making the Christmas tree ornament, please download the patter there. It's really easy! And it shouldn't be an ornament only. It may be turned to a greeting card, a book mark, or something else... it's up to you :)

Enjoy and happy holidays!

Christmas gift exchange

2011-12-04T01:09:00.000-08:00

Do you like to receive gifts? :) Well... who doesn't... It's third time in Russian team on Etsy when we have Secret Santa gift exchange. Initially, it was Albina's idea to play that game, and this year, it's third time we are playing the game.

Every time it's a little bit challenging for me. :) What to gift? What the person like? How my gift would suit the addressee life style? Also, I'd like to gift something hand made to share a piece of my warmth.

This year, I'm a secret Santa for one lady, and I'm not sharing her name. :) It'll be surprise for her. I made two small gifts for her: a calendar and a necklace. Well... Ladies like jewelry, and I hope that this part of the gift will fit her lifestyle :). I made it of pearls and clear crystals, that's why it should be OK with any outfit because I don't know her preferences in colors.

But second part... I wanted to make something really unique that I've never done before. Last year, I was a secret Santa for Tatyana, and I gifted her one of my photography. This year, I made a table calendar with California scenes taken by me.

So I designed layout, printed, and bound it.

Now, my gift is on the way to addressee, and I hope she'll like it. :)

Thanksgiving printable placement cards collage

2011-11-18T00:36:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? :) Probably, you already have in mind what are you going to cook for the feast. More likely, you already have home and table decoration... And would you like to have something small as final touch on your holiday table? :) Let me share cute placement cards that will be great for Thanksgiving or just fall-themed party.

They are really easy to make. You need simply download and print them. I would recommend to print them on laser printer on heavy paper... 80-100 lb. The digital file s designed to be printed on standard letter size paper 8,5x11 inch with resolution 300 dpi. It's available for download there.

So you need to download, print, write a person's name, and cut it out.

Then fold it as shown on pictures below

Then you need to make cuts on folded edges. Simply fold them together and cut

And place it on wine glass

Also, you can use them as placement cards on a plate. You need to write a person's name upside down, fold it, and make bigger cuts.

And place it on a plate

And that's it! Easy!

Please, keep in mind that the digital collage sheet is for personal use only.

Enjoy and happy Thanksgiving!

Look at more designs in my GraphicLand shop.

Halloween printable tags for wine glasses

2011-09-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

Halloween is on its way, and there is a time to think about home decoration, candies, and other essentials things that makes the holiday the way it should be :)

If you are going to have a party in your home, you'll definitely need to decorate a table with decors that fit the theme of Halloween. And I believe it's exciting to make some decors with your own hands :) So... let me share something today... It's wine glass tags... or paper charms :) They are especially perfect for standing dinner where people moving around socializing and can forget where they put their glasses. Having the tags will help them do not loose their wine glasses :)

There is a printable digital download of wine glass tags. You need just print them and cut off. I recommend to print the tags on laser printer on 100 lb card stock. It's 8.5x11inch digital file which is standard letter size with resolution 300 dpi.

The free digital collage sheet is available there. If there is something wrong with the link, please leave a comment and I'll fix it. And don't forget to come back to download it :)

Please, keep in mind, that the collage is for personal use only. It's not for sale in printed or digital form.

Enjoy and Happy Halloween!

Artistic tea sets by Yury Tarler

2011-09-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I haven't met Yury Tarler in person, but I know him virtually as a member of Russian team on Etsy.

Looking at Yury's art works in his Etsy shop, I always knew he is a talented artist. But I was impressed after reading this article on Russian team blog. Yury had painted many portraits of famous people like Pope John Paul II, Nelson Rockefeller, and others.

Also, Yury took part in some famous architecture projects like Museum of General Motors in Detroit, RocCity in New York, and many more. Yury's art works have been displayed in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, St. Louis and Moscow. In recognition of his work he won several awards. Well... honestly, this is very impressive!

But today, I'd like to write about... dishes that he creates. Honestly (sorry, Yury :) ), I'm not a big fun of hanging art on walls. I'm photographer myself, and I don't have any of my photographs on my walls. I'm more practical person. That's why I adore his tea pot sets. They all are pieces of art by themselves. Moreover, they are usable pieces of art. :) And every one has it's own theme and story behind.

This one like a great music house. You even can hear faded violins while drinking tea, and if you would close your eyes, you can imagine yourself dancing in a huge ballroom hall.

This tea set will bring you to a dreamy town of Venice. In a cold winter day, pour hot tea in a cap, hold it tight with both hands, close your eyes, and let your imagination bring you to Venice - the capital of carnivals where you can meet so many people dressed up in gorgeous Renaissance inspired costumes.

This tea set, I would say, is my favorite one. Why? Because I like rainy days. I know it sounds weird... but here in California, rain is pretty much rare in summer time, and I'm from the country where rain is not so unusual. Yes, I miss rain sometimes. :) That's why looking at this tea set, I can feel and hear faded rain drops are falling down. I can dream about walking on rainy night streets in an old small European town. The streets are silent, and I'm slowly walking alone under big umbrella listening the silence and bickering rain drops. Wow... I need to wake up... and go back to reality :)

As many people would say: "Hey, come on! They are just tea sets!" But seriously, just try to close your eyes and unleash your imagination. You definitely may see this huge, beautiful, and strange world behind the Yury's paintings.

Free digital collage - July 4-th

2011-06-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for some inexpensive gifts for July 4-th, why don't make them on your own?

For example, you can make a cute glass tile pendant with Victorian images. How? :) Very simple! I have an easy to follow DIY tutorial, and I'd like to share the digital collage.

The collage sheet is 4x6 inches (10x15 cm). It can be printed easily on home printer. For better results, we'd recommend on laser printer. It's 300 dpi resolution. You just can download the images there and print them. Please leave a comment if the link doesn't work. We'll fix it. And don't forget to come back and download the digital collage :)

Please keep in mind that the collage sheet can not be sold as digital collage sheet.

Enjoy your craft! :)

Napa trip with friends

2011-05-14T16:43:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in Napa? :) In this gorgeous wine country in California... I've been there several times but this time, I guess, was the special one. Why?..

First of all, the trip were meant to show Napa country to my old friend Nadya who was visiting me from my mother country Ukraine. She was the first of my friends who visited me since I came to United States :).

The second reason, I met there Yana (WineCountryLife) in person. We chat with Yana a lot on Etsy Russian team forum on Etsy, but it was first time when I met her in person. Basically, there are were four of us. I knew all those girls but they met first time at all. I was worried in the beginning because I really wanted the trip pleasant but, and I wanted the girls to feel relaxed. But you know... new people... I afraid they could feel uncomfortable. But I believe everything went smoothly. I even had feeling by the end of the day that we are all old friends. :) I hope girls felt the same... :)

The third reason is.... Yana lives in Napa Valley. So she showed as places where I've never been before! For example, our first stop was at Chandon Winery.

The specialty of the winery is that there are only champagne wines. We spent there more than hour chatting, testing wine, walking around, and taking pictures :) That was amazingly relaxing time... no rush... just good company and delicious wine :)

Zhanna, Yana, Nadya... I'm taking the picture... :)

Yana with Napa Valley (just a very small part) view on background... :)

Next our stop was in small town of Yountville. According to Yana, Yontville is a capital of gourmet food (Yana, please correct me if I'm wrong :) ). There is even this great sculpture of funny chef with real kitchen gadgets.

There are expensive restaurants, cute hotels, and... Bouchon bakery :) Of course, we couldn't skip it! :)

So we had kinda small girls paradise :)...

Spent some time eating these delicious deserts and chatting, and laughing...

Our last stop was.... in a castle! Real castle! Yana took us to Castello di Amorosa .

I really felt like I came to medieval time. Castle... with a moat...

But... this is not real castle :) It's a winery that was open to public in 2007. So... modern pretty much. But it 's built with keeping traditions of medieval castle. According to Yana's words, even part of stones, that are used in the building, is from Italy, and they were taken from real medieval castle. That's why when you are there, you would really expect to meed a real knight, or beautiful lady, or even a ghost...

After walking around and taking pictures...

... we again ended up with testing wine :)

So... It was amazing day. Great weather, great company, relaxing environment... what can be better? :)

Yana, thank you very much for this amazing trip!

Berry muffins recipe

2011-03-21T23:44:00.000-07:00

Look at the yummy muffin! :) You can bake them with any berries you want: blubbery, cranberry, raisins... they are all will be good!

For the recipe, we will need:
2 cups (1 up is 240 ml) of all purpose flour
2/3 cup of sugar
2 tea spoon of backing powder
1 cup of fat reduced sour cream (I used fat free Greek style yogurt)
1/4 cup of canola oil (or any other oil with no scent)
1 egg
1 tea spoon of vanilla extract
2 cups of butter milk or kefir

Resins, walnuts, cranberries... 1/2 cup of each. You can use or just resins, or nuts, etc. I like to mix all of them. Also, 1 cup of blueberries will be fine. Well... any your favorite berries :) Around 1 - 1 1/2 cups...

Preheat oven to 390 F (200 C)

Mix in a bowl flour, sugar, and backing powder

In separate bowl, mix sour cream, oil, egg,and vanilla. Mix them until smooth.

Add dry ingredients to the batter and mix well. The mixture will be dry. So mix in butter milk or kefir little by little. The finish mixture should be thick but liquid. If it's too thick, just add more butter milk. Add berries and nuts.

Spray or brush muffins caps with oil and place them in muffin pan.

Spoon the batter in the caps. Fill around 2/3 of a cap.

Put the muffin pan in the oven and bake the muffins until golden brown. Try them with wooden tooth pic. Depends on oven, it may take 20-30 minutes.

Enjoy your muffins! :)

Spring note cards exchange

2011-03-17T23:48:00.000-07:00

Did you know that March 8 is an International woman day? :) Probably not... or maybe had heard about it but forgot?... :)

In Russia and other post-Soviet countries, the day is a real holiday. We don't celebrate some socialist ideas... we just celebrate a Woman's day. All woman and girls get flowers... a lot of flowers and gifts. :) For us, this is a celebration of spring.

I'm a member of Etsy Russian team on Etsy, and we had note card exchange for the holiday. So... recently I got all of the cards that I supposed to receive... What amazed me, they are mostly hand made... Well, why I'm amazed... we are crafters! That's what we do! :)

So this gorgeous photo note card from Tonya (TonyaUtkina)

This amazing hand cross stitched note card from Natasha (Skrynka)

And this great note card from Tanya (SocksAndMittens)

Also, I got extra one from Mariya (LovelyTrifles) :) Mariya missed the gift exchange, and she was upset about it. To make her happy, we just sent to each other note cards...

Girls, they are amazing! :) Thank you very much!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T01:22:00.000-07:00

I wish you a lot of luck! :)

I always love the idea to take a greeting image (digital or printed note card ) on my own. I like to challenge myself especially with occasions like Patrick's day because not much attributes I can find around in my home :) So... in this case, it's shamrock (or something looks like it... I really don't know) from my backyard and a mug of beer (which was consumed by my husband later :)... He was happy... )

Hope you like the idea I came up with :)

How to solve a problem with printing digital collages

2011-03-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that my customers some times have difficulties with printing digital collages in JPG format. If you are facing the problem (usually, it's wrong size of the clip art images), please contact me to get your collages in PDF format.

I'd like to explain the way how clip arts may be printed from PDF file. This method usually works with no problem.

The steps and screen shots are for Windows operated computer.

First of all, PDF reader is needed. Please, navigate to Adobe website, download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader. This is free software, so you don't need any license. Run it.

Click on an image to get larger view. Go to File -> Open. Choose a file in popped up window and confirm.

After file with digital collage is open, go to File -> Print

Set scale as None or as Fit to printable area. Please, try both setting and choose which one fits your needs.

In most cases, this scenario works. But if it doesn't, please contact me!

Jewelry product photography. Albina's creations

2011-03-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

Albina is my fellow team mate in Russians on Etsy team. Recently, she asked me to work on good pictures of her jewelries. You know why... her article is going to be issued in a magazine! I was excited to get this challenge - to take really good looking pictures for the magazine. :)

I hope I fulfilled the order :) Also, just a little secret... I'm really proud of myself because I really improved my skills in product photography. If you'd look at my first pictures, gosh... they are really unacceptable :( I know, that I need practice more and more to get them better, but I feel that I've made pretty much big step in this field :)

Look at the gorgeous jewelries! Albina is a great wire sculpture artist. Her creations are really unique.

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of copper jewelries. I prefer silver or gold, but these one make me to think about my preferences. :)

I wish I could make something like this... *sigh*

Russian style apple pie recipe

2011-03-09T23:53:00.000-08:00

This apple pie is quite popular in Russia. It's really easy to make, and the taste is delicious. :)

For 8 inch round baking form, you will need:
1 cup of sugar,
1 cup of all purpose flour,
3 large eggs,
1 tea spoon of backing powder,
1 table spoon of vanilla,
3 large granny smith apples,
1 cup of walnut pieces (optional)

Put in a big bowl eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Mix with hand mixer until the mixture become foamy and pale yellow . Sugar should be almost dissolved.

Add there flour and backing powder. Mix it again until the butter is smooth.

Wash the apples, cut them into big chunks removing apple hearts.

Place the apple chunks in the batter, add walnuts pieces (optional), and mix the mixture with spoon or silicone spatula until all apples are covered with the butter.

Spray a little bit of vegetable oil on 8 inch backing dish and sprinkle flour. I usually use backing spray with flour. :) Put the mixture in the form, and bake it in oven heated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. It usually takes 40 minutes, but it really depends on an oven. I just try it with wooden toothpick... I prick the pie, and if the toothpick comes out clean, the pie is ready.

Enjoy and Bon Appétit!

How to Make Glass Tile Pendant

2011-03-08T21:56:00.000-08:00

Look at this pretty glass tile pendant! Do you think it's difficult to make? :) No! It's easy as 1-2-3! :)

First of all, you need an image. If you'd like to make a pendant with hearts, you can download free digital collage which I'm happy to share.

The collage sheet is 4x6 inches, 300 dpi. It can be download there. If the link doesn't work, please leave a comment and I'll fix it. Please, don't forget to come back and download it. :) Print it on heavy paper (80-100 lb) on laser printer.

NOTE: Please keep in mind, that the collage sheet can not be sold as a collage in digital or printed form.

To make the pendant, you will need an image, settings for glass tile, glaze, and super glue (I prefer gel super glue).

I usually buy supplies in SunAndMoonKits shop on Etsy. Gina who runs the shop is very nice and responsive. She always open for custom quantity of items. :) If you are planning to make just 1-2 pendants, you probably will need just sample size of glaze - not the big bottle.

So... lets make the pendant :)

First, cut of an image.

Then, apply a little bit of glaze on the back side of the glass tile. Well... maybe not a little bit but more :) So it shouldn't be a very thin layer.

Spread it evenly without air bubbles inside. Place the image with face side on the glaze and gently press it from center to the edges. Be sure, that there is no airy spots between glaze and paper. Also, paper should slide on the glaze when you touch it. It means that right amount of glaze applied. Be sure that edges of the paper are also with no air between glaze and the image.

Set aside the glass tile for a couple of hours while the glaze become firm. Then, just trim extra paper on the sides and remove extra glaze from the glass.

Put a little bit of super glue in the setting.

And place the glass tile with paper side down.

And your pendant is ready :)

If you'd like to make a personalized pendant, you can look in my blog for other free graphics , and also please have a look at my GraphicLand shop on Etsy for affordable great digital collages.

Enjoy! :)

Necklace made of wool???

2011-02-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

I'm kinda classy girl... :) especially, if it's about jewelries. I always thought that jewelry should be made out of some firm materials: gemstones, glass beads, or plastic... But I've never thought it can be made of fabrics or wool... Well... I was wrong :)

Look at this great hand made felted necklace by Tonya Utkina.

I'm really surprised how gorgeous a felted necklace can be. Tonya, great job! ... and shame on me :) I need to be more open to new hand made ideas :)

Spring is on its way

2011-02-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

It's still February, but trees are blooming in Northern California... Well... not everywhere, but at least in my place :)

I like to walk around and smell plum and almond flowers. This tart but yet sweet aroma really means for me that spring is coming. Also, I like the blooming flowers because they really well come out on pictures. It's pretty much difficult to take a good picture of them because they are very light and tender. But on the other hands, this challenge is good for me... I'm improving my skills :)

Also, this time I tried new style of photo editing - kinda cross processing. Well... I think it came not bad out for first time. :) What do you think?

You can find bigger size in my IrinaPhotography shop

Do I need a hat? :)

2011-02-21T21:21:00.000-08:00

Just came back from Yosemite National park (pictures and report will be later :) )... It's snowing there! It's freezing there! I thought I was prepared to that weather... I got worm jacket, gloves, socks... but I forget a hat! My poor ears... they were freezing.

I came back, and first what I've done, I came through warm hand knitted items of my fellow etsian Svetlana. She has great blog where she shares new products and free patterns as well.

I found this great hand made cable hat beanie which pretty much fit my style

This hand made hat is made of pure wool which is great because I prefer wool instead of acrylic materials. And I know Svetlana makes her knitting items with love :)

Gosh... why I didn't shop for the hat in her shop before the trip to Yosemite???

Great offer for returning customers from GraphicLand shop

2011-02-17T12:06:00.001-08:00

Hello!

Thank you for shopping in GraphicLand shop on Etsy or GraphicLand shop on Artfire. As appreciation for my customers, I'd like to offer

BUY THREE COLLAGES AND GET TWO FREE.

This offer is valid in 15 days after your purchase. Please don't buy all 5 collage sheets; buy just three and let me know numbers of two free ones in buyer's message. This offer is valid for your next order. The numbers of collages are in their titles. The offer is not valid for custom orders.

How it works...

If you are customer of GraphicLand on Etsy.
Go to Your Etsy. On the left, click Purchases link, and click the transaction link.

After transaction page is loaded, just copy the link

and place into buyer's note of your next purchase with number of bonus collages

If you are a customer of GraphicLand shop on Artfire (or my customer on some other market place... who knows... maybe, I'll open more stores :) ), you just go to your PayPal, find the last transaction, and let me know the number of the transaction with numbers of bonus collages.

Enjoy your 2 collages for free!

Warm things

2011-02-17T06:01:00.000-08:00

Spring? No... ;) In my place it's still winter. I mean, it's winter as much as it can be in California. Days are warm, but night time... it's freezing! ;) Especially, my hands got cold... they are even shivering... Maybe, I need to have something warm? :)

I love the idea of wearing mittens. Hands are covered, but fingers are open, and I still can operate with them with no troubles. I really like these red hand made mittens that I found on Tanya's SocksAndMittens blog. They look warm and cozy, and yet elegant. ;) And I know... the mittens are made by Tanya's mom with love going from her heart! :)

They are gorgeous, aren't they? :)

So... my hands are completely frozen... I'm going to ask her to make me custom mittens for my poor hands. :)

Work and hobby

2011-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

I was always wondering how people can unite work and hobby. I mean not how they have time for both of them, but how they can some ideas from day job incorporate in their creations.

I always adore Arctida's creations. I've mentioned before that I'm obsessed with jewelries, right? :)
So I like to read her blog and go through her hand made jeweleries. Why I'm writing about her? :)
I know her major is micro biology. I don't know exactly what she does , but I definetely know she works in that field. :) And look at this great hand made Cynobacteria necklace

How greatly hand craft and work subject are incorporated! They made really unique combination that is implemented in this great hand made jewelery. I'd say it's a real piece of art!:)

Free digital collage. Valentine's day gift tags.

2011-01-27T22:35:00.000-08:00

Valentine's day is coming! There are a little bit more than 2 weeks before the holiday. Maybe, gifts are ready to be given, maybe not. But anyway small finish touch is always needed. :)

What's touch? A cute gift tag! Yes, this small touch will show how you do care about your recipient :)

These great heart shaped Valentine's day gift tags can be this final touch that won't leave your Valentine indifferent. So... you just can download them, print, pinch a hole, and attach a tag with cute ribbon.

You can make the hole wherever you want. No restriction. :) That's why the images don't have white rounds that usually appear on printable gift tags... just like an idea how they should look :) With my gift tags, it's your choice how to attach them.

The size of the hearts are around 2.5x3.5 in. The entire collage sheet is 8..5x5.5 in (a half of standard letter size). You can print as many as you need on home printer. For better result, I'd recommend to print them on laser printer on heavy paper... around 80-100 lb.

The digital collage with Valentine's day gift tags may be downloaded there. If the link doesn't work, please leave a comment, and I'll fix it. And don't forget to come back to download them :).

Please keep in mind that the gift tags are for personal use. You can sell them as printed finished gift tags, but can not sell the collage sheet in digital form.

Enjoy!

New Year holidays trip. Part 1 :)

2011-01-16T16:05:00.000-08:00

How did you meet New 2011 Year? :) I met it pretty much exciting . In my mother country we believe that your new year depends on how you met it: if the holiday was cheerful, next year will be pleasant and joyful.

So... My hubby and I decided that we have to spend the holidays traveling because we really like it. And yes, we'd love to travel a lot next year :). So... San Diego was our destination for this time.

It's already kinda our family tradition to go this time of a year to San Diego. LOL We've been there 3 years in a row. Usually, we've gone there on Christmas, but this year my hubby couldn't make it on Christmas.

We hit the road on January 31. Our first day route was on HWY 1 which is a really scenic place on California map. It runs along ocean shore waving, and you'll never know what is waiting for you around next turn... what view is waiting for you... Weather forecast has shown that it should be partly cloudy. Well.. it was partly sunny. :) I would say very very partly sunny. Honestly, I was expected to take a lot of pictures on the road, but it was so gloomy... the sky and lighting was so boring... See yourself..

We've been driving whole day and arrived at night to Solvang. Solvang is a small town in California which is built in Dutch style. It's like a small fairy tale town lost among California's hills. I've been there before in my first trip. So I knew what to expect, but this time Solvang went beyond my expectation. :) It was like to get in small and festive doll town.

Lights are everywhere...

It was New year night, and we planned to have a holiday dinner at some restaurant. I was surprised because all restaurants were closed. I mean, restaurants in historical downtown. I mean ALL restaurants were closed over that night. We found only one bar with sign that they work late on New Yer night... UNTIL 10 P.M. It was a little disappointing but on the other hand, there were very few people on the streets. We could just walk around, take night pictures, and nobody spoiled my photographs showing up on them :).

Especially, I was impressed by shop windows. They were decorated so nicely!

This is a beer mugs shop. So many of them, and everyone is a piece of art.

I felt like I really got in a doll town. :)

And of course Dutch bakery :)

But night walking was not the only one our activity that night :) In the hotel, our holiday feast and Champagne were awaiting for us... Yeh, we brought them in a case we couldn't get a table in a restaurant. I was worried all restaurants are overbooked. Well... they were just closed.

More pictures from this trip :)

Free Digital Collage Sheet - Zodiac

2010-12-28T20:17:00.000-08:00

Since ancient time, people believe that all our life depends on some forces that we can't understand. One of the belief that our lives are impacted by our Zodiac signs. Sometimes, the signs were used as talismans.

Nowadays, astrology signs are worn just as personalized jewelries, accessories, and so on :).

Today, I'm sharing small bottle caps digital collage of zodiac signs to download. The collage sheet is 4x6 inches; the circles are 1 inch.

These clip art images are perfect for bottle caps, mixed media, collage work, cards, stickers, bookmarks, scrapbooking, jewelry, glass tiles, magnets, and others. You can print as many as you want on your printer.

You can download the collage sheet there . If the link doesn't work, please leave a comment and I'll fix it. And don't forget to come back and download it. :)

The Zodiac bottle cap images are for personal use, for selling them in printed form. Please keep in mind that you can not sell the collage sheet in digital form.

More digital download designs may be found in GraphicLand shop. :)

Christmas gift from Olena

2010-12-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

Do you like gifts? :) I just love them!

Last Thursday, I opened my mail box and found there a box from Olena (SFBeads) who is a great jewelry artist. Sure I ran to open it. I was really thrilled, and I knew that the gift is hand made by Olena :) So... what I've got was beyond my expectation!

I found these small boxes, and I was surprised because I was kinda expecting just one box ;) They are cute, aren't they?

Honestly, I'm not a good at gift decoration. I believe that what's inside is more important than outside. But after Olena's gift... NO MORE non-decorated gifts from me :) I'm going to decorate all my future gifts. :)

Inside of this turquoise box, I found this gorgeous necklace which is hand made by Olena. This sparkling snowflake in combination with blue, crystal clear beads, and silver findings looks amazingly :) Tiny silver chain, sparkling beads, and heart shaped clasp make this necklace tender looking. Also, it reminds me ice and snow :) I don't know why... maybe because of the crisp color combination...

In the red small box, I got this cute cell phone charm in the shape of Christmas wreath. Moreover, this tiny bell jingles :)

Olena, I just have no words! Thank you very much. I love your gifts :)

I was bored :)

2010-12-19T23:03:00.000-08:00

Couple weeks ago, my computer was down for a two days. So no way to surf the Internet, to make collages, to chat with friends... I was bored :) But I got free time to finish a jewelry set which I started almost a year before.

It's the same as there but with red roses. Yehhhh... my lovely red color :)

Bracelet...

And earrings...

Printable gift tags set for New Year holiday. FREE :)

2010-12-16T21:43:00.000-08:00

I've shared Christmas gift tags. :)

Not all people celebrate Christmas,but in the holiday season it's so hard to resist to give away some gifts to family and friends. What's the occasion if it's not a Christmas? Let's celebrate New Year :)

These gift tags will make a perfect finish touch to your gifts. They'll make your gifts special and personalized. They'll show how you do care to make your family members and friends happy.

The tags are 2.5x3.5 in, and entire collage is 8.5x11 in that is standard letter size. So you can just download the tags, print at your home computer, cut, and attach with cute ribbon. On the back side you can mention who the gift is for... or any other things. :) For better result, I'd recommend to print them out on heavy paper like 80 or 100 lb. Also, I'd recommend to print them on laser printer, but ink printer also will work well. :)

You can download them there. If the link doesn't work, please leave a comment and I'll fix it. And don't forget to come back and download it. :)

The gift tags are for personal use and for selling them in printed form. Please keep in mind that you can not sell the collage sheet in digital form.

More gift tags and Christmas designs may be found in GraphicLand shop. :)

Thank you secret Santa :)

2010-12-14T00:32:00.000-08:00

EtsyRussianTeam played a game "Secret Santa" this holiday season :) The most exciting part that you don't know who you'll receive gift from.

I got great ruffled scarf with brooch from Galina (Galafilc). I just don't have words to say how I like it :)

So this is a brooch :)

And this is the scarf...

it's reversible..

Thank you Gala-Santa!!! :)

White roses bracelet and earrings set

2010-12-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

I like jewelry! Well... no. I'm obsessed with jewelries :) I like to wear something new every day. So.. It means I need a lot of them. That's why I like to spend my spare time making some simple and elegant jewelry. Like this set..

Bracelet

And earrings

Christmas gift tags digital download file

2010-12-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I posted freebies. : ) No, I don't forget to do that... I just was busy. A lot of things happened since my last post at all :) I'm just trying to keep up before Christmas holidays because I believe this collage sheet will be useful for Christmas gift preparation :)

Christmas holiday season is pretty stressful for many people because looking for gift, arranging it, wrapping, and so on takes a lot of time and energy. Yes, these are pleasant concerns but... let me make your life in the holiday season a little bit easier. :)

So today, I'd like to share printable Christmas gift tags. You can just download them, print at your home computer, cut, and attach with cute ribbon. On the back side you can mention who the gift is for... or any other things. :) For better result, I'd recommend to print them out on heavy paper like 80 or 100 lb. Also, I'd recommend to print them on laser printer, but ink printer also will work well. :)

You can download them there. If the link doesn't work, please leave a comment and I'll fix it. And don't forget to come back and download it. :)

The gift tags are for personal use, for selling them in printed form. Please keep in mind that you can not sell the collage sheet in digital form.

More gift tags and Christmas designs may be found in GraphicLand shop. :)

Vintage inspired collage sheets... again :)

2010-11-18T22:42:00.000-08:00

Hi there!

I just want to share more vintage collage sheets. :) I found creating of them more and more exciting. My new collages are about alphabet letters again.

Scrabble tile collage sheet

Bottle cap collage sheet

And two cameos collage sheets

Vintage inspired collage sheets

2010-10-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

Do you like vintage?

Honestly, I'm not a big fun of vintage items or vintage style things. My favorite style is Hi-tech. I really like glass with metal in home decoration. Well... maybe not for all home but definitely for living room. So I'm mostly modern girl. :)

But surfing the Internet, I found a lot of inspirational vintage elements. So... why not to try to make vintage inspired collage sheets? :) They are not really vintage because they have some modern elements but I made them look like they are really came to us from Victorian era. You know I found the process very exciting. :) I figured out that I'm not going to decorate my home in Victorian style, but I can combine some Victorian elements elements together and make cute collage sheets. :) What do you think?

Alphabet letter monogram collage sheet for scrabble tiles

Alphabet letters for bottle caps

Alphabet letters for domino tiles

More Lovely soaps

2010-09-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

Yay! I have them again! I've got more great soaps from Cindy (SudzNBubbles) for product photography. And I'm keeping them!!! Cindy, thank you for them. They are really amazing.
These are just three of them. Honestly, I don't know how Cindy will title them; I'm just sharing my experience. :)

This one... I call it "Exotic cocktail". When I unwrapped it, great yet tender scent of tropic fruits filled my room

This one really reminds me fresh ocean breeze. So call it this way - "Ocean Breeze" :)

And this one smells like very jucy lemon... or lime :) My favorite scent. :0 Yes, I love citrus scents. :)

Cindy, thank you very much! I love your soaps. :)

Black and white swirls. Classy collage sheets

2010-07-17T19:52:00.001-07:00

Well black and white are my favorite colors... One more color is red, but it's different story. :)

These two colors are very classy. Accessories made of black and white will look great with any outfit. That's why I like to make things with this two colors. Look at this picture. The necklace will fit any color outfit. If a lady wearing this pendant would wear black or white belt, or shoes, or purse, or all this accessories together... How stylish it is! :) These accessories will make small but vivid accent. So... why not to make the pendant on your own? :) Just bottle cap, round glass tile, and chain are needed.

If you like square or rectangle shaped pendants, this digital collage will work with scrabble or glass tiles.

This images are perfect for 1 inch bottle caps or glass tiles.

Free digital collage from GraphicLand

2010-07-13T23:57:00.000-07:00

Today I'd like to share one more free digital collage sheet for download. It's fun for me, and I hope it'll be useful for you. :)

So in this post, you'll find 1x1 inch squares and 1 inch circles digital clip arts for download.

Download and enjoy! :)

1x1 squares digital collage sheet may be downloaded there

1 inch circle digital collage sheet may be found there

If the links don't work, please leave a comment to the post and I'll fix it. Enjoy! And don't forget to check my blog for new freebies. :)

Please be advised that the collage sheets can not be used for resell as collage sheets, digital image compilation discs, digital scrapbooking kits, or image downloads. You may not sell the collage sheets in digital or printed form.

Free collage sheet from Graphic Land

2010-07-07T01:29:00.000-07:00

Hi there!

A lot of time passed since I wrote something in my blog... I've got a job. I traveled... and I've opened a new store. So today I'd like to share it - Graphic Land .

I realized that I just like to create some not complicated useful graphics. It's like a soothing treatment for my soul after hard working day. :)

But this post is created for sharing some of my works... I just want to start tradition on my blog - let's call it freebie Wednesday :) So I'm going to share on Wednesdays graphics that may be downloaded and used for craft for free. So... let's start?

Today I'd like to share just simple alphabet letters collage sheet. There are 1x1 inch squares for scrabble tiles and other. This clip art is a half of letter size sheet (8.5x5.5 in) and resolution is 300 dpi.

The file can be downloaded there. If the link doesn't work, please leave a comment to the post and I'll fix it. Enjoy! And don't forget to check my blog for new freebies. :)

Please be advised that the collage sheet may not be used for resell as collage sheets, digital image compilation discs, digital scrapbooking kits, or image downloads. You may not sell the collage sheets in digital or printed form.

Violet Tulip blank note card

2010-05-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

The story of the images are very simple. One lady has found my photographs in Internet and liked them. She asked me to make a custom order for her. It was first experience for me to take custom photos. Well, I was pretty free to take pics that I want, but anyway... FIRST CUSTOM ORDER!!! I was excited.

So the lady had a frame for 5 photos and lilac colored walls where the frame will be hanged. My job was to come up with something what fits to the frame and wall. At first, she wanted just 5 different flower photographs, but my idea was to make "One Flower Story." She believed me, and here we go! That's what I came up with. :)

After the project was done, I decided to turn the photographs into blank folded note cards. I believe they will be great additions to any gift. :) So this is a first note card from "One Tulip story" series. It's available in IrinaPhotography store.

Chocolate dessert recipe

2010-04-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

Today, I'd like to share one dessert recipe that is pretty much in Russia. We call this desert "Chocolate Salami", but it's nothing about meat. The title is just because it looks like salami. But you may call it "chocolate log" or whatever. :)

So you will need:
1/2 cup of sugar
2 eggs
3 table spoon of cocoa powder
1 stick of unsalted butter (115 gr)
5 table spoon of milk
1 lb of cookies or biscuits
1 cup of walnut pieces

I usually use "Cats cookies for people" from Trader Joe's. Well, this is just cookie. :) It sounds confusing, I mean "Cats coolies", that's why I took picture of them. Also, you can use regular biscuits for the desert.

First, the cookies should be powdered. I use meat grinder or food processor for it.

Than add walnut pieces to the cookie powder and mix it. Set aside the mixture.

Put eggs, sugar, and cocoa powder in non-stick pot. I prefer non-stick because it's easier to clean it after the desert is ready, but you may use whatever you want. Just keep in mind that the pot will be heated up. Whisk all ingredients until the mixture is smooth. Than add milk and completely melted butter. Whisk again and place the pot on medium-high heat.

Whisk it continuously, and bring it to the condition when it just about to start bubbling. Immediately remove from heat. Don't let it bubbling! It should look like chocolate souse.
Pour the mixture into ground cookies with walnuts and mix it thoroughly.
It should look like wet clay but short-brittle.

Then put this "clay" into plastic bag; smash and press it until the "clay" become smooth.

In the end, the mixture should look like a smooth clay. Put it on a sheet of foil or plastic wrap, and form it as a salami... or log. :)
Wrap and roll for better result.
Than cover the "salami" with foil or plastic wrap and put it into fridge for several hours until it firm.
That's it. :) Time for preparation is 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

Soap Object Photography

2010-03-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

How to push myself to be more organized? Does anyone know the answer?

So many times I promised myself to blog often, and what? Still the same... :( I'm sorry I didn't wright down so many things which happened to me... Yes, there were something good and bad in my life.... Anyway, I'd like to leave it in the past and look forward to the future. :) So many interesting things is awaiting for me!

Today I'd like to share my first experience with object photography. Cindy (SudsNBubbles) and I have arranged to trade: she sends her products to me, and I take pictures of them. So I believe this is a win-win arrangement since she gets good pictures of her products, and I get her adorable soaps and other things. Well... yes it was just once but I look forward to keep the partnership.

So... at first, the project was challenging for me. The big problem, that I didn't have special equipment for object photography. I took the pictures with 2 desk lamps. It was challenging. The main problem was with color balancing because one lamp has tiny tiny tiny rose tint, and second one - yellow. So the color balance was completely ruined. I had to edit that pictures a lot. Anyway, that's are results of my work. :) Some of them... :)

Well... it's just two of them. Probably, I'll post more later. :)

2009-12-19T18:02:00.001-08:00

WOW! I was featured there: http://divine3designs.blogspot.com/

So exciting!

Citrus Splash!

2009-12-16T00:51:00.001-08:00

Welcome here!

When I saw the two teardrops, I just fell in love with them. These two double colored outstanding citrine briolette are huge, perfectly clear, and have very bright green and yellow colors.

The earrings are made of sterling silver with citrine and bicone Swarovski crystals. Leverbacks are sterling silver(stamped)and fancy diamond cut. The diamond cut makes the more sparkling. The earrings are 2 in(5 cm) long with lever backs. Size of briolettes 24.8x13.30 mm

New Earrings!

2009-12-13T00:55:00.000-08:00

Hi there!

Today I have two news... two great pair of earrings. Making jewelry becomes more and more exciting for me.

Pink Mist. Look at them here

And Dew Drops Earrings with chandelier. Look at them here

Dew Drops Sterling silver earrings

2009-11-26T23:27:00.000-08:00

Christmas is coming! Are you ready to the holidays? :)

Look at this!

The earrings are inspired by tender morning dew drops. They are made of sterling silver and aqua blue glass beads. The length is 2 7/8 inches(7 cm) with earring wire. The earring wire is lever back.

Pearly Bunch Earrings

2009-11-13T23:45:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone,

This is my first pair of earrings!

The earrings are made of mother of pearl beads with sterling silver lever back. Connective rings are silver platted. The length of the earrings is 2.5 inches with lever back.

And my great model Evgenia

Welcome here!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34380135

2009-10-13T00:48:00.000-07:00

Hi there!

I'm becoming addicted. :) I got new treasury again.

Welcome!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=87564

2009-10-08T15:48:00.001-07:00

Hi, there!

Today I have one treasury list. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of pink color, but I'm becoming one looking at the stuff.-)

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=71091

2009-08-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

I guess it's pretty obvious that I like to take pictures of nature and still life. All my photos are about them.-) But recently I discovered that portrait photography is exciting, too.

HERE MORE

Photograph of Paradise at the Pacific

2009-06-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

Great, isn't it?

I love Pacific Coast in California. It's really gorgeous, and every single mile of it is unique. I love just ride along HWY1, enjoy beautiful view and take photographs. It was taken in the one of the rides. I guess it'll be a great decoration for any home.

Like it?:) Come here

Kate is great!

2009-06-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Today the featured artist is BeadSeedAndTwine

"I am an artist inspired by nature, people and different cultures.
I have nomadic origins and I am a nomad by nature.
I lived in many places and I love to meet new people and learn different cultures ( keep learning from mine a lot).
Right now I live in beautiful California. Its exotic nature ( to me) is so inspiring I can't stop creating something unusual. I want to share it with others."

Yep... her jeweleries are pretty unique. Check this out on your own. :)

ZOO!!!

2009-06-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

I've been in Oakland Zoo. The pictures are nothing special... just animals. LOL

I like to go to a zoo. When I was a kid, I lived in a city where was't a zoo. I remember I really wanted to go to see animals. And when we went to other cities where were zoos, it was really fun for me to go there. Unfortunately, zoos in my country that time and zoos in America are very very different. In my country, they lived in cages... they were really unhappy. I had different thoughts... I really liked to visit a zoo. On the other hand I was sad about their unhappiness.

In America, I don't feel sad.:) Animals look pretty good, and I like it. So visiting a zoo is exciting. :)

And more here

Still life Photographs

2009-06-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

I'm crazy about taking still life pictures. If you ask me why, I don't know the answer. :) I just like it. I like the process of installation of composition, of setting light, and especially post-processing. The whole process is like creation art for me. And I'm excited! So here I want to share my several recent works.

Paper life
I made the origami flowers on my own. I spent three days for making them and hated them eventually.-) But anyway, I think the picture came out pretty good.-)

The title of the photograph is Good Morning!
Why? Maybe because it was taken in the morning... or because of the bright yellow color. I don't know...-) I just have strong feeling that the picture should be titled so. :)

This is a series of.. ha-ha... two pictures. Lilies...
Gorgeous and very photogenic flowers. But should keep them away from bedroom.:) Smell is good, but can be a cause of headache. :) I had headache.

Flowers' Relations.
This one was a little bit new for me. I've never done still life in vintage style. I guess it looks pretty good. :)

Yulia Kazansky

2009-05-21T23:14:00.000-07:00

A couple words about Yulia...

"I am self taught artist - photographer and painter. Originally from Moscow, Russia (I came to US in 1995) now I live in Anacortes, a little town on a West coast about 1.5 hr north from Seattle.
Art was my passion since young age, and is a language I use to express my wonder and admiration of our physical Universe."

JaneBoFelt

2009-05-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

A couple of words about Jane.

"Since childhood I like crafting - my mother and grandmother teached me crochet, knitting, make embroidery etc. I liked to spend time crafting.

Time passed and after leaving school I entered technical university but I didn't stop to knit. After leaving university I had no time for crafting as I worked on full-time job.

Then when my son was born 2.5 years ago I began to knit and crochet pretty small things for him and at last I knew about felting. I began to felt 2 years ago and I'm making felted hats, bags, scarves, jewelry by now."

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6755061

I love this one!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24619623

Frozen Lily

2009-05-21T17:59:00.000-07:00

Lilies are gorgeous!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25380065

2009-05-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

ALEXANDRA VALI

Aleksandra Vali is a creative artist with unpredictable, but well defined sense of style and personal signature. She conveys her passion for style through unique hand crafted jewelry-seductive yet extravagant, harmonic yet so contradictory. Alexandra enjoys working with gold and silver, as they allow her to experiment and make the most out of the three dimensional potential of the metal. Her favorite materials to use are those that relay her love for the contradictory-pearls and lava, silk and metal, coral and silver, diamonds and raw stones.

2009-05-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! I woke up, looked at a window... What a sunny day today! So Good Morning!-))

Welcome here! www.IrinaPhotography.etsy.com

Hello everyone!

2009-05-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody. This is my first post, and I'm a little nervous. I've never blogged. Actually, I have one in Russian, but it's almost dead. So this is my first blog in English! WOW!

My name is Irina, and I live in California. Yes, in the sunny place that I love!

Photography is my lovely hobby; I've taken pictures since my teen age. My favorite genres are Still life and Landscape.

So... Welcome!