Whimsy Inspirations - Friends like you are priceless!

Howdy -

Made this card up as a Thank You for a friend -  then I forgot to show it off here! Loved how it turned out, but I am always a little over the moon about Crissy Armstrong images!

This is from Crissy's Whimsy Stamps - "The Gang's All Here"

I made an easel card - Colored with my Copics (colors below) I matched it up with lots of dies - mainly the Double Scallop Square Die  creates such a great mat background don't you think? Then I used Vine and flower dies to fill in lots! Love that - 


Don't you love making cards for someone that really appreciates them? They don't say.. "Oh how cute" and then just toss it out. This friend is that kind of special person that makes you feel good when you make them a handmade card - so I enjoy making them for them!

Here are the Copic colors used -

Hope you are having a great day -
HUGS and - 

High Hopes Challenge - Christmas

Howdy -

Tuesday and that is the High Hopes Challenge, now I won't lie to you here... I love to put a good Hallmark Christmas Movie on (I know you grinned here Deana!) then color and craft. But this week I just had a little bitty thing out in the yard that made me want to play outside instead! LOL The new baby goat Abigail is just wasting all my time! Ok, a cool front came through yesterday afternoon so I went in when I got cold and colored. Taking breaks to run out and say Hi to Abigail. Don't want her to forget me so I make sure to say Hi lots!

This week the challenge at High Hopes is to make a Christmas card! HO HO HO -

I pulled out Christmas Pals for my card - 

I colored up the Pals with my Copics and then used Viva Decor White Pearl for the snow and Sparkle for Santa's fur trim. I cut out with an oval Nestie then went off to find papers.

 Digging into the older Christmas stash I found a Basic Grey Wassail paper pad  - Matched it up with Kraft card stock and red Bazzil card stock for matting. I cut a Whimsy Snow flake border as well.

Inside more of the same papers and then along with my own doodling I stamped the High Hopes sentiment "Christmas Joy"

Copic colors used -

I started another Hallmark movie and moved on to another card...  Hubby shakes his head when he walks through and goes onto his outdoor projects. LOL 

Please do pop over to the High Hopes Challenge Blog and see all the DT Christmas projects. Then join us for your chance to win more High Hopes!

Have a wonderful blessed day!
HUGS and

Say Hello to Abigail!

Howdy-


Well Annie was first! Yesterday late afternoon she decided it was the right time to bring her little one into our world. Yep... as big as she was she only had one little girl. She is a beautiful big girl. We named her Abigail -

She was only an hour or so old here - You know I will show off lots of adorable photos as she puffs out and is dry bouncing around. Hopefully the other Mom's to be will take this as a hint that it is time and have theirs real soon so Abigail has some playmates! 

Have a wonderful blessed Sunday!
HUGS and -

Animal Crackers - Thankful

Howdy -

This week we celebrated Thanksgiving - and yesterday while walking around among our "kids" I really did feel blessed and Thankful for our life. I am Thankful that I have a Husband that is my best friend and partner in everything. We were never blessed with children but have a wonderful family and many fabulous Nieces and Nephews. Our network of Friends are so important to us and we are thankful each of them for keeping us sane and helping us be a little Crazy as well. We are Thankful for the land we have and the blessings of many animals that we love and adore. We are truly blessed and Thankful for our life.

While gathering the eggs yesterday afternoon I found a little cardinal playing in the chicken coop.

When I first spotted him he was helping himself to a little chicken feed. But as he saw me he tried to play innocent and perched up on the pole ignoring me... LOL We have hundreds of Cardinals here and love spotting that bright red coloring. They are beautiful birds aren't they?

Now I every time I see someone recently they ask... "So are there any baby goats yet?" I know I know we are so very impatient waiting for babies. Since the Donkeys all played me for a fool and never had babies and were faking it for extras... I have really been excited and not wanting to wait for "the kids" to arrive. We have 3-4 Mom's to be. I have them on the calendar by dates to deliver late October to Mid to Late November depending on their cycles. Well.... I guess they are just wanting to push the limit and this is their way of having control over me and my calendar.

I am leaning towards Annie being first, but Chloe and Daisy both are really bagging up as well.

Annie has given us some beautiful babies in the past, especially where paired up with Frank. Yesterday she was even more moody than normal and was hanging really close to her favorite shack, running everyone else from her spot. So maybe.... But last time Annie and Daisy were both looking close and I gave Annie the odds, Daisy swooped in and delivered first. I don't mind who ever wants to deliver first is fine with me... just healthy happy bouncing kids please.

Little Jorge headed straight for me when he saw me for some nose rubs.

This boy is so special. So very very sweet. Love that little white patch of hair on his forehead. And that dark nose is like velvet. Hubby's special little man is now on the not for sale list as we may just want to breed him one day for more of those dark noses. Right now he is just a fabulous little pet that we love.

Ok - so my latest Heritage chickens have really given me lots of worry and stress. And all the sexed little chicks we received, 1/2 of them have ended up to be male. Totally stinks as I have become so attached to them and honestly the boys should go as there are just too many of them. Sam is my Australorp boy... and I "have" two females Cora and Alice. Well we discovered a while back that Alice was a late bloomer and became Alister - stunning guy, but two males and one female that is limp with a bad leg just isn't a great way to start off is it. Not sure how we will deal with it, but for now they are living ok together. And Alister is really a handsome man isn't he.

Playing with the camera and his tail feathers... love that iridescent  green coloring.

This part I have been dreading to even mention. I showed you this photo a couple weeks ago of one of my favorite chickens... Inge the Swedish Flower Hen.

 Sadly we lost her this week. Not sure at all why or what happened. She was lively and happy when we fed in the morning. I went out just after lunch and found her barely breathing and her head was injured. Hubby and his nephew saw a Hawk from a distance swooping down in that area. Our coop has a fence top so they can't get in to the chickens at all. But we think just maybe the Hawk scared her and she flew into the fencing in a panic. I have been so upset at loosing another chicken especially her. I am such a sap. I know they are just chickens but I can't help how attached I get to them. And we have lost so many this year, not sure if that is normal or not. I have talked to a few and they tell me that chickens are a weak animal and yes you do loose some. Will have to get stronger in accepting that I guess.. or maybe not I probably will still cry at loosing any of them. But now I will need to work on getting a few more chickens this next Spring. Thinking I will try a different place, maybe have better luck with getting girls.

Hope you have a long list to be Thankful for. I forgot to mention - I am Thankful for each of you that read my blog. I do hope you enjoy it -

HUGS and

High Hopes Challenge - Silver

Howdy -


Today's High Hopes Challenge is all about Silver - To add Silver to your card or project. I have this really pretty Merry Christmas Silver Ribbon... somewhere.... but never did find it. I now am thinking that I used it up last year and was so upset when I had planned my card around this now gone ribbon. But in my digging I found another piece of silver. A long ago purchase of a Making Memories metal silver border piece. So that with the fun new image "Ice Fishing Penguin" got me to this Christmas Card.

 Just absolutely love this image... my kind of fishing for sure, just don't tell Hubby he really gets into the "Sport" of it. 

I colored with my Copics (colors below) then added Viva Decor White Pearl Pen for the snow. My paper is a very old piece of Cloud 9 Christmas Is Stripe paper. Dug very deep in the stash and found some older Christmas papers... love the colors on this one. Then I found a piece of Bazzil Glitter paper... yes with SILVER glitter made in it! Whoo Hoo... another silver!

Then I decided it needed some Christmas winter looking decor, so I punched out a whole bunch of Martha's Branch punches, added more Viva Decor White and then Red Stickles for some berries. The tag is hand made and then I the High Hopes sentiment "Merry Christmas!"

Love how this one has a bit more of a manly feel to it... didn't intend on that. Usually is hard for me to do that guy thing.... LOL

Inside the same papers -

Copic colors used -

Had some fun this time and found some great things deep in the stash! LOL Now I do hope you do pop over to the High Hopes Challenge Blog and see all the Sparkling Silver from the DT and then please do join us! You can win some new High Hopes for yourself to play with!

Hope you have a great day - and have some fun coloring!
HUGS and-

Animal Crackers - Details in Close Ups!

Howdy -


I have been really playing with the new camera. OH MY ... totally loving it! You may be seeing lots of close ups as I just am crazy about the details I am getting with them.

The doggies actually were sitting still and enjoying the wind right before a storm yesterday afternoon. So I snapped a few.. or hundred photos of my kids.

Wind was really blowing... Autie was a dirty mess from playing outside but still as always a handsome boy. 

 

Libbie was so sleepy and enjoying the wind and great temps. Heck I though about sitting down on the step next to her and enjoying for a while... LOL 

 

 Chica had found a not so wet place in the yard and was enjoying the brief sun.

 

Love this one of Orchid - wind was blowing her feathers up, but that detail in her face! She is a beauty!

 

 

Miss Jill  having a little afternoon hay -

Sweet girl. Hard time on her horns, but she is a love.

Only got one donkey this week. Girls had already moved over to the far pasture to be under the large tree for the showers. But the boys were finishing up their hay while it was dry.

Ramon was a mess from the rain earlier, but he is has such wonderful coloring. 

 Little bit of optical illusion that Peso was standing behind him... that grey body is not him. LOL

I am just having so much fun with my new camera... may even start looking into some fancy filters for some artsy photos... or not the natural photos are making me happy right now.

Weather channel is saying 100% chance of rain, and heavy storms today - But after seeing the snow up north I am ok with rain... wow looks so deep and cold! Tell me where you are what the weather is like where you are...

Hope you have a blessed wonderful weekend - I will be indoors Spring Cleaning today... Late or Early how ever you would like to look at it. I just got going this week and now I might as well keep going!

Hugs and -

High Hopes Challenge - Photo Inspiration

Howdy -


High Hopes Challenge today has an inspiration photo. Don't do many challenges with a photo inspirations fun as it gives you lots of room for your own imagination but a goal in the end.

I pulled out the Peek A Boo Baby again - this little image just makes me smile!

Just adorable isn't he? Or She?  I colored with my Copics (colors below) Then added some Viva Decor White Pearl Pen to add some poof and shine to the fluff in the hat. I also added a few Martha Stewart branch punches in the corner added more white to the branches for snow, then red glitter for some berries... sort of like the inspirations slightly maybe? Ooops need to show you the inspirations photo...

For the card I used a white card stock base with red for the mats. Dug into my scraps for some papers to match -

Buttons for some added embellishments - and then the sentiment that is also from High Hopes. No Peeking!  

Inside more of the same papers - 

Copic colors used -

Fun challenge this week we would love it if you could join us!  You can see all the DT work HERE at the challenge blog.

Today I have to spend the day cleaning the kitchen and cleaning out the Fridge.... sigh...  The old refrigerator decided it was tired. And so before it died completely we decided we probably needed to buy a new one. 12 years is a long time for a fridge right? I know years ago they lasted so much longer, but so did everything else. So before it left me with a lot of hot food we bought a new one. I don't think my first car was that much... LOL But if I can get another 12 years it will all be good. New fridge will be here this afternoon - Ready or Not...

Hope you have a wonderful day -
HUGS and