and the winner is......

The Jewish Genealogy Society of Colorado!!!



There was an international poster contest where each society could enter a design. I designed this poster for the Colorado group....and we won!!! So I have to explain - this was my first foray into what I'm going to call digi-digi art. You should give it a try!

A few days ago, I uploaded a piece of background paper that I had made using photoshop (digital scrapping). I printed out that sheet, then used my Circut (digital diecutting) to cut the tree (Heritage cartridge) and stars (Joys of the Season cartridge) in regular cardstock. Inked the edges, attached them to the background paper and scanned them back in. The rest of the poster was done using photoshop. Quite easy, gave it some dimension, and really fun to do.

I used Tina's Yiska Hebrew Brushes in photoshop. Ranger distress ink. My Epson 13x19 printer finally came to use once I got the ink in the cartridges flowing again! Oh, I used some other photoshop brushes to create the flourishes on the background paper - no idea who created them. But I like the idea of combining what you can do in photoshop with what you can do with the cricut. Digi-digi. Fun stuff!

I'm so honored to have been asked to design this poster. Thanks Ellen!!!

Stephen Morse - genealogy - Denver Seminar

I often hear the comment, "I'm here - it doesn't matter where I came from!" and that's true for certain! But I find it absolutely fascinating to learn about the past of those who got me here. Questions like.....how did a family migrate? What country did they come from? are all good....but why do I have brown eyes and dark skin and my sister have brown eyes and fair skin? What bits and pieces of our ancestors make up the unique DNA of each of us? How do I find out what makes me me? And when your maiden name is something like MOORE - how do you track down a single ancestor? Worse than hunting for a needle in a haystack!!!


If you live in Colorado and do genealogy, I think you will want to attend this one-day seminar. 10-10-10 - gotta love the date! Stephen Morse is the man who invented the 8086 processor - pre pentium processor stuff. Then he took up genealogy and created the One-step website. Just click on the flyer above, print and send it in. It's as easy as that!

Oh - just check out the full day agenda. I don't know which session I'm most interested in - they all look great!

$40 includes a one year membership to JGSCO (I'm their new secretary) and a box lunch PLUS admission to all the sessions. What a steal!!!

I'll be waiting for you at the door!!!

Summer in Colorado

I'm starting to get emails from my followers because I haven't been posting. Well, it's summer in Colorado! And I'm outside for 2-3 hours every morning doing yardwork. Yes, we really HAVE to downsize soon. We have just over 2/3 acre for our yard and that's just too big for me to take care of. But rather than flowers, I have been turning my flowerbeds into fruit beds. And this year, for the first time since we moved in here, we have apples, peaches, pears, cherries, raspberries and strawberries.

I'm seriously thinking of filling up the jacuzzi with dirt and turning it into a planter! I need to find a place to grow some tomatoes and green beans next year! Suppose I could just dig up the entire yard....just not sure I need even more work to do!

This is just one of the raspberry beds, but I think it makes a great way to hide "under the deck". I started out with strawberries in front....but I've had to transplant most of them. I cut the raspberries back to 2' every fall and they produced berries through October last year.

I think it's going to be a bumper crop again this year!

The strawberries are loving the fertilizer I put down. Just so thick. Maybe ripe in another 2 weeks.

The pears have a ways to go, but the tree is going to be full.

The apples are too thick and will probably break some branches this year, but they are looking quite healthy. It's definitely organic gardening in my back yard.

Two peach trees and I will be calling my neighbors to come pick them as we will never eat this much fruit....ever!!!

And the branches on the cherry tree are already bending over from the weight. Don't know when we've had such a bumper crop.

I do have good neighbors who bring their kids and love to come pick the fruit. I take what I can reach from the ground and they bring ladders and huge bags. We have a neighborhood email and I simple send a note when stuff is ready to pick. Sort of fun.

Days like today, I love having so much produce growing right in our back yard. But it sure is work. And it sure cuts into my art time!

Other updates - I've been busy with my genealogy project - working on the Cotopaxi Jewish Agricultural Colony research. The Colorado Jewish Genealogy Society voted me in as their Secretary last week, and I'm going to be working on an art poster contest for the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies.

Kerry is doing great. He has been released from the cardiac surgeon and now with the neurosurgeon's team. Physical Therapy has started on his back. Surgery maybe as early as August.

I'm just too busy to post! But I promise to try to do better!