Challenge #151

[Grant]

For those that have been doing my challenge for a very long time it comes as no surprise that the challenge at this time of year is to create a card for the season. While I have picked three ways of celebrating you are certainly not restricted to these events. If you are a Wicca there is Saxons and if you are Islamic Id al-Adha is approaching. What no religion? Well Robbie Burns day and Chinese new years are all not to far off. Just have fun making a card to celebrate some event they you feel strongly about.


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Since my hard disk failure I have had some wonder Challenges
suggestions submitted by a few people . I need more suggestions from more
people to be able to mix up the choices. Please send me *your*
suggestions for the Challenges. Part of what makes the Challenge great
is your input. Also please don't forget he Photo Challenge as
presently I have only one suggestion although it is a great one but I do
need more.


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http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/Challenges.html

Present and Past Challenges will remain Until tomorrow at 7:00 pm the then
the Present will be Past and new images will be posted.

* Important notice to all the new people in this forum. This is not a
close shop you are all invited to submit an image. If you don't think you
are good enough this is your first mistake, I think most have found that
working on the Challenge has improved their personal level. So young and
old, hot shots and cool dudes now is you time to post.
--
Grant

Home Pages: http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/index.html

Challenge Pages: http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/Challenges.html

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Creativity is so delicate a flower that praise tends to make it bloom, while
discouragement often nips it in the bud. Any of us will put out more and
better ideas if our efforts are appreciated.

Alexander Osborn (1888 - 1966)

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[Tom M]

hmmmmmm...

[Grant]

The first images are now being posted and again they are all great. Well because of the season I did allow one scallywag to enter.

Notes for viewing.

1). Clicking on the thumbnail will open a larger image.
2). Clicking on the larger image will advance you to the next larger image.
3). If you are using Internet Explorer F11 will toggle a full screen view

... gives the images a view they deserve.

Grant

[Wendy]

Grant ...

Nice to hear that the scallywag has entered a card :)


Wendy

[Grant]

What a bumb ... in the whole year he has done nothing! ;)

[mrod]

Wow, Wendy. Digital cards, sitting on a digital table, complete with digital shadows. That looks great.

You don't have any kids at home, do you? ;)

Mike

[Wendy]

Hi Mike ...

The Gallery and the Shelf are the two images that I have been working on for the last few weeks. I do have to admit that the shadows on the Gallery one were the hardest to do ...

They are my Christmas cards for everyone who visits here and I have added them to my Gallery.

Merry Christmas
Wendy

[mrod]

They're great, Wendy. A very nice greeting.

A very blessed Christmas to you, too!

Mike

[Pauline]

Wendy, loved the hanging cards one! Very cool.

[carmelnap]

Wendy

I just have to say I love all your work! It is so beautiful Wendy

Tawana

[Wendy]

Well this is a special Challenge and I have to say that I enjoyed all of the entries very much:

Ben ... Your No 1 is a wonderful sentiment and reminds us what its all about :) No 2 just made me laugh ... its clever, funnyy and very well done.

Bob ... What a special message and I love the way you have used clouds a gradient to do the image

Brian ... Great background and what an original tree ... very nice !!

Butch ... That has a lovely magic feeling to it and what a delightful snow angel ... well done.

Chris ... OK how did you do that. I think I can see a little posterize in there ... it really does look good and I would love to know how you did it !

Grant .. That is just beautiful ... it looks as if it is carved into paper.

Jodi ... What a delightful image the whole thing is just delightful ... and they are so so very cute. Make you want to pick them up and give then a hug :)

Karen ... You did a great set of images for your cards and some really nice special effects. My favourite has to be the melting snowman !

Malcolm ... Now that is a great photo and its one of those images that really suits the sepia effect. It makes a great card!

Marilyn ... Wow they are nice. I love that amazing dress in No 1 (neat font too) but No2 just has to be my favourite ... it is so good !

Marylou ... What a nice effect you have achieved with your No 1 image ... how did you do it. I think that I can see some embossing in there but I haven't a clue how you did the rest. Good work! ... and I really like the snowflake effect in No 2.

MikeR ... Now that is an unusual effect for the background, it almost looks like frost on a window .. how did you do it? ... it really adds to the silhouette effect. Well done!

Nancy M ... That is just so cute ... its a delightful subject and you have done it so well.

Pat C ... Great treatment of the image in No 1 .. that background layer just looks like sparkling gold!! Neat edge effect and I do like the use of the lens flares .. they remind me of Christmas lights :) Wow No2 certainly has a great lit up feel to it ... how did you do that one?

Pauline ... Very nice cards indeed ... and such cute snowmen. They are just so good !!

Rita ... What a stylish card. It is good .. how did you get the painted effect?

Robin ... Nice Christmas Tree in No 1 !! How did you make it ... it is really effective and makes a really good card. But No 2 is stunning ... how did you get that embossed background ... its just so good. I like the bells too ... and that layer style you have used on 2006 ... oh that is good.

Tab .. Very original art work in your No 1 and neat animation in No 2

Tawana ... Oh that is so effective, the dark background with the white lettering and snowflakes makes it look very good .. Good work on the reflections ... very realistic !

Terry ... What an elegant card is No 1 ... good use of colour and very well done! ... and so too is No 2. it just looks wonderful ... great image and excellent text and effects. No 3 is stunning ... it makes a great pattern and is perfect for a Christmas Card.

Tom ... A very poignant image ... Maybe one day we will achieve it:)

Wendy

[Tom M]

Thanks for the mention, Wendy.
Hope you had a nice holiday.

[Wendy]

Hi Tom ...

We had a great Christmas ... sadly I caught a cold a couple of days afterwards and I have felt awful ever since :)

Wendy

[mrod]

Wendy writes:

MikeR ... Now that is an unusual effect for the background, it almost looks like frost on a window .. how did you do it? ... it really adds to the silhouette effect. Well done!

Thanks, Wendy. I'd love to tell you that it was some cool technique I discovered, but, in reality, our Creator is often the best artist. I walked outside one frosty November morning, and saw this very unusual and beautiful design in frost on the top of our car. I snapped a few shots, and while looking through them later, I thought they might make nice backgrounds for different things. When the card challenge came about, I cropped it, played around with the blending modes (and maybe the color burn as well), and came up with something that I thought looked quite like a night-time sky for the Wise Men.

Here's a scaled-down image of the car-top: http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=16Ybo8VTZnGwehKjEAfInKjWVtXtV1

Mike

[Wendy]

Hi Mike ...

Wow that is superb ... :eek:

I once took some images of the top of my car when it was covered in frost but they are no where near as good as yours ... great idea using it as a background to your image :)

Wendy

[mrod]

Wendy,

:):)

I actually carried my wife out on my back to show her (she had slippers on). And then, of course, the kids wanted to see...:):) They had shoes on by the time we got back to the door, but they aren't tall enough.

My only regret is that I didn't get on the roof or a ladder and shoot some shots that were at less of an angle.

But I was pleased with them. Our local fair has an open-entry photo contest every year. Maybe I'll enter one of those next year.

Nature constantly leaves me amazed!

Mike

[Grant]

This one reminds me of one of the very first challenges one of the submitters had the most wonderful burnt paper background. I tried and tried to reproduce it and couldn't. So I asked her how she did it. Yup you guessed it, a piece of paper and a lit cigarette. I still couldn't do it as I don't smoke but you get the idea ... Some times the simplest ideas are over looked.

[Pauline]

Mike that is very cool.

One day there was a really neat front pattern on our van's windshield and I kick myself for being to lazy to go back in the house and get my camera rather than starting up the van and running the heater!! You just never know when those shots will come in handy!