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I listen to music on Rhapsody -- it's amazing just how much you can find there! Right now, I'm totally hooked on Joey & Rory's album. It's beautiful, and traditional, and I love it!
"The Life of a Song"
...although, I choose not to listen to track #11 too often, because it makes me cry.
Put the album on repeat and enjoy!
(Michele...play track 9 just because.) *grin*
If you don't subscribe to Rhapsody, I think you can play 25 songs per month for free. I think. Don't quote me...
My parents are getting ready for a short camp trip, and oh how I envy them! Sure, life on the farm is all glitz and glam, but imagine... me, Alan, and the chickens, dipping our toes in a cool mountain lake. We could be enjoying the sweet song of crickets and frogs, instead of the deafening whistle and whine of the Texas cicadas (though, I actually like the cicadas...) How sweet it would be! So, rather than wishing they (my parents) were here, I wish we were there!
I made this card using images from my recently released Whipper Snapper sets. The chicken and sentiment are from Beach Bum, the island is from Hooked on Fishing, and the trailer is from Great Outdoors. And of course, what's not to love about the Mr. Campy Cosmo Cricket paper... *swoon*
I was recently asked if I would show photos of project details now and then. You bet, Pam! Here you go! On this card, I chose to double-layer the chicken's body, for added detail. I lightly colored the chicken in the background, and then colored the top-layer chicken darker with more detail. I also sketched in some grass sprigs and made little dots to quickly and easily add ground.
Here is a close-up of the twill, button, twine. Normally I use a couple of small glue dots to hold things in place. I'm almost out of glue dots. *gasp!*
Note to self: ORDER GLUE DOTS!
And speaking of chickens (aren't we always?)...
I have a four chicks hanging out with me tonight. The black one is 3 or 4 days old, one of the yellow ones is a couple days old, the other yellow one hatched yesterday.
The younger chicks need to get their legs under them before I'll put them in with Ginger (the mama) and her slightly older chicks. I brought in a couple of the chicks that are a few day old to keep the new chicks company, and to encourage the new chicks to eat. They'll learn faster if they can mimic the older chicks.
After a day or two when they've got the hang of their legs and of eating, I'll put them all out with their mama and the other babies. Ginger will never notice... 11, 12, ...14... who's counting. Not Ginger! The newly hatched chicks are still in the "need sleep" stage, and Ginger is too busy showing the older chicks food to worry about snuggling down with day old chicks. They'll do better with her and the older babies in a day or two.
This is the little gal that hatched today...a bit too early, thanks to
the egg she was in getting broken about a day before she was ready to
hatch. I'm lucky I found her in the nest when I did. It could have been disastrous for her... She spent most of the day in the incubator, until she thought
it was time to kick the last of her egg shell off and join her friends.
This modeling stuff is hard work when you're newly hatched!
This week's High Hopes challenge is Stars or Stripes. I chose to use both, and created this patriotic farmer card.
I stamped Farmer Clem on watercolor paper in black StazOn ink and painted him with a water brush and re-inkers. For the base of the card I chose to use patterned paper from Melissa Frances. I used white ink to ink around all of the edges before I stitched the pieces down to the background. I used cotton rope from Stampin' Up, chipboard stars which I made using a Sizzix die & my BigShot, more Melissa Frances paper, and a couple of old buttons threaded with hemp twine.
For more details on this week's fun challenge and to play along, visit the High Hopes blog.
I was looking through some of my older projects and came across this Reindeer Delivery package I made last winter. I thought it would be fun to do something similar with my Hooked on Fishing set!
And it just so happens that I love gummy worms. Yes, it's true. Thankfully, I managed to save enough for this little project! Delicious, those little worms!
The paper I used to wrap the clear pillow box with is from the Mr Campy Cosmo Cricket line. I stamped the fishing chicken image, from Hooked on Fishing, in black Memento ink and colored the image with Copic markers. I used cotton rope from Stampin' Up, hemp twine and a button to join the tag to the package o' worms.
Wonder who I'll send this wiggly package of goodies to!?
I am so thrilled to have several of my holiday felt ornaments featured in the recently released in Stuffed: a gathering of softies (volume 2)!
Volume 1 of the magazine was super, and still sits on my desk to enjoy. Volume 2 is JUST as fun -- you won't believe the creative creatures featured in this issue! This is a must have mag for anyone who loves to dabble in, or wants to dabble in, softies of all kinds!
The magazine can be ordered directly from Stampington & Company, and might also be found at your local Borders or Barnes & Noble.
Yahoooo for the weekend! I love weekends! It's wicked HOT, but hopefully the temps will start to cool off a bit on Sunday. If nothing else, the weekend allows time for splashing around in the water!
A few updates on what's been happening around the farm...
CHICKENS: More chicks have hatched... I haven't counted all the heads yet, but they're all CUTE, I can tell you that! We've had babies hatch every so often over the past couple of weeks, so they're all different ages and sizes. They're so stinkin' CUTE!
DEXTERS: The cow's udders are starting to swell with milk. That means soon we'll have BABIES! And you know how I love the little cow babies! Princess might deliver first...then Queenie... then Dixie... then we'll have to wait a while longer (months!) for Lucy, Pixie, and then Chick should be the first to calve again next year, since she was the first to calve this year.
KITTENS: We have two litters of kittens right now. There are four babies in one litter, and only three left in the second litter. Unfortunately, the litter with 4 babies are as WILD as can be. We don't usually see them during the day -- only at night, as they are racing around, playing. We haven't caught them, and we haven't been able to catch their mother yet, either.
The other litter that only has three babies started with six babies. The mother had them in the garage, and something (we figure a stray tom cat) got in the garage and killed a couple of the babies. Their mother is young and wasn't giving the babies as much attention as she needed to, so Alan took the four remaining babies from her. After about a week of feeding, we found a home for one of them and he went to live with his new family. We still have the other three, and since they are still too little to be outside on their own, we keep them in one of the chick brooders so they can have lots of room to play and romp. They've grown so MUCH! They're all girls. A dark tiger stripe, a dark tiger stripe with small faint orange tortoise patches, and a long haired gray girl (with the FATTEST pink belly!) We call her Fatty. *grin* We were thrilled to find a home for the boy, and we would like to find homes for the girls as well. They're young, and already litter box trained! But if we can't find homes for them, at least we will be able to catch them and get them to the vet when they're old enough so they won't be having any kittens of their own!
Anyway, that's most of what we've been up to... And now and then I make things!
This card was made with an image from the Shady Tree Studio line from Cornish Heritage Farms. I stamped the image and painted it with re-inkers. Once the image was dry, I used a white gel pen to add the white leaves and dots, just for something different. I like it!
I think picnics are better shared with a friend... don't you?
The images on this card are from three different sets: Beware of Bears (bear and basket), Hooked on Fishing (skeeter), and Friendly Expressions (sentiment)
I love being able to combine images from multiple sets to create one scene. YAHOO, what FUN!
The wooden button is from an OLD card of buttons I bought at a local antique shop a couple of months ago. Six vintage wooden buttons for a quarter. Not bad! I warmed it up a bit by rubbing it with the sponge I use to ink the edges of my cardstock with. The ink added just a bit of depth to the wood grain. Much better!
It continues to be hot around these parts....and I know we're not alone in the heat. Miserable, I tell you, miserable.
Here's what we have to look forward to:
Wednesday: 101
Thursday: 101
Friday: 101
Saturday: 100
Sunday: 101
Monday: 100
Tuesday: 100
Wednesday: 100
Thursday: 98
902 degrees, by my calculations. Beyond ridiculous.
Keeping the chickens cool is proving to be a challenge.
And for those of you in Florida...keep cool, little darlings. I don't envy you this weather. For those of you planning on attending the CHA convention in July in Orlando...oh, goodness. Let's hope the temps break a bit for your visit.
I need an ice cream bar.
Since yesterday was Father's Day, I made a special card for Alan. We don't have kids of our own, but we do have quite the assortment of
critters running around that depend on us to care for them and provide
them with everything they need to stay happy and healthy. So in that
regard, Alan is a father... and a darn good one, too!
The images on the card are from a long-time retired (2002) set from Stampin' Up called Dream Catcher. The set seems to be quite rare... and samples are rarely shared on SplitCoast (THE site to be on if you LOVE stamping!) I stamped the main image in black StazOn and painted it with re-inkers. I sponged some distress ink around all the edges and added some faux stitching to the layers as well.
Alan surprised me one day (in August 2007) by buying this set for me on ebay! It's still one of my favorite Stampin' Up sets! It sits right next to my beloved Wild Wild West Stampin' Up set (also long-time retired, but you might be able to find a copy on ebay a few times a year if you're willing to drop a C-note or two...) Seriously. (Speaking of Wild Wild West, see my Cowboy in Blue card, and my Cattleman card...)
You can see a couple of other cards I made using the Dream Catcher set, here and here.
Yesterday we went to Alan's parents house for supper. Earlier in the day I prepared a yummy chuck roast and homemade potato salad (with potatoes grown by Alan's father!). We had veggies grilled on the BBQ, and Alan's mother made some delish BBQ beans, a jello salad (love it!) and garlic bread. It was a feast to be had. Alan and I had left overs tonight for dinner... YUM!
Hope you all had an enjoyable weekend!
It's that time again! Time again for this month's cling set release with Whipper Snapper! I could not WAIT For these sets to release! You might have guessed that since I had a hard time keeping them secret! And while I have been having a blast with them, I cannot WAIT to see what the Featured Designers showcase, and what other stampers create with the images. That's the BEST part about being a stamp illustrator.
I made this card using images from Great Outdoors, a sentiment heavy set for adventurers. Before I moved to Texas, I owned a little 1950s retro travel trailer just like the one on this card. Now my parents own it, and use it to go camping in the the Pacific Northwest and the occasional National Park. It's a great little trailer that's just perfect for extended weekend trips. I wish we could join them on their trips!
I wanted the truck and trailer to really POP on this card, so I kept all of the other colors very neutral. I don't know if you can see it or not, but the patterned paper has a map printed beneath the random black dots. The buttons I chose to use look like they've been carved out of stone, although I'm sure it's some sort of clay or resin. Either way, I was excited to find them in my stash!
The three sets releasing are Beware of Bears, Great Outdoors, and Hooked on Fishing. Don't be shy about using the sets together, mixing and mingling images to create your own scenes. You have permission! *grin*
Other cards I've made (and posted as sneak peeks) with sets releasing this month can be seen here, here, and here!
Click on the images for a larger view...
Be sure to check out the galleries and blogs of the May/June Featured Designers as they showcase these sets! You're sure to be impressed!
The Who's Who of May/June Featured
Designers:
Julie Campbell
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/juliemcampbell007
Blog: http://stampedinhisimage.blogspot.com
Joanne Basile
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/basilefamily
Blog: http://stampedbyhand.blogspot.com
Sandra MacLean
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/b-gin-r
Blog: http://paperfuntastics.blogspot.com
Shellie Daniel
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/shellied
Tab Robinson
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/tabbycrafts
Blog: http://tabbycraftdesigns.blogspot.com
and Me! Anna Wight
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/sweetmissdaisy
Blog: http://sweetmissdaisy.typepad.com
Just a reminder, you can see all of the projects current and past Featured Designers have uploaded to their SplitCoast galleries by viewing the Whipper Snapper Featured Designer Gallery. Have a look -- it's a great place to find all KINDS of great inspiration!
Have fun!
This week's High Hopes blog challenge, hosted by Jeanne, is to USE YOUR SCRAPS! And I did just that! Every piece of paper on this card (and several other cards I made tonight) was pulled out of my scrap bin. I even used scraps on the inside! Even the twill, twine and button were left over from a previous project that they didn't get used on.
I don't mind keeping and using scraps. Using scraps just means I get to hoard all the full sheets of paper LONGER! *grin* I keep six 12x12 stacking drawers right next to my paper cutter, so it's easy to look for a scrap before I pull out a new sheet of paper. I keep them divided by similar color families (red/orange/yellow, green/blue, brown/black, white/cream, etc.) to make it easier to find what I need. I used to have a rule that I would keep anything wider than my thumb. Well, that got a little out of hand (hahahaa!! I made a pun!) So now I keep scraps I know I'll use again, that are big enough to do something with. As it turns out, it usually means keeping scraps wider than my thumb, and I just purge the box of small pieces now and then.
Someone in the family will be recieving this card for Father's Day. The High Hopes Norman Goat image was Alan's request for the card, and I chose the forest background image not only because it's STINKIN' CUTE, but because the GUY who will be recieving this card likes to garden, and tend to his flowers and shrubs. It seemed appropriate for this "old goat's" Father's Day card.
I stamped the images in black StazOn ink and painted them with a water brush and various colors of Stampin' Up and Ranger Adirondack re-inkers. I used dimensional foam adhesive to pop the goat up off of the background.
I was recently asked how I get the colors in my watercolor paintings so vibrant. I use several layers of color on all of my painted images, and allow the layers of color to dry in between layers. If you build up your colors using this technique, you'll be able to increase the intensity of your painted images. I like good color in all of my painted designs! Don't be afraid of color!
In December 2006 I posted a short tutorial on how I paint -- you'll find it on my Tips & Tricks page. There are photos included, but if they do not display in the article for you, click the photo links and the photo should display in a smaller viewing window. When you read it, it will probably be obvious that I was really into Stampin' Up when I wrote it. *grin* Oh!! And one thing I should also mention... I no longer put the re-inker ink in the lids of the ink pads, even though that is a good thing to do if you want to. Instead, I use a painter's pallette. I guess I really should do a new tutorial ... I'll add it to my list of things to do.
Anyway, Happy Father's Day to my Dad, and to all Dad's! Hope you have a wonderful day!
Monday is the day that the Featured Designers and I will be officially sharing designs made with the three Whipper Snapper sets being released for June, but I can't resist posting another sneak peek!
I made this card LATE last night (actually, really early this morning) with images from the Hooked on Fishing set.
It is meant to be from the perspective of the worm...before he high-tailed it outta there! Sassy little worm!
It's too bad you can't see the shimmer in the painted images. Once I had the image painted (I used Stampin' Up re-inkers), I added more color and shimmer to the fish and water with Twinkling H2Os from LuminArte. For the highlights on the fish, I used a white gel pen after the painted color was dry.
I'm having so much FUN! And I just can't WAIT to see these sets in the hands of other stampers!
First of all, please excuse the dark lighting in these photos. Tonight, three of the four bulbs in my overhead light decided to go out. Argh! And I was just at the store this afternoon, too! Had I known this was going to happen, I would have picked up some more bulbs. Such luck!
ANYWAY..... Crafty Secrets has a few new products and stamp sets releasing at CHA (the Crafty and Hobby Association summer convention). I was so excited the design team members were receiving this set early so we could create some samples for the big Crafty Secrets CHA booth! The set I used to create this card is called Mouse Party, and is full of adorable little vintage mouse images, sentiments, and accessories.
I love the detail of the Crafty Secrets stamps. The stamped images never disappoint! While I've read many times that using solvent inks (like StazOn) isn't recommended with clear stamps, I still do it. I know, I'm terrible. But I haven't had any issues with it, so I continue to do it. I almost always use black StazOn (or Timber Brown) and always get a clean, crisp image that I can watercolor. This little guy is so cute in his polka dot outfit. I decided to make it look like he is RACING to catch the balloons. Maybe they got away from him. Like birthdays. They tend to do that.
With channeled inspiration from my friend Denise, I decided to decorate the inside of this card. I rarely do this. But the front of the card was SO heavy, it really felt off balance. Adding the additional layers inside really helped even things out. And now it can actually stand up, and STAY up! Before I added the paper layers to the inside, the card would just slowly slump down to lay flat on the table. And cards are cute with decorated insides. Denise's technique is all the rage with stampers... for good reason! *grin*
It's late and I'm still up. 2:49am kind of late. Alan went to bed hours ago, but before he did he said "you haven't posted in three days..." .... yeah, yeah, yeah... I've been busy. I've been in illustration mode (winter holidays and beyond!) and that usually means I can't share most of what I'm working on! But it'll be FUN when I can, I guarantee! *grin*
But every now and then I like to break the rules of illustration secrecy! So, how about a sneak peek at some images from a June Whipper Snapper set that the featured designers and I will be introducing on Monday, June 22!
I have been waiting and WAITING for this month's release! I am just so exited to see the images from the sets being released IN ACTION by fellow stampers! There are three sets in total for June, and I'm totally lovin' how they work so well together. It's almost like I planned it... *grin*
Tonight, I used images from one of the June sets that was inspired by my Dad. He loves to fish... and Hooked on Fishing is all about fishing! And I love it!
I stamped the images in black Memento ink and colored them with markers. I used a white gel pen to add just a few white highlights. I used distress ink to sponge around the edges, and added some stitching.
I've taken a couple of days off work (Thursday and Friday), so I get to sleep in and tinker around the house and try and catch up on things over the next few days. I'm looking forward to it! I need to finish putting netting over the big chicken yard, do a little sweeping and cleaning in the coop, and I might even spend a few extra hours crafting! And who knows... maybe I'll get around to posting another sneak peek, or two!
And now that it is 3:17am, I'm going to hit the sheets. Toodles!
PS: I just noticed that you can catch a glimpse of one of the other June sets in the top photo... ooooh ahhhh!
I just looked at the forecast for the next week for our area. Unreal.
Sunday: 96
Monday: 97
Tuesday: 97
Wednesday: 96
Thursday: 97
Friday: 97
Saturday: 97
Sunday: 96
Monday: 97
And if you do math like I do, that's 870 degrees. Yup, every day. Why don't they just say "Blistering HOT!" In fact, as I write this it's 1:52am and it is STILL 85 degrees with 69% humidity. I might just die.
Time to stock up on frozen fruit bars! I'm putting bottles of frozen water in the chicken waterers now too, to help keep the chickens cool. I do believe Summer is officially here. *ugh!*
Earlier this week I mentioned that we had some of Lefty's babies here on the farm. Here are three of them I found resting on one of the old straw bales we have near the garage. The little black and white cockerel in front should grow up to look a lot like Lefty. These are the same three chicks that are in the cute photos of Crazy Dark Brown Hen with her chicks, posted this day. They change so much as they grow! And so quickly, too!
The light brown and gray speckled chick on the left is a little pullet. She's very sweet! The red/brown chick in the back/middle I *think* is a cockerel...but I'm not sure (also, I think Edward might be the father of that one, not Lefty). It's comb is MUCH smaller than the guy in the front, but it also has a different kind of comb, which is always smaller than the single comb on the guy in the front. So, time will tell.
There are more of Crazy Dark Brown Hen and Lefty's chicks in the chicken coop, too. An entire rainbow of colors! There's a charcoal gray pullet, a black pullet, a black & gold pullet, a red/brown pullet (like the one in the back of this photo), a little white speckled pullet, and a beautiful red and blue (which is actually gray) cockerel. They are the chicks we hatched from Crazy Dark Brown Hen's eggs after she abandoned the nest. They're growing up to be sweet little chicks. The little red and blue rooster loves to be held. I think more than anything it's because it makes him "taller" than all the other chickens in the coop. He's spoiled... but he's not the only spoiled one. *grin*
Sweet, sweet babies...
I stamped! Yes, I surely did! And I loved every MOMENT!
Alma, over at The Cat's Pajamas, recently released two WONDERFUL sets, a new coordinating ribbon packet and buttons too! Such fun!
I inked up the cutest little stinky skunk ever, first thing! I love this little guy...of course, I don't love it when REAL little stinkers visit the farm (and they do!), but I can't resist a sweetly illustrated little stinker! The inside of the card reads "About you!" *grin* I love it!
We were supposed to get a HUGE big ol' storm last night. Massive. With large sized hail and heavy rain, lots of lightening, and wind gusts up to 65mph. The storm was all over the news.
We went through the typical pre-storm routine around the farm, making sure all of the critters were tucked in tightly. The weather many kept saying "it's coming your way" and the pictures seemed to show that it was, and it was SERIOUS.
But there's just something very odd about the hill we're on. It seems to divert the weather. Because what did we get? Merely a "trace" of rain. The leaves on the trees wiggled. It sure would be nice to get some rain... anyone?
Thank you for the notes about Lefty. I didn't mean to leave you with such a downer of a post. So, to make up for it, here is a Tiny Tim the Frizzle Roo update that so many of you have been BEGGING for!
Remember Tiny Tim? You might not think this is Tiny Tim... but it is! Quite the change from the last time you saw him, eh?
This past winter I kept nearly naked coat wearin' Tiny Tim in a bachelor pad, so I could keep him warmer than the other chickens and move him from the chicken yard to the utility room quickly when the temperatures dropped. I noticed his feathers started slowly growing in, so I kept him in his bachelor pad in the chicken yard all spring. He could talk with the ladies and they could talk with him, but they just couldn't pull his feathers! While his feathers did grow in, they just looked dull and dusty.
So last weekend, I gave Tiny Tim a bath (well, more of a shower really)!
He was LESS than thrilled with the process, although I think he really did like the warm water. When he was done, he smelled Green Apple scented Dawn fresh! I wrapped him up in some fuzzy towels and held him for a couple of hours while Alan and I watched TV. That part I KNOW he liked!
And this is what he looks like today! He STILL has lots of new feathers coming in! You can see them at the top of his neck -- they look like they have long white beads on them since they are still in their protective feather sheath.That covering will flake off as the feathers get longer.
I know for a fact that not only did his last summer/winter nakedness happen because of his weird extra frizzled feathers, but I think he also let some of the ladies groom him a little too much. He can't help it if he likes the extra attention from the ladies! I guess his nakedness was a small price to pay for love from the ladies.
It's hard to believe that THIS little rooster is our little coat wearin' Tiny Tim, but it's true. It is. In all his curly, shiny feathered glory!
Isn't he handsome! I love his tail feathers! Like ringlets!
Want to know more about Tiny Tim? You can read all of the posts about him, here.
Lefty hatched in late August 2006. He was a very cool, HUGE, rooster...
He always looked after his ladies. He was one of the first chicks to hatch when I moved to the farm.
When he was a baby, I found him several times sleeping on his back. Look how CUTE he was!
Sadly, Lefty died today, peacefully. And I'm not sure why. We'll miss him... his ladies already miss him, too.
Oddly enough, Crazy Dark Brown Hen is raising some of his babies right now, and I have another handful of his babies in the coop, from the eggs we hatched after Crazy Dark Brown Hen abandoned her nest. Maybe one of his sons will grow up to be a good boy, like Lefty. Maybe.
Here's another birthday themed card made with a Crafty Secrets vintage image. I inked up the edges a bit, and added some stitches just for fun. The paper I chose to use is some older double-sided paper from the Wild Asparagus line by My Mind's Eye. Some of my absolute favorite papers are by My Mind's Eye. This particular page has great texture, and I think lightly inking it makes it look like leather. Cool.
Yesterday, I offered up a chance to win a $30 gift certificate to Crafty Secrets!! We have a winner!! Congrats to Janet S, who wrote:
Cute card! I LOVE Crafty Secrets. I have the Kewpie stamp set. It is so cute! I would love to win the gift certificate so I can get more of their great stamps. Thanks for the chance to win.
Posted by: Janet S | June 08, 2009 at 05:29 PM
Janet, please get in touch and give me your contact info so I can send your details on to Crafty Secrets, and you can SHOP!
Happy Tuesday!
The Crafty Secrets designers are having a challenge this month, and the theme is "birthday".
I made this sweet little 3.5x5 glittery birthday card using an image from the recently released Girlfriends image sheet. I have something else birthday themed to share as well BUT it's going to have to wait until tomorrow!
Why?
Because that's when I'm going to announce one winning name from all comments left on this birthday card post.
One lucky person will receive a $30 gift certificate from Crafty Secrets! A BIG thanks to Sandy at Crafty Secrets for this offer!
To enter the drawing, leave a comment on this post. I'll randomly choose 1 name from all comments at 7:30am Central, Tuesday June 9th.
You will want to check out the other birthday projects being shared today by my fellow design team members. They're SURE to knock your SOCKS off!
Heartwarming Vintage Blog
Crafty Secrets Site
Vicki Chrisman
Lisa Zappa
Pam Hooten
Heidi Blankenship
Marisa Grosson
Vivian Peters
Michele Kovack
Linda Duke
Melissa Phillips
Michelle Van Etten
This week, the challenge on the High Hopes Stamps blog is a sketch challenge, hosted by Nikki. For some reason, this sketch reminded me of cards that my friend Carla makes -- check out her sweet gallery!
This card is a bit busier than my cards have been lately -- but, I still tried to keep it rather simple. The sketch called for a few layers, and I chose to use some fun Martha Stewart ribbon, a random button, and POLKA DOT paper!
I chose to use this cute little farmer's wife image from High Hopes Stamps. I stamped the image in black Memento ink and colored it with markers.
I added some stitches around the edges of each layer with my Sew Mini. What a little crafty work horse this little machine is!
If you'd like to join this week's High Hopes sketch challenge fun, you can check out all the details here.
The forecast for the week looks grim. Seriously. Temperatures for the next 10 days promise to be 90+. Even as high as 98, if you can believe it. I've added it all up, and for the next 10 days it's going to be 950 degrees. And let me tell you, for someone who doesn't like heat, it's going to feel like 950 degrees EVERY DAY to me!
I think it's time to go poolside.
Yup. For sure.
I painted these letters and sign boards Monday night, but need suggestions on what else my farm fresh egg sign needs! I'm planning on putting this on the chicken coop, but feel like it needs something else.
At this point, nothing is fastened down...just painted.
I'm planning to connect the two boards with little eye hooks. Or maybe I'll just screw both boards to the side of the building and not worry about using the eye hooks. Decisions!!
Anyway, I'm open to suggestions for what this might need!
Some of the smaller hens in the coop still don't like to go into the chicken yard yet. With temperatures rising, they needed a little more airflow in the coop. Instead of cutting another window in the wall, I built them this COOL new screen door so that they can have a HUGE "window" that they can see out of during the day.
I designed the screen door so that the doors can still be fully opened so that I can easily clean.
The right side of the building is blocked off from the chickens so I can store feed, etc. But we didn't divide the building equal to the middle of the doors, so I had to make a little hinged section in the screen door to compensate for the extra width needed to close up the gap.
Because there isn't a center post for the doors to close to, I used large bolts at the top and bottom of the big doors, and the screen door, to hold them in place. This will keep predators OUT, and chickens IN!
The girls LOVE their new door, the view, and the breeze.
And so does Wiley!
