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!
beautiful card! but, gosh, now wishing I had a little baby chick to hold!!
*smile*
Posted by: debbie | March 11, 2010 at 07:51 AM
Your new sets are great and so is this card! Love the coloring! Love the pics of the little chicks...so cute!!
Posted by: Viv (VivLyn) | July 07, 2009 at 06:30 PM
I'm now caught up with all your blog posts that I missed while caught up in life's demands. I hate it when that happens! LOL
It's always a pleasure to visit you on the farm. The chicks are precious. Your art is fabulous. It's all great!
I don't blame you for wanting to get away from the heat, though.
Hugs,
Lisa
Posted by: Lisa Hjulberg | July 04, 2009 at 07:49 PM
Oh my gosh, Anna! Those baby chicks are just the cutest things!!! You're *almost* making me wish we raised chickens again...*almost*. ;) Love, love, love the scene on your fabulous card! The chicken with the inner tube is a RIOT!
Posted by: Cindy Lawrence | July 03, 2009 at 08:17 AM
Oh my! That scene is just too funny! Love your style!! And the chicks, ah, just can't get enough! Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Danielle | July 02, 2009 at 07:38 PM
Oh my! These babies are just adorable. Your blog and regular chicken posts have made me want my own chickens. I never knew there were so many kinds. Thanks for the education!!!
Posted by: Michelle | July 02, 2009 at 07:23 AM
Love the baby chicks pics!!!!! Especially the cute little chicken butt shot. Your photos are fabulous. The little chicks look so soft, I would love to hold one.
Posted by: Donna Wilson | July 01, 2009 at 01:57 PM
Those chicks are too cute!
Posted by: Lisa | July 01, 2009 at 10:02 AM
OMG I just love seeing your wonderful cards and then to top it off some adorable chick pics!! - Great way to start the morning off.
Posted by: Ida | July 01, 2009 at 08:11 AM
CALL A DENTIST...another cavity from all the sweetness on your blog today, Anna! The card, the chicks, the sleeping model....too much, thanks for sharing! PS...Love your close-up card photo, very helpful!
Posted by: Kelly Schirmer | July 01, 2009 at 06:05 AM
There's nothing sweeter than baby chicks ... just something about them that makes you realize how awesome nature can be.
Posted by: Lillian Child | July 01, 2009 at 05:47 AM
OMG Anna, I laughed so hard here. I see your comment about needing Glue Dots ASAP, then the next picture I just looked real quick and thought " well I guess glue dots would work to put that poor chickens head back on roflmao *snort* not until reading others comments did I realize it was a chicken bum lmao.
Posted by: Erika Taylor | July 01, 2009 at 12:35 AM
I love your cards, your coloring is amazing.
sirpa.
- sirpa
Posted by: Sirpaliina | June 30, 2009 at 11:34 PM
Utterly delightful, both babies and card! I can hear your delighted giggle at the chicks. My, how very cute they are, and what adorable poses you catch them in! And the card . . . well, the card is totally wonderful, as usual. We were in Sunriver, OR last weekend, and it looked very similar to this. Ahhhh. Have a great 4th!
Posted by: Shellie Daniel | June 30, 2009 at 09:45 PM
Anna, thanks to you and a good friend who also loves chickens, I am now the proud owner of 11 chickens. The first four came from our friend...1 Silkie, 1 Nanking cross, and 2 Silkie cross. Then came chick day at the feed store and eight little cuties followed me home...2 Leghorns, 2 Americanas, 2 Barred Rock and 2 Buff Orpingtons. Hopefully all female. The adult Silkie has been laying her tiny eggs for us and 7 or 8 make a good serving scrambled for me and the hubby! Love your chicken stories and your cards! Hugs!
Posted by: Cindy Robertson | June 30, 2009 at 07:33 PM
Oh BABIES!!!!!!!!!! how cute...
love the card!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: KellyID | June 30, 2009 at 07:12 PM
What a wonderful card - love the scene you created!! And the chicks are so sweet!
Posted by: cards4u | June 30, 2009 at 06:55 PM
Anna your card is beautiful and I love the details! Those chicks are totally adorable!
Posted by: Erika M | June 30, 2009 at 06:06 PM
ANNA, YOU MAKE ME SMILE!!!
Your card is FANTASTIC, and the little chicks are just adorable!
I had a very cool experience this weekend...our cat caught a young wild turkey (they feed in our yard) and I got it away from him (unharmed~~whew!). I got to hold it, talk to it softly, and stroke it before I took it back to its Mom. I was SO excited to get to touch it! It was about 10" long~~probably the reason the cat was unable to hurt it (I'm sure he was getting pecked~~YAY for the turkey!) He flew over to his Mom when we took him to the field. I'm so thankful for a happy ending...
Now~~Back to the card~! I just love everything you do, and the babies too! Thanks so much for bringing so much joy to my very mundane life!!! :D
Posted by: diane mcvey | June 30, 2009 at 05:38 PM
Oh my heck, I wanna baby chick! I just love your card and your new stamp sets, over the top cute as always! I have to stop looking at your blog, my husband has got to be getting tired of me saying "let's sell our house and move to the country and raise animals"! LOL! I just love coming to your blog everyday I adore the animal pics as much as your cards! Thanks for sharing your life with us!
Posted by: Tami McBeain | June 30, 2009 at 05:15 PM
Hi Anna,
Your card is fabulous! I wanna go with your parents, too, after your delicious description! The chicks are just precious - I want to hold them all! I agree, the black one looks like it's been glittered and the sleeping one made me say "ahhhhh" out loud!
Thanks. I love your blog!
Posted by: Sharli | June 30, 2009 at 01:32 PM
I thought my craft table was crowded, but at least my things don't move around. Be interesting to see the lines that come out of a SCORPAL with a baby chick sleeping on it... speed bumps!!
Haha!
Diane
Posted by: Diane Cooper | June 30, 2009 at 10:04 AM
I love those chicks! The first one made me giggle out loud. . .at work. It reminded me of sitting in the back of the station wagon as a kid saying "Guess what? Chicken butt!" over and over and over and over with my cousins. :D
Posted by: MicheleP | June 30, 2009 at 09:51 AM
I love your card - too cute!!
Your chicks are just darling! They all made me chuckle.
Posted by: Cindy H. | June 30, 2009 at 09:07 AM
What a great post! Fabulous chick photos and narrative, and your card is TO - DIE - FOR. It's safe to say I'm head over heels over this card. Fantastic work, Anna! {{Hugs}}
Posted by: Gabriela (Gabi With An Eye) | June 30, 2009 at 08:10 AM
Anna-
Your card is great of course.
These chicks are just so cute, I think I could look at these little cuties all day. The newest one is so darn adorable! :)
Thanks for sharing.
D.C.~
:)
Posted by: D.C. Martin | June 30, 2009 at 08:00 AM
Great post, Going up to Brown's Lake this morning for a bit of Cutthroat fishin. Yes it would be great if you were here for the trip to Georgetown Lake. The weather is perfect and everything is still so lush and green. I'll try and take some photos and fight my way through the process of getting some to you. Chicken butt? Ha Ha, Love, Dad PS. Moms' latest new Singer works like a charm.
Posted by: DK Wight | June 30, 2009 at 07:49 AM
These babies are soo cute. I bought a pair of Finches so hopefully I will have babies of my own sometime soon. TFS Ann Lind
Posted by: Ann Lind | June 30, 2009 at 07:39 AM
Oh my WORD those chicks are the cutest!! How do you get anything done? I would be staring at them ALL DAY LONG!!! Just adorable...the black one looks like he has glitter on him, lol!
Posted by: Michelle | June 30, 2009 at 07:34 AM
You do the cutest little accents with your buttons and ribbon - I need to catalog all of those :0) Love the little chicken butt!!
Posted by: Randee | June 30, 2009 at 07:17 AM
Love this card!!! The paper is perfect, love the detail with the button and just the entire scene!!!
Posted by: Kimberly O'Rosky | June 30, 2009 at 07:10 AM
I don't often comment, Anna, but I always look at your great photos of your farm animals! I'm always calling my DH over to oohh and aahh over them! Keep 'em coming! Love looking at them (and your cards, too, of course!)! ;-)
Posted by: Lisa Kind | June 30, 2009 at 06:25 AM
The camping card is so much fun, wish I was there too! We got a great cool down here in IA. Hope it is a bit less *Toasty* where you are. The chic pics are so cute, especially the chicken butt!!! LOL
Have a wonderful day...Hugs...
Posted by: Carol Dee | June 30, 2009 at 05:47 AM
Your card make me smile. Gotta love the little chicks too.
Posted by: pas | June 30, 2009 at 04:29 AM
OMG! Chicken Butt! The cutest picture ever!
Posted by: Kelly Bee | June 30, 2009 at 04:05 AM
The new chicks are sweet as can be!
Love your camp card, and how you double layered the chicken.
I imagine it is very difficult for you and Allen to get away together because of all the animals, but I hope you find some time to rest and recharge occasionally.
Posted by: Sally | June 30, 2009 at 03:49 AM
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!
My Mom used to raise chickens & chicks when I was growing up on the farm, Anna. This was a "slow, savoring" read for me. Yes ... I had a couple of chicks that were pets "until" my parents came up with some story for me. argggghhhh! I love these pics to pieces!
~Bev
Posted by: Savor the Journey | June 30, 2009 at 03:01 AM
Awwww - those little chickies are too cute, especially sleeping! Love your card too!
Posted by: Maureen W. | June 30, 2009 at 02:44 AM
Oh Anna, That little sleeping chick is the cutest thing ever!! Love your card too of course - your work is always stunning :)
Posted by: Sharon Holden | June 30, 2009 at 12:06 AM