Outer Space?

I promised some readers I'd post firworks photos from our yearly city mountain show all in our backyard.  When I looked at the photos I got the feeling I was looking at objects in the sky seen by telescope.  Look at those gases coming from the supernova

Another exploding star

And just so you know these were taken by a terrestial - one with flash so you could see the jacaranda.

One of the big ones and another coming up!  That's a palm tree in the foreground.

I was going to take a pic of the Grand Finale - but I was so caught up in enjoying it, it was over before I remembered.



Favorite Flower Friday

Today I'm taking you on an aerial view, sorta, kinda.  LOL - here are some white flowers I have to view from our second story as the Pachypodium lameri is about 16-18 ft tall. That's one our neighbor's houses in the background.  We have 5 neighbors that share the property lines of our house. One north, three east, and one south. This one is east.  The neighbor on the south has the best view of these.  As you can see we have a bit of a planting out of some regular trees, gums, pines, and a few succulents - even a bay tree.

Here's a closeup of the Pachy flowers:

And here's a shot looking up at the canopy this plant (and other's) makes.  If you look closely you can see the white flowers.  A different kind of forest, huh?

I'm linking to Shay's Favorite Things Friday and Tootsie's Flaunt your Flowers.  Lots of goodies to see there.

Applique Thursday

Hello, I'm almost late in posting this but have been working on that first Anna's Block

Added the dreaded circles and stitched down pink flower, main flower, basket and a few greens. Phew!

What I did with this block was cut out freezer paper templates that I placed the dull side of the freezer paper on the wrong side of the fabric and ironed the seam allowance onto the shiny side. Once stitched in place you cut out the background and remove the paper. I did that for the big pieces, but for the small ones (the stems) I took out the freezer paper and lightly glued down the seam allowance. Then I pressed the pieces in place to then applique down or pin.


So far I'm not liking this method as much as I like back basting for placement. Look at that basket -  it looks kind of wonky.  Maybe some of the illusion will go away when I square the block to the 7 1/2" square - hope, hope, hope.
 
There is a winner for the 5" batick charm!  Win one by leaving comment or link or both (for two chances). Last week's winner was Rosa - all the way in Spain.  Congrats, Rosa!

--Would love to see your eye candy!