My two most favorite places to get my photos published are Shutterfly and Paper Coterie.  I use Shutterfly for my cards, calendars, and photo books that I store all my Unlimited License release photos for reference.  What I like best about Shutterfly is that everything I have made with them - cards and calendars and books are top quality.  I have made calendars at other sites and at stores, and have found them much more flimsy than the ones from Shutterfly.

In fact, this year, I started out with an idea for one calendar with all of the birthdays of children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren for my mother as a gift (she has 2 daughters, 2 sons-in-laws, 4 grandchildren, 2 grandson-in-laws, and 4 great grandsons), and before I was done, I needed 4 of them.  I had ordered 3, and went back and ordered another one later.  Later on, I had a coupon code for another site, and made a similar one, but it was much more flimsy, and it didn't have the ability to put a photo in the day of the week like Shutterfly did.  I just ordered my third set of cards, after having given the first two as gifts.

My daughter gave me a groupon deal for a photo book at Shutterfly, and that gave me the idea to start storing a hard copy of my UL photos that I have released to my group from MTA (a wonderful place to sell your photos for digital use).  At this point, I have 2 books which cover 4 of the 8 releases.

I use Paper Coterie for making Journals and Cookbooks.  I have generally edited my photos before I put them on the journals in Photoshop and use digital scrap kits to embellish some of my photos.  The majority of the journals either have one photo on the front (and maybe a small one on the back) or the entire cover is covered with one photo.  However, the part I like best is when someone looks at one of my journals and discovers that it's a book for them to write in.  Almost everyone has looked at them and said "That's so clever!  How did you get your picture on the book?"

If you are interested in either site, I heartily recommend them.  However, if you are using photos from someone other than yourself, please be sure to contact the photographer and received permission to use them BEFORE you order your items.

5x7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

3x5 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Newest thing for me.

One of my favorite sites!

One of my most favorite sites is PaperCoterie.com.  If you haven't been there before, you should go.   I hope to be offering the ability to use my photos on products from this site later on.  Stay tuned!

My photo packs are up!

I have 2 photo packs up here: http://www.mistakenart.com/.

More to come, and we will soon be talking about an unlimited license!

The flowers are starting to come out!

This is my favorite time of year, when the flowers start to bloom. Unfortunately, it's not my nose's favorite time because the pollen levels are high. We have a stray tulip that was probably planted by a squirrel in the back yard, that came up - beautiful bright red. The Forsythia is in full bloom.

My neighbor planted some flowers, and my mom has trays of flowers ready to be planted. Jen and Jeff planted Pansys around her mailbox, and some of the flowers in her garden bloomed.

Yesterday, in the backyard, I found the violets all around. Unfortunately, Mark had cut the grass so the usual carpet of violets isn't out, but it might come still. The dandilions are out as well. I don't care if they are weeds, they are still pretty.

Assateague Island

We drove in to Assateague Island, and the horses were really out in force. We saw our first one within minutes of entering the park. As we drove, we explained to Kyle that these were wild horses that the experts think came from shipwrecks of Spanish Ships back in the 1600s. The horses that survived the wrecks began to live here and raise families. We saw some remainders of one of the wrecks back in the sand. The horses were happily munching away while lots of tourists snapped pictures of the horses. The largest mini-band I saw had 7 horses in it.

We stopped to take a picture of a Sika Deer, which is a small breed of deer introduced to the island in the 1800s. They look a little like fawns because they have white spots all the time.

Sika Deer by ~debiannj on deviantART

On the way out, we stopped at the gift shop/ranger station where I renewed my foster horse, Coach Thomas, for another year, and we picked up some other goodies. Kyle got to hold a Welk, and a Horseshoe Crab. He unsuccessfully tried to pry open a clam.

We then went back to Salisbury where we had a nice Japanese dinner at Tokyo Steakhouse, before heading home. The next evening, Kyle was to go back to his mother until Easter.

Salisbury Zoo

My daughter Jen, her husband Jeff, and Kyle invited me on an outting to the zoo in Salisbury Maryland. I'm not sure who was more excited - me or Kyle. I was disappointed that some of the animals I remembered being here were gone, but I did get some nice pictures anyway. It could have been the fact that it's still kind of cold around here, or it could be that it was breeding time for some.

We did get to see the prarie dogs, buffalo, llamas, Rheas, and the fancy birds. The Jaguar came out, as did the bobcat. The crocodiles were still wintering in.

After visiting the gift shop and secreting out a stuffed spider monkey toy for Kyle, we stopped at the play ground for Kyle to play while we adults caught our breaths and tried to figure out what else we wanted for the rest of the day. We decided to go to Assateague Island, and then back to Salisbury to eat before going back to Dover.

Bombay Hook

Twice this month, I have gone to Bombay Hook Federal Wildlife Reserve. The second time, I decided to get a year pass since I've gotten some absolutely incredible photos from there. The second time I went, I took my grandson, Kyle, and he and I both had our first bald eagle in the wild sighting. It was magestic! But it was so far away that I went right past it until a reserve worker asked me if I saw the Eagle. He pointed it out to me, and I went back for pictures. Kyle was thrilled because I let him take a picture with my camera. We didn't see much else that day except a few redwing blackbirds, a Great Blue Heron, and an Egret, but that's ok. We had a great time.

Then, on the way home, we stopped at Walmart and made our first memory book for him.

What a day!

The first time I went, I was alone and saw a Red Fox, and an Oppossum.

Welcome!