2025 Nature Photo Calendar

 The 2025 Photo Calendars are ready just in a nick of time!

2025 Nature - Here is my nature calendar which features flying creatures from several locations taken this summer. Visits to the community garden, the St. Albert Botanic Garden, the neibourhood front yards and some from Beaumaris Lake & Heritage Hills Wetlands. Butterflies were very hard to find this summer. The year had several renovations planned and unplanned so it took time away from photography.

The holidays have been marked in red.

This calendar has 13 4x6 pages which is 12 month pages with an index/title page.

January - American White Pelican          July - American Robin

February - Copper Skipper                      August - Northern Pearly Eye

March -  Yellow Jacket                             September - Honey Bee

April -  American Avocet                          October - Canada Goose

May - Lady Bug                                       November - Red Dragonfly

June -Bumble Bee                                   December - Hoverfly

2025 Photo Calendar - Flowers

 

The 2025 Photo Calendars are ready just in a nick of time!

2025 Flowers - Here is my floral calendar which features flowers from several locations taken this summer. Visits to the community garden, the St. Albert Botanic Garden, the neibourhood front yards and some from Beaumaris Lake. The Morning Glories and Nasturtiums are making their first appearance.  

The holidays have been marked in red.

This calendar has 13 4x6 pages which is 12 month pages with an index/title page.

January - Blue Flax                          July - Tiger Lily

February - New Red Dawn Rose      August - Pink Cosmos

March - Blue Morning Glory            September - Sunflower

April - Single Kiss Dahlia                 October - Orange Nasturtium

May - Apple Blossom                        November - Bell Flower

June - Albera Rose                            December - Pink Rose

Self Closing Card - Christmas

I cut the Memory Box Birch Tree Trio from black pearl paper. I left some at the bottom attached so I could glue them all together onto the sparkly paper.

I added a pearl snowbank with I cut with my Cricut Ceramic Knife. Works very well.

I punched a moon from the same paper and placed it behind the trees then used Quick Dry Adhesive to glue the trunks of the trees.

All put onto a teal card base measuring 6x12 inches. Scored at 5.5 inches and just less than 1" for the flap.   Double sided tape on flap and generous insert.

Sparkly paper background with a silver foil star cut with the Sizzix Star #2 die.  Mounted with 3D foam tape.

A greeting with SU Modern Label punchie and a SU Word Window greeting.

Dark green card base measuring 6x12 inches. Scored at 5.5 inches and just less than 1" for the flap.   Double sided tape on flap and generous insert. 

A navy card base measuring 6x12 inches. Scored at 5.5 inches and just less than 1" for the flap.  

I cut the Sizzix Large Starburst with a thick die from silver matte card stock.  

It was mounted on a piece of white textured decorative paper strip.

A SU Modern Label punchie in silver offset behind a white one with blue greeting. Mounted with 3D foam tape.

A background of sparkly paper.

Double sided tape on flap and generous insert. 

Another Tim Holtz Winter Wonder snowman card.  Cut from white card stock. 

The snowflake and the Creative Memories star punchie from pearl card stock.

A great sparkly paper background and a pearl snowbank hand cut with the ceramic knife.

This card base is green linen which measures 6x12 inches and is scored at 5.5" and just less than 1" for the flap.

A generous insert.

Self Closing Cards - Dots & Christmas

Another set of self closing cards before everything gets packed away.

This is a pretty dots one made from wall paper actually. They are macaron snacks.

There was coordinating paper so the piece of pink is wall paper too.

All adhered to a olive green card base cut 6 inches x 12 inches. Scored at 5.5 and then just less than 1" for the flap.

Double sided tape on the flap and a generous insert.

This is a Christmas Card for which I borrowed the Tim Holtz Winter Wonder die from my niece. 

I used this wonderful sparkly decorative paper as a background and cut a snowbank and punched a star from a piece of warm pearl paper.

I added the snowflake which is part of the die and place it on his belly. 

All adhered to the teal card base of 6x12 inches with a score at 5.5 inches and just less than 1" for the flap.

Double sided tape on the flap with a generous insert.

More of the sparkly paper on royal blue card base which measures 6 x 12 inches.  It is scored at 5.5 and just less than 1" for the flap.

I cut a Sizzix Snowflake #2 from silver foil card stock and layered a MS Snowflake punch on top.  It was cut from Pale Plum card stock as well as the SU Modern Lake punchie under the greeting.

There is a silver sequin in the middle and this element is adhered to the card with 3D foam tape.

Double sided tape on the flap with a generous insert.

More sparkly paper with the Sizzix Snowman and Hat die. The snowman was embossed with the coordinating folder.

I cut the hat from black card stock and added some sparkle with a gel pen.

The color on the snowman was done with Sharpies to be sure it did not rub off.

Another pearl snowbank which the same card stock as the snowman.

The card base is navy linen texture cut 6x12 inches. Scored at 5.5 and then just less than 1" for the flap.

Double sided tape on the flap with a generous insert.

Inktober 2024 - 31 Spider Web

Inktober 2024 Challenge

31 Spider Web

I drew the dried flower stalks then added the cobweb and spider in between the stalks.  This was done with black permanent marker.

I then added  a wash of browns and some yellow to highlight the web. Very wet to create texture.

This is as close as I get to Halloween.

It was a great distraction from the craziness going on.  I was able to focus and relax some.

Inktober 2024 - 30 Umbrellas

Inktober 2024 Challenge

30 - Umbrellas

Black markers on Mixed Media 154lb paper with several layers of watercolor.

Primary color umbrellas.

Different orientations in the space.

Slow Stitching - No. 044 - Stitching Blind

K3N Cloth Tales Slow Stitching Challenge 2024

Week 44 - Stitching Blind

This was a challenge and uncomfortable. 

Prep - threaded 3 needles - green, yellow and navy. My base piece looks like wool but it is not. 

I put an applique pin to let me know what I thought was bottom.

I gathered green cotton, white lace, navy ribbon, and yellow yarn as layers on this piece.

I sewed the green cotton on first.  I see that I did not pull my thread taut which left me with loose thread on the front.  I thought this one had gone fairly well. 

Next, I did the lace which I thought was pretty straight but not really. I was using yellow thread but you can see I pulled the thread out of the needle and I just abandoned it halfway through.

The navy ribbon went pretty well.  I had lost one of my needles so I cut the navy thread, knotted it and used the rest of the navy to couch the yellow yarn which went very well. 

I will finish the few stitches so that I have a finished piece.

Inktober 2024 - 29 Potted Plant

Inktober 2024 Challenge

29 Potted Plant

Another bit of red today.

I created a yard fence with a large potted plant sitting on the paved stones.

Permanent black marker laid over my pencil drawing.  I then applied some watercolor. 

Down to my last couple of pieces of Canson Mixed Media 154lb paper.  This has been great paper for this challenge.

Nearly done!

Tree Scent Ornaments - Spools

A few additions to the collection of 1 of a Kind Tree Scent ornaments.

Vintage wooden spool wrapped with red felt. I stitched a length of white lace to the bottom and added a bit of white stitch above it.

Cut two 1 inch circles of red felt to put on each end. 

The bottom features a white pearl drop bead and the top a small white button. All hung with red wool yarn.

A wooden spool wrapped with lime green fleece.  

Once that was stitched on I wrapped the spool with dark green embroidery floss onto which I placed matte gold EBeads along the way.

I cut 1" circles for the bottom and top of the spool.

I added a gold button with a shank on the bottom and a gold bead at the top above the green felt circle.

 

All hung on variegated green yarn.

I stitched a length of plum wool ftlt with a few stitches in green, white and yellow.

This was wrapped around a vintage wooden spool . 

I cut two 1" circles in mustard felt for the top and bottom.

I added a plum colored button with a shank on the bottom and a tiny green button on the top over the felt circle.

All hung with plum embroidery thread.

I used a traditional red and green color theme on this Tree Scent ornament. 

A red felt piece was stitched with white and green thread then stitched onto the wooden spool.

I selected 2 red buttons to go on the bottom and top of the ornament.

I cut two 1" circles of dark green felt for the top and bottom of the spool.

I ran red wool yarn to hold all the peices together and knotted at the top with several knots along the way.

These can be used as personal passive oil diffusers as you relax.

Inktober 2024 - 28 Spheres

Inktober 2024 Challenge

28 Spheres

A black permanent marker to go over my pencil drawing.

I realized that I had used very little red so I wanted more of it in this sketch.

Lines with a ruler.

Stippling with the marker.

Inktober 2024 - 27 Sunflower

Inktober 2024 Challenge

27 Sunflower

I penciled the sunflower then went over it with Micron Black Marker 03.

Three layers of watercolor on the flower. All over yellow then some Cadmium Yellow then some mixed orange toward the center.

Deep brown for the center.

Sap green for the stem and leaves. 

I was nervous about the background but I prepared some colors and it turned out better than I expected. 

Inktober 2024 - 25 Camera

Inktober 2024 Challenge

26 - Camera

This is the only prompt from the official list that I have followed.  I chose an antique wood camera for its height in this format.

Pencilled then traced with a black marker.  This mixed media paper has worked very well.

I mixed a sepia colored watercolor and added an overall wash to give an old feel.

Slow Stitching - No. 043 - Sensory Stitching

K3N Cloth Tales Slow Stitching Challenge 2024.

Week 43 - Sensory Stitching

This week's focus is using our senses when stitching.

The sense of touch as we are stitching. How does it feel when the needle and thread goes through different fabric? Elements to excite our sight as we see our piece. Do we hear the needle as it goes through stiff fabric?

I chose a black fabric with a hint of herringbone texture to it.

I added the couched yarn, the button, the pom pom trim, the lace, the corduroy and the netting for my fingers. 

The button and colors for my eyes. 

The taffeta fabric below the button certainly engaged my ears as the needle went through that fabric.  Also there was printing on the piece of white tone on tone fabric in the bottom left hand corner and as I put in my seed stitches it was more difficult to push through the printed areas.

Inktober 2024 - 25 Textures

 Inktober 2024 Challenge

25 - Textures

Sharpie UltraFine marker on Mixed Media Paper.

I created a grid below my title with pencil.

I just doodled textures that appealed to me and labeled them.

A piece to keep around as I work on future pieces when inspiration is waning.

Oil Diffusers - Travel Case - Last One

One last one diffuser before my life gets turned upside down.

Blue felt with a dandelion seeds blowing in the wind.

Green for the seed heads and white thread for the fluffy part.

Again, with a clear travel case and a hook to hang if needed.

There is a felt drop on the back where essential oil can be place if one does not want to place it on the front.  In most cases essential oil evaporates completely leaving no trace but some may stain the felt.

I am starting to pack things up so that the floors in the storage room, laundry room, kitchen and bathroom can be abated for removal of flooring which contains asbestos.  

Birthday Card - Teen

A birthday card for a boy who is becoming a teen shortly.

An olive green card base cut 12"W x 6"T.  Another self closing card. I added some decorative paper to the left hand side of the card. 

I cut a large primitive star with the Sizzix Primitive Star #2 out of gold glitter paper. Adhered with 3D foam tape.

The greeting is a SU Artisan Label offset with green cardstock punchie.

I did add some double sided tape to the flap and closed it with clips so that it can be reused.

Saw his Mom on the 20th.

Inktober 2024 - 24 Flower Garden

Inktober 2024 Challenge

24 Flower Garden

I used my refurbished technical pen to draw the flower free hand onto the blue green watercolor background.

I created ground and added the tall flowers, then the medium height ones then the shorter ones.

I added water color to some of the flowers knowing that the Quink ink is not permanent.  Not the best idea.

Live and learn.

Tree Scent Ornaments - Glass and Metal

I created a few unique Tree Scent ornaments but they can be used as oil diffusers in your personal space as well.

The first is a reindeer glass ornament to which I added a couple of glass beads and a grey felt ball.

The next is a snowflake ball to which I added a grey felt ball and a white bead.

The third one is a glass with gold accents snowflake.  I added a black felt ball with gold filligree accents.

The last is a fused glass star with a turquoise felt ball in the middle. Hung with metal wire.

This beautiful glass pine cone with iridescent sheen was paired with a pink felt ball and glass beads.

The metal dove carrying a peace tag was paired with a green felt ball with a green ribbon.

The cute glass snowman was paired with a turquoise felt ball and clear beads.

The white walnut was paired with a black felt ball and black beads.

Inktober 2024 - 23 Eiffel Tower

Inktober 2024 Challenge

23 Eiffel Tower

I used the Staedtler Technical Pen on Mixed Media 154lb paper.  I followed a tutorial on how to draw the tower.

Parker Quink blue black ink bought for the fountain pen.

The technical pen is a great addition to my tools.

Inktober 22 Abstract Leaves

Inktober 2024 Challenge

22 Abstract Leaves

I penciled my sketch then traced it with a Micron permanent black marker.

I create several shades and tones of green watercolor on my palette.

Placed the background light patches.

Painted the leaves with my greens.

Spattered the final piece with some light and dark watercolor. 

Technical Pen Refurbished

I brought home a technical pen from the ReUse Centre a while back.  It did not write so it sat with other pens for quite a while. When I rediscovered it this week and I tested it again and still no marks, I was ready to chuck it.  I could see it was a good quality pen - the lid screwed on, Staedtler is a good brand, and the pen point was in good shape.  I decided to google to see if I could find out anything about the pen.

I found out that it was refillable. I figured out how to remove the pen point/cartridge assembly from the barrel. After soaking the pen point for about 30 minutes I managed to get the pen point assembly off. It just unscrewed from the ink cartridge. Very good!

The pen point assembly was soaked for another while until ink started dissolving from it into the water. I used my fine point syringe to push water through it until it ran clear. That done.

The ink in the cartridge was all dry and pretty stuck in there. I soaked it over a 24 hour period and slowly the some of the ink dissolved and some came out in tiny hard bits.  I was happy to start seeing through the cartridge.  I kept rinsing it out regularly and more ink came out.  After a while I could see a small mechanism in the bottom part of the cartridge. I was careful not to damage that.

Finally, it was clean.  I searched on line and one recommendation was fountain pen ink to refill it. That I had so I filled the cartridge with a fine tip syringe, screwed the pen point assembly back on, placed that back into the barrel and lo and behold it writes!

Came in handy for Inktober drawings!

Inktober - 21 Sunrise

Inktober 2024 Challenge

21 Sunset

I penciled my rough sketch.

I finished it with my dip pen and the black acrylic ink on the mixed media paper.

I used colored pencils for my color today.  The good old Laurentian pencils I used in school (some may be from that time but many are not).

Inktober - 20 Sunrise

Inktober 2024 Challenge

20 - Sunrise

I penciled my outline sketch which were just the hills and the sun.  I used my black marker to create the lines in the hills by hand.

I used the watercolor pencil to color the sun yellow and a  store brand to put in the orange. 

I need to get a good set of watercolor pencils.

Inktober 2024 - 19 Feather

Inktober 2024 Challenge

19 - Feather

I used my fountain pen with blue black ink to trace my penciled sketch.  It is not permanent.

I then doodled in some of the spaces.

I used watercolor pencils and colored pencils to fill in the shapes. 

Inktober 2024 - 18 Bridge

Inktober 2024 Challenge

18 Bridge

Micron Black Marker in couple of sizes on Canon Fluid Mixed Media 154lb paper.

I created a wash for the sky above the hills and left white spaces for texture.

Water was painted another shade of blue.

The hills in the background are green. 

Dark for the towers and the deck.

 

Inktober 2024 - 17 Bird on Branch

Inktober 2024 Challenge

17 - Bird on Branch

I penciled in my branches and bird then applied yellow and orange watercolor wash inside the border.

I traced my pencil markings with a Micron black marker then did the frame as well.

I wanted the composition to go beyond the border.

Inktober 2024 - 16 Floral Trio

Inktober 2024 Challenge

16 - Floral Trio

I used a Micron Black Marker on Canson Fluid Mixed Media 154lb paper. 

I drew the funky flowers by hand with the marker on the 5x7 paper.

I added a couple of swatches of fall colored watercolor.

I spattered orange, brown and yellow onto the flowers.

Inktober 2024 - 15 Be Free

Inktober 2024 Challenge

15 - Be Free

Micron Black Marker on Mixed Media 154lb paper with Watercolor.

I created a textured background that worked out well.

Three different butterflies, some with defined parts and the last one is just dropped watercolor into it.  That one worked out really well.

Slow Stitching - No. 042 - From the Same Cloth

K3N Cloth Tales 2024 Slow Stitch challenge.

Week 42 - From the Same Cloth - Pulling Threads and Running Stitch.

This is a piece pale yellow linen.

I pulled thread from the bottom area and stitched them into the cloth above.

Lovely finished piece and a very simple process.

Inktober 2024 - 14 Lighthouse

Inktober 2024 Challenge

14 - Lighthouse

I penciled my composition on the 5x7 inch piece of Mixed Media 154lb paper.  Went over it with a fine black marker.

Watercolored the sky warm blue then the sea cooler.  Mixed a brown color for the rocks in the foreground.

Darkened the dome and lantern house. Added light to the upper windows. Painted the glass of the gallery. I added a bit of shading to the windows in the tower. I thought it needed a red door with a smidge of grass at the foot. 

 Birds in the sky is a must.

Inktober 2024 - 13 Snow Scene

Inktober 2024 Challenge

13 - Snow Scene

I drew my pencil sketch with a 4H pencil then went over it with a Micron 005 Black Permanent marker.

I applied an overall wash in blue.

I painted my tree, grass, fence and snowbanks.

I added color to the snowflakes.

Inktober 2024 - 12 Doodle Around

Inktober 2024 Challenge

12 - Doodle Around

Dip Pen with Black Daler-Rowney Acrylic Ink

on Canson Fluid Mixed Media 154lb paper.

I created the circle then just drew shapes leading out from it.

I then filled each shape with marks being careful to not touch wet areas with my hand.  Not easy but possible with patience.

Triangles, circles, straight lines, wavy lines, scallops all came into play on this piece.

 

Inktober 2024 - 11 Wheat

Inktober 2024 Challenge

11 Wheat

Micron Black Marker & Watercolor on Canson Fluid Mixed Media 154lb paper.

Wheat is common in the western provinces. I have drawn wheat many times on ceramics, cards, etc.

I created my circle for the wheat the watercolored around it. Blue sky and golden yellow wheat fields. I added a granary in the background.  I colored the wheat stalks in the circle.

I added a black marker after the watercolor. 

Inktober 2024 - 10 Marks and Color

Inktober 2024 Challenge

10 Marks and Color

Black Watercolor and washes on Canson Fluid Mixed Media 154lb paper.

I chose a fine, medium and wide brush to make my black watercolor marks. I penciled a grid then filled in the spaces.

I made a variety of marks to create some texture.

I wanted a bit of color so I put in 2 washes.

I regret adding the spattering at the end.

Inktober 2024 - 09 Cattails

Inktober 2024 Challenge

09 Cattails

Micron Fine Black Marker & Watercolor

I got up this morning with no idea what I was going to sketch.

With my photography I see cattails/bulrushes all the time. I know these quite well.

I chose a fine marker .005 today. I did a pencil drawing in grid paper in my sketch book, then transferred that to my 5x7 Fluid Mixed Media 154lb paper.

I washed the whole surface in a very light rough wash.

I then watercolored the cattails and added some extra color and then some extra lines with the marker. I then added more watercolor in the background as needed.

Slow Stitching - No. 041 - Scrapplique - Odd circles

 K3N Cloth Tales Slow Stitching Challenge.

Week 41 - Scrapplique

I did an odd number of circles which were cut by hand with no template.

I dug in the stash and found my background fabric and selected a foundation layer. 

Then I chose 5 cloths and made the circle to match the size of the scrap. Folded in quarters and just cut from edge to edge. I did a bit of extra trimming as needed.

I love the colors. 

Now, Kathryn had indiciated we should cut out the back of the image to reduced bulk but I just was on rote and had blind basted before I knew it. I was not prepared to undo that. It did make stitching a bit tough towards the end.

Just thinking about it just this morning I could have cut out the middle before I stitched the next circle. It is what it is.

Inktober 2024 - 08 Desert

Inktober 2024 Challenge

08 Desert

Black Marker & Watercolor

A landscape for today in the form of a desert.

A tall cactus is great for the desert.  A few rises in elevation. To top it off a little bird sitting on the top.

 

Inktober 2024 - 07 Boxed In

Inktober 2024 Challenge

07 Boxed In

Feeling a little bit like that this week.

I cut 3 squares measuring 3", 2" and 1". I traced these in pencil into a geometric design on my 5x7 Fluid Mixed Media 154lb paper. 

I used my dip pen with Rotring Payne's Gray acrylic ink to trace the boxes.

I added the pop of yellow in the .75" circle. 

Oil Diffusers - Travel Case - Set 2

 This is the next set of One of a Kind Oil Diffusers in a travel case.

Just Bee - I made a bee by appliqueing 3 yellow pieces onto a black base piece of felt. I added a circle for the head which I stitched to the body. I used a piece of thin gauzy polyester fabric and cut out the wings. I satin stitched all the way around the outer edge of the wings then put some texture stitching in the wings. I stitched the wings to the body. I then stitched the bee to a piece of turquoise felt which measured about 4x4 inches.  

The back is a piece of cotton fabric which looks marbled.  I added my loop for the hanger and the yellow drop.  The 2 layers were stitched together with blanket stitch all the way around.

Follow your Heart - I cut 3 hearts in different sizes getting smaller as I went. I stitched these together with running stitch then added the 3 flowers at the top of the white one. I then stitched the whole heart to the front of a white background piece of felt measuring approximately 4x4 inches. I stitch the follow stitching in pink around the heart.

The back piece of this diffuser is cotton in a bright fuchsia color with a hanging loop and a pink drop. I chose white thread for the blanket stitch all the way around.  It comes with a travel case.

Note: The background fabric should have been a light color so it would not have darkened the white felt on the front.

Tea Time - This oil diffuser features a yellow teappot ( my favorite) which I drew then cut out of yellow felt. I place a strip of white lace along the edge of the front layer to serve as a tablecloth. I stitched the teapot onto the navy layer over the lace adding accents to it as I went.

The back of this diffuser is white felt with a navy loop and drop.  It comes with the hanger in a travel case.

Just One More Chapter - I created a small book to put on the front of this diffuser.  I chose a patterned piece of cotton and a white cotton for the inside.  I hand stitched these together, trimmed the corners and turned the piece inside out.  The book is stitched to the green backer along the spine of the book so that it opens. I put a little quote on the inside. 

The backer is yellow felt with a loop and drop.  I blanket stitched all the way around with green thread.  It comes with a hanger and a travel case.