Photo Editing

I actually enjoy sitting down and editing photos.  My dad also just gave me a newer Photoshop elements and I can take group pictures, and combined them into one...

 In this picture Dave has his eyes closed.

 

In this one my mom is looking away.

 

 So I combined them to make the picture above.  Fun!

 

 I didn't really like Dave's face in this picture.

 

 And I didn't really like Tanner's in this one, although I liked me, but because our faces are too close, I couldn't change just him.

 

 So I combined the 2 pictures.  I took Dave and JJ from the second picture and put them in the first.

In order for this to work, the background has to be the same and the camera has to be held in relatively the same position and the people need to be in about the same spot.  If Dave and I switched holding kids, it wouldn't work.

 

 Here is the original picture of Carolynn and Katelynn.  Notice the braces?

 

 I took the braces off and cleaned up her face a little.  What do you think?

 

 Here is the original (above)

 

Here I cleaned up his face.  (I often do it to mine, or the boys.)

 

 Here is the original, see the pictures on the mantel?  After the fact I decided they shouldn't be there.

 

So I took them off and took the numbers off of Trevor's shirt.  What do you think?

Another I Spy Quilt

We did a gift exchange this year with the little kids (cousins) on my side of the family.  We had Jordan and Brianna.  My sister in-law had asked for an "I Spy" quilt for Brianna.

I have all the squares cut, because I have done at least 5 already, most likely more, but I've lost count.  So when I was cutting squares for like the 3rd one I decided to just cut up a whole bunch of squares.  I only buy about 1/4 yard because all I need to cut is a 4" square.  When I first started I had bought fabric that had to be "fussy" cut, I don't do that too much anymore, because that takes too much time.  I also bought some flannel  fabric because a lot of the baby prints are flannel.  Well, after washing Jayden's I Spy quilt several times, I decided to not buy flannel anymore.  I don't like how "pilly" it gets.  But I will use up what I have, there are 144 different squares, if I didn't have the flannel there would be a lot less squares.  Also the very first one, or maybe it was the second one, that I made was for a friend and I put family pictures in it.  I think for that particular one I just used the iron on stuff, but I now have the printable fabric.  However, washing that and it being folded up and what not... the pictures don't really last, so I don't do that anymore.  It's all a learning process, you learn as you go.  So I just thought I'd share what I know with you.

So I threw one together for my niece Brianna.

 Don't look too close because there are a lot of mistakes, I was really hurrying to get it done.

 

 I like to use this really soft stuff on the backs of my quilts.

Jayden's Christmas Craft

Every year I like to do a craft with Jayden, for him to give to all the adults that we'll see on Christmas.  For now I just buy kits.  This year I found some cute snowmen and snow-women.  Jayden was so good at helping this year!  Last year he lost interest real fast, but this year he stayed the whole time and did them.  He did 8 with me and then 8 with Dave.

 

Here he is with the 8 that he did with me. Didn't he do great!!!?

Cookies

Here are the cookie plates we took to our neighbors this year...

 There are chocolate chip cookies with Christmas M&M's in them, oatmeal raisin, snicker doodles, chocolate crinkles, forgotten cookies and candy cane cookies.

 

This is the tray Dave took into work.  

More Christmas Crafts

 I took the hand print Santa card (found on familyfun.com) and turned it into an ornament for Jayden, Tanner, Carolynn and Ben