Creative Confetti Challenge "On the Grid"

Hi friends. I am going to quickly share a card creation today for Power Poppy's Creative Confetti Challenge~"On the Grid."
I decided to use a copy of an original copic colored Columbines from the oh so cute "Cup of Columbine" by Power Poppy just in case I messed up the colored copy in the cutting process. (Because...yes, I do and I did.) Anyway, after I made a copy of my colored image...I then added highlights and shading to the copy and then used a sliver of paper as Julie explained in her excellent tutorial as spacers. I decided to back the image in blue because I had a lot of blue in the Columbines.

It was hard to capture this in the photo...but I made doubly sure to line up the bird's beak and top of his head so it wouldn't look too wonky and that helped the whole image. Since there was quite a bit of white space in both corners...I had the idea to add sentiment banners on both ends taken from the set, "Folk Heart." Oh my heart...I decided to color pearls to match the blue in the Columbines using a blue copic marker also and it is so cute in person! A twine bow along the side to add to the natural look and there you have it.
This was fun and I may try it again before this month's challenge is over!
And here is a picture I took while walking in our Botanical Gardens of some Columbines...I definitely need to try this image again in these lighter shades of  lavender blue.

Thanks for your visit and always enjoy reading your comments and what you're up to!  Blessings on your day, friends!

Ode to Aspens

One of my favorite things about Fall in Colorado is the changing of the Aspens. And I realize I haven't any aspen stamps...but I decided not to let that stop me when I was watercoloring up this set from Papertrey Ink, "Mighty Oak." There needs to be a set called, "Awesome Aspen," or "Amazing Aspen," or "Artistic Aspen..." or something like that.
So, I decided to diecut the trunk in white, since Aspens do have a white trunk with those knotty
"eyes" on them.

I used Peerless Watercolors for these after I had die cut the leaves. I painted them one by one in various shades of golden Amber, green and golds, fiery red and orange hues. I stamped the sentiment from the set in a black ink to give contrast to the  card stock. I also added Nuvo gold drops (maybe I got a little carried away?) But I love the little bit of shimmer and that's one thing that is difficult to capture in water color.

This past weekend I was so excited to go to a place in the mountains with a friend I had never been to before. It was the perfect weekend to go Aspen viewing for the color change. I was able to get a pretty good photo to share here. 

Aspens near Boreas Pass, Colorado

Thanks so much for your visit today...I always appreciate your visit and hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

Steamboat in the Spring

Our first visit since January to our little Steamboat "cabin," and taking a walk on my favorite path that borders Fish Creek...I turned around and told my husband, "this would be a pretty picture," but I didn't have my camera...so he took out his phone and snapped this...oh my...so beautiful!! Will get back to stamping soon.!

Recent Trip to California Coast

Big Sur

Summer at the Yampa River Botanic Gardens

Just sharing a few photographs I took on our recent weekend at Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I had just returned from a 3 day weekend in New York City with both daughters, future Mother-in-law of our daughter, and future sister-in-law for a wedding dress shopping weekend. I was tired.
I will be honest, I am not a big city gal by any stretch...and I had very little sleep. So to turn around and leave again after just unpacking my bags...I needed some peace and quiet and nature to soothe my traveling nerves.

The neat thing about these gardens is the earth is divided into subplots; and a community organization or group of people adopt a plot and plant it and care for it. So there is a lot of variety and I am sure pride in these gardens.

I wish I could remember what these spherical shaped flowers were...they were light and airy and the prettiest color!

Did I mention she found the dress?! It was actually the first dress she tried on...then just to be sure she tried on about 3 more...but went back to the first. I can not show pictures just yet of our dress shopping; as the wedding is still a year away! One thing I learned about New York City...it is missing trees! So I found some as soon as I got home, and almost hugged one. We did see a lot in Central Park...but the city is severely lacking. Why did that not surprise me? 

Thanks so much for your visit...hope you have time to bask in the beauty of nature soon!

Pretty Poppies

Just wanted to share a favorite picture of mine from our mountain home in Steamboat Springs at the Botanical Park. This is the loveliest color of poppies! My card is one post down if you'd like to see it. Thanks for stopping by!

Sleigh Ride Dinner in Steamboat Springs

What a night to remember! For my birthday, my husband arranged a weekend surprise dinner at our favorite place to hang out, Steamboat Springs. The dinner included a gondola ride to the ski lodge located about a 1/4 of the way up the ski mountain where you were able to stop and grab a hot cup of cider...then board this "sleigh ride" to the other side of the mountain. Since I do not ski anymore, I was thrilled to see so much of the mountain lit up by the lights of the caterpillar and the stars. We bundled up and enjoyed the view. What fun!! The dinner was a full 5 course meal served indoors (thankfully, not a warmed tent) and with full wait staff!! Entertainment included a man on acoustical guitar that sang so many of my favorites, I was playing "Name that Tune" the entire meal!! I didn't get any pictures of the food, although I was tempted. Do you like food as much as I? Let's just say I have eaten at some of the best restaurants in Venice, Austria, and Switzerland, and this rivaled them all!! Yumm-o!!

Our daughter, Erin and I on the sleigh ride. The sleigh was a big red machine with platform seats going across in rows. It was pulled by a ski-cat (caterpillar) which for the 75 people or so was a lot more do-able than a few horses, I am sure!! It was so fun!! But cold, you ask...well, the 16 degree temps were made bearable with wool blankets that we wrapped around our waists and sat upon. And then my sweet husband gave us his to lay across the top of our laps. The most amazing thing, the stars at night were out and you just had to look up above the snow-capped pines and winter white aspens to see them. It was breath-taking!!

Tom and I at my birthday dinner. I had to edit this photo because my hand went berserk at the last minute and showed up right next to my chin. But I have to add this, see the lovey-dovey couples in the background? The table above my head...the couple became engaged that night. The man on the guitar sang some sentimental love song, they announced a special request, and he got down on his knees and proposed. It was so sweet to see the movements, tentative, and her reaction, which was joy. It just made me cry~~

Erin and her Dad, Tom, at the dinner at Ragnar's Restaurant at the top of the ski mountain.

Thanks for coming along to view my pictures and read of the fun night we had!! It was probably the most memorable birthday I have had. Let's just hope I can remember it...hee!!

And just so you don't worry, I am having another dinner at our favorite hamburger joint tonight with our other daughter who had to work over the weekend.

Don't you love that about birthdays? It just keeps getting celebrated in small and big ways all week long!!

Copper gets Snow!!

Good morning! It has been snowing here since night before last, steadily slowly and without let up!! These pictures give you an idea just how much...the first one is our Corgi named Copper . He didn't get to tunnel far off the back deck before realizing it was an insurmountable task for his short 4 legged body and turned around! No potty breaks for him for at least another 8 hours, hee!! The other photos show the back deck railings with the snow piled on top and in the background, the giant evergreen tree overladen with snow. It is supposed to snow more today, and I hope it doesn't as my husband's flight was cancelled once and he is scheduled to arrive here this afternoon...hopefully before dark and with shovel in hand!

While this is beautiful to look at and wonderful to stamp inside when the sparkly snow is falling, it is a worry with loved ones traveling the roads!

This snow is supposed to set a decade long record for our state...I'll let you know the latest in inches on my next post but as of last night it was 17 inches in Fort Collins!!

I have a card to upload later today, so I'll look for ya then!!

Coastal Inspiration

Here are a couple of pictures from a trip my daughter and I took accompanying my husband on a business trip. The destination was Half Moon Bay in California. Because this little community sits right on the coast, the weather was very cool (not above 70 degrees) and the fog never lifted! So no sunny pictures, and if everything looks kinda fuzzy, it's probably the fog.

The lighthouse was not very big, and I am not even sure if it was operating...but it was one of the few I have been able to see. It looked like all the stamps I've seen, anyways!! The lighthouse was at Montara Point so I think the name of it was Montara Point Lighthouse!

On the Lake

Saying Hi from Steamboat Lake about 30 miles outside of Steamboat Springs, Colorado! My husband, daughter, and I took the boat out for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon. The clouds overhead are looking ominous, but we made it until we docked and then the rain came down in huge droplets. I was able to take a picture of a patch of daisys sunning themselves right outside the marina store, and changed out the snowy mountain from my previous header. I hope this brings a little sunshine your way!
Our adventure: My daughter is better than I am with the boat, so she was behind the wheel and her job was to swing by the dock and pickup her Dad. Well, the starter was cranked over a dozen times while Tom stood, then sat on the dock waiting for a ride. We meanwhile drifted further and further from dock and were quickly heading out past the buoys. I was getting a little nervous as our boat was tilted towards the muddy shore and still no start. Finally, after an estimated 15 minutes, the engine started. A bit of a relief...but it was comical to see my husband becoming a distant speck and contemplating how many olympic size swimming pools were between him and us and would he be able to swim out to rescue us. Alas, it did not happen.
That bald topped mountain in the background is Hahn's Peak. It only looks dark because of the skies overhead, normally it is a friendly looking mountaintop!



Thanks for stopping by...no iced tea on the boat, I forgot to bring it. But Erin, who works on the golf course and serves beverages off her golf cart, informed me that an Arnold Palmer is just an equal mix of iced tea and lemonade. How simple is that? Hope you are having a good summer and fun plans for the 4th of July!

Botanical Gardens

Steamboat in the Spring

Just wanted to share a few photographs I took this weekend at our mountain retreat in Steamboat Springs, Colorado!! Hope you enjoy these...The last one with the poppy, it was the only poppy that had bloomed...so it should be the lone poppy I guess!

Oh Columbine

Good morning~ I just wanted to share a photograph I took about this time last year at our mountain retreat ...these columbines were clustered next to an Aspen tree near the front walkway. I love columbines, and have a few growing randomly in our "garden" here at home. The garden is a loose term, it is a patch of dirt that my youngest daughter took upon herself to plant a variety of flowers with no real design or taking into account the sun and soil requirements. She was about 13 at the time, and even this many years later, the columbines have thrived. I think that is why I like this flower so much, besides the fact that it is our state flower here in Colorado. It grows without notice, without much work on the gardener's part. In spite of it's delicate look and tendrils, it is a very hardy yet beautifully detailed flower. If you click on this photo you can get a better picture.

Today is one of those running around days, and even though I have a couple of unfinished cards on my desk, they will have to wait. But wanted to share this little bit of inspiration with you! Hope your day has a touch of awe somewhere, so many times it is the little things that we just need to pause and notice~the little gifts God provides along the way. Thanks so much for stopping in.

My Inspirations