High Hopes Challenge - Christmas in July

Howdy -


Well this week the High Hopes Challenge is to help get ahead a bit on those Christmas Cards. Or maybe to help cool you off from some summer heat?

This is our Christmas in July challenge -

I thought maybe Santa Might be on the Road in July - so I pulled out "Road Trippin Santa"

Isn't he fun? I colored with my Copics (colors below) And then found some papers from Graphic 45 to use - I kept the embellishments simple. Postage you know... So I only added some Viva Decor Paper Pen dots to look like brads. And then a little doodling - The sentiment is also from High Hopes - "Santa Claus is coming to town!"  and it looks like in style!

Inside is scraps of my papers -

Copic colors used -

 Had some fun.... do wish it would have cooled things off though! LOL Maybe I should have picked a snowman???

Please click on over to the High Hopes challenge and see all the DT's work and PLEASE join in! Great chances to win some High Hopes Stamps of your own!

Have a great one -
HUGS and
 

Gardening Sunday - On Hold for HEAT

Howdy-

Not much growing around here - Hubby is getting started on the Fall garden a little... but it is just so hot we are not really in a hurry.

PROOF-

This is an old thermometer we have hanging in the back yard. You can probably see it is in the shade...

Close up in case you can't read it -

 Yep in the shade -

Officially I think we really only hit 100 yesterday - unless you factor in the humidity then it really jumps! I actually made Hubby take the day off yesterday as he wasn't feeling well after working in the heat this last week and Friday evening it caught up to him. By last night he was back to normal. He can go back to work and I am going to have to keep a closer eye on him. He forgot to wear a hat Friday, that I think is what really got to him. Early morning work, then afternoon inside work, then a bit more late evening. That is the plan for next week -

Hope you have better weather where you are. They are showing a nice chance of rain end of the week here so that should cool it off for a few days... maybe.

Should be able to show off the tomatoes next week - Hubby cut the Spring tomatoes back to for Fall hope they pop back and want to do good for Fall -

Have a blessed Sunday -
HUGS and STAY COOL!

Animal Crackers - Such good helpers!

Howdy, 

Well it is getting harder to get photos. Both for me and the animals. It is HOT out there, and really no one is wanting to post for me. Chickens look like they are roasting, goats are panting in the shade, and donkeys are for sure staying as much as they can in the shade.

But one day this last week I went to the neighbors to visit the girls and see the barn Hubby is building. Oh yea may have forgot to tell you Hubby is building a big barn for the neighbor, it is a big sort of kit with no instructions so it has been fun to figure out. But he has it going now and he has LOTS of help with it!

 Here Lacey, Vicki and Ellie Mae are making sure that he only brought tools in the back of the truck. Vicki was sure there should have been some sort of treat there for her!

Here Hubby needed the protect the box of bolts....

You see he set the box out on the ground... twice.... and well... bolts do sort of look like something they might want to have some fun with right? So Someone... mostly Jazz and Lacey... pick up the box and swing it all around until all the bolts are scattered everywhere! It is really fun to watch "Dad" fall apart and have to crawl around and pick them up. So now he keeps the box in the back seat of the truck and only takes out enough to fill his pocket. Lessons learned!

Here the girls are making sure that what will be the inside of the barn is not going to waste any good grass.

Got a great snap shot of Patricio "Pat Man" he is really becoming a stunning young man!

 Finally he loosing all that baby fur. His face and neck are so soft and slick. He is such a love too.... He adores to rub faces and hug.

Speaking of love.... My Autie and I have a started a new tradition.

 Every evening we take time to cuddle. I get in the recliner, he climbs up. And I mean literally climbs. I barely raise the foot rest, and he struggles and works his way up. Short legs are such an issue sometimes. Then he climbs right up on my chest and lay his head on me. He will stay as long as I let him. Usually it is until body parts start to go numb. LOL He is my baby...  The girls Chica and Libbie like to get in our laps, then in a minute or two they are done. Not my cuddle boy.

 Hope you have something to cuddle today -
HUGS and

Whimsy Blog Hop - New Artist - Annie Maeschen

Howdy,

 Welcome to a special release blog hop for our newest digital artist Annie Maeschen!!!!

We have 9 new images to share with you today created by
Annie Maeschen

All Whimsy Stamps digital images are 300dpi for high print quality. You can re-size, flip, or rotate to fit your own projects. To find all of today's new releases please visit the Whimsy Stamps Store.

Don't forget to leave comments along the way as there will be 3 mystery DT Members who will each be choosing a winner from the comments left on their hop posts.
These winners will each win a new image from our Annie Maeschen Collection. 

The Grand Prize winner of the hop will be chosen from the very last stop, which is Dewi Lestari.

This winner will receive 5 digital stamps, of their choice, from the Annie Maeschen Collection.

The hop will run for 1 week and end on Friday, August 1st at 12 Noon EST, when the lucky winners will be announced at the Whimsy Blog!
Below is a complete list of the hop in case you get lost along the way



Audrey Ernst

Jennifer Scull

Gina Allen

Charlene Brown

Anet Van Zyl

Kelly Mannix

Henryka Kowacz

Hazel Thompson

Michelle Oatman

Denise Goeldner-

Dewi Lestari

Now here is my card with one of the new images -

This is Geneva - I colored with my Copics (colors below) I made sure to add some stickles - I figured all mermaids sparkle right?

  The Corner is also from Whimsy - Lace Doily Corner Die 2 - reminds me of starfish sort of so I think it works well with the image. I couldn't waste the pieces that fell out... so I stuck those down as well. Then I added more stickles!!

Inside I used scraps -

Copics I used -

Now make sure to follow on with the hop and leave those comments for chances to win!!!!!

HUGS and

Whimsy Inspiration - Strawberry Girl

Howdy

 Wanted to share a card I did the other night - I just love coloring LiaStampz  Vintage Girls! LOVE them! This one is "Strawberry Girl" -

 She is just too cute! I colored with my Copics - colors below - She went perfect with a new paper pad I just got ;0) - From Pebbles , Front Porch collection. I also used some of Whimsy's adhesive lace. You can find it HERE at the Decorative Tape page. You have to have some of this! Head over there and then tell them Michelle Said YOU HAD TO BUY IT! LOL ... the lace goes perfect with LiaStampz Vintage Girls. 

I then punched out some flowers and leaves and added them.

Inside are my scraps and more papers from the same collection.

 And the Copic Colors I used -

Hope you like my card - it was so fun to work with.

Off to do more coloring today! Hope you have something fun to do as well.

Have a wonderful day -
HUGS and

High Hopes Challenge - Blue, Green and Cream

Howdy -

Today is the High Hopes Challenge - and this week it is a color challenge of Blue, Green and Cream (or white).

I used the new Fishing Friend image... love this one!

Such a fun image - I colored with my Copics - (sorry I forgot the photo of colors used)  I used papers from Penny Black Maddison collection.

Cream cardstock is used for the base, and the mat. Doodled around the edge and stamped the sentiment in the corner.

Buttons - love buttons as embellishments!

Inside are my scraps -

Now make sure to pop on over to the High Hopes Challenge and see all the DT's color challenge project.


Hope you have a fabulous Tuesday!
HUGS and

Gardening Sunday - Basically the Cenizo was right!

Howdy -

So last week I showed you our blooming Cenizo - really a gorgeous tree or is it a bush? Anyway it is stunning when it is in full bloom, and the old timers say that means rain is coming in the next few days.

Well basically it was right - sort of... All week we had chances of rain - pop up summer thunder showers that just missed us. Then Thursday night middle of the night some HUGE lines of really heavy rain were coming through and looked like it was going to cover everyone! Just a few miles west they got up to 4 inches! Just a few miles to the east they got 3 inches! North and South got just about the same. But if you watched the radar it slowed down created a hole and well.... our fences just must be a lot better than we think and we ended up with 1/4 inch of rain! Seriously just north of us was massive... died out and then fired up just south of us!  Too insane huh?

So we are just going to hope that the next storms take pitty and don't miss us... until then we keep going right?

Now I showed you our Crepe Myrtle trees a couple of weeks ago...

While running errands earlier in the week we stopped by the store to pick up some groceries. And they were unloading and stocking their nursery section... 5-6 ft. Crepe Myrtle trees!! And they were really a fabulous price too! So....

Five trees had to come home with us! Well in reality we were in Hubby's Jeep, we had to come home in the truck and go back and get the trees. But 5 ended up home with us! A couple will go on the west side of the house to shade my craft room, and then three with go around the goat pen to give them more shade. Wish they could go in the pen for more shade but they would just eat them in a day or so. So they go outside the pens, now if we can keep the three big donkeys away from them too the goats should have good shade next summer... LOL

Garden has gone on a hold for a couple of weeks - Hubby is building a barn for the neighbor, so all his time is there right now. But he says he is going to make time to get some fall things going soon. How is your garden going? I think it is so interesting how the different place have such different growing seasons. So what are you eating out of your garden this week? We are finishing up the last few zucchini and squash, thinking the rest will be frozen. And then Hubby has just a few watermelons left. A few last tomatoes are trying to turn red in the garden but is getting so hot they may not make it. FALL will be here soon and it will all be growing again!

Have a wonderfully blessed Sunday -
HUGS and

Animal Crackers - Love that face!

Howdy -

You just have to love that face don't you?

Miss Libbie - she is so pretty at bit nuts but beautiful! LOL oh we love her to pieces but some days her "Triple AAA" batteries of high alert and that bark that is so high it burst ear drums is a bit much. But wouldn't trade her for the world. She is our girl! 9lbs - 10 inches of total in charge control!


Another couple of faces we love -
Hank and Chachi!

Hank is our tiny baby goat... he is all grown up now and pretty much normal size. But he still is super sweet friendly. He has buddied up with one of the little boy's that never have sold, and so we love him and let him stay. Besides Hank might be upset with us he loves his BUUDDDY!

Saw my smiling donkey Raffie today looking a little distant and off a bit...

Then when I ducked down and looked way beyond the trees I saw all the girls in the distance in the far pen.... he was just keeping an eye on his "Women"!

Hubby and I put in a new pole in the young chicks pen.

They are loving it as you can see! Our boy... "Leon" formally known and "Elanore" loves the pole and he hops up there and does his voice practicing every morning and every evening now. He is getting a bit better.

Now Alice she has her spot and she is always there -

 She loves her spot top of the ramp going into their hut. Happy chicken!

 I will end today with my peaceful big donkeys grazing and enjoying the summer grass.

Love just watching them - could waste all day sitting out there watching all the animals - Love my babies.

Have a wonderful day - enjoy something furry, or feathered!
HUGS and

High Hopes Challenge - Outdoors!

Howdy  -

We are heading Outdoors for our challenge today at High Hopes! Yep as long as your project shows the outdoors in some way we are happy. And many of my favorite High Hopes stamps are animals and the outdoors. I started to reach for one of those top favorites and then decided to go deeper in my box of High Hopes Stamps and pull out a stamp that I haven't used in a long time.

Don't you love "Mike on a Vine?"

He is just DE-VINE! he he he - The sentiment is also from High Hope -  "You're Simply De-Vine!" is perfect for Mike on a Vine  - I colored with Copics (colors below) Then I found some older papers from My Minds Eye - with two colors of card stock - brown and a greenish blue. I sewed all the layers down. Then I started to look at flowers or flourishes for the corner... just didn't feel right - so I pulled out another older High Hopes stamp "Banana Tree" colored it with the same Copic colors and then cut it out and used it as an embellishment. Like that! Different too... and I like that the card is still flat for mailing.

Here is the inside with scraps -

And then the Copic colors used -

Now you can hop or swing on over to the High Hopes challenge blog and see all the DT's Outdoor cards for inspiration and they please do join us for a chance to win some new stamps!!

Might be a long day today... one of those waiting for the satellite repair guy days... sometime between 8-12 and if he will be later he will let me know.... sigh... maybe a day to color a little? Wouldn't want to get into a big project and have to stop for him right? So some nice craft work sounds good to me.

Have a wonderful day -
HUGS and

Garden Sunday - About done...

Howdy -

Well the early garden is just about all done. Hubby has picked the last of the zucchini and squash and pulled up all the plants. The watermelons are also all done. But he got quite a few for our first crop.

Plus Hubby has had quite a few as snacks while out there.... just like the strawberries I have found out. I really am not a watermelon fan, but I have tasted them and they are really juicy and sweet. Hubby is already planning more -

Now he is in the works for the fall garden. Cutting back tomatoes, planning more tomatoes and starting new veggies the garden so it isn't really pretty right now. So I though I would show you our Cenizo plant in our back yard -

This last week it was in full bloom. The bees and butterflies love it. Even saw a couple of hummingbirds this week! Just couldn't get my camera in time. Did get a few butterflies though -

 

Love this plant and we are planning to get a bunch more for our front gate. They need very little water once established and love to feed the birds and butterflies right?

Now the old timers say that when they bloom like this then you should be getting a really good rain with in a week or so - about 95% of the time it is right! Hope so this time - things are getting crispy here already - Love the heads up on the rain, but whether it is a rain fortune teller or not the plant is a keeper we love it -

Hope you have some time to spend outside today and enjoy the outdoors, nature and some pretty butterflies.

HUGS and-

Animal Crackers - Scratch Eleanore...

Howdy -

Well it is official now... Eleanore is no more.... Scratch that name from the list and now we are going with Evan? Alan? Alex? or Leon? Not sure yet.... gonna try a few names and see what fits.

Here is a little proof...

HE was showing off for the older ladies next door...

All the chickens are really starting to show their real colors - The Australorps really are getting some pretty colors! Check out Cora -

Speaking of pretty colors - check out Sweet Pea -

Timid little girl - like her Mom. But man is she gorgeous! Really beautiful red/orange with striking white and black.

Sergio is a looker too. He knows he is handsome.

Could be cuz I spoil my little orphan boy like crazy and tell him just how gorgeous he is every time I can! Little battle scar above his eye... I was sad about it, but Hubby says it makes him a tough Jack and shows the others he is in charge. LOL unless Mommy is there, then he is my baby.

Speaking of my baby... Autie was tired of waiting for me...

 The boy was yawning and ready for his air conditioning. Can you believe we shaved him a few weeks back? We are going to do it again I think. I would rather do it twice and leave a bit of hair than take it all and him be cold inside. As I am typing this he is laying under my desk with his head on my feet... he is such a love!

Speaking of a love... Jorge is just that and was really enjoying a dirt bath yesterday... too funny....

 Shame I didn't have my video on my to show just how much he was rubbing back and forth and enjoying himself! He thinks everyone should try this at least once! He seems to really love it!

Hope you have a wonderful day - maybe a little dirt bath? At least something fun to make you smile like Jorge.

HUGS and