Theme 20: Beverages

My daughter & hubby enjoying a beer
Applied luoma effect to photo

Theme 213: Packaging

Box my camera came in. Explored stlye match in elements9 to spruce

up the pic

Theme 92: Eyes

My granddaughters beautiful eyes

Brandi's beautiful eyes 2011 age 9
All I Have TO DO Is Dream by LGrier
font is boopee & century gothic

Theme: Free

I've joined the 12 Project challenge at DigiitalScrappers. Each month we are to complete at least one LO of whatever we want of events, people etc to recall that month. One lady is making her calander for next year. At the end of the year I plan to print a photobook with 2 pages for each month Here are my Lo's I made for January. You may recognize some of the photos.

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Theme 128: Generous

MY daughter always gives generous gift bags to all her children's birthday party guests. She usually fills a bag for each guest with items that go along with the party theme.For the Pokemon party she sent away for little pokemon figures.The bags usually include stickers & fancy pencils & other fun stuff.

Theme 317: The Letter P

P is for the Pokemon version of pin the tail on the donkey. Photos unedited. I don't even know the proper steps to edit a photo.

Theme 122: Furniture

My grand kids love thier family room bean bag. They are constantly sitting, climbing, jumping ,or snuggling up on it to watch a movie. This bean bag can be opened to make a bed too.

On tchesnig's photowalk blog ( gorgeous photos) I saw a fabulous photo using textures. Thank you tchesnig for sharing Kim Klassen's site on textures. I used one of the textures on these photos. I think it helped alot to focus on the child & chair

Theme332: Through a Window

View out the window in my daughters family room

I 'm loving this camera.It takes sharper pics & better colors than my point & shoot.

Theme 35: Candles

What's a birthday cake without CANDLES to make a wish .Pokemon cake made by my daughter .She makes a cake that matches the theme for everyone of her kids parties.

I used candles & food modes.Photos unedited

Theme 39:Celebration

Another granddaughter celebrating her birthday in Jan.Bandi turnd 9 & had a hugh party with 20 girls invited.Only 4 couldn't make it. The theme was Pokermom & the cake was a pokermon cake!

I took allot of pics at the party in different mode settings & they all turned out great.
I didn't process this photo at all

Theme 99: Fast Food

I shouldn't drive through Arby's as often as I do

Fast Food
LightningBugCreations_WinterMorning

Theme97: Fashion

My four year old granddaughter, Cassandra, poised for me to show off her FASHIONABLE eye glasses. I set my camera on sceen-child & added a vignette

Theme124: Games

I love playing rpg's( role playing gaming) on my computer This year I completed DragonAge-Origins & MassEffect2. I usually start by playing a warrior but eventually progress to a priest for healing or a damage dealer for more damage power.DragonAge-Awakening is coming out this March & I am looking forward to continuing the adventure.Hours & hours of fun.

Theme 26: Blurred

Well I tried again using aperature setting on my camera with a f/stop of 2.LOLOLO me using terms like aperature & f/stop.I'm not really aspiring to take my camera off manual_at least not at this time yet.Maybe someday.I probably should have just gotten a very good point & shoot camera. Anyway I am just wanting to familarize myself what all this terminology means & what this camera can do. Again I wasn't successful.I didn't get a clear depth of field of the main focus with a blurred background. I'll give it one more try this week & then move on.
My entire photo of the flowers was blurred so I added some textures to it at different blend modes & opaciticy & a frame.

Theme 302: the Letter A

A is for Aperature Shutter Settings
Today I took my camera off auto for the first time & set it on P-S & A & tured the mode dial to right & left to see what it does to the photo. This is what I got. I looked at the properties of each photo for the info on the settings & it is greek to me.Maybe this camera is too much for me. I know over at JessicaPrague they have camera lessons for $125.00.Gosh I spent alot of money to buy the camera & I just hate to spend more right now just to learn how to use it. Maybe tomorrow I'll just try P & the next day S to get a better idea of what it does.But right now it looks like auto is for me.

By the way some of the photos are of almond bark candy I made.

Theme 65: Cupcakes

On the way to my granddaughters 5th BDparty I realized I forgot my DSl camera but fortuneatly I had my point & shoot in my purse.I always try to keep this little camera charged & ready to go. It also has scene modes but the party moved so fast I did't have time to use any except the one it was on. alot of the pics are slightly blurry so I have to use highpass sharpening to fix them.

Theme324:The Letter W for WHY

This is WHY I want to take better photos_to make better D

igitalScrapbookPages/albums

Theme334: Tools

It's been snowing here so I have been staying in the house.These are my tools.

Theme:182 Morning Routine

My new coffee maker my daughter gave me for Christmas this year.My old CoffeeMate machine finally hit the dust after many years of service. This new machine costs about $30 more than the cofeemate brand & I thought it must be therefore better. The verdict: it is not. Coffee doesn't taste any better even with the charcoal filter that supposely takes out the minerals etc from the water.

Theme 173: Lots & Lots & Lots

Snow, snow & more snow & it is only Jan. I wonder what the yard, driveways and mailboxes will look like in March when we usually have the "big" winter storm. So far I have not had to use my snowthrower or shovel myself.My next door neighbor so far has been kind enough to clear out my driveway when he does his. I went out to thank him & gave him some money ( as an inducement to continue his kind service.) He accepted it but it is not necessary he tells me.Once this year right before Christmas Day a neighborhood young boy knocked on the door asking if he could shovel my driveway. I asked how much he would charge & he quoted me a very low price so I said Ok. Then I saw he was actually shoveling-no snowthrower or blower.Of course I paid him double .I wonder if he was trying to make some money to buy christmas presents. If my neighbors don't get me shoveled out & I don't want to start my snowthrower myself I can call the guy at the senior center handyman section who mows my lawn for me.There are even bobcat services & other snow removal services offered.This is all good to know because it these services that will help keep me in this home. Otherwise I would have to consider moving to a town home.

Theme: Three

I have a guide to digital SLR photography that came with my camera.I'm on "first Steps" I'm to switch bwtween automatic & manual exposure modes, operate the light meter, & adjust the ISO setting.Wow.this is "firstSteps"?
This will take some figuring out. I've read what ISO is! so I have a start.lolollo
Today I set my camera on scene mode for snow.I tried to get a decent composition but don't think I succeeded. The background wasn't pleasing so I cropped it off. Maybe I'll try to get a better composition of the mmailboxes tomorrow but then what theme will I cal it-letter I for improvement?lololol
Three Mailboxes

Theme 313: The Letter l

Letter L is for lenses
I am a very beginner user of DSl cameras & so far I have just been getting use to holding the camera correctly,learning what things are on the camera & trying to use rule of thirds.I think there might be a function to use the rule of thirds on the camera view finder but I haven't found it.This week I changed lens for the first time & am using the 55-200 lens. I just got to figure out what to do with the caps when taken off. This is so bad not haveng a string on the cap.Here is a photo I took using the tele lens.It was taken from my deck

Theme 136: Handbag

This is the purse I take with me everywhere I go.It is like a tote bag. I can carry a paperback book in it for places I have to wait & my point & shoot camera , treats for the grandkids & everything I want to take along for the day.Well most things. It is large enough to put alot of things in it but not too big to be cumbersome. I fill it up with things when I am out & about too with little packages, brouchers, receipts & misc. stuff. I've carried my mail in it, small gifts, candy, medications, cellphone, booklets & just about anything that will fit in it. It is truly a combination purse/totebag.

Theme304: The Letter C

Spent some time watching Utube videos on how to use the google reader.
Some Christmas decorations I have yet to put away. This is a Christmas moose I made a few years ago.My sister made me a Willow the Witch for halloween which I treasure because of the time she took to make for me.I'll have to take a photo of Willa next fall when she comes out of storage.

Theme363: Winter

I'm an active member at Linda Sattgast's DigitalScrappers. Last month she taught us how to make seasonal brushes . These tree branches will make great photoshop elements brushes.They are not hard to make.You create an outline by using filters, fill it using layers & threshold & then create the brush.
Branches for Brushes

Theme: 212 Overcast

I went outside today to take a photo of the sky overcast but discovered I left my camera card in the computer.I am afraid uploading only one or two photos a day is going to be very hard for me.I wonder if taking out the card so often can cause ruin & tear on it etc. I need to get some attachment for the lens cover too so I can take it off & have a place for it.Right now I don't & I am leaving the cover all over the place when I don't have a pocket.I haven't had time to learn about setting up folders in google reader & need to do this so I can follow the blogs better.I am feeling cranky right now cause I wasted my time today trying to do a digiscrapbooking tutorial on making a shadow box & was unsuccessful.
This photo was taken at my neighborhood Walgreens & it was snowing. I go here alot.

Theme 132: Green

I photographed my figure of St. Nick yesterday & had wonderful memories of celebrating this holiday on Dec. 6th as a child. I celebrate today that this tradition continues. My daughter was St. Nick this year & she put this adorable musical figure on my patio door along with two big candy canes.My two little granddaughters found them for me & were so cute. I wish I had gotten a photo of this_but alas I didn't.The event occurred so fast & I really wanted to get a photo but it just all happenend so fast. I've recreated the scene so I can remember my wonderful daughter's gift to me. The little green tree sings & sways to the Christmas music & makes me laugh every time I press his foot to sing. I wish I had a candy cane right now to eat but of course my little granddaughters who are 2 & 4 & so adorable got them. After all they were the ones who saw St. Nick had come to my door.Oh how I wish I had gotten a photo of those two little girls looking out the door & getting those candy canes.
Little Green Christmas tree

Theme 320: The Letter S

Well I thought I'd get some photos of my Christmas decorations since they will be comig down this week & stored away for another year. This is St.Nickolaus. St. Nick is one tradition I have fond memories as a child & my children continue the tradition with thiers . My dad was St. Nick & I get nostalgic thinking about all the excitement we had looking out the window to try to see St. Nick. We would hear jingle bells & swore we saw him ride away in the sky on a sled with reindeer( which of course is blurring St. Nick with Santa; which we did).

Theme 125: Garbage

Visitng the blogs but still can't comment on some. Wonderful photos to see. What an inspiration
Now I have to figure an easier way to upload a photo a day to my camera. Right now I am using the card reader on my computer but maybe connecting the USB cord would be easier. Seems kinda different to upload only 1 or 2 photos at a time. I got some helpful comments yesterday about white balance & I read about it in my manual.Don't think I am ready for manual mode yet_not for a while anyway.

Today it isn't so bitterly cold like yesterday. Less overcast-some actually blue sky this am when I took out the garbage

103: Fences

I thought the snow would be piled up higher against the fence . I suppose the wind blows it away.It was 7:30 in the Am & I wish I would have gone for the overcast theme since there certainly is one. My goal was to see the difference between auto & scene set for snow. I could see absolutely no differnce in the two pics. Photo is not altered in any way. I don't really like the view I got either but it was cold out there! I can see this challenge is really teaching me to stop & position my subject better for a more pleasing photo.
I went to most of the blogs yesterday . I loved loved loved seeing all the photos & reading the stories.
I couldn't find how to comment on several of the blogs.

January 1st, 2011 Happy New year.

177: Metallic
Photo of my Metallic Christmas tree I bought at Silver Dollar City in Branson a few years ago. It was so much fun to buy. My brother in law carried it around for me till we got back to our car & it was heavy!!

He never complained.