cheap trick(s)

i recently came across three free photo editing links that i thought might be of interest:

photoshop express

free uploading, 2GB

crop, rotate, edit images

has most basic features used by most photoshop users

display albums in 3D, grids, or "crop circles"

picnik

crop, resize, and rotate images

special effects

special fonts with top-quality type tool

works on mac, windows, and linux

no download required, nothing to install

ez rounded corners

quick one time uploads

fast edit: rounded corners

see top of page for more options: ezresize, ezsendlargefiles

i was excited to see these, because my eee is limited on space and i am happy to use these free, bare-bones, no-download options when possible. basically, i think the photoshop one has more bells and whistles for more elaborate projects, but picnik is just more ideal for easy, quick jobs. ez rounded corners is just that, a fast way to nicely round image corners. enjoy!

**image thanks to iiiijjjj (edited with ezroundedcorners.com)

spring board

it's been a while since i put together a board of items that i'm excited about. materalism reigns today, gentle readers! in fact, most of the items are in celebration of spring, its warmer weather, traveling, and creativity. here they are:

1 passport and document organizer: i'm like the hugest, stumbling nerd when it comes to traveling. i have the hardest time keeping paperwork in hand, while removing my shoes, and making the proper eye-contact with the security folks. i'm hoping this will help.
2 AA shorts: i'm not one for shorts, usually, because of my well-documented hatred for my own legs. but then again, it gets too hot sometimes for pants. so, here's about my most comfortable solution.
3 china painting markers: i'm still loving the china painting, but i don't have my own kiln and i found these markers that work similarly and can be fired in a conventional oven. i'll be opening an etsy shop as early as this spring.
4 sweat bands: a number of my friends are doing races/marathons and this has encouraged me to set my own goal for the same. i've got a few 5Ks lined up beginning the end of april. and i am a sweater; so these will come in handy.
5 fancy pedometer: with some remaining gift cards from our wedding, i bought myself a pedometer watch, which calculates calories, distance (with high ratings for accuracy), and a timer. more equipment to help me train.
6 lemon eucalyptus bug repellent: a friend of mine gave me a load of really good advice about my trip to africa. of which, included this stuff, which is a healthy alternative to deet filled products and actually works.
7 fruitwise snacks: food, i love it. i eat it and i love it. yes, i do. and sometimes i eat all the wrong things, because it tastes the best. but here is an exception to the rule. one of these equals two servings of fruit, is sugar free (and none of that nasty fake sugar), and contains 99% real fruit juice. and they taste like fruit roll ups, which i coveted as a third grader.

birds on a wire

invited by two of the women i work with, i spent most of my saturday morning china painting for the first time. the ladies i painted with, six in all, meet every month as a club to share techniques, supplies, and a room free of husbands (and children) for a few hours.

china painting is a slowly disappearing artform, but like knitting, quilting, and crocheting, there's a increasing interest amongst a subculture of young ladies who have taken these crafts and made them their own.

before realizing that, however, i was intimidated by the lack of templates or examples i could find that i was interested in. i wasn't keen on what most of the ladies in the club were fond of painting. so, i was very pleased when i found a few artists, like dolamakes, on etsy with a similar design style as my own. it gave me a sense that i could do what i wanted today and i didn't have to spend a few hours begrudgingly painting some dusty roses on an ornate serving tray.

so, after finishing a couple of pieces, i'm excited to get my hands on some more porcelain and do more pen work (which is my preferred technique so far). i'd even like to get an etsy shop of my own up by this summer to share some of the things i've been putting together lately.