High Hopes Stamps - Snow Couple Block

Howdy -

This week for High Hopes Stamps I got ahead on a few Christmas Gift Tags with a folding notecard. Using Snow Couple Block I colored with my Copics

I love making these little gift note cards - personal touch on a gift. And there are a few more of these great blocks to make an assortment of little cards for your Christmas packages. I colored with Copics, then added some scraps of paper in light blue and red on a white card stock base.  A little Viva Decor Glitter pen and then the High Hopes Sentiment "Think Snow"

Copic colors used -

Love the winter image at High Hopes Stamps - You can find all kinds of fun at the website store - HERE 

Have a wonderfully blessed day -
HUGS and

Animal Crackers - Princess and the Pea

Howdy -

This little girl does believe she is a Princess... or is it Queen? But when she saw the dog beds stacked up while doing a bit of cleaning, she decided that they were meant to be and if one bed is cushy - two must be really luxury!

Such a beautiful little girl.

And if she is beautiful... this boy is totally handsome - and simply adorable when sleeping.

This is how we spend our evenings. Autie in my lap sleeping and a bit of snoring. And so cute I just can't stand it. He didn't like the flash going off by the way... I got one eye opened looking up at me with that "Mom... Stop that!!" look.

This the look of Gato mad at me for moving her box. She went straight back to it, and was not happy it wasn't put back in the position she wanted... after I snapped the photograph, I put it back like she wanted liked it.

Went out to get the eggs yesterday afternoon, and with the time change the chickens are still a bit confused and start roosting and getting ready for bed at 4pm or so...

I laugh.. but then I think of myself and how I am ready to crash at 9pm or so... LOL The time change really messes with us all!!

Doc... I just love this guy and his stunning blue eyes.

How can you not love that face! My young man. He is so fabulously sweet! Right??

Then again our old man Frankie is pretty awesome too...

 Our retired guy, but still a very important member of our family. Everyone that visits loves Frank. He loves to greet people and get attention.

Ok I'll be honest here... I love all our furry children! They make life happy!

I hope you have a wonderfully blessed weekend and love on a fur or feathered baby!

HUGS and

High Hopes Stamps - Goliath Christmas Mouse

Howdy -

How can you not love at little mouse dressed as Santa Claus? Goliath Christmas Mouse is too cute for words...

I colored with my Copics and then found a pattern paper from My Minds Eye with a border punch from Martha Stewart. Love this sweet little image.  I added Viva Decor white Pearl Pen for the beard and then Glitter pen for the hat. oh and I added some dots to the card for embellishment. The sentiment is a cute little "Small Merry Christmas Script" - perfect for your Christmas cards.  I sewed all the layers down.

Copic markers used -

This is such a great image - and there are so many image to choose from at the High Hopes Stamps web site! Click HERE to get there quick!

Have a wonderful blessed day -
HUGS and

Animal Crackers - Just a week?

Howdy -

Wow only a week?

Seriously~!! We were thinking that HUGE round bale would last the Ladies at least two weeks... uh nope! And of course the last lady walking away towards me and Hubby is Miss Darlene... my eater!
We are now going to have to pick up another bale in a few days. Good thing we don't intend on making lots of money raising our fur babies. I have had people ask if we are a non-profit... I always say.."YEP... just not officially!" LOL

Macie was grunting and making a few noises to make sure we order up that fresh hay right away...

She is another healthy eater. And even though she looks really fat it is an optical allusion.. has her legs are really short. snort.. LOL

Irene... Love this girl. I had wanted to breed her this last spring, but she had other ideas and did not think she was ready... (made a big issue of it and we decided it was best to wait until this next breeding... hope she agrees this time and settles down in the pen instead of totally freaking out.

I just keep going back and forth on which "boyfriend" I want her to be with. I am about 60% sure I am going to put her in with Raffie for her first baby. I so want a little spot!

Speaking of spots... shhhh Abigail was taking a late morning nap laying in her breakfast.

She was really out... but I guess she is like her Mom, Annie, and likes those nice weather morning naps.

Annie seemed really happy with her rest. She even looks as if she has a little smile going on there don't you think?

 I was nice outside... If we had a hammock I probably would have ditched my list of to-do's and climbed in and enjoyed a little rest too. Maybe that is why it is best we don't have a hammock?

"Red" formally known as Scarlet keeping a really close watch on me... just in case I come out of a pocket with some sort of treat... not really worth loosing one of the best spots in the pen unless I did you know.

She is so beautiful. Love her coloring.

And Loving...

Hubby or "Dad" was outside working on some furniture for our antique show and Moxie was his trusty assistant. Staying by his side all day, just in case he took a break and needed to pet a head or scratch behind any ears. She is such a sweet girl... Love her to pieces!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend planned and have a furry or feathered friend to hug!

HUGS and

Whimsy Stamps - Fall Follage 2

Howdy -

I am in love with the new Fall Dies from Whimsy Stamps! How can you not love sets of dies with lots of beautiful leaves? Today I used the new Fall Follage 2 set as the focus for a Thanksgiving card.

I die cut a bunch of leaves from the set in different fall colors and sanded the edges of each and inked the edges of some. The background with sentiment is computer printed then inked. I sewed down the layers for some added texture. A Simple card but love the feel of all the dies stacked on the card. I can see I will using this set of dies A LOT!

To go straight to the new die set click the image below!

And there are other fun dies you must see! Click HERE to see the store and have some fun!

Have a blessed day -
HUGS and

High Hopes Stamps - New Release - Winter Puppy

Howdy -


Today is the new release at High Hopes Stamps - and I have had some fun with the new Winter Puppy. He is just adorable!

I colored my puppy with my Copic markers (colors below) and then I cut out with my Spellbinders Circles. My pattern papers are I think from DCWC - they are full of glitter and I found these in my scrap box. Love the colors. I sewed down all the layers and then added Viva Decor Glitter pen to the hat and scarf. The High Hopes Stamps sentiment "Warm Winter Wishes is stamped out and then matted it with a punched out EK Success punch. such a sweet new image love that little face on this puppy.

Copic colors used -

You just have to see all the fun with the new release at the High Hopes Stamps Blog HERE and then to fill your cart with some fun pop over to the High Hopes Web Site HERE and see all the available new goodies! 

Have a wonderfully blessed day -
HUGS and

Animal Crackers - Feed

Howdy -

This week has been a bit about feed... with the cooler weather and the lack of rain things have dried out and that means time to start feeding more than grazing. For the first time in many years we decided to buy a few round bales.

Economics and simple logic for a few of the pens that have more donkeys in it. But there is an issue about round bales, and why we stopped using them in the past. You see... this hay bale in this photo? Well it has only been in with the ladies 24 hours! They have really been chowing down. A few of our ladies have weight issues if we don't watch out. On the right you see Darlene looking at me... that is a look of totally happiness. You see she will stand there and eat until it is all gone. I guess it would be the same situation if you sat me in front of a bakery case and then left me there with no supervision at all... yep Darlene and I are a lot alike.

Here Lacey was giving me the eye... don't even think of running us off from this bale....

Little Sonia wasn't being quite as piggy. 

But one thing I noticed about all of the animals, donkeys and goats.. their fur has filled in thick this last week. Big time. That worries me,  if they are getting this really heavy coat then that means it is going to be a really cold winter. I do not like the cold. brrrrrr..... ha... I can only imagine if we lived somewhere really cold I would really be a complainer! 

Found Jill enjoying a good head scratch. If you have a really bad itch between your horns and you can't reach it.. you find a long stick to help out! 

That must have been the perfect spot... she was really enjoying it and making some funny faces.

I found Mallory and Mary standing in their hay - Kills me how they stand in their food. Can put it up and keep it off the gound and they still will pull it down, stand in it and lay it. Lazy or Smart?

Jorge wanted to end things today and give a big shout out Hello -

 Wish I had sound on this photo... It was really loud! He made sure to get the attention of everyone and anyone around!

So from Jorge and all of us here at Animal Crackers we hope you have a wonderfully blessed weekend - Hug someone furry or feathered!

HUGS and

Whimsy Stamps - Eleanor

Howdy -

Today I had some fun coloring and working with Whimsy Stamps "Eleanor" by Sylvia Zet. Her images are just so cute!

Sweet image isn't it? I colored up with my Copics and then found some papers from Prima. I sewed down the layers with a zig zag stitch, and cut out the image with an oval Nestie. The sentiment is from Whimsy Stamps Die sets "Smiles, Happy, Celebrate" and "Birthday, Wishes Magical' A sweet girlie birthday card - 

Copic colors used - 

Hope you enjoyed and make sure you visit the Whimsy Stamps Web site to see all the gorgeous images available! And don't forget all the Dies and Crafting Goodies!!! Pop over by clicking HERE 

Have a blessed day -
HUGS and

High Hopes Stamps - Amanda

Howdy -

I would like to have you meet "Amanda", isn't she so pretty in her winter coat, hat and scarf?

Right now that heavy coat and winter wear is not necessary here in Texas. Finally it is getting cooler again. We were excited a few weeks ago with a nice early cool front. Then Texas heat came back! It was nearly 90 here this week. But now the fronts are coming in again and off goes the air conditioning, and out come the winter clothes!

I colored with my Copics, and found some pattern papers from Authentique's Bundle collection to match with my coloring. An older Martha Stewart border and corner punch with some sewing to layer it all together. Three red buttons in the corner and the sentiment "Warm Winter Wishes" from High Hopes to finish it off.

Great image for a note card to send to a friend.

Copic colors used -

To see many more wonderful winter and holiday images from High Hopes Stamps click HERE to get right over to the web site.

Warm Winter Wishes!
HUGS and -

Animal Crackers - New Family Member!

Howdy - There is a new Whimsy Stamps Post below today's Animal Crackers...

We have a new Family member... and this one is cute, but doesn't eat! Some very dear friends (love you Tony and Yadi!) got us a gift! A very special gift. It is just so US!

This is "Pesado" -

For those that do not know Spanish.. Pesado translates to "HEAVY" in english. And this is exactly what this guy is! These sweet friends. got up early in the morning to stake claim on this guy at an estate sale. Then they have to load him all on their own onto the trailer. This was no easy thing! We knew exactly where we wanted him to be placed. He has a very special place over looking our men's pen in the front of our property. We both grin when we pull up to our gate coming home.....

Doesn't he look fabulous??!!! Thank you again guys... you are the best ever!

I took a bunch of photographs Thursday afternoon. The sun had come out and it was nice weather. The ladies were all up near the house and I snapped a photograph of Darlene that I fell in love with.

Our old lady, she is as they say a 1992 year model. And this photo captures her heart. She is a slow and cautious girl, and has the most pitiful long whine for a hee haw. I think she learned that to make that little cry out to get extra treats and attention. "Dad" put her up in the small pen along with Patti this week, we are going to give her a little extra geriatric equine feed for a few days. Gives her some vitamins to make sure she is at her best. Don't you just want to hug that face?!

Gabby made a move towards me. I am so proud of the adult she has become.

When she was born she scared us so bad. Some sort of short in her connections she couldn't regulate her temperature. And of course she was born in a heat wave. Her temp would got up once to 114! Normal should range between 100-102 so she was HOT! So at a few days old we soaked her down every hour or so in ice baths, and soaked her in cool water constantly. We had her and her Mom Lacey up in the backyard with fans running on them day and night. And Gabby has the rare title of being the only donkey that has spent time in the house. Yep that one afternoon where she got so hot I brought her inside, stood her in the bathtub for cold water and turned down the air conditioner to cool her off. After a couple of weeks she started regulating things better and then suddenly she was a normal bouncing baby donkey everywhere.

Last week I showed you Belle and her long stunning horns. Well I was going to show off her daughter, Sweet Pea's long slender horns... but well...

There is a great benefit of long pointy horns... That spot on your back that you just have to scratch, it is no problem! Wouldn't that be nice? LOL 

Also last week I showed off the little flirting going on with the donkeys... Well check out that silly grin on Peso's face!! 

 This guy cracks me up! Jill was doing a little flirting by waving her tail to Peso. Drives the boy nuts! Snorts and paws at the ground like a fool. I called out to him and I am not kidding!! He turned and grinned at me! Shows off those perfect white teeth like he is so proud of himself! Now that has to give you a grin this week!!

Hope you did smile and enjoyed Animal Crackers this week.  Hug someone furry or feathered!
HUGS and

Whimsy Stamps - New Release - Whatzup

Howdy -

Today is another great release day at Whimsy Stamps and I just love this new stamp! Whatzup!!

How cute is this little guy???

And the name.. "Whatzup!" It is too great. I colored with my Copics (colors below) And I matched it up with a piece of Paper Studio papers, with a few punches from Martha Stewart with a ribbon border. Sewing down all the layers, then adding some Whimsy Stamps die cuts "happy" and "wishes" Fun image to make someone smile!

Copic colors used -

Make sure to pop over to the Whimsy Stamps Web site and see all the fun! HERE  and don't forget the blog HERE to see lots of inspiration.

Have a blessed day - and I will be back a little later today for Animal Crackers.
HUGS and