Photoshop direct

Can anyone recommend a Photoshop instruction book that won't bamboozle me too much? I have just tried using the program to draw into, rather than manipulate a photo, and I came up with this. My current fascination is with the silhouetted trees of the winter landscape.

It has potential obviously but I need a "dummies guide."

Produce in November

Ah at last I have had the nerve to quilt the trees on my new Bernina sewing machine! It was easy when I got going but the stitch regulator is so different from the "foot on the gas" style quilting I have done before. As one moves the fabric the machine automatically stitches at the same length whatever speed one goes. I think it's like switching from a manual Vauxhall Viva to an automatic step-tronic BMW (that's for any men reading).


Talking of trees I went on a foray to the much neglected allotment today with my 9 year old boy. We lit a fire. All boys should have compulsary GSCE fire poking homework. Then we picked apples, sprouts, he shelled the beans for next year's seed and finally picked coriander seeds. Off he went, bamboo cane in hand to see what was further afield whilst I dug up Jerusalem artichokes and red cabbage.
Anyway we came back with this lot.
We had a crowd for dinner so a shoulder of lamb was coated with the toasted and crushed coriander seeds with cumin (Rachel Allen recipe) and slow roasted for 4 hours and the red cabbage braised with apple, onion, garlic and spice (Delia Smith recipe). The sprouts were lightly steamed and some previously dug spuds mashed.
Madeira cake was drenched in Remy Martin and piled with fruit salad and whipped cream to follow.
The wine was not from the UK but was plentiful (hence I have to keep re-typing pretty well all these words) and my mother- in- law set fire to the table just to keep us on our toes.
I wouldn't touch the sewing machine after all that lot because it would bring a whole new meaning to meander quilting!