Ann Seeber

Yes, they are so native they started when the plains were alive with huge buffalo herds and followed the migrations. They had no way to stop and build a nest and raise their own young so they improvised and "borrowed" other birds nests, trusting their species would survive. Nature is sort of neat, that way.

Cowbirds are a reviled species that don't build nests. Instead, they lay their eggs in any other birds' nest and fly away, leaving the nurturing to the poor invaded birds. They are black with brown heads, rather dull looking. I see little sparrows with HUGE fledgling cowbirds, trying to feed these huge babies that probably pushed the sparrow babies out of the next, even. ?

Playing with Carole's Offset Cutout template, I turned every layer to negative and came up with this. I subscribe to Nat Geo and they announced their yearly photo winners. This guy didn't make first place, but his work is the one I liked the best. I may keep this as a template myself to do more. Could be similar to Michele's Fab Divas series. The font is Wide Latin treated to a cutout effect. The journaling is from the magazine as is the logo. I turned the Raster 1 Shadow layer at the bottom into a mask for the photo.

My daughter, Laurey, took me to dinner Saturday for my birthday. I turned 82. Sounds like a good number! My two cats are mad at me because I've been feeding the calico stray that now, of course, keeps showing up. And I suddenly have tons of Red-winged blackbirds, grackles and cowbirds who have joined the party at my feeders. I just got news yesterday that Beth is going to open the theater for the season on March 31. Originally it was slated for the 17th but she says she doesn't trust the weather and the place is impossible to plow out. The company that hosts our website and sends out our email blasts has changed its software to now I have to learn that! Aargh!

Harmony, that is such an unusual font. Can you tell me its name? Great layout!

E = ENGAGED! Valentine's Day is big with heartfelt promises sealed with a ring.

DAY 7 - BARRED OWL + WINTER TEXTURE - Extra template. Font: Viner Hand. Background gradient: Bog. Owl photo: Ed Frampton. Cones: Chuck Calio. I tripled up the circular frame with separate colors for each, treated them to an inner bevel and shadows.

I ended up using the mask to "extract" the bird. The double, transparent frame is a PSP frame. The chains are a Picture Tube. I made the rings from circular selections, filled with a gold gradient. The bird photo is by Kim Gragert. Kestrels are pretty, colorful little falcons but I've never seen one in person.

I just looked and I do have both scripts, but they are way down the list and if they don't say "cass" initially I tend to miss them. Thanks. I'll have to experiment.

MoniqueN.- Carole showed us on her video to paint with white on the mask itself if you need to edit it. White = Window; Black = Block. Hope this helps.

Sue, that's a very handsome mask. What exactly does the vector paint script do in this situation?

Carole: I've always kept it set on 72 but I do see the pixelation now that you mention it. I think some of my troubles started when the Gallery rejected my upload last week and I tried again by reducing the number of colors used.

Hi Sharon, I found the site for the font. It's 1001 Fonts.

I think I need a Q & A on how to adjust the brush variants. They seem to jump with a mind of their own! I don't understand the settings very well. This cutie is one of my favorite bird photos. He looks a lot different when mature, a drab black with orange beak and spinning huge, pulsing murmurtions in the sky rather ominously. The trees are brushes from Sheila Reed that I used with the eraser to punch down to a lower gradient layer that I made from the bird's colors.. The font is "The Hardcover-Personal Use" (yes, really, and I don't know where I got it ?)

I'm surprised I haven't encountered "banding" until now. Those specs have been used with almost every full-sized layout of mine for the last 2-3 years. And I use gradients quite frequently. ?

Lesley, what sort of occupation do you have that entails dogs as clients? Sounds like a dream job! ?

Yes, that is my usual method, too. Thanks

Here's the new result. The gradient is called Rising. Still shows that texture in a jpg! I give up. Maybe Carole will have an idea.

That doesn't work, either! Aarrgghh!

Tried the experiment with flattening the pspimage file but the jpg conversion created the texture again. Oh well, it's probably that particular gradient.

I was trying saving as a .png while you were answering. It is perfect as a .png! (I also fixed the kerning) Now I'm curious if I make a copy of the pspimage and flatten it first before making a jpg maybe that would work. Back to the monitor! ?

I took a screenshot of the .pspimage version and there is no texture visible. It didn't show up until I made a .jpg. Here's the original...