Tuesday, April 6, 2010

A Passion for Eye Candy

Going UP! by Just Jane

One of my passions is for images on paper. I have loved eye candy from the first time I held the last piece in a set of stationary and decided to save it instead of writing on it. I was six.

by NTMTK

If you took a visual tour through my Rubbermaid tubs full of paper you would find one piece of every stationary I've ever had. You would find hundreds of greeting cards. They all have gorgeous images. They're all blank. You see, for me, it's the image, not the sentiment. I have tear sheets from nearly 20 years of magazines, all organized neatly into three ring binders and arranged by topic. I love really good eye candy! I love the beauty. I cherish the stories they evoke. I always have.


But.

autumn poem by i.anton

Like most people, I have a dearth of space and my paper seems to expand to fill whatever space I allow it. Which is exactly why I have a passion for the digital world. Of course I'll never abandon my love of paper, but the digital world allows me to explore and savor so many more images.


We all know about Flickr and all the incredible inspiration to be found there. We know that a beginning photographer can find friendship, encouragement, constructive criticism, tutors, and an audience - all on Flickr. And, a beauty lover like me can also find scores of new images to swoon over.

Colors Wanted by me* voila

The images in this post are my own version of the Best Photographs of 2009. They are all used with written permission from the photographer. When you click on the image, it will take you directly to that photographer's photostream, blog, or shop. There are additional links below each image.


I hope you enjoyed my favorites. And, of course, I hope you'll share your favorite eye candy with me. Soon.

January by Michelle Brea




Hope is a winter prom in the desert by Robin Laws

Happy Tuesday, friends. What are your passions?

37 comments:

Gigi Thibodeau said...

Swoon. Love your best of gallery and love, love, love paper, too. I've saved greeting cards and stationery since I was a girl. I can't help myself. If I ever open a shop, it will be a funky stationery, book, and paper store. Wanna come run it with me?

So excited that you are doing a month of passions, darlin'! xoxo

Anonymous said...

i love all of these images...so wonderful! i have a passion for reading.

Cassia said...

I saved some beautiful writing paper as a child and I just began to use it a year ago! That makes it about 25 years old!
Thank you for including my work here.

Cindy said...

Relyn, a beautiful post, I wish I had saved one piece of paper. My passion is rock carving and being creative in other ways. Have a great week.

Unknown said...

Hi Relyn,

It's great that you take the time to discover great images like these.

Suz said...

I thought I was the only one who bought cards and then saved them..unable to let go of the images...do they have a name for our condition?
Love your eye candy..
I tear out mag pages too...
can't help it...but you know

Mrs. E said...

You never cease to delight, Relyn! Thanks for making my Wednesday wonderful!!

Tess Kincaid said...

Oh, me too! Shoe boxes of ephemera from over the years that I just can't part with. Lovely collection you've gathered here.

Laura said...

I can't wait to get home from work and savor this wonderful post!!!! I am the same way! I have saved many of the Christmas cards Mike and I have sent out. We keep one of every year and then look back through them. I love a great image!

My Passions: Reading, cross-stitch, stamping, music, family and friends.

love
laura

Dutchbaby said...

I have a file drawers of inspiration tear sheets ranging from wreaths, gardens, flower arrangements, to travel ideas and even health articles. I would say it's crazy if I never referred to them, but I truly do use them for inspiration regularly.

Love your fav's, especially our Miss Robin's!

oz said...

I've also been saving pieces of stationary since I was a kid :) A beautiful collection of images!!

beth said...

I couldn't agree more...
flickr is a world of inspiration....and these photo choices are amazing !

JoLyn said...

Love this post...I can't wait to take a few minutes and follow your links. My passion right now is photography--I'm just learning, but absolutely loving it.

GailO said...

Beautiful images you have shared Relyn!...I am afraid that I am trying very hard to cut back on my saved ephemera, cards, magazines, pages from magazines...I feel like they are overwhelming me right now...but I can't let go!

Jaime said...

Oh my, oh my oh my oh my..that image with the umbrella lovers....that is the most romantic, gorgeous, stunning piece of eye candy I have seen in ages!!
Wow.
Love that.

gayle said...

What beautiful images you've found! Thank you for sharing them with us!

Marilyn Miller said...

I really must explore flickr. I am coming back here later today and sit awhile with each of your links. Love the teasers you have left for us.

Sometimes Sophia said...

A beautiful post... full of inspiration. Loved the detail about your notebooks. I have them, too. Thank goodness for the digital age. :)

Heart2Heart said...

Relyn,

I too am fond of beautiful greeting cards and now thanks to Dayspring, I check the clearance section. I found boxes of Thomas Kinkaid Christmas cards for $6.00 each and plan on using them at Christmas next year. I also have a drawer full of cards and in my closet have three tubs full of every card my husband and I have sent each other for 15 years.

Memories are held within each and every one and those pictures you posted, my favorite Rainy day because I love the rain and the promises it brings.

Love and Hugs ~ Kat

Mich said...

thank you for choosing one of my pics! Great blog!

Lynnelise said...

I've been so busy in recent weeks, I've really missed sitting by your fire!
Thank you for the beautiful eye-candy!
<><

A Box of Chocolates said...

oh me too I love the smell of paper, the texture the print oh i love it your pics in this post are absolutely adorable

Anne H said...

Hehe - you said "swoon!"
Long time reader of your blog-
first time commenter!
Lovely, Relyn. Just wonderful pics.

Patti said...

What beautiful imaes you have shared with us Relyn! We are lucky to live in such a world! And I hear you about saving images and I, too, love the diital age...more opportunities to see and save. Have a wonderful day~~~

Tracy said...

Simply scrumptious photos, Relyn! I too have a paper "fetish" and love anything paper. I'm trying to be better about paper though, more eco-friendly...doing digital helps... but I still can't resist a great postcard though... LOL! Happy Day ((HUGS))

d smith kaich jones said...

I am here to sit by your fire, having disconnected the heat and then - of course, it happens every year - having a chilly night descend. This is a wonderful place to come - you make me happy, get my creative juices flowing, warm me up. What gorgeous images, and, I might add, what a terrific job you did of moving from one image to the next - the art of segue is alive & well right here. I can't choose a favorite, but I laughed when Robin's prom image showed up - I remember that so well.

xoxo
Debi

Amy said...

Oh, I love! Especially Raining Days ... sigh.

Anonymous said...

I've always loved paper too. When I was little, my father would bring paper samples home from the office, and I'd marvel over them.

Rozani said...

Relyn Hi, how are you?
I love your blog! I loved the photos, the poems. Great shots!
Congratulations! I found an incredible sensitivity!
Kisses,Rozani

Elizabeth Halt said...

Beautiful, all of them.

* said...

I love that idea, of saving 1 piece of stationary from all of the paper you ever owned. Amazing. Wish I would've done that, as stationary is one of my indulgences, too.

I am very into eye candy, it's one of the reasons I adore blogging, to share the images (and words!) that move me with others.

These are some lovely pics. Thanks for sharing them!!

Angie Muresan said...

I adore your images!
Love that you shared your passions with us. I would have to say that mine are my family, my friends, and living life fully.

Anita said...

I love the picture of the globe. I used to be a person who wanted to buy, buy, buy the world and as I grow older and and have survived divorce and job loss, I have grown to love eye candy more. Thanks for sharing.

ELK said...

what a collection of bright spots in this world...your passions are mine today!!

Dandy said...

They eye candy is always wonderful over here Relyn, always.

Sue said...

I really enjoyed the photos you shared. I often feel the same way about notecards, stationary and calendar pictures. I will say that I've kept a few things...but, certainly not a collection such as yours!

Sue

Jeanie said...

Oh, I love paper too and think we might have semi-parallel tubs! I love the choices you showed. Makes me feel right at home with a kindred spirit!

Oldies, but Goodies