A Muddy Animal Crackers

Yes.. we have LOTS of mud here in Central Texas.  Last year we couldn't buy a drop of rain, this year it just won't dry up between storms. But I am going to try and not complain about it as this is water we will need this summer. But the animals... well I think they are pretty tired of it.

 

Yucky huh? I got stuck in this mud yesterday... YEP ankle deep and couldn't get my feet out of it. Wasn't funny... ok, I am sure it was funny, but to me it wasn't at the time! LOL I ended up having to pull my feet out of my boots, then pull my boots out of the mud!

 

Ellie Mae, Vicki and Lacey were standing at the fence wanting some lovings... I love how the sun was setting behind them last night.

The goats were having some fun - lapping the pen. Worried me that Paintbrush is so pregnant and she was playing so hard. But she knows what she can and can't do right? Heck she was leading them! Lillie cracks me up running with that huge milk bag. Actually it is about 1/2 as big as it was, three "kids" eating will do that.

 

I love this photo... Lillie and the kids talking to Annie in the pen next door. Annie is Lillie's baby from last year, lots of family resemblance here isn't there?

 

And how hysterical is this shot???   The babies keep trying to jump on the roof. They see Frankie and Annie doing it in the pen next to them, and so they think they can just hop on the roof themselves...  I think they have a ways to go before they can jump that high. LOL

Hubby called me out this morning to see all the frost.. yes, it was brr cold here in Texas.  All of the donkeys had frost on their backs. I worry so much about them getting cold, but Hubby had to pull me out of my warm house and show me that they are very insulated and they were just fine. Nature takes care of itself most of the time doesn't it? But these are my babies. And if he would let me I would have each barn heated in the winter and air conditioned in the summer!

Wouldn't be right if I didn't show a photo of Valentine today... although he isn't named for the day, my favorite holiday, it is his name. (He is named for one of my favorite movie characters - Valentine McKee - Kevin Bacon in Tremors! LOL)

 

Libbie photo... well this is about all she has done this past week. She has turned into a barking machine - I think she loves the sound of her own voice! Me. I am pretty tired of hearing it. I bet I have said a million times this week, "Libbie - Quiet. Libbie - No. Libbie - Hush. Libbie SHUT UP!"  I do hope she will grow out of this phase soon!

  

Autie.. well he is still cute... He doesn't bark like Libbie, but he does follow her in every thing else she does!

Hope you have a wonderful Weekend! I don't think I will be posting tomorrow.. Valentines Day - Hubby's Birthday - and our 23 Wedding Anniversary! Lots to celebrate - Hugs everyone!

Just Magnolias in LOVE

 I know we all have some love for our Tildas.. and all Magnolias, well this week the challenge at Just Magnolias - is LOVE! Just in time for your special Valentine ( My favorite day of the year! It is Hubby's birthday and our Anniversary!)

  

For my card I knew I wanted to use some new very yummy papers I got while at CHA - Vintage Valentine from Fancy Pants. I just adore this collection of papers! Again.. my love for "Valentines Day!" I used a white card stock base to start with and then used the solid red from the collection and layered pattern papers with the red as mats, sewing them all together with a zig zag stitch. 

  

 Then I went through my box of Magnolia images, I pulled out one sitting Tilda holding a heart - perfect! And I hadn't used this sweetie in a while so even better! But what should she be sitting on? Well I felt the rock wall was a nice place to have her sit and wait for her Valentine. I colored it all with my Copics, high lighted with white gel pen - and it was just all to bold and bright for the pattern paper.. uh oh... So I dug in my ink drawer and pulled out my Vintage photo Distressed ink and aged my image. This was perfect! I really think I need to leave this ink on my desk! LOL that is how my desk gets so cluttered, but then I don't forget my supplies -

 

  Instead of a "sentiment" stamp - I just let the pattern paper speak for my card - "sending my Love" was too perfect -

 

And the colors of the Vintage Valentine papers were perfect for my favorite mulberry roses - I don't get to use these wonderful red roses often.. and I adore the little mini buds! I added some Martha Stewart leaves -

Now for some more love... pop over to the Just Magnolias challenge and see the other DT cards! And again there is a fabulous prize :0)

HUGS

New Friends at CHA -and a Christmas Moose made Springy?

The best thing about CHA is meeting so many wonderful people, customers and internet blogging friends - OK.. the best thing equal to seeing all the wonderful new products.. LOL  Seriously, I really wish I had time to sit and talk and get to know all the great people I met. One new customer that we met is - Carol from The Scrappy Moose who is just to sweet - she and her husband Steve, checked on us each day - we were neighbors in the hotel - And I just wish we had more time to get to know them both, maybe next year? I say we schedule dinner one night guys! Here is a photo of Stuart, "Me', Carol and Heidi in our booth.

I fell in love with the wonderfully clever name of her store.. The Scrappy Moose - wonderful name for a Colorado Store. We kept telling them that we have a "Moose" stamp in our catalog of images, and I promised her I would send her a "loose Moose" in the mail as soon as I got back from CHA.

  

Now my only problem is, that "our" Moose, from Stampavie & Rachelle Anne Miller, is part of one of our Christmas collections. I really did not want to send a "Christmas" Card in February... so well... I tried to Springy up this winter Moose.. LOL I colored with my Copics, making sure that his sting of lights were all blinking with spring time colors! You can't see it here, but they are colored with Copic Spica pens so they really do sparkle!

For the card I stacked three different spring time papers - all from DCWV. I sewed down all that I could. Also adding some Martha Stewart borders for some fun.

And my flowers are new for me too!! I got a few Bosskutz dies at the show - one multiple flowers that stack so well together. I high lighted with white gel pen, and added some Martha frond leaf punches with jewelry spacers and mini brads. My sentiment is from Stamps by Judith.

I hope she enjoys her "Moose" - she should have received it by now! I hope he didn't wander off somewhere in the Post Office!  So Carol and Steve.. I look forward to next year and I am so happy that we met!

HUGS and

A Whimsy Spoon Full of Sugar!!

Tuesdays are Spoon Full of Sugar day! Wow .. it is nice to be getting back to a schedule. And this week at spoon I was lucky to get to pick our Guest DT... my choice was a fellow DT member from Stampavie and Just Magnolias, and someone I just adore! Bev Rochester!!! I know... we all adore BEV! :0)  And also this week we are sponsored by Whimsy  - and I got a chance to work with Snickerdoodle called Marty and Max! Are they a fun or what? Now for a little challenge we have a Recipe to follow... One Pattern Paper - One Embossed item - One Ribbon and One Button. Simple right? LOL funny I came up with the recipe.. thought it sounded pretty simple... then sat and stared at my card wondering if I was ok...

I colored up my image with my Copics and then cut it out. I found a pattern paper with snow flakes, seemed to be a good match with the sledding "boys" - I went through all of my embossing folders, first I thought a snow flake embossing.. but it was just too much with the pattern paper flakes, so I went with a wind look.. you know like weeee   we are sledding down this hill really fast.. LOL

So I used a coredination card stock and then sanded it to show off the embossing even more. Now I wanted to see some snow on my card - - so I used white puff paint and made a sort of hill for the guys to go down. One piece of ribbon.. and one button as per the recipe. Then I found an epoxy sticker that just seemed so right for this image!

Now please pop over to A Spoon Full of Sugar and see all the wonderful Whimsy images! Then join our fun with the recipe and you may win some Whimsy for yourself!

HUGS and -

Penny Johnson - Looking Chic - Another sneak peek!

Now how chic is this young lady and her puppy? I just love this new image from Stampavie and Penny Johnson! As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to paper piece her coat. Now if only I could get myself a pretty coat like that.. all would be good. LOL 

She has been stamped out three times. Twice on my white card stock. I cut one out with my Mega Nesties - the second I cut out her hand with her pocket book, and her hand with the leash. Yes that was a tiny little cut out! The third time I stamped her out on the DCWV Cafe Mediterranean pattern paper. This paper has some really gorgeous glossy areas! I then cut out her coat and attached it to the main image, then I on top of that I attached her hands and pocket book. 

Then I went to work on the card. My base is a Coredinations card stock, in a really pretty teal blue. I then layered a piece of the DCWV Cafe Mediterranean pattern paper, with two bands of card stock, one lime green and one the base teal blue. I sewed everything down. A mat for the image was cut out of a "coat matching" pattern paper with the Mega Nesties - and I inked the edges of everything. For some fun vines and flowers I cut out two Leaf Flourishes from Bosskut - really pretty die cut. For the flowers I used my mini EK Success retro flower punch with my white card stock, and then mini teal brads for the centers.

My sentiment is from Stampavie as well... Rachelle Anne Miller sentiments, I matted it with a Stampin Up label punch in green. I just love how this one came out. I think it is mainly cuz I just am in love with this image.. LOL She just looks so fun! and well she is "Looking chic"!!


So are you with me? I wanna go out and find an outfit just like hers.. coat, hat, scarf and matching boots! LOL

Hope you have a wonderful Monday.. Hubby is off today, no telling what we will end up working on... we have a long list of chores we should get busy on around here - but if the weather doesn't cooperate, we may just end up running errands and then coming home and watching it rain.

HUGS and-

Stampavie Helz Cuppleditch Sneaks!

So have you been enjoying the 40 days of Samples from the Stampavie DT BLOG? It is really awesome to know every day there is a new sneak peak posted from one of the DT - And today is my day! Day 22 - And I am showing off some Helz Cuppleditch images! I really ended up having quite a few of these cards made for CHA... 5 of the 10 new images released!

This first is Ruffles Puppy Spring Basket - I just love Ruffles.. he is so adorable - Since I am showing off 5 cards in one post - I won't go into normal details on each card of what I used or how I made it, but please shoot me an email if you have any questions about a product okay?

 

I was so happy to see a cat in the Spring/Summer release this year! I love Ruffles.. but every good dog needs a cat too! This is Coco Cat Flowers - Really fun with those tiny little bees smelling the flowers!

And speaking of characters.. Loopy Lops is new for 2010's Helz collections! There are three Loopy Lops images in this release, this is Loopy Lops Strawberry Fair! I bet she wins the blue ribbon for her jam! LOL mmm Strawberry jam is my personal favorite!

 

Also in this collection are some really wonderful "art" image. For those cards you don't want to be quite so cute. You know what I mean? I love this one Celebration Table. Perfect for a wedding - anniversary - or birthday!

 

There are two plant images, really gorgeous art! And wonderful for a sentimental or sympathy card - I just love floral images - this one is titled Floral Planters. Just a simply beautiful image.

Remember please shoot me an email at michelleo@hughes.net if you have any questions about my cards and the products I used - 

And I hope you are enjoying our samples.. pop back to the Stampavie DT Blog tomorrow as Jay Jay will be her showing off Penny Johnson!

HUGS and Happy Sunday!

Animal Crackers!

I am trying to get back to the normal.. as normal as my life gets with all the Animal Crackers around here!

This is my life... Autie and Libbie chasing, rolling, barking and "playing" 24/7!  Ok, maybe not 24/7... they do sleep for short periods - then get back to their fun.

 

They take turns "winning" - Autie has one advantage. He has this little yelp, and he has learned that when he "uses" it, that Mom and Dad will jump and yell at Libble to be careful with the puppy. As soon as we turn away, then Autie has the advantage again... 

But common ... he is cute - 

His copper coloring on his face is really coming in - now is that a face to love or what? And Libbie really is great with him. 

My donkey photos this week are the pits! I couldn't get any really good one, they just were not interested in posing...  Sergio is so stunning. I really am going to have a VERY hard time selling him. I am still working on Hubby to try and keep him, even though I know it isn't "good business'.....

Poor Felicia... she is such a shaggy girl. And with all this rain she is just a mess! But still adorable - This week we are going to wean her, Carlos and Sergio into the youth pen. May be a noisy week, but it is time.

 

And this youth pen is getting pretty full!! I was trying to get some photos of all them. But sorry... fresh hay that Dad had put out was much more important!

I did finally get Cali to come over for a quick photo... but she went right back to eating when she didn't find any treats with me. You can barely see Mirta's nose behind her. These two 1/2 sisters are NEVER apart... 

I did get a good photo of Hank - I tell you these goats are major time wasters! I just sit out on the porch and watch them and laugh. I have to figure out how to video them, you will agree...

 

Totally adorable for photos... but hysterical to watch play! They are already getting so big. And we are still waiting for Paintbrush to deliver, she is getting wider - so anytime... 

Hope you enjoyed Animal Crackers Saturday! This week I have my camera on the kitchen table, I am going to try and do more during the week... the weather is suppose to be really cold and nasty again on Monday but hopefully I can get better photos for next week.

Hugs and have a wonderful Saturday!