Map to my heart . . .

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing you all love and kindness, today and every day. And especially to Chris, who loves me without reservation and who puts up with a heck of a lot! He's made my life so much better than it ever could have been.

xoxo

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

A month of hearts: February 14

Happy Valentine's Day! Photographed at the Oregon Coast Garden Center (no longer in business, alas) on a rainy February day many, many years ago. The sentiment still holds, though.

And I'm especially wishing Chris a happy Valentine's Day. Any man who can make me laugh has my heart. And we've been laughing together since 1985. It just keeps getting better and better.

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

A month of hearts: February 11

Remember Oriental Trading Company? You could (and perhaps still can) buy a lot of stuff for next to nothing. I used them to purchase photo props. So I bought a dozen of these glass hearts for a couple of dollars and set up this little scene.

I placed a glass brick on a gauzy red scarf (look up "dance scarves" at Oriental Trading Company and you'll see what I used). I ran a ribbon through the loop at the top of the heart, placed the heart on the brick, and there you have it -- a pretty little photo for a Valentine's Day card.

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Little surprises in the mail

From time to time, my friend Kathleen Amt sends me little things in the mail, such as cool matchbox labels, Japanese papers, things she's painted, stuff she has lying around her studio that she thinks I can use. Since we're both weird in the same way, I'm always delighted by what she sends.

Yesterday afternoon I got an envelope from her with this cool heart in it, obviously made from some of her paper stash. Love it!

I then combined it with something I had lying around my own studio -- a heavily textured and layered paper with a white gesso topcoat. I added some cottony thingies, toned down all the colors to unify everything, and here's how Kathleen's heart ended up.

Thank you, my friend, for sending me this. And in the meantime, I'm putting together a package for you -- hopefully just as cool as this heart.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Especially to Chris, who has made so much possible.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

To my husband, Chris, who looks at my blog first thing every morning, who puts up with my weirdnesses (not that I have many!) with good humor and love, and who makes it possible for me to do all the things I do.

I created this picture in a little studio he built for me in the garage and then tweaked it in a little office he set up for me downstairs.

We've known each other 30 years now, have been married for 24, and it keeps getting better and better. Happy Valentine's Day, Chris. Thank you for hanging in there!

xoxo
Carol

This picture was made from a number of elements. I made some monoprints and cut one up into hearts, which I placed on ANOTHER monoprint and photographed it. I then brought the image into Photoshop where I added dots and swirly things, then used Topaz Impression and Topaz Adjust to pump it up some more. ©Carol Leigh

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you!

Streethearts . . .

Happy Valentine's Day! Love the one you're with...

©Carol Leigh

Map to My Heart

Happy Valentine's Day!

©Carol Leigh