Sylvia's Simple Shots

I am so grateful that frost has not yet arrived and the blooms as still in beautiful condition.

I found these pretty pink blooms yesterday morning.  They are Foxglove - Pink Panther. What a great name.

I love that I have pink bokeh in the background as the bed was in full bloom.

I recently finished reading this book. Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James.  I have read most of Austen's books and watched most of the movies so the backdrop of this story was familiar.  The Bennet sisters and their families.  I love old English historical novels so this was a real pleasure to read.  There are rabbit holes to go down, and it does not get fully resolves till the very end. 

On Tuesday I did a big grocery shopping trip to get ahead of whatever result will happen with Covid 19 and the schools reopening here on Wednesday.  

I managed to get 2 large containers of blueberries so they are now in the freezer for the winter serving on my rolled oats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I finished the new lampshade for the sewing area this week.  It provides light on the right hand side of the sewing desk and on the craft table I will use for cutting.  

The light switch is very convenient at the level of the top of the desk. A Hemma light cord kit from Ikea.

You will recall that I revamp the other light in this room here. 

I made Chokecherry Syrup yesterday.  I had picked fresh ones on Friday morning. I decided that since I confused the ones in the freezer for saskatoon berries on my cereal last week maybe I should be doing something with them.

I added the frozen to the fresh and made Chokecherry Syrup.  I made the syrup by boiling them and then pressing the juice through a strainer. I added sugar and a bit of lemon juice.

I processed the jars in a water bath.

I managed 3 small jars but it will add a bit of variety to Highbush Cranberry and Maple syrup for pancakes!

Flicker Macro Monday Challenge this week is "Footwear". The macro on the right is the buckle on my summer sandals. You can check my Photostream SMDPics to see what shot I submitted.
 

 

 

 

I am sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #95

and Mersad who hosts Through my Lens #256.

With temps at only 4C this morning frost is not far away.  I will enjoy the next few days.

How To - E Collar to Lampshade

I needed a lampshade for the other area of my sewing space.  My sister had given me an Ikea Hemma light cord.  I had added a LED daylight light bulb but it needed a shade. It has a UNO lampshade connection. The one Ikea shade I liked was 18 inches in diameter so was too wide for the hanger I was going to use.  It would accommodate max 14 inches. I headed to the thrift shop to see what I could find.  No lamp shades but a clear plastic dog E Collar that was the right shape and size.  I think I can work with that. 

I needed something to create the lampshade connection.  I decided a clear plastic lid from a food container would work.  I scored the size of hole I needed and cut it out with an exacto knife.  Then I put the 4 slits so I could slip the straps of the collar through and secured them as designed.

I like this because it allowed for the warmth of the bulb to escape through the spaces at the top. 

The hole I had cut was perfect and I could run it along the threads of the light fixture. Very secure. I then screwed the washer piece from the inside of the lampshade and then added my light bulb.  That was working really great!

Now I needed a covering for this structure. When I revamped the other lamp in the space I had leftover lace.  I measured the circumference of the lampshade and sewed the lace to that size.  I added a hem to top edge of the lace as well.   Now it was just a matter of threading a piece of ribbon through the holes in the lace to allow the lace edge to come even with the lampshade's bottom edge.

The shot on right is looking up from under the lampshade.

 

 

 

The light fixture came with clips so I just ran the cord along the hanger then down the pole to the outlet.  It has a switch which is at the height of the desk so very convenient to turn on as needed.

Exchange Cards - September

Another set of cards with a different sheet of spattered paper made in this session. 

When I chose this paper to decorate I did not think that all the cards would have to be portrait because of the text on it.

I chose a warm red card base to match the color on the paper.  I adhered the designer paper to the card front.

I added a Sizzix Filmstrip die in glossy black to which I tied a bit of red thread. It was adhered to the card front and trimmed to the card edge. 

I added red and black sequins to the card with Bling Zots. 

I chalked the edges of the Stampin Up Decorative label greeting with warm red then I adhered it to card front in the bottom right corner with 3D foam tape.

For this card I chose a black card base.

I wrapped a length of red satin ribbon along the bottom edge and taped the edges to the back.  I tied a piece of black thread on the right hand side and trimmed the ends.

I adhered the spattered designer paper to the card front.

I added black and red sequins to the card front with Bling Zots. 

I added a Stampin Up Modern Label greeting with an offset of black label.  It was adhered to the card front in the top left corner with 3D foam tape.

Exchange Cards - Warm Spattered Paper

I made a couple more cards with the spattered paper I created on this day.

  This paper featured some simple brown geometric repeated squares pattern on an ivory background.  It is by Creative Imaginations - Art Warehouse - Danielle Johnson. It needed some sprucing up so I chose some brown and red acrylic color and spattered it. I did add a bit of black which looks charcoal here.

I chose a terra cotta colored card base for this card.  I created a floral accent from yellow, red and orange flowers and a black sequin.  The large handmade paper was colored with the same red color from the spattered paper. Matches well.  The accent is held together with a yellow tiny brad. 

I ripped the piece of spattered paper which left a space for the card color to show through. I tied a piece of black thread around the top piece before adhering it to the card front.

The floral accent was adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.

 

 

This card features a deep red card base.

I created another floral accent with silk flowers and small black sequin. 

I taped the ends of the black sequin string to the back of the spattered paper with tape. I then positioned the floral accent to the left of center. The paper was then adhered to the card front.  I added 3 black sequins on the right hand side. 

These are in the mail tomorrow morning.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

The Sunflowers in the neighborhood and community garden are getting really nice.

They are my favorite flower and I have to wait all summer for them to produce gorgeous flowers.

I see that I captured a bee in this shot as well. Wonderful!

I found out one of the mazes in the area have opened their cut your own sunflower area. For a $ a bloom you can bring some home.  What a great idea!  The season is almost over and they will be letting them go or cutting them down themselves.  People enjoy them, the farm gets bit more cash and there is less to manage! Win Win.

I tried a new recipe this week which is Lemon Vinaigrette which is super delicious.   

Here I have put it on my carrot salad and my fried basa fillets.

A terrific wholesome story which I finished this week.  An Irish Country Girl by Patrick Taylor.  A story of how Maureen O'Hanlan became Kinky Kincaid.  

Kinky is the housekeeper for a group of medical doctors in the north of Ireland.  She has been there for 40 years but this is the story of how she came to be Ballybucklebo.

A bit of fairy stories and having the eyesight to see what may come to pass.  Ambition to be a teacher, willingness to stick with her plan despite a man saying she could not work after marriage, and a desire to travel the world.  

She is open to love with the "right" man. With older brothers there a few guys in the running.  

I guess I love Ireland after reading all the Maeve Binchy books. 

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

I visited a new wetlands area on Telford Lake this week.  Someone on my Instagram @smdpics100 had been and I was inspired to go as well. 

I found this juvenile American Robin singing to her hearts content. I have been fascinated with their interesting coloring.  I have never notice this before but I have seen many this year.

I have to confess that I have done a switcheroo on the sky.  The original was very plain and quite uninteresting. On the same day I had captured the sky with incoming plane as this lake is close to the airport.  I removed the plain sky and added this bit of cloud.

Love it!

The Flickr Macro Monday challenge this week was "glass".  There so many options to stay within the 3" rules that I was overwhelmed with choice. Glass is not always the easiest to photograph with reflections, etc.

I chose shots of my Kaleidoscope for the mosaic because it was a little too large for the challenge but I love it!

There are 2 copper encased wheels top left and bottom right to produce a wide array of images through the eye piece which is the top right photo. One of the images I captured through the eye piece of yellows and blues angles.

You can check out my Flickr Photostream SMDPics to see the image I submitted for the challenge.

This image was glass head straight pins.  I have quite a few and thought this will be easy.  Turns out I have plastic balls at the end of most of my straight pins. Five is all I found that were actual glass.  The wonders of making things for cheaper. 

I am sharing with Mersad at Through My Lens #254

  

Sylvia's Simple Shots

A new bird for me this week!  It' a  Say's Phoebe which is quite a small bird as the cable she is sitting on would suggest!

Beautiful bird! I did not hear it sing.  I checked on line and it is a quite subdued singer.

Love the coloring and the shine in the eye!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been looking for a container to hold some Extra Virgin Olive Oil need the stove.  The one I was using required that I tip it over a lot to get liquid out of it.

During my visit with my sister she said "Would this work?"  It is a bottle of coconut oil she purchased for her salad dressing.

"Yes!" I said. That would work very well. It has a nice pour spout, hold about 1 cup which is a great size, and it's easy to clean. 

 It works really well.  Glad to see manufactures adapting their bottles to what works for the consumer.

Love it.

The friend who celebrates her birthday this week shared her cake with me.  Her sister purchased the cake.

This is a Black Forest Cake created by one of the best bakeries in the city - Bon Ton Bakery.

It was delicious.  I cut the large piece in two pieces and enjoyed it twice with a cup of green tea.

I chose a few bugs for my mosaic this week.  The Spotted Tussock Moth Caterpillar comes out in August.  I remember being scared of these as a kid, still not that crazy about them.  I mentioned Dragonflies last week as predators.  The Yellowjacket Wasp was getting some moisture from this spot on the the wood. 

The challenge this week at Flickr Macro Monday is Push/Pull.  What a great choice. The variety of objects for this challenge is unending. Buttons of all sorts, zippers, rubber bands, tools, and so much more.  

You can check out my Photostream SMDPics to see which image I submitted.

Sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #93

and Mersad who hosts Through My Lens #253

Have a great week!

August Birthdays

A couple of cards for folks celebrating August birthdays.  

 My aunt will receive this card.

 

 

A friend will receive this card.  It is one of my photo cards featuring a bright green heart tea cup with a pink rose.

 

Cards - Spattered Paper

Another couple

of cards with spattered 12x12 designer paper. 

 This time, I paired it with a grey card base to coordinate with the grey swirl in the design.

I added a turquoise grosgrain ribbon and teal handmade paper flowers with rhinestone in their centers.

The flowers are attached with Bling Zots.

This card has the same grey card base.

I have added a black grosgrain ribbon taped to the back then a shorter piece knotted onto it.  Then this layer was adhered to the card base with double sided tape.

The swirl on the bottom is black despite the scan not really showing it very well which is why I chose black accents.

I used a punched Stampin Up Modern Label greeting then offset it with a black one to repeat the color.  It is adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.

Versatile layouts with tall and wide ones with this paper.

Exchange Cards - Spatter Cardstock

I made a couple of cards with the the great spattered card stock I made a while ago.  I loved how I was able to get ink splotches!  The original 12x12 card stock is by Teresa Collins - Giving Thanks.

I started with card bases in Stampin Up Bermuda Bay. 

I used Nick Bantock's Cerlean Blue and Chrome Yellow liquid acrylic as well as white pearl Gleams acrylic paint on this card stock. 

I found some large die cut flowers in aqua.They needed a bit of a texture so I used the same colors again on the large handmade paper flowers.  Then I added a pearl white flower die cut made with the Stampin Up Flower Fair thin-let set.  I layered a deep teal flower then a smaller deep yellow one held in place a deep teal mini brad.  This was assembled into an accent.

I cut the spattered card stock to 4.00 x 5.25 inches and adhered it to the card front.  I added  a ripped strip of silver metallic card stock.  I then adhered the flower accent with 3D foam tape. I added a quarter sheet insert.

 

 

This card as very similar pieces. 

The ripped strip is pearl white cardstock. It was adhered to the card from then trimmed it to the card edges.

The flower accent has a deep yellow mini brad in its' center.

I love the swirls of grey in this card stock.   I chose their layout to determine where I was going to place the flowers.

These are headed out to the mail box.

 

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I have had to remind myself recently to Not Give Up!  I have had challenges with the car, the house, creatively with cards and photography and then there is the pandemic! 

I took a picture of a park bench at a church yard in my neighbourhood. Plastic ends with 5 pieces of painted 2 x4 and lickadee split you have a bench. I was inspired to use it as a quote back drop.   Here it is!

Things are hard and hopefully we are not all down at the same time.  When you feel better be sure to encourage those around you!  You don't know who may need it so just give it when you can.

I have had quite a few flying creatures appear on my balcony recently which is quite unusual.  I have had a couple of sparrows just sit on the rail for a few minutes just where I can see them.  They never stay long enough for me to get the camera but I enjoyed them anyway.

This large dragonfly staying for quite a while and I was able to get the camera. I wondered what it was doing.  Upon checking the photo on the computer you can see a set of wings right next to the corner.  I checked on line for what they eat and they are carnivores!  I expect it was eating a fly.  Wow!  I did not see that coming.  

I think of them as pretty and mild kind of creatures!

I  have been filling my face full of ripe chokecherries on my walks in the last few mornings.  They are always better after a freeze which I hope is not near. 

Canada Red Chokecherry trees are full of them and I can pick the bottom ones and leave the high ones for the birds.

I finished "The Paris Orphan" by Natasha Lester this week.  It was a great read. 

Set in the 1940's during World War II and then in modern times.  The main character Jessica May goes from model to photojournalist covering the war in Italy, France and Germany.  Victorine is the orphan that Dan Hallworth, an American soldier has rescued and "adopted" as she has no one else.  Dan is a good man and a great leader so is being promoted during this conflict.  He is working hard to motivate his men, protect the women (journalists and nurses) and children. There are many twists and turns in the story so keeping it all straight is a challenge.  Great characters which are honorable, trustworthy, prepared to do the hard stuff and love with all their hearts!

After talking with my sister yesterday about the papers I posted here I decided to give it one more try.

I made this one this morning and it comes much closer to what I had in mind.

I used liquid acrylic ink in teal, chrome yellow and silver metallic on this grey patterned designer paper.  I was looking for ink splotches.  I achieved this by knocking my wet paintbrush against another directly above the card stock from about 2 feet.

Really happy with this one.

I have found several window paintings during my walks around town.  These are reflections on windows of building where the glass creates a distorted image of the reflections.  The panes around it are flat and reflect the objects quite realistically but these are different.   I don't know what accounts for one pane being less flat than those near it but it does create nice images!

Flickr Macro Monday's challenge this week was "water". That should be easy!  Again, I don't know if it is my head space or what but it was another challenging week with hundreds of photos taken and not really meeting the concept in my mind.

On the left is a bubble showing off all it's color. You can check my Flicker SMDPics photo stream to see which one I submitted.

I am sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #92 and with Mersad who hosts Through my Lens #252.  You can check out my Instagram SMDPics100 for a photo a day!

How To: 12x12 Splattered Decorated Paper

I'm finding it harder to use scrapbooking 12x12 paper for my card making.  I want original and unique paper.  I have so many sheets of designer paper so why wouldn't I use some of that to make something new rather than using plain white card stock to start with?  I went into my stash and chose patterns that I have lots of or that I am not too thrilled about. 

I chose the tools of the trade which are a collection of various paint brushes and tooth brushes.  

Some acrylic paint with a couple of plates to use as palettes.  A spray bottle to thin the acrylic paint.

I chose several sheets of designer paper.  I covered my kitchen area with a blue plastic sheet to prevent splattering the nearby surfaces.   You can see the before and after pictures below.  I just loaded my paint brushes with color and flicked the brushes toward the paper.

 

To the left are the 4 sheets that I decorated.  I think the light sheets have been very effective.  The orange and yellow ones I am not sure they are as effective. 

This new interface for blogger - I had to make sure that I chose a placement then I could have my text go beside my images.

Resizing is better and more adjustable.

Labels are a nightmare!  It is very slow and eventually it did not find labels which I know are there.

Exchange Cards - June

I am really late on these cards. 

I started with the Dandelion paper I made a while ago which features navy, ultramarine, and turquoise with white pearl as colors on a yellow base.

I ripped the right hand side. 

Wrapped a piece of white seam binding around it on the left hand side and tied a knot.

I added pearly sequins to the center with Bling Zots. 

It's great that the paper can be used tall or wide. 

For this card since it mostly has one flower I added the seam binding to the left hand side to fill in the space.

Pearly sequins for the center of the flower again held in place with Bling Zots repeats the white pearl in the paper.

For both cards I used the navy card base but I had selected a turquoise and medium blue as well.

Quarter sheet inserts work for both of these.

These are off in the mail today.

Sylvia Simple Shots

Cold drinks are an absolute must in these temperatures.   We had 30C yesterday which is way too hot for me. 

Just ice balls with soda water in a double walled glass so it will stay as cold as possible!

I created a low key image to have the yellows stand out!

Staying hydrated in this weather is important and I don't need extra sugar so this works well for me.

I had 4 extra glasses of water yesterday. 

My African Violet is blooming!

I have such poor luck with plants so I am stoked to see blooms. As you can see they are a gorgeous deep purple color and there will be many it seems!

Yeah! Yeah!

The north window is working so well.  Now that it is hanging just above the sewing machine, it is great. I have plants in a couple of places in my home!

I believe this is a thistle bloom.   I love the jagged edges of the petals.

It has not rained in about a week here so I generally always carry my spray bottle to give my photos a bit of something extra when needed.

I love this shot!



I found a Lady Bug Hatchery! There was a lot of them in different stages of development.

The bug on the right is a Lady Bug Larvae becoming and developing it's wings.  Very cool!  It is interesting that the body under the hard wings looks very similar to the larvae but we hardly ever see it because it's flying when the body is exposed!

I worked on making more face masks. I tried a fitted one this time.  I like it.  Still hot in these temperatures but less fabric.

The features of this face mask are a draw string tie so you just pull to tighten.  I had found someone on line recommending putting a kleenex on the nose piece to help with glasses fog.  I decided to put a permanent layer of terry cloth which fills in the spaces around the nose and absorbs the moisture from your breath.  Works quite well.

This one also allows me to put a filter on the inside if I want to.  Never know what options I will need before this is all over.

Flickr Macro Monday challenge this week is Chocolate! Well I love this one!  I bought 5 different kinds because I wanted options for a good photo. Photographing chocolate up close is challenging because some of it is not pretty.  Do we really look at it before we put it into our mouths, I would suggest not!  I have Chocolate Chips here and check out my photostream SMDPics for the image I submitted.

I am sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #91
and
Mersad who hosts Through My Lens #251           Have a safe week!