Crochet Blanket

I feel as I've been making this blanket for ages, certainly since the beginning of the year and perhaps the back end of last year.  Admittedly it's not been a constant make, but it still feel like forever.

Made with a bag of mixed wool from the charity shop, with the addition of a few balls from the pound shop, it's worked out very well.  The pattern is not my own and can be found here.

Cheam Camera Club: Mono Print

Our second  'club' competition but first mono print - My scores last season were not good enough to be moved into the intermediate group for this set of print so I remain in the standard group - it can no longer be called the 'beginners' group as the group is currently made up of some photographers who have been taking photographs for 30 years plus.  

Mono Print
Round 1:

Under The Pier:  The better of my two images I was really pleased with the composition of this image and I had worked really hard on the exposure.  Judges comments - Generally liked the image - thought I had over done the processing on the sea. Score 9.5

20 Fenchurch Street, London: This was my 'comments' image.  I was a little unsure of this image.  It's incredibly hard, I think, to do something different with an place/building that has been photographed thousands of times.  So, I inverted the image (Converted to B&W and then changed the whites to black and blacks to white).  Judges comments: The score itself indicates that image did not work for this judge - however comments were a little lacking on how I could have improved it - other than the image was too simple and was 'missing something'.  Score 7.

Must work harder!!!!

Cheam Camera Club: Colour Print

Our first 'club' competition of the new season - I have been moved from the standard (beginners) class to Intermediates - feeling a little (well a lot) out of my depth amongst some great photographers.  I decided during the summer that I would struggle to keep up with the more experience photographers I would enter some 'controversial' prints!!

Colour Print
Round 1:

Lone Poppy:  This I felt was the 'better' of my two images - I liked the light, I loved the position of the poppy amongst the poppy heads (although I did crop left and right - I preferred the poppy central), and I loved the depth of field.  Judges comments -  should have positioned the poppy left or right not central - poppy head should have been open and not curled but exposure good. Score 8



Fallen Branches: This was my 'comment' image.  I really like this image.  Taken by accident, by moving when Dave told me to get a move on!!! I really wanted to hear what the judge thought - after all - nothing is sharp, I don't think there is a main focus point, you can't really tell what the flowers are.  Judges comments: Loved it!! Score 10.  Well that was an unexpected surprise!



And as the first scores of the season are recorded, time to sort my first round mono prints!

Messing Around

Always have the camera ready - don't try and get it out when two dogs are charging towards you!

All processed....

North Wales: Church in the Sea with the Milky Way (Again)

A much more confident post processing of this image......

I love this image....

Rethink Your Mind

A few months back, I saw a competition for Rethink Your Mind - a charity who, each year produce a book containing poems, songs, verses, drawings and photographs - creatively supporting positive mental health.  It was only by accident I saw the competition via a Facebook feed I follow - Gary Hodges - who happened to be on the judging panel.

The title for entries this year was..... I feel better when I am .....

So without too much hesitation, I searched through my photographs - with the saying ... I feel better when I am, and entered two of my favourites images.

This is the little book they produced for this year. It's a free book and contains many organisations that can help, along with helpline numbers for when things get a little tough!

Along with some great artwork, poems, and photographs - they chose this little image from me!!!

I feel better when I am, doing the things I love, in the places I love.

Whoop, whoop!

Black & White Challenge - with one added colour......

It seems like months since I have quilted......my free time has always been crammed, especially since taking up quilting.  Even more so when I took up Crochet and of course Photography.

So when we were set a little challenge, at my monthly quilting group - to produce a 12.5" block using black and white fabric, with an additional choice of one colour only - I got just a little excited!! I so need to get out more!

It was nice to work on a small project - with no problem in actually finishing it by the September deadline.

The choice was to make either a stand alone block (to be joined with group blocks) or to make and quilt a block - to be made into a wall hanging, cushion or table runner - or similar.

My first block was a wall hanging...... can you tell what it is yet! 

Ta Dah........

And as for my second offering...... a little bit of foundation.  I had an idea to do six blocks - each with a different colour but time was not on my side!!

Ta Dah.....