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Me again … still whiling away some time waiting on a couple of deliveries to be made. Naturally, they cannot give you a small window of time … their window is ALL DAY until 9pm! I hope they come before then as I am usually zzzzzzing by then! LOL I find myself playing with another of the things in today’s email from Carole. The Laplacien Enhanced plug-in. I did see that it was a 32bit and I am running 64 … but I do keep an older version of PSP just for these occasions 🙂 So I loaded it there per the instructions and can see that it will be very useful. Sending both versions so you can compare. You will undoubtedly see which one is enhanced. Have you ever seen such a beautiful subway system? You know, I have never lived in a city with a subway system. Rode a lot of them in travel … but none where I have ever lived. Not sure it would be my favorite mode of transportation even if I did have one … but if they looked like this, I would give it a try for sure.
Did anyone besides me get today’s Discovery version from Corel about things to try? Well, I always take a look to see what they are tooting. One of today’s was Selective Focus … which I never played with. I didn’t want to make a town look cartoony … but I did use it on a deer that I snagged off a you tube video. It really worked in focusing on her and not the forest behind her. I guess I will play with that a little more. I should have made the bar just a dab higher as I can see the very tip of her ears got snared into the blur … but she won’t mind. She can still hear. She was pretty anyway, but using that effect really did make her pop out. Sending both to compare.
Thank you, Val, Annie, Lynda, Christina and Ann. Yes. Henri was adorable and provided a ton of great memories. Thank you for your encouragement. I was reading Carole’s note this morning about her snow and then decided to play with the circle doodle instructions. I’ve played with those vectors and circles a lot and I think I enjoy them the most when I have idle time. Today, I used the circle doodle and her snow seeing as how we don’t have any down here, thank goodness. Fortunately, the birds stayed out of it. LOL
I’ve been meaning to get to this one. Just a simple idea … but it worked, I think. 🙂 Not all people want to avoid the snow. Loads head right for it and would stay there forever! Once upon a day, that might have been me, too!
I have written about Henri once before, but yesterday I went to the hardware store to get a monster outlet to plug in some old externals. Yea! They still worked! I found more pictures of my little Henri. Couldn’t resist showcasing him a little better. He was such a little family pet. Had his own little carpet square outside the door where he would lay in the sun until about four in the afternoon when he knew he would get some cheese and meat scraps. Loved Milkbones, just like a dog and followed me everywhere I went. Two steps off my heels. Scared some of the neighbors. I had a fellow painting the inside of my house and he poked his nose in his trailer to get some paint and the next thing he knew he had a little orange head poked in there looking around, too. Fortunately, he knew me and my love of wild animals. He acted like it was no big thing … and to Henri, it wasn’t. I never trust a wild animal after the first growing year … and Henri was no different. He knew my voice and would stop in his tracks whenever I called him by name … he would run over to get a treat, but we never again hugged or romped. Once they have fended for themselves over a winter … they are wild. They may trust you, but they have learned to respect and distance from human scents. I have had pet squirrels, fox, (gray and red), deer, skunks, raccoons, seagulls and all kinds … but I draw the line on coyotes. No way. Henri was in a class of his own.
What a fun challenge. I chose do to mine on a pet raccoon I had for seven years. Her name was Lil, short for Lillian. I adopted her when she was first born as she had only brothers and they would push her out of the range of food. I started to feed only her. She became my “bestest little buddy” and followed me around like a puppy. She had her own dishes and toys and loved cookies … just like me. 🙂
First … let me say that I love looking at everything everyone does. I do appreciate how supportive everyone is of one another. I’ve had some company and really only getting bits and drabs of time to play, but I do sneak a look every so often to see what’s happening! I love to look at everyone’s work and especially the folks starting out with sandwiches and truthfully … no matter where you are at a level in PSP, it’s just darn fun to play with and learn as you go along. I recently bought a few new scripts and stuffies from Carols store. Been practicing with a few getting the ins and outs of them. This morning I ran out of notepaper here at my computer and in only two seconds time (printer sitting right here) used one of the scripts and made myself some little notepapers. Well, I guess I can save now on buying a scratchpad which I always keep here. I’ll just make my own. Made sure to size them small enough to plop into PSP Print Layout and used auto-arranger to get four to a page. Print out three sheets and you have 12 notepapers. Simple and quick. It’s such a simple thing and I never bothered to do it. Gives you a good reason to tube up something to make them pretty!
I live kind of in the woods in Florida … just the way I like it really … but the trees here are over run with what I call birds of prey. Carrion eaters. Or so I thought. I don’t get too many little pretty birds – they are around – just not here in this immediate area. Maybe all the big birds just scare them away. Anyway, to make a long story short, I put out some fridge and freezer clean out stuff one morning for what I thought would be crows. Within minutes I had a LOT of big birds and I guess
the whole “just eat carrion” is just a myth, because they were chowing down on the cranberry orange muffins, stove top corn bread/scallop patties, and hot dogs? Go figure? They didn’t leave a crumb. Obviously the crows are not going to join in with that bunch. I don’t think I will do that again. Those big birds are scary … especially when there is like 50 them! Anyway, I was playing with birds and pics and concentrated on ospreys while still playing with some of Carole’s nail heads. I love those! I did not take any of the pictures, just collected them from all around. They have mesmerizing eyes!Ghosties ate my graphic, I guess. LOL
Best of wishes to all of you at the Campus. May all your New Year’s be slated with good things, health and prosperity. Probably most of us will be ringing in the new year in a more solitary way … but it still is a New Year. Hopefully will bring new Hope. Be well.
I am soooooooo ready to kick 2020 to the curb. Thinking positive thoughts on the incoming 2021. It might get off to a little bit of a rough start … but perhaps by mid year we can see some real change begin to blossom! Wouldn’t that be nice? Using three of my most favorite quotes …
Annie ~ a fabulous alpha!! Love it. I have NEVER made an alpha … but I sure agree with you that many of us come to PSP when we want to relax or engage our minds on something besides the world and it’s problems. Most of us, like you, have an avenue we travel first. I’m thinking you should lead a class on alpha making! I am going to go check out that tut Block Shape. Never too old, I think, to learn a few new tricks. I always love reading your posts as you are always so gracious and kind. An inspiration for all of us … and I must say we are the lucky ones for “taking a peek!”
Corrie … Christina … Annie … Val … Ann … and EVERYONE that comes to read and view — Even in these uncertain times I am praying that you all find something to be cheerful about on Christmas Day and heading into the New Year. It will be a much needed new year for everyone – a fresh start. Anything should be better than the 2020 we just endured.
I’ve been playing today with Carole’s Wooden Alphabet. Last year I bought an abutting property in Maine and had a builder rehab it. An 100 plus year old Cabbage Barn. He separated it almost in half inside and finished one side into living space while leaving the other side as a barn and workshop. I practically lived in it this past summer building stuff and am looking forward to getting back to it late spring. I’ve always had a craft room in my house which my mother named “Creation Station” 35 years ago. When the barn was completed my family asked what I was going to call it and I said it’s still going to be Creation Station in honor of Mom. It’s a fun place and it’s only 350 steps from my front door.
While everyone has been playing with snow, snowmen and gnomes … I am battling Cuban Tree Frogs. While I like frogs in general, I do NOT LIKE the invasive Cuban Tree Frogs. They are messy and big and can jump what seems like a country mile. I had to have my roof vents all screened as they love to get in those, too. They can even get in the house that way. Now they are finding a lovely Christmas Home in the accordion Hurricane Shutters. Well, as with any living breathing creature they do two things. Eat and poop. Not pretty on your windows. I have learned they are quite aggressive too when you spray them with a high pressure hose. They almost laugh at you. It’s like a Disney ride to them. They love it. I read you have to spray them with vinegar. Anyone ever done that? I wondered if it would etch the window glass? The only gnome I would have here would be a frognome! Merry Christmas – Happy Holidays, everyone.
I had wondered earlier about when we would start to see these colors out there in the “marketplace”. I had my first encounter this afternoon and I have to admit, I think they did a creditable job of making them seem more interesting than I thought they might be. I was on a Murals website and they offered this: (their words) — Pantone’s color of the year is actually a duo for 2021; Ultimate Gray (17-5104) paired with Illuminating (13-0647). Gray and yellow speak to the duality of what we’re looking for in the year 2021. Gray provides a solid foundation in a challenging time, offering the chance to ground ourselves in the present and consider things from a practical angle. But beyond stoic fortitude, 2021 is going to call for ingenuity, optimism, and energy, encapsulated by the pairing of a bright, sunny yellow with a cool, calming gray. Pantone’s pairing reminds us that while it’s important to keep our feet planted firmly on the ground, it’s still okay to look towards the clouds and the sunlight streaming through them. — Spinmasters are great … It certainly seemed reasonable. We aren’t nearly out of the woods yet – but big time hope is on the way. Here were some of their pairings which I thought quite well done. Hope it’s okay to share them. 🙂
I was just playing this morning with some of the “freebies” Carole so generously contributed on the Corel Discovery page. Loads of things there to play with if you don’t already have them. I’m trying to psych myself into the Holiday Spirit. Kind of hard to do with no family coming down this year and hardly anyone moving about here, either. All for a good thing, of course, but makes you have to work a little harder with holiday glee! :o) Freebies make people happy, so grab them while you can! Carole, alone, had some wonderful things there for us! I’m off to make some Christmas Cookies … who doesn’t get happy with Christmas Cookies and some heavy handed sprinkles! Less than a week, it will have all come and gone. So I am going to enjoy while I can.
Christmas – It can be a volatile time of life. Busy, for sure … It’s usually a pretty bustling time getting decorated, buying presents, coordinating menus, making sure everyone in the family has what they need. It can also be a time of reflection on past events in your life – both happy and sad. Even those sad events I like to treasure and be grateful for the time we got to share. Memories of good times are what carry us through difficult times … gives you strength and bolsters your morale to remember those events that stick with you. Little bits and pieces of other people sometimes stay glued to your soul. That’s a good thing. My husband and I often went to OBX for Christmas with his brother and wife. While my husband is gone and so is the brother’s wife, I still treasure those memories and don’t even really need pictures to do so. Those bits and pieces truly are glued to me. I wanted an unusual background for the piece so I went out in the middle of the street and took a picture of the tar with my ipad. That is the background I used … the macadam from my street. You just NEVER KNOW where inspiration will come from! LOL
Moving into a new home, what little time I’ve been here, there always seems to be something to do. Perhaps a really good thing with Covid still making moving about unwise. Even though I am about 1600 miles away from what I know … some things remain the same. The sound of birds that half hour before sunrise when it seems they are conversing and making their plans for the day. I don’t even pretend to know what they are saying, but they are loud about it. As it happens, the home I bought is very close to a crow roost in a preserve. There must be a “head crow” as I hear him “talking” every morning and then shortly afterward – waves of crows leave the roost. Each wave heads out in a different direction, boisterous as they fly! I think they have all been given missions to accomplish … what else could all that fuss be about? Anyway, they are hugely fun to watch in the colorful but muted early morning sky. It’s odd that they are so noticeable when they leave, but I never see them return. Obviously they do, but they are quiet and singular I think, for there is no fuss about their return. Crows are so intelligent and fun to watch, but if you don’t like their noise, oh boy! Who needs an alarm! I didn’t really do much with this … it just seemed to suit watching them.
ANN – I couldn’t get the graphic to enlarge … but I could read the print anyway (with my high test glasses on!) LOL What an interesting story. I looked him up and found a wonderful conversation about that Jetty and how it looks even today. I bet he was a fascinating person … anyone who dreams up large works such as that just has to be. Funny about the preying mantis story – I can remember as a child dumping a pail of snakes in my grandmothers kitchen. She was NOT happy. My brother and I were young and just so happy to be able to play with snakes in Maine … when we weren’t allowed to in the south. Poor Gram. They were only garter snakes, but she had a hissy fit. Needless to say, we weren’t allowed to bring the pail in the house again. Lovely l/o and I love a good story such as that!
I had another go at those Pantone Colors. I looked them up and supposedly they were chosen for: “The colors are intended to convey “a message of strength and hopefulness,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said in a statement about the colors. I guess everyone has their own opinion, but it looks like more of the same blah of life we just experienced for nearly the past year. Pantones set the stage for just about all purchased products. It seems like they should have chosen something a whole lot more upbeat. But really, do you consciously choose your purchases based on Pantone Color directives? I bet not. I know most people know what colors look good on them and stick to their preferences. I doubt anyone is going to repaint the inside of their house or change their furniture based on these two colors either. What they are going to sell to us will be interesting to see. :o) In my piece, I chose my favorite things … the ocean, boating and birds. That’s the greatest thing about scrappin’ ~ you get to choose whatever makes you happy. We don’t need no stinkin’ rules. Well, /cept maybe in this one! LOL
Oh my, Bonnie, how lucky they are! My husband and I were lucky to share just shy of forty years together before he died of cancer. Great years, wonderful memories … a very colorful life. Your friends are incredibly lucky to have such a long run!
Those particular colors, while pretty, seemed more Easter-like to me. I kept the color-code true … but concentrated on making splashes of coordinating colors be prevalent using masks. Using a piece of artwork by Christopher Forsey … I chose to remember First Date(s). I say it that way as I had one date with my husband. At the end of the evening he asked me to marry him. So we always laughed that I only got one date. I guess it was memorable.
I was playing this morning with a picture I took from my back porch. I was using Pic to Painting, garland, and sky and worrying about our chaotic world. How that all goes together, who knows? Too much coffee maybe. My friend just called to tell me her grandson has covid now – caught from his college roommate. It never seems to end. I know families are not getting together for Christmas … travel is not safe. I sure wish for better times soon. I hope you are all staying well. I was also still playing with one of the classes on manipulating vector shapes. What I ended up with was entirely chaotic, which was how I was feeling!
I come to Florida to get away from snow … but playing with snow online while it’s heavenly outside is entirely okay! I had fun playing with your bits and pieces, Carole, but I lopped off the head and resized it 75% to get a three part snowman. Kind of like GO BIG – or GO HOME! LOL Believe it or not … while we don’t have snow here I went out the other morning and there was actually a layer of ICE! on the top of my car. Apparently in the middle of the night it dipped pretty low here. Glad I slept through it!
I used a shot I took while visiting the Gray Animal Farm with Grandchildren, Nieces and Nephews. A wonderful day and we saw all kinds of animals indigenous to Maine – coyotes, bears, moose, fish, and loads of others including birds, etc. My personal favorite was the Turtle Exhibit. They were just humorous — all clamoring to get in a line. Pushing and shoving each other just like kids. The kids loved it. I used the same photo … but used the AI feature in PSP 2021 to make the turtles bigger and clearer.
Thank you, Annie. You’ve no idea how much we all missed your encouraging comments while you were taking a break. I – along with everyone else, I’m sure – am so happy you are back with us again. Sometimes you are JUST what we need to keep motivated!
I’m sure many of you were at Carole’s class at Corel this afternoon on making calendars from scratch. Pure enjoyment and who knew it was so easy to do — even when you aren’t given the elements to make them as we were earlier! She is always so full of tips and tricks. The font she used called Mama … with the glyphs … just thought I might mention, it’s free on DaFont.com. Easy as pie calling up the character map to make them. Always something interesting to learn! I made a quick one just to cement what I learned in the ole noggin! LOL That’s the only way I can keep it there. Thanks, Carole.
