Australian Flax

I made another trip to Auburn Park yesterday. I really should take pictures of their gardens because that is the real piece of art! But I am working on this one, and have visions of grandeur when I look at magazines of perennial gardens. But this flax is defiantely grand! We started by digging up small plants; sedums... lots of them, some daylillies and various others. Then we went out front and Steve dug up this huge gorgeous Flax. Marjie and Steve were discussing weather it was New Zealand or Australian, but whichever it is it is really pretty, has a purplish spear and is probably 4 feet tall. There is also a giant Autumn Joy in full bloom that I brought home, and all I have to say is everyone in Auburn that I passed on the road knew what I was doing. The Autumn Joy which is not much different in size from the flax was buried somewhere under the flax that was sticking out the back window. I called Dave and had him meet me at the entrance to unload and of course all he could see was the dirt in the car. Hey.... we have a vaccuum!Behind where the flax is now, we had cut down one of those cedar trees to expose the playground, so this kind of makes up for that without hiding the playground. If I manage to get the Autumn Joy staked up today I will post it, but it took a pretty good beating on the way home. No loss though really because I took all the little (or not so little) stems that broke and replanted them and they will become their own plants next year.

It's off to Mount Vernon today, but I hope to get back to my cardmaking this weekend. I got some new stamps this week from Michael's on coupons! The only way to shop!

Clyle's "nose"

Remember Clyle's fossil collection from his digging escapades in the community? He's at it again! But this time he says he found a nose. It's actually a broken rock that looks like a huge honker! Actually I told Dave I thought it resembled his a lot... was he getting just too "into" his digging?

A Couple More Cards

The flourish stamp in this card is Rhonna design from Autumn Leaves. Phrase is Close To My Heart. I love these little snowmen. The snowflake is from a package that I picked up last year on sale and figured I'd have a use for them again. I think I did about 10 cards yesterday and that was in between going to the SuperMall and chatting with Clyle and his friends.

Back to Scrapbok Nook

Yesterday I got to run in to the scrapbook store and grab a few papers, but today I was able to take a little more time. The cardstock is the new Bazzill paper that just came out today. The pattern paper is Debbie Mum designs. I know tha they are kind of dark, but it gives me more variety.
I used Martha's glitter again on the Christma balls. The brads are MM Falala. Stamps are a new set of Autumn Leaves that I picked up today. I love them!

This one is heat embossed. I'm not crazy about the candy canes on the tree.

More Christmas

Paper and glitter stickers are FALALA. The red one really isn't crooked, it was just crooked in the scanner. I got the idea for the design from the Dec 2007 Paper Crafts magazine. I never throw one of those little treasures away! Pattern paper and stickers FALALA. Stamps are Fancy Pants Blissful Season. They work much better for heat embossing than stamping with dye inks. The flourish one is a longer boarder but I just used part of it for this purpose. It made a nice evening while the guys were watching tv.

Christmas Already?

I am doing things a little differently this year since I have so many more cards to make. I get very bored if I do them all the same, but in order to utilize my time best I am going to do several with the same basic design just altering them a little. The scalloped circles were cut with the cricut Mini Monogram cartridge. The stamps are random woodies that I've picked up, heat embossed with gold powder. There is no such thing as a mistake is there? The second circle is covering up a minor flaw, but I like the results. The santa stamp is Close To My Heart. On the inside of the card it says "...a Merry Little Christmas." Second card as CTMH sparkles on the circle but I think it needs a little more something.

Stamps are my new Fancy Pants Design set "Blissful Season." It's my first set of Fancy Pants and I have to say that I am dissappointed in them. They don't give the clear image that Close to My Heart stamps do. I've tried all the tricks and still not very good.
I've been going nuts buying Martha Stewart Glitter. I stamped it first with the glue stamp and it didn't stick very well, so I went over it with my glue pen and it actually looks better IRL. The second card - the tree is a Close to My Heart stamp and MS glitter on the circles. I think that the ribbon is Making Memories.
There were other variations of most of these cards but they were so similar that I didn't scan them. I'm looking forward to doing my cards this year. I will be giving them to the residents here and trying to sell some on Craig's list for the benefit of the "Mighty Mouse Brigade" American Cancer Society's 2009 Relay for Life.

More Playground

I didn't even check my email this morning before going outside because I knew that I would get locked in to the desk and wouldn't find time to work outside, so this is what I did this morning, then came in and started in on the office work and now taking a short lunch break.

The sedums that I planted have survived the neighborhood kids other than one getting pulled up, but it was an easy fix, so I wanted to add some color with these little mums.
Marjie's ice plants are surviving and I can't wait until next year when they start taking over the border.
I planted my daylilies out here and some mums that I brought over from Snohomish.
Our big project today was taking out some trees. The playground has not been a real positive place for the kids to play with the trees blocking the view, so we wacked them down this morning. I think it looks so good being opened up.

The nicest thing happened today

After four years of managing we have pretty much gotten used to people knocking on our door after hours, but it usually is not something that we openly welcome. Tonight there came a tap tap on the door and Dave answered it. All I saw was this woman running back to her car and I thought something must have been wrong. But she was going back to get this darling lawn ornament from her car for us. Her husband makes these, and you should see her yard! It is so pretty with all her little goodies. She found these little dogs that reminded her of Walter. I love it and it was such a sweet thing for her to do.