Photos of the Week - Week 20

 

Critique Group Challenge: 

Week 20, Multiplicity

Photo by Marion Seasholtz

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Marion says:

Soooo, I went down a bit of a rabbit hole with this one! A dear family friend is playing chess with Dad 3 times a week. They often wear hats, and always have a great time. My Dad has the board set up hours before Peter gets there. I tried this on Wed but I had some issues with my camera, and although it came out ok I wanted to try again. Peter is a great sport and brought props including the fake mustache. Dad's hats are handmade felted hats that a friend makes. I removed a sky light and a light fixture that were annoying. I couldn't decide whether to submit the unfiltered version or this one. Dad looked at them both and said this was a much better photo! Lol!

 

 

52-Week Photo Challenge Class
Week 20 - Forks

 

Week 52 Photo Challenge:

Week 20, Forks

Photo by Beckie Belsaas

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Beckie says: 

Pitchfork S'mores. I rarely compose setup photos. But this week, I decided to give it a try. I placed large marshmallows on the tines on a pitchfork and burned them. Then, I inserted matches into each marshmallow and lit them as fast as I could. I took the photo at night in my garage and tried to just use the light from the matches, but ended up using a small flashlight off the side. The background is graham crackers that I shot as a texture. Before I blended the two photos, I used a radial blur filter on the crackcers (PS). I used the Overlay blending mode for the composite montage (PS).. No significant edits in LRC. My inital plan was to have a background/texture of fire, but couldn't figure out how to safely do that.

 

Smart Phone Photo Challenges
Week 20 - ROYGBIV

Smart Phone Challenge:

Week 20, ROYGBIV

Photo by Helen Walsh

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Helen says:

Such a perfectly timed theme, the local Ginger Factory has installed this art project, by Sophy Blake, which is so photogenic. I think business is booming as a result. I drove there for the photo and left with a bag of candied ginger and a jar of ginger marmalade! Edits in phone.

Ricky's Challenge Photos

Smart Phone Challenge:

Week 20, ROYGBIV

Photo by Ricky Tims

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Ricky says:

 

 

 

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Critique Group Challenge:

Week 20, Multiplicity

Photo by Ricky Tims
from the 2022 Critique Group

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Ricky says:

Thanks to Hugo for once again being a good sport. I sure wish I could have set this up in our historical fort saloon, but my bedroom had to suffice. Ignore the level or blinds, please. Since I decided to have overlapping elements, the editing was a bit more challenging, but it turned out okay I think. I think this is "Read 'em and Weep, Fellas"

 

 

 

Love is Love by Ricky Tims
81"x81"

Click for detailed view. 

Love is Love is the most unexpected quilt and pattern I’ve ever created. It happened when two significant events collided. June is the month for LGBTQ awareness and the perfect time for sharing this quilt and the story behind it. Many of you will remember the Orlando Pulse nightclub massacre that occurred on June 12, 2016 where a gunman took the lives of 49 souls and wounded 53 others. For me, that day married triumph and tragedy. You see, I had become a huge fan of Hamilton (the musical). I was so inspired by the genius of Lin Manuel Miranda that I wanted to go to NYC and see him and the original cast before they left the show. On June 6, 2016, I did. Six days later I was back in Colorado and I was excited about the Tony awards which were to take place on the evening of June 12, 2016. Hamilton was the projected favorite to win Best Musical. I woke up that morning to the news of the shooting  in Orlando. It was such a shock—numbing. I wondered how it might affect the Tony awards, which would surely proceed as planned, but the mood would, no doubt, be somber.

 
Lin Manuel’s acceptance speech for Best Musical was poignant. It ended with this…
 
"This show is proof that history remembers. We live through times when hate and fear seem stronger. We rise and fall and light from dying embers. Remembrances that hope and love live longer. And love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside." 
 
I was so moved by the words that night that I immediately designed Love is Love fabric and made it available for sale on Spoonflower.com. I ordered my own yardage, and when it arrived, I felt strongly that I needed to use it somehow in a quilt. I had little time, so I decided on big chucks. The diamonds of a Lone Star seemed reasonable. As I moved forward, it (the quilt) was begging for another round of diamonds to become a Broken Star. The quilt then pleaded for appliqué with the words, LOVE IS LOVE - and those became the feathery appliqué. The pattern is available. The Love is Love fabric is only available from www.spoonflower.com
 
The fabric sales allowed me to contribute to the LGBTQ community and to help raise awareness... that love is love is love is love is love and cannot be killed or swept aside. 
 
 
 

 TRY THE JIGSAW PUZZLE

Choose your own difficulty. Click the 9-patch grid to change number of pieces. Click the circle arrow to make the puzzle pieces rotating instead of stable orientation. Also, there are tips under the "?" on the upper right of the puzzle. If you'd like a full screen version, click the button below. Have fun!

  

Photos of the Week - Week 19

 

Critique Group Challenge: 

Week 19, Forced Perspective

Photo by Bruce Hinde

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Bruce says:

Last years spring crop in the background that is just about ripe and small bud of a winter variety that has just come up. They should do well this spring if we can keep them watered and the grasshoppers don't get them like they did two years ago. All the Harleys were killed in the late frost we had 3 weeks ago. But, like the Denver Broncos always say... "Wait till next year!"

 

 

52-Week Photo Challenge Class
Week 19 - Mirror Montage

 

Week 52 Photo Challenge:

Week 19, Mirror Montage

Photo by Janice Hartman

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Janice says: 

I thought I would like using the dreamscape technique with flowers – and I do – but I found that I especially like it applied to structures like nest boxes and buildings. Softening the texture while keeping the lines of the shape is really appealing to me. This nest box is one of several used every year by Tree Swallows. Later in the summer, the fields are filled with lovely pink Joe Pye Weed but right now there is only a hint of the beauty to come.


Basic edits in LR, no cropping. In PS, used a Gaussian blur layer of 110 pixels, multiply blending, followed by adjusting the levels of the flattened image.

 

Smart Phone Photo Challenges
Week 19 - Cat’s Point Of View

Smart Phone Challenge:

Week 19, Cat’s Point Of View

Photo by Victoria Nelson

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Victoria says:

In the Forest, looking up…

Ricky's Challenge Photos

 

 

Critique Group Challenge:

Week 19, Forced Perspective

Photo by Ricky Tims
from the 2022 Critique Group

Click to view a larger image.

Ricky says:

 

Viva Violetta by Ricky Tims 

Click image for detailed view

This Rhapsody-style quilt celebrates the color purple - or rather, violet. It features whimsical flowers and flowing curves. It’s also one of the few Rhapsody quilt patterns that I have. These quilts feature soft curved pieced units that have appliqué motifs exploding in a somewhat kaleidoscopic way. This quilt measures 58” x 58” so it is a great quilt to cut your teeth on if you want to try exploring Ricky’s Rhapsody-style quilts. Although they don’t use straight seams, squares, or triangles (which are common in quilting), they are actually easier to put together than most traditional quilting methods.

 
There are no longer kits available for this quilt, but you have the flexibility to choose your own colors and fabrics. The pattern is available here:
 
Due to the large size of the Rhapsody quilt patterns, they are printed on-demand and do cost more than typical quilt patterns. The result is well worth the investment.
 
Get the Pattern
$59.98

 

Viva Violetta detail  

 TRY THE JIGSAW PUZZLE

Choose your own difficulty. Click the 9-patch grid to change number of pieces. Click the circle arrow to make the puzzle pieces rotating instead of stable orientation. Also, there are tips under the "?" on the upper right of the puzzle. If you'd like a full screen version, click the button below. Have fun!

  

Alvin and his mates may be cute - but the real guys have me snorting fire! It’s one thing to fight and struggle to grow a garden in zone 3 at nearly 9000 ft. elevation, but it’s even worse when the chipmunks and voles destroy all my progress and I watch all the money I spent on plants go into their bellies. 

 
I’m open to any and all suggestions to rid these pesky varmints. So far, live traps, essential oils, coffee grounds, and garlic/cayenne tea have been used.
 
I have three dogs, so I worry about the sonic systems, and am concerned the birds won’t like that either.
 
Mr. Google has tons of suggestions, but I don't need suggestions. I need experienced folks who have successfully gotten rid of these critters to chime in and give me some real advice.

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