Sunday, May 31, 2015

Guest Designer for SVG Cutting Files - May 31, 2015

This is my last post as guest designer for SVG Cutting Files.  It's been fun and I hope to be able to do it again sometime in the future.  I think I've saved the best for last.  My husband's birthday is at the end of May and he's the guy that feeds the birds.  We have nine feeders in the yard, I take care of the liquid ones for the hummingbirds and orioles and he does the dry feed:  suet, birdseed, peanuts, black oil sunflower seeds and safflower seeds.  This involves many trips to the hardware store 50 minutes away to buy seed.  He also builds and maintains our birdhouses and just put up a house in hopes of getting a screech owl to nest in our woods.
 #2787
This card was created from SVG Cutting Files PP-1463 Owl on Coffee Mug.  It sure turned out cute, I can see me making it over and over in different color combinations.  I used Graphic 45s Botannical Tea which is one of my favorite paper pads.  The letters were stamped and cut from Papertrey's Type Strips II and die, the card base was Papertrey's Vintage Cream card stock.  For more projects, please visit the SVG Cutting Files blog and have a productive Sunday.

Saturday, May 30, 2015

To bird....or not to bird....

I have been absolutely obsessed with the Tim Holtz's Crazy Birds stamp set.  I've colored all the birds with pencils, watercolors and copics and can't decide which medium I like the best.  This is my latest card.
#2807
Supplies:
Tim Holtz Crazy Birds
Computer generated sentiment
Recollections Cape Cod Card Stock
DCWV Citrus Stack Card Stock
Memento Bahama Blue Ink
My Favorite Things Take the Stage Die
Copics:  Y21, Y26, E87, E84, N10, BG0000, YR65, BG05, W1
Sheer Shimmer Spritz

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

With a heavy heart...

I have to share that we're putting Sadie back on medication.  We discovered she has been marking more places than we originally discovered.  Twice in the kitchen, twice in Carl's workroom downstairs and once in my bathroom on my shower curtain.  She's been with us for a little over two years now and can still be mean although she rarely uses claws now.  She is heavy into growling and running away from us which is something we could put up with but not the marking.  We have enough trouble with Sassy's fear of the litter box.  I envy those people who can adopt a rescue pet and not have as much trouble as we've had.  And it pains me to say that knowing what I know now, we would have gone petless.  Sassy has an amazing personality, she's more fun than a barrel of monkeys but she's been a big trial, too.  We have reached a sort of compromise with her and have had pretty good luck with puppy pads in a litter box.  We have way more good days than bad now, several years ago the reverse was true.  At least poop is easier to deal with and clean up than pee.  We have a whole cabinet of carpet cleaning products for her.  The pee is much harder to clean and get the smell out so we'll stick with the medication but every other day instead of every day.  If that stops the marking, we'll stick with that.  Stay tuned.

Monday, May 25, 2015

I am loving the new Tim Holtz Crazy Bird set more than any stamp set I've purchased this year.  The poses and expressions are perfection and they're fun to color - or not.  This is a really simple quick card, but I love it.
 #2798
Supplies:
Tim Holtz Crazy Birds
Art Impressions Moutfuls Frog
DCWV Card Stock, Tahiti Beach Stack
PTI Double Ended Banner, Hawaiian Shores Card Stock
Spellbinder Card Creator Dies
Copics:  B0000, BG05, BG01, BG02, BG000, Y26, YR23,

Chipmunks and seeds and rain, oh my....

It's back to raining again today...and yesterday...and while our weather could be so much worse, it's getting tiresome.  We still have spring gardening work to do between raindrops and the weeds are getting a big jump on us.  I will have photos to share as soon as we get some good weather, the gardens are growing well and the annuals were planted yesterday: mammoth sunflowers, cleome, tithonia, cosmos, zinnia and flax.  I actually planted them in a little bed in the back of the house between the chimney and the water barrel, it's up about sixteen or eighteen inches off the ground which will keep the rabbits out and Carl installed one of our famous 'removable' fences in front to keep out the deer.  But this morning, 24 hours after planting, the chipmunks had already dug holes in it.  We've purchased extra large containers of cayenne pepper that works but must be reapplied after every rain and it rains and rains and rains.

On a cheerful note, the baby bluebirds have all hatched, the first was on my birthday on Saturday.  Mom and dad have to hustle to feed five, especially when the rain keeps the insects hiding.  The dove that was nesting on the 2x4 is gone and so is her eggs.  She had built a nest inside the clematis but the winds blew the clematis over and exposed her nest.  I don't know what happened to the eggs, perhaps another bird got them, they were not due to hatch for a week yet.  It amazes me the dove population is as high as it is, they really choose bad locations for nesting.

And on a sad note:  Sadie has started marking around the doors, and food dishes again.  We had spread out the dishes in each bathroom so each cat could eat in peace, but this morning I found Sadie had peed on my bath mat and shower curtain where she eats and peed on the washer in the laundry room where Sassy eats.  That started a check of the house and we found she had peed on the front door, too.  We have had Sadie on meds for about a year because of this issue.  When she's drugged, she doesn't mark, she's calmer and less aggravated.  We had thought when we weaned her off of the meds that the issue had gone away.  But, now she hisses and growls at us; not all the time, but enough that it gets old.  She won't allow us to remove knots or groom her.  We've been hearing more snits between the cats lately, if one comes around the corner and encounters the other one, there's hissing and growling, mostly from Sadie.  We hate to think we have to go back on meds, but sending her back to the no-kill shelter is the only other option.  We can't keep cleaning up cat pee especially when the other cat wants to do it, too.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Guest Designer for SVG Cutting Files - May 24, 2015

I have a good friend who was born on the 4th of July, a real Yankee Doodle Dandy.  So, every year I try to tie the 4th into her birthday card.  This little rocket file really helped.

#2786
This file is from SVG Cutting Files - PP-599 Kawaii Rocket Slider Patriotic, the sentiment pulls out of the rocket.  Have you ever seen a cuter face?


Supplies used were:  DCWV Nantucket Stack, AC Specialty Paper Foil, Colorbok Textured Snow White, Impression Obsession Greetings Top Edgers Die, Viva Glitter Liner and Spellbinders Nested Stars.  SVG Cutting Files has something for your every need and don't forget their facebook page

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Guest Designer for SVG Cutting Files - May 17, 2015

This card is really special to me because it's my anniversary card to my husband for eleven years of wedded bliss.
 #2784
There's a story behind this card.  My husband believes that flamingos are not classy.  When I learned that early in our relationship, I started never missing an opportunity to hit him with a flamingo.  In his bathroom, in his curio, in cards, yard ornaments....you get the idea.  He has been inundated with flamingos.  And this is another one.  The file is SVG Cutting Files PP-626 Flamingo.  The card base is SVG Cutting Files PP-556 Center Step Edged Curved Card Base which I love.  The feathers are Papertrey Feathered Finery, the paper is DCWV The Bella Armour Stack, and I added some Opal Liquid Pearls on the feathers.  The sentiment was computer generated.  Please visit the SVG Cutting Files blog for other great projects.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Hope springs eternal...

Sassy has only had two accidents since May 5th.  She's exclusively using the boxes with the puppy pads in them.  I just ordered 200 more puppy pads and I'm perfectly happy to continue using them for the rest of her life.  I've noticed that she tries to cover up her business even though there isn't any litter in the box, she didn't do that in the boxes with litter, she would just poop and leave.  Perhaps it was all about the scratching and being declawed.  It's really too soon to declare victory but she seems to be happier, running around the house like a whirling dervish.  And we're happy we don't have to keep locking her up because clearly that wasn't working.

This is the newest addition to our house, an enclosure the cats can use to go outside, it's accessed from a window in our family room.
 It has an acrylic roof to let in the light, a door we can use to clean it, and a lock so it doesn't accidentally get opened.
 It has plenty of perches to separate each cat.
It occupies a portion of our courtyard (which is much cleaner now).  This area was just dirt when we moved in.  Carl put landscaping tiles down, he put some timbers on the left to hold mulch, we installed pots in that area for our vegetable garden, he bought fencing to keep the deer out and this year on the right side I planted a new fragrant viburnum this year.  Our bedroom window is above this courtyard so we will benefit from the fragrance.
Sadie is clearly happy with it.
Even though the pet door isn't installed yet, she spends a great deal of time out here - we just open the window and tolerate the bugs.

This is their view from the top perches.  They can see the pond and the birds.  We plan to install a small feeder in the courtyard to attract birds for them to watch, too.

Friday, May 15, 2015

SVG Cutting Files May Challenge - Graduation Fishes

I'm taking part in the SVG Cutting Files May Challenge and  have a graduation project to share with you today.  This is the SVG Cutting Files Fintastic Fish and I've not cut him in traditional fish colors.  I've placed him on a PP-695 Holiday Antibacterial Soap Holders. 



 #2788
Supplies I used are:  Cornish Heritage Farms graduation hat, Penny Black Tagged Dies, Kraftin' Kimmie Mermaid Sentiments, PTI Happy Day and Chocolate Remix Paper pad.  Thank you for visiting and I hope you have a productive day.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Guest Designer for SVG Cutting Files - May 10, 2015

This is my second post as a guest designer for SVG Cutting Files and this card was created for my grandson who is part computer and turned 14 in April.

 #2782
I used the KB-17 So Jacked file liberally sprayed with Smooch Spritz and mounted on an Action Wobble.  The paper is Recollections Grey Kraft and the computer mouse was stamped using Art Impressions Mouthfuls Cat.  "It's your birthday" was stamped using Winnie & Walter's Bubble Talk.  Please visit the SVG Cutting Files blog for more projects and some terrific cutting files.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Another Mother's Day card....

 #2759
I recently had a booth at a local craft show and I had created several dozen Mother's Day cards.  This is one of them, it's plain and simple, but I really like the way it turned out.  I always like a little sparkle in my cards.

Supplies:
Memory Box Findlay Frame, Honey Blossom Sprig, Moonlight Butterfly, Kaleidoscope Butterfly
PTI Pond Life
Beckett Radiance Card Stock

Around and around and around...

Sassy has been spending nights in the laundry room using the litter box with the puppy pad.  We tried to talk her into the box with litter (both boxes were in the laundry room and then we removed the puppy pad box) but she just used the floor.  So, the puppy pad box was returned to the laundry room.  Before we had a chance to lock her up Sunday night, she pooped on the living room carpet right in front of the bay window.  So (light bulb!!), I cleaned another box really well, added a puppy pad and put the box where she likes to poop.  By late morning on Monday she had used the box to pee.  I talked Carl into leaving her out last night - he was skeptical, but he did it.  Before I went to bed, I had a heart to heart talk with her and told her 'daddy' would be really mad if she made another mess and she might end up living her entire life in the laundry room if she didn't behave.  This morning she had pooped in the puppy pad box in the living room.  Sadie is completely off her meds.  She's back to waking us up in the morning by grooming us and pushing her head into our hands.  This morning it was at 4:30 AM.  We haven't seen any evidence of her marking around the doors.

We finally got up the nerve to shave and bathe Sassy.  She had lumpy knots close to her skin that she would not let me brush.  So, we got out the electric shaver and while it's not a professional job, it's not bad.  She's gone from laying on the brick hearth to laying on a window seat in the sun.  She actually looks like a puppy now.  Since she seemed to be cold I crocheted her a sweater.  I just put it on her this morning and when she tried to back out of it, she fell off the window seat.  I'll keep an eye on her and we'll see how it goes.   Soon after I typed this I heard this low howl and found her in the hallway making this continuous growl so I figured she was finished with it.  I'll try it on her again later.  It's funny that Sadie and Sassy had a 'no aggression' pact.  They just walk wide around each other.  After Sassy's bath and shave, they both started hissing at each other again just like they didn't know each other. 




The white crabapple and the red bud are both losing their blossoms.  The white petals of the crabapple rained like snow yesterday morning and the rain last night finished them off, but they were both glorious.  The pink crabapple is just starting to bloom.  The Solomon's Seal and wild Columbine are both blooming, the iris are showing color in the buds, one of the salvias has a stalk of blossoms, the catmint is showing flower buds, the peonies are 3 feet tall with buds on them, all the hydrangeas have stalks coming up, the American Plum we planted bare root last Thursday has popped several leaves.  I love the garden in spring, everything looks so fresh and clean.  Either the toads or tree frogs laid eggs in the pond last night.  Unfortunately, they wrapped them around the cord of the UV light I was going to remove from the pond, guess it will have to stay until the eggs hatch.  That should only take a few days.  I actually sent my husband to the big city with a flower list.  I have 12 window boxes around the deck and several pots that need to be filled every year.  Seven of the window boxes are in the shade and five are in the sun so I wanted Impatiens and Begonias.  We also need Gartenmeister Fuschia and Black and Blue Salvia for the hummingbirds and 3 Dracena for the pots on the north side of the house.  The Dracena are pretty much neglected but they do very well in that location.  He came back with everything I wanted except the Fuschia which they didn't have.  I will need to head to a nursery to pick that up.  I was so proud of him.  Our last trip to Hornbakers in Princeton, we picked up another pot of shade plants for his garden in the trees.  He plants and waters his own garden and has some lovely shade wild flowers blooming out there.

Tree frog or toad eggs
 The pond garden that we established last year.
 The other side of the pond garden.
The new pergola

The bluebirds have built their nest in the north bluebird box.  She just finished the nest on Sunday and we don't have an egg yet.  I'm hoping for today, she just went into the box so I'll check it around noon today.  She won't start incubating until she lays her last egg.  Since they aren't in the nest box until that last egg, we need to be vigilant in watching the eggs so the wren, house sparrow or cowbird doesn't get into the box.  The wren and house sparrow will destroy the eggs and the cowbird will lay an egg in the nest, she expects the bluebirds to raise her young.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Guest Designer for SVG Cutting Files - May 3, 2015

I have the honor to have been selected to be the guest designer for SVG Cutting Files for May, 2015.  I appreciate the faith they have in me.

#2783
I created my first project using SVG Cutting Files KB-6 Freak Key.   If you knew my daughter, you'd say this card was perfect for her birthday which happens to be in May.  I stamped the Bazzill paper with a Tim Holtz skull and crossbones stamp.  The word balloon is from Papertrey and the sentiment was computer generated.  And, yes, my daughter does have purple hair.  Please visit the SVG Cutting Files blog for more terrific projects.