Susan Ewart

Day 6 What a great video using the blend modes with the textured paper. I used the paper (blue) from the kit as I new I wanted blue anyway. Blend mode used was Multiply. the layer above I had a metal element (was a brass metal clock outer ring element) that I resized to the the blue paper fully then used the blend mode Dodge to make it look like it was part of the paper design (opacity of clock lowered to 38). Ditto for the faint clock hands at 9 and 12, using a blend mode of Softlight and reduce opacity to 57. Title has an inner bevel. Paper doily I used HSL to make it a light ivory instead of stark white. Tiny white clock I added an inner bevel as well. I had a weird message about not being able to save. I'm not super happy with the title fill but was having such issues saving that I just went with it in case catastrophe struck. The deets: Background paper: Riley B Graphics (Creative Fabrica) Blue Paper and white clock face: Janet Scott - elegant autumn mini kit (Digital Scrapbook) Bottom flowers/clock ring/clock hands/wings: (on blue paper): Kerry Dempsy -KMRD Steampunk Elements (Digital Scrapbook) Bee Wax Seal: Billie Irene Steampunk something or other kit (Digital Scrapbook) Font: Samantha Upright (Creative Fabrica) - used glyphs on "S" "t" and "s"

I am looking forward to seeing your project come to life! What an interesting idea. You have good resolve, I often thought about doing something like that, then by day three i see something shiny and forget what I was supposed to be doing. (seeing something "shiny" is a joke my friends and I have about how easy it is to get distracted by something else).

Thank you for this explanation. I've been using the long way so I don't forget how, but the scripts are great if I have a ton of masks to do.

Love this. The spaceship is a great touch.

hahaha, I know, right (poor, poor Moon). But don't feel sorry for it....isn't it always "mooning" us?

I've said it before. You are an amazing friend to Judy(and to all your friends, I am sure) and a real powerhouse, so inspiring to me.

wow Corrie, those flowers are beautiful. (the real ones you photographed). About why you don't like being sensible....because it makes you feel older than you are. No matter how old I get..."sensible" will always seem like something "older" (than me) people should do and not me.

Day 5 First, apologies for really messing with the template. I did keep the round circle that the stitching was around and turned it into a mask and fit the moon (yup, I did some unspeakable things to the moon to make it not as real). Also, the little flower on the (*Ahem*) private "underparts" of the moon (you know, it looks like a cat walking away from you with it's tail up). They are right in the spots they started at too. I couldn't seem to make the template work with the small pictures like I have in the past so I had to improvise. I used "text on a path" for the quote around the moon, and wanted to add the author but it would have looked weird with a big gap of small lettering. For both the title and the quote I used a layer style of outer glow. That is an odd thing. I had it at the lowest possible setting and 50% opacity and it's really still too big. I did have to lower the opacity of the layer as well so it wasn't too overwhelming. I wonder if there is a better way, and not have to use the layer style as there is not much fine control with it. Once I had that I turned the font color black. The stars was a starry background paper I got somewhere, that I put above the photo layers and used "screen" blend mode. I thought these subjects looked like they were dancing when I shot them, they are the Forgotten Moonflower Fairy Queens. Font: Title is Morgan Tattoo and the quote font is Morning both by Creative Fabrica Quote: by Avijeet Das Little Flower: Digi-Dewi -Relax, flower-brown (Digital Scrapbook.com)

...and who doesn't want more horsey. They are the best!

I love that little lamb in the top picture. This is what happiness looks like!

Thank you. Make sure to tell me if I do overstep. I did live 20+ years in Surrey, BC; nothing you say to me will phase or offend me.

Yikes Carole! I just make a remark on a post that I thought was interesting and it has blocked it. Did I say something offensive? Or is this the AI-police at work?😨

The paragraph was very interesting. Do you know why the cloak is usually blue? I'm curious.

I hope you keep doing layouts of any sort long past this class so I can keep seeing your beautiful works.

That is beautiful and one thing I had wanted to learn once upon a time. I used to work for my brother (when i lived in another province) who made custom Japanese furniture and shoji doors. Now he works for his son making Italian cooking tools (gnocchi boards and all kinds of stuff wooden and brass). I love wood and a part of me dies a little inside when I see someone paint it (I'm talking nice stuff like walnut, spalted maple, curly maple etc). Your work is really nice. If you ever want to see my nephews work, it's at etsy called: Nonnas Woodshop. Or or look for Dan Ewart on Instagram and see him rolling out pasta dough (he was a chef at a high end restaurant in Vancouver, BC). I'm not trying to sell anything, if you like nice wood products, it's a treat for the eye. Even I couldn't afford to buy any pieces.

I believe I learned that from Michele, it's pretty cool isn't it? I'm not sure if she did something different when I saw hers, but as always, it was eye-dropping awesome!

Wowzers! This is fabulous!

Yummy! I miss my mom's cabbage rolls.

Me too!

Thank you so much Julian. When covid hit, I still had to work through it and found it quite stressful. One day (to distract me from the world) I bought this table top photo course and was hooked. it brought me back to my first hobby that I started in high school (Photography). Design is hard for me. But I'm told - Practice, Patience and Perseverance will get me where I need to be.

Last year was the first time I tried to grow flowers. I'm making the most of them still. I put the seeds direct into the garden and didnt expect anything and some into pots so i could move them around to photograph them. I was surprised and happy that some actually grew. I am going to try again this year.

Thank you so much Julie, it means a lot to me.

Day 4 Font: Nelson (Creative Fabrica - Laura Worthington) Paper: Riley B Graphics (Creative Fabrica) The word "Echo" is the shadow only (of something once that was and now isn't) and I used it in the literary sense from a google search below. I shadowed the frame but not sure I like it or not. What does echo symbolize in literature? In literature and art, an echo can symbolize memory, the past, or the idea of something being repeated or reflected back. In many cultures, the echo has been used as a symbol of communication, reflection, and the interconnectedness of different elements.Feb 26, 2021

I will use either black foam core or black Velvet. Velvet is problematic as it wrinkles and it picks up all the dust, hair, threads etc. But it so black that it's really good to use. With foam core the trick to make sure the light is not lighting the background, so the subject farther away is better so you can have the light fall off faster, and I even use black foam core to block the light from spilling onto the background. My set up is very "mickey mouse" (rag-tag) and not at all professional in any way (I dream of owning strobes, flashes, and light modifiers but they are too pricey at this time). I am in a "studio" (aka: the spare bedroom that was once my hubbies office...now he is relegated to the "cat room" for his office). It's small and I risk tripping over light stands and my camera on the tripod as I work. But I am ever so grateful I even have that opportunity to have what I have and so I do the best I can and try to learn how to make the photos I want. When I know better I'll do better work and when the time comes that I get the equipment I want I'll be ready for it (and the huge learning curve that goes with it). The photos I'm doing with the aged plants don't look great in my layouts as they really need to be shown bigger to see the beauty in the line, form and color of them. I'm also still learning about my newer camera. I had being using assisted manual focus but still not happy with the sharpness I thought I should be getting. Well, I learned that I could zoom in BEFORE I take the shot (as well as after like I had been doing) to make sure what I want in focus is in focus. I only just learned that two weeks ago. Yeesh! Why didn't I look that up before. So these shots aren't as focused as I like. It's a learning curve isn't it?.

Woo whoo! Day 3 Done! This was an accidental photo. I had just photographed these and had them lined up on the table and thought they looked like "players" on a theatre stage, so I snapped them, even with their little stands showing (kind of like looking under a skirt *GASP*). Papers (all): Riley B Graphics (hmmmm...a pattern forming here eh?) Fonts: title is Action Is and the written script is Adorable Mother Script - both from Creative Fabrica It took me some time to find the right color to use with the blend mode to get what I wanted, but it was fun to see what the modes do. I love in 2023 that is shows you as you scroll the modes. Onto Day 4 now... I'm really enjoying all the forum posts, such beautiful and creative work from everyone.