Slow Stitching - Extra Squares

Another Extra Square for my slow stitching project.

I decided on a landscape composition.  I invisilbe stitched my white layer to my foundation layer.

I added a couple of pieces of blue for the sky with a yellow sun.

Two grey mountains and a green layer of trees.

A deeper blue layer at the bottom of lake and a brown piece for land.

Mostly running stitches on these pieces. A bit of seed stitching. 

I did triangles on the green for trees but it is not very visible.

Watercolor - Sail Boat

I needed a birthday card for my aunt.  I was to join a party on Thursday but was called out to be with my Mom who was very ill and needed full time care for a few days.  She is doing better after a visit to ER.

This card will be late but such is life.  

I created the background a while back and I added the scene this morning.  The boat and sun have a white gouache base with watercolor on top. I created a custom greeting.  It was punched with the Stampin Up Artisan punch and mounted with 3D foam tape. It will be off in the mail on Monday. 

2022 Photo Calendar - Big Skies

I designed an new format of photo calendar for this year.

This is a 6x4 inch calendar which is in the wide orientation.  

I have been using square shots for the last 10 years in my tall calendars that it took a bit to scout out rectangular shots for this calendar.

The major change in this calendar is that the photography takes priority.  So many people don't use a paper calendar anymore that I decided to put the focus on the photo while still providing a minimal calendar.

The calendar is one line below the photo and has the holidays highlighted in blue.

I chose a narrower focus on the type of subject matter as well.   Being in Alberta with wonderful blue skies all year round I dug my photo stash for great sky images.

They can be placed in a black metal holder in the wide format very similar to the one for the tall calendar.

I did not think I took many landscape photographs but I am drawn to skies.

I have included many dramatic skies from the last year or so.

Our urban and country views are included in this photography calendar.

I think of it as eye candy!

Here's the calendar sitting in a black metal frame which holds all 13 pages (12 months and the index). 

I have lifted the index page just enough to see the title all year long.

As the month changes just move the front page to the back.

The calendar gives you a quick look at the dates.

Balloon Cards

I painted some balloons with watercolor.  I chose my Watercolor Wonder Crayons from Stampin Up to match the card stock I am using. 

I did draw a slight image to follow in pencil on heavy white card stock.  

I chose Always Artichoke green, More Mustard yellow and Bravo Burgundy with Cherry Cobbler red for the balloons.  

I added strings with a black permanent marker once the piece was completely dry and pressed flat.  I signed the art as well. 

I added a length of Bravo Burgundy grosgrain ribbon across the bottom o the card with ends taped to the back.  

I added a Modern Label punchie color printed greeting with a More Mustard offset to match the card base in the same color.  This was adhered with 3D foam tape.

Another balloon card.  I chose Old Olive, More Mustard, Not Quite Navy and Real Red card stock for the balloons.  

I cut them out of scraps of cardstock with my Create Cricut electronic cutting machine using the Create a Critter cartridge.   I cut them at 3", 2.75" and 2.5" inches.  I tied black thread onto them for strings.  I added white highlight spots on each of them with a white opaque marker.

Added a piece of sky designer paper which I warmed up with some warm yellow chalk pastel applied with a stipple brush and adhered to the front of an Old Olive 5x7 card base.  I then assembled the balloon bouquet with the ones farther back adhered to the sky paper, then the next ones with 1 layer of 3D foam tape then the small red one in front with 2 layers of 3D foam tape.   This adds depth to the composition.

I taped all the string to a central spot.

I added a ripped color printed greeting over the strings with 3D foam tape.

Christmas Card Challenge - July - Copper Wisemen

I am catching up on my card challenge.

I started with a warm light blue card. 
I added a piece of designer paper by Imaginations - Sky.  It was cut to leave a small border.

I used the Stampin Up Come to Bethlehem set onto vellum and embossed it with copper powder.  It was trimmed to the edge of the DSP. I tacked in in place with a bit of ds tape behind the wisemen.

I then cut a piece of white card stock to complement the sand dune on the vellum.  I hand cut that and glued it onto the card front and then trimmed it to the bottom of the card. I then used a push pin for the holes for the copper brads. Two round ones in the corners and a star one in the middle of the star.

Friday's Hunt 1.8

I'm submitting this to Friday's Hunt hosted by Teresa at Eden Hills. 

The prompts are:
Starts with H
Favorite
Family

H is for honey.  I took a photo of my honey jar with golden yellow sticky stuff.  It's a large, heavy and clear glass jar with a lid with a space for the honey dipper.  Of course the honey dipper needs to be yellow.  This is my second one as I melted the first one when I was melting honey in the microwave.  I've learned my lesson. 

This is my favorite image of the week.  I had to go downtown this week so I took some time to shoot some city images.  I love the reflection of blue sky on the glass windows of this building.  I liked the angles and the square spaces.  The contrast of lights and darks works very well.

This is a shot I have shared before.  My sister and I were out on a photo shoot near a lake where she lives.  It was summer and the sun was shining bright.  I grabbed this shot of our shadows.  I added the Sisters quote.  She is part of my large family and I really enjoy spending time with her.

Friday's Hunt 1.6

Submitting these to Friday's Hunt hosted by Teresa at Eden Hills.  The prompts are F, Favorite and Negative Space.  Looks like I missed the deadline for the link up. Enjoy the pics.

I chose this photo for Fence.  I like the dark fence in the foreground with the low sun in the sky putting the trees in silhouette.  It's a nice warm toned image.

I loved this image of a chickadee at the bird feeder just ready to alight.  Wings and tail feathers spread wide.  I stood in snow up to my shins in gale force winds for about 15 minutes at least till my hands were so cold I just had to quit.  I had to stand still so the birds would some around to the feeder again after I arrived.  I usually take them from the front room window but with the larger camera I don't have the same distance in the zoom of the lens so I had to get physically closer.  Of course, I didn't know what shots I had before I brought them to the computer.  This is my favorite of those taken on Saturday.

I'm using this one for negative space. This is a cloud which had the sun dog shining in it or through it a few minutes earlier.  I had to stop the car, take out the camera and focus and thus missed the rainbow colors in the cloud. 

January Birthday Cards - Belated

I'm getting caught up on my January birthday cards as they are late!!

The winter photo card is for my brother who's birthday is in early January.  This photo was taken near my Mom & Dad's place.  There was a bright sun and frost on the trees.  I love the shadows.  I cut it down from 4x6 to 4x5.25 inches. I mounted it to a black card.  I added the greeting made up of a blue Stampin Up Modern Label punch and a greeting punched with the Word Window.  I layered these together and adhered them to the card front with double sided tape.

This card is for my sister who celebrated her day this week.  I chose a yellow card.  I adhered a Happy Birthday embossed layer created with the Cuttlebug folder. This was adhered to the card front. I punched a large daisy from the same card stock.  I punched a black one to layer behind.  I punched a 1/2 inch black circle to provide a background for my yellow brad.  I added a bee to the flower.  The bee was a button from which I removed the shank with my cutting pliers.  I held it in place with a Bling Zot.

Friday's Hunt 1.5

I'm joining Friday's Hunt 1.5 where the prompts are start with the letter E, Favorite, Sky.

I chose Egg for the letter E.  Eggs are smooth, oval and perfect.  I nestled it in some brown rice in a small rectangular china dish. I imagine it's designed for condiments or sauces.  I used my sunflower hot spot as a background.  You can check out another egg photo I took a while ago.

Favorite: Grapefruit is one of my favorite fruit.  They are in season and reasonably priced these days.

I repeated the circular theme by surrounding the fruit with lavender loose leaf tea onto a white round ironstone plate.  The white plate was on a gold charger plate but I ended up cropping that.

I love this shot in late fall.  The sky is so animated with a storm rolling in.  The sun was setting and putting light on the far hills.  In the foreground, there are birds on the water as they prepare to migrate.  Unfortunately, power lines are pretty much unavoidable but are quite subtle in this shot.

Submitting to Friday's Hunt 1.5 hosted by Teresa at Eden Hills.

Dandelion in the Sun

I took this photo on my walk this morning. The weather was perfect not too hot not too cool.

This is a dandelion in full seed.  The shot is taken from the underside. I love the way the sun highlights the fluffy white seeds.  The white clouds in the sky provide a repetition of the white.  The sun through the green spikes looks great.

I'm submitting it to:
Macro Monday 2
I Heart Macro

Photo - Evening Moments

The focus at Another Deep Day is Evening Moments.

I selected this photo as it was taken following a July summer storm and a rainbow had appeared in the sky. I was spending time with one of my sisters and I always carry my camera with me. I rushed outside in hopes of capturing the evening sky as the sun set and lit up the clouds in lovely purple hues.

My sister and I stood on the porch of her house and enjoyed a bit of time outside after paper crafting most of the day.  Thank goodness we were given an opportunity to divert our attention for a bit. It was a good moment.