Saturday, June 04, 2005

Time out from Screensavers for "FreeCycle"

So what is a FreeCycle??? It is a great website I recently discovered through my daughter. She saw it mentioned on the news. Apparently it started out in the mid-west, but the part that is important to me is the towns nearby, and MY OWN TOWN are involved.
http://www.freecycle.org is the starting point. Then you pick your state, and then the towns closest to you. If you are fortunate, it includes the town you live in. It involves giving away all the things you don't want or need around your house and yard to folks who would love to use it. It is a dump recycle that is nationwide!!!
We are trying to prepare out house to sell it and that involves lots of 'stuff' that we don't want to haul to the new house. Freecycle was an answer to our prayers. People can still use lots of that 'stuff' and are willing to come to our home and pick it up because it is FREE.
It is easier than a tag sale (dragging all the stuff to the yard and tagging all of it with low prices and dragging much of it back in after the sale)or selling it on Ebay. Many of the items are not worth the effort of setting up a sale on Ebay. It is great for more valuable items, but not for the little stuff that is still useable but no big deal price-wise.
My sister got a HUGE amount of clothing in a very large size from a lady who had been ill and lost weight. Some of the items still had price tags attached. I got a laser printer for myself, and a Cannon printer for my sister. I got a beautiful gas stove for a couple in desparate need.
And I gave away hundreds of daffodil bulbs to very happy folks from all over, and old computer programs and games to folks who still had older computers. And then I gave books away to a library member in a nearby town for their fundraisers, and magazines to folks who were still doing decorative painting, and crochet/knitting, etc. Then of course there was all the crochet threads I had inherited from my husband's aunt. Wow, were those ladies happy with all that old thread!!
If you can't tell yet, I LOVE the idea of freecycle. I'm an enthusiastic participant, and invite all who are reading this to go, go, go to the site and get started freecycling!!!!!!!

Sunday, May 22, 2005

Screensaver "time-out"...

Sometimes it happens. I need to totally stop thinking in the directions of screensavers and get other things done. We are trying to re-do and fix up our house to put it up for sale. Cleaning out, painting, scraping, patching, replacing....on and on.
And that is a good thing. My mind takes a break and gets inspiration from new sources. Spring having just arrived, there are zillions of flowers blooming. I feel like I have taken every possible angel of pics in my own garden, so I much reach out for new sources of bloom pics.
I tried a ride around the neighborhood and took a pile of shots of daffodils in use in folk's yards and in areas where you don't expect flowers. I'm torn about the results. The daffies are beautiful, but the backgrounds are mostly brownish, greyish. Trees haven't come into full leaf, and grass is just so-so. Gotta think on this one for a while.
I also started a file of "fence" pics that may work into a nice screensaver. It makes my eye look harder at the roadsides for fences made of different materials. Once one starts looking, it is awesome how many different ways we come up with to keep things in or out of our private space!!!
Enough for today, gotta get back to work clearing out the next room that needs painting. Anyone ever paint their 60's paneling??? We are about to try!

Saturday, May 07, 2005

Seashells and rope for flowers

Love this jar full of seashells for a vase, and the rope gave the finishing touch. I used a tiny piece of the rope to multiply for the background, and a shade of green from the flowers to make the skinny frame.
They came all together to make a great floral screensaver. And it is now on the site for any to download FREE. www.collectincat.com to go and register for the screensaver pages. Pick one up today to brighten your spring.

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Teals and lavendars in many vases

Love this color combo. The shading of the wall square I used made the effect of being quilted when I turned the square to a 45-degree angle. Simple yet so effective. And I finished it off with a purple found in the flowers to give it a skinny purple frame.

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Tulips in a mug


Tulips in a mug, originally uploaded by collectincat.

If you look closely, you can see a tulip in the background diamond shapes with odd white lines disecting. Then I picked up the red of the tulip for a thin frame to put it all together. Isn't Paint Shop Pro fun??

Monday, May 02, 2005

Flowers, IT'S SPRING!

Screensavers with flowers seem just the right thing for this month. I found a great book done by a lady who tells you how to take whatever flowers are handy and put them into whatever container looks cool for the moment. She thinks like I think!!!

So I scanned the best photos and then got my PSP tools to work. Had just recently downloaded some new plugin filters for playing with the backgrounds. Many of the shots were tall and skinny pics so I added a nice wide band to them and put in colors and patterns that I hoped enhanced the picture and made it as close to 1024 x 768 as possible. IT'S ANOTHER FREEBIE so maybe you would like to register and get it for yourself to brighten your home or office with beautiful arrangements.

http://www.collectincat.com/screen/registration.html will get you to the sign-up page. After I confirm you, you're IN! Now I'm off to do some more tubes to work with another cat screensaver I have in mind. See Ya!

Sunday, April 24, 2005

More Kitty Cat Screensavers.....

Just scanned a couple of great Cat books, and had to choose the best of the rest, to make a reasonable size for a screensaver. They came out quite nicely, and are free.

I'd give you a link, but I have recently decided to have a registration set up for folks who want the screensavers. They are a lot of work, as you may be starting to notice. So even if they are free, I want to know if someone is interested. I may have to upgrade to the paid version, as the limit of 50 people is coming up really fast. Which delights me to no end, but makes a financial investment decision just over the sunrise. I haven't even checked to see what it cost. Every time I put IN money, I get concerned about how much money is coming back at me. If folks aren't willing to part with a mere 6 bucks for all my work, do I really want to put in more money as well as more work???

What do you all think out there? Is anybody out there?

I suppose you could go here and register (free), and let me know you care...

Friday, April 22, 2005

Gollum, owner of "Precious"


Gollum, owner of "Precious", originally uploaded by collectincat.

Here he is , one of the "villians" of the story. Although this one makes you feel pity. He is such a mess, and show's us all what greediness can do to the mind.

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Bilbo, The Hobbit


Bilbo, The Hobbit, originally uploaded by collectincat.

Here he is, Bilbo, thinking life is good and peaceful. Little does he know Gandalf is just down the road and about to knock on his door with a request that will change his life.

The Hobbit screensaver is now ready to go!

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Finished 'The Hobbit' Screensaver!!

Finally! I started this one about a year ago. Scanned dozens and dozens of the artwork pictures from this old book that was falling apart.

Had read it to my children when they were young and let them read it themselves when they were able to actually read. They loved the pictures and enjoyed reading the story to make sense of the pictures. So the book was well-loved, and therefore, well used up.

The first thing I had to do was put it back in order. Not all the pages had numbers so I had to guess on a couple of them. Then came the scanning.

If you have ever scanned a picture from a book or magazine, you know it doesn't come out perfectly square or balanced, and depending on size, has left-over edges showing. So the next project was to take each and every picture to the Paint Shop Pro and clean it up, re-size it and clarify and brighten the colors. In some cases, I didn't leave them as I found them. I pulled small ovals or rectangles out of the big page. In others, they were two pages across, so I had to erase and push and clone to get that big page seam out of the middle of the pic.

In making this particular screensaver I felt I couldn't take the easy way out and just make it a slide show. The pics had to be in order of the story, and have captions for those who wanted to be reminded of who was who, and what was happening. Because of the Lord of the Rings trilogy being fresh in everybodies minds, the Hobbit story might be somewhat fuzzy. And I had to do something with the smaller pics to make it more interesting to watch.

It ended up with 61 pics (13 MB) and that was after I cut many from the great stack of possibilities. Rankin and Bass, the artists, did an abundant amount of artwork for the book, as it was meant for children. So you might say there was more picture than words. (Want to know more about Rankin/Bass? Put their name in Google and take your pick...The choices are many)

And after all this work, it's FREE to all those interested. I didn't do the artwork, so I can't take the credit and sell the work. I'm hoping it will draw people to my site and tempt them to check out the other screensavers that ARE mine and for sale.

I'll put in some pics here, tomorrow, to show you a sample.

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Fishing with friend


Fishing with friend, originally uploaded by collectincat.

Here is a nice warm sunset terragen that had a peaceful look. I added the boy and his dog fishing and a simple frame. One of the easier ones to do for my Terragen Gallery Screensaver.

The problem with this type of picture is that it is not MINE. I can't claim the copyright. I didn't invent the terragen program, or pay for a license to use it. I didn't paint the boy and dog. I didn't even make the tube of the boy and dog.

So all the fun I have with this program doesn't give me any income. It does give the public FREE screensavers to enjoy. And it gives me free expression with the tools at hand to make a picture that appeals to me, and hopefully to anyone else that may see it.

Many of the free ones out there are under this copyright situation. If the work is totally your own photography or digital art, then it is unique and you are able to sell it under your own name.

Be sure you understand copyright before you consider the selling of any product that is made on the computer.

It's a beautiful day here so I am heading outside to be inspired and get some fresh air. Have a wonderful day in your part of the world, too.

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Misty scene


Misty scene, originally uploaded by collectincat.

Finally a chance to show off some fun with Terragen. This scene is one of my better workouts with the program. It can happen very quickly or you can spend quite of bit of time tweaking and starting over to get just the feel you want. I'm still learning more ways to manipulate this cool tool. Tomorrow I will try to get up another pic with some improvements showing. It will come right from the screensaver I made with these fantasy world pictures.

Saturday, April 02, 2005

Watch out for EZula screensaver downloads!!!!

I just tried downloading a screensaver yesterday on my brand new computer(so I know it was 'clean' before this)and even said "no" to the programs it wanted to install. I didn't keep the screensaver because it had a trojan virus, and the Ad-Aware program that finds bugs that come in to spy on your computer found 32--- THIRTY-TWO! from just that one attempted download. I'm just so dissapointed in not being able to enjoy these really interesting screensavers I find, when I can't get them direct from the authors site. I hate all the crap that comes with them. I won't screw up my computer just for the pretty pics.

My site is paid for by me, and the screensavers come directly from me, with no added anything!!!

It's frustrating when well-done 'savers are lost to the public or cause trouble for the public because of this added junk.

Sorry, I'm ranting again but I really wanted to see that screensaver.

Friday, April 01, 2005

Terragen has to wait...

I know I was going to get into the Terragen program, but my son from Vt. just moved back home with his lady. We built the apt. over our second garage for him, and he left about three years ago to try Vt. Now they are back!!!!!!!!! I'm obviously pleased to have my kids close by.

Also, my grandson is in a tech school, and chose culinary class as his fav. So off we went yesterday to get his first chef hat, coat, and cute houndstooth pants. I never knew chefs wore houndstooth!! Coool,and so cute on him. He is not quite 15 and almost at tall as his grandpa. He is 6 ft, and getting close to my husband's 6'5"!! I think he might just make it. There is enough growing time left.

Another exciting thing for me is the arrival of my new DELL 'puter. My oldie insisted on freezing at the most inoportune times. I got fed up and now this nice big screen and non-stop machine make working on the 'puter more fun and less stress. Will get back to serious bloging soon!

Friday, March 25, 2005

Busy, busy, busy....

I'm trying to do a complete overhaul of my website while working on a computer that freezes up like my favorite summer drink!!! I finally got fed up with loosing work I had done and ordered a new Dell this morning. That of course means more work when it arrives. Getting all on this one saved to cd's to transfer over to the new one.

Then there is the fact that we are trying to clean up and spruce up and paint up our old house to sell this spring, or maybe fall. Depends on how much our aching bones can take with all the work involved. We have been here for 36 years, and one never notices little things piling up til you see your place through a prospective buyers eyes!

Needless to say, the screensavers are a bit on hold. I actually have four that are ready to go onto the site. But it takes quite a bit of time to set up the pages involved to do so. And I need to do all those pages four times.

After talking about the Terragen program a bit ago, I downloaded their newest edition and tried playing around with it a short while. It's still great fun, and I will go into it deeper when some time allows. Meanwhile, have a great weekend!

Saturday, March 19, 2005

Tru Luv...a beautiful fractal finish!


tru luv, originally uploaded by collectincat.

Starting with that first fractal, I took a tool from PSP and made a large portion look like glass bricks with a glow behind them. And that lacey frame was perfect for a cat, or even better, a pair of cats, nose to nose, with a deep blue sillouette shadow behind them. Then pull out that blue and make a frame around the whole thing. Just right for my "Fractal Cats" screensaver.
What do you think????

Blue and golds fractal , perfect for a screensaver


blue and golds fractal, originally uploaded by collectincat.

Here's a fractal in great blue and gold tones. And you can see a perfect spot for adding a subject. There is a lace frame over on the right on a little hill. Of course, I thought of one of my kittys first.

Friday, March 18, 2005

caught


caught, originally uploaded by collectincat.

Now we have a fractal that is framed, and shows a bird caught in that blue webbing, and a patient cat just watching. (He is my wild cat made tame, Rufus)
This cat was skinny and terribly shy and took a whole year of feeding and gentleness to make 'contact' with him. And look how healthy his fur and body look now!

blue rust fractal


blue rust fractal, originally uploaded by collectincat.

Here is a great fractal with rust colors and blue webbing.

Family comes first...

It's been a madhouse around here for the last week, but family always comes first over writing in my blog.
My son in Vt. had to move out quickly from his place, and in the same week, my sister and her husband got the word for their place they had been waiting for. So lots of boxes and packing took up the week. Sister is settled and happy, - son is on his way back to Ct(home) very soon. I'm sore and pooped but happy for all!!!

We were talking about fractals last time and I want to include a couple pics to show you what they look like. You may very well say "I've seen THOSE" but not have known what they were or how they were made. So now you are sooooo much more intelligent! LOL

Keeping it short for today, and am off to Flickr to get those photos onto the blog. Next breath I get to take we can discuss TERRAGEN. (great fun program)

Saturday, March 12, 2005

What in the world is a "Fractal"?

I mentioned in my last post that the Appleblossom Art screensavers were mainly pretty fractal 'savers. If you were puzzeled by the word 'fractal' you certainly are not the first. Again, Google comes to the rescue if you want to find some free fractal programs out there. That is what I did, waaaay back when I saw my first one. Here is just one possible link for a free fractal maker.
Fractal Explorer
And after you get that goodie downloaded, here is a tutorial for beginners.
Fractal for Beginners"


I don't know a technical way to explain them, only my observations from using the programs. They are a bunch of pixels in millions of colors that the fractal program helps you to push around until you get an abstract shape and color that pleases you. You will find yourself playing with them for hours, and occasionaly one is gorgeous enough to actually SAVE. Sometimes you will save only a little corner of one, that suits your further purposes for screensavers.

I have done a "Fractal Cats" screensaver that gives my kittycats a totally unreal background for the real cats. Check out the free sample if you would like to see how they combine for a fascinating 'saver.
Fractal Cats
This will bring you to the page for purchasing the full 'saver and you will find mention of a free sample. Just click on the free sample and it will give you instructions for downloading to your PC.

Fractals are beautiful on their own, or a super fanciful background for more ordinary objects like the cats. They would make for some interesting fantasy worlds as well.

Enjoy making some today!

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Where to go for graphic help to improve 'savers...

I had my Paint Shop Pro to work with but not enought knowledge to put all those tools to a good use for my website. And now that I wanted to make screensavers, I needed to learn all the tricks even more so.

I had been in a Quilt forum and had a lot of fun with that, so I figured there must be forums that specifically work with graphics for websets, and images. I had been downloading other websets to make my pages at my website on Geocities and I really wanted to make my very own. But how to do all those frames and layers and placement of color, etc. So I poked around and found the Circle of Style Webring and the forum that went with it. It isn't there anymore, sad to say. It must have broken up sometime after I had left it. (Think they missed me??) But the ladies involved in that ring were soooooo smart and so willing to share anything they could. I learned tons of info and went to work improving my skills. I suggest going to any webring site and put in the word 'graphics', or "paint shop pro' or 'photoshop' and find a site that appeals to you. Most people involved in this are very friendly and helpful, as all creative people seem to be.

This was about the same timing for purchasing a digital camera. What great fun that was!!! So my skills are much better and my image collections are improving tremendously with the digital. I'm getting closer to being able to produce pics that are abundant enough and good enough to put together those collections I mentioned before.

Now I go scouting for others like me to see how they handle their web pages, and what they have chosen for their pic collections, and how they price them. More fun, as I try out many, many screensaver samples. I learn what I like and don't like, and hope I can make ones that others will feel the same liking for.

One of the sites I remember was Lady Dove Screensavers I just downloaded one today to see whether her 'savers were still "clean" with no other programs tagging along. Good for her---they were clean as a whistle, and still very pretty. She chooses to make the Java type, which are usually only one picture but with animations of some type going on. Obviously, I usually prefer the ones with many pics, as I love variety. But a beautiful tiger drinking at a pond was tooo tempting to pass up. Lovely!

I also found a new site (to me) called Appleblossom Art She makes some gorgeous fractal type and she gives them away in hopes that we will donate to her health cause. Go check it out, if you have a few minutes.

Have some fun and go find yourself a nice new screensaver. There are thousands to choose from, but maybe you could try one of mine among all those others. The link is right over to the left. Have a great time looking for something of beauty.

Monday, March 07, 2005

A mini-rant on screensaver 'extras'

I've been very dissapointed lately when I attempt to download a free screensaver to find I have to 'uncheck' for two or three other goodies they want me to have. I don't want them and I resent being forced to take them in some of the downloads. I find myself exiting without finishing the download. And I go for the personally made types of 'savers from people just like me. Not the professional flashy movie stars, sports, etc. (I assume they have the extra junk added, also) I guess they feel they can't afford to give away the 'savers.

I give away samples to encourage people to buy the whole product. I don't want to aggrivate them with commercials and tools for my browser, and things "you just can't live without".

If I am not downloading these 'savers with the bonus goodies, does that mean there are a lot of other folks doing the same thing?

If you are the designer of that 'saver, you are loosing me as a customer????

Even if you are giving them away for no gain, you are loosing a chance to show off your work if I, as a customer, refuse to download the garbage attached to your pretty 'saver.

If you are new to this endeavor, please try to find a way to avoid these gimmicks being added to your 'savers. If you already have this happenning--KNOW THIS

I'M NOT BUYING THESE TYPES OF SCREENSAVERS!!!! I'M NOT EVEN DOWNLOADING THE SAMPLES!

Now I'll get off my soapbox and get back to work. Thanks for listening.

Sunday, March 06, 2005

Red Squirrel Visiting


Red Squirrel Visiting, originally uploaded by collectincat.

Don't think I made it to my screensaver site...

Couldn't seem to get it just right, so I'm back at blogspot.com. Gotta get some pro help on just exactly what to call the paths to my site. Bummmmmmer!!!!!

So how are you all today? Hope your day is going a bit better than mine. It's at least showing some sun out there, but it is sparkling off that darned SNOW still!

Got a really cute pic of a red squirrel popping his head ouf the snow bank in front of our slider door. It was taken through the glass so it isn't the greatest for clarity, but the little buggers are very skitterish if you so much as touch the door to open it.

I chopped it down to size and did the best I could to clarify, but couldn't really get that super orangey-red color to show properly. Also, he is facing me, which is the lighter side of his fur. But he looks so cute that I know he will end up in one of my new screensavers. It may be in a winter one, or in a nature's critters one, or some different collection that I haven't even thought of...yet. Now I'm off to Flickr to get the picture over here. See ya...

Saturday, March 05, 2005

testing,,, testing... where's my blog?

I just tried getting my blog over to my own site, and I want to see if I did it right. Sometimes those url addys can drive me nuts. Can't remember which name I called a page, and did I call it that at the site, too?????? Hopefully my latest post will show up when I click at my site to the new addy.

Want to be sure all who are stopping by and reading my info can continue to do so.

Hope it works!!!

Screensavers from snapshots?- Professional?

Well, of course you can make professional-looking screensavers from snapshots. As you can see though, from my last post, you do need to do a little work with them. I didn't have a digital camera at first, so for Collectin Cat Screensavers, the work was a little harder. Scanning a photo gives a lot less clear pic to work with. So you make it clearer in Paint Shop Pro, and you cut out the un-interesting background stuff, -or smudge it over -or clone good parts of the pic into the not so great parts. You can even totally change the background. Make new and different fantasy backgrounds for ordinary subject.

I don't want to give lessons in cleaning up the pics involved, as this would be terribly time-consuming and many have already done so with great tutorials on all the different aspects of 'painting' with your computer. Go to the Paint Shop Pro home page, or the PhotoShop one. Get yourself a decent paint program for a million other things besides screensavers. If you are at all creative, but a bit clumsy with the 'real' thing, using the computer programs available to create is the perfect answer. It is so much NEATER that doing it yourself at home.

Know that you can do fun and creative things with your computer, not just surf the web for viewing other's work.

What have you tried with your computer tools?

Do you have photos you would love to organize and show off?

Post a comment, let me know, share the info with the rest of the blog community!!

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

Chauncey at seaside


Chauncey at seaside, originally uploaded by collectincat.

There he is -looking so content. Wish I was there with him. Getting very tired of this snow. Just love it when it comes down the first time of the year, and now there has been enough!!- it gets old.

I wannnnna beeeee down by the seeeeeaaaaa!

As they say here in New England, wait five minutes and the weather will change.

This pic is at Misquamicut Beach in Rhode Island, and I have inserted the picture 'tube' of Chauncey into the sand. I take a tool that pushes color and push a little tip of sand over his feet and soften the lines of his fur into the backgound of sea and sky and you are hard put to tell that he isn't really there.

And this pic is now my wallpaper on my desktop and will eventually be in a screensaver!!

Chauncy pic "tube"


Chauncy pic "tube", originally uploaded by collectincat.

Now we can see the beauty of the cat without all that stuff in the background. Paint Shop Pro is my only graphics tool program. I love it. Touched briefly on Corel, years ago, and it was tooooo confusing at that time. I just recently bought PSP 9 to upgrade from my ol 7 that has been so good to me. I've been so busy that I still keep clicking on 7 because I haven't got time to figure out the new stuff and the different arrangement on the 9 version.

Origina snapshot


Origina snapshot, originally uploaded by collectincat.

Here is the snapshot without any work done on it. A great cat pic, but lousy background. You have to look sharp at some of your pics to see the good stuff you can use in them. This one almost didn't get my notice.

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

Sorting the best from the rest.

It begins..... the decisions for the first screensavers. Of course the cats are right out in front, but I want lots of variety. There is the vacations to help- Bermuda, Arizona, Texas, Vermont, New Hampshire, the beaches in Rhode Island, and here in Ct., and that great trip to St. Croix. Then there is my own little town with all it's pretty spots, and the nearby touristy places.

And I should include little close-up things, like my garden and all it's flowers, and my own collections, quilts, etc.

Now the themes are taking shape. One must think of what others enjoy LOOKING at, because that is the idea for when your screensaver comes into play. Something for folks to stare at while you are not using the screen. In business, it is the standard dots, or snowflakes things, or swirls, or maybe their company logo. You probably used the ones that came with your computer,- right! At least until you gave it some thought.

But personal ones have a greater degree of lattitude than you can believe. When you go hunting for them, you will see the amazing choices you have. Even when you 'search' for one subject you will have a huge choice. So I'm hoping you will give MY 'savers a chance because they are just enough different, and have just enough quality pics for you to enjoy without an overwhelming size that never gets to the end. I have seen ones advertized with 75 or 145 or some such large number. About 30 seems like the most comfortable number for me to watch and actually get to see all the pics. Then I need to be thinking of how to present those pics.

Do you like larger ones?

Do you prefer the ones that are only one picture and have animation?

Do you like having music with them? How soon do you tire of the music and hit mute?

Le me know, please?

Monday, February 28, 2005

What do I use for pics?

Now that Webshots has inspired me, what do I do for my own collections of pics, and how do I determine theme for the 'savers?
I took a look at some of the digital art websites I found in Webshots for inspiration, and then I heard a new word for searching. "Google"
When my neice-in-law told me about this new search engine I thought ,'Who would use such a silly name for a business" What did I know???
So I found other sites that made and offered screensavers. But I was dissapointed at how many were showing lots and lots of skin, and heavy in the sports and movie stars area. First, they were not my favorite subjects, and second, they were certainly not something I could copyright to sell.
Yes, I had discovered what copyright meant! I couldn't just gather any ol' pictures and put them together and call them mine. I had to take the pics , or design the pics with my own ideas.
So now I had to gather from my own archives (boxes and albums of pictures taken over the last thirty or so years) I started looking at what was available and also went out and bought a scanner/printer combo cause I needed to get those snapshots into the computer to use them!
Fortunately I had a lot to work with. Over the years we had tried raising every kind of animal you can think of for a mini-farm . We had cows, pigs, donkeys, chickens, goats, sheep and of course dogs, and cats. Many, many, many cats. We lived at the edge of the state forest, and had 30 acres of our own for the animals to enjoy. The forest apparently seemed a good place for folks to drop off cats they didn't want anymore. What made them think their cat could forge for themselves after being raised and fed daily in a home???????????
I had always enjoyed taking pics of the kids and their animals and also lots of pics of just the animals, especially the cats. We had 28 living with us at the peak of things. So that was a great place to start. And then there was all the scenic photos of places we have been.
The St. Croix screensaver is the most expensive screensaver I have made. We went there for our 40th anniversary and by then I had a digital camera and took dozens of pics of the fantastic scenery and all that gorgeous ocean. I drove a jeep for the first time, and drove on the OTHER side of the road for the first time. What a Hoot!! I get bad motion sick if I am not driving, so my husband is used to me always being the driver. He loves it as he gets to relax and really enjoy the scenery!
But I didn't have the digital ' til way later, so we are back to sorting out all these photos and learning how to make them into a cohesive theme. More tomorrow...

Saturday, February 26, 2005

Where to after Webshots?

It's my second day and I think I got it straight as to where to put this blog. I think I will leave it here at blogger for now. Tried to get it onto my website Collectincat.com and didn't do it quite right.

Need to see if this blog shows up anywhere to know if it is worth it to continue writing. I am hoping to get it into RSS feed. Let me know how you found me, OK?

Friday, February 25, 2005

Collectin' Cat Screensavers- How I started...

Just beginning this is an adventure. I have never thought of trying to explain what I do. I started by collecting everybody else's screensavers that I could get my hands on. Loved the scenic, and really loved getting into the digital art and fantasy styles. They obviously took a lot of time and imagination to create. I would actually stop working on my computer to let the pictures start rolling across the screen. Like having a "mini-movie" break!

My greatest discovery was Webshots back when I first got my pokey old computer before XP was ever thought of. If I remember right it was Windows 3.0 (talk about ancient!)

Webshots let you use proffesional pics and also see millions of photos and snapshots from ordinary folk. Many of them were spectacular, and some were hilarious, and badly done. But what fun! Putting together my own screensaver groups!!!

Of course, then I discovered I could put up my OWN pics and share with all these folks. It was so exciting the first time I saw the stats for my albums on webshots!!! I actually took pictures that other people liked enough to download to their PC's....WhoooHoooo!

I'm brand new at this blogging idea, so I'm going to stop here, and ask--

Do you use Webshots?

Do you post your own photos there?

Have you tried one of my "Freebies" to see what I am all about?