High Hopes Stamps - Batty Boo

Howdy - and Boo!

This week for High Hopes Stamps I went for a simple but fun Halloween image. "Batty Boo" -  

 

 

Can a bat be cute? This guy is - and I love those letters that make up "BOO" - I colored with my Copics (colors below) and really colored in that sky background. I have a hard time getting it "even" and not showing the coloring lines when doing some colors in such a large space. But I think it ended up ok. 

 

For my card I started out with a black card stock base. Found some dark red and yellow cards stock to match up with my image and then a few patterns from Paper Studio. I sewed down the layers and added that Martha Stewart Dripping border punch. It was on my desk from my last card and well... it just feels right for a Halloween card! Then I pulled out Nuvo Yellow pearl and added some studs along the border. And to finish it off Ranger Stickles on the middle "o" - just needed a little sparkle. 

 

This one kind of pops - the colors on all that black - I like that! 

 

Copic colors used - 

To pop over to the High Hopes Stamps store click HERE - I KNOW you will fall in love with so many images! There are thousands of choices! 

Hope you have a blessed day - 

HUGS and -

Animal Crackers - Beautiful Stooges

Howdy - 

Hubby and I were out really early one morning - the Three Stooges were blocking our path out the backyard. As if they were going to be forgotten in the line for breakfast. Uh yeah right. While "Dad" went and got their breakfast hay, I stood and rubbed some ears and noses. Everyone was being so calm and sweet - maybe it was just to make sure they got their grub, but didn't matter I wanted lovings. LOL 

They were so beautiful in the morning light, and so sweet - so portraits were a must right?

Cocoa is really the one... she is the one that only lets you love on her when she is in the mood. Other than that she will walk off. But she got ear rubs, nose rubs and kisses and lots of rear end scratching. She has started to show her age and the gray hair is coming in. I told her that was fine mine was showing as well. 

Her son Valentine. He normally will always let me love on him... unless his Mom is walking off...

 

You can't get left behind. He is such a baby... even though he too is getting older.  

And then there is Ted E. Bear - our official greeter -

 

 

There is never a moment where he questions attention. Heck he will cross the property just to say hello and get an ear rub. Love my stooges ... they are so wonderful. 

 

Now last week we said goodbye to Gato - it has been rough. I keep looking for her, waking up in the night freaking out because she isn't there next to me. And watching TV.. oh man she is suppose to be in my lap - Nothing will fill that hole in my heart - she was so very special. 

 

We questioned why Tuxedo the feral cat outside had her four baby kittens on our back porch. I mean really we have never been able to touch her - and she had them steps right out our back door on the porch. I can't tell you how many people have told me that they were put there as a blessing from God to help us smile and love on them. Now Mom Tuxedo is like lightning off the porch when we come out - as is her first son Shadow. But these four... well we have been playing with them, holding them and well, smiling watching them play. They are so hysterical with their wrestling matches - 

They have names now - 

 

May I introduce you to "Porsche" 

 

Tiny little Mercedes - 

 

Tiny little Farrari - 

 

And the boy is McLaren or as hubby has nicknamed him "P1" - LOL

It just cracks me up - they move, jump, attack and play a million miles an hour and are too funny to watch. And then in a flash they are all passed out and asleep - 

After I took these photos I went out with a wet paper towel and washed all their faces. I guess playing outside they are pretty close to the dirt and man their noses and faces were nasty. Each one after I washed and removed the dirty chunks from their eyes and noses sat and bathed themselves all over... Tuxedo may be a feral cat but she is a fabulous Momma and has been teaching them all they need to know! Well we are teaching them that we are safe and they can trust us. I think Tuxedo knows that too... oh and Shadow has actually let hubby touch him a couple of times. 

I think Gato would have loved watching them too -

Hope you have a very blessed weekend - and please love on a furry friend. They need it and it is good for you as well! 

HUGS and

High Hopes Stamps - Angel Bear Witch

Howdy -

With the anticipation of cooler weather thinking again this week of the fall holidays - So I pulled out a sweet Halloween image "Angel Bear Witch" - sweet! 

I colored with my Copics (colors below) and added LOTS of sparkle on those wings with Ranger Stickles. Wings just have to sparkle right? I then dug deep into my stash of papers and found a Gorguss paper pad that had the feel for a great Halloween card - Love the tree and stars on the background paper. I layered and sewed down all the layers. Oh... and added a border with Martha Stewart Drip punch .. just seems spooky.. LOL For my sentiment I used High Hopes Stamps "Trick or Treat Script" - perfect for my Bear and the jack-0-lantern bucket! To finish of my card I added three enamel dots. Loved coloring this sweet guy! I used a lot of colors... he he 

Copic colors used - 

You just must visit the High Hopes Web Store and see all the fun images! For ANY occasion! Click HERE to get there fast! 

 Have a blessed day - 

HUGS and 

Animal Crackers - She took a piece of our heart -

Howdy -

This one is a hard Animal Crackers to write - This week we lost a piece of our hearts. Our inside kitty Gato passed away. 

She really wasn't a cat, at least she didn't know she was a cat. She was only about 3 weeks old when she came to us. Hubby brought her home after finding her in the engine of our delivery van ... many years ago. She was tiny and covered in grease. It was a miracle she survived the engine, but she was meant to be found and come to live with us. A blessing for sure.  Oh at the time I told him NO don't bring a cat home. Then it was just we will clean her up and find her a home.. yeah we found her a home. Right here with us. 

She was so tiny... wouldn't eat from a bowl, so I had to feed her with a dropper until I could get her to eat on her own. She quickly became the heart of the house and we all fell totally in love with her. Including our large border collie at the time. She adored her. 

Gato soon realized that she would have to learn how to pose for me. And she was great at it! 

I have a bunch with her in my photo tent back in the day. She loved my tent! Usually just cuz she liked the lights... but the girl LOVED to bite and shred paper too.. and one day I walked off and left my card in the tent BEFORE I took the photo... 

Silly kitty... and her sleeping places and positions. She loved warm laundry - and she loved my antique doll beds. 

Never did understand the plants... just doesn't look comfortable. 

She spent most of her evening naps in Hubby's lap or mine. I love this photo, as her sharing with Libbie was not something found often. 

I could go on and on.. she was our baby, she loved to be held like a baby and rocked. She loved having her photo taken, and she was gorgeous so she was a great model. We still can't believe she is gone, thankfully she was still pretty active and all around the house as normal until the last couple of days we could see things were changing. I held her and made sure she knew how much she meant to us and just how much we love her. And then she sighed and was gone. I am thankful that both Hubby and I were right there with her, and although skinnier she was always Gato and never really suffered. 

You will be missed Miss Gato - But I am thankful we were the ones blessed to have you in our hearts. 

Hug your furry children! 

Have a blessed weekend - 

HUGS and 

High Hopes Stamps - Christmas Girl

Howdy -

Have you been over and seen the re-release at High Hopes Stamps, "Christmas Cheer"  yet? OH my such sweet cute images for your Christmas  projects - This week I pulled out Christmas Girl - she has such adorable cheeks! 

So cute! Right??? I colored with my Copics (colors below) and then added dots of Nuvo white on those cheeks. Then she is cut out with a circle die cut - I found some fun glitter papers from Paper Studio with Christmas candy canes - I like the combo of colors - different but fun! I layered them up and added a mat circle die cut of the same papers. For a border I added Fiskars Scalloped border punch. Everything is sewn down. And then placed on a white card stock base. 

For a sentiment I used High Hopes Stamps - Magic of Christmas - one of my favorite Christmas sentiments! Punched out with an EK Success punch then colored around the edge with a Copic to create a faux mat around it. Four green enamel dots on the corners to finish off. 

CUTE CUTE CUTE! 

Copic colors used - 

You need to pop over to the High Hopes Stamps Web Store HERE and see all the Christmas Release ... and while you are there see all the FABULOUS images at High Hopes Stamps. ADORE! 

Have a blessed day - 

HUGS and 

Animal Crackers - Uh Oh...

Howdy

Well I have shown you our outside kitty Tuxedo... and then her surprise Shadow. Well the last week or so Hubby and I have been talking that now she has fully weaned Shadow we need to get an appointment and trap them both and have them fixed. Not gunna be easy - they are calmer, but by no means can we just pick them up and take them in. So trapping is safest and best... plan in place I start calling to find out where we can take "ferrel" cats to be fixed. UH OH... guess what I found Wednesday morning behind a box on the back porch.....

Tiny little kitties!! Eyes were just opened up and they were still shaky on their feet. We are guessing about 3 weeks old. Seriously! She never looked pregnant. She never was "missing". Ok... so Hubby said he saw another cat months back out by the barn once... but never up close to the house where Tuxedo is. But I guess she was out "partying" late in the night - we've haven't seen the suspected daddy cat again. Guess he "dated" Tuxedo and has taken off again. Not sure where, we are a long way from neighbors, but he found her. And we have FOUR little proofs of their late night dates! 

Hubby was so upset and talked so tough when I called to tell him what I had found - I know my Husband. He came up the to the back porch and got down to look under the bench and behind the box where Tuxedo had been hiding her little babies... He melted... His cute talk came out and he was in love. Hubby loves cats.. especially kittens. Then he looked at me and said "This is it though!" LOL 

I've called and got the dates when it will be ok to bring her in ... after these are weaned. But much sooner than we thought with Shadow. 

But really... they are cute aren't they? We have been picking them up and getting them use to "human" attention so they won't be considered "ferrel" cats and more like pets. So far Tuxedo has been ok with us playing with them. Well as long as she isn't on porch and even more ok with it when she has been given her canned dinner out in the yard. 

Yesterday I went out in the fabulous cooler morning and went to visit Big Al in his big boy grown up pen. 

He loves the big pen, especially when he can trot and follow the standard donkeys as they walk down the side of the pen. He does like to talk to Black Jack and give him a little ha ha I got the big boy pen now! 

Black Jack is doing much better now in the smaller pen and his regular "old man" feed twice a day. He is old. So he needs that special attention and extra lovings. 

And then I hear AJ ... he is flirting with the ladies - 

A looker like that is a bit of a ladies man... he was trying so hard to get them to pay attention to him. Sorry AJ as long as there is still Alfalfa on the ground they aren't interested. ha! 

Found the girls all chilling in a shady spot in their coop - Looked as if they had made a big dent in their breakfast scratch and were settling in for a late morning nap - 

A few of the girls are getting old, so we really need to make sure and get some chicks this fall so we don't loose getting eggs first of next year. Already been fighting some creature that has been taking them this summer... but I think that is maybe done. I hope.. 

This girl wanted a solo super model shot .. 

With a figure like that and her looks do you blame her? She is a beautiful chicken ... and a good egg layer! 

Hope you got a smile this week - And anyone need a kitten? LOL 

Have a blessed weekend -

HUGS and - 

High Hopes Stamps - Wintery Owl

Howdy - There is a new release coming from High Hopes Stamps! And I have a 'SNEAK PEAK' of our Christmas Cheer Release -  being released tomorrow !!! 

So I have the honor of showing off one more image and it is a cutie! 

This is Wintery Owl - 

Such a sweet little owl - but with one snazzy scarf and hat! I colored with my Copics and then high lighted with Nuvo White for the snow on the branch and Nuvo Sparkle on the hat and scarf cuz they just had to have some bling! For a sentiment I used High Hopes Stamps "Warm Winter Wishes" - a great sentiments for so many cards during the season. 

Found some Graphic 45 Christmas papers and then sewed down layers with a strong zig zag stitch on my sewing machine. Then to "wrap" it up I found a gingham ribbon and tied around with a bow. 

These are the Copic colors I used - 

Now you must visit the High Hopes Stamps Web Store and see all the fun! And make sure to pop back tomorrow for the  Christmas Cheer Release!! 

Have a wonderfully blessed day! 

HUGS and 

Animal Crackers - It's Green in August??

Howdy

Hard to believe it looks like this in August! August is Brown... not Green! No complaining we have been so blessed this year with rain, and everyone is loving it! I tell Hubby all the time that the front pen is one of the most peaceful views I can dream of. 

With his new mower he has been able to mow it easier and it comes out so gorgeous! The guys are loving it - We were out yesterday morning and were on the opposite side of the pen than we are normally, and I think it had Flavio and Patricio a bit confused.. I called out to Diego and Miguel trying to get all four of them in a photo. But those two had already settled into the shed and were taking their nap - It is a peaceful view isn't it? If we had a swing or hammock out there I think I could have taken a nap too! 

Had to go into the goat pen and protect Chloe yesterday morning. Dad was getting ready to feed and Red was being mean to Chloe our old lady.. poor thing. I ran off Red and loved all over the old boney girl. Then went off to visit with some of the other ladies. Now honestly most of them were following Dad and didn't care beans about me. But I found a few that stood pretty for me. Miss Alice is always a looker - 

I thanked her for being so sweet and not running off - She is so pretty. Not quite as wide as most of the other ladies but she is calmer and not as pushy and piggy. 

Then I found Olive Oil. Now she was really concentrating on watching where Dad was every minute. No point in running and leaving her shady spot until that very moment her Alfalfa breakfast hits the ground you know - 

It was so funny I was talking to her, making kissing noises, whistling and working so hard to get her attention to get a front view photo. But nope she wouldn't look at me for nothing! I understand... I get that way in a good restaurant when my meal is making its way from the kitchen to the table. 

Then I heard some snorting and Hee Haws from next to the goat pen. The Lady Donkeys were making sure that Dad knew they were there and would like some breakfast too. Look at that stare from Ellie Mae! 

Now they don't get hay every day right now. There is just too much yummy grass out there for them to chow on. But two or three days a week they get hay. Funny I would think the fresh green grass would be better, but they do love that hay as well. 

As Dad was throwing breakfast over the fence and into their pen I got a brief pause from Patti. She's a sweet old lady that knows how much Mom likes her photos - 

Now a bit of bad donkey story - I am sure you may remember my life size aluminum donkey that is our back yard. His name is Hombre - he is looking a bit "antique" now in the weather. I love him so much. A gift from Hubby years ago. He weighs a ton. Never moves, hubby just runs the weed-eater around him and he stand there looking so handsome. 

Well the other morning we came out the back door first thing in the morning and the gate was open, there were three standard donkeys munching down on things... and Hombre looked like this...

Now why they felt the need to knock him over I have no idea. He wasn't standing in a really grassy area, but my guess would be scratching their head or rear end on him and all though he weighs a ton to me... compared to them he is a light weight and fell right over. BAD big donkeys! And Dad wasn't too happy about them munching on the hay bale in the back yard or his plants. Oh they got yelled at and a clap of the hands to get them back out the gate. But then Dad got their breakfast hay, fed them and loved all over them. Spoiled and Loved. 

Hope you enjoyed this week - Hug your furry and feathered family members - 

HUGS and