High Hopes Stamps - Christmas Bear Engine

Howdy -

 Last day of July and our Christmas in July Celebration... So I thought I would use Christmas Bear Engine to choo choo choo the last day of the month out!

 Now due to the good size of this stamp - I wanted to keep the focus on the image... and kept it simple. I colored with my copics (colors below) and then stamped the High Hopes Stamps sentiment "Jingle all the way!" It just felt right with this one.  Sewed down with a zig zag stitch on red card stock. A few dots of Nuvo Black for embellishement and done! Love how simple and clean it feels ... choo choo

Copic colors used -

Now is the time to get your Christmas images and get those cards started so you don't panic and rush in December. Pop over to the High Hopes Stamps Web store HERE and see all the Christmas images.

Have a blessed day -
Hugs and

Animal Crackers - Summertime.. Summertime

Howdy -

Love the look on my boys face... I think he gets tired of me snapping photos of him... 

 Whatcha doing Mom?? He is so funny. And yes, I snapped Autie cuz finding animals yesterday was not easy. Most everyone was hiding from the Summertime Sun.

This looks like a photo I took a couple of weeks ago.. but it is not. It is across the pen and the girls are in different order.. LOL 

 Finding nice shady spots is a big score for the girls! LOL Not sure what or who they were looking at, but they were all focused on the same thing for sure.

Found Alice under hut. She never showed any signs of being pregnant. She is still living in with Alvin they have become good pen mates and well... if she can't get pregnant she is a good friend for Alvin he likes her. And maybe we might get lucky and she might get pregnant?

 The old lady chicken pen is the best for summertime. It is really 90% in the shade. So they can still get out and strut their stuff and enjoy most all the pen. These old girls are good at struttin' their stuff! LOL

I did find Jorge out and about. He is always active... you know these studly men... LOL He trotted over to the gate and put his head through for his head scratches... he loves head scratches!

But not nearly as much as ...

 He really just wants you to come over and scratch his backside! So he lets you scratch his head for a minute or two... then he flips around for the rear end to be scratched! All though the dirt flies I did oblige. I am to please my kids... but then I had to head in and wash my hands cuz they were black with dirt!

 I guess I am going to have to try and get up early in the morning one day to catch the girl donkeys for their photos... they have been really going deep into the bush to hide from the sun. I don't love getting up early... lol. They love the brush this time of year. I love the air conditioning... ha!

Hope you have a blessed weekend and enjoyed a few of my hot kids this week.
HUGS and 

High Hopes Stamps - Road Trippin' Santa

Howdy -

Still having fun with Christmas in July at High Hopes Stamps! And today Santa is on a bit of a trip is seems! This is "Road Trippin' Santa"... just love his little bug! 

I colored up Santa in his cruiser with my Copics and then added some sparkle to his suit with Nuvo Paint pen. I found some fun papers from Paper Studio Christmas Collection and sewed all the layers together with red card stock mats and base. Then just for a few more circles embellishments I added some vintage red buttons.

My Copic colors used -

Wonder where Santa was off too? And he has packages in the back... hm wonder who they are for??

Hope you have a wonderful day!
HUGS and 

Animal Crackers - Beauty and Bugs

Howdy -

This week Hubby and I have been talking a lot of about bugs... It is the weirdest thing... we have found more bugs around and in the house the last couple of weeks. It is almost like they know that something is coming and they are looking for higher and safer ground.. kinda odd. And I know what you are thinking.. what kind of bugs right? Ok didn't get any photos cuz I will be honest they were squished quickly but scorpions. Been stung not that long ago and I don't like Scorpions... then the flies have been crazy insane - now summer it is a normal thing, but oddly more than normal.

Lets see...  Praying Mantis -

Now I have no issues with those, actually they are kind of cool. Hubby loves having long in depth conversations with them. They do have a bit of intellectual look to them.

Then there are grasshoppers... we have had tons of them recently.

This guy hopped a ride down our long dirt road on the windshield. He is very striking isn't he. So many details and colors on him.

And oh my spiders lots and lots of spiders!

This lady has been working so hard on her elaborate web outside out dining room window for a couple of weeks.

Spiders generally don't freak me out, I have grown to appreciate them, kind of have to in the country. I still like to keep my distance, as we do have black widows here... seen them. But the others... I let them be and usually those that hang around in one spot get a name. Been thinking on this one, haven't found the right name that just fits. Keep coming back to Charlotte... LOL

Now how about something cute instead of creepy crawly? 

 This girl has her own pillows... 2 of her own special built window beds and lots of other places to take her little cat naps. But after all these years for the first time I caught her wrapped around our potted ficus tree in the dining room. She has ever even showed any interest in it. And suddenly it was the perfect place to snooze. Nice view of "Charlotte" outside from there I suppose.

To end off today I just had to show you something beautiful! And oh man I SO wish you could smell these!!

Hubby has his amazing green thumbs.. heck all his fingers are green. And earlier in the year he came home with some tiny little miniature rose plants. We live in the country... with donkeys and goats that like to eat plants so having places for things to grow just for beauty is sometimes hard. But he so loves to grow roses, and pulled out some flower pots and have them in our backyard. A bit of a tease for both the goats and donkeys but they are not suppose to get in the back yard... and I really hope that they don't sneak in at any time and mess with his roses. Cuz they are just gorgeous and very happy where they are. And well... Hubby will be crushed it they get munched by one of the "kids"!

Hope you have a blessed weekend - enjoy some a furry friend - and appreciate the bug world from a distance.... LOL

HUGS and

High Hopes Stamps - Tall Country Snowman

Howdy

We are still having a little Christmas in July fun at High Hopes Stamps - and I have always had a bit of a soft spot for this handsome guy... "Tall Country Snowman"

 Love his country feel... now I don't know how tall he actually is... I think it is mostly hat. LOL I colored with my Copics (Colors below) and then matted with red card stock. Same red for the base of the card and then pattern papers from Paper Studios. I sewed the layers down - think the sewing adds a texture to it. Then for the sentiment I used High Hopes Stamps "Celebrate the Magic of Christmas" Great sentiment for the Christmas Season!

I just adore Country feeling of Christmas Cards - and this one for sure has it!

Copic colors used -

For LOTS and LOTS of great Christmas images pop over to the High Hopes Stamps website and see them all!

Have a blessed day -
HUGS and 

Animal Crackers - Fun with Goats

Howdy -

This week is all goats... Donkeys were all out in the far pasture hiding from the heat. But the goats were up by the house end of their pen under the tree. Its a nice shady area to lounge.... But before we visit the girls chillin' ... you have to stop and see the kids right?

 Twins but so very different in personality...

Chipmunk he is a love ... A cuddlier and those big brown eyes just melt you. But he does have a set of ears huh?? An adorable cutie pie for sure!

His brother Junior ... now he is just silly and in charge and a stunner! Oh he likes his lovin' too.. and those eyes oh my those ice blue eyes!

A handsome guy for sure!

Then I got a reminder from Frankie... he has pretty blue eyes too... and he is a handsome guy! Old guy! But handsome! And I guess he has that Silly too...

 Love this old man! And his handsome silly face!

Now for those lounging girls... they didn't move the entire time I was out loving on the Kids or Frankie... they had the premium spots and they were not giving them up! Well unless I pulled out some sort of treats for them, but this was just photos today so it wasn't worth getting up.

All though Mallory didn't "park" so well... she wasn't parked correctly for a  forth one to join them, Don't you hate it when someone takes up two spaces in the lot! LOL

Olive Oyl was doing her lounging right at the edge of the shade... and that shade was moving fast so she was going to have to relocate soon to stay in the shade. Lucy... she was already up looking for a new place.  

Lucy... love that silly face. She always looks like she is grinning at me. Hard to believe that Lucy one of our very first babies  and is now one of our old ladies! She is Olive's 1/2 sister - Paintbrush was both of these girls Mom... so glad we still have a part of Paintbrush in these two girls. :0)

Head shaking here....  Oh Lizzie...

 Now goats are destructive creatures. The break up and tear up most everything eventually. And those indestructible dog house igloos... they last us 2-3 years and then they are done cracked broke and have to be replaced. Horns and head butting do damage. And here... they have turned over one, even when "Dad" puts them on a heavy wood base... but no worries they still are a place to get some shade and rub those horns.

Hope you have a wonderfully blessed weekend planned. Remember even if your hut is a bit upside down.... there is still positive shade and good angles for scratching!

HUGS and

High Hopes Stamps - Waddlin' By

Howdy -

SO it July and its HOT! So too cool off a little Penguin Waddlin' By is just the right thing to color up!  A little winter snowy fun!

 This little guy is just too precious! I colored with my Copics (colors below) and then added some Nuvo White and light blue clear for some added depth. He just makes me smile! Maybe cuz I walk a lot like him! I used a white card stock base with a couple of blue and white pattern paper from Paper Studio. The image I sewed down to black card stock with a zig zag stitch. For some bling I added some sparkle dark blue enamel dots. Then the PERFECT sentiment Waddling by with a winter HI! 

A fun cool card - not if only it wasn't 100 degrees outside in reality! Oh well... guess I'll just have to color up some more coolness!

Copic colors used - 

 There is so many wonderful image to color up for Winter fun and Christmas and now is the time to get you images and get ahead start for Christmas!

Have a blessed weekend and

Animal Crackers - How Handsome!

Howdy -

How absolutely gorgeously handsome is Mr. Pavo? He has slicked off and really is a stunning man! Living in the Ladies pen seems to be agreeing with him - :0) 

He still is very quiet and stands in the background but really is a gentle soul and we love him! Wow really is stunning isn't he.


Speaking of stunning... This little man just oozes his personality and handsome looks.

Those bangs passed down from grandpa Doc... with that long silky beard. Really a looker! Can't get over those bangs... Love him!

 Found Jolene watching from far in the pasture...

Those weeds! Oh my... Hubby gets all caught up with mowing - then so much rain for a couple of weeks and Hubby working overtime... and well. Weeds are happy for sure! But forecast calls lots of sun this coming week so Hubby should get more mowing done now that it is drying up.

And look how pretty this lady is... she does love to pose. 

Ok, a little dirty from all the mud... but still a beauty! Hope she is growing up a baby in that full belly and not just a full belly from all that green grass!


As I was leaving the Ladies pen.. Patti was worried she wouldn't get her photo taken. She does love the camera...

Can't image life without her in our pastures. She is such a strong presence and leader. And she loves front and center attention.

As walking back to the house. Chica was not happy that I was taking so long outside... too hot for my girl that loves her air conditioning.

 It's too hot Mom... lets go in!!! How can that little petite cute face have such a large long tongue! LOL!

Hope you have a wonderfully blessed weekend - full of hugs from family friends and furry kids!
HUGS and -

High Hopes Stamps - Snowman Cowboy

Howdy -

ITS JULY!! And that means that it is High Hopes Stamps Christmas in July. And with me in Texas I just love the Snowman Cowboy! I paired it up with the fabulous Winter Wonderland Background stamp. Makes a fun scene for any Christmas card don't you think?

 Now with scenes I like to keep things simple. So I colored with my Copics (colors below) and cut it out leaving a small border around the background stamp. I then used a copic to create a "mat" look around them image. I found a piece of weathered wood patter paper from DCWV, and used a brown card stock base. Simple... but then for a little pop I used a Viva Decor sparkle paint pen for all the flakes and swirls. Then Nuvo White for some added snow on the trees and snow base. Love all the sparkle this one has.

Copic colors used -

A little head start to making Christmas cards and now that they are playing Christmas movies in July it is just too much fun to color while watching holiday movies... especially when it is near 100 degrees here! 

Hope you enjoyed and now you can pop over to the High Hopes Stamps store and see all the Christmas/Winter/Holiday images you can get for your Cards this year! 

Have a blessed day - 

HUGS