Mad Scientists of Etsy (MSOE) monthly challenge - "Cretaceous Ocean"

So the April is almost over and here are the results of the monthly challenge from Mad Scientists of Etsy (MSOE). This month’s challenge was a creation inspired by the theme of "Cretaceous Ocean".

…just a little bit of mandatory nerd (= science) talk now :)

The Cretaceous was a geologic time period approximately 145 to 65 million years ago. It was a period with a relatively warm climate and high sea level. The oceans and seas were populated with now extinct marine reptiles, ammonites and rudists; and the land by dinosaurs. At the same time, new groups of mammals and birds as well as flowering plants appeared. The Cretaceous ended with one of the largest mass extinctions in Earth history, the K-T extinction, when many species, including the dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and large marine reptiles, disappeared.
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So I’ve decided to try my new acquired skills in digital drawing and create underwater scenery what could’ve been seen at that time. I’ve used my own shots of the Triops (tadpole shrimp or shield shrimp).

 
Their external morphology has not changed since around 220 million years ago, which would mean that their early relatives were much bigger but looked exactly or similar to what these little guys look today. The rest of the scenery was digitally drawn in Photoshop by yours truly :)

Mad Scientists of Etsy (MSOE) monthly challenge - "Photosynthesis"

So the January is over and here are the results of the monthly challenge from Mad Scientists of Etsy (MSOE). This month’s challenge was a creation inspired by the theme of "Photosynthesis".

…just a little bit of mandatory nerd (= science) talk now :)

Photosynthesis is a metabolic pathway that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and many species of Bacteria, but not in Archaea. In plants, algae and cyanobacteria photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide and water, releasing oxygen as a waste product.

Now isn't that convenient for us, people and animals that need oxygen to breathe :)

So I've decided to make two entries - both are flowers (duh!?), because they are pretty and Photosynthesize :) The first one is a Flower necklace with gorgeous Sky Blue Topazes and Green Agate rondelles (more examples of my Gemstone Flowers)

The second one is a macro shot of a beautiful pair of Crocuses that I took last spring.


The February month’s challenge is "Mycology", now that should be fun :)