Sylvia's Simple Shots

A walk to the community garden is always inspiring.  Plants are blooming, producing edibles and folks are harvesting at this time of year.

I just capture the wonderfulness with my camera.

Found this beautiful red poppy this week.

Speaking of harvesting.

I spent some time with my niece on the weekend and she helped me pick chokecherries.  In the end, I had 4 cups of berries to make pancake syrup.  This is the Chokecherry Syrup recipe I used.

With another camping trip under my belt I have honed my supplies and equipment.

I bought a larger tote to hold the kitchen stuff.  I added a stainless steel kettle, a 4L water jug, a second cooler and a mat. 

I am happy with my progress and hopefully I will get a trip in after school starts and things quiet in the travel business.

Maybe campsites will close after the September long weekend. I will have to check that out.

I received and paid for my first set of prescription glasses this week!  I have been making do with readers for years.  Not having sunglasses for driving was getting to me so I finally bit the bullet.

They are black frames with checkerboard pattern on the sides. I got progressive lenses which I was quite unsure about but it is working out well.

The lenses darken in the light and even in the car behind the windshield.  They have a scratch resistance coating and anti glare coating for night driving.

A lovely microfiber cloth to clean them with a special spray, along with a sturdy case to store but most of the time they will be on my face.

I had to make a few adjustments at home as well so the computer monitor had to be lowered so that it aligned with the bar on the progressive lens for that distance.  

It took a bit of fiddling and something that was adjustable so it is a stack of old Somerset Studio magazines which came to the rescue. 

It was nice to spend time with family.  We celebrated my grandniece's birthday which is in April but was postponed due to COVID restrictions.  With all of us vaccinated, we were free to enjoy time together.

I visited the wetlands near my niece's house during my visit on the weekend. What a lovely area with wide open spaces but still within the city limits!

A female Redwing Blackbird, the bulrushes are tall, and the ducks are swimming around after raising their young.  

I expect the red berries are not edible but very pretty.  Update - Red Baneberry - poisonous.

The theme for Flickr Macro Monday this week was "foil".  With foil used as packaging for all kinds of things there was a good variety of pics.  You can check my Flickr Photostream (SMDPics) to see my entry. 

I am sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #142 and

Mersad who hosts Through My Lens #300. 

Have a great week and be safe!

Sympathy - Tragedy strikes

This card is for my aunt who lost her granddaughter in an airplane crash this week.

The young lady had moved to California with her husband.  She had just finished her education.  Due to COVID she had not been back to visit and now it will not happen.

She was 33 years old with her life in front of her.  It is very sad.

This is one of my photographs with a filter applied to create a black and white stylized evergreen branch.  Printed on heavy card stock, trimmed to leave a small border and mounted to the front of a Kiwi Kiss card base.

I used a Modern Label punchie with a color printed greeting. Chalked with green to coordinate and mounted with 3D tape. 

Sylvia's Simple Shots

Ladybugs are brightly colored to warn predators that they taste bad and should not be eaten.  They do secrete a foul smelling substance from their body which makes them unappealing to those who may want to munch on them. 

I headed to the grounds of the Conservatory for my walk yesterday.  I am not sure yet about being indoors with other folks.  There was lots of room outside and I was there before the place opened at 10 am.  The parking lot was quite full when I got back to the car at 10:10 or so.  Our Covid numbers are climbing again so it behooves a person to be careful.

I found this Hosta bud just waiting to unfurl into beautiful blooms.

I love the lovely soft colors against the wonderful large green leaf.

We have had some rain recently which has allowed the plants some reprieve.  The lawns on the south side of most places are parched and brown.

I have not posted my books for a while.  This book was very interesting.  Again, I am struck by reading a book with a main character having mental struggles.  

A Cry in the Night by Mary Higgins Clark.

Divorcee Jenny MacPartland struggles to support herself and her two small daughters. The father and ex-husband is of no help. She works at an art gallery where one day she meets a new man. Rich, handsome Erich Krueger sweeps her off her feet, they marry and she moves to his mansion in the country. Everything seems to be perfect, and Jenny feels like a fairy-tale princess. But gradually the fairy-tale turns into a nightmare. Something is very wrong in the great house that has slowly, imperceptively, become her prison. Something that threatens her marriage, her life - and her children.

The ending is a big surprise but a welcomed end to the story.

Murder inside the Beltway by Margaret Truman. 

A Washington call girl is found bludgeoned to death in her Adams-Morgan apartment. As police detectives scour the apartment, they find a digital video camera nestled high among books on a shelf. Had she used the camera to video some of her clients during their sexual romps?

Then they discover a small, book-sized DVD case, full with the exception of two slots. Could they possibly get lucky? Is the murder on one of those disks?

As the investigation picks up steam, the business of Washington, D.C., rolls on. It's an election year and the sitting president, Burton Pyle, is running for a second term. His opponent, Robert Colgate, is odds-on to defeat Pyle.

Then, on a lovely Sunday afternoon on Washington's famed Mall, the daughter of Bob Colgate's closest confidant and advisor is kidnapped.  The these events connected?

But no one is prepared for the explosive development that erupts when the daughter of Colgate’s closest friend is kidnapped and Detective Mary Hall and rookie cop Matthew Jackson uncover a shocking connection between the abduction, the Curzon case—and a killer no one will see coming.   

I enjoyed the fact that the lead detective is a woman.  I will add this author to my list and check out more of her work.

This was the sun day before yesterday.  Rising red orange.  The haze in the air very visible.  

Forest fires still raging on all sides of our province. 

I discovered this 2 spotted lady bug on rose bushes recently. 

The whole purpose for the Ladybug being brightly colored with spots is to ward off predators. The Ladybugs want to let their predators know that they taste bad and could even be poisonous.  They do secrete a foul smelling substance from their body which deters predators.

Genes determines the number of spots on a ladybug.  They can be several different colors and have 0 to as many as 24 spots.

I had to replace the lamp switch when it stopped working.  The one on the lamp was a nice Bakelite kind of dark hard plastic. It screwed together very nicely.  The lamp is 30 years old so things were made differently then.  

Thank goodness for you tube.  I sorted out which wires went where. The cord did not have the ridges the video described so I had to mark the leads with tape to make sure they were attached properly to the new switch.  Part of maintenance when you own stuff for years and years.

I am always up for a book with tea in the tittle. I found this one at the small library at the park.

The Color of Tea by Hannah Tunnicliffe.

A story about following your dreams and passions.  

Macau: the bulbous nose of China, a peninsula and two islands strung together like a three-bead necklace. It was time to find a life for myself. To make something out of nothing. The end of hope and the beginning of it too.

After moving with her husband to the tiny, bustling island of Macau, Grace Miller finds herself a stranger in a foreign land—a lone redhead towering above the crowd on the busy Chinese streets. As she is forced to confront the devastating news of her infertility, Grace’s marriage is fraying and her dreams of family have been shattered. She resolves to do something bold, something her impetuous mother would do, and she turns to what she loves: baking and the pleasure of afternoon tea.

Grace opens a café where she serves tea, coffee, and macarons—the delectable, delicate French cookies colored like precious stones—to the women of Macau. There, among fellow expatriates and locals alike, Grace carves out a new definition of home and family. But when her marriage reaches a crisis, secrets Grace thought she had buried long ago rise to the surface. Grace realizes it’s now or never to lay old ghosts to rest and to begin to trust herself. With each mug of coffee brewed, each cup of tea steeped and macaron baked, Grace comes to learn that strength can be gleaned from the unlikeliest of places.

A delicious, melt-in-your-mouth novel featuring the sweet pleasures of French pastries and the exotic scents and sights of China, The Color of Tea is a scrumptious story of love, friendship and renewal.

I would recommend this book as I enjoyed it a lot.

This week was my second time camping and sleeping in my car. 

The bag on the left holds the window coverings I made for the car.  These are black and held in place with magnets. Quite effective actually.  The second photos is a small IKEA hanging container I put on the back of my front seat to hold my keys, my watch, and cell phone.  White makes easy to see even in the dark.  I have repurposed an old vinegar jug for drinking water while camping.  My sister is using squarer jugs which may be more stable as this one fell over and dripped water onto the carpet in my car.  I will check those out when I go grocery shopping this week. 

Sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #141 and Mersad who hosts Through My Lens #299

Card Exchange Cards - Tangerine Tango & Baja Breeze

I started with an orange card base which I think is Tangerine Tango.

I added a layer of Baja Breeze polka dot designer paper from the Palette o' Prints collection.  I ripped the right hand edge and aligned it along the fold. 

I added a length of Tangerine Tango Scallop Polka Dot ribbon to the designer paper layer and taped the ends to the back.  I adhered it to the card front.

I cut one of the labels from the Apothecary Framelits set from Baja Breeze card stock. I added a greeting from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set color printed on white card stock punched with the Large Oval.  I added tiny orange brads on either side of the greeting then adhered it to the card front with 3D foam tape.

I added 2 small buttons in coordinating color on the bottom right hand corner with small Zots.

The same basic supplies for this card but I switched up the orientation to landscape.

I turned the Baja Breeze designer paper over to the other side to show the floral design.

I put quarter sheet inserts on the inside and added a white envelope.

These are headed out to my card buddies. 

Birthday Cards - Big Cards for Big Birthdays

This is a half sheet card meaning it measures 5.5 x 8.5 inches.

I started with a Very Vanilla card base.

I chose a sheet of designer paper from Springtime Vintage Series.  A lovely blue and ivory small floral print.  I cut it to leave a small border.

I added a piece of Baja Breeze Stitched Grosgrain ribbon to the top third of the card and taped the ends to the back.  It was then adhered to the card front.

I color printed a greeting on Very Vanilla card stock and cut it with one of the the Deco Label Framelits.  I then cut a textured Baja Breeze one as well.  I cut that in half and adhered them to the back of the greeting offset for the color to show.  It was adhered with 3D foam tape.

I added 3 pearl buttons in the bottom right hand corner adhered with small Zots.  A nod to the seamstress that my Mom is.

I started with felt finish printed card stock from Authentique - Remberance Collection - Remberance One.

It is printed in burgundy on warm white so I decided to just watercolor the flowers on the piece I had cut leaving a small border.  I chose More Mustard for the flowers and Always Artichoke for the leaves. This was great fun!

I added a twill ribbon of Bravo Burgundy topped with a grosgrain ribbon in More Mustard.  These were adhered to the back of the layer then adhered to the Bravo Burgundy card front.   I printed the greeting on Very Vanilla card stock and ripped the top and bottom.  I adhered it with 2 More Mustard mini brads.  This one is for my Aunt who celebrates a special birthday later this summer.

Sympathy Cards

I made a few sympathy cards to include in a set of cards for my Mom's birthday.

I chose Whisper White layer trimmed to leave a small border. I stamped the Berry Branch from the Simply Sketched stamp set with black permanent ink so I could watercolor the images.

The greeting is from the same set. 

I chose Old Olive and a bit of Always Artichoke for the leaves and Marina Mist for the berries.  My sister shared from her stash of Stampin Up Watercolor Wonder Crayons a set of the bright colors.  Thanks so much. 

I adhered the layer to the front of an Old Olive card base.  

Spattered a bit of green watercolor by flicking my brush just to soften the wide open white space.

For this card I switched up the orientation to landscape and used 2 stamps from the Simply Sketched set. The Poppy and the sentiment.

I used Real Red and some Regal Rose for the poppy.

Again, a bit of spattering with a flick of my brush.  Trimmed to 4.00 x 5.25 inches to leave a small border.

The card base is Pink Pirouette.

These have had white inserts with appropriate sentiments added to the inside of the card.

The Perched Bird from the Simply Sketched set with the sympathy sentiment.

I chose to make a brown with red and green and added a breast of More Mustard.  The reeds are Always Artichoke.  I added some water below with Marina Mist.

This was cut to 2.75 x 4.25 inches.  I layered it onto a piece of brown card stock and then onto a textured card base in Ballet Blue.

Again, a bit of spattering with my brush.

I am adding these to a variety of others cards to make a set of 10 cards.  Mom who is in her eighties still makes cards but it's nice to a stash ready when she is not up to making a card.

I am looking forward to seeing her.

Saskatoons

I picked 2 ice cream pails of saskatoon berries today.  

Between my sister and I we picked 6 pails some of which are for Mom and another sister.

It rained over night so the bushes were wet but overall it was very good picking.

We visited a new place this year which has acres of bushes!  They opened on Monday and we picked on Wednesday but it was easy to pick around the unripe ones.  This gave me 4 plastic bags in the freezer.   

We visited the ice cream place nearby after we had cleaned our berries and has supper.  It was great dessert and they had Maple Walnut hard ice cream.  The best.

This was one of the first times where we got a little closer to NORMAL.  We are all vaccinated so we were careful but it was very good.

There was a couple of good storms - one was just wind and bluster but the second one was pea sized hail.  My car was protected in the garage.  

Thanks so much!  I  also got 4 freezer bags of BC Blueberries.

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.

Card Box - HB and Thank You

 Another couple of cards for the box.

I started with designer paper from Echo Park called Hello Spring.  I paired it with a purplish Rich Razzleberry card base.

I added a length of Island Indigo 1/4" satin ribbon along the right hand side.  Taped the ends to the back. I added three deep teal and yellow handmade paper flowers on the left side adhered with tiny yellow brads.

This layer was adhered to the front of the card with double sided tape.  This ensures nothing showing on inside of the card. 

The greeting is a Stampin Up Modern Label punchie color printed.  I added the deep purple punch split in half and adhered to the back offset a bit for it to show up.  This layer was adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.

Ready for an August birthday.

The same paper was paired with a Rose Red card base this time.

I added a white grosgrain ribbon across the bottom third of a landscape oriented card.  Then ends taped to the back and then adhered to the card front.

I added an oval color printed greeting in Rose Red and chalked with the same color around the edges.  It was adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.

Is resting in the Compassion House box for delivery a little later.

Cards - Birthday and All Occasion

I chose a piece of Stampin Up Designer Paper from the Tea for Two series and cut it into 6 - 4.00 x 5.25" pieces.

The paper was designed with Island Indigo as the deep blue I don't have that color so I substituted Midnight Muse which works well.  Love the quilting pattern.  This is my Angle Rectangle design where the decorative paper is titled on the card front and adhered. Then it is trimmed to the card edges with scissors. 

I added a length of Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon and knotted it on the front aligning it on the left near the fold.

I punched an Artisan Label from a scrap of the same DSP and turned it over to reveal the Calypso Coral polka dot side. I layered a Modern Label blue greeting over that. It was adhered in the bottom right hand corner with 3D foam tape.

This will be a card for one of my quilting sisters.

For this card I have paired it with a Lucky Limeade card base.

I cut the layer at 3.5" and turned the smaller piece over and taped them back together.  I placed a length of Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon along the join and taped the ends to the back.  The layer was then adhered to the card front.

I created the greeting with a SU Scallop Circle punchie in a coordinating orange card stock with a color printed circle greeting.  The blue and green greeting was punched with the 1 3/8 inch circle punch then adhered to the scallop.  This accent was then adhered to the card front over the ribbon with 3D foam tape.

This card is for a friend who celebrates her birthday in early August.

I made a couple of all occasion cards for my card box.

Here I have paired the reverse side which is the Calypso Coral Polka Dots with a coordinating card base. 

I assembled the flower accent with a couple handmade paper flowers (turquoise and yellow) and a couple silk flowers (white and orange).  All held in place on the designer paper with a tiny blue brad. 

The layer was then adhered to the card front with double sided tape.

I used another Midnight Muse card base with the quilting side of the Tea for Two DSP facing out. I made a slit in the designer paper and folded back the triangles to reveal the orange polka dots.  Like the way it repeats the triangles in the paper.

I wrapped a length of narrow organza ribbon in the Lucky Limeade color around the narrowest point of the front layer and tied a bow.  Trimmed the ribbon ends.

The layer was then adhered to the card front.

I added some three warm white Sugar Dots in the triangle space across from the ribbon bow.

Each of these has a white blank insert and has been paired with an white envelope.

Birthday Cards

I made a few cards for my upcoming family birthdays.

I started with a card base in Not Quite Navy. 

I printed the sail boat from the Sail Away stamp set on Whisper White in black.  I used the Stampin Up Watercolor Wonder Crayons to color the image.  Night of Navy for the water, Not Quite Navy for the sky and Cherry Cobbler for the sails.  It was trimmed to 4.00 x 5.25 inches.

I printed the greetings in black on white card stock.

I flagged the right hand end of the greeting and mounted on the card front with 3D foam tape.

I chose a Soft Sky card base. I added a layer of Old Olive at 4.00 x 5.25 inches.  

I printed the grove from the Lovely as a Tree stamp set in black on white. 

I watercolored the image with Not Quite Navy for the sky.   A mixture of Always Artichoke and Garden Green for the grass and the trees. 

The image was trimmed to 3.5 x 5.00 inches and adhered to the green layer.

I printed the greetings in black on white card stock.

I trimmed the greeting and mounted on the card front with 3D foam tape.

I chose a Stampin Up Kraft card base.

I printed the Canada Goose from the Wetlands Stamp set in black on white card stock.

I mixed a color to match the Kraft card base which I used for the body of the bird, a lighter version for the breast and some greener version for the grass.

I printed the greetings in black on white card stock.

I chose the same color mixed earlier to shade the edges of the flagged greeting.  It was mounted to the card front with 3D foam tape. 

A couple of these off to those who are celebrating in July.

Christmas Card Challenge - July - Trees

I found a set of these little trees when I was cleaning up.  I have no idea where I got them but they may have come from my niece.  I don't have this die so I did not cut them. They are Stampin Up Gumball Green.

I have chosen the same elements and arranged them slightly differently in each card. 

Trees - Gumball Green die cut spruce tree - die unknown

DSP - SU Winter Bright collection

Colors - Bashful Blue, Gumball Green, Whisper White

Tiny White Brads

Greeting - SU Artisan Label punchies in BB & GG

Card bases - Textured Gumball green 12x12 cut down to size

The greeting was mounted to card front with 3D foam tape. 

I added 3 tiny white brads to the main tree then adhered with double sided tape. 

The snowbanks were ripped from white card stock and I used a bit of Bashful Blue chalk along the rough edge.

The star is a punchie from white pearl card stock adhered with a Bling Zot.

The DSP was cut to leave a small border and in one case cut to 3 inches wide by 5.25 inches tall.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

This is a most beautiful flower.  It's the Astrantia Major Alba and to me is just says "wedding".  Soft muted colors with a hint of pink in the center.  Wonderful star shaped lower petals. 

This was my first nice photography trip following the break of the Heat Dome which covered my area for days! More about that below. 

I visited the St. Albert Botanic Park where the flowers were plentiful and it was the perfect temperature for a 2 hour stroll in the garden.

I just loved it so much!

Let me start with the most recent challenge in my life. Never have I experienced this!  Seven days of over 30C temperatures was very challenging especially when the low over night was in the 20C so really no cooling off.  This is record breaking for us here on the prairies of Canada.  

It was as isolating as the pandemic with temperatures in my home of 32C which was in my opinion dangerous. I walked outside very early in the morning. I drank lots of cold herbal tea, soaked my head once every hour, and the fan ran 24-7.  Thank goodness I had good books to read.   Typically, not too many households have air conditioning but I expect that it will become much more popular!
 

I did buy this book myself but I was not ready for the story I found within it's pages.

There are three women characters - Rachel the woman on the train, Anna her ex-husband's current wife and Megan who is the neighbour of Anna. 

These three women live a lot of their lives in their heads and the book leaves me wondering how much is real and imagined in their lives. 

I did consider putting it down and not finishing it several times but I finished the book.  

Did I enjoy the book?  Somewhat but it often was chaotic and unsettling.  I much prefer strong characters and these were pretty much all over the place.

A few more images from my photo trip out on Saturday morning.  The heat broke last Friday night and I was able to open the windows and let the cool air in. 

At the Botanic Park the roses were in full bloom and there are rows and rows of them.

Earlier this year I was concerned for the bee population but there was no lack of them at the park.  There were a couple of places where they could get water. 

The Song Sparrow was just belting out its song which was so good to hear.

I had a visit from a dragonfly and now I know why the are called dragon as they have quite fierce faces.

Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks is a book I totally enjoyed.  He is one of my favorite authors when I want a nice love story with strong characters.

Set in North Carolina inspired by 2 very different places. One is the "Kindred Spirit" which is a mail box on an isolated beach.  People leave letters and other written words in the box.  When you visit you can read the letters and other material and return them to the mail box for others to share.  The other is the country of Zimbabwe.  

Hope Anderson is a nurse spending time at the family cottage. Tru Wall, a 42-year-old safari guide from Zimbabwe is next door due to meet his biological father for the first time.  They meet on the beach, get to know each other, and in a few days make life changing decisions.  

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.  

There are several colors of Yarrow.  I have seen White, Pink and the park had this Yellow one.

I grew up with it being harvested for medicinal purposes so it has not been high on my flower radar but it is really nice.

I finished this book yesterday which was the third this week. 

What a terrific book - The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman.  The story about love, isolation, and right and wrong.  Tom Sherbourne takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day's journey from the Australian coast. Later, he marries Isabel and he brings her to the island. She has suffered miscarriages and a still birth so when she hears the cries of a baby from a washed up boat she feels it is a divine intervention.

They choose to keep the child as present her as their own rather than report the death of the man and the surviving child. Two years later, they learn the consequences of their decision for other families on the mainland.



This love story is touching, heart wrenching and ultimately love triumphs.

I just loved this story. It made a mess of my emotions with a few tears shed at times. This wonderful story is recommended.

The Flickr Macro Mondays challenge this week is "Letters and Numbers".  This provides a lot of subject matter.  This is a metal tag put on infrastructure by the city.  You can check my Flickr Photostream (SMDPics) to see the image I submitted.

I am sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #138 and

Mersad who hosts Through My Lens #296.

Have a great week and be safe.

Cards - Exchange - July

A blue and yellow theme for my July exchange cards.

I chose a golden yellow card stock and ran it through the Big Shot with the Cuttlebug Script Texture folder.

I adhered it to the a white card base.

I wrapped and knotted the blue organza ribbon around the card front and placed it along the fold on the left.

I added a focal element created from punchie flowers made with the Stampin Up Five Petal punchie from yellow and blue card stock.  I managed to find scraps of blue that matched the ribbon really well.  I added a half inch circle and a yellow mini brad in the center to hold these all together. 

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

For this card all the same elements but switched orientation to a wide card.  

On hind sight maybe I should have selected a different folder for this one because the script is sideways.  It's mostly texture so I think its still works.

For the focal element I used a white flower brad for the center which brings in the white of the card base.

These will be off to my exchange partners shortly.