Is that Kule(r) or what?

I've been playing in Photoshop. Not in a look-at-my-fantastic-pictures sort of way, just trying to expand my knowledge of the software. I mean, once you've mastered the basics and get really good at removing ex-boyfriends from vacation pictures (long story, but they weren't mine), where else is there to go? Turns out, you can go lots of places.

One of the plug-in features I've discovered links to the most awesome website ever: an online community devoted totally and completely to color schemes! Color geeks all over the globe create and upload their own combinations for your viewing pleasure. You don't have to be a member check out the entries on the site or play to your heart's content.

It was designed as a place to experiment with color combinations and generate inspiration for print and web artists, but hello, quilters! If you haven't heard of Kuler, you really need to check it out! Just browsing through first page can conjure up a half dozen new projects!

All images from kuler.adobe.com

One of the functions enables you to pick a color and chose from seven different schemes (they call them "rules") to coordinate with it. In the spirit of Halloween, I chose orange...

Monochromatic

Analogous

Triadic, with the orange softened a bit

You can also just move those little nodes all over the place to create your own and see what your colors look like together.

Another function lets you extract colors out of an image to create a matching theme -- move the nodes to pinpoint colors in the image, and they appear below. Awesome.

It's serious color therapy! Cheaper than fabric and almost as fun!

Enjoy!

A return to blogdom...

Wow. I didn't think I'd be gone this long! To be honest, I kind of lost my blogging mojo for a little while and was waiting for it to turn up. To keep busy in the meantime, though, I...

...went to Michigan what seems like 20 times (but in reality was only three)

Fall comes to the Au Sable River

Lake Michigan through beach grass

...attended my class reunion with a bunch of other middle-aged folks

A small group of us on a tour of the old school...at what point exactly did we all morph into our parents?

...had a birthday

...had lunch with Jacquie and gave her a walking tour of one of my favorite Chicago neighborhoods

A funky little window in Old Town

...survived a major sandstorm at the beach (40-50mph for 24 hours, yikes!)

...spent the next day waiting for three bulldozers and a Bobcat to clear the road of three-foot sand drifts so I could get my car out


...watched my friend Devon and about 37,000 other brave and crazy people run through my neighborhood in 33-degree temps for the Chicago Marathon

When did George Washington develop a running habit?

You can never have too much Gatorade

Three hours later, they're still coming

Talk about brave...this guy got some really big cheers

...discovered yet another quilt shop taking the back roads home to Chicago

Happy Birthday to me!

...found some "Summer in the City" fabric in aforementioned quilt shop that will allow me to finish a three-year old (or is it four?) UFO

...have come to terms with the fact that Indian Summer may have just passed us by this year

...finally got my Jelly Pops top quilted and have started binding it, which could take a while, knowing me


But not necessarily in that order.

It's good to be back. I promise I won't leave you for so long ever again!