Wetlands and Four You for Seize the Birthday

Hi Everyone.   Happy Tuesday.

It's official…. I'm in love with this new set and the fact that we live on a wetland helps, but I really love this Canadian Goose image.  I think you are going to be seeing a lot of it!

Tonight's card was made for the fabulous sketch across at Seize the Birthday

I thought the circular shape would be perfect for the Canadian Goose and used the masking technique to ensure that I didn't have grasses stamped behind the goose and right over his chest.   I stamped the image onto the circle and then put the mask right over the top.   That allowed me to stamp the grasses and not stamp right over his chest.  

I paired the Very Vanilla card stock with some new Baked Brown Sugar.  It really is a rich color and I think works well with the Vanilla.   I stamped the sentiment and just added a touch of the grasses to either end of the sentiment banner.

I was really tempted to put a Baked Brown Sugar mat behind the focal point, but there's something about the simplicity of the Vanilla on Vanilla that I like, too.  I added a little Candy Dot to the left hand edge of the banner just to help ground the sentiment and tie the base card color to the very front of the card.  

The sentiment that comes with the set didn't fit with the sketch.   So I pulled out the versatile set – Four You – and that birthday greeting was perfect.  I really think this set is fabulous for masculine cards, but with this color scheme it could be used for someone like me… female who just happens to be crazy about birds 🙂

On a personal note:

Well, I must be feeling much better.  I'm feeling the heat again!   I HATE the heat.   HATE it.   If it gets about about 73 degrees, I need the aircon on.   When I was sick, the temp inside the house was 85 degrees and I was walking around in a cashmere jersey shivering.  Lou couldn't believe that I could be cold…. but I really was.  I was all goosebumps and even cashmere couldn't keep me warm.   The fact that I had to keep rushing into the house to cool down today… well, that was a good thing.  Now I know I'm almost back to normal.

The landscapers were here again today.   Putting in the last flower plantings and adding some trees to the western side of the property.  I really think the birds are going to be very happy, especially during winter as they will have somewhere nice and dense to hide from the Minnesota winds.    Tomorrow the spade-in tree guy will be arriving with our 15' trees for the Eastern side of the property.    He came today to have a look see and make sure that he could get his very large machinery in down the side of our house.   Luckily the neighbors have not quite finished their house and they won't be putting down their landscaping for another few days.   That means that we can get the machinery down and he can plant the trees.

When he arrived, I must admit I was a little surprised.   I was expecting a guy driving a truck – a big truck – and wearing a hunting cap.   Not this guy.   He arrived on his Harley wearing a doorag!  We guess he won't be using that as a mode of transport when he brings the 5 trees tomorrow!  

After tomorrow, all that's left is to patch up the prairie grasses and flowers at the edge of the property and we will be done until next year.   The planting doesn't look like much right now, but we really think that it will be great this time next year.   

I'm pleased to see that our plants are recovering from their munching a week or so ago.   The pelargoniums are flowering again and the poor hibiscus is sprouting new growth!

I thought I would share another photo of the gazebo with you.   This time from the east looking west.   I know that the growth in the front of the photo looks like weeds, but it really isn't.   It's all native grasses and flowers.   Lots of black-eyed Susan's coming up.  You can see under the trees it's all brown.  That's where they removed all the invasive stuff.   Tony, our landscaper, promises me that we should start to see little green shoots coming up in the next couple of weeks

I found these guys in the grass whilst I was walking around with the landscaper.    They really look as though fairies perch on them during the early morning hours!

I'm going to leave you with one more photograph.  You've heard of the Minnesota Twins, right?  You know – the baseball team.   Well, here's our version of the Minnesota Twins!  Georgie, this is for you and your hubby!

Printers…..

Mlou – you asked me what printer I use.   I use an Epson Artisan, it prints very well on card stock.  I print on both the lighter weight Very Vanilla and Whisper White, but also on the #120 card stock.   The ONLY thing this particular printer will not print on is vellum…. and that drives me nuts!   I think there is a new version of the one that I have – I have the 730 and I think there might be a 750.   I would recommend taking some card stock into your local Office Depot or Office Max or Best Buy.   Generally they will let you try out the printer before you buy.  That's the only way you can guarantee that the paper feed will handle card stock.   You also get an idea of how the colors print, too, if you take something to copy onto the card stock.

As always, thank you for stopping by my little neck of the stamping blogosphere.   I really do appreciate your visits and your comments.   Warm hugs and prayers for those of you who need a little lift tonight.   If you are traveling for the 4th July – travel safe

Hugs

Jaydee

Card recipe – all ingredients Stampin' Up!

• Card stock:  Very Vanilla, Baked Brown Sugar
• Inks:  Sahara Sand, Basic Black
• Stamps:   Wetlands.   Four You
• Accessories:   Neutrals Candy Dots