The Search is over

I saw both horses in the past 2 days. Tonight we made the deal for Deacon. The black and white.
He will be 2 years old officially January 1 as all horses birthdays are then but his real birthday is in March. I can's remember what his registered name is but his barn name was Deacon since he has white on this throat. I like it so that's what it's going to stay. Funny I have been brainstorming new horse names for a long time, that wasn't one of them and I usually don't like the names people game them.

Tomorrow night he will be sleeping in our barn. The owner is going to deliver him. I think I'll be happy with him. I think my stamping time might be cut a lot more with a new horse to work with as I train my own. Perhaps I'll loose a few pounds. I don't think stamping is a very good aerobic or weight bearing exercise! Wish me luck. I'll keep you posted on his progress and when I get time to stamp, I'll try to share with you.

The Hunt is ON!

After months of agonizing and realizing my Moose (the horse I'd had for 15 years) was starting to show his age and my kind of riding was hard on him, my husband and I made the painful decision it was time for him to find a new home. Now IF we had more acres and were allowed to have more horses where we are, Moose would have been retired with us. He was the most naturally talented horse I've ever owned. If I had sold him after the year I showed him, I could have got mega bucks for him but he was that once in a lifetime horse and I just couldn't do it. So we decided that he was to good of a horse to sell to just anyone, we would look for a forever home and he would be gifted to that person on the condition he died there and they take good care of him. Moose is the horse on the right above.
Our friend and neighbor Harvey had someone in mind, he needed a good quiet horse, didn't ride much, had another older horse that needed a friend and a farmstead about 20 miles from us that had been in the family for 150 years. It would be a good last home for Moose. I felt a little better when after he was loaded up his granddaughter Jayla, 4 years old came and was so excited. I held her up to pet Moose and told her that he was her horse now and that she had to take care of him for me. After I watched them drive out of our yard, I went in the house and cried like a baby. I do get updates and he's doing well. In time, I will go visit, right now, I still cry when I think about him....I'm crying now!

So, now it's time to find a replacement. It's not easy. The horse I had wanted, a half sister to Moose that looked just like him, sold. So I'm in a quandry. I'm looking at a coming 2 year old half brother of his, very loud marked (lots of white splashed on him and blue eyes, not my favorite) and a 2 year old black and white. Now I HAD my mind made up to get the 1/2 brother. After all, we have already owned 3 other horses sired by their dad and they have all been great. I mean how many horses would let a dog ride on them like Moose did in this picture?
Then a friend I used to show horses with sent me a card with a note that she did have one I should look at. SURE, this puts a crimper in my panties!! I like him too! He's a black and white paint, white legs, a little white on his neck and under his throat, she calls him Deacon. He's pretty cute too with a really nice head and the prettiest blue black I've ever seen! The prices are similar so that's not even e deciding factor.

So today we are going to look at Moose's brother in person. I hope after seeing him, I will be know which one I want for sure. I have a feeling that's not going to be the case. This is the horse we are looking at today:So, we'll see what happens after today. Hopefully I will have a decision made and a new horse in the barn by Christmas. The stall is all ready for him and maybe, just maybe I can be in the barn on Christmas Eve at midnight and hear him talk....
There will never be another Moose though.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Alcohol ink Foil

I used a couple Technique Junkie techniques on this card. The oak leaf is AI foil that I cut out with a Spellbinder leaf die and the background paper with the wheat on, if my take on Altered DP. It was a very muted paper and I added my stamping to it. LOL It's really pretty strait forward. The stamps are a set Gina K offered free with purchase last month and the brads on the bottom are from Michaels. The DP is from a Hobby Lobby pack and the orange is punched with a Martha Stewart punch (gotta love those punches she does, I also love her Chicken Parmasan recipe....but that's another post! I should post it, it's the BEST I've ever had). Anyway, I edged the DP with my gold Krylon pen, I love that look, a layer without layering. I hope you enjoy.
If you aren't a Technique Junkie, I would recommend checking it out here. It's a great way to get all sorts of ideas and techniques for a lot less than a couple magazines with great step by step pictures.

Clean and Simple Daisy's-Painted Panels

I am totally into Kraft paper recently and love the look of coloring white on it. On this card I opted for clean and simple, I used SU's Top note, stamped Flourishes Gerber Daisey's (My favorite flower!) and colored with Prismacolor pencils. This is all layered on a white base that I did painted panel technique from Technique Junkies newsletter. I know you can't see it to well but the layers of white strips are there! AND I actually took this picture outside in real light hoping it would show up better.

I spent the whole weekend stamping so as soon as I get going, I have will have tons of new stuff to share so be sure to stop back.

A Season that Sparkles Challenge

Here is my entry for the Flourishes challenge, as always sparkly things are really hard to photograph. I embossed the the deer and greeting, rubbed Opalite ink on the Cuttlebug background and the snowflake (which is a mini-tree ornament) has glitter on it. Besides the satin ribbon and metallic green paper cut with a Spellbinder pendant is shiny too! Kraft paper...well I'm really into it right now. I sponged the edges with Walnut Distress ink.

Fall Anniversary

I have had this pumpkin stamp from Eureka for a couple years and just haven't been able to get it to look like I keep envisioning. I think I did pretty good this time, at least I like it.

I used my SU markers to color in the stamp, Pumpkin Pie on the pumpkin and Old Olive on the leaves. I misted the stamp just once and stamped it then cut it out with a labels nestie. Before I removed the die, I sponged Distress Old Paper on it. I layered that on a different label die in Artichoke CS. The DP from Hobby Lobby was layered on Red Riding Hood CS that I wrapped my great rafia lace arount. I stamped happy anniversary (Dream Impressions) on a smaller label die in Artichoke ink and did the sponging again. It's all topped off with a rafia bow. This is a 5 x 7 card.

I'm doing a lot of my cards that size, I was lucky to have received a BIG box of envelopes from a friend's mom who worked at Hallmark and 90% were that size.

Zindorf Inspired

If you have spent any time on Split Coast Stampers you must have seen some of Michelle Zindorf's creations. She takes so much time and does such great tutorials on her blog that is much appreciated by many. A while back she did a tutorial for a card similar to mine.

I didn't have all the colors she used inks I had mostly Distress inks and the shadow of the lighter mountains in the background are from mementoes gray and the tree is from Sunday International. I think the leaves coming off the tree onto the base is from Meer Images. The image piece is a 4 in square. I distressed the edge and rubbed Walnut distress ink on it. It's layered on a 5 inch base. I had planned on layering it a little more but really liked it without anything else but a few leaves trailing off stamped in Curry.

Then I did highlighting with a white pen on the trees, mountain tops and flowers in foreground.

I also made this one.

This one uses trees from I Brake for Stamps.

Which one do you like better?