Rainbow in the Clouds

In 2007, my husband and I were married just outside of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu. Then we hopped a plane for our honeymoon on the island of Kauai.

It was the most incredible trip and I took tons of photographs, some of which I'm going add to my Zazzle store as posters and postcards etc.

This past weekend, I was going through the photos from our honeymoon and came across a photo of a rainbow in the clouds at Kalalau lookout, on the Na Pali coast.

Kalalau Rainbow Poster by 3DDesignsByJayne
Browse Rainbow Posters

It's a spectacular location offering views of steep cliffs and the sea some 4,000 ft below. As we stood at the lookout, we were lucky enough to see this beautiful rainbow as the shone refracted off the water droplets in the mist.

The group of loud, obnoxious tourists who got to the lookout about five minutes after we did saw nothing, as the clouds had closed in and completely blanketed the area.

I admit I had to suppress a little smirk as we walked past them on our way back to the parking lot!

I also used the same photograph to create a postcard and this matching postage.

Kalalau Rainbow Postage by 3DDesignsByJayne
Browse more Rainbow Stamps

Below are some more rainbow postcards from Zazzle artists, including this spectacular double rainbow in Montana, from Zazzle designer pageandturner.

Double Bows Post Card by pageandturner
Browse more Rainbow Postcards

And here's another double rainbow, this time from designer beckbeck221.  I always seem to see double rainbows when I'm driving or when I have no camera.  Why is that?

Postcard Double Rainbow Over Water by beckbeck221
View more Maine Postcards

In addition to actual photographs of rainbows, some designers have used rainbow colored patterns in their designs, like this abstract rainbow poster by abbeyz71.

Abstract Rainbow Poster by abbeyz71
More Rainbow Posters

Rainbows also feature prominently in fantasy art, such as this beautiful Unicorn of the Rainbow Art Poster by romanceworks.

Unicorn Of The Rainbow Art Poster/Print by romanceworks
See more Unicorn Posters

And finally, if you're an animal lover like me, you can't look at a rainbow without thinking of the beautiful poem, Rainbow Bridge. This poster from Absoluteinspirations can be customized with your pet's name.

Rainbow Bridge Poem Customize Today Posters by Absoluteinspirations
More Rainbow Posters

Who Loves Owls?

I woke up about 4 am yesterday. At first I wondered what had woken me up, then I heard something outside -- an owl hooting!  It was quickly answered by another and so the conversation went back and forth between them.

I love owls, there's something so mysterious about them, and I especially love that we can hear them here at night sometimes.  I peeked through the window but couldn't see anything in the dark, so then I crept out on the patio.  Straining my eyes in the direction of the sounds (they sounded quite close) I was finally able to make out dark shapes on the top of electric poles along the street behind our house.

They were probably scanning the fields on the other side of the road for mice and other prey.  I listened to them for several minutes and then their hoots started getting further away as they flew silently across the fields.

Did I mention I love owls?  Check out this macrame owl I made for our patio earlier this year. Remember these from the 70's?  My mum in England still had one I made for her and after a visit to England in spring, I decided I needed to make my own.

 Not bad, if I say so myself! Especially considering I did it without a pattern, just sort of designing as I went. :-)

Anyway, I thought I'd indulge my love of owls and see what designs and products my fellow Zazzle artists have created.  Here are just a few, then you'll have a chance to add your own.

I like to think the owls we hear are Great Horned Owls. To me, they are the quintessential owl with their big eyes and those ear tufts.

This postcard from Critterpainter shows a Great Horned Owl sitting on a branch - check out those talons!

Great Horned Owl Post Card by Critterpainter
Browse Owl Postcards

This pen and ink drawing by Wildlife Inc. really captures the essence of the Great Horned Owl. He looks as if he might be sizing me up for dinner!

Horned Owl Post Card by WildlifeInk
Browse Owl Postcards

So, too, does the owl in this poster from PhotographieBy Pixie.  What an incredible shot!

Owl Eyes Poster by PhotographyByPixie
Browse Owl Posters

There are many different species of owl and I love this card with John Audobon's illustration of a Great Gray Owl, from VintagePets. I've always admired the stunning detail in Audobon's work.

Great Gray Owl Card by VintagePets
More Illustration Cards 

At the other end of the size spectrum from the Great Grey Owl is the Northern Saw-Whet Owl. This postcard features a beautiful watercolor painting of an adorable little Saw-Whet owl by Renee Fukumoto.

Sawhet Owl Watercolour Postcard by ReneeFukumoto
Browse other Owl Postcards

Stylized owls have always been popular in art and for home accents - like the macrame owl I showed at the beginning of my post.

Here are some more examples of stylized owls from the Zazzle community.

Owls seem to fit quite nicely on iPhone cases, as seen in the examples below:

Cute Owl iPhone 4 Case by Second_Skin

Owl iPhone 4 Case - CUSTOMIZE with your NAME! by thaneeyamcardle

Owls are popular on cards and invitations, as you can see from the selection below.

Owl Nest in a Spring Tree Custom Invitations by amykaren
Browse other custom printed invites on zazzle

Twins Owl Baby Shower Invitations by celebrateitinvites
More Multiple baby shower Invitations

I thought I'd finish up with another of my favorite owls - the Barn Owl, this time on a stamp.

owl stamp by WorldDesign
Browse other Animal lover Stamps

Now it's your turn. If you are a Zazzle designer, you are invited to link to your owl themed designs in the Linky tool below. Use Option 1 in the Link Widget on the page of the Zazzle product/design you'd like to add. It will show up below as a small thumbnail and when clicked on, will link directly to your product.

Raindrops are falling....

We've been getting a LOT of rain this week.  After the Texas drought last year, we needed all the rain we could get, so even though it caused some local flooding, the rain was appreciated.

So all this rain got me thinking about creating a rainy scene in Vue d'Esprit and I'm quite happy with the way it came out.

There were a couple of challenges in the piece -- how to create the actual rain drops and how to make the water surface look like raindrops were hitting it, all inside Vue and without the need for post work in Photoshop.  But I found the tools I needed and was able to pull it together (well, I think so anyway, I hope others like it too).

Rainy Day at the Lake Poster by 3DDesignsByJayne

I'm in the process now of creating some other products with it -- a mousepad, iPad sleeve, laptop sleeve etc.  I'm also going to create some cards with it, and maybe some postage.

So now it's raining again outside, I decided to have a look around Zazzle, and see what other rain-inspired designs I could find.

Here are just a few that caught my eye:

I love the inspirational quote on this fridge magnet from CookingandMe at Zazzle

Rain Magnet by CookingandMe

This adorable poster is from an original painting by Gordon Bruce.

RAINY DAY KISSING COUPLE TRAM UMBRELLA POSTERS by gordonbruce

I've always admired the paintings by Gustave Caillebotte, depicting a rainy Paris in the late 1800's such as this one from VintageGftStore at Zazzle.

Paris, on a Rainy Day Poster by VintageGiftStore

I love the simplicity of this pink umbrella poster by Tasha at Zazzle. It's such a cheery poster.

Happy When it Rains Poster by tashatzazzle

I'm going to have to post this fridge magnet with a gardening quote on my gardening blog - Green and Serene - Jayne's Country Garden. It's so true!

Magnets with Garden Quotes by sherry_2007

One of the joys of rainy days is being able to sit warm and dry inside and watch the magical rainy, misty world outside through the raindrops on the windows.

This is captured beautifully in this postcard by Susan Savad.

Rainy Day Postcards by SusanSavad

Finally, this rain-spattered iPhone case looks very realistic.

Rain on my Window Tough Iphone 4 Case by artberry

I could go on and on... but now it's your turn.
If you are a Zazzle artist or designer, you're invited to link to your rainy day themed designs in the Linky tool below. Use Option 1 in the Link Widget on the page of the Zazzle product/design you'd like to add. It will show up below as a small thumbnail and when clicked on, will link directly to your product.

Tick Tock - it's Time for Clocks

I've fallen in love with one of  Zazzle's newest products -- their clocks! Available either round or square and in two sizes, they will look good in any decor.

I made some this week using the patterns I've recently created in Pixelmator.  These will coordinate with the plates, mugs, teapots and pitchers and will look nice on the kitchen wall.

Green and Blue Leafy Pattern Clock by 3DDesignsByJayne

Blue and Gold Tiled Pattern Clock by 3DDesignsByJayne

I also created some using my equine artwork, created in DAZ 3D.

Buckskin Horse in the Forest Clock by 3DDesignsByJayne
See additional Clocks

Run Like the Wind - Galloping Paint Horses Clock by 3DDesignsByJayne
Shop for more Clocks at Zazzle

*******

Other artists at Zazzle are doing some wonderful things with the clocks.

For example - I love the way the thick black numbers complement the black hands on this clock by Anderson Designs. I love the soft green too - one of my favorite colors :-)

Abstract Floral Stripe Light Colors Clock by Anderson_Designs
See other Stripe Wall Clocks

Ready for a little Christmas in July? (I can't believe it's July already!) This clock by cutechristmas  has some cute snowmen on it, with a dark red border.

Happy Holidays Snowmen Round Clock by cutechristmas
Shop for other Clocks online at Zazzle

I think it was a stroke of genius to put Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man on a clock -- I wish I had thought of it!

da vinci vitruvian man clock by funny_tshirt
Create a clock at Zazzle

When creating my clocks, often the hardest part was deciding whether or not to put numbers on them. As you can see from my clocks above, some I added all the numbers, and others had no numbers or just four numbers.

This clock,  by SuevianArts, is perfect just as it is and doesn't need numbers.

Purple butterflower clock by SuevianArts
Shop for additional Clocks at Zazzle

Here's another stroke of genius. This clock looks like a golf ball. What golfer wouldn't love this on the wall of their Man Cave?

Golf Ball Wall Clock by dgpaulart
More Golf Wall Clocks

As you can see - the possibilities are endless. Now it's your turn. If you are a Zazzle artist or designer, you're invited to link to your clocks in the Linky tool below. Use Option 1 in the Link Widget on the page of the Zazzle product/design you'd like to add. It will show up below as a small thumbnail and when clicked on, will link directly to your product.

For the Love of Horses

I am a horse lover.  I was one of those pony mad kids who couldn't walk anywhere without jogging sideways and making strange whinneying noises and snorts like a badly behaved and spirited horse.

I lived and breathed horses from age 8 onwards.  I didn't actually get a horse of my own until I was in my 30's and was living in the U.S.  Little did I know when I bought my bay Thoroughbred gelding, Annapolis, in 1988, he would still be with me 24 years later!

In that time we've had some wonderful times, some success in the show ring, pleasant trail rides and just quiet time together.  Annapolis outlasted two ex-husbands!

Around 2000, Star came into my life.  She's a black Percheron, a draft horse, built for plowing fields or pulling wagons.  As it is, she's never done a day's work in her life and now her sole purpose is to provide companionship for Annapolis, now 33.

Star and Annapolis are inseparable.

The reason I'm telling you this is by way of introduction for the various equine-themed pieces I have created since I've been on Zazzle.

I have an ever-growing range of items in my "Gifts for Horselovers" category.

Wise Grey Mare Mouse pad by 3DDesignsByJayne
Create your own mousepad online at Zazzle.

The first thing I made was this mouse pad featuring a grey mare.  Look closely -- that's NOT a photograph.  It's a digital artwork that I created in DAZ 3D!!  I also made a tile, gift box and an iPad case using this image, and of course it's available as a framed print as well.

Draft Horse Plate by 3DDesignsByJayne
Browse more Draft horses Plates

Unlike the grey mare mouse pad, this draft horse plate is created with a photo. I included it in my store because I just loved the photo of my mare, Star (on the right) meeting Donin, the resident at the new farm I moved my horses to the year this was taken.

Horse and Cat Mousepad - Love Thy Neigh-Purr by 3DDesignsByJayne
Order custom made mouse pads at zazzle.com.

This mousepad, with the cat and the horse, was inspired by an article I saw in a newspaper several years ago.  In Australia, a man had a mare that was known for being bad tempered.  She pinned her ears and bared her teeth whenever anyone went near her.  Then one day, an old ginger tom cat showed up in her field.  She was fascinated and she and the cat very quickly became good friends.  It was like she became a different horse.  She was not only friendly with the cat, but her whole personality changed.  She became a much sweeter-natured horse and much easier to be around.  

This image was also created in DAZ 3D, but I put the resulting render through the "rough pastel" artistic filter in my trusty Photoshop Elements (can you believe I'm still on version 4?)

Quiet Companions Mousepad by 3DDesignsByJayne
View other Cat Mousepads

Continuing with the cat and horse theme I created this image about 5 years ago, when I was still working in Bryce 3D.  (Did I mention I love cats too -- we have twelve cats now, after taking in a cat and her four kittens the summer before last.) 

Galloping Paint Horses Lumbar Pillow by 3DDesignsByJayne
Browse other throw pillow designs on Zazzle.

This is my most recent  horse-themed design.  I called the render "Run Like the Wind" and this design is available on mousepads, iPad sleeves, laptop bags, mugs, pitchers, you name it!  I was so happy with the way it came out!

********

There is a wealth of equine art and horse-themed designs on Zazzle.  Below is just a small selection.

This design, from earthwindhorses, won Today's Best on November 19, 2008.  I'd love it if one of my designs could win Today's Best one day!

Heart by Liz Mitten Ryan Poster by earthwindhorses
View other Horse Posters

Annapolis and I won a few ribbons at lower level dressage shows back in the day, so I was really drawn to this poster of a dressage horse from Stephanie Come-Ryker.

intensity! posters by scryker

As I mentioned up above, my own draft horse, Star, has never worked a day in her 20 yrs but I love this poster of working Clydesdales in their harness by designer Kelli Swan.

Clydesdale Draft Horse Team Print by KelliSwan
Get the best custom poster printing at zazzle.com.

What kid didn't love the Black Stallion?  I know I did and this poster, from Vector Graphics really invokes the wild and free spirit of the Black Stallion.

Black Stallion Poster by VectorGraphics
View more Horse Posters

*******************

Anyway, I could go on and on... but now it's your turn.

If you are a Zazzle artist or designer, you're invited to link to your equine and equestrian themed  designs in the Linky tool below. Use Option 1 in the Link Widget on the page of the Zazzle product/design you'd like to add. It will show up below as a small thumbnail and when clicked on, will link directly to your product.

Repeating Abstract Patterns

I just discovered the most amazing app in the Mac App Store.  It's called Pixelmator and is very similar in many ways to Photoshop Elements that I used for photo manipulation as well as digital painting.

I've only been playing with it a very short time, but I've already discovered some awesome filters that my old Photoshop Elements doesn't have -- namely the kaleidoscope filter and the tile filters: Eightfold Reflected etc.

Wow! A program that allows me to make intricate patterns!  I love it!  I may have to make a new Zazzle store devoted to repeating patterns, or perhaps just a section of my 3D Designs by Jayne store.

I'll have to see how things work out. (My day job really gets in the way sometimes!!!)

Here's the first pattern I made.

First, the original photo (resized)

And here's what it looks like with a Pixelmator filter applied (click on the image to see a larger version of it) :

The first product I used it on is a mousepad:

Gold and Black Abstract Pattern Mouse Pad by 3DDesignsByJayne
See more mouse pads online on zazzle.

I also used it on an iPad sleeve.

Gold and Black Abstract Pattern iPad Sleeve by 3DDesignsByJayne
See other MacBook sleeves.

Gold and Black Repeating Pattern iphone 4 Case by 3DDesignsByJayne
Design personalized iPhone 4S case online at zazzle.com

This is so exciting for me -- I've always loved these sorts of designs but had no idea how to create them. Now I can think of a million and one uses for them - sleeves, business cards, pillows, mugs and more.

Of course, I'm a bit late getting to the party (did I mention my day job gets in the way?)

Check out these designs from the talented artists at Zazzle .

***********

I love the colors in this wonderful mug from DriventoAbstractiona, as well as the fact that the design is much larger than the one I created (note to self: play around with dimensions when creating designs).

Celebrating Blue Series Coffee Mugs by DrivenToAbstractions
View more Abstract Mugs

This mouse pad by mystic_persia really does look like a Persian carpet, with its rich red and gold coloring.

Red Persian carpet mousepad by mystic_persia
View other Floral Mousepads

Repeating patterns like this one by skellorg look great on solid colored armchairs and sofas - it's a way to bring color and life to a room without having to reupholster! 

Alice's Asters II Lumbar Support Throw Pillow by skellorg
Shop for another throw pillow.

iPad Sleeves and laptop sleeves etc are another create showcase for these repeating patterns, like this lovely blue design by SticherladyMandala

Permascope Pattern iPad Case by StitcherladyMandala
View other iPad accessories.

********

Now it's your turn. If you are a Zazzle artist or designer, you're invited to link to your repeating pattern designs in the Linky tool below. Use Option 1 in the Link Widget on the page of the Zazzle product/design you'd like to add. It will show up below as a small thumbnail and when clicked on, will link directly to your product.