Mosaic Monday - Visit to Garden Center

I visited the large garden center yesterday.  I generally only visit at Christmas time when it is totally decked out for the season.  It was very windy yesterday wo it was nice to photograph flowers that were sitting pretty.

There were a large variety of pots for house plants and outside patios.

There were some 3 feet tall and very decorator in color and finish.  There was a variety of materials: pottery, plastic, glass, ceramic and wood.

I thought these were bright and colorful.  Together as a group they are quite overwhelming but spread across a space they would likely do the trick.  I thought the colors where quite retro.

They have a wide variety of decor items featuring a number of materials including resin, glass, papermache, and metal.

This was a small angel in a cream color.  It had a wash applied to highlight it's lovely features.  It was maybe 4 inches tall so could easily be tucked into a corner of almost any space.

Great in the house or the garden.

The model train was set up in the central area.  It is the same one I saw at the Conservatory a while back.  It must take a lot of work and time to set up the pieces in new venues.

I've just finished viewing a series of railroad promos done in the first half of the 20th century telling of their history in North America.  It was very interesting.





I was surprised to see the amount of art and paintings available at the center. It's not fine art mostly but very nice pieces which would look good in a living as well as in a 3 season room.

This piece of art was huge, probably 4 feet square and very lovely.  As you can see there is a reflection so some parts of it were a bit shiny.  I love the texture in the petals and the monochromatic color scheme.



Of course, there was lots of plants for sale. The orchids were gorgeous, ranunculus in many colors as well as rhododendrons in very pretty colors.

I enjoyed my visit and will be back as the seed rack was full and I will want some herbs again this year on the balcony.

Sharing with Maggie at Normandy Life who hosts Mosaic Monday #32.

Choo Choo Train Christmas Card

I started with a die cut from a set of Vintage Cardstock & Acetates from K&Company.  I chose a black card to match the color of the engine which I laid in the landscape/wide orientation. I used a piece of off white vellum which worked with the vintage image.  I held it in place with 4 tiny black brads in the four corners. I then adhered the train die cut to the vellum.  I used Tombow Vellum Adhesive on the clear acetate greeting (it's red but scanned black) and adhered it below the train.  I used a thin black marker and added smoke from the chimney by hand.

Submitting to 52 Christmas Card Throwdown - May Stash Challenge - Dies or Punches.

Mosaic Monday - This Week

I have a collection of odd photos this week.
Top Left:  I took a picture of this seabreeze fan which has helped to keep my place cool for many years.  I bought it second hand and I`ve had it for 15 years or so.  It`s mostly metal which I came to appreciate when I did some shopping to replace it and most of what is available these days are plastic. It was small and it oscillated which was great bang for the buck.  My research tells me it was built in the 1970s. It quit working a while back but it`s so iconic I kept it to see if I could translate it into something else.  No project has emerged so far. 

Top Right: I made new kitchen towels this week as well.  The ones I was using I made many years ago, they were tattered and worn through and needed to be replaced.  I still had the ball of yarn I used on the original ones which I made when I moved this place nearly 20 years ago.  I had determined a navy and golden yellow color scheme for this kitchen.  So, this week I took up crocheting again.  I upcycled a navy golf towel I bought at the second store. It was brand new.  I removed the bit of embroidery on it, cut it in half, sewed a line of stitching on the raw edge and added a golden yellow yarn hanger.  I now have 2 new towels with the vintage buttons I used on the original towels. 
Bottom: I took a picture of the train and the river on my walk on Sunday.  The ice is breaking up nicely and soon the river will be ice free.

Mosaic Monday - Inside and Out

I took a few outside pictures recently.  The pine trees line a drive way and stand straight and snow covered.  The deciduous trees in the background are catching the sunlight and look lit up providing a contrast for the dark green evergreens.















I am working on still life photography right now.  This is a clear glass tea pot with pink tea inside.  I was looking for a tea that would complement the red charger plate and turned out to be the Oprah Chai Tea.

















A picture of train tracks curving off into unknown parts. As I enter 2016 not knowing what the year will bring I look forward to new experiences.

Photos - Trip to Drumheller

I took a trip to southern Alberta this week, mostly to see the Royal Tyrell Museum - more about that in the next post. I chose not to travel on the QEII and took the smaller highways to Drumheller.  What a pleasant drive!  The sun is shining, the water holes are full reflecting the blue sky, the birds are swimming and I totally enjoyed the day!  It was hot so I'm glad I got an early start.

I love the top left shot which is cresting the hill on Highway 56 and all of a sudden you are in a different world. The swan was in Camrose on Mirror Lake.  The wind turbines were near Torrington, AB on Highway 27. The grain harvesting was in full force in this area.  The train was in Stettler.  The patio is at the McDougall Lane Bed and Breakfast.  Great place.

Is that a bone in the mud in the background? See just above Drumheller, I think so.  I did not see it when I took the picture but there it is!

Card - Train

This card is for a little boy soon turning 3. I used a QuicKutz die. It has all the pieces on a 4" square die so I was able to cut each piece from a different color paper. I used the cool tool glue applicator to get just a bit of glue where I needed. The 3 is cut with the Cuttlebug Red Tag Alphabet dies. The blue sky piece of paper I crunched then flatten and rubbed an inkpad on the high points to create an interesting sky. I ripped a piece of DP paper to create the grass below the train.
I'm submitting this card to the CST Challenge #17 which needed punched or die-cuts.