The Secret Garden

Hello Everyone!

It's been a while since I pulled out my Graphic 45 papers, and I'm so glad I did because I forgot how much I love The Secret Garden collection! I just love the florals in this collection, and you can never really go wrong with bird images I say! lol

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It's been a very snowy week and the world is bright with white again!! My dear Rocky has taken up residence in a heated nest I built for him on the patio, so I've been able to keep a close eye on his progress. It's day five of antibiotics and so far I'm happy with the improvements he has made, but he still has a lot of healing to do. OK, enough about that, time for some snowy pics!

"I'm keeping this!"

~Mr Chickadee~

"Did you see that squirrel fly by here! So glad he didn't see my peanut stash!"

~Mr Cardinal~

"You're so sweet to ask, yes I do enjoy the almonds the best, and yes I will take another one thank you!"

~Triangle Tilly~

"I think I'll just wait up here until all that snow melts!"

~Baby Chuckles~

Everyone say hello to the newest baby to the Johnson buffet. This is sweet Baby Precious. I have never seen such a young squirrel at this time of year before. She's just so tiny to be fighting these horrible weather conditions. I make sure she gets lots of healthy treats and fresh water, so here's hoping she finds her way through this true Canadian winter!

A macro of some frost on the window... the closest I've been to the snow in a while. lol

That's it for today. Thank you for stopping in and for all the amazing comments. If you have any questions or interesting tidbits about today's wildlife, please let me know.

Peach Roses

Hello Everyone!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday this year! I love seeing friends and family and all the activities that come with it, but I'm glad to get back to a regular routine and get back to my craft room too!

I thought I would start the year with something soft and feminine. I have used papers from Graphic 45 and Pion Design to create a card that could be used for most any occasion. I just love this wood frame flourish from Scrapiniec, it makes such a unique focal piece!

I got these peach roses a while back in a package of pink toned roses from Wild Orchid Crafts. All of the pink ones are long used and these peach roses are still there because I have no papers that match. So I decided to make the roses the only peach on the card and let them stand on their own, I think it worked.

Lots of new laces, fabric flowers and lace leaves, all from my birthday stash from my Mom! I still have a couple dozen laces I haven't even used yet! Thanks Mom, you're the best!

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It's truly been a Canadian winter so far this year! We had the first white Christmas that I've seen in over a decade and I am just loving all the snow and the chilly weather. This heavy winter has been very tough on the wildlife though, so I have been extra diligent in making sure everyone gets a balanced diet and has access to stuffing to keep their nests warm for the -30C nights!

For today, just some shots left over from last year. Next post I will have all new photos to share and updates on the sick baby squirrels!

Nuthatch

Blue Jay

House Sparrow

my best bud Crazy Karen

The Cute Twin

Tubby Tessa

Mr Chubb

That's it for today. Thank you for stopping in and for all the amazing comments. If you have any questions or interesting tidbits about today's wildlife, please let me know.

Tis the Season

Hello Everyone!

Today I am sharing this festive Christmas card in my favourite colour palette for the holidays, red and green, poinsettias and holly! I've used papers from Graphic 45, Recollections and My Mind's Eye.

So this background is the flip side of the wood I purchased. It's Red Oak, stained with Walnut on one side, but left natural on this side. It's lighter so I can use it for darker toned papers, but still capture the details of the white accents.

The doily is from Prima, the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, the sentiment was cut using a Sizzix die, the frame was made with hot glue and a custom mold, the ribbon is from May Arts and everything else is from my stash.

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We didn't get the snowfall that I hoped for, but there were some light flurries blowing around under the street lamps. As I watched the snowflakes reflecting the lamplight, I realized how magical I find winter to be. My hope for winter continues, but until then I'll share some more autumn photos.

I don't take photos of our lake here very often any more, but I couldn't resist the orange glow coming off the lake on this morning. Straight out of the camera, no edits,

A female Sparrow

A male Red Winged Blackbird

Probably the last rabbit I'll see for this year. Although they don't hibernate, these sweet animals sure do disappear for the winter months. What I wouldn't give for a rabbit in the snow shot!

"Sure I can smile for the camera, but I don't have to stop eating, right?" 

~Sweet Cheeks~

UPDATE: Karen seems to be back to her regular old self recently. She's not as solid on the branches as she used to be, but she's putting on her winter weight and started growing her winter fur. I'm so happy to see her smiling again!

"It looks like corn, but I think the human is playing a trick on me!" ~Crazy Karen~

"Bwahaha, I'm so clever! I found a peanut hiding under a leaf! Autumn is no match for me!" 

~Mary Jane~

For my macro today, some morning condensation on this stunning leaf! I'm looking forward to some frost so I can whip out my big macro ring and get in super close!

That's it for today. Thank you for stopping in and for all the amazing comments. If you have any questions or interesting tidbits about today's wildlife, please let me know.

Lavender Blessings

Hello Everyone!

I don't get the opportunity to work with purples very often, so this was a lovely change for me today. A feminine card that could be used for almost any occasion using papers from Graphic 45, Prima and Forever in Time.

The doily is Prima, the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, the wood embellishments are from Scrapiniec, the frame was made using hot glue and a custom silicone mold, the pearl strips are from The Ducks Doodahs and everything else is from my stash.

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The world is finally starting to display the beautiful hues of autumn. I can't wait to get out into the woods and see what colourful things I can photograph! Until then, I'll share some more summer shots. The nights are getting cooler and the flowers are getting leggy, almost time to put the Christmas tree on the patio! HA!

For my birds today, this sweet little Nuthatch...

a female Sparrow (still young)...

  the ever-elusive female Cardinal!!

"Let's see now, which way is the wind blowing? Whaaaaaat?! I don't have a finger!" 

~Mr Weatherman Cottontail~

This photo of Big Kate was taken with my 50mm lens. What that means is that the camera was only about a foot away from her face! It's a pretty amazing feeling to have a wild animal trust you that much!

"Cookie? What's a cookie? Never mind, I'll take three!" 

~a trail friend~

"What do you mean I'm supposed to share! No way, this is mine and I'm taking it!" 

~Porter~

It is so amazing to see my sweet Crazy Karen sitting up to eat. It's been weeks since she's been able to do that!! Now it's time to fatten up for the winter my wee friend!

"Is this pregnancy just making me crazy, or do I see a human hiding in the weeds over there!" 

~One Eyed Willamina~

That's it for today. Thank you for stopping in and for all the amazing comments. If you have any questions or interesting tidbits about today's wildlife, please let me know.