Ta Dah 2015

Goodness, I have surprised myself yet again with the production line of creative items this year.  A wide variety of items...... gifts, a couple of items for myself, fund raising items and project linus quilts/blankets.

January 2015

Project Linus

Lavender Cross Stitch - for me 

March 2015

Quilting Stilettos - Fund Raising

Crochet Brooches - Fund Raising

Crochet Brooches - Fund Raising

Crochet gift tags - Fund Raising

April 2015

Crochets Slippers -Birthday Gifts

 

June 2015

Felt Making - for me

August 2015

Camera Bean Bag - for Me

September 2015

QoS - Fund Raising

QoS - Fund Raising

October 2015

Baby Quilt - Gift

Project Linus

November 2015

Project Linus

Project Linus

Rainbow Blanket - for me

December 2015

Christmas Runners - gifts

  

  

Wine Glass Charms & Stitch Markers - Fund Raising

Christmas Table Runners

Last year I made a decision to make as many Christmas gifts as I could this year.  Did I succeed........well no, not really.  The majority of my gifts were still purchased from major high street retailers...... but I did make more than last year, so I'm heading I the right direction!!

Mini Christmas table runners......

Cheam Camera Club: PDI

So what to enter for the second round of PDI's.  Something different I think.

PDI
Round 2

Car Grill (With a Twist):  Taken at Brooklands, the car grill in its basic format was from a bright Yellow Morgan - a great car and an even better colour!! This image is the result from some experimenting with PS.  Turned four times and multiplied (as the blend mode) to sit on top of each other.  Proper photography - no - but I like it.  Judges comments Guessed straight away it was a Morgan, which surprised me but had a little difficulty (even though I had added the wording - with a twist - to the title) in working out how the grill had been turned.  Liked the curved nature of the corners and colour-  Score  8

Red Berries:  Taken in Littlehampton. Up early for Sunrise only to find my tripod was broken, I took a stroll along the front, ending up by the boating lake and experimented with some multiple exposures. Once again - proper photography - no - but I like it.  Although I'm submitting this as a PDI, I think this would work well using textured paper..  Judges comments -  Really did not like the title - although five red berries appear on the image - if using red berries there needed to be more clusters of berries for that title to work. However, although the title did seem to upset him slightly he liked the image - he liked the use of the multiple exposure in this instance. Score  9.5

Pleased with both results tonight.  My highest score in a PDI competition (I think), so far - 9.5.  Can I achieve a ten before end of season??? Watch this space!

Fund Raising Gifts

Last months the QoS had a table at the local Wallington fair to sell some our goods to raise money for our small club.  We have another in a few days - so here's my contribution to help replenish the stocks.

Knitting & Crochet Stitch Markers.

Knitting Stitch Markers

Wine Glass Charms

I'll be interested to see how they sell. What do you think?

Cheam Camera Club: Mono Print

Second Mono Print Competition this season.  I will confess, I struggled to select two images this time, and in doing so I think I may have answered my own, as to why I don't do so well in mono and PDI's as the Colour Prints - because I just don't have enough 'great' photos.  In the last colour competition, the two entries I entered I, generally, felt very pleased with my efforts - this time round I have had four different images mounted and discounted all but one.  

Mono Print
Round 2

Beach View, Wales: Taken during the trip in July.  Processed originally in colour but I actually prefer the image in B&W.  I love the cloud against the mountains.  Judges comments - Very much liked the layering of this image - the soft texture of the waves at the forefront of the image, liked the dark mountains and the white cloud above.  However, was somewhat surprised to see a landscape image in a square crop but thought it worked well.  Score 10

In Need of Cleaning: Taken on one of the many trips to Amberely, for Dave's car shows - spied as I wondered past one of the buildings, and more importantly was not another image of another car!  I like the contrast of this image but wonder if the judge will find it too much.  Judges comments - Generally liked the contrast of the image.  Struggled with the crop of the image, suggested square would be better, so door frame and bolts not central. also didn't like the way the image had been mounted (you can't see that in this image but the mount and taken off  a few mm from the top of the image cutting off the very top of the arch). Score 8.5

So, there we have it - my first 10 for a mono print.  Chuffed. I really got some poor scores last season for my mono's so good to see I have made some improvement.  I had hoped for 8 or above for both these images so both scores are pleasing.  However, I had rejected a couple of images because of mounting issues and how close the images were to the edge of the mount - so I could slap myself for having let the arch sneak past me.  Pay more attention C!!!!!

Cheam Camera Club: Colour Print

Entering two of my favourite images - I so hope the judge has kind words - I would very much like to pop them on my wall when the season is finished but if he is harsh I will never be able to look at them again, with fondness!!!!  I was on holiday when this competition took place, so have relied on another member to take feedback for me.

Colour Print
Round 2:

The Milky Way, Wales:  Having taken on board comments from the first colour competition about having the focal point central I mounted this image so the church was to one side.  I love the central position but there is no point in getting feedback if I don't apply it to make the image better!  Judges comments -  'The judge thought you had an interesting challenge.  You had produced a feeling of distance with a sense of location. He liked the beautifully lit building, the subtle tones and the intense blue.  Also he felt the intense blues and pinks were lovely. - Score 10

Entered Image

Image I love

Lavender:  I just love this shot - taken in my back garden, I love the angle, I love the detail - and I added (my first time) a texture to the image - so, in the flesh, it looks a little like an oil painting.  I was so pleased with the effect - however I have never seen anything during my time at the club processed in the same way so am a little concerned about how it will be received..  Judges comments - 'the judge felt my paper was an excellent choice.  The image was 'restful'  and the limited depth of field was good and the image had a beautiful surround frame' -  Score 10

Well, not one but two tens!! Whoop whoop!!! Can't believe it!  Nothing more to say than - I have peaked way to early!!!

Baby Crochet Blanket

My first time at a new pattern - C2C - and I'm hooked.  I just love this technique - so very quick and easy.  This little blanket was worked out in my head (well with pencil and paper really) using 3x 100g of DK - and with careful calculations only a tiny bit of wool was left at the end!!

Crochet Blanket 2

Several weeks ago, I completed this crochet blacket.  Most of the wool for that blanket was from a great charity shop find but I also purchased a couple of balls from the pound shop on a 3 for 2 offer and even used a left over bit from a friends blanket, where she had used similar colours.

However, there was many 'bits' left over, some 'bits' in the charity bag and some 'bits' in my wool basket - so what to do....... small granny squares - making them up as I went, or had a 10 minute 'gap' in the day - surprising how they add up.  Only two full ball of wool was used for this blanket - one purchased when visiting my parents and I ran out of 'bits'!! And the other to tie in the boarder.

Not the best blanket in the world but it was a great way to use the 'bits'!! And of course, it will keep someone warm this winter!