PAO Tag Spoiler...Beware!

I am in a Holiday Tag Swap with my friends at PAO.  I've already received many from my swap group so I needed to get busy.  I finished them last night and they'll go out in the mail on Monday.  So if by chance you are in my swap group...don't look! LOL.

I was pleased with myself for using embossing folders, stamps and dies in my stash!

This first tag is for our organizer.  I'll be giving her this one plus one of the others as well since we are both in two groups.  Tag was die cut from an MFT tag die on Club Scrap black sparkly card stock from "Cruisin'" kit.  Houses are stamps and die from Stampin' Up!

And now for my embossing folder tags.  I found this a great way to make them with some speed.  Emboss and then just swipe with Distress Ink Mini Ink Pads.  And of course I had to put a bird on it.

Thanks for looking and I hope I didn't spoil it for anyone.

A Departure From the Usual

I use this blog for sharing my crafting interests but today I want to share another interest of mine...birding.  I began birding about 4 1/2 years ago.  I went on my first bird walk with a local expert and that was all it took.  I can proudly say that I am a bird geek.

Today I had a fascinating day right in my own yard and I wanted to show just a few of the 100+ photos I took today.

My first set of photos is of a Song Sparrow.  What made me excited to see him is that I've never seen one at my home.  I see them frequently out in rural areas that I bird but never in the suburbs.  I do keep a number of seed feeders and this guy must have liked what he saw.  He fed with the other regulars but stuck around when the others moved off.  (More why they moved off below:)

He liked hiding in my neighbor's hedge for safety but when I "pished" at him (literally making that sound) he would pop up for a few seconds allowing me these photos.   In the Spring his song is beautiful.  During the non-nesting time like now they make a soft "bark" call.

The reason that all the other birds disappeared quickly was our resident Cooper's Hawk.  She (or he) is a beauty and quite amusing to watch.  The little birds however are rightfully afraid.  A Cooper's Hawk's main diet is small birds and they know to hang out at bird feeders, like ours.  She seems to like my husband's roof rack on his car.  She then dove into a shrub knowing that numerous House Sparrows were hiding in there.  Finally she gave up and went to the top of a sycamore tree to preen and groom.  Or perhaps to sulk because she did not succeed in finding a munchie to enjoy.

Today was the second day in a row for her to appear.  I wonder if she will show up again tomorrow?

Unity FWF Friday...Thank You

I had a lot of Thank You cards to send out recently after a wonderful birthday.  This is just one of them.  I loved coloring this stamp customizing the colors with my Copics to go with the cute patterned paper and sent it to a friend who recently took an online Copic Card Coloring class with me.

Happy Friday and thanks for looking:)

A few more Halloween cards

I had fun making two Halloween cards for two very special little ones...my grandchildren.  I was so proud of myself for using my 6x6 paper stash, an embossing folder and stamps that I already had also.



Happy Halloween!

Unity FWF Halloween

I've missed one or two FWF Fridays...shame on me.  But this week I finally got a few Halloween cards made and mailed.  This one is for a dear friend in Cincinnati...I don't think she'll look here before it arrives...yes, I am late with hers.  Sigh.

Anyway, this fun "Toxic" label comes from the September KOTM, "happy, thankful & blessed".  That set has so many useful holiday related stamps.  I've really enjoyed playing with this kit.

Embossing in white embossing powder and then coloring with permanent markers (Sharpies, Copics, Spectrum Noir)

is a great way to use black and other dark colored card stock.  The inks look like they are illuminated against the black background.

Thanks for looking and Happy Halloween!

Unity FWF Friday

I have a new and fabulous Unity stamp called Floral Frenzy.   It's new to me anyway.  A fine line drawing that asks for so many ways to use it.  I played around with assorted inks and papers but for FWF I chose to do it up in Copics since I've been taking the OCC class on Copics for Card Makers.

I am doing this at the eleventh hour and naturally my Aperture program decided there was a problem and is doing a backup.  So the likelihood of this getting in on time is low.  Never the less I am quite in love with this stamp and will use it in many ways.


Whew!  I found another way to get it in on time...yay!  But I wasn't able to "enhance" it in any way.  Oh well.

"Thank You" is also Unity.

Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment:)

Unity FWF Friday

This is a double header for me.  Not only did I use all Unity stamps but the little girl is colored with Copic markers which qualifies also for the OCC Copic Markers for Card Makers class.

Stamps used:  You're My Bestie,  Better. Somewhere. Today. and KOTM "the best is yet to be".  I love to mix up my Unity stamps to create a whole, unique look.  "Arigato" is from Hero Arts.