I LOVE IRIS!

When I first became interested in rubber stamping and making greeting cards I came across a stamping site that has really helped me grow as a card maker by doing the daily challenges they have each day. If anyone is interested click on the title above to this blog and it will take you there or here is the link.

http://splitcoaststamper.com/



The Iris have all bloomed out in my garden and are history until next year. Here are some iris cards I have made and want to share with you.





For this card challenge we were to use twill on our cards. For the masking; I cut a circle out of a piece of cardstock, discarded the cut out circle to my scrapbox (I save most pieces of cardstock and designer papers). I then used the cardstock hole as my mask. I layed it on a piece of white cardstock, stamped my image, sponged around the edges with ink and then removed the mask. I then colored the iris with watercolor pencils and added some accents with a gold glitter pen. The purple twill is held on with silver eyelets.

This a little different and I like the look. The iris and butterflies are stamped on a piece of vellum and colored with ink. Then take an embossing tool and emboss on the back of the iris being careful to not break through the vellum. Pierced around the edges with a piercing tool and the corners are made with a decorative punch.

This is the same masking technique only using an oval on white cardstock.

The crackled background is made using a stamp as is the sentiment. The iris here is a sticker by Jolee. Easy card.

This was one of the first cards I made and I love the colors with pink-one of my favorite colors. The lace is white with small pearls . I used an oval punch to punch out the iris. Added little square pink brads for accent.

SOME MORE FAVORITES

Most all of my daylilies are favorites. I have downsized my garden and sold some plants, give to family and friends so what I have left are the ones I really like. All my dayliles are older ones; I think the newest I have is from 2000, a Wild daylily called Mount Hope, will post a photo of it later.

Raspberry Candy-one of the Candy Series

Black Eye-and the eye is almost black.

Wild One-This is wonderful in a clump!

Pat Stamile hybredized a line of daylilies called the Candy series. This Blackberry Candy.

Not a real clear photo but this is Jungle Eyes; love the color combination.

FAVORITES

Here are some photos of some of my favorites for this year. With all the rains we had early on the daylilies have flourished. Enjoy! Will add some more later. Emperor's Butterfly with Verbena Bonariensis. Love the verbena waving above the daylilies.

Janice Brown is a Stout Medal Winner (1994) the highest award given to daylilies.

Designer Jeans-love the name of this beauty!

Always Afternoon-another Stout Medal Winner (1997). It starts blooming fairly early and blooms for a long time with lots of scapes and buds. Ornamental grass Miscanthis Morning Light behind and variegated iris in front.

Along The Way. I really like this plant that I bought from Wild's several years ago. Peach with a dark purple eye it is really striking!

DAYLILY SEASON

I haven't posted in awhile but this is now mid-season for my daylilies and I wanted to show you what has been or is now blooming in my yard. These are early and mid-season bloomers. I have several lates that will soom be blooming and some of the daylilies in these photos will be blooming or some will be sending up rebloom scapes. I don't have a lot of reboomers-would like to add more.



This is what I call my Snowball Bed. In the lower left corner by the rock, is a Weigela bush. In the middle is the Snowball and the South end, which is hidden, is anchored by a Smoke Tree. Some companion plants I have used are Verbena Bonariensis which I grew from seed and reseeds, Lythrum Morden's Gleam, feverfew that I grew from seed, Aster October Skies, tall bearded iris on one end and a wild hyssop that I let grow.

This is the arbor my husband built in our back yard. On the left is a huge rock he brought in from the field with our cat loader. Behind the rock is a wild hydrangea I bought at a Missouri Conservation booth. It has settled in and bloomed this year. There are also two Goldmound Spireas and two clumps of Oriental Ruby daylilies. On the right are Sweet Autumn Clematis which will have the top covered when they bloom later on. Towards the end of the bed you will see a ornamental grass I love, Miscanthus Morning Light.

Part of a bed looking west-beautiful this year. This bed has daylilies, Strictus ornamental grass, Crepe Myrtle Watermelon, Siberian Iris, Goldflame Spirea, purple coneflowers, clematis, Weigela Java and a white Daisy Fleabane which is a wildflower I let grow there this year; I love it with the red daylilies growing near by. Edgers are Veronica Sunny Border Blue, Salvia May Night, Siskiyou Evening Primrose which can be agressive but I love the way they wander in and about the daylilies. By the rock is a sedum groundcover that I finally found the name for but can't recall right now. I hate when that happens. GRIN

Lythrum Morden's Gleam is against my West Fence bed with daylilies. That is Red Volunteer leaning in behind so it could get in the picture. The trellis is for a clematis that was moved and is trying to decide whether to live there.

Part of my Apple Tree daylily bed. There used to be a big old apple tree in the middle but it slowly died away. I replaced it with a Cleveland Pear but still call it the apple tree bed. To the right is a big snag my neighbor called to see if I wanted. He knows I like old stumps, driftwood, etc. as accents so my husband brought in it with the tractor-I think it has character. GRIN Along with the daylilies I added Verbena Bonariensis, Nepeta Walker's Low, Variegated Iris, Heliopsis Loraine Sunshine which is flopping from the middle. I need to read and see whether I should divide, cut back or put a cage around it. Do any of you have any thoughts on dividing heliopsis'?