Recent Photos

We had pretty snow fall on Saturday and Sunday.  It felt like a snow squall where the sun was shining but the snow was falling out of the sky.  Nice and fluffy and just coming down slow.  That is how I managed the snow bokeh in this shot.

About 1" of snow fell over the two days the sun is shining today and it is melting away fast.

I am loving sitting at the dining room table in the sun about 10:00am with my first cup of tea!  Great way to spend a half hour.

I made muffins today as well.

I have been running a cool mist humidifier for the last couple of days.   I helped my dry nose some. 

I have no way of knowing the level of humidity in my place so it is a bit of a shot in the dark.

I made this happy face for my window to let those out there who are working how much I appreciate their work. 

Thanks to health care workers, garbage collectors, those keeping the lights and heat on, first responders - fire dept, police officers, and EMTs.  Those who are keeping the grocery stores and pharmacies open.  Your work is vital and important to me.  Thank You So Much.

Check out the bit of fluffy snow on this thistle.  It is amazing that they just hang around all winter time.

The sun was really nice.













Plastic is the theme for Flickr Macro Monday.  These are plastic straws.
You can check out my entry in my photo stream.

In recent days my neighbours have installed super bright flood lights in their parking lot.  It lights up my place even when the curtains are closed.

Sharing with Mosaic Monday #74 hosted by Angie.

Through My Lens #235 hosted my Mersad

My Corner of the World - Hosted by Betty

Photo Card Gift Box

I have put together a box set of photo cards for a prize at an upcoming charity event.

I chose 3 rural images which have been cut to 3.5 x 4.75 inches leaving a generous border.  They have been adhered to a heavyweight white A2 card.

The first is three heads of barley against a stormy sky.
 




Second, is a field which has been combined leaving windrows of straw behind.  Again, the sky is very expressive.

Third, a field of bales on rolling hills with a wonderful blue of water in the background.

I have packaged 12 cards (4 of 3 designs) in a 6x6 clear box with an information card stock insert.

How To - Bubble Technique to Decorate Paper

I'm working on my Christmas Card Challenge for April which is Peace, Coloring and Large Greeting. 
I wanted some decorative paper for the background of my large greeting so I made some bubble paper for the project. 
It is quite a messy process so I covered my space with my trusty blue plastic mat.  It took several containers and straws till I got the look I wanted.  The small container and the small straw worked best for me.  I cut my paper into quarter sheets as I will be using them for cards. The color changed as I added drops of color.  Blue, purple, added yellow to get green. I have 36 sheets of beautiful paper to use in this project and future projects. It was an absolute blast!
Looking for something to do with the kids while they are home on spring break?  Give it a try!
Check back April 1 to see the card I made for the challenge.  Have you started your Christmas cards? Seize the moment and get a few made. 

How To: Alcohol Ink Background Printing

Here's another day where I am stretching myself to try new techniques I've not done before.  I wanted a vibrant colored background for one particular card I have in mind.
  
Here, I used Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol inks in Sailboat Blue, Sunshine Yellow and Citrus Green. You need a non porous surface to create your background on before you print it.  I used a clear acrylic plate which I have had forever. Finally came in handy.  I wet the acrylic with alcohol then put ink drops on and tried to move it around with a straw. That makes it dry faster. I did reapply alcohol to the plate and pressed my paper again if I was not happy with the print.  This tended to spread the ink already on the paper somewhat, which generally is what I wanted.  I used 4x6 glossy photo paper which I picked up at the second hand store for a song.

I made 16 sheets with 3 different color combinations.  The others were Purple Twilight, Watermelon, and Sunset Orange - this combo was way too warm and red.  They did not turn out as great as these. The other combo is: Stream Blue, Wild Plum, and Butterscotch Yellow.  Keep an eye out here as I use these sheets in the next few of weeks.  I think some will end up in card club.