Susan Ewart

12 hours ago, Michele said:

Sounds like you had a wonderful birthday, @Corrie Kinkel, and your card is wonderful. Have a safe and enjoyable trip. Too bad you'll be on the west coast and I'm on the east coast. 

You could meet in the middle...maybe see Mary too, when she's on her RV travelling adventures.

18 hours ago, Sue Thomas said:

Bumble bees are active in all weather, the queens are the first to emerge in early Spring, and the last in Autumn.  Many bees are temperature  sensitive for emerging.  I've already see some bumbles, but I have a feeling that  it is because it's  unusually warm.  I don't have as much as a dandelion yet.  The Prairie crocus will be the first to bloom, any day now.   For the bumbles I use tiny bottle caps, with a small amount of diluted honey. The mourning cloak, Compton tortoiseshell and Red Admirals are out and about, for now they  feed on the sap of trees.  I spread over ripe bananas on the tree tunks for them, or halve an orange or two.  I had to put out another bird bath today, as the  Robins are enjoying having a  bath.  I empty them at dusk, as it still freezes at night. 

The norm is, but doesn't always apply to all species, the males are far more colourful.  The Male Merlin is much darker than the female. 

 

 

Thank you for this.  an my Nature Alberta magazine arrived and there is an article about native AB bees.  Looking forward to some down time to read it.  I will try your bottle cap/honey solution too.  The grass is just starting so show signs of green.  we are expecting snow next week.  I will dig out my stump...I ran out of time and didnt get the holes drilled.  That's on the to-do list for this weekend.  Looking forward seeing my bee action in the yard....they might be the only flying creature I get since the Merlin moved in.  I cant see the Merlin, just hear it.  What a tease.

I'm in.  I was out, since I'm so far behind on so many projects, but just reading comments makes feel like I'm missing a party!  So, here I am.

7 hours ago, Corrie Kinkel said:

I'm a bit early too but the "highlight" of my week was my birthday. I have no photos of the occasion that I can use here. Just some of family and friends that I will have to blur and I don't like that at all. It are all people that matter to me but for here not very interesting. So I made myself a birthday cake with sprinkles on top (tubes made by me and Carole). The 75 is cream piping, freebie by Carole; just as the doily and greenery with extra roses. The candles are from Marissa Lerin and the rest comes from my stock.

The rest of the weeks in April and the first week in May will come as I'm back from California after I have recovered from the jetlag; I don't take my laptop with me. I will leave here coming Tuesday, so bye for now and see you in May. I will check in on the Campus when I have some moments when everybody is at work/school and it is just me and the dogs. In the weekends we will take trips.

Happy Birthday Corrie!  I hope your day was fabulous!  have a wonderful time in the US, looking forward to your return.  And all the layouts that will come with it.  Cheers!

13 hours ago, Sue Thomas said:

I also have a Merlin which arrived 8 days ago, a female.  Much to my delight she is picking off the house sparrows.  The bird baths are out and being used.  Yesterday I  brought out the leaf cutter bee logs.  Although they won't  emerge for a while yet.

Awesome!  I was contemplating the bird baths too.  I have a plastic one out, because it's freezing up at night still.  My other ones are cement and one is ceramic, so not good in freezing weather.  The bees are in the ground, right?  I am going to google for my area to find out when they will emerge so i can put a "no-yard work" rule on the backyard ("rules" is an inside joke with hubby...I'm always making up rules for him and he wonders why he has 483 rules, while I have none).  I will check out my bird book to learn the difference in the male and female.  I wish I knew what this Merlin is calling about.  If it's for a mate, or call it's mate or did it lose it's mate.  Mine has pigeons it's can go for, really fat overweight pigeons!  I wasnt thrilled they claimed the yard, I'm feeding top notch food ......to pigeons!  And they are getting very fat.  

17 hours ago, Sue Thomas said:

I see that Ann has posted a photo of  Great horned Owlets, taken by her friend.  This is a page I created  and posted back in the summer of 2019, showcasing one of  the two Owlets that I  documented and observed at a friend's hay barn not to far away.  The Owls have nested there for over 10 years.  Many of you won't have seen this page. 

This is new to me.  I started at the campus in May 2020.  thank you for re-posting. it.  It's stunning!  I'm really quite blown away by it. And of Ann's friend's shot.  You magazines are so real, I've mentioned before, when I started I thought you were a photographer for a magazine...that what I told my husband.  BTW...my guess is that 'rump' is a gopher?  On my grandfathers farm they had guns set up to shoot them....how HORRIFYING!  

8 hours ago, Sue Thomas said:

I'm two days early posting week 15.  I  read that Susan is waiting for the Robins to return to her area.  Several arrived  over this past weekened, along with several  small flocks of Juncos,  a Male Northern Flicker, and  a handful of  Song Sparrows.  The long awaited  songs of birds has once again begun, breaking the long silence of winter out in the trees.  Shot taken on Monday afternoon.  On their arrival, I promptly put out blueberry jam, and  berries.

Oh, thank you for this!  I just love Robins. And this is a beautiful photo.  I will keep a look out for them.  We have a new Merlin who's taken over the tree beside my garage (in my neighbours yard).  He/She sits up there calling away.  I don't know if it's one of last years babies from the pair down the road of if it's one of the pair and it's lost it's partner.  Anyway, it means less birdy activity in my yard.  😥 Or maybe they are busy building nests right now.  

41 minutes ago, Ann Seeber said:

Thanks, Susan! I've had this kit for a long time but never used it. I also have the transfers; I think they came with the original kit. I was also pleased to use my Star Wars font 😉

I'm glad you mentioned the kit.  I would have never seen that site.  The font it nice isn't it.  I just went and found it.  I have a family member who loves Star Wars.

3 hours ago, Sharla said:

Week 14 Sorry, I’m so late. My photo shows one of the delightful chaffinches that visit my garden.

 

Wow Sharla, what a beautiful bird.  I love that color.  it is close to a robin, which should be making an appearance in my area soon...I hope.  Does this bird have a nice song.  Looks like some beautiful blossoms in the background.  

4 hours ago, Ann Seeber said:

I just cobbled together this layout using my template from the webinar's grid format.

Photos by (daughter) Laurey Keller of 2024 Total Eclipse, Matamoras, PA
SI-Star Gazer kit / Elements = Light (overlay @ 50% opacity) + Nebula-1 (Does anyone know who "SI" is?)
Font=Distant Galaxy Outline (which was an offering by Star Wars creator Lucasfilm) / White Sand gradient

I googled it, is it a designer called Synergy Ink?  I found the kit at https://www.digitalscrapbookingstudio.com/digital-art/kits/star-gazer-page-kit/  And there was a second kit called Nebula transfers. I saw some really nice kits on that site.  

16 hours ago, Julie Magerka said:

Can't tell....is the one at the bottom right happy or ticked off? Love these pix.

He's calling for Allan!  Allan!  Allan!  hahahahaha  google this: Funny talking animals: Alan!.. Alan!.. Steve! | Walk on the Wild Side - BBC  and you'll get it.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaPepCVepCg  Hopefully this link works.  You can also google Allan Allan Allan and you'll get just the Allan part.  

4 hours ago, Sue Thomas said:

To quote Carole " a great starting point to display photos............,"  Once again she is right!   I edited the one template  and created what Carole demonstrated  in, I think was the 4th project in the masterclass  using grids.   The paper with Carole's corner punch  is a paper template. The others are my own.  I did rotate the stipes, but it didn't look right to me, so rotated back to how I created it.  The tag is one I made a while back.  Wood tokens, and  a wood burning tag. The heart paperclip is my own, which I colourized, using the sculpture tool. (silver)   It doesn't really look like it, but the  wood burning tag is actually not only under the folded paper, but also it's shadow. 

The shadowing on those folds is outstanding!  I like that they are folded to different thickness and the shadow reflects that.  I love the photos, they are such a joy to watch arent they.  

On 4/2/2024 at 10:48 AM, bina greene said:

Great calendar page @Ann Seeber, love the open book look. Is that a script as well?  I was hoping to get into scripts on Easter Monday but life had different plans... It sure is on my list. Thank you for the lovely kit @Louyse Toupin!!!

I have a little project going with photos from the sixties and seventies. Some are slides, all are scanned, except the one on this page 😉 Graphics JBD Design discontinued. 10x8 inches. Font is Lato on body and Nickson Four on title.

There will be a sale on Carole's birthday coming around the 22nd of April.  You'll be able to get the script...and many more....on sale.  

2 hours ago, Michele said:

Speaking of Daffodils (as Carole did in her intro), Chantahlia Designs has a beautiful set of daffodil papers and elements this week. CD products are always free. Sometimes when I click on the Download button, I get an error that the download key has expired, but I just have to click on it again. 

https://chantahliadesign.com/?s=daffodils&post_type=product

Here's a sample of what's included.

This happens to me too.  Being persistent pays off.

3 hours ago, Ann Seeber said:

Week Fourteen - 04/07/24 - Baby great horned owls well camouflaged in a tree and trying to look fierce. 😆 Photo by my buddy Michael Turek. Font is Valentina.

Ann, their heads and the shape of the tree, as it comes together at the bottom, make a heart shape!  BRILLIANT!  What a beautiful shot.

5 hours ago, Sue Thomas said:

Thank you ever so much Michele.  It's also the view I have from my kitchen window. Mother Nature  repaints the landscape regularly.  Not this morning though.  It's foggy.  It was +16c yesterday, then dropped to -4c overnight.  

In other words; typical prairie weather...unpredictable.  Last week for us, +20 cel. today; snowing and zero

1 hour ago, Michele said:

Amazing shot, Sue! It looks like an inspiration poster background. I would frame it and hang it in my home.

I know, everything about it.  The lead in lines of the fence, the water creating the sky reflection making a repetition pattern of sky, land, sky, land. A joy for eyes!

21 hours ago, Sue Thomas said:

Excellent!  

Thank you.  It's in NO 3 and it's just what I was looking for (and more too).  

6 minutes ago, Sue Thomas said:

Take a look at the masterclasses NO KIT 2 and 3.  To create  squares using  guides.  Of the top of my head I can't remember which class it actacually is.  

Awesome, thank you Sue.  That will be my relax time treat.

1 hour ago, Ann Seeber said:

U=Ursinia calenduliflora

 

Ann, to the rescue!  pretty 

1 hour ago, Michele said:

Where's the U?

 

I think we are boycotting "U's" this week, that's the memo I got.  hahaha, sorry, my job kicked my butt to curb last night so I was a little bleary-eyed when I posted.  I will write the alphabet out today and post by the computer so thinking wont be required of me.  😔

1 hour ago, Michele said:

I already subscribe to curio pantry. I just didn't realize it was her. Thanks so much.
Your sunflower l/o is incredible!

Thank you so much Michele.  The flowers I grew for the first time (ever) were my muses last summer.  I'm going to try again this year.  it's a steep learning curve for me (black thumb).  The instructions tell you once the seeds sprout to thin them out.  I'm like no way!  What if I thin out the one that would actually grow, and isn't that seedling manslaughter?  I'm no plant killer...oh wait, I will chop off their little heads to photograph them.  😱

I hope this counts...more like pre-flowers than "flowers".  I posted this one because my grid squares are not square (look at the far right column) and I'm hoping the Masterclass will teach me how to make everything square and even.  These were the first sunflowers I've ever grown (2023).  They were supposed to be 6' tall, perfect fit where I put them (against the garage wall).  They ended up being mutants and grew to over 10 feet tall, having to bend around the eves troughs to reach for the sky.  Some got too top heavy that they leaned over and that's when I got this shot.  My lighting designer/expert was Mother Nature.  

2 hours ago, Michele said:

That is such a beautiful layout, Corrie. I get the newsletter from Marisa, but I didn't know Jessica had her own. Where can I sign up for hers?

Try her website.  I just signed up too.  I love her stuff https://www.curiopantry.com/

oops forgot the V

V= Violet