SPRING-OR IS IT SUMMER ALREADY?

Spring is a favorite time of year for me.  This year the weather has been unusually warm and most flowers are about two weeks ahead of themselves.  My oldest daughter was on vacation a couple of weeks ago and we went on several wildflower hunts.  Here are a few of my favs from the pictures she took. 

 This is a new wildflower for us this year, High Bush Huckleberry.  Love the little white bell flowers that hang down.

 Love all the violets and especially this two toned Birdsfoot Violet.

 This Downy Phlox was so pretty growing in a clump.  Love the bright rose pink color.

 This is another very pretty wildflower, Indian Paintbrush, that is not that easy to find here.

I love yellow/gold flowers and this is a beauty with a unusual name, Squaw Weed. 

I am lucky to have this Wild Columbine self seed in my shade garden-long blooming.

This is LouseWort or Wood Betony.  Another one that I think is really pretty.

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Have been working outside most mornings getting the weeds out and putting down mulch.  While my daughter was on vacation we moved daylilies and downsized some beds.  I have two early daylilies blooming now; species dumortierri and Stella de Oro.  Have scapes and buds on a few others but it will be awhile before they bloom.  Here is one of my favorite photos taken a few years ago of daylily Stella de Oro around the bottom and clematis Ville de Lyon on the front lamp post.

Have been on a stamping downturn but will get back to making some more cards or scrapbooking soon.

UPDATE TIME

On Splitcoaststampers Featured Stamper forum they usually pick one person as Featured Stamper for the week and we are to make a card changing at least two things about one of their cards.  Recently they had us all as featured stampers.  We were to pick one of our own cards and make another one changing at least two things.  The Coral Shells card is the one I chose of mine to Case. 

 I used the same stamp but changed colors, made a one layer card and used scoring below the image instead of embossing.  The Shells stamp by Inkadinkado is one of my favorite images and is easy to watercolor. I like the navy version but think the Coral Shells is my favorite of the two.

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Like a lot of you our Spring has been unusually warm and most things are at least three weeks early in bloom. Here are a few pics I have taken recently of things blooming in the yard.

This Bleeding Heart started as a start from my Mother's original plant.  I downsized my shade garden last week and we moved the above plant farther back in the bed and it survived beautifully with just a few broken branches.

My dwarf iris have all bloomed out now; the blooms didn't seem to last as long this year. I have them planted along the patio steps where I can be sure and see them.  Love their pretty purple color.

The Forsythia was pretty this year-more blooms than usual.  It was already here when we came here in 1979.  I finally gave it a good trim and it has done much better . 

Too early in the season here to plant annuals but these Violas I found at our local Wal-Mart called my name and I bought these two containers.  They are pretty hardy so should survive a frost if we get one. 

Hope you enjoy the Spring photos.
 

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