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Photos of the Week

2021 Critique Group

Challenge: Timepiece
Photo by Rocky Wells

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Rocky says:

Went more "traditional" with the subject matter this week but still had to include some of my obsession with editing by utilizing a few tricks from Topaz Studio 2 and Luminar AI. This is a pocket watch that my 2 younger sons brought back from Spain about 18 years ago when they were there participating in an International Study program for 6 weeks. At least they didn't bring me a present that read "My Kids Went To Spain and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt"... LOL

The rays of sunshine were added to reflect the fact that joy radiates from our hearts & souls when family members do something thoughtful and totally unexpected for us... it doesn't happen often! VBG.

2021 Smart Phone Challenge Group

Challenge: Nuts & Bolts
Photo by Pam Clark

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Pam says:

I noticed the nut and bolt on a Stop Sign post on the corner as I came into Kingsley. The convenience store is in the background. I added a Pencil filter in BeCasso, then did a few tweaks and strainghtened in LR. There are bits of snow clinging to the post and lots of peeling paint. I really had fun this week taking all kinds of photos of nuts and bolts. It's amazing all the possibilities you find once you have a topic to work on.

2021 52 Week Challenge Class

Challenge: Shutter Rotate
Photo by Shirley Sandoz

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Shirley says:

Walking along the path.

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Featured Quilt: Kool Kaleidoscope III

Kool Kaleidoscope III by Ricky Tims

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Kool Kaleidoscope III is a fun quilt, and it’s a bit like the ultimate mystery quilt. There is a logic to how it’s going to look, but there is no way to plan or predict how it will look when you finish this quilt. It is made using strip sets. Surprisingly, I consider it an advanced beginner quilt. It looks far more complex than it really is.

Look for the announcement for this online class on www.thequiltshow.com in the coming weeks.

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!

Jigsaw Puzzle

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Photos of the Week

2021 52 Week Challenge Class

Challenge: Board Game
Photo by Mary Kay Fosnacht

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Mary Kay says:

I also tried a similar composition on the front of the gameboard. It was very colorful but a little too busy for me.

2021 Smart Phone Challenge Group

Challenge: Letters
Photo by Karen Koehle

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Karen says:

I consider alphabet cards to be one of my personal icons because they represent my love of reading and the joy I feel when teaching young children to read.

My grandson (age 4) selected alphabet cards with the first initial of family members. He set them on top of the rest of the pile.

Cropped slightly on iPhone.

2021 Critique Group

Challenge: Multiple Exposure
Photo by Marion Seasholtz

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Marion says:

This was fun - I love to photograph old barns. There are many of them within minutes of our home in Vermont in various stages of repair. Last fall just before snowfall we had to have a large maple cut down so it wouldn't fall down across our driveway. They left the pieces on the lawn cut up ready to split for firewood. A couple of days ago I was walking the dog and took a photo of the logs covered in snow. It's been windy so they looked like miniature mountains. Someone in the group mentioned the app photo blender so I thought I would try it out. Then I brought the combined photo into LR to adjust light and color.

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Photo of the Week

2021 52 Week Challenge Class

Challenge: Mirror Image
Photo by Kathleen Madden

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Kathleen says:

This is a sculpture titled "Fragmenta" by artist Osman Akan of dichroic glass for the Anchorage Crime Lab. The artist wanted to have the sun's light block and reveal certain rays...much like forensics work in solving a crime I drive by it often and it never looks the same. It also reminds me of the Aurora that we often see here in Alaska. This was a fun challenge.

2021 Smart Phone Challenge Group

Challenge: Blue (no sky)
Photo by Linda Rowberry

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Linda says:

I found a blue vase, so I added some blue flowers and a blue bow. I added an oil painting filter from the BeCasso app. I’m really liking that app!

2021 Critique Group

Challenge: It's Alive
Photo by Gail Garber

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Gail says:

Meet one of the two Greater Roadrunners that hang out in my back yard. I worked on photos at other sites around Albuquerque, but nothing gets as close up as these two very friendly birds (they ARE wild birds) that are hoping for a handout, like so many roadrunners of the southwestern U.S. This feels a lot like cheating; it was so easy. Very minimal edits in Lightroom and a slight crop to get rid of a bright sun streak across the top.

Ricky's Challenge Photos:

Challenge: Its Alive
from the 2021 Critique Group

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Ricky says:

I went with the mirror montage. I haven't created one in a while and they are fun. I tried many different subjects, but wasn't happy - until this one. This is a tray next to my cook top, looking down onto the tops of salt and pepper shakers and a teapot. Also a pottery jug with a zippy bag inside. I thought the critter looked a bit intense - very much alive.

Challenge: Blue
from the 2021 Smart Phone Challenge Group

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Ricky says:

I kind a grab just about everything that was in sight that was blue because there’s not much blue which makes it a challenge. Duh

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Featured Quilt: Gaelic Blessing

Gaelic Blessing by Ricky Tims

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I have a love affair with Ireland and I have been 9-10 times. I go as often as I can. As a result, I was inspired to make a Double Irish Chain quilt. As is my way, I didn’t follow the rules or adhere to typical look of the quilt. So instead of using the usual grid of equal sized squares, I shifted the lines on the grid so there were a series of squares and rectangles. Within that framework, I wanted to incorporate a Celtic Cross. I figured out that by removing six of the center blocks I could replace those blocks with a single Celtic Cross using a minimal amount of appliqué. To contain all of the design and create a border, instead of sewing on a regular border, I just colored the grid differently so that the border was incorporated into the blocks of the quilt.

In today’s methods and techniques a Double Irish Chain made from squares can be done relatively quickly by shifting the grid and incorporating the different fabrics for coloration. This quilt is only slightly more complex but is still made using traditional rotary cutting methods. The fact that there is not very much appliqué means that those sections will be completed quickly as well.

It was a fun quilt to make and if you are Irish, of Irish heritage or connect with Ireland this might just be a fun quilt for you to make!

P.S. Be sure to click for detailed view and see the shamrocks that I free-motion quilted into the quilt!