Hello, Sunshine!

Well after an odd day of rain on Tuesday...summer is back...again...

I signed up for Summer Card Class, and this week's color palette (the color palette is to the left in the side-bar) and the sudden re-appearance of the sun, led to these cards...



Simple lollipop flowers...



a little foam adhesive...



and a sentiment printed from the computer...



I can't wait to get these little cards in the mail!

Bonnie's New 'Do...

At least once every year Bonnie goes to the groomer...err, I mean...beauty parlor to get her hair done...

We tried to give Bonnie her summer 'do at home last week...

She has VERY dense fine hair and an undercoat that would keep Jeremiah Johnson warm all winter!

No good...bad mistake...so, with a funny looking semi-shaved hip we took her into the professionals...

Here is her new 'do...



She always comes back from the beauty parlor a bit irritated and grumpy (and smelling like flowers)...but I think she is loving all the attention she is getting...I just can't stop petting her velvety shaved coat!



And I think her cute little bobbed-'do makes her look younger...

Hmmm...maybe I should call up my hairdresser and just give-up on trying to grow my hair long! Short is in!

2011 Veggie Garden...

I planted my new veggie garden back in the middle of May...and I am pleased to say everything is still alive and thriving...more or less...

Last year we built three raised beds in our side yard...

Bed #1 has been active all winter. I planted artichoke, garlic, onions (yellow and red) and cauliflower last fall. The cauliflower never really looked ripe, it flowered but looked pretty sickly, so we never ate any. I pulled that out this past weekend and made room in the bed for carrots. I harvested the garlic on Saturday and replanted their row with radishes...I love when the seeds sprout! I can't wait!

Here is Bed #1...


My onions bolted...I don't know why...I planted them per the instructions...but they bolted...

Oh well, the flowers are pretty...and the onion bulbs can still be eaten (but not stored)...


My artichokes are pretty measly...I guess I will have to wait for next year...hopefully the chokes will be more robust in 2012...


This is Bed #2...It is planted with squash, pepper, basil and cilantro....and a bunch of watermelons (that are volunteers from last years plant)...


So far the squash is surviving...I sheltered them a bit this year behind a big lemon tree so the wind doesn't whip them around so much...


I am crossing my fingers (and toes) hoping to get some yummy yellow squash and zucchini!


This is a mild jalepeno...I am still holding out for getting some home grown pico de gallo!


And here are the watermelon volunteers...there are about 15 sproutlings...I'm gonna wait and see who looks the strongest and biggest and weed out the rest in a few weeks...


This is bed #3...corn, tomatoes and cucumbers...


I don't know how well the corn will do...I hear it is pretty tough to get sweet cobs with so few plants...but it should be fun to watch it grow...


Ahhh...tomatoes! I planted Sweet 100s and a Roma...and had to weed out (no joke) 30 seedlings that sprouted from last year...and they sprouted all over! In all three beds and the surrounding rocks! Tomatoes love Fairfield!


This is the lemon cucumber...the plant from last year did pretty good...so I have high hopes for this little cutie!


And this is called a Japanese Cucumber...so exciting to see a little cuc-bud!


My raspberry is doing well...but no flowers yet...


And late on Sunday I picked up a yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper, Black Beauty eggplant and a couple of Blue Hubbard squashes to fill in some empty pots in the garden...so many yummy veggies!

And one last picture...the only Dahlia that came back this year...she's lonely, but she's lovely!

Simon Says Card Challenge

Over on the Simon Says Stamp Challenge blog they posted a nice card sketch for this week's challenge...



And I haven't done a challenge in awhile...

And I have been really enjoying making cards...

And I have these really cute stamped images I swapped a couple of month's ago with my friend Tracy...

So...

I thought I would give it a whirl...



I used up some scraps I had laying around (from SEI, Memory Box and who-knows-what-else...), and the image is from a Stampin' Up set...I've had my eye on this, so it was a great surprise to see it in the package I received in the swap! I colored the little darling with Prismacolor Markers...and no matter how many pictures I tried taking, the soft 'blush pink' in the image is showing up neon...it really isn't...bummer!



And adhered her to a doily I made using a Spellbinders die that I received in my gift bag at a retreat I went on last month (I'll post more about that trip later...so much fun!)



And here is the dimensional shot...

I am reserving the right, as the artist, to go back later and add some bling to the card...maybe a pearl accent or two...what do you all think, she feels a bit un-done to me...hmmm, I'll have to stew on it for a while...

The last of the cards...

I know I have been AWOL lately...but I have been pretty productive (in a crafty sense anyway....who cares if the weeds need to be pulled!)

I spent this past Sunday making a few more cards for Stephen's Project...so I could get them all mailed off this week! The last I read...Bazzill had received over 8,000 cards to help out Stephen...wow! Crafters sure are generous!

I am sending in 35 cards...I wish I could do more!

Here are samples of the last few I made this weekend...(sorry about the pic quality, I used my camera phone)









I love this one...I made a few in maroon too...


I filled the heart with glossy accents...fun!







I think these are my favorites...


...Or maybe these...

I am also including a bunch of cards my friends Jordyn (11) and Mathew (10) made too...



Thanks you two...you both rock!

I have a lot more to share this week...so stay tuned!