New Camera

 Last week I purchased a new camera.  My Nikon 5100 is 14 years old - I thought there would probably be newer technology available.

After much debate (with myself) and lots of YouTube watching a review reading, I purchase a Nikon Z5 II.  This is a newly released, mirrorless camera with a full-frame sensor.  The other contenders were the Nikon Z50 II (mirrorless, cropped sensor) and the D7500 (DSLR, cropped sensor). 

I purchased two lenses with it:

• Nikkor Z 24-200 mm, f/4-6.3 VR
• Nikkor Z 24-70 mm, f/4 S

I've only been able to use it a little - I'll post some images when I've used it more. 

May Reading graphic

 

One Painting (sort of) and four cards

 I had an idea from a graphic I found online. It was mountains and trees - wide and not tall.  I thought I could paint that idea and then cut it into four panels for four cards.  That's what is above.  

I used watercolor and watercolor paper, but I had to do two panels and two panels (my paper wasn't wide enough to do them as one piece.  You can see where I measured a little wrong between panels two and three. 

Anyway, I made four cards and gave them to Steve - one a day - as we traveled over Memorial Day Weekend.  

Yarn purchases in Cape Cod

 

At the end of April, we travelled to New England for a business meeting of mine, but we went a couple of days early to drive around (and take pictures of lighthouses).  We drove from one end of Cape Cod to the other. In York, we made a quick stop at The Yarn Sellar.  Great store, very helpful people.

While there, I made two souvenir yarn purchases.

This is Malabrigo Rios in the color Leo - a very nice, deep, cobalt blue.  There is some variety of tones in the yarn - lovely.  I bought two skeins (total 420 yards).

I also bought two skeins of Malabrigo Rios in Camaleon - wonderfully colorful.

New Reading Journal

 

I started a reading journal back in 2023, but this year I changed it. 

1. Previously, the journal was a pocket sized Leuchtturm 1917 notebook.  I logged two books per page. That only left room for basic information and no review.  This year I'm using an Archer and Olive Traveler's size notebook.  It is as tall as an A5 and half as wide.  I log two books per page, and I am able to include a small review. 
2. I mainly wanted to include the summary and review to refresh my mind when I come back to the entry. Who were the characters? What happened?
3. I am including a few other spreads - TBR, Book Bingo, Release Radar, etc.  I also include monthly cover pages and a monthly review at the end of each month.

I like this notebook - the paper is thicker than I am used to, and I am really enjoying the size.

Valentine's Day Cards

 There are several styles of cards I enjoy making.  Some including stamping, watercolor, die cutting, foiling, etc.  Sometimes I enjoy what I will call paper crafting.  It involve using patterned paper and ephemera (usually die cut piece I receive).  The Valentines Day cards I made this year involved using Tim Holtz Palette Ephemera pack that was included in the February card kit.  I was very much inspired by Vicky Papaioannou's video.  

February Book Wrap-up