EARLY BLOOM IN MISSOURI

My sister reminded me I hadn't posted in awhile- so - Sister this is for you!

 This is usually the first daylily that blooms here in my garden.  It is a species daylily that I think is Sp. dumorterri.  It started blooming May 1 and just has a few buds left to bloom.  The purple flower is Salvia May Night and an allium behind. 

 Philadelphus Mock Orange had been loaded with blooms and butterflies.  It is old-was here when we moved here in 1979. A pretty sight.

 I never realize our Tulip tree is blooming until I see some petals on the ground.  I then look up and see these amazing blooms that cover the tree.  This tree was also here when we moved here. 

 Another butterfly magnet has been this tub of Nepeta Catmint Walker's Low. There is a matching tub on the other side of the steps that are leading up to our front door -which no one uses-most everyone drives around to the back of the house.  I have nepeta as an edging around some beds-very hardy perennial.

 This is a start of my Mom's bleeding heart.  It has just  finished blooming.  I cherish it as my Mom is no longer alive.  She loved flowers and had a real green thumb!

I had a start of this columbine that was also from my Mom.  It died and I have since replaced it with another one like it.  Love the color of this one.  I hope the new one likes it here!

I have been pulling weeds and grass out of the garden beds.  Since I turned 72 my back and knees rebel at all the activity after not much action during the winter.  I really, really need to start at least a small exercise program!!

FAVORITES

Thought I would add a new post as it rained and my outside work plans have changed-again!!

When I first started stamping in 2007, Stampin' Up's  Long-Time Friend is one of the first stamp sets I bought.  I had seen so many pretty cards made with the set and it is still one of my favorite sets. 

 The sentiment with the set says:  It takes a long time to grow an old friend.  Here are a few cards I have made with this set that are my favorites. You can click on each card for a closer view.

I think my favorite is the Sympathy card that I watercolored.  The others are colored using PrismaColor pencils and gamsol technique. 

POTPOURRI

 Polemonium caeruleum 'Brise d'Anjou'  or Variegated Jacob's Ladder. 

Our local greenhouse closed down a few years ago and I miss having one in town.  The neighboring town has a nice one called-Country Petals.  My daughter, my sister and I went over  to see what they had this year-lots of beautiful healthy looking plants.  I love variegated plants and bought this pretty Jacob's Ladder.  I have read mixed reviews on it and hope it will live for me. 

I also bought two Sun Coleus at the greenhouse and a Orange Prairie Grass from Wal-Mart. I am going to wait a few days to set out the coleus and grass but will go ahead and set out the Jacob's Ladder. 

Later:  It has been too rainy here to get the Jacob's Ladder in the ground-9 3/4 inches of rain since the 21st.  Some sun and no rain today but more rain to come later.  I try not to complain about too much rain as I know what July and August usually are like here in my part of Missouri-hot and dry. 

This is always my first iris to bloom.  I love the pretty lilac color and think I have the name right.

I liked the way this lavender card turned out.  I sent it to Cindy Motherway on SplitCoastStampers  congratulating her for 5 years on SCS and for all she does for others.  The agapanthus image by Stampendous  was stamped with VersaMark ink and them embossed with white embossing powder.  I like the look stamped direct on the dotted paper.

Think I will go pull a few weeds if I can without sinking into the ground-they should pull easy!

SWEET VIOLETS

I love violets, tame or wild.  They are one of the sweetest sights in early spring to me.  The Viola Johnny Jump Up's in the above photo return every year and in some unexpected places. 

The Viola Penny violet above was very pretty.  Reseeded back for a few years but haven't seen it this year.  Sad!

This is one of the prettiest colored violets and very prolific as are most violets.  My daughter gave me a start and this is the mother plant.  It has reseeded in the bed, which I want, and out into the lawn.  I dug some of those and replanted and the rest get mowed if they are tall enough for the blades to reach otherwise I enjoy them as I walk around the yard. 

 The bed above is the one that I want the violets to have free run in.  The mother plant is in the background.  Annabelle hydrangea is in the corner out of camera range.  There is also some reseeding Sweet Williams and some  iris, can't remember the kind at the moment.  Our dog, Lady,  lays on the other end of the bed  so I leave that spot open for her. 

Here are some cards I haven't posted.

This was for a challenge we were to title as a dance theme.  I called mine 'Doin' the Button Dance'.  I used a Cuttlebug Button embossing folder on the edge and used the Sizzix Button #5 die for the buttons that I added to the punched solid and music dp circles-someone said they looked like the old 78 records. The sentiment is from a Stampin' Up set Riveting and I used brown and white baker's twine for my trim.

My oldest daughter turned 48 last week-where has the time gone?  She is a jig saw puzzle lover so I used the House Mouse Piece Corps stamp to make her card.

This card uses another image from the Tim Holtz Journey set.  It didn't make a very good ink impression so I later colored it in with a black pencil and like it better but didn't retake a picture.

Wishing you all a good week.

THINGS ARE COMING ALONG!

Been a very busy week and the weekend has started out that way. 

The Dictionary Word for the Day was: futz \FUHTS\, verb:

1. To pass time in idleness (usually followed by around).
noun:
1. A fool; a simpleton.

I had planned for today to be a day to just futz around but somehow I went outside to do one thing and didn't get back in until after lunch. 


Did get several things done in the yard and flowerbeds.  Got my  three red Knockout Roses pruned and the sedum trimmed up in the driveway curve bed.  Trimmed back two pink Knockouts and cleaned out around the Sorbet peony at the end of the tomato garden.  That leaves three more red and one yellow Knockout to do. Set out a daylily a gentleman from Arkansas sent to me.  It is one of his seedlings-a purple double. Mowed the back yard this morning and set the mower on high and "pruned" some nepeta 'Walkers Low' and some henbit that was growing with it.  Henbit, creeping charlie, deadnettle are all very plentiful and very nasty weeds! 

I love heucheras (coral bells) and bought two new ones at Wal-Mart; Caramel and Georgia Peach.  I need to move three hostas to a new bed then the coral bells will have a home. 

I haven't been very crafty lately what with bookwork and working outside.  Need to get at least two cards made to send out.  A friends mother died and I need to make a sympathy card for her and my oldest daughter has a birthday next week so I better get busy. I used to do most all the challenges on SplitCoastStampers but haven't done any for awhile.  Would like to get back to doing some of those.  Here is a card I made for a challenge awhile back using a Tim Holtz stamp and gave to my DH for his birthday. We were to use black ink and a silhouette image on our card.

Tuesday was the day I meet with 3 friends and we play games and snack. (we meet monthly) Played Boggle Tuesday.  The first Wednesday of the month is the day I weigh  with 3 other friends; we discuss our month and then go have a nice lunch together.  Both outings are always a lot of fun that I look forward to.  Wednesdays are my regular weigh in morning along with my sister and a friend.  We each weigh at home and then report our loss or gain online and try to encourage each other.  I am losing very slowly.  Maybe working outside now will help-hopefully!!

ANOTHER WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES POST

Sunday High Temp--86 degrees  with wind gusts to 40 mph
Monday High Temp--46 degrees with wind gusts to 35 mph, rainy and cold!

This garden bench has been under the tree for umpteen years and Sunday was the first time it has ever been blown over.  The very, very strong winds yesterday must have caught it just right and over it went! 

I have grown Pink Flowering Almond (prunus glandulosa 'Rosea Plena' for years and always look forward to it blooming. The Pink Flowering Almond is a small shrub that flowers in early spring with a display of double, light pink flowers before the leaves appear. It grows best in light shade to full sun. It prefers a well drained light garden soil and is adaptable to most soil types and moisture levels. Blossoms are beautiful but  not fragrant. I plan to prune and shape mine after it finishes flowering. If it was in a different location I would leave it alone, but it is by the garage so needs to be kept in check.   I took this photo today before the rain and wind damages many more blossoms.  Photo is a little blurry as the wind was blowing the limbs around. It blooms along with the forsythia and the redbuds for some pretty early spring color.

Went to the accountants office this morning and left our tax info.  We then went to a local cafe that serves breakfast all day and had an early lunch. DH had breakfast but I had the cheeseburger/fries from the childs menu and it was plenty.  I have to go back to town to pick up our meds from the pharmacy and buy some groceries at Wal-Mart and go to the bank. We were waiting for the mail to come with a farm payment check so I can put it in the bank. If I didn't need the meds I wouldn't get out again being the wimp I am. 

Thanks for visiting my blog and I appreciate the comments.

HAPPENINGS

Hmmm....looks like I took the whole month of March off from blogging.  Beautiful sunrise this morning, loved the pinkish streaks in the sky as viewed from my kitchen window.  I wish I had stopped and taken a photo now.  It is going to be a beautiful day in the Ozarks.  Have a full day planned but would like to be able to clean at least one flower bed and trim the KnockOut roses. Probably  not going to happen today but hopefully next week. My daughter helped me cut back 8 clematis and clean some flowerbeds earlier.  I finished our taxes yesterday and they will go to the accountant Monday.  I am always so glad when that chore (which I dislike) is finished. 

The flowering trees and shrubs are really beautiful right now.  Here is a photo of my daughter's Bradford Pear tree-gorgeous.  They have such a lovely shape.

Spring is my favorite season, closely followed by fall.  Helleborus, reticulata iris, Virginia Bluebells, crocus, daffodils, hyacinths and forsythia are some of the things that have bloomed or are blooming now in my yard. 

We have been having some nice rains and DH got the fertilizer spread on the pastures just in time for a nice rain to dissolve the fertilizer into the ground.  We sold our heifers and bulls this week but will be looking for some more to put on the pastures later. 

Noticed some bluebirds around the birdhouse and have seen the Mama with her head out-hopefully she is thinking about a family!   

The above photo is of my Helleborus or Lenten Rose.  It is one of the first things to bloom starting in very late winter and blooms for a long time.  I don't know the variety I have as it was a start from my daughter.

CRAZY4CHALLENGES 76

The C4C76 (Crazy 4 Challenges 76) Challenge was to use flowers on our cards.  Not hard to do for me as I love flowers and most of my cards will have a few. 

I layered some denim look paper on SU Barely Banana cardstock. My flowers are some a friend crocheted for me.  I think they are really pretty and she did a wonderful job-Thank you, Arlene.  I added yellow mini brads to the middle of the flowers.  The wavy strip along the bottom is a Paper Studio Stickability.  The butterflies were made with a Martha Stewart punch and the flower leaf branches are part of the SU Bird and Leaf Punch.  To finish I added some yellow and white buttons tied with white thread.  

WOYWW?90

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday ?  A weekly challenge found HERE.

This is fairly tidy for my desktop.  I cleaned it off some so I could pay some bills and need to keep it tidy as I work on tax stuff!! 

My desktop is a 6 foot long rolled butcher block countertop that sits on two, two-drawer file cabinets.  On the opposite wall is the same set up where my computer and printer are along with books, scratch pads etc.  Makes a good setup for me as I use what used to be my youngest daughter's bedroom.  After she left home, I turned it into a office, craft room, etc.  I keep my sewing machine, ironing board set up along with two office chairs, sewing machine chair and a easy chair for visitors.  The room is jam packed most of the time as a lot goes on in here. 

Have some cards to share later.  Blogger is sometimes a pain-won't let me post more photos on this post.  Will let me add text,  just not more photos.  Need to figure that out as this is not the first time.

FROM THE PAST

Happy Valentine's Day

I didn't make any valentines this year but here are some I made back before I had a blog.  I notice a theme with these cards-pinks instead of red!

 This quilted card was a featured stamper card, FS48 on SplitCoastStampers.  This was made before I developed lymphedema in my left arm and could do more tedious work.

 This card was also a SCS featured stamper card, FS48.

This heart pocket card was for a SCS challenge TLC151.  I liked the design but have not made another one.  I still have the pattern, I think, so would be nice to make one with falling Spring flowers.

We have been having such nice weather the last few days and supposed to be good all week.  All our ice, sleet and snow have just about all melted and gone!  We live on a long, winding hill so my van has just been sitting as we needed 4-wheel drive, so when I needed to get out (not often-too cold) I went with my husband.  I need to run a few errands and I think we plan to go out to eat tonight. 

THINGS ON THURSDAY

Ten degrees below zero this morning.  We still have ice, sleet and snow but supposed to be in the fifties this weekend so hope to lose some of it. 

This is our milk barn.  I am so glad we no longer milk cows; a really cold job on days like today!

 February is National Cherry Month. For Teapot Tuesday our card destination was to Cindy's (MotherMark) niece who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. So we are sending some Cherries to Shari for encouragement.


I stamped the cherries from Tart and Tangy onto GP white cardstock using Stazon Blazing Red and SU Garden Green. I used the 1 3/8" punch to punch them out and mounted them on red cardstock circles using the 1 3/4" punch to punch the red circles. The sentiment is from Riveting stamped in ColorBox Chalk Blackbird ink, punched out and layered on a red circle. I used Scotch Foam Pop-Up circles to mount them on the black and white striped paper from Paper Studio.

Found two down to earth recipe sites this week.  Several recipes I want to try.  Cooking with Kay and Mennonite Girls Can Cook 

Off to pay some bills and do some tax stuff!

Edited to add:  Colleen asked about February being National Cherry Month.  I am not sure why but cherries are traditionally associated with Valentine desserts and with two presidents: Washington and Lincoln.  I thought this was interesting:  Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin in Kentucky on February 12, 1809.[5] This is what he was perhaps best known for until his frustration with the quality of children's toys of the era caused him to design his own miniature construction set at the age of five. These Lincoln LogsTM allowed young Abraham to build increasingly elaborate and extravagant models of single-room log cabins. His father, Thomas Lincoln, disapproved of these outlandish notions and went about setting Abraham straight immediately. One legendary anecdote from Lincoln's early life was that of the cherry tree growing alongside the Lincoln family log cabin. One day, young Abraham chopped down this tree using an axe. When his father accused him of chopping down the tree, Abraham advanced on him and brandished his axe threateningly. Since he avoided punishment and achieved his goal of cutting down the insolent cherry tree without lying, he earned the moniker "Honest Abe".

STICKLED SUNFLOWER

The Technique Lovers Challenge 306, was to paint with Stickles on our card. Neat challenge! I stamped my sunflower with Stazon Saddle Brown on GP White. I used Yellow and Orange Stickles on the flower and colored the leaves using a Prismacolor green pencil and Turpenoid.


Instead of making an elegant Christmas card like the one I cased, I made a general occasion card. I used a sunflower image (new stamp for me) instead of the poinsettia and used bakers twine instead of ribbon.

My brother and his wife took us out to eat last night for my birthday (which is today the 5th). While eating I looked out and it was snowing to beat the band. We had another 2" on top of what we already had. Pretty this morning but not what I wanted for my birthday!!


While taking pictures, our border collie Lady, was watching me as if to say 'Hurry up".

SHARON'S BLOG CANDY

Sharon at PaperFections is having a Blog Anniversary give- a- way. You can see what she has to give a way on the sidebar of my blog-lots of great blog candy!!

I will be back later to post some recent cards I have made!

THIS AND THAT

I think this is a pretty picture of the ice storm we had in 2008, but, sure hope we do not get another one any time soon!

We had 19 dgrees this morning, it is sunny but still cold. Was a good morning for whole wheat toast, eggs, bacon and gravy.

I needed a baby card for a boy and it was also for MMTPT Challenge on Tuesday. We were to use a Winnie The Pooh theme and since I didn't have any bear stamps I went searching. Found these American Craft bear stickers that I have had for ages and used them to represent Winnie the Pooh's family-Mrs. Winnifred, Willie and Wendy Pooh. So, you didn't know about the Pooh family?? It helps to still have part of your childhood imagination around. (Grin)

I thought this Thought for the Day, which I get in my inbox each day, was both humorous and on target.

"A blind, anemic, weak-kneed flea on crutches would have a greater chance of defeating a herd of a thousand wild stampeding elephants, than the enemy has of defeating God." -- Ray Comfort

BEST OF BEV 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Wishing you all the best for 2011.

In a recent Betty Crocker email I received, the subject was Best of Betty 2010 featuring some of their best 2010 recipes. Here are some of my favorite cards I made in 2010. Maybe not the best, but some I have liked.

RECYCLING - REPURPOSING

Last year we received a Christmas card that had three pretty green ornaments on it-in three sizes. I save all my cards and while looking through them this year I thought how pretty those ornaments would be recycled onto another card. I cut the three ornaments out and Presto!, well not that quick, but it didn't take long, to make three new Christmas cards.
The above card is brushed gold cardstock. I attached the large ornament, added gold cord for the hanger and added a sentiment in green ink. Since the ornament had a blueish edge I added a blue strip of cardstock and some gold metallic stick-ons.

I think this card has the feel of the Season. I used a green card base, matted with red and some pretty Paper Studio designer paper. Added a red sheer gold edged ribbon and the smallest of the ornaments with some gold cord.

This card also uses brushed gold card stock layered with red card stock and some beautiful Paper Studio ornament designer paper. Added the medium sized ornament with some gold cord.

I love how all three cards turned out using something I thought too pretty to throw away!

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!