Dark Sky

I'm not a fan of hot weather, and wildfires make me hate summer. The smoke this year has not been as bad as in years past, but I've still managed to capture a couple of decent sunrise and sunset photos. I got one full moon shot, and it wasn't as clear a photo as I wanted. Thank heavens the smoke is clearing for the next full moon! Nevertheless, I thought I'd try to improve upon my weak moon shot by feeding it into AI and asking it to clear the focus. The above was one of my first renderings. A bit dramatic, but not a bad image.

This was in the second batch. Blew me away. Not sure how it came up with this image with the prompt, "clarify focus", but I'll take it.

This one, on the third rerun, really got me. So I decided to get creative with the renderings that followed.

I asked the program to replace the girl with a majestic elk.

Then I asked for a unicorn.

Some of the renderings were so fun, I played with them in Photoshop. My sister would have loved this one!

AI can come up with some pretty bizarre stuff. But sometimes, it can create really cool images. Images I can improve upon in Photoshop!

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Ta da!

The ugliest digital quilt I've ever created is done! Boy, it felt good to be done with this one. I stuck with it the entire year and finished it even though I didn't like it. The layout isn't so bad, but I really dislike the color scheme. So I will be altering my stash of fabric charm squares; I will NOT make this quilt with real fabric using this color scheme. So, so thankful I did a mockup rather than ruin my beloved leftover charm squares!!!

I'm trying a different digital layout with the same color scheme to see if that will make a difference. I'm also trying a new digital color scheme because I like the way my 2023 crochet temperature project turned out. But I think I've already learned I cannot make a daily fabric temperature quilt until I retire. I've got plenty of breathing room before I dig into the charm squares. And I'll probably be adding more to the stash as I get started sewing and quilting again... Yes. It WILL happen!

Speaking of my 2023 crochet temperature project... also done!!! Yay! Yay! Yay! It's my most favorite crocheted project ever. While I was using the pinks for hot weather, I began to not like the project or the color I'd chosen for the hot temperatures. Once I got back into cool temperatures, the pinks really began to grow on me. One of my dear friends, Mrs. Micawber, commented it looks like the Northern Lights, and that really turned my attitude around. I love this work of art so very much now!

This is just the most beautiful thing! I guess it will be a wrap; but as long as I don't do anything to it, I can change my mind at any time and use it for a different purpose. I'm certain it will be quite versatile. It probably get used in lots of photography!

And my digital snowflake temperature quilt... Ta da!!! I DO want to piece, appliqué and quilt a fabric version of this some day (with real crocheted snowflakes). I love my digital snowflake temperature quilt more than words can say. This might be one of the first things I begin quilting again when I finally get to crank up the sewing machine again. I've printed 11 of the 12 segments via Spoonflower, and I don't need the last segment to get started. I will need it to finish. But I can play to my heart's content until then. Boy, do I ever have some ideas for the fat quarter remnants!

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Friday Fascination

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Muted Rainbow

I was playing with a rose in Photoshop a while back when I decided it would be really cool to dye a muted rainbow. My idea at the time was to mix up my favorite rainbow hues, and add a touch of gray to each one.

Playing with my first amaryllis of the holiday season also inspired visions of shades of gray.






I finally got a chance back in November to experiment. And I'm just now writing about it. How's that for timely?

I mixed up six of my favorite rainbow colors, and tainted each with a touch of charcoal gray.


The colors were not exactly what I was hoping for, but they aren't bad for starters. I was very surprised the yellow and orange turned out nearly identical shades of the best olive green I've achieved to date. (Now I know how to make olive green!)


I also tried a new way of drying on this batch. It took about twice as long (I threw the thread-filled socks in with other laundry – twice), but it did keep the thread from getting linty, and even better, tangled.


Another of my ideas was to create a muted, striped rainbow mandala. While I was working up this plain jane mug rug, I wondered how it would look with a surface snowflake from the same eggshell neutral in the stripes. None of my 3D ideas panned out, so I stiffened it and decided to try again another day. I might even try gray for the neutral stripes instead of the eggshell.


After the first round of muted dyeing, I thought perhaps I should start with gray thread instead of white. I went through my stash and found only pale gray thread. I looked at both Hobby Lobby and Joanne's, but both had only pale gray. The colors achieved with those gray threads will be not as bright as on white thread, but it won't be the gray rainbow I could picture in my head.

So now I'm thinking about dyeing six hanks of thread to charcoal gray, then redipping into bright rainbow colors, just to see what happens. Stay tuned!


Linking up with Busy Hands Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict and TGIF Friday at Kathy's Kwilts and More.

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New Year's Goal

The first year this came up on my Facebook feed after we lost my Uncle Dennis, I was brought to tears. Now when it comes up, I enjoy all the sweet memories. He was the first baby born in Utah the year he arrived. We watched many fireworks displays while celebrating his birthday in the wee hours of the first day of the year.

The same year we lost my uncle, I'd converted from snail mail birthday cards to Facebook cards (featuring my photographs) because that's how my family communicates. Personally, I'd rather have paper cards, but never in my life have I received 74 old-fashioned birthday cards in a single day (or even decade, for that matter), while that's about the normal electronic wishes I receive each year. So I think I'm not complaining, just sort of missing the good old days a little bit.

One of my closest friends suggested (on Facebook) a couple of years ago that I write a little story about each of my crocheted bears. Another close friend quickly seconded the suggestion and said the bears make good birthday messengers. An idea was born. My little bears (and other critters) have been electronically wishing my friends and family happy birthdays for an entire year now. Sometimes even customized!










Last year also marked the first year I was able to send paper birthday cards to 16 of my grands. We're still in the process of getting to know each other, and they are all fascinated by my wildlife photos, so I created an animal birthday card for each of them and tried to write a humorous birthday greeting to go along with each photo. That was a challenge!!!






This year when my uncle's birthday reminder came up, I decided to raise the level of difficulty. It will be a whole new challenge for me, and hopefully fun for everyone on the receiving end of birthday wishes.

I'm going to try to incorporate a story into this year's greetings, and each month, I'll share the compilation here so readers can enjoy how I'm trying to keep my friends and family entertained all year long.

I've been planning to crochet a whole new covey of critters, and this project will force me to look beyond snowflakes, although you know snowflakes are going to find their way into the story line from time to time. I've been wanting to set a goal to finish and publish my next novel for at least three years now, and the heavy wind you just heard was the air escaping me because I'm taking on this challenge. I've always been fascinated by stop-motion. Perhaps this will be just the spark I need to perhaps try one this year... And finally, if this year-long project doesn't force me to eek out some non-frozen creativity, I don't know what will!!!


Snowbow (a rainbow-clothed polar bear) has been my favorite for many years now, and he never even had a name until today. So the adventure begins right now, and Snowbow is in need of a little attention, don't you think? He has dreams of becoming a famous cyclist one day, but first, he's going to have to pull his life together and get himself in shape! We'll see how that journey goes in the next chapter in February!

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Friday Funny

September 23 is doomsday for some. I'd not heard about this, but researching it led me to some very interesting reads, as well as a few inspirations for outer space novels!

"Whenever you find someone who is 100% sure the earth is going end on a certain date, ask them to sign over all of their possessions starting the day after." - LargeFarva

"#$%$!!! I just booked a Restaurant for the 24th! Suppose I'd better cancel!" - Timothy

"And this guy's vote counts the same as yours. Let that sink in for a minute." - L

"Knowing my luck it will hit just before the last 'Game of Thrones' episode is broadcast!" - Richard

"Well, I hope it's not until the afternoon because I have an appointment in the morning on that day to get my flu jab." - Dr. Redthumb

"So what about the Andromeda Galaxy moving toward the Milky Way at 250,000 mph. It's set to hit us in 4 billion years' time. Should we worry about that, too?" - Martin

"Yes, he's probably right about all that. Also, I heard when I was 6 years old that if every single human being on the earth spit at exactly the same time, there would be a huge flood." - Sylus

"In my country, 99% of people believe in the existence of aliens. Out a total population of 21 million, we have around 225 Aliens. All of them live in palatial mansions and have secret meetings, once a week, at a huge venue called the Parliament. Having made a lot of money over a five-year term, they revert to becoming humanoid again if they lose a race to retain their Alien qualities." - M.R. Sufi Dole

"I'm still betting on Dec 31. My calendar ends there, so someone must know something we don't." - Moe

"What if the eclipse everyone saw was actually Nibaru? Note the timing of changes of weather patterns and effects, earthquakes and even the timing of war by Red China, who has a super-secret 2000-year-old Ministry of Astrology. One could confirm this by a reversal of the direction the North Pole has been migrating to for so long. How amazing that Florida and the Caribbean Islands line up right along Hurricane Alley. Is that how they've been formed over the Millennia? Is the whole Climate Change beeswax just to prevent wide-spread panic?" - Rick A.

"I hope it does destroy the world on Sept. 23 because my mother-in-law is coming for a visit on the 29th." - Marie

"Does this mean I can skip my next two mortgage payments?" - Lawrence

"'the planet (along with a shower of other debris) will smash into Earth, killing much of the human race in October – except for government employees who will (of course) flee into underground bunkers.' - Impressive bunkers or a very small planet meaning Pluto might get reinstated... Woo!" - Nuitari

"There should be a BS tax. People have to pay in order to spew their garbage, and that money could be put toward proper science education." - Ted

"The world we were accustomed to ended years ago. Time flashed, and we entered an alternate universe where no one minds their own business and everyone is triggered and hurt by anything that happens they don't fully agree with." - Eric T.

"Better use those vacation days in the next few weeks." - Mike G.

"Not sure about ya'll, but I think this would be a great movie. Imagine the special effects! WOW! Could rival the Star Wars series." - NS

"I wanted to type something snarky and very troll-like, but the seriousness of this article wouldn't allow me to keep a straight face long enough to come up with something. So I just typed this and hit 'post' instead. And I just spit on my screen because, again, I cannot keep a straight face." - Brandon

"What critical government infrastructures are moving from their susceptible positions on the East Coast to the protected areas of Colorado? Are we talking pot seeds and grow lights?" - V

"What's the world coming to when you can't believe a conspiracy theory loony when they tell you something?" - Garry

"I'm still recovering from the last apocalypse! Do we have to have another one so soon? Oh, alright then, book me a ticket." - Delphi

"Me, I've survived the end of the world a dozen or more times. Like riding a bike, you never forget how." - Doug

"My name is Zorton. I was a space traveler dispatched from Pluto more than 2,500 years ago. My mission was to orbit earth and monitor human evolution. On my 10-year anniversary orbiting, a squadron of Uranian fighter crafts attacked my spaceship, causing severe damage to my steering mechanisms, causing my spacecraft to plummet into the Indian Ocean, where I began hiking under water for two months before reaching land. I currently am rebuilding my spacecraft and planning an escape this weekend back to Pluto. Have a nice day." - Mister

"I wish a death planet would destroy Yahoo."- Al

Note to Al: It already did. It's called Verizon.

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