A Compendium of Moody Florals

I have to admit that I have a slight obsession with shooting macro photos, and that is because my favourite photos to create of all time are moody florals! 

I started taking macro shots years ago (it was one of my first photographic loves!) and when I started to play around with exposure, I realized that I was liking my lower exposure florals better than the true-to-light exposures. Since then, I've tried countless ways to manipulate floral shots to make the shapes and lines draw more attention than the riotous colours that are typical of flowers. 

I think the enjoyment of these photos in particular is the juxtaposition of taking something quintessentially cheerful and showing that it can be just as beautiful when it's stripped down of its loud colours and deepened into a more romantic kind of portrait.  I'm a sucker for romance as well as abstract photos, so I have made many a moody floral over the years, and I love the magic that happens!   I hope you enjoy these moody florals as much as I do - of all the photos I've ever taken, these may be my all-time favourites!

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If you've enjoyed these photos (or any others featured on the blog), and would like to purchase a print, please contact me at sageandbalm@gmail.com and I'll be happy to assist you.  For sizes and price listing, please visit sageandbalm.com and look under the "services" tab.

Website updates

Just a quick note that I've been working on improving my website at http://sageandbalm.com/.  I've added new photos, updated my furniture, and tweaked what was absent from my policies and services.  Please check out the improved website and let me know what you think!  Happy Tuesday! :)

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Happy Easter!

Have a very Happy Easter, from Sage & Balm!

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Lovely Florida landscapes

I have not posted since my last custom order as I have enjoyed a family vacation to sunny Florida!  Once back home, I finally took time to complete a few projects around my own house that had begged my attention for far too long (I will add photos of those projects at another time).  For now, I thought I'd share some of the photos I took while in Florida so you too, can enjoy some repose from this wintry cold-snap which has swept across south-western Ontario!

*all photo prints posted to the blog are available for purchase in multiple sizes: please contact sageandbalm@gmail.com to place an order.*

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A black heron soaks up the last of the sun's rays prior to roosting for the night.

An antique typewriter at Lanier's Historic Downtown Marketplace in Kissimmee has a perfect patina. Check out Lanier's Antique's!

A cormorant unfolds its wings to dry in the sleepy haze of a Florida afternoon.

Day-tripping through Ridgewood Lakes in my dad's cherry-red 1931 Ford Model A named "Miss Jenny".

A gorgeously mirrored sunset settles over a large pond near Davenport, Florida.

A lone fisherman cozies up in a lounger to take in the beautiful view.

A white Ibis opens its wings to head for brush-cover before nightfall, displaying a lovely glow through its long feathers.

A stunning sunset dazzles over the Ben T. Davis beach shoreline in Tampa Bay.

While I take in the view, my vintage bicycle rests under the branches of a mighty Florida "oak" covered with Spanish Moss in the Tree of Life park.

A pretty vista from Flagler beach: one of the multitude of beaches along Florida's laid-back east coast.

A couple takes a morning stroll through a golden beach only accessed through a crumbling highway that is receding back into sand.

South of Anastasia Island near St.Augustine, a lone seagull poses in the shallow, rippled tide-water.

A single sprig of delicate purple flowers basks in the glow of another picturesque sunset.


To place a custom furniture order or to purchase an existing piece or photography prints, please contact me at sageandbalm@gmail.com and I'll be happy to assist you!  You can also follow Sage & Balm on Facebook and at sageandbalm.com.

Stunning vintage & cream coloured oversized hutch

This weekend I had the privilege to spend a few days with this handsome hutch and bring it from its former drab and overwhelming 70's self into this century.  After a whopping 28 hours, the transformation was complete, and is a fresh start for an otherwise stately piece.

T & M wanted their hutch to be a good companion to a new table they had ordered and a good fit in their beautiful and traditional home.  After discussing colour schemes and all the other fun details to cover that give me an idea of where to go with a custom piece, we settled on an in-home refinishing process to avoid lugging the over-sized hutch from their home to my shop.  It was a mammoth undertaking, but so very worth the end result (in fact, I had fun in the process).  

The hutch exterior was cleaned, prepped, shellac'd, primed, and chalk-painted a custom off-white/cream colour, then waxed and glazed to closely match a swatch for T & M's new table.  Glazing brought out the hutch's beveled woodwork while also giving the hutch a subtle antiqued feel without being overtly "old" looking.  The lovely original fixtures were kept, but big brass fittings in the outermost side panels were ousted by gingerly removing the glass panes and refitting them back into place.  The intricate and ornate brass fixtures were finally able to stand out against the cream paint and can now be fully appreciated! The interior colour (after long battles with the ever-changing light sources in the room) was also a custom chalk-paint mix that would be a good fit with the new furnishings and light changes.  I tried to make the interior resemble very worn driftwood or suede without being too literal to to give the interior a little extra warmth.

Overall, T & M wanted a classic, warm colour scheme with some contrast between the interior and exterior to showcase their serving ware, and a piece that would be both functional and beautiful. I thoroughly hope they enjoy their new hutch and that they may enjoy it for many years to come!

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Let's look at some before photos first:

Here are the after photos:

Beautiful fixtures pop against the soft cream colour.

Glazing shows off the fine beveled details in the wood.

Finally, to give some scale to this piece: a full-on shot that allows some perspective!

Enjoy, T&M!

To place a custom furniture order or to purchase an existing piece or photography prints, please contact me at sageandbalm@gmail.com and I'll be happy to assist you!  You can also follow Sage & Balm on Facebook and at sageandbalm.com.

French white linen-armoire

This is a piece that I refinished last spring, but I finally made the realization that I never got around to posting about it.  So here is a beautiful, statuesque armoire with gorgeous lines and pretty details that soften its large proportions.  Unfortunately, I didn't snap a proper "before" photo of the armoire in its original dark-brown and very heavy state.  Once the armoire received heaps of TLC, a few soft and feminine stencil-work, and several fresh coats of white-linen chalk-paint, it came to life and drew a lot of natural light to itself.  Instead of tending to pull the room down with its old exterior to feel lethargic and dated, the transformation left this piece light, airy, and with a new lease on life!  

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Here is a partial before picture:

And here is the after photo, set up at last year's Beeton Honey Festival where it sold to a lovely local family. :)

To place a custom furniture order or to purchase an existing piece or photography prints, please contact me at sageandbalm@gmail.com and I'll be happy to assist you!  You can also follow Sage & Balm on Facebook!

Happy New Year!

A very happy New Year from Sage & Balm!  

May it be a good one!

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As the years roll by, like petals unfolding, may you find new opportunities and many new joys.

Merry Christmas from Sage & Balm

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas full of the things and people you love best!  Have a safe holiday!

From Sage & Balm

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Green Christmas

So it looks like we'll be having a green Christmas this year.  I'll miss the snow only because it's beautiful; but I am NOT missing the extreme cold and poor road conditions.  For now, here are some wintry photos to get you in the Christmas spirit!

As a reminder, Christmas ornaments, crafts, and cards are still available for purchase!  They make great gifts :)  Just contact me at sageandbalm@gmail.com and I'll happily assist you.

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To place a custom furniture order or to purchase an existing piece or photography prints, please contact me at sageandbalm@gmail.com and I'll be happy to assist you!  You can also follow Sage & Balm on Facebook!