Sue Thomas

I really do love your minimalistic ethereal layouts. Superb! Allow me to make a small suggestion to this particular layout. I see you have sharp edges on the left and right of the mask. This is easy to remedy. Go to the mask, using a low hardness, and opacity, rotaion 100%, you can judge those settings yourself, to soften those edges. I suspect the original mask filled the page, making those edges rather defined.

Again, I used another layered quick page. Colourized some of the papers, and removed the flower elements replacing them with my own elements which I created goodness knows when.

Thank you! I did make a point of clearly specifying that it was a layered quick page, from an outside source from Marisa Lenin scrapbooking I believe. I tend to rename my resources. I have several of them. I wish I had been using them sooner, as they are easy to edit, colourize even delete unwanted layers. I'm able to complete a page within around15 mins.

My persistence eventually paid off. It was well worth it. Even the one in the grass was difficult to spot, in spite of the green blades of grass, there is a lot of dead grass, which enables them to blend in really well.

Do you know anything about the dragonfly, which I assume you took the photo? It's a Skimmer, (family Libelludae). They are the quintessential dragonflies, flashy denizens of ponds and meadows in Summer. Over a hundred species. This one is a male. I get a lot of Skimmers, mostly the Twelve-spotted skimmers. Great shot!

My weeks for this challenge starts on a Saturday, even though Week seventeen is early, I wanted to showcase this photo which I took yesterday, as the temps are starting to rise. Yesterday was 18c, today is 22c. The remaining ice on the Lake won't be there for much longer, even though it is' doing its best to linger for as long as possible. I went to Danielson Park yesterday for a hike, on my way back, whilst crossing the dam, I stopped to take this photo.

I hope it's ok for me to post, even though I didn't register for this workshop. After scrolling through the lovely pages submitted, and read Donna's comments on her page, I realized that I have a few layered quick pages, which I've had for a while. I must confess I have never used them, well until now that is. I deleted quite a few elements, added a little texture to the papers. The colour palette was prefect, so I didn't have to change anything in that department. It ook me less than 15 mins to complete the page. As I also changed the photo slots to masks. I'm going to go through the other layered quick pages, adapting them my liking, to be used. On the 15th April I was in a state of euphoria, when I heard a chorus which I wasn't familiar with. I have the Canadian Toad and the Plains Spadefoot toads. Currently their dulcet chorus is constant day and night, all around, but especially at the dugout, and other standing water. It took most of the day, but eventually I spoted 2 of these frogs out in the trees. Having a distinctive sound I was able to track down where is was coming from. They are tiny, less than an inch in length. It's hard to believe they can freeze, and their tiny hearts will beat again when they thaw! A type of antifreeze in their blood protects them. Most other frogs bury down in the mud. They are a type of tree frog which is also a unique trait. I posted a photo to a Sask macro nature photography facebook group which I'm a member of, requesting an ID. I wasn't the only one to be excited at my find. As I'm told they are hard to find.

Awesome! I love it. I don't know over which e the circumflex goes, but most fonts will have these symbols and more, to retrieve them go to character map.

For quickly done, you did a great job.

You did a grand job removing the cables. I find the scratch remover is a very handy tool.

Photo

I'm going to follow Mary's lead on this challenge. This little beauty showed up this morning, he immediately reminded me of Ann, and the page which she posted. Last Autumn I had dozens of them, but then they weren't in their Spring attire. A handsome Spring male Myrtle Warbler. The tools that you would use to remove glare in glasses can also be used in other projects, which is what I did here. I used the clone tool to clone the bird to open grassy space in the main photo. I also cloned out the bird poop on the wood. I promoted to a new layer. Created a mask to remove any details that I had missed. Copied a section of the grass area, paste as a new image. Edited the background. Copy and paste the bird onto the edited grass. I decided to frame it. I have included the original photo which eables you to see what I did.

Always a pleasure !!

Once consolation when your game ends, you won't be under so much pressure to create a page on a dealine. You will be able to leisurely, enjoy going through all the tutorials at your own pace.

That's where I have heard that before 'A fistful of daggers' I refer to their talons as daggers. PBS is a great channel for anything nature, and British programs. BBC Earth has been streaming free for quite a while. Which has enabled me to catch up on the latest of many programs. Such as Professor Brian Cox, Steve Bashnell and many more. I watched Planet Earth 3 when I was home 2yrs ago, it's streaming out here now, so I get to watch it again.

Wow! You created another delicate page, typical of your style. see, I told you the photo block is easy! Giving a unique effect.

I had decied to make my Xmas cake today. Got out all the ingredients, the butter was out softening, as it had been in the fridge, lined the cake tin. Everything was ready. I went outside to fill the bird baths, and feeders when I heard the Robins suddenly sounding off the alarm. My Sharp-shinned Hawk swooped down and flew off with a mourning dove. One of a pair I have here, now only one. After a short while I heard another hawk, and loe and behold there he was up in the tree, looking down on what I believe to be the female tucking into a hearty meal. They certainly do have a fistful of daggers, and what a predatory force the Hawk is. After over two hours, with a break from eating about half way through the meal, she flew off, leaving nothing behind, other than the feathers. Here are some of the pics I took. I got very cold and wet, but it was worth it. It’s always a privilege to be able to witness a private, moment like that which happens all the time but we rarely witness much less get photos of! Some may not like these pages, and find them distasteful and cruel. I have a comment for that. By saying nature is cruel is damaging, it isn't cruel, it's indifferent, brutal and effective, but it is equally beautiful and a marvel of natural wonder. Eventually I did get my Xmas cake baked, fed with brandy, and put away in a cool, dark place. Sharp-shinned Hawks. The template I used is from lab 10-2. It's one of my favourites, which gets used often. I can remember once, that Cristina, said she liked that template too. Carole's lace , where I used a gradient and then a blend mode. a fancy font on the tag, and brush strokes to highlight some text. Scallops and postage stamp edging on the note with text. The other page is a layout demonstrated in the scrap with grids masterclass.

I got so excited at the arrival of the Hawk, I misidentified her. I have been taking photos of the sharp-tailed grouse, which confused me. She is actually a Sharp-shinned Hawk.

That is so true. My eyes are alway peeled for ideas, whether I see something on the telly, in the campus or out and about which catches my eye, I will try to replicate it, incorporating it into a page. I will look out for your post, which will also include your exqusite distinctive style. Scripts are awesome, and time saving, but there is something most satisfying and rewarding when you create something yourself. For me that's the beauty of the tutorials in the creative scrap/lab, and of course the masterclasses. It's a pleasure to sometimes be a sourse of inspiration and helpful when I can.

Susan, look who showed up today. A sharp-shinned Hawk. My resident Merlin has now got some competition. Mind you, there's more than enough House Sparrows for them. Sheltering under the lilac hedge, with the Robins. It's still snowing and blowing. I'm yet to get a shot of the Merlin.

I agree, they are fun to make, but I'm afraid not for my layouts. Though I do like them when others use them in their pages. You know that I'm going to expect to see that technique used in one of your lovely pages. lol

Cheers! Several little details, which doesn't over crowd, or make the layout appear busy, to distract from the photos, yet makes the viewer's eye wander, to absorb the whole page. Although the Masterclasses are great, and I love them. I have always and still do prefer the tutorials in what was the creative scrap, and now called the Lab. Even though a greal deal of the tutorials are available as scripts. I enjoy creating my own elements. Even though I rarely use patterned papers, I have created templates for all of the paper template tutorials in the creative scrap and Lab. My least favourite patterned paper is plaid. The Robins are still here, I doubt they will move on until the weather is more favourable.

Not here, temp dropped last night to-13c. Still high winds with blowing snow. I've not long come in from taking pics of a lo several Robinsl cwtched up under the lilac hedge.

Both, I don't have the script. I like to create my own.