Monday, April 28, 2008

Product Spotlight: Jelly Fish T Shirt



This Jelly Fish T Shirt is super cool and was fun to make. I started with a photograph my husband took of a jelly fish and then made a swarm of jelly fish using copy and paste putting them in almost in a tornado formation. I added text "Jelly Fish Hunter" and then put this fun design on t shirts, mugs, bags, posters and more!

Purchase this shirt or other photographic shirts and unique gifts at Spencer Photos. You are sure to find the perfect gift for everyone.

Happy Shopping!

Saturday, April 05, 2008

Product Spotlight: Rude Giraffe Hat


This rude giraffe hat definately makes me smile. This animal has attitude but that's okay. My daughter loves animals and we are always reading books about different animals. It's funny when she doesn't know the sound an animal makes because she says in a cute, high pitched voice the animals name twice, ex "giraffe, giraffe".
I cropped this photograph and added a decorative oval border.
If you enjoy this giraffe photograph as much as I do it is available for purchase on giraffe shirts, mugs, framed prints, giraffe hats, magnets and more!
Happy Shopping!




Remember: Smile, shoot, print and you will be happier for it.

Photography t shirts and photographic gifts are available for purchase at Spencer Photos: our online store.

More product spotlights coming soon.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Product Spotlight: Apples Infant Bodysuit


Basket of Apples Infant Bodysuit reminds me of crisp fall mornings back in my home state of Pennsylvania. PA is a beautiful state especially during the fall months because everything is so bright and colorful. The air also smells so good.

This nature photograph is of a basket of bright red apples that were sitting on a porch. They were collected with the intent to turn them into a warm apple cobbler. The strong aromatic fragrance of cinnamon would soon fill the air mixed with the tart smell of freshly picked apples.

I can imagine our family pulling on our jackets and grabbing the rustic wooden basket to head out to the apple orchads looking for the juiciest fruits while admiring the multi colored fall leaves from the trees adorning the hills and mountains.

This basket of apples photograph is available for purchase on magnets, buttons, shirts and more unique gifts. Enjoy the beauty of fall with this lovely gift idea offered to you through Spencer Photos.

Happy Shopping!



Remember: Smile, shoot, print and you will be happier for it.

Photography t shirts and photographic gifts are available for purchase at Spencer Photos: our online store.

More product spotlights coming soon.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Product Spotlight: Metallic Rose Magnet



Metallic Rose Rectangle Magnet is a lovely floral design that is a stark contrast to nature's soft and delicate floral bloom. This particular image was created with a simple layer that gave it a metallic coating.

It is available for purchase through our online store: Spencer Photos.

Happy Shopping!

Remember: Smile, shoot, print and you will be happier for it.
Photography t shirts and photographic gifts are available for purchase at Spencer Photos: our online store.

More product spotlights coming soon.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Store Update: Spencer Photos


For those of you familiar with our store you may have noticed that we've undergone a color change. I've given Spencer Photos a spring lift with a lovely pale green.

What may be of interest to you is that we have a new additions section. The thing that makes this section so special is that this is where we feature all of our new t shirts and unique gifts before they get shifted to their permanent location at Spencer Photos.

How does this relate to you? Everything that arrives at our new section comes in at a discounted rate giving our shoppers a chance to purchase these lovely designs cheaper for a limited time only. I keep designs in this section until I've reached 18 new designs then I start the section over.

If you sign up for our newletter, you can receive updates about when the new items show up!

This lovely Yellow Flowers Tote Bag can be purchased at our store and this floral design is also available to purchase on shirts for men, women and children as well as note cards, hats, and mugs.

Happy Shopping!

Product Spotlight: Flower Heart T-Shirt



Izzy has a gift coming in the mail. This is one of my favorite designs that I offer at Spencer Photos. It's available in four different colors but I really prefer it in pink. Pink is such a friendly color and it makes me smile. The funny thing is I really didn't care much for pink before I became pregnant with Izzy.

I really enjoyed making this heart t shirt. The design started as a pink rose photograph. I opened it in Microsoft Digital Image Suite and decided to mess around with it. I distorted the image by applying a Kaleidoscope distortion. The effect was this interesting pattern.

After I had the pattern the way that I liked it I then gave it a heart shaped border framed with a pale pink color.

This Heart shaped explosion Infant/Toddler T-Shirt can be purchased at our online store: Spencer Photos. It's also available on t shirts for women and kids as well as a lovely mug.


Happy Shopping!

Remember: Smile, shoot, print and you will be happier for it.

Photography t shirts and photographic gifts are available for purchase at Spencer Photos: our online store.

More product spotlights coming soon.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Storybook Creations: Happily Ever After

Do you want your child to be the star of their own story? Steven and Heather of Smile Shoot Print meet with the family to discuss their child's likes. We come up with a unique story based on your child and it features a beautiful photo session of your child to illustrate the story.

What's so special is the flexible nature of Storybook Creations. Stories can include siblings, parents, pets, friends, favorite toys, and more!



Remember: Smile, shoot, print and you will be happier for it.

To book your on location photo session with Smile Shoot Print email us at spencer@smileshootprint.com

Photography t shirts and photographic gifts are available for purchase at Spencer Photos: our online store.

Upon request your portraits can be added to shirts, tote bags, mugs and more for a truly unique gift.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Cool Coffee Mugs


This mug's design is called Miscolored Flowers. I'll tell you a little bit about how I made this. I took 9 of my very favorite flower photographs and cut them out of their picture using Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006's magic wand tool and the edge finder. Once I had only the flower head left I put them all together in this arrangement.

I converted all the flowers to black and white. You can see what the black and white flowers look like with my field of flowers mug. I then took each flower and adjusted the color balance using different levels of cyan-red, magenta-green, and yellow-blue until I had a color that tickled me. I love having a purple daisy, a blue zinnia and daffodil and just off the wall colors for the flowers. I was really happy with how the zinnias, roses, daffodils and other flowers turned out.

The final thing that I did before applying this floral design to the 3 different mugs was add a quote. Gardeners and nature lovers are sure to appreciate this quote. "Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food, and medicine to the soul." - Luther Burbank. I love this quote because just thinking about flowers makes me happier, better and more helpful.

Miscolored Flowers Large Mug can be purchased along with several other designs on our mugs. Cool Coffee Mugs is a newer section in my online store: Spencer Photos. I really enjoyed making these mugs. All of the designs in this section was made especially for mugs. We offer three different sizes. The featured image is our large mug. It's a beast of a mug at 15 oz. We also offer a regular sized mug and a stein.

Happy Shopping!



Remember: Smile, shoot, print and you will be happier for it.

Photography t shirts and photographic gifts are available for purchase at Spencer Photos: our online store.

More product spotlights coming soon.

Beach Scene Jr. Spaghetti Tank


I had fun creating this image. We took a family trip down to the outer banks. It was windy and the air was crisp. The sand bit at our ankles as we walked due to the wind.

What was really nice though was that we were the only ones on the beach this day. My daughter was running along the sand picking up the shells that she found. My husband's pockets were filling up with those shells. I took some beautiful pictures of both of them spending time together and I took some photographs of the water.

I like this particular photograph as it really shows the beautiful colors that one sees at the beach. The vivid blue sky, the foamy white of the water and the cool brown sand.

I added a lovely floral border to this image because I liked how pretty it looked. This ocean design looks especially good on this Beach Scene Jr. Spaghetti Tank in light blue which can be purchased at my store: Spencer Photos. It also looks really good in white. This lovely image is on several different products and apparel.

Happy Shopping!

Remember: Smile, shoot, print and you will be happier for it.

Photography t shirts and photographic gifts are available for purchase at Spencer Photos: our online store.

More product spotlights coming soon.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

New Journals!


I had so much fun making these flower design journals! You can buy them at my store: Spencer Photos in a section designated just for journals!
This particular one is my favorite. It has bright orange zinnias that are so warm and welcoming. It has a very fun font that says Journal and two beautiful butterflies: a monarch and a variegated fritillary butterfly.
There is a journal that has all pink flowers: a rose, zinnia and another beautiful pink flower.
I digitally altered three black and white flowers (2 daffodils and a wild rose) to add color. My primary colors journal are of course colored red, yellow and blue. Purple Flowers Journal of course has been colored, you guessed it, purple.
These are so much fun to make because I took parts of some of my favorite photographs and combined them together for a beautiful journal cover. These journals are a perfect place to jot down poems, keep a diary or write out to do lists.
Scribble important stuff - lyrics, recipes, addresses, and more. The journals are Wire-O bound with 160 pages to journal away in. The pages are unlined and measures 5" x 8", a handy on-the-go size to fit in your backpack. Go creative and let the muse flow.
Coming soon - journals with more pages and lined!

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Photography Posters


I've recently added a new section to my store: Spencer Photos.

Photography Posters will have a selection of some of my favorite photographic prints. Lovely Rose and Curious Meerkat are the two posters currently displayed in this section.

Lovely Rose is one of my favorite floral prints. (If you hadn't noticed, I really enjoy the floral prints). I've edited this image in photoshop. I darkened the background and enhanced the rose so it would have a very bold, artistic feel to it. I've added a black border around the image and then at the bottom added the title and the by line.

The other image in this section is Curious Meerkat. This friendly animal was a joy to photograph. The meerkat stood right up on the rock. I think it was trying to get a better look at us. Every time I see a meerkat, I am reminded of "The Lion King" with Timon the meerkat.

Enjoy!

Abstract Yellow Rose





Here is an awesome yellow rose abstract that can be found in my store: Spencer Photos. I've named it Abstract Yellow Rose. It is very similar to my other Abstract Yellow Rose but this one doesn't have the geometric layer. I love the warm yellow and red that makes up this design.

I think this design looks interesting on a tote bag. I use tote bags all the time as they are an Earth friendly solution to plastic bags.

I use tote bags for our trips to the library, trips to daycare and trips to the grocery store. One of the grocery stores by my work no longer packs groceries in plastic bags. If you want a bag to pack your groceries, you must buy them. Wouldn't it be better to purchase a fun canvas tote bag like this to carry your groceries home in?

More designs coming soon!

Orange Rose - Chalk


I just finished adding a new design to my store: Spencer Photos. This is a fun artisic version of one of my favorite floral photographs. I've named it Orange Rose - Chalk.
A little bit about how I made this design. I took the orange rose photograph, cropped it into a circle. I then added a chalk filter and added the word rose in an orange color.
This floral image is available on shirts, mugs, bags, children's clothes and more!
I had fun making this design and I hope you enjoy it.
I'm interested in knowing what you think of this design. If you love it or hate it, leave a comment.

Abstract Yellow Rose


I just finished adding a new design to my store: Spencer Photos that I absolutely love. It's called Abstract Yellow Rose. What I like about it is the bold yellow and red colors, the orderly geometric pattern combined with the messy but still patterned swirl of the brush strokes. This fun design was made using filters, masks and slight alterations. I started with one of our photographs of a beautiful yellow rose.

Yellow flowers seem to be very popular right now. I love yellow flowers because they remind me of the sun and of summertime. Winter can be a hard time for people because the sun hides away as do the flowers. I use this time of year to go through our floral prints and alter them for new and unusal designs.

It's shown here on a pillow that is available for purchase. This design is also available on t-shirts, mugs, a teddy bear, bags and more.

I'm interested in knowing what you think of this design. Comment on whether you think it's bold or blah.

More designs coming soon!

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Helping the homeless


I've added 24 beautiful stars with a stained glass feel to them. Don't Fear the Darkness came to be because I was inspired by a very motivational quote.

"To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don't worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest” ~Unknown

As a case manager for a homeless shelter I see people go through so much. Being homeless is hard, especially if you're homeless with your children. The parents are under so much stress as are their children.

I've also seen people gather enormous amounts of strength while times are their darkest. When I found this quote I really felt it was the perfect one to describe the parents that I work with.

These beautiful star designs are a reminder that even in our darkest of times there is strength, hope and beauty. Profits will be used for an emergency fund to help families who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless.

Here are some information for you that I learned from The National Alliance to End Homelessness. Most Americans underestimate how the problem of homelessness affects families. About 600,000 families and 1.35 million children experience homelessness in the United States. Family homelessness is more widespread than many think, but it is not an unsolvable problem. Across the country, hundreds of communities are planning to end homelessness, and a handful of communities and many local programs are making progress in ending family homelessness. I also learned that over 5 million low-income families pay half of their income for housing or live in severely substandard conditions.

The fact of the matter is many of our families cannot afford housing. Lack of education, lack of job skills and lack of daycare bring about this problem. Many of them are single moms struggling to just make ends meet while living in unsafe communities.

Moving into housing takes money. Money for first month's rent and security deposit, utility bills, moving expenses, furniture and household items. That is just a small sample of what is needed. I will use the money earned from Dark Fear the Darkness to help homeless families secure housing.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Spencer Photos Categories

1. Photographic Prints and Gifts
With 15 different categories to choose from you are sure to find a photographic print that will add beauty to your life. New photographs are being added on a daily basis. Ever expanding is our floral prints as we continue our journeys through the botanical gardens in Norfolk.
Link: http://www.cafepress.com/spencerphotos/3830955

2. Artistically Altered
Come see the fun designs we now offer! Currently there are 11 categories full of designs made from our original photographs. Flowers take on an interesting green glow when converted to a negative image in our Alien blooms section. Borders and masks add charm to several of my favorite images. All of our photographic cut outs can be customized! If you find a design that you like and would like it customized with a name, saying or other text, let us know and we will create a custom gift for you!
Link: http://www.cafepress.com/spencerphotos/3833144

3. People Matter!
As a case manager at a homeless shelter I know that one person can make a difference in the lives of others. Every year 600,000 families with 1.35 million children experience homelessness in the United States. What are you doing to make a difference? When you purchase any item from People Matter!, money will be donated to an emergency fund to help families out of homelessness and into housing. Our breast cancer designs will also make a difference in the lives of women everywhere. With the purchase of our breast cancer designs, money will be given to charity with a specific focus on Breast Cancer health, education, and awareness.
Link: http://www.cafepress.com/spencerphotos/3831383

4. This Nerdy Girl
We’ve had fun adding designs to this section. Come browse through our fun text based designs for mom to be, gamers, bitter wives, and more!
Link: http://www.cafepress.com/spencerphotos/3831533

5. 12 Months
We are busy adding designs for the upcoming holidays! In our Christmas section you’ll find a cute snowman with some fun sayings, a lovely green Christmas tree decorated in yellow and red and some trees at night. Our tree lovely frogs are also dolled up for Christmas with Santa’s hat. We have a section with gifts for her. Some of our beautiful floral images have had wonderful sayings about motherhood added to them to create a gift that mom is sure to love!
Link: http://www.cafepress.com/spencerphotos/3831455

Thank you for your interest in Spencer Photos! We hope you enjoy the changes to our store and we look forward to sharing our newest additions with you again soon!

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Izzy's Turtle Shirts


I was really busy designing shirts the other day. Izzy came up to me and asked for a shirt. I thought it couldn't hurt because it would give me a chance to see a new design so I showed her all the different infant shirts that we carry at Spencer Photos. Out of all the possible choices she chose this turtle shirt. I took the turtle image, added "Izzy's Turtle Shirt" and then a plug for the store (might as well make the baby a walking advertisement) and ordered it.
We received it in the mail the other day and I have to say it is so cute. She wore it to daycare on Thursday.
Doing this customization for her also gave me a great idea. I'll be able to offer customization on any of these shirts and allow parents to add their child's name or a message to their child on their shirts. I'll have to add a section to the store for this.

Lots of New Arrivals!



I've been very busy lately working on Spencer Photos. I can't believe how many photographs I've left just sit on our computers. I'm going through all the prints to add that are on Steven's computer. I've just added 130 images to our cafepress store and still have many more to go. I've added some lovely black and whites, fall pictures, tons of pink roses.

I've gone and changed the store quite a bit. The old home page can now be found at: Photographic Gifts and Prints

This morning I decided to add: My Creative Kid. It's a shop I have been thinking about for quite some time. I have a whole bunch of kid friendly designs in my head that I need to get onto the computer. Luckily Steven's been learning how to use a whole bunch of great programs on the computer so he'll be able to take my ideas and make them real designs.

I've added a few designs to: 12 Months but that store is so totally not where it is supposed to be. Eventually I'll have time to get it there but until then, this section will be sparce.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

No tricks, just treats. Our awesome gifts can't be beat!

Stop by Spencer Photos to see our new arrivals! There is a beautiful basket of apples, a pirate pumpkin, black and white daffodils and more!

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

New Arrivals


Brand New Photography Gifts

Everyday beauty in a whole new way!


Browse this section to see a sample of some of our new photographic images that are now for sale. New items were also added in our Animals of the Air, Animals of the Sea , Orange Flowers, Botanical Prints.

I've also added entire new categories to our shop! Check out the fun items offered in Artistically Altered. There are black and white images, photographic cutouts, floral designs, fun borders, alien blooms and dark scenes, and more!

New section to raise awareness and funds at People Matter! Profits from these sections will go towards creating emergency funds to prevent or minimize homelessness one family at a time. Profits from our breast cancer shirts will be donated to a charity with a specific focus on Breast Cancer health, education, and awareness.

This Nerdy Girl has great sections such as Bitter Wife, Odd Sayings, Gamer Gear, Music and more!