While much of the country is blanketed in snow and ice, here in the Pacific Northwest our Spring-blooming plants are popping up out of the ground and thriving in the mild temperatures. Seeing the foliage of daffodils and tulips everywhere, it isn't hard to imagine the spectacular scene that's just around the corner at places like the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm in Woodburn, Oregon, just south of Portland.
Spring has arrived 4 weeks early in Portland! The crocuses and some of the daffodils in our front yard are already blooming. . .
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The other day, we were contacted by a photographer that we've never heard of. The gist of his message was that he apparently sells similar images and products to ours and he offered to "sit down and show (us) a few tips and shortcuts". Hmm. . . We thought we were doing pretty well, on our own. Bizarre. . .
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Our ETSY ARTIST OF THE DAY is the multi-talented D. Antonia Truesdale, whose Etsy shop is called The Midnight Orange.
An artist since a very early age, D. Antonia says that her work evolved "from jewelry onto mixed media" and that she "loves making altered books and assemblages". We're particularly fond of her magnificant clay pieces, like those shown above.
You'll find more of D. Antonia's work in her Etsy shop.
You can also follow her on:
Facebook: The Midnight Orange
Blog: www.themidnightorange.blogspot.com
Flickr: www.flickr.com
As always, thanks for supporting independent artists and buying hand-made!
We recently received a gift in the form of a ceramic flower pot containing a thick layer of moss. Hidden within was a bulb that sprouted a large stem at an almost alarming rate. It grew so fast that you could almost follow its progress just by staring at it for a few minutes. It wasn’t exactly beautiful, but it was certainly interesting and it seemed determined to reach the lamp that was hanging high above it. Then, practically from one day to the next, it exploded with these spectacular blooms.
Since the first flowers appeared, it has continuously been covered with these huge clusters of pink and white. From now on, we’ll be less skeptical as these bizarre plants grow their stems, knowing that there’s quite a show ahead when they bloom. By the way, we read on Wikipedia that other names that Amaryllis go by are “Belladonna Lily” or “Naked Ladies”.
Etsy Artist of the Day:
Is food art? It certainly is at Las Vegas-based Yummy Affair! Take a look at the goodies above and tell us that your mouth isn't watering! Fortunately, with Yummy Affair, what happens in Vegas doesn't have to stay in Vegas! You can order these delicious treats and have them shipped anywhere in the U.S.A.! Here's a link to Yummy Affair's Etsy Shop.
As always, thanks for supporting independent artists and buying hand-made!
We've been adding to our "through the viewfinder"/vintage-style images. These pink rhododendrons were captured during a recent visit to the Japanese Garden.
Thanks for supporting independent artists and buying hand-made!
Rhododendron images © Mesman Images
Yvonne recently received a bonsai plant as a gift. It had been intended to be something for inside the house, but the plant that had been purchased turned out to be an outdoor bonsai. This clearly wasn't what the person sending the gift had intended, nor was it what Yvonne wanted.
We consulted some local bonsai experts, who all said the plant would surely die if left inside. The FTD brochure that came with the plant provided a customer service number, stating that FTD hopes "you are very satisfied with this gift". We called and explained the situation and, after the rep unsuccessfully tried to convince us that the plant would be fine indoors, he finally said that we could exchange it for an indoor plant. It was late in the evening, so we said we'd call back during regular business hours.
When we called back today to perform the exchange, we were told that it wasn't possible, as FTD does not allow exchanges. In other words, they really don't care if you are "very satisfied" with your gift after all. Apparently, when ordering something through FTD, you'd better not make a mistake or have any misunderstanding, because you are stuck with your purchase whether it's what you wanted or not.
In conclusion, FTD really sucks! We will never again buy flowers or anything else through this unflexible, heartless, and greedy company. If you want to buy a gift for someone, we encourage you to use one of FTD's competitors, where you are more likely to receive good service and fair treatment.
Fine Art Prints
