Feeling Blue

Hello Everyone!

Today I am sharing this celebrate card that could be used for many of occasions. I love these rich blues for a feminine card, I really must purchase some more collections that have this colour in it!

The doily is cut using a Prima doily die, the tulips are from Wild Orchid Crafts, the sentiment is from a Tim Holtz sticker book, the filigree piece was bronze and I embossed it white, the flowers are hand made, everything else is from my stash.

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I made a comment on my last post about not using my camera for a while. I apologize that I made it sound like I was ill. My health is fine and I thank everyone who sent wishes to me with regards to that. My camera issues are from a broken heart, the loss of so many of the faces you would recognize from the last couple of years. The hawks have wiped out most of my patio visitors, so I'm just taking a break.

Some photos taken earlier this winter...

A sign of the changing of the seasons... saw my first Blackbird this week

(photo from last year).

~Teddy~

is doing great although he doesn't visit as often in the winter time.

~Baby Charlie~

is alive and well, and is all grown up. He's one of my only daily visitors left.

~Petie~

is moulting at the moment so he looks ridiculous, but he seems very healthy.

That's it for today. Thank you for stopping in and for all the amazing comments. 

Live & Love Crafts - Passion!

Hello Everyone!

I'm here today with another card for my Guest Designer spot at the Live & Love Crafts blog. Today I've put together a romantic card using Maja papers and a Wycinanka frame that could be used for a wedding or an Anniversary. Wedding season is almost over, but you can never have too many pink cards on hand, I say! lol. I've used lots of other goodies from Sandra's shop Live & Love Crafts, so stay tuned. 

The doilies were cut with Spellbinders and Prima dies and the frame was a custom one that I filled with hot glue and painted with Gesso. Everything else is from Sandra's shop and can be found in the linky below.

All of the following products that I used can be purchased at Live & Love Crafts

InLinkz.com

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So to continue with my latest endeavour - to photograph squirrels and other wildlife in their natural environment, I will take you back to my spot in the woods. Hubby has decided to give my spot a name, so from now on I will refer to it as The Shire. Today I would like to share my experience so far in...

STAGE TWO - if you build it, they will come!  

In stage two, the squirrels come down out of the trees to grab some food, just like in stage one. The difference is, they hopefully stay on the ground to eat or sit on the really low branches. This shows me that they trust me enough to not have to hide way up in the trees. It's a huge step for them and for me!

They are starting to feel comfortable sitting on the stumps, logs and rocks that are situated around The Shire. These spots make for great ambient shots!

Patience is the key here, it's just a matter of sitting quietly and allowing the squirrels to get used to my smell, the sounds of the camera and my yummy bag of food. Stage two is where I will probably spend a good portion of the next few months. 

This little girl just stole my heart. That look on her face, is one of mortification! I have just thrown her a nut and just as she's about to grab it, another squirrel scoops it up and heads up the tree. Every piece of food for these creatures is a matter of life or death. Poor thing, I threw her a whole handful of nuts of biscuits!

I have switched from the zoom lens to a mid-range lens. This allows me to still take shots of the Stage Two squirrels, but in case of a Stage Three emergency, I can still get a shot of squirrel who comes in a little closer. Something that would be impossible with the zoom lens.

So far, it's been a real rush meeting new squirrels and birds, but my soft spot will always be for my friends back home. Today we have BRENDA watching me from the railing.

MR SCRUFF having a nibble.

My beautiful KAREN watching me with those eyes that tell me she's so thankful for the food.

And although JUNIOR hasn't been to the balcony for a few days, you'll still find him hanging around.

And let's not forget the amazing birds that visit me every day, like this stunning Sparrow.

And the Chickadee who eats from my hand on a fairly regular basis now. It's just really hard to capture with the camera.

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.