FLOWERS and BIRDS

 The above two photos are of Helleborus that are blooming now.  I think they are so pretty, even the undersides of the leaves.  Don't know what variety I have as they were a start from my daughter.  My new header picture is also the helleborus.

Below are crocus that just popped up the last day or two in the poppy bed-see the fuzzy foliage, that is poppy foliage.  Will have poppies around May 1.  Also in this bed, which is around a maple tree, is some hostas and some Asiatic lilies-the orange lilies bloom usually around July.

I like the crocus foliage and my photograper (daughter) got a good shot of the foliage in this pic-notice the buckeye behind the foliage.

 My daughter took these photos in her yard.  She has lots of birds including these pretty cardinals.

                                                                       Regal Royalty

                                                                               Friends

 What do I hear?  He has his head cocked like he is listening for something.  Probably heard the photographer.

The pretty twigged bush they are resting in is a Red Twig Dogwood. 

Haven't done any stamping for awhile-lost my mojo somewhere.  This past week I started working on our taxes,  getting the paperwork ready to go to the accountant.  Need to get my desk cleaned off so I can make a few birthday cards.  

POTPOURRI III

A New Year and a New Beginning.  In looking back through the cards I made in 2011, I picked out a few that were some of my favorites. Most have been posted on my blog with details about the cards so here are five of them in no particular order with no descriptions.  If you have a question, just ask and I will get back to you (if I know the answer. (G)

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So far we have had a fairly mild winter.  Had school dismissed one day last week due to some ice and snow but they are saying maybe 60 degrees tomorrow!  Again, in looking back through my photos here are some favorites from past Winters. 

This photo was taken at Baptist Camp.

This was taken at my daughter's house during the 2008 ice storm.  Sure hope we don't have any of that this year.

A view of our milk barn that is now used for storage as we no longer milk cows for a living!

I can see the top of our neighbor's silo out my kitchen window.  Silos being used are a thing of the past around here, so wanted to get a photo to share, as it still is in good shape.

Will be back later with some more photos to share.  Hope the New Year is going well for you all.

A NEW SEASON

Some people blog daily, weekly or semi-weekly. Me, I seem to blog monthly and I received a email from my sister this morning saying "Update", so here we go.

Below are pictures of the red barn that sits down below our house.  The first picture shows it in Summer and of course the second is during the Winter.

SUMMER

                                           WINTER
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 This not so good photo (too dark)  was taken while getting my table ready for the 'Gamey Girls', my name for the group I play games with once a month.  We had a wonderful time with food , fun and fellowship!

This is my kitchen themed tree using kitchen utensils, cookie cutters, etc. along with other decorations. It sits in the corner by the refrigerator.

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For one of the Splitcoaststamper Challenges we were to make Christmas packaging.  I used a store bought gingham bag and stamped my tissue paper and tag.  I stamped the sentiment 'Let it Snow' on tan tissue with red ink.  The Gift Tag was also stamped with red ink and tied with a raffia bow.

Here are two Christmas cards I made last year using the same stamp but different colors and designs.

The stamp is by Uptown Rubber Stamps and the sentiment that is included on the stamp says 'may your blessings runneth over'.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

FAVORITE THINGS

 Some time ago I started taking pictures of old buildings-homes, churches, schools, etc.  in my area.  Here are a few of them. 

This is Gladden School, near Success, where I got part of my education.  I started to school there, then we moved and I went to Macomb and Houston and finally moved back to Success and I finished my 7th and 8th grade years in this building.  Lots of happy memories.  Some one has since made a home in the building.  

This is where I went to church growing up.  Back then the middle part of the building was the small church.  The additions on either end were added later for classrooms and a fellowship hall. When I was growing up church was more than a spiritual learning place it was also a social outlet.  We lived in the country and Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday nights was when I got to see my good friends, Doris and Deen; Deen is now my sister-in-law. I remember Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, church plays, dinners and spending time together.  We had some good times together growing up and still keep in touch today.

This is Elk Creek Baptist Church that is not to far from where I live.  I really like how they have kept the rural church in such good repair through the years. The steeple and the red metal roof are fairly new additions.

This is the old mill at Alley Springs State Park.  A really nice place to visit and hike to see wildflowers in the spring. 

This is the old Story School at Alley Springs; typical of rural schools during my growing up years.

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Here are a few fall themed cards I have made lately.  The first two use the same sketch but for one of them I flipped the sketch.

 This card was made for a challenge to use leaves on our cards.  I stamped the leaves from a Hero Arts set, colored them and then cut them out and put them on the Pumpkin Pie circles which are raised up using foam dimensionals.

 This card uses the same sketch as above but in the original design. I like the sketch used both ways. The sentiment says: Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Fall, Happy Blessings to one and all.

The challenge for this card was to do a mosiac.  I had this tiled piece I had made laying on my desk so used it instead.  I stamped the sunflower on and colored it using Prismacolor pencils blended with Turpenoid.  Added some small punched out butterflies and a autumn colored ribbon.  I added some yellow Stickles glitter glue to the flower and butterflies for some sparkle.

Later---Bev J.

POTPOURRI II

 PASSION FRUIT FLOWER AND FRUIT

Have cleaned on the flower beds the last two mornings and they are looking good.  Did a lot of cutting back, pulling weeds and getting rid of some unwanted plants.  The photo above is one of the thugs I am keep trying to get rid of, but it just keeps on coming back. It has a pretty flower but really travels, vining on whatever it can find! 

 BUCKEYES ON THE TREE

 BUCKEYE OPEN

Buckeyes are some of my favorite fall things.  I think the spiney shell is interesting and the buckeyes are a pretty, shiney, burgundy chocolate color.  Our tree usually has several on it.

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Have been making some Fall/Thanksgiving related cards. 

 The card above uses a stamp from the Stampin' Up set 'Happy Blessings'.  I colored the image with Prismacolor pencils and blended with Turpenoid.  Added some Yellow Stickles glitter glue and some tiny punched butterflies (Martha Stewart).  I love the colors in the unknown striped background paper and the Rubber Stampede 'Just a Note' sentiment stamp, which I use quite a bit.

This card I made for a challenge where we were to use a #2 pencil on our image.  I used the pencil to color in the cornucopia.  I used Prismacolor pencils to color in the fruit and veggies and blended with Turpenoid.  I cut the image out and added it to the gold strip; I punched the edge with a Martha Stewart border punch. The stamp is by Stampabilities-Cornucopia 02

THINGS ON SUNDAY

Clicking on the photos should make them larger.

Thought I had better put up a post before we lose September completely!  We have been having some good rains and cooler weather-love it! 

Some of the trees are beginning to show some color.  The buckeye tree in the backyard was here when me came here in 1979.  It is the first to show changes in leaf color and lose its leaves (not counting black walnuts who lose them all year round it seems.)  I took this photo when the early morning sun was shining on the leaves. In the background is our old milk barn, shop with the double and garage door and holding pen shed is on the left end.

 The Sweet Autumn Clematis' have really done well this fall-just covered with their star-like blooms and have a sweet smell.  These cover two ends of the arbor. 

 The holstein heifers are having their mustard by-product fix-they like it and go to the water tank next.

Below is DH watching the heifers. He had cut a small bush and threw if over the fence and they had to come and investigate.  In the background you can see some eating hay at a round bale feeder.  We keep hay out for them year round.

 Here is a card I made today for the Featured Stamper Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers.  The card I cased used this flower and pitcher image from one of my favorite stamp sets-SU Long Time Friend. 

I did the Blackboard Technique where you stamp the image in white ink on a dark background.  You let the ink dry and then color in with colored pencils.  I added some yellow Stickles to the yellow flowers and cut the image out using Spellbinders Labels One die cut.  I also cut and embossed the green mat with a Labels One die and then adhered it to magenta Bazzill cardstock.  The sentiment says "Thinking of You".

POTATO VINE GONE WILD!

Been having some really nice weather.  Almost 8" of rain for the month and cooler temps-88 degrees today- but the clincher is-little humidity!  I can take the hot temps a lot better when the humidity is low.  Ragweed pollen count must be really high. My throat feels sore and scratchy after being outside!  A good excuse to stay inside and piddle.  :>)

While out I watered some flowers.  That is one potato vine in the pot along with rubrum grass.  The vine covered up some other plants I had in there-I guess all that hot weather is to his liking!! Sun Coleous is in the other two pots-one to each pot.

 While out I also picked some small, scrappy tomatoes.  Still have some blooms and a few green ones left.

 Made cards for two challenges this week-been awhile since I had played in the challenges.  When I first joined Splitcoaststampers I did several each week and really enjoyed them-learned several techniques and tips as well. 

 This card was for the TLC339 challenge.  We were asked to look for the first card we put in our Favorites Folder on Splitcoaststampers and do a similiar card.  Mine was from 2005, a favorite card by Sharon Harnist.  Where I used the floral designer paper Once Upon A Springtime by Graphic 45, Sharon had stamped toile flowers.  She also did the faux linen technique and I used the Stampin' Up Linen background stamp and stamped on my card.  I still like Sharon's card and was happy with mine as I like the coral colors! 

This card was for the MMTPT160 challenge to use birds on our card.  We are to send our cards to a lady who is having health problems if we want to.  Mine will be in the mail Monday. 

RENEWAL

On August 1st we had a grass fire in our pasture that burned about 10 acres. We had three fire trucks from our Rural Fire Department out and they came three times before it decided to not rekindle. God bless the volunteers who worked in over 100 degree heat.  Scary!!  July was a dry month with temps 100+ several days and things were really dry.  Since then we have had 4.35" of rain and cooler temps.  DH said to me this morning that the grass was beginning to grow again.  I took a few pictures to show how rain can renew things. 

 Here is a small portion of the burned area with new grass beginning to come back. 

 I hope the browned leaves on the trees from the fire come back next year. 

 During the heat and drought, several of my daylilies went into dormancy.  Since the cooler temps and rain they are showing new growth!  Daylilies are very hardy plants.

 The Four O'Clocks out by the milk barn reseed back each year and the heat and lack of rain didn't seem to bother them-blooming profusely.

This lone little Cleome decided to live and bloom!

I thank God each day that it wasn't any worse than it was and that no one was injured or had heat related problems!!