Animal Crackers - Sunshine!

Saturday!! YEA Animal Crackers Day! Friday afternoon I so enjoyed taking photos out in the warm Spring Sunshine! 80 degrees and everyone was enjoying it! My only worry is how fast the grass is growing around the property.. oh my time to start mowing! The only thing I don't like about Spring.. mowing!

How about some animals?

Rico is up first. He is such a stunning spotted guy. The lady we bought him from had gelded him, so sad... but he has been a wonderful friend for Miguel (in the background)  - We had to geld Miguel a couple of years ago - he was just a bit too aggressive, and wasn't giving us any babies - so now both Rico and Miguel are well.. useless to us. But we can't sell them, they have been a part of our family since the beginning of our donkey venture - so they aren't totally useless... they do give us lots of love :0)

Angelina "Lina" is next - It is so hard to believe that this baby of ours is almost 2 years old! She has her Mom's (Macey) beautiful large eyes and very short legs.. She is on our for sale list. That may be hard :0)

Cali she has a very sweet quiet personality - her and her literally little sister Mirta are always side by side, and other than being about 4 inches taller than Mirta... they are about the same in personality and colors.... Raffie my smiling donkey is their dad... and man does it show!

 Frankie.. well he didn't want to pose for me, nope he was showing me he is the man.

Raising up on his hind legs and trying so hard to butt me... ok so he isn't so smart, as the fence was between us.. oh well he is a looker!

Feeding time for Paintbrushes 4 kids... ok so it is a bit of a struggle for all four to eat at the same time... LOL  Paintbrush decides when the fight is over and walks away, usually dragging one with her.

Ricky was her first born.. he is truly the looker of the four - his coloring just amazing and I just love all his tiny spots on his nose and ears.

Bribery works wonders! I took about 20 blurry photos again this week of Mister Autie.. I gave him a Cookie, and off he went to lay down and eat it... still at last!

Libbie could have cared less about photos this week... she was hungry :0) 

Hope you enjoyed Animal Crackers this week! I am excited... Having a craft day at my house again this Saturday! Maybe we will take breaks from laughing and "talking" long enough to get some projects done this time! LOL

Have a wonderful Weekend! And don't forget my Blog Candy! (Link is on the top of my side bar)

HUGS and-

Just Magnolias - Bev's wonderful sketch!

Hello and Happy Friday!

It is Just Magnolias day and today the challenge is a sketch by Bev! Honestly.. this is no challenge at all! It is a fun sketch and you will love it!

For my card I decided it was time for Edwin to come out and play - I am sure we all have many more Tilda's than Edwin.. but really he is wants to play too!

I had fun coloring him with my Copics - and then adding in some grass with a Rubberstamp Tapestry stamp. When cutting the image, I decided that the net needed to pop out of the image! Love that!

For my card I pulled out those yummy Mariposa papers from DCWV... loving the butterflies and perfect for a boy with a net! I followed the sketch and sewed down everything with orange thread, to match the butterflies and the orange mat card stock. I needed a few more butterflies to pop off the card as embellishments, so I used my Martha Stewart butterfly punch. And then used stickles to bling them up a bit! Butterflies do need some sparkle don't they?

The sentiment is one I got at a sale, love it! So me "Whatcha been up to?" LOL I can't read the maker... it sort of looks like deadbeat designs. Could that be right?

So now pop on over to Just Magnolias Challenge and see all the DT cards, and take a peek at the great prize up for grabs! Can't wait to see what you do with Bev's sketch!

HUGS and don't forget my BLOG CANDY link at the top of my side bar.. wink wink...

Tina Wenke Mice Kissing!

Sorry for my little rant yesterday - Seriously.. Autie is a wonderful little guy, no worse than any other puppy - he just chooses to pull out all the tricks on days were my life already has so many stresses that I just fall apart. This morning... he is sleeping at my feet, in Libbies left over pink puppy bed, adorable, quiet still and not chewing on anything.

Now that three stooges ( our three standard donkeys ) they have broke open the back yard gate, ate the flowers off my peach tree, got into the garbage bags ready to be taken out and are currently eating every piece of grass in the yard. I looked... shook my head and decided you've done your damage - go ahead and eat the grass.. at least I won't have to mow the yard this weekend! LOL

How about a card! Yea!

I went a bit different with this one, trying to move my MoJo around you know? So I pulled out a 5x7 card base - I use to only make 5x7's and then I started making those square 6x6 and very rarely move back. I enjoyed making my old style. I had just colored up one of the new Stampavie Tina Wenke images, love these Kissing Mice - so adorable.

Here is a close up - I colored with my Copics, highlighted with Spica glitter pens and a white gel pen.

My pattern papers... hmmm I went a bit different didn't I? LOL I love these papers, from DCWV - bold and fun colors and hey they matched my flowers! I cut my image, and mats with my Nesties labels - I inked the edges, and then stacked. I used a Fiskars border punch for a lacy look to the band across the middle. Mulberry flowers and Martha frond leaf punches, and a Hero Arts Sentiment!

I love this image, so perfect lots of cards - and fun to color too! So what is your favorite new Tina Wenke image? I know hard to narrow it down to just one isn't it? I know I can't!

Have a wonderful Thursday!
HUGS and-

So how many times to you have to say NO, before they understand the word NO?

Sorry I have no card today to share, the past few days have been so crazy and at times just plain stressful. But I thought I would share some of the moments with you...

You see we have been having some fun and yet hair pulling with the training of the puppy Autie...

First .... just how many times do you think it takes before they learn the word "NO"? and then understand that NO means NO even when I am not in the room screaming it at you?

You see this week has been Autie's NO week... Autie.. NO get out of the trash, Autie NO leave those shoes alone, .... Autie NO get out of the laundry hamper and dragging wet towels all over the house... Autie NO do not chew of the corner of the wall... the chair... the stairs.. basically everything he can wrap your little teeth around!

Yesterday was just one of those days... seemed like I said NO to him a million times, and the other half of the day I was telling Libbie to stop barking. As she is in her wow look how loud my voice can sound stage.

My week so far and it is only Wednesday... It started with having to call out the AC repair man, we had been gone most of the day on Monday - sadly our neighbor lost a new filly - she was still born, and after helping her deal with it and crying with her, we came home late that night depressed and tired to a stuffy house, as it had rained and warmed up during the day. So I turn on that magic button on the wall for some cool refreshing air to fill the house.. it is a brand new AC/Heating unit and we really are enjoying it! Except.. hold on here... the air that is coming out is not cool... it is worse than the air in the house! So we read the manual, stare at the outside unit that won't come on even with our pleading and decided we had not one clue as what the manual said, even under the "easy troubleshooting" section. So early the next morning after sleeping in a very humid stuffy house, I call the repair man. He agrees to come out sometime in the morning... He comes in looks at the thermometer, the looks at the inside unit and agrees that the problem is the outside unit.. (uh hello I knew that, as it wasn't coming on) We walk outside, him explaining all the different problems it could be. He sets down his tool bag, and literally touches the unit with one hand and it comes on!! NO LIE! My first thought was OMG... this is going to cost me a $200 call and he just touched the **** thing!  He did open it up and tried to see why it wasn't working, but it all looked in fine. Then he said.."I guess I just have the magic touch" I say... " and what does that Magic touch cost?" He laughed and said I don't think I can charge you to just touch it... whew.. an honest good repair man! I thank him and schedule a yearly cleaning and filters for the year.. (had to give him some business for the nice trip) wave good bye and walk in the house........

to my garbage contents all over the floor... again... Libbie under the table pleading to not get yelled at... and Autie standing in the middle of the room tail wagging as if to say "Hi Mom... look I got it all out of that big can again for you!"....

then the phone rings... Hubby is on his way to the drug store, having to leave work. Why I ask... and in the calmest voice he can put together... not knowing whether he should scream or laugh... Autie ate my shoe strings again.   You have to understand these are not very old shoes at all... and this is now the 4th or wait maybe 5th pair of shoe strings. And Hubby keeps them closed in the closet now to stop this problem. So we are really baffled at when this happened!!

As I hang up the phone and go down the hall to see why it is so quiet... I find Autie.. again that sweet grin on his face, wagging his back end... dragging my robe across the bedroom floor, now I have not one clue as how he reached it... I mean he is only a few inches tall!  And he was so proud that he had.. and that he managed to drag it with all his might across the room!

All of this and it was just barely 8:30am... LOL

Libbie chewed, Libbie had her moments really she did... but let me tell you Autie is really hard to get to understand, to train, to have any control at all... Sure he is adorable, and I have a hard time yelling at him when he turns that head to one side and wags that lack of tail at me... but he has to be taught right from wrong... and then it hits me!!! I UNDERSTAND!!! I know why this is harder than Libbie... I know why he is testing me... I know why!!!!   HE IS A GUY!!!! The world makes much more sense!! LOL

HE has had a few good moments don't get me wrong. We are so proud he has figured out the steps and no longer howls at the top of his lungs to help him down. And he has figured out now 80% of the time where the "potty" area is. (hey he is only 4 months old).

I will now get back to work, and get some cards made :0)

HUGS and-

(PS.   I feel I have to say... all of this is just venting and in fun.. Autie is really doing pretty good in "training" he is after all still just a baby.. and is still learning, he'll get the hang of everything. And he makes up for all his learning faults with is loving personality... he is such a sweet boy)

A Spoon Full of Sugar! Recycling!

Hello! Man I am soooo late today, so very sorry. Today is A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge day and this challenge this week is to Recycle something in your project! Well that leave things wide open doesn't it? And fun to see what you can come up with too!

For me... well I wasn't in my most creative moment... LOL For my recycling item I used three things... one the ribbon was off a present, the button was off a shirt that was going to the rags, and then the card stock label behind my image... was a scrap I tested my new Nesties with ages ago, and just couldn't throw it away... so I saved it! And look now it matches my card perfectly!

 I really recycled all the papers as they were from my scraps.. and that is sort of recycling right? LOL I sewed down everything with dark brown thread. 

 My image is one of the brand new Stampavie images!!! Love it don't you? This is Bobby and Me, from Penny Johnson - just too cute and great for boy cards! I colored with my Copics, and then cut out with the same Nesties as I used for the mat background. 

My sentiment is one of the epoxy stickers from Cloud Nine. Love them too ...

Now make sure to pop over to Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge and see that the other DT were much more creative than me.. LOL  Then maybe you can play too, there are great prizes up for grabs again this week!

Thanks so much for visiting and don't forget my blog candy! (link top of my side bar)

HUGS and-

The Stampavie DT Challenge IS BACK!!! SPRING In!

 BLOG CANDY LINK IS ON THE TOP RIGHT OF MY SIDE BAR :0)

 Yea!!! The Stampavie Challenge is back at the DT BLOG!!! We took a short break for the holidays and then for CHA, but now we are back and Springing back into action!  The challenge this week is a pretty easy one, and one we all I am sure looking forward to! SPRING ... I am so ready for the cold, cloudy, wet weather to go away and the sun, warmth and flowers to return! How about you?

For my card I pulled out one of the new Penny Johnson images "My Little Lamb"... now me personally "My Little Goat - Lucy" would have been more me... but I do love this image with that fuzzy little ewe.

Isn't she just so pretty? Love her hair blowing in the breeze. I colored with my Copics and then cut out the circle and the mat in green card stock with my Nesties.

 

For my card, I pulled out some really pretty papers!! Love all the flowers! This is K&Company Designer Paper Stack - Terri Conrad Sweet Life. I used the smaller pattern as the back ground matted on white card stock then placed on the green card stock card base, then sewed it all together with a pretty bright blue thread on my machine. For my Loops around my circle - that is that Simon Says Blog tip again! Using border punches around your shapes! I am having so much fun trying all my border punches.. I have found that looser patterns are much easier at tighter circles :0) My favorite is the Martha Stewart Loops punch... used here.  

I then found a larger flower pattern in the paper stack and cut out two groupings of flowers for the bottom two corners. Now my only regret on these papers is there is no bling... these gorgeous flowers need some bling!! Well that is what we have Stickles for right? I placed them in the corners, and the filled in with two shades of bling! Has lots of sparkle now! LOL

My sentiment is from the dollar spot at Micheals.. Celebrate Spring - thought it was appropriate for the challenge.. wink wink...

Now you pop on over and check out the other DT Cards, and then grab any Stampavie image and join us! Great prizes up for grabs!!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Saturday Animal Crackers!!

I must have spend over an hour taking photos yesterday afternoon - ok so most of the time I was just playing with the animals, but it was quiet and calm outside and everyone was just wanting some lovin -

If you are haven't seen my Anniversary Blog Candy click the link to the top right of my side bar to get in on the drawing! :0)

 

My baby Sergio (my orphan) was one of the first to come and see me. I can't believe he is over 6 months old now.. such a big boy and he is such a love. And his coloring is just gorgeous. He is solid black, and when clipped late in Spring we will see that, but his sun bleached fur is just red in the light.  I was messing with the settings on my camera, trying to learn how to use my camera and software better... so be patient with me as I learn and mess up photos please :0)

 

I then went and saw Lacey and Vicki... Well Lacey came and saw me... Vicki found something really good to dig up and was more interested in that - They are both starting to get those baby wides. They aren't due until summer - quick story about these two. Vicki was the donkey we went to purchase years ago. She has fabulous genealogy, daddy and grandpa have tons of nation wide show ribbons, and both were grand champions. She is a white with black spot donkey (remember black fades to red) and she has green eyes. But while agreeing to buy her the breeder begged us to take Lacey as well. They were born about the same time, and were the best of friends. Any time you separated them they both went nuts. So she made us a package deal and we took both of them. And I have never once regretted it. Lacey has given us some pretty babies, and truly she is one of the friendliest and sweetest girls we have. A bit tall... but breeding her with Raffie who is so little fixes that :0)   

I then saw that the "Three Stooges",  we call them that lovingly,  was back in the far pasture of our property. I love seeing them out there grazing. These three are our standard donkeys.. they have run of the entire property and are not penned like the minis. They watch over everyone and protect things. Teddy is the best ever at running off wild dogs or coyotes! I walked out closer to them and snapped a few photos. You can see that most everything is still dead.. but that the new spring grass is coming in, they love that new grass. This photo makes Valentine look so much smaller than Teddy and his Momma Cocoa, but really he isn't... hmm must have been standing in a hole. :0)

I then went back up by the house and played with the goats. Ok so I watched these three.. didn't play with them. This is our January babies.. C - H - A , Cathy Hank and Andy - they are wild little kids. Remember I wasn't home when they were born, they didn't have any hands on attention, as Hubby was working. So they just don't let us walk up and pick them up like the February Four do. OH well.. I have been trying work on them, actually held Cathy and Hank a few times. We are planning on keeping Cathy, but Hank and Andy need to find new homes in a couple of months. Aren't they cute, look at the boys little horns growing... :0)

 

Here is their Mom Lillie.. she was wanting attention, she is dying to be petted like we do Paintbrush and her babies... but she just is a bit skittish - like her babies I guess, she didn't have much hands on attention. So she lets us pet the end of her nose and then she runs off. Paintbrush was a show goat... so she loves attention :0)  Hopefully someday Lillie will trust us enough and loosen up! And I guarantee her next babies will be held a whole bunch!!

  

Speaking of held a whole bunch... my girl Lucy :0) One of Paintbrushes four. Hubby finally said out loud this week I could keep her!! yea!!! I was anyway but he said it too... She loves to be held, she actually will come to me most of the time, unless she is busy playing with her brothers and sister... loves to play you know. She rubs her head with me, and thinks it is funny to pull on my clothes. When I put her down she will paw at my feet until I pick her up again... Isn't she gorgeous? Just like her Mom. Her brothers, Ricky and Fred, her sister Ethel will all be going to live at a neighbors when old enough. So I will still get to visit them! But Lucy... she is staying right here!

Got a beautiful photo of Gato... you can really see her coloring in this photo... Stunning cat, I just wish she would leave me alone at night! She thinks it is just sooo funny right now to bite my toes, and claw my arms and face at 2, 3, and 4 am! NOT!!

 

My ham... I must have really taken a million photos of Libbie as a baby... cuz this girl knows how to pose! She goes through times where she isn't interested, but when she wants her photo taken she is a super model! She would have sat here an hour as long as I was snapping! LOL

Now Autie is a totally different story... I took a million photos and this is the only one that was worth showing! My blurry head dog! Moving constantly and really could care less that Mom wants to take his photo! Isn't he growing up fast???? He is a true sweetie. We have a while yet, but I just can't wait to see their babies!! I bet they are going to be adorable. LOL what puppies aren't! 

Well I hope you enjoyed Animal Crackers this Saturday... Sorry again for playing with my camera, lighting and software. I am determined I am going to learn how to use my equipment and start taking better photos!!! 

Don't forget about my Blog Candy... :0) 

HUGS and have a wonderful weekend!