Faba the Good Witch

Hello everyone,

Today's card uses the Lavinia Faba Witch stamp.  It is part of The Dream Witch Collection which debuted in August.  Both Faba and the Flittermice stamp were inked in VersaFine Clair nocturne.  I used a white gel pen on her hair.  Lots of sponging was done before adding Stickles for some sparkle.  

Thank you for popping by and for you lovely comments.

Stamps:  Lavinia Faba Witch, Flittermice
Paper:  Black Linen, Groovy Guava  
Ink:  VersaFine Clair Nocturne
Accessories:  Aubergine Stickles, Yellow Stickles, White Gel Pen    
Technique:  Sponging, Masking
Card Size:  A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

No Crow About It

I just love these little crow stamps and thought he would look cute perched on top of these books.  This was a simple and easy one to make.  The background was sponged in several different shades of blue with Purple Plum, Purple Twilight and Eggplant on the bottom.

The crow and stack of books were stamped in VersaFine Clair Nocturne.  I used Prismacolor Pencils and Gamsol to color in the books.  Magical Mist was stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist and embossed with iridescent ice embossing powder.  The image was layered to a Spellbinders Lacey Square and mounted to a Metallic Black Onyx card.

Wishing you a wonderful & relaxing weekend!

Stamps:  Lavinia Crow Set, Wands & Spells, Magical Mist
Paper:  Black Onyx, Shimmery White  
Ink:  Images - VersaFine Clair Nocturne, VersaFine Clair Morning Mist with Iridescent Ice EP; Blue & Purple Inks, Prismacolor Pencils
Accessories:  Spellbinders Lacey Squares #5, Gamsol   
Technique:  Embossing, Sponging, Prismacolor Pencils
Card Size:  4.75" x 4.75"  

Lavinia Far World Castle

Hello friends,

Halloween is my favorite time of the year so I have a few cards to share with you.  Both of these were created using Lavinia Stamps.  Don't they look a little "haunting" to you?       

Thank you for stopping by!

Stamps:  Lavinia Far World Castle, Bats, Small Lanterns, Small Branch, Mini Leaf 2
Paper:  The Paper Company Metallic Flame, Basic Black, Cajun Craze  
Ink:  VersaFine Clair Nocturne, VersaFine Clair Morning Mist
Accessories:  Star Dust Stickles, Yellow Stickles, Mini Hill Masks, Markers, Post-It Notes   
Technique:  Sponging, Masking
Card Size:  A2 (4.25" x 5.5")  

Halloween with Lavinia

Hello my ghoulish friends,

I just wanted to pop on today and show you a Halloween card and some tags I created using Lavinia Stamps.  They are located in Ruthin, which is in North Wales.  Aren't their silhouette stamps just gorgeous?  

Willow the Witch was used for the "spooky" Halloween card and tag.

This tag was created using the crow set and Elm tree.

Wishing you all a safe and Happy Halloween!!!

Catskills - North Lake Trails

Hey friends,

It was a beautiful day to take a drive to the Catskills.  The trail was a bit more than I expected and I was a little slow on the way back.    

The views were pretty with the puffy clouds.

We continued onward to a few other trails ...

There were many woodland ferns.

Do you recognize the plant below?  It is Monotropa uniflora, also known as ghost plant or indian pipe.  They are waxy white and unlike most plants do not have chlorophyll and therefore are non-photosynthetic.

A few mushrooms could be found, but not a lot.

My feet were very happy when we arrived back to the registration station!  

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!

June Blooms ...

Hi everyone,

I can't believe it is almost the middle of June already!

Today I want to share with you a project started a few weeks ago. I finally decided to move the arbor from the northwest corner of our property to create a new entrance to our backyard. At the time it sounded like an easy job, but the arbor was set in concrete! 

I love how it's integrated into the existing garden. 

I planted Peaches & Cream Honeysuckle vines and look forward to seeing the blooms next year!

This week I was able to enjoy the last of my lilacs. Just as I was getting ready to take this photo, a yellow Tiger Swallowtail made it perfect.  

Wisteria 'Blue Moon' has been putting on a show... the pollinators love it!

Peonies are abundant, but with the recent rain the petals have started to fall.

Purple geraniums are happy, creeping and spreading...

Salvia is a staple in my gardens.  It is such a hardy perennial for the northeast.  I've started to mix the pinks & purples together.

Last fall I planted Allium 'Roseum' and wasn't sure if the tiny little bulbs would make it through the winter.  To my surprise I have blush frilly globes appearing.

Honeysuckle 'Mandarin' is bursting with color.  Every year this vine just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Our amphibians and Koi seem to cohabitate very well together in the garden pond.

Wishing you a happy new week!

Don't forget to stop and enjoy the simple things life has to offer.

Around the Garden ...

As I dust off my blog and flip the calendar's page, I'm surprised at how quickly May has come and gone.

The gardens had a late start with the cool spring.

In May, we set up the fountain which I get to enjoy each day.

The pretty purple catmint is in full bloom ...

We even had a visitor stop by to say "Hello".

The Syringa vulgaris 'Sensation' lilac with its beautiful bicolor flowers!

Soft lavender-pink petals on the Korean lilac bush.

Drumstick Allium reaching for the sky.

Siberian & Japanese Irises have always been a favorite.  'Momogasumi' with warm lavender-pink petals.  They remind me of a butterfly.

One of the oldest bushes is the Rhododendron.

Peonies are starting to emerge ... this one is 'Terrific Gal'.   

Of course, there is 'Sarah Bernhardt' with her large double flowers in pastel pink.

Do you remember my garden pond?  The water irises are blooming ...

and our koi is getting big!  He was only 4" long when he came to join us. 

I've enjoyed playing in the dirt this spring.  We have made quite a few changes this year, which I hope to share with you soon.

Thanks for strolling with me today ...