A New Beginning at MO's Digital Challenge!

Hello and yes I am still alive! The puppy hasn't eaten me yet. LOL - keeping me busy, but lots of fun. So now to an actual card!!!

Today is Mo's Digital Challenge - and the challenge today is A New Beginning! I started to do a baby card.. then a new year card, and then I came across Jack and Ginger - I thought.. now this is a new beginning card!!!

I love this image - you can find it at Mo's Digital Pencil - and also as a Stampavie image. Isn't it just too sweet? I colored with my Copics - then doodled the edge.

For my card I started with a white card stock, then pulled out a SEI Madeline collection - love how romantic these papers are. Perfect for Jack and Ginger.

Stacked them about.. with a white eyelet lace border punch from Martha Stewart. I also found a piece of twine that was a perfect match as well - a button to finish off - the sentiment is from Stampavie Rachelle Anne Miller.

Please make sure to pop over to the challenge and see all the New Beginning cards at MO's Digital Challenge! I have and they are great.

HUGS and-

Welcome Home Autie!

Yes Autie is home with us!! Libbie is not too for sure about this... she has been avoiding him totally - But I think she will warm up to him in a day or so, I can see a difference just in one day - now she will sniff at him before she runs from him!

There is gonna be some issues with attention... But there is two of us and two of them, so we are just switching between them so no one gets their feelings hurt.

This is the closest Libbie has gotten... but of course Dad was there to protect her from this vicious puppy! LOL

I am sure in just a few days they will be best buds - I mean common how could you not love this little guy!!! 

A HO HO HO Donkey Day

I am still working on my new "name" for my Saturday Animal post... I have gotten some really great ideas! Keep 'em coming!


Merry Christmas!!! I hope you all had a wonderful joyous day with family and friends. Me.. we had a house full of both! And had lots of laughs... food... and fudge! (I think I feel the fudge... no more for me, back on the diet! LOL)

We did the "Traditional" Carrot feeding with the kids... I just didn't get many photos this time... LOL I was talking too much and not snapping. Here is a cute one of my niece Tali feeding the youth pen.

Here is Sergio and Carlos... stunning young men aren't they - still not into the carrot thing yet, too young to appreciate them - but they come for the hugs and pets!

Frankie still isn't sure if he likes carrots or not - but he wants what ever the donkeys are getting and he tries to eat them. Here he is begging for some attention - he is too funny!

 

 

Gato really enjoyed the unwrapping of the gifts - first year she has come out and played during the activity... 

Here is our niece Laura with Libbie... Two beautiful girls aren't they? And both are really smart too! Laura goes off to college this next year - and she is gonna really show how super smart she is then. I still can't believe she is old enough to leave for college.... she should still be 5 or 6 - time flies. Good thing I am not getting any older... LOL

Ok... gotta fly - we leave in 5 minutes to go and get AUTIE!!!! Just a few hours in the car there and I'll have my new little boy - Hope Libbie is gonna love him as much as we already do!

HUGS and

Merry Christmas!

Well since I haven't crafted all week - and I don't have any cards to show off ... I thought I would share my family and Friends card with you - each year I make photo cards for our family and friends.... it started with one dog and two cats. And each year we added an animal, they got added to our Christmas photo card. I was having to get pretty creative to get them all on the photo.  And this year I just gave up - no way was I going to get over 40 animals on one 4x6 photo - So I went with all of the new additions for the year, and of course Libbie, Gato and Autie!

So this is the front to Christmas card -

And a new "tradition" to my Christmas cards is a poem.. or as close as I get to a poem on the inside - this years wasn't my best. I think I need to start earlier next year! LOL I say that every year!

Libbie, the little blue eyed Aussie
has a very spoiled home.
And if you ever saw her toys,
you would even say she has spoiled child syndrome.

All of the other animals
used to laugh and call her rat
Mom and Dad never let poor Libbie herd and play
so she was left to torment the cat.

Then one Winter Day
Mom and Dad came home to say:
"Libbie with your eyes so bright,
we found you a boyfriend named Autie tonight"

Then all the donkeys rolled their eyes
as they shouted out in dismay
"Oh No, Libbie ,
another AUSSIE, on Christmas Day!" 

And yes - Saturday we go early in the morning to pick up Little Autie! So from all of us here at Donkey Smiles... We hope you have a wonderful Christmas holiday!

HUGS and-

Christmas Melt Down!

Ok, I love this stamp and sentiment!!!! It is just too funny especially this week!

These are both new releases from Alota Rubber Stamps - and I loved this one as soon as I saw it. And it came in perfect time to join in on the Paper Craft Planet Alota Group Challenge this week... and the challenge to have "Snow" on your card. Well I think my melting snowman qualifies!

For my card I started stamped my image and sentiment on brown craft paper, this way when I colored the snowman with a Snow Marker... it would pop on the paper. The rest of the image is colored with my Copics. And then cut out with my Circle Nesties.

I found an off white card stock for the base, then layered scraps of Basic Grey papers. I doodled the edges of the image and then again around the red pattern paper. I found a dark red satin ribbon and tied a bow around the pattern papers.  It really went together fast and I love it!

To find the snowman set called Aussie Snowman visit HERE you get lots of funny snowmen and "parts" and the sentiments! And to find the Snow Markers click HERE you can get it at the same time at Alota!!

Now to join in on our Paper Craft Planet challenge and WIN some great stamps POP on over HERE.

Now off to get some Christmas presents done, and get the house clean. Then tomorrow I can start some baking... I hope!

HUGS and-

The Sun is out on Donkey/Goat/Libbie/Autie Day!

I think I need to come up with a new name for my Animal Day photos... was so simple way back when it was just Donkey Day... then came Libbie... then came the Goats...and now Autie!  So if you have an idea for a clever name for my Saturday Animal Post Shout out!


The Sun is out this Saturday! whoo hoo! I am so tired of grey, wet photos... So I was out early this morning as the sun was coming up to catch some gorgeous light on my donkeys.

Now for the youth pen... I was too late....

You see "Dad" had gone out just before me and thrown a bale of fresh green hay into them... I shouted, I called names, I banged on the gate - nope... no one was interested in getting their photo taken. Cali did very briefly look up at me as if to say.. "hey quiet! We are eating here"

Now the goats had gotten their alfalfa... they were all enjoying it... grunting, and making all kinds of noises while eating - they are too funny to watch eat. And then Frankie looked up at me.... a quick hello snort and went back to eating... then again there is a large amount hanging out of his mouth  - so he probably was just chewing while snorting at me. And check out all the alfalfa on his head to.  Didn't know eating hay was such a physical activity did you?

I found Diego with a bit of an itch this morning - He was really going to town rubbing his neck up and down on the edge of this fence.

Ted E. Bear and Valentine were taking a break from their breakfast and had made their way over to their water bucket... just large enough to share.  A Bucket for two...

Then I let Libbie out to try and take some photos of her... now that the goats are "sharing" her back yard. She loves to run out to the fence we have divided the yard with and get right up to them and sniff and tell who is in charge of the yard. Awe... poor Libbie they really didn't care that she was there this morning - they wouldn't come over to the fence... they fresh hay for breakfast was too good to leave.

Ok... now I am trying really hard to control my excitement!!!  I know most are counting down the days until Christmas - but me... I am counting the days until we go and get Autie!!!! This is a new photo the breeder sent to me this week - Is he getting even cuter or is it just me? I think he is gorgeous! And look at all that copper color coming in around his face and legs!!! So Christmas is 6 days away... right? AUTIE DAY IS ONLY 7 DAYS!!! Yes next Saturday we get to go and pick him up!!!   :0)

Hope you have a wonderful weekend - done with all your Christmas shopping? Me.. nope - but I am not going out over the weekend to shop - to crowded. I'll pop back out Monday morning to finish up. This weekend I am going to stay in.. clean house a bit, and work on a few handmade gifts.

Thanks for visiting!
HUGS and-

Just Magnolias... a wonderful Sketch!

Hi! Friday again and that means Just Magnolias has a new challenge! And this week DT Mina drew us up a fabulous sketch to work with! Now I know I probably should have done a winter.. or Christmas card - it is a week before the big day - but I will be honest. A tooth ache and all day trying to do my very late Christmas shopping ( I am usually completely finished and wrapped by now... just started today!!!!) Anyway, I was so blah about things I wanted something bright and cheerful and well Spring like! LOL So I pulled out one of my all time favorite paper pads - DCWV Nanna's Baby Girl Nursery and went to work with a smile.. that paper just makes me happy what can I say! LOL

So with all the pink and green in mind, I colored up one of my Tilda's that had not seen any ink yet - Isn't it wonderful.. horrible day - and pretty papers and my Copics just make things ok! I colored away matching to the papers, then cut her out with my Nesties - layered up my pattern papers and sewed them together. I found a pretty pink ribbon and tied it to the right, as the sketch showed. And mulberry roses for the the circles on the sketch to the right. The sentiment is computer generated and punched out with my Fiskar's circle squeeze punch. Oh and the leaves are Martha Stewart Frond leaf punches. - It isn't Christmas... but it really make me happy and colored away a really tiring long day -

Now for some truly beautiful holiday cards using Mina's sketch.. oh and the sketch itself - Pop on over to the Just Magnolia's Challenge and join in on the fun! FABULOUS prize again this week! 

Today I am out again ... fighting the crowds and trying to get more of my gifts - :0) HO HO HO... back in the Spirit!

HUGS and

Mo's Challenge is all white!

Today at Mo's Digital Challenge we were asked to make an all white card! Sounds simple huh? I reallllly had a hard time with it! LOL

This is Singin so Beautiful I love these two cats! Perfect Christmas card for the cat lover.. I colored with my Copics, then used glitter paint for the fur on their hats and then puffy paint for some "snow" on the ground.

For my WHITE card I started with a piece of white Bazzill card stock as the base. Then I took a small piece of white card stock and ran it through my Cuttlebug with the Spellbinders Snowflake embossing template. (you can see that the are snowflakes in person... in the photos is just looks bumpy! LOL)

I ran a sheer satin ribbon over the edges of the embossed piece and tied a bow at the top. For my flowers - I stacked Michael's Bridal white flowers with small satin flowers I found in the bridal department. - then if you look real close you can see I put a bunch of Martha Stewart punched branches out of vellum all around the flowers... vellum is hard to see!

My image I cut out with a Spellbinders Circle - around the edge I put a layer of the sparkle paint... and then I smudged it! Oops! But it is only an accident if you can't fix it right? Well I kind of liked the smudges part... so I used my compressor and blew out the rest of the bead of paint! HOW COOL!   My accident ended up being a "technique" I may use in the future! LOL

So despite me freaking out a bit about an all white card  - I like how it turned out!

I hope  you will visit MO's Digital Pencil Challenge blog and see the other all white cards and then try one yourself!

Have a wonderful Thursday! EEEKKK only one more week until Christmas!!!
HUGS and -

A Spoon Full of Wags 'n Whiskers!

Have you seen the new company Wags 'n Whiskers? Well this week at A Spoon Full of Sugar you can see them in all of the DT cards!!  Yes, our sponsor is Wags 'n Whiskers Rubber Stamps and they are so sweet they let the DT play with all of the new release stamps.

I colored up this wonderful new image with my copics - matching her pretty little outfit with the SEI Lovebird papers don't you just love the lilac and brown together?  I followed the sketch for this weeks challenge at Spoon and then sewed down the pieces.  Now honest time here... card all done went to put it up on the site... uh oops... I forgot the circle. I don't know how I did that, but in my working I got side tracked and totally forgot it - SO I tried to go back and add it in the end, not happy with that, but mistakes happen right? Darn it!

The sentiment is from Stampavie Rachelle Anne Miller new collection - Now pop over and see the other Wag's 'n Whiskers images from the Spoon DT HERE then play along and you might just win some yourself!
 
Today is Christmas project day... I am hoping to get my "chores" done early and then get a couple of Christmas gifts made. I know it is getting late -  :0)


Hope you have a great day!
HUGS and -

I am Certified!

Yes... I am Certified! I had my Copic Certification yesterday and I "graduated" and got my certificate! It was a really great class. - The day just flew by! Now you all know I adore my Copics, in fact I had to dust my pencils when I moved them into my craft room. :0(   But since getting into Copics I have hardly used anything else.

The class was lots of techniques, learning the Copic system, color wheel and all the info about each of the different types of markers - Never thought I would want those Wide Copics... uh now I think I really need a "few" of them! OH my the cool things you can do with them!

My Instructor was Sally Lynn - you can find her at her blog Inkyheart - she was wonderful, and fun to learn from. Thanks Sally Lynn! and Thank you Copic for finally coming to South Texas! OH and thanks for the little goodie bag of products! :0)

Now by now you have found that I have no card today... sorry I worked on Christmas night. I am having a really hard time believing that it is really as close as it is. I have never been this far behind before. And I have to get busy and get my "work" done today so I can work on a few gifts and finish addressing my Cards -  but I had to pop on today even without a card and scream how excited I am about... be Certified!!! :0)

HUGS and-

A Chilly Wet Saturday

Yes, it was just nasty outside this morning - chilly and wet. So when will Spring be here? I am so ready for winter to be over!
(sorry the photos are so bad.. drizzle, fog and distance is not good for taking great photos!)

You can see the cold fog in the background.. and the neighbor's horses ;0)   These group of donkeys are in the far end of their pen, where weeds are higher... LOL  But they love it down there - and they can see the other pen from there - Pat loves watching the babies play - she can't wait to have her baby... she is a really good mom - I just wish we had a clue of when she was due, she is really hard to tell.

Speaking of good Moms ... Darlene is getting closer. No immediate signs, but man she is really starting to get wide and she is spending more time off by herself... I think she is soaking up the quiet time while she can! LOL

Just ask Macey... once they hit the ground they are ALWAYS right there with you! Felicia really is a Momma's girl - I think it is because she was so sick early in her life, she hardly ever runs off and plays on her own, she stays real close to Mom and has Macey's slow, sweet personality. 

And how is this for sweet? HA HA! Libbie is getting so hard to photograph... you just look at her and she flips over and  wiggles. We call it her dead squirrel pose... I know not a sweet name huh? Anyway I took about 30 photos trying to get one to show today... and then I got this one, and it was just too funny to not share! So do you think she meant to stick her tongue out at me? Maybe.....

Have a wonderful Saturday! I probably won't be on tomorrow... I am so excited!!! Tomorrow is my Copic Certification Class! It will be a long day - but I am sure so worth it and fun! I'll report on Monday!

HUGS and-

It is Christmas Time at Just Magnolias!

Brrrrr... it is cold outside! LOL I know many of you would laugh at me. But 39 in South Texas is COLD! A Wet Cold! And cold really starts making it feel like Christmas. And that is just what The Just Magnolias Challenge is asking for this week! Christmas Cards!

I don't have very many Christmas Magnolias... but a few winter ones that I figured would work. I love the bell ringer! Reminds me of the Salvation Army Bell ringers here that you find in front of every store this time of year... ringing the bell asking for change to help those that need it. So the bell ringing Tilda it was for my Christmas card!

I masked her and then stamped one of my Favorite backgrounds! this is from Alota Rubber Stamps and is the "Wall/Window" Scenery stamp  - So I stamped Tilda, then masked her and stamped the Wall stamp and then colored it all with my Copics. Now the fun part is the snow... which of course you can't see very well in the photo!!! Darn it!!! It looks so cool in person! It is Martha Stewart Snow glitter and really it looks so real!

I then went to work on my card -

A red card base, white card stock mats and then Basic Grey papers... yummy Warm Christmas colors For so added "drama" LOL I punched two different Martha Stewart Border punches - the Extra Large trellis and the regular sized trellis - I sewed everything dow with a dark brown thread and random sewing.

The sentiment is also from Alota Rubber stamps and I think is perfect for my little bell ringer!

You just have to visit the Just Magnolias Challenge site and see all the other DT Christmas cards! And the prize this week is sponsored by 7 Kids College Fund and the prize is an awesome $20 voucher to spend in their store!! That is a great prize!

Better get my day going... gotta get the courage to go out and fill all the water buckets for the animals and make sure everyone is good on hay! Brrr... LOL

HUGS and-

Mo's Challenge is asking for Thanks!

This week the Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge is asking us to make a Thank you card - and it was great timing as I needed a Thank you card for a neighbor! And she is an animal lover like me so I new this image was perfect for her card!

This is Coexist - I just love it! Too cute huh? Maybe not a traditional Thank you Card... but perfect for my neighbor! I colored with my Copics -

For the pattern papers I used DCWV Bella Cafe Stack - really cute paper, with lots of sparkle to them! I matted everything with the same blue card stock that I used for my base. I also took a scrap and ran it through the Martha Stewart Thanks border punch... I didn't really like the Thanks over and over... so I cut the first and third one off leaving just the middle Thanks.. I like how that came out!

I hope you like my "Thanks" card for my Friend... and I hope she likes it too :0)  - now you can pop over to the Mo's Challenge and see all the other DT cards and then join in yourself! And remember if you don't have any of Mo's images you can purchase them and be coloring in minutes with the digitals... and if you join her Paper Craft Planet group there are a bunch there to download for FREE!!! Can't beat that price! LOL

Have a great Thursday!
HUGS and-

A Monochrome Challenge at Spoon!

Yes, today's challenge at A Spoon Full of Sugar is to create a Monochrome color card. I love the look of these type of cards - sometimes it is really nice to stick with one color in different shades. And for me I decided to go with shades of brown -and started with a brand new image from Stampavie's artist - Penny Johnson! These cuties are called "Puppy and Kitten"... adorable huh?

I colored with my Copics - and then went to work on my card - starting off with the pattern papers from Papertrey Ink -

I matched with a brown Bazzil Card stock - then a white for the mats. I punched a Martha Stewart Loop border - and then sewed everything down - The ribbon is also from Papertrey Ink, I tied it around one of the patterns, with a large bow. The sentiment is also from Stampavie!!! It is from Rachelle Anne Millers newest collection - there are two sets to choose from and you will love them both!

Make sure to pop over and see the other DT cards at A Spoon Full of Sugar - and then join us in playing with Monochrome colored cards... you could win a FABULOUS prize! Wish I could win... LOL! Our sponsor this week is fellow DT member Nikki of Bunny Zoe's Crafts. This weeks lucky winner will receive the below adorable set by The Greeting Farm called Sweet Message!

I have some exciting news to share also and this Friday will be the 2nd release from Wags 'n Whiskers Rubber Stamps. Be sure to check out the Wags 'n Whiskers blog for more details and also a chance to win the full new release!!!!   

Have a wonderful Tuesday! HUGS and-

It Snowed here yesterday!

REALLY it SNOWED!!! I live in SOUTH Central Texas and snow is a pretty rare thing around here. And yesterday afternoon it really did snow! HUGE BIG FLAKES! Once they hit the ground the melted... but it was sure pretty coming down!

I don't know if you can even see the snow here in this photo well.. but the donkeys are all under cover!

This photo sort of shows you how the Donkeys "puff" up when it is cold. This is Ellie Mae... All her fur is standing straight out and "puffed" up to help keep her warm. They are so pretty when all puffed up.

Sergio was pretty "puffed" up as well.... I took this one late in the day yesterday - you can also see here how red his fur has turned in the sun... and his face and legs are really BLACK... I wonder why that fur doesn't turn in the sun and the rest does.. hmmm - but he is gorgeous isn't he? MY BABY... we are only feeding twice a day now.. breakfast and dinner right before bed. They grow up so fast don't they?

I love this photo I took of Sergio and Daddy... they didn't know I was taking it....

We fed the Donkey really well yesterday afternoon... The more they eat the warmer they are... so everyone got the really "good stuff" yesterday!! They love the "Good Stuff" ... same hay just in smaller bales... LOL

Libbie was allowed time with her favorite "treat"... this is some sort of rubber ball thing, you pop in these hard "cookie" like treats and they chew and lick on them... suppose to last a couple of weeks... not with Libbie - more like a few hours - so we only let her have it about 45 minutes once or twice a week... SHE LOVES IT... and it isn't easy getting it away from her!

And the breeder sent me new photos of Autie yesterday!!!!! OH MY I think I am in love already! Is he adorable or what????  We get to pick him up between Christmas and New Years... I just can't wait!!!

Have a wonderful Saturday! HUGS and-