Gardening Fun...and Collages

Having learnt how to make collages in Picasa I've been playing.

Also got out into the garden today (following yesterday's prompt for Shimelle's class) and here's a mixture of new photos and some earlier ones from our garden this year. We've taken to it in a big way once more after buying a new greenhouse last year and the results are fab. We plant in pots mostly and in a small walled garden area (for ease on aging backs Mum says) and it's great because you can move them around depending on what's in flower etc.



For today's prompt in the class, we had to photograph a group of three items in different ways...I struggled with it, mainly deciding on what to use. I started off with a hot chocolate collection before finding a cute little notebook and pencil set that I got for Christmas (which was what was posted on the class forum). So here are the rest of the photos!

WOYWW – Week 4

So last week a few people commented on my crammed full tote, so this weekend (stretching the wednesday a bit I know) I emptied it out and took some photos just so you could all see what I have inside!

The photography side of things is still taking up my interest more than the actual crafting this week so no ongoing projects to share but here’s the contents of the tote…

And here’s the empty tote to prove it!

And just for good measure, here’s my nestability storage.

Luckily my desk has inbuilt CD racks so I could take this one over with crafty bits!! There’s still one more empty space. I feel a shopping trip coming on!

Look What I Learnt Today…!

As part of Shimelle’s latest class I have discovered how to make photo collages…yes it’s taken me this long! I’ve had Picasa for well over a year now and only just figured it out! So after posting today’s assignments as single photos on the class forum while on the laptop (which apparently won’t open Picasa because it just feels like it) I have since made the collages of all the photos I took today for the class.

Assignment 1: Different lighting effects

The three things I usually have to hand in different locations and light around the house! As you can see not all of them worked that well.

Assignment 2: Floral photos

A bunch of home grown freesias was the subject. I moved it around the living room trying to get lots of different angles. My favourite shots so far are the pink bloom and the single stem on the windowsill.

I also discovered this evening that by downloading the bundled software with my Dad’s camera it has a remote shooting panel included so I can set up the camera and take pictures via my PC. Have no idea what practical use that may have (if anyone knows do share!) but it was fun to play!

Sunday Ramblings

First of all when is this weather going to end? I’m fed up with it now. Yes it’s nice to be able to enjoy the sun and not wrap up like an eskimo to go 50 yards down the road but after two weeks of it I’ve had enough.  The garden is practically inaccessible from the hours of 10am until 6pm despite having the gazebo stretched across the middle!

Despite that, I’ve been practising with the new camera, trying out the modules from Cheryl Johnson’s latest class (Not going Green).  Not brilliantly but a whole lot better than I could do last week!

And just because she’s my little cutie…

I’ve also rediscovered my flickr account…can’t remember setting it up but it’s there!

Flickr Photostream

Starting Monday…

I’ve signed up to Shimelle’s new class once more

Hopefully this time I can actually get finished. So far I’ve had two attempts at Journal Your Christmas and tried both Blogging For Scrapbookers (which I got furthest with) and Something from almost Nothing. Fingers crossed anyway!

One day I’ll go back and complete the other classes but it would be nice to do them while the class is going lol.

WOYWW – Week 3 (For me)

This week I’ve been spending more time on photography than on scrapping so nothing in progress on the workspace, so I thought I’d show you the other parts of the room that I’ve taken over! It’s a multi purpose room (part sitting room, crafting space, computer space, playstation/wii space) so I cram my stuff into as many corners as possible!

This is my cuttlebug plates, dies, card and punch box. Anything really that doesn’t fit anywhere else! It’s next to my table so within easy reach of me so it’s mostly little bits that I toss in there!

Over in the other corner is my tote crammed full of thickers, pens, tools and photos waiting to be scrapped. Behind it you can see my two paper cases, one for papers and one for card. Both of which are crammed full!

This is the start of my burgeoning distress collection! I have it, along with the tool and mister and stamps in a little case given to me for my birthday although if I buy anymore it won’t fit!

Last but not least, the main thing for scrapping is the camera lol. I’ve just treated myself to a Canon Powershot SX120 IS which is why the photography has taken over this week. It’s fab, and now we’ve bought a tripod for Dad’s DSLR I can play with that too!!

Thanks to everyone for their lovely comments last week, I didn’t get to hop around your desks much but I am hoping to do much better this week!

Sandringham Estate

In a bid to escape the overwhelming heat and to try out cameras we took a walk around the Royal Estate at Sandringham this afternoon. There’s a sculpture trail which is reasonably short as well as the longer walks.

  

 

We plan to visit the house and gardens at some point but the trails are an excellent (and free!) day out. Nice ice cream too!

Strawberry Plants Forever

So my WOYWW gave a hint to this layout and here’s the finished article. Quite happy with it, despite a couple of mishaps with trying to outline the title letters (hence the scalloped circles!)

Haven’t quite got the hang of photographing layouts yet. I may have to resort to blutacking them to the wardrobe door again to get them level!

That’s three layouts this week…I must go and lie down in a darkened room!!

England 1-0 Slovenia

I don’t usually do football, I’m one of those who gets on the bandwagon (to a certain extent) every 4 years for the world cup. I couldn’t tell you who most of the England players play for except the likes of Rooney, Lampard and Gerrard, but I do sit and watch the games in the world cup.

Last weekend Dad bought home an England flag that he’d been given (along with a Welsh one that will come out for the Six Nations next year). Well Dooley was sleeping, so I decided to play.

Obviously this was finished before yesterday’s match, but I still think my puss-cat can play football with the best of them!

WOYWW

Wow, two weeks in a row. Not bad. Of course I only started doing this last week so it's probably not that spectacular! Hopefully this week I will be able to get round to few other people's desks!

My workspace has moved today. When I want to watch TV and craft the table moves with me into the living room.

I'm working on a layout about our gardening experiences. Aside from the garden book I'm doing, I am doing the odd 12x12 layout for the special things like our first strawberry.

To get over my lack of strawberry embellishments I downloaded some clipart and printed them before covering them in glossy accents. When they dry I'll mount them onto a punched circle to make the embellishment. Something else on the desk are my hobbycraft bargain MM ribbons. I can't resist the bargain bins anywhere!

Thanks for the comments about my bank account troubles, all sorted now, so I shall indulge in some dies as soon as I decide which ones!

Out of interest does anyone know whether I can use the Tim Holtz on the edge dies in my cuttlebug? Do I need special plates or anything? Don't want to buy them and find out I can't use them!