Sue Thomas

Ants will farm aphids, as aphids feed on the sap of plants, they secrete a liquid called honeydew. Aphids are sometimes called plant lice, but they are not related. Aphids are closely related within the suborder Sternorrhyncha. Lice belong to the suborder Troctomorpha, in the order that also contain book lice, barklice, and bark flies. We look for aphid infestions in the crops. I studied the aphid when I was recording and documenting the life cycle of the ladybird several years ago. As Ladybirds feed almost exclusivley on aphids.

Sometimes it takes several attempts at drawing around the image to get the effect I am looking for. Also I will edit the mask after I have run the script.

Julie Magerka, there is youtube video on using the paintsplash script. https://www.google.com/search?q=cass+paintsplash+video+youtube&oq=cass+paintsplash+video&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgCECEYChigATIGCAAQRRg5MgkIARAhGAoYoAEyCQgCECEYChigAdIBCTExMDk2ajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:7d7638c2,vid:MrEy7coigwE,st:0

There's a simple explanation Ann. Alicia clicked on the previous year's vector workshop to post her page, in error. The other day, I received 11 likes from Cindy, all from posts I posted in last year's vector workshop. It would appear Alicia, didn't click on the current workshop.

Undoubtedly, always a pleasure. I have been rather busy, and meant to comment on your last layout, as it escaped me until now. You altered the word bye using the kerning, which you specified in your comment as looking rather odd. May I suggest to you to get a better result, whilst the text is still a vector, STRETCH the word vertically and horizonally instead. As you will still maintain the shapes of the glyphs and letters as they were exactly written. Of course, stretching within reason mind. Apologies for not commenting on everyones outstanding pages posted. I will be getting around to doing this random challenge. I am currently preoccupied with the camera. Young badger and fox cubs. Nestlings and fledglings, all currently in abundance. Riding and cycling.

Stunning simplistic page. They are easy to create, providing there aren't any gaps in the text from edge to edge of the page. The correct spelling for the flower Lily is spelt with one l. As it comes from lilium which is its genus. A child's name Lily can be be spelt in several ways, including two l's. There are other variations on creating this type of layout in the no kit masterclasses if you are interested.

Something else I have been working on. I created a vector flame, used geometric effects to get the shape of the word happy to fit in the flame. The colours aren't the best, but when I come to create a card I will use colours and patterns to match. This is a trial run.

One little tip I'll give is to use a guide when you are manipulating the duplicate vector, to get the extra thickness on the curves. So the pen nodes are aligned to create both sides symmetrical. Also lower the width of the duplicate vector. I'm still making adjustments when I create a candle. I've done several templates The more I do the better they get, as will yours. Not that I could find fault with yours, but you are like me. I have to be happy with what I create.

It was my pleasure to share with you all, once I had played with it. You did an awesome job! I love it.

I can now post again. I hope that is the end of the issues, as Carole, I'm sure somteimes technology can be a nightmare. I created this for a friend, whose birthday was yesterday, using one of my bird photos, as she is also an avid bird and insect watcher, like myslef. (Barn Swallow) The colours used in the candle can all be found in the photo. I used one of my embosed cutout templates. It's a 5x7 ecard. Which my friend was able to print off. I'm currently unable to comment on posts in the campus. Corrie Kinkel I love everything about your candle! If anyone was going to try their hand in creating one, I knew it would be you. They certainly do have the potential to be used in a variety of ways. I only wish I had thought of it long ago. Thanks Michele Fineron, for the suggestive challenge, as without your vision I may not have had thought to take the candle to this level. By the way, everyone has been posting wonderful, inspiring pages!

I see that the posts I had posted, which disappeared, have been restored . I will now post the updated transparent wordart candle which I posted on facebook as promised. Anyway, after some playing I can create celebration, festive candles which I will be happy with. Which are ever so easy to create, yet the results are quite impressive. I will start with the base. Using the vector elipse shape create the shape, duplicate. Using the pen tool move the side nodes in on the top layer, merge down, after duplicating, any gaps can be filled with the brush tool. Using the feather tool in selections feather severeal times until you get a nice tapered gap. Of course you would create the base after you have created the candle itself. Once you have created the wordart, stretch it out horizontally, and and a little squidging down. In order to achieve a shorter more compact candle. If that is what you'd prefer. Always duplicate, then convert to a raster. I won't go through the instructions of using the warp brush to create the rounded effect and shadows. Check out the tube tutorial in the creative scrap. Instead of using the usual written verse inside some cards I intend using a candle. The candle flame came from CF. I won't challenge you , but give it a try, and post it. It really is that easy.

Beautiful page! Love the title! When I was home in Dec and Jan 2024. I bought the girls a cookery book from a charity shop. It was like new, it hadn't even been opened for one pound 50p. Inside there was a recipe for lemon blossom flower tartlets. Of course their mam didn't have any flower cutter, so I ordered a set of 5 online for them. As you can see , they turned out great and tasted delicious. Whilst making them, the lemon tree song popped into my head out of the blue. I found and played the video over and over while we were baking them. The girls soon learnt the chorus by heart. That song was reminscent of my youth too! The other squares are carbob slices. In Wales not to far from where I lived as a child there was an orangery on the Margam estate. It is still there, open to the public. Filled with many mature citrus trees.

I could never ignore you!

Michele, this is what I have done. Actually I like that added touch to the bottom, rounding the base of the candle. It's quite subtle, yet visible, as I followed the line of the oval base.

Haaaa! Now I understand. I have just done this. But I can also follow the shape of the base, like in your image.

I'm not quite sure what you mean. You want the base of the candle to fan out. Can you give me an example. I can make, say the last two words words taper out like a Christmas tree. To create a base, while still maintaining the cylinder shape.

To satisfy my own curiosity, I will do another one, using my suggestions. At least when I do need to create another one closer to Xmas, I will know what steps to take, to create something I will be happy to place on a card. I was also thinking of using a word art candle on a birthday card, it could be a funny one even. As we get older, one candle is sufficient. 😉

I certainly did! Thinking about it, what I should have done before I started the word art, was to create the word art almost as wide as it is high, in order to create the tube effect. As this one now appears to be much taller, which it isn't, because I have narrowed it to get the rounded effect giving the illusion that it is. Another thing to take into consideration, is to not to have such wide gaps between words on the same line. I will know for next time.

What do you think? Initially I didn't add shadows, which makes it look better. If you ask me, I'm still not overlly happy with it.

In all honesty that was my initial intention. I started to create a cylinder or tube, but not having a background, in my view it didn't look quite right. As I want it to be transparent. Later on I will turn it into a cylinder shape and post, letting you be the judge of it. I feel that a patterned text, or background for the text would give the best result.

I'm up to date with my cards, also some of my Xmas cards for 2024. I'm back on the Xmas cards and general festive creations which I can add to cards. Here is a Xmas wordart candle, I started last night. The flame is from CF, a selection of fonts and a base I made using a vector shape, and the pen tool. It will easy enough to change colours to adapt to any card.

I have to agree with Julie, everything about this layout is absoloutly superb!

That they are, in their fine fluffy coats. Now that they have the room, its fun to watch them play.

After reading the latest blog post about using a split page, I downloaded one of the templates, and came up with this. Organza ribbon, (used Carole's bow script), paper bow. Banner from the masterclass. I was fortunate enough yesterday to witness these two 5-6 week old ground squirrels emerge from their undergound nursery for the very first time. They were so tiny, one would fit comfortably in the palm of my hand. Unfortunately, that wasn't likey to happen.

Even though I participated in the first greeting card challenge in 2022, it's always nice to have a refresher. Congratulations to all the participants, who submiited their pages, each every one is a masterpiece, to be proud of. The standard of creativity submitted is exemplary, even from the newbies. Not only that we are an inspiration to each other. Day 7. I kept it very simple. I used a lace brush. Colourised the berries red. I decided not to use a shadow on it. Using it as a stamp. I often use, well not often but always use a bird photo when I create cards for my birding friends. Same goes for my friends that have a passion as I do for insects. The surprise on the inside page for those that receicved invitations to festivals.