Drawing for free "Tea Time" Note Cards

I  have enjoyed - and benefitted from - many on-line offers lately, and have decided to jump on the "free stuff" bandwagon.  (We all know that these offers are shameless marketing ploys to drive more traffic to one's store or web site - but, it's a win-win ploy!)  

On Wednesday, May 27, (let's say around 1:00p.m. Central Time - give or take a half hour or so) I will draw one name to receive a set of 10 "Tea Time" note cards - absolutely free!  No strings attached!

Okay - there is one small string - but it's pretty painless.  Just go to my Etsy shop, peruse the items for sale, and come back to this blog and leave a comment.  In your comment, you can tell me which item in my shop is your favorite (or your least favorite - don't be shy).  I will then add your name to the drawing.  Simple!

On Wednesday, I will draw one name and notify the winner.  Go here now - and thank you for participating!  

[Note: Due to holiday weekend, I have changed the drawing time to Wednesday.]

My Kind of Town

"My Kind of Town"

This is a view of Chicago taken from the vantage point of the Adler Planetarium.  It was late summer, all the boats were moored along the lakefront, and I was lucky enough to have a lovely, big-puffy-clouds kind of day.

The photo was taken with my Nikon N80, using trusty old Tri-X film, and I originally printed it in my darkroom.  My darkroom is now defunct, but I am still printing this photograph through the magic of a scanner, a computer and Photoshop.  Although I still miss the darkroom, I tell myself that digital photography and printing is "greener" - no chemicals going down the drain!  Now, I just have to recycle all those used ink cartridges.

This 9x16" print is for sale in my Etsy shop.  To see more of my black and white photography, please visit my website, The Photo Seen.

New art: "Homage"

I was inspired by last week's visit to the Garfield Park Conservatory, where their Spring flower show was in full bloom.  I was not, however, inspired by the photographs I took, which looked very much like touristy snapshots.  So I decided to make some art.

I began with a photo of the sky, which I took some time ago, and added some leaves from the Conservatory shoot.  I decided to make the whole thing look somewhat vintage, so I also played with the colors and tried to "age" the leaves a little bit.  I added some digital art, a black border, and overall toning with some filters.

I don't know if the reeds are paying homage to the leaves, or if the leaves are bowing down to the reeds, but I love the fantasy-like feeling of this image.  You will find it in my Etsy shop!

My Etsy Shop

Photo:  "Galway Reflection"

copyright Mary Lanigan Russo

I have just opened a shop on Etsy, a web site that is designed for artists and crafters to sell their wares.  Please stop by and visit.  My shop has giclee prints and cards, as well as my "Tea Time" note cards.  I will continue to add to the shop, so visit often!  Just click here.

Tea Time

Here is the newest addition in the "Tea Time" series - "Kitchen Tea."  It is a manipulated Polaroid image of my former kitchen.  My Aga cooker is boiling the water in the kettle, while the tea pot warms on the side.  The Aga now resides in my brother and sister-in-law's kitchen, and I have visiting rights!  

Besides being available as a fine art image, this is also included in the "Tea Time" series of note cards, which includes 10 cards and envelopes (2 each of five different images).