And we still wait....

Well Vicki really put us on alert this week... but then decided that she didn't want to have the baby yet. So everything is back to "normal" until she decides she is ready... Gotta love Donkeys they make sure we stay on their rules!

How about this handsome man... Black Jack. One of our studs - he really is a gorgeous donkey, in his older age he has a few "war" wounds from doing his "job". You can see a few of the scuffs on his face. He has more on his chest - I am going to try and get in there this weekend and do some brushing on him to remove some of his sun faded matted winter fur, he likes getting brushed unless one of the other donkeys come up and then it just isn't cool... I guess it isn't manly...

This is a photo from Black Jack's youth... he was a show donkey for a while - see I told you he is a handsome dude... Look at that black color - what a stud. He really does produce wonderful babies..... so handsome.

Cheyenne was enjoying some of the new grass coming up from the rain we had last week. It is so wonderful to see things growing and green! It has been so long! You can see she is starting to get pretty wide herself... but she has at least two or three months yet. She carries her babies better than Macie or Vicki... but she is a little bit larger donkey with longer legs.
Lacey is looking so good, and is really a good Momma this time. She does allow Cali to have lots of room and run the pen on her own... guess she feels safe with everyone in the pen. But when she is ready for Cali to settle down... she snorts and stomps her foot, then a unhappy Cali returns to her Mom.
And you knew I had to show another photo of Cali... she loves to have her photo taken... she really likes close ups... well she moves towards the camera anyway.... she is so pretty. Even the neighbor commented this week how funny she looks running the pen and how independent she is, and really a stunning donkey out there. I didn't show the full body photo of her... Mom needs to clean her up first - she was a "mess".... babies just lay down wherever they feel like it, even if it isn't where you are suppose to lay down.

This is how I found Libbie when I came back into her yard. Look at that concentration! She is really into bugs right now. Forget her getting to business when I take her out after dark - the June bugs have come in and it is just more than she can handle... she forgets what she is out there to do and chases and barks at bugs. Here she had some sort of beetle that was moving really slow in the grass... she stayed like this forever.

This is when I finally got her attention... I think I yelled "Libbie" about 20 or 30 times before she looked up...... too funny!

I think it is getting time for some Candy... so this week I'll be posting something - I am getting really close to that 75,000 mark... so I want to put something good together.

Hope you have a great Saturday!

HUGS and-

InStyle Beach Blog Hop!

It is time for the InStyle Blog Hop! And today we have gone to the beach! yes this months new images are all ready for the warm weather and have gone to the beach to cool off!

My project was something new for me... I used my Bind it All and made an acrylic mini album for a Spring Break memory album... man was I scared to punch those holes but the BIA just went right through!!

I colored up "Beach Dude" and "Surfer Girl" with my Copics and then cut them out with my Fiskar's kraft knife. I just could leave Beach Dude's swim trunks plain... ha I used a mini flower stamp and gave him some beach flowers! Hubby thought I was nuts laughing when I did this!

I used mini brads to make her sunglasses look like mirrored glasses.. hmm don't know if that ended up working.. LOL But oh well... they are domed mirror glasses!

The words are cut out with my MM Slice - the beach pattern paper is attached on the inside of the acrylic as is the Spring Break 09.. my good looking couple are attached on the front of the acrylic - it is so hard to tell by the photos.. but in person they really look as if they are standing out and the beach is in the background -

I tied a bunch of orange and white and red and white gingham ribbon on the wire binding for some fun. I kept this simple... I wanted to add more but just loved how real it all looked. So I stopped. The inside has card stock inside to use a journal or add photos - I may decorate the inside or leave that to the person I give it to...

Ok now to the HOP info....

There are prizes again this month!!

You can visit each of the DT and see their work ( you can find every one's name on my side bar under the InStyle logo), then go to the InStyle Stamps Blog HERE you will be able to vote for which ever project you like the most... this would be where you vote for my Acrylic Album... LOL This is how the one of the DT can win - whoever gets the most votes wins... now for you to win...

Just leave a comment in the comment field and then a random name will win a GRAND PRIZE this month! But you need to do it soon.. at 11:59pm EST on Saturday, May 30th to voting ends!

Then the winners will be announced on Monday, June 1st when we do the month in review post.

Have fun hopping from beach to beach - and don't forget to vote for me.. ahem I mean vote for your favorite.. that way we can both win a prize :0)

HUGS and-

Friday Just Magnolias Day! Animals and Insects!

It is time for the Just Magnolias challenge! Today we are Animals and Insect crazy! I just love this team... so many wonderful ladies and wow the talent.. love how different we are all -

My card - I went with a image I haven't used in a long time - Love this Tilda riding her horse - I thought my new neighbor might like this one as a welcome to the neighborhood friend card -

Tilda is colored with my Copics - with a chalk background.

The papers are a Core-dinations card stock for the base and the papers are My Minds Eye. Love the vintage look and they are so heavy in weight.

I made a white fence with the Martha Stewart Border punch, then ran a brown ribbon across the midde. I cut a circle out of the backside of one of the pattern papers and inked it. The clock face is from Heidi Swapp - I placed a photo turn in the center with a gem brad. The sentiment is cut with my MM Slice - I got the new Words & Expressions cartridge ;0) was so thrilled to find in locally! And that corner metal embellishment has been in my stash forever!! It is from Making Memories and was so happy I ran across them the other day - forgot I had them.

The flowers are Prima.. with dark green Martha Stewart Frond leaves high lighted with white gel pen. Centers are large jewelery spacers with mini brown brads. Love how they POP on the card. I also doodle stitched the edges of the card and image with the white gel pen.

I really hope you will take a minute to see all the DT work at Just Magnolias Challenge site... wow they ladies really outdid themselves this week!


I'll be back in a while with a second post today... InStyle Blog Hop day! See ya in a bit!

HUGS and-

MMMM...CHOCOLATE....MMM

Bugs again today!!! I just can't help it I am having so much fun with the new Alota Rubber Stamps releases this month! And today's is probably my favorite -Chocolate Dipped Bugs!! Ok.. so I don't plan to eat these bugs, but common how funny is that middle ones face?

I have started doing something a bit different with my coloring - my background is chalk - I do that first, reason being is then when I go and start coloring with my Copics, any of the chalk that has gone into the image is just colored away - I love how the background is soft, and hey it beats coloring the background with my Copics and trying to make it look even. After doing my Copic coloring I used Shimmerz to layer over my candy cups and then dimensional glaze for the yummy chocolate... looks really cool in person.

My card started with s chocolate colored Core'dinations card stock then a background of Bazzil Dotted Swiss, the pattern papers are DCWV Sweets paper stack - had to use them! The border is a Fiskar's border/embossed punch. I sewed everything down with a bright pink thread with both zig zag and straight stitches. Ran a piece of wide dark pink satin ribbon across the bottom as a back ground for my label .. yes that is a long piece of tape from my Label maker. The one large button for the top of the image. I just love this one, this image just makes me smile!

Gotta get outside.. I am back on donkey lock down... Yes Vicki is getting really close! (we think LOL)

Have a great Thursday!

HUGS and-

Alota Bug Father's Day

Ok this is gonna be quick - there is a major storm over us right now and I keep loosing my satellite which means I loose my Internet... the lightning and thunder are unbelievable!

Alota has NEW STAMPS!!! Ok, I told you there were lots of fabulous new bugs yesterday - but there is also a new set that if you have a boy or a man in your life that likes his "toys" then you will want the Transportation set!! They are the perfect size to work with many of our character stamps... This is the pickup truck from the set... I just love it - me being a "farm" girl and all... LOL people that know me really laugh at that statement I am sure! I added the Lazy Cowboy bug in the back of the truck... he is just chillin enjoying the day don't you think? Colored with my Copics.

My card started with a dark brown card stock - then I added a piece of BoBunny pattern paper - the green is the back side of the plaid print - love when I don't have to think about things matching. I added a brown twill ribbon and the "Slow Down" which is from My Minds Eye and seemed to go with truck and telling Dad to take it easy for this father's day card. Doodled the edge with a brown glaze pen. The heart is from Heidi Swapp and then a few odd buttons -

You still have a few days to get in on the Alota Rubber Stamps PCP challenge... a man's card - I think this one fits really well!

Well better get this posted before I loose it again - hopefully later today I can get back on!

Have a great Wednesday -

HUGS and

A Spoon Full of Lace -

Today is Tuesday and that is Spoon Day! The theme for today is Lace - and I had thought I would do a vintage old fashioned card with lots of lace - and then I got some new stamps from Alota Rubber Stamps and they were so fun I just had to go vibrant with this one!

Alota has brought out a whole bunch of new bug images!!!!! The bug we all love is back doing some wonderful things - just wait until you see the chocolate covered bugs! No really these are so cute! But for my first card with the new stamps these flowers just drew me in so "Sunflowers for Grace" was a must.

I colored with my Copics.. over and over - lots of layers. I love the deep rich colors when you do this.

For my card I started with a white card stock, then added a background of the gorgeous deep red card stock from Papertrey Ink - their colored card stock is so vibrant - and very heavy in weight. The green is a really pretty flower paper that was in my scraps - LOL not that you can see the flowers... I added the Doily Lace Martha Stewart in white to pop on that red. The ribbon is also from Papertrey - made to match LOVE THAT! Then it was time for my "main" lace for the challenge - I cut the lace flower ribbon to fit around the image (oh I matted the image with a piece of the red) that way it would show through the lace. I love how it looks like a lace frame around the image. I then added the stickles to the bug wings and used my scraps to decorate the inside (which I forgot to take a photo of)... I really love this one - I have been seeing so many red and white cards lately and I really do love them.


Hope you will give this weeks Spoon full of Sugar challenge a try! The prize is from Stampavie baby!!! :0) And you must take a moment to see the other DT cards seems we all love lace!


Hubby is taking off today we are going to mow and work around the house. Didn't get everything done yesterday... guess that was cuz we stopped at 2pm to have our BBQ ;0) But hey all work and no fun make me... well just plain grouchy!

Have a wonderful Tuesday - Hugs and

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day -

A quick post today, we are BBQ later today and I was not planning it - so I am running around like a crazy person... Hubby got a new "pit" and so he was excited to use it - I'll try and get a photo of it... SERIOUS pit man!

I thought today I would show a card that I made last month for the Stampavie Newsletter. Many of you may have seen it there - so sorry if it is a "re-run" for you. But I just had to put it here on my blog too ;0) -

Funny this is one of my favorite Leere Aldrich images ... I don't like coffee.. LOL, but I just love coloring this image - I think it is that little table and chairs - I wish I had a set like that for my patio. I have colored with my Copics, and doodled the edges. The papers are Bazzil card stock, bling and dotted swiss, with a small piece of DCWV Nana's Nursery pattern. The scallop border is from Martha Stewart. Now those ribbons... are they perfect or what!! I nearly screamed when I saw them at JoAnn's - I think they were made for this image.. actually they were designed by Debbie Mum for her line of products, but hey they really do match this one well too - And the sentiment is a perfect Leere Aldrich sentiment for two girlfriends having a chat over a cup of coffee!

I do hope you have a great Monday - Memorial Day here in the States. Take time to think about someone that has serves your country - past, present or future -

HUGS and-

Letting the baby out... makes me late ;0)

Hi - wow really late this morning well it technically still morning here just a little while longer. We went to breakfast and then came home and was putting out some new hay bales and then decided that it was so pretty out to go ahead and let Cali and Lacey into the pen with everyone else... so we freed them both - lots of running, heeing and hawing, a little bit of kicking and then after about 10-15 minutes everyone is settled and ok with life again. Then I looked at Hubby and screamed... I forgot to take pictures again! Darn it! Oh well lots more babies coming at some point ;0)

Since we are talking about the baby.. how about a baby card?

I just love the new Alota Rubber Stamps baby images! They are just gorgeous, with so much detail! This baby rattle is one of my favorites -

Was a pretty simple card - found some scrap papers all in shades of "baby" I sewed down my pieces , and then colored my image to match with my Copics and then added sections of stickles for some bling. The word Baby is cut out with my MM Slice, and then added three dew drops.

And that ribbon... do you love it or what? I got more than one color wink wink.. just too cute!

Well short and "sweet" today - long list of chores and things to get done - I hope you aren't working today and enjoying the weekend!

HUGS and-

A Soggy Donkey Saturday!

And no complaints here! Wow we had some very much needed rain over night. 1.75 inches - Everyone here was very happy to see it and although everyone is muddy and messy they are happy -
First up are Rosie and "Rene" (Irene) - they were at the hay bale having some breakfast. Rosie is doing much better again - we are really staying after her with her meds and she is getting extra feed to put more weight on her. She is starting to look better and actually has her personality back. And her best buddie and protector Irene is always right there with her - she is such a great friend.

Now how can you not love a face like this? Cali is just so gorgeous! And she is starting to learn to stop and pose for the camera... well until the flash went off with this one - she bolted after that. She will be going into the big pen with Mom this week - She is going to LOVE the room to run, she is a fast mover.

This photo is pretty funny - makes her look 10 feet tall. Pretty funny that she isn't even knee high - but I have been playing with different views and settings on my camera. OH and no Vicki has not had her baby yet.. in fact we are completely off of alert. That is a donkey for you! I think she was looking for extra attention while Lacey and Cali were getting theirs - now they are old news so she is going to wait until she can be the star - :0)

Is Macie just a pretty girl or what? I LOVE her eyes - she is the donkey that I showed from the back a couple of months ago - and everyone just died at how wide she was - well she is wider and still a few weeks or more away from a baby. She is just "big boned" and really shows her pregnancy -
But still a beautiful girl - I think part of her problem is that she has NO legs... really they are so short compared to everyone else. So that makes her look wider.. LOL wonder if I can use that statement too?

Alright I know it is blurry - but hey it is a great photo anyway! These two boys play hard! And I think they are sold too! Yes it will be sad to see these two go - but a neighbor wants them - so that ain't so bad I can still visit!
I didn't get any new photos of Libbie this week - this is from last weeks post - but the other day my screen saver flashed some photos of her and I just couldn't believe how much she had changed in just over 3 months...

Look at how round that little face was - awww

She was basically round all over and just so tiny! I could hold her in one hand then - now in one arm... LOL - My baby is growing up!

Hope you have a great weekend - I am cleaning out the bedroom - well starting I will do sections at a time. I started last night on my craft desk, I have a problem of wanting every thing I might need right at arms length away - space issues and lazy issues. But I have decided to box up a bunch that I don't use often and put in the closet - ok... so now I am boxing up then I will clean out the closet to make room for the boxes -

Have a great day!

HUGS and -

Just Magnolias is in Shape!

This week the Just Magnolias DT were supplied with a set of shaped templates to play with and they have come up with some brilliant cards using the templates from our sponsor The Cutting Cafe' . They offer affordable Printable Stamps and Cutting Files. The Cutting Files which are basically just like templates are files that you Print out using your home printer, Cut, Assemble and then Embellish.....Very Easy.....The Cutting Files also come in the format where you can cut out the files using some of the latest Machine Cutters like the Pazzles Inspiration, Bosskut Gazelle and Cricut (with Scal software).

Now this all means that there are some fabulous shapes this week with our DT cards - Me I went with the 1/2 circle card - well it starts out as a 1/2 circle then is folded :0)

I was just dying to use this little Edwin stamp with the chicken - I think it is the "country" in me I would love to get some chickens and roosters.... but Hubby says no right now. Bad Coyote problems in our area and that would just be calling them in like a dinner bell. Sigh country life.

I'll just have to play with Edwin and his chickie for now - I colored with my Copics and cut him out with my Fiskar's finger kraft knife.

Now my card... hmmm I just don't know I think I went a bit nuts the night I made this one - Ok so I love Edwin, and the hay bale is perfect for him to be sitting on. The Blue barn wood papers from DCWV is a perfect back drop for him. And do you love that Rooster paper I found in my stash????? I think it is from Daisy D's - had it FOREVER! too perfect. I fit everything to my 1/2 circle sewed everything down and then folded the card - The Sentiment is one of my epoxy Heidi Grace stickers on Red Card Stock. Then hmmm those flower petals, that is where things went weird..... shouldn't work when it is late and I am tired. I liked it at first and now the more I look at them they well.... are driving me batty. I tore apart a large Bazzil flower and then sewed the petals down to 1/4 piece of card stock then attached to the inside front of the card. The whole thing slides perfectly into a 6x6 envelope. Now those petals are looking like the top of the rooster to me instead of the flower it was suppose to look like! LOL oh well - still is a different card for me and that was the point to reach outside the box.

You just MUST head over to the Just Magnolias Challenge site.. oh my the other DT rocked their cards with shape! and the prize is really fun to work with!


Well my shopping trip was pretty good yesterday - didn't find the punches I was looking for. Did find the new Words and Expressions cartridge for my Slice I had been wanting. Got 6 new tops... 60-80% off!! LOVE that! Didn't really need them... but hey I buy clothes when they are a good deal! And that was a great deal. I also got a new pair of shoes... don't have them, but I paid for them! I got them, and then was waiting for MIL to try on something so I sat down outside the dressing room to check my email on my phone - she came out and I gathered everything up and we left the mall. Well I was starving - and lunch was next so I guess that was on my mind and I missed the package with my new shoes! Didn't actually miss it until 7:30 last night... I was in a panic! I paid full price for those! Ahhhh! I called the mall .. nope not in the shoe department, then I remembered sitting outside the dressing room and called that department. The lady was very nice - all I said was "Hi... I was there this afternoon with my MIL and..." then she interrupted me and said " you were reading your phone, and you left your new shoes here...." How funny is that she remembered me, and saved my shoes! She is holding them until Saturday when I can get back to pick them up... you have to understand I live a LONG way from that mall... probably 45 minutes without any traffic. So my shoes are suppose to be safe.. so I am still considering it a good shopping trip.

Well what do you have planned for you weekend? Us.. Hubby will work, then he is closed on Monday and we will probably work on adding onto one of the Donkey pens and mow... fun holiday huh? But he takes advantage of closed days to do work around here -

Better get busy myself the laundry pile is as tall as I am today!
HUGS and-

Hope and Grace -

I just couldn't stand it I was trying to not purchase any stamps this month - and well.... I just had to have these ;0) Hope and Grace from The Greeting Farm - Are they just precious or what?

Then I couldn't decided which one from the set I wanted to use first - so I made it easy and put both of them on a card! They are colored with my copics, and then for the sky I used my shimmer chalk and doodled the edges.

For the card I used a white card stock, and all of the pattern papers are from Making Memories 8x8 Spring Fling collection pad - love it, especially when I got it on a Target clearance last month for 2.48 - yep less than 2.50 for the whole stack! I inked the edges of the papers with a light green ink, the gel pen stitched the edges of the background leaf paper. For my flowers, this paper was just perfect colors for some felt flowers that were in my stash, I used a button for the center of the larger flower and mini brads for the smaller ones. The sentiment is part of the Hope and Grace set that I stamped on a label that I cut out of one of the solid papers from the collection with my Slice. I used jewelery spacers and mini brads to put it down and hung a heart charm with a small piece of chain.

I just love this set - these two are so cute - It sure is getting hard to have a favorite at The Greeting Farm... there are so many really adorable ones coming out, then all of the ones I already love! Guess that it is a good thing - more to love!

Today is MIL shopping day - a short one I told her to narrow down her list so we wouldn't be gone all day - yea right.... I bet we still are! LOL But I have one stop at Michael's on my list :0) I am still trying to find a couple of the new border punches I have been wanting -

Hope you have a great Thursday!

HUGS and-