Starting with A

Thin metal dies from Mosaic Moments makes putting together beautiful layouts take less time than ever … honestly … with a page pattern to follow and the dies, I can put together a complex page in just 15 minutes.

But, the basic dies … the ones that cut the squares and rectangles you need to complete your pages … are a bit of an investment. Fortunately, you don’t need all of the dies to get started. I did this entire page using only one set of dies, the A set.

The A set is one of my favorites and probably the one I use the most. And, it makes making layers and all different size squares quick and easy.

I created a video to show you how easy it is … click here to watch it.

NOTE: I am compensated for making videos for Mosaic Moments.

Through My Window

I may live in a crowded lake subdivision, but my studio sits in front of a large picture window that overlooks a few empty lots and a small wooded patch. My in-laws allow us to garden a large portion of the area. The rest they have landscaped with numerous flowerbeds and large trees.

I will admit, I have the best view in the neighborhood! It may not be of the lake, but it is filled with songbirds, butterflies, squirrels, rabbits, hummingbirds and other wild creatures. Although I do not spend hours staring out of the window, I do look out it often enough to catch amazing moments in time.

Take this spring day a few weeks ago … I looked up as a pair of deer wandered out of the woods and into the “park,” as my in-laws sometimes call it.

We have noticed tracks in the garden and my mother-in-law’s tulips and lilies are often tasty treats for the deer, but we rarely ever see them — especially in the middle of the day. I quickly took a photo with my cell phone so I would have proof this happened, but I knew it would be a bad picture, since they were so far away. I wanted my real camera, which was in another room, but I was afraid to move.

 

I watched for a few minutes and the deer seemed in no hurry to leave. I asked them if they would wait while I grabbed a camera. Naturally, they didn’t answer me, but they did wait for me to get my camera and change the lens and take numerous pictures before something spooked them and they ran back into the woods. These are my favorites …

There is nothing more exciting than being able to observe wild animals in nature.

And, I am pretty impressed with my camera’s ability to take pictures through less-than-spotless windows!