I have a favorite bakery/deli that always has the prettiest flowers on the counter. I'd take a photo each time I visited, but didn't really know how to use them until discovering gaussian blur. You can obliterate conflicting backgrounds by applying a blur to a duplicate layer, creating a layer mask, and painting back the subject you want clear. This also allows you to alter the opacity so as to create soft edges. Colored and textured layers can then be added to get that painterly look and the contrast needed. Now, I not only admire the flowers while there, but have fun creating an image that I can look back to.
