Jeni Simpson

Card 4 I chose a quote from a page of Hallmark quotes. The fonts are Coral and Garamond for writing the quote. The tube came from a tuber whose work I enjoy, Riet does tubes from interesting and quirky images. I loved the hearts along the ribbon layer, so I created my own. Jeni

Susan, thank you so much. Years ago, when living in Australia, I saw a tree in the distance. It looked like a white magnolia, and the closer I got, the flowers seemed to be less. The tree was full of cockatoos, and they were flying away from that tree! That was the first time I saw cockatoos in the wild. Billy isn't allowed outside and, instead, he flies around the house. Jeni

I enjoy capturing birds, especially when I get them up close. Maggie, the magpie, on the right was busy singing Happy Birthday when I sneaked up and took this pic. The middle bird is a pāpango, or Scaup, a diving duck, and is native to New Zealand. Billy, on the left, is an Australian, a Cockatoo, he loves roaming free, and befriending people. I chose to colour the font, Garamond, in shades of orange, the opposite colour on the colour wheel from green. I made the polka dot papers and the feathers came from an exchange in my one of my graphics groups. Jeni

Thank you, Carole. With the card with the four squares, I used 3D Effects > Cutout with the idea a window could be cut out of the card and a photograph placed behind. Doing the two templates per day, gives me the opportunity to play a bit more, and to try to think creatively on two templates not just one. I, too, am blown away at the ideas and the creativity of this group. Thanks everyone.

Even some of the huge cruise ships get dwarfed in Milford Sound. I do feel grateful for the beauty surrounding me, I have Milford and Doubtful Sounds available to travel to, as well as Stewart Island and the Catlins, all within a couple of hours. You are also lucky to live in a beautiful country. I have spent time in Melbourne, and lived in Sydney for six years. Australia is my home away from home. I was travelling back to Australia, for the Tamworth Country Music Festival, although not able to do so for a while. Jeni

Card 3, I am slowly catching up after days with visitors. I still have the extra card to complete for Day 2, I have not decided how to do that one, yet. We have a wonderful garden planted by a woman on farmland about 8 kilometres from here. Muriel was pregnant with her son, now in his 40s, I think, and she and her husband were on a huge farm. She decided to begin planting, now her gardens are visited by people from all over the world. The font is Lemon Milk, the butterfly is a brush from Danetta. Flower photography is mine. Jeni

Thank you, Wendy. I have spent some time in Milford, having lived and worked in Te Anau for years. I was sent to Milford Sound to set up an office, on the wharf, for my employer many years ago. I lived there for 1 month and went on the last boat trip out on the Sound each day, which was so cool. Jeni

Day 2 Card This card looked like a door, so I added windows with a view towards snow-covered paddocks. I used some ric-rac I created a few years ago in a digi-scrapbooking group. The fonts used were Always Black and Always Light. The holly came from an exchange in one of my graphics groups. It had a shadow already, so I turned it upside-down. Jeni

Extra card Day 1 The Remarkables is a mountain range and skifield about 2 hours from me, in Queenstown. It is called the Remarkables because the range lies directly north-south, one of only two mountain ranges in the world to do so. I was lucky to get this pic, taking it in the early evening in the middle of winter [July], as the sun went down. I took the snowflakes from something I created years ago, 2009, and I don't remember where they came from, possibly a brush. The fonts are Adelia and Gill Sans MT. Jeni

Card 1 - I received the image in one of my graphic groups yesterday, it appealed to me. The brad is from Jessica Dunn's Vintage Blooms mini kit from Curio Pantry. Jeni

We have had similar weather in the south of New Zealand, coming up to winter here, so we haven't seen the lights this time. We do, however, enjoy them regularly during the season when everything is right for viewing. I belong to the Southern Hemisphere Aurora Facebook group and some in Australia have enjoyed great viewing. Hopefully, you manage another time, Bonnie, the lights are well worth seeing.

I'm a thrift store junkie, too, I love buying kitchen items there, My clothes also come from thrift stores and I have a rule, for every item I purchase, I drop one item at the store, so I don't clutter my wardrobe. I'm bad at buying books there also.

They are really beautiful flowers, Susan. I love the way you have showcased each one.

Thank you, Susan, I appreciate the comment.

In Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand, we have a beautiful large space for all to enjoy, children, sportspeople, gardeners. The park is a mecca for those who enjoy the natural and the planned. Its numerous gardens and botanical attractions provide vibrant displays whatever the season. I love Demolition World in Invercargill. Although the business sells pieces from demolished buildings, windows, doors, lighting, corrugated iron, etc, Lee and Dave have created a wonderful retro village. For years I have used an image I grunged up as my avatar online, and the mannequins are a delight, as are the gorgeous plastic clothes hangers found in the village, 2nd and 3rd from the left in my image below. I had a few photographs that might have gone in this no-scrap image, however, I thought they would all compete against each other, so I used alternate spaces with scrap paper instead. The area is on the Southern Scenic Highway, through Tautuku [pronounced similar to toe-too-koo] and on towards Owaka and onward to Dunedin, Otago. Through the bush are some beautiful sights, the magnificent Tautuky Beach and McLeans Falls, and Cathedral Caves where there is a slim chance of wandering along the beach to walk to the caves. They are only open for a short time each day. I used hue saturation and lightness to match the colours of the photographs used. These quick pages have been fun to create. Thanks, Carole, and everyone, I've loved the creations of everyone. Jeni

Kittens are such a delight, these kittens belonged to friends. Photographs of roses. I do love the scent of roses. I'm unsure how to re-colour some elements, so I just did the piece I could easily change. Photos of friends taken back in the 80's.

Thank you, Sue. I didn't know that.

I lived for about 19 years in Christchurch and travel up there at New Year to housesit for friends. The photo on the left is taken from the Port Hills looking towards the Southern Alps, The photo on the right is a cottage we stay in other times we travel to Christchurch. In January, 2018 and 2020, I travelled with a group of friends to Tamworth in New South Wales, Australia for 12 days of the Tamworth Country Music Festival. We travel to Tamworth by train from Sydney, a journey of 6 to 8 hours, depending on how hot the day is. The train travels much slower in hot weather due to tracks possibly buckling in the heat. Ruby came into the family in January this year, sister to 3-year-old Poppy. Poppy happily moved out of her bedroom to make way for her baby sister, she was so looking forward to the new baby. Jeni

Carole, the packages are round and is balage covered in a light-green plastic. Balage, is baled silage. Some more eco-friendly farmers leave them uncovered.

Mary, many Lord of the Rings scenes were filmed around Fiordland, although I am not sure where exactly. There is a guide book available. Fiordland is an area where I lived and worked and I have travelled over quite a bit of the places tourists go. One of my jobs in the off-season, was to guide travel agents to the various destinations available. Much of Fiordland is only accessible by boat or helicopter. There are few roads, the most travelled would be the Milford Road taking people to Milford Sound. I have not been to Hobbiton.

Doubtful Sound in Fiordland is accessible by boating across Lake Manapouri, then travelling by bus across the Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove. It is a popular tourist destination and somewhere I worked on the first overnight launch trip to the Tasman Sea in 1992. On the overnight journey passengers have the opportunity to either take a kayak onto the Sound, or to enjoy being taken out on board a tender. I spent my 70th birthday in Riverton, about an hour away from my home in Eastern Southland. It is a beautiful fishing village on the south coast where my great-grandparents lived, and mu grandfather was born. Travelling down from Venlaw Forest, near where I live, one gets a great view across farmland in Eastern Southland, New Zealand. Jeni

Susan, thank you. I, too, love Australia, the country has so much beauty, yet I believe we all can become immune to our surroundings. I found, that in Australia, many would tell me how lucky I am to have been born in New Zealand, yet there is so much beauty in their backyard, and they don't notice.

Thank you, Susan. Because I am in the Southern Hemisphere, so far away from most others, I enjoy showcasing our beautiful region, both Australia where I lived for a while, and still enjoy travelling to, and New Zealand where I live. The water dragon in those photos is about the size of a small cat. My housemates and I used to take a salad and a loaf of bread across to the Manly Dam in Sydney, Australia for our breakfast on weekends, and I remember seeing a small iguana sitting on a log close by. Jeni

An old run-down building in St Bathans, Central Otago, New Zealand. The owner of Ohinetahi, an historic homestead on Lyttelton Harbour at Governors Bay, Christchurch, New Zealand hosted a garden party yearly on behalf of Save the Children. I loved to attend partly because of the scenery, and partly because of the gardens. An Australian Water Dragon, posing while enjoying the sun at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, Australia Jeni

Thank you, Carole, I find once I am on a roll, I try to complete everything concerning that project. I also decided to enjoy all three, rather than do just one or two projects. I'm no longer doing scrapbooking, although did enjoy making various bits and pieces to make kits, etc years ago, it was for learning purposes, finding out what PaintShop Pro can do, more than anything. I have always loved to create.