Blog Hop with StencilGirl and Lost Coast Designs...

I'm so glad you've come along for another fun blog hop. Can you believe we've got 15 stops on this hop!  Wow!!!

Today I'm using some StencilGirl stencils along with Lost Coast Designs rubber stamps.

It's been a while since I played with my Gelli Plate, so I decided to get it out for some fun!

I used the Joy (dictionary page) rubber stamp on the Gelli plate to get a bit of text (and texture) onto my background.





Using Pam Carriker's Journal Texture #1 stencil and Journal Texture #2 stencil I added some additional texture while also lightening up the page. 

Being in that circle mood, I decided to pull out Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch's Bubbles Stencil to add another layer.

Looking at this, you might not know that I do in fact have a lot of paintbrushes...but, sometimes there's nothing like a little finger painting! I just squirt a drop of the selected colour onto my finger and make marks!  I got so carried away with this that I'm afraid I forgot to take any more pictures during the process, but you'll see them in the final shots.


Using Lost Coast's Shrubbery stamp (this comes in two different sizes), I added some background grasses to the lower part of the pages using StazOn Timber Brown.  I then loosely doodled over the design using both permanent black and white pens to add more layers and depth the that areas too.

I added the Feather Bird stamp  using black StazOn and quickly applied black embossing powder while the ink was still wet.  I like how the embossing powder gives this fun, wonky bird more depth and a nice shine!

 Bird Bones stamp was added on the other page of the spread, and I used a fine black pen to extend the branch to the edge of the page, and also to 'finish' it at the end that extends into the page.

A message was added using a black Copic brush tip marker.  I added shadow to the text using a grey Copic and gave the letters some highlighting with my white Signo.  The white pen was also used to randomly trace around some of the circles that had been made with the stencils in the earlier part of the process.

A red Copic was used to make dotted lines to 'cross out' the skeletal bird....*








And there you have it...

[*no actual birds were harmed in the making of this art journal spread!]

One lucky winner will get two 9"x12" StencilGirl stencils 
and a $25 gift certificate from Lost Coast Designs!

All comments left on the hop are eligible for the giveaway so 

the more blogs you comment on, the more chances you will have to win. 

Have fun and GOOD LUCK!

Please Note: Although this is considered a one day hop, 

you have the ENTIRE week to comment to win the prize.

The giveaway will close on Sunday, March 30th at 11:59PM Central Time. 

Blog Hop Order

StencilGirl Talk

LeighSBDesigns

Mary Beth Shaw

Mary Nasser

Cherri Robb

Judy Shea

Bibiana Martinez-Ziegler

Linda Kittmer- You are here

Carolyn Dube-Your next stop...

Leslie B. Turner

Janet Joehlin

Karen McAlpine

Leslie Tucker Jenison

DominoARTblog

Lindsay Weirich

Maria McGuire

Downy Woodpeckers...

As I've said before, you just never know what you might see at our cottage.  Today's post features the beautiful Downy Woodpecker.  As you can see, this female has learned that the hummingbird feeder is a great place for a sweet drink.

The woodpeckers also enjoy the peanuts we put out on the railing. Here the male is helping himself.

In the next several shots you see an adult (l) feeding the youth (r).  Although he's adult sized, this 'big baby' cries for his food and is quite persistent until he's fed!

The Elusive Kingfisher...

I find the Kingfisher such a fascinating bird, but they are also very hard to photograph because they seem very shy and move so quickly.  Having said that, the other day I was finally able to get a few good shots.  Here are a couple of them:

"Beautiful Napkins" Swap

In a recent art journal spread, inspired by a class in 21 Secrets by Cathy Bluteau, I used some flowers in my collage which I had cut out of napkins.  You can see the original napkins in the photo to the right, and how they were used in the close up shots below. 

Although they are a wonderful source of lovely collage elements, it gets expensive to have to buy a whole package and only use one or two images in your arts, so...  

I've decided to hold a "Beautiful Napkin Swap" of napkins that have flowers or birds on them.  What I would ask everyone to do, is go out and buy a package of pretty napkins that have either birds or flowers (or both) on them.  Take one of the napkins out to keep for yourself, and then mail the rest of the package to me.  I will gather all of them up, divide them among all of the participants, and mail you a mixed package of assorted beautiful napkins.  If you're interested, please send me an email (click on 'view my complete profile' at the right, under my profile picture and then click on the email link under my picture on the next page that comes up).  Once I get your email I will send you all of the details, including where to send your napkins.

Cottage Creatures

I've been taking a lot of wildlife shots over the summer and I thought I'd share a few more.  It's really incredible to see all of these wonderful animals, either right near our cottage, or on our boat rides on the lake.  We are so fortunate. 'sigh'

Mink

The hungry baby Robins.  This nest was at the back door of our friend's cottage, on their electric meter.

Momma Robin

A snapping turtle sunning on a hot day.

A baby loon stretching his wings.

Young loons with a parent (not sure if this is Momma or Poppa).  The little ones are a few weeks old now.

The young loon is getting bigger.  In this photo it's about a month or so old.

Feeding time: the young loon is eating a fish!

Young loon continues to grow and is beginning to take on the light colouring of the adult's
winter coat which it will keep until it darken to black next spring.

Gull, dreaming of Egypt

A rabbit getting a drink in the lake.

We saw this beaver eating the bark of this birch for about a week straight.
Every evening around 7:30 he'd be out there eating.

Dragonfly along for a boat ride.

A dock spider that's hitched a ride in the back of the boat.

These photos are being linked to Photo Show Off, Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Our World Tuesday, This or That Thursdays, Shoot, Edit, Submit, Fabulous Friday and Photo Friday Link Party.

Poppa's Gift

We are so fortunate to see the wonderful things we see at our cottage.  Today, I'm sharing a photo of a male Grosbeak feeding one of it's young.  The young sit up in the tree and cry, waiting for poppa to come up and feed them the sunflower seeds he gets from our feeder. It's interesting to note that we have only every seen the male doing the feedings.  Also, you can see that the young are as big as he is.  Perhaps it's time for them to start visiting the feeder themselves.

This photo is being linked to Photo Show Off, Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Our World Tuesday, This or That Thursdays, Photo Art Friday, Shoot, Edit, Submit, Fabulous Friday and Photo Friday Link Party.

The Birds and the Bees and Happenings in the Trees

The Birds:

Male Grosbeak and House Finch sharing the feeder

Male Purple Finch (looks red to me...)

Female Grosbeak

Male Gold Finch

Chickedee

Male Ruby-throated Humming Bird

And the Bees:

And...

A Pair of Red Squirrels (applied Kim Klassen's 'Nature's Beauty' texture)

Is this natural enough for you Kim? ;D

These photos are being linked to The Bird D'pot, Photo Show Off, Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday, Our World Tuesday, Wild Bird Wednesday, This or That Thursdays, Photo Art Friday, Shoot, Edit, Submit, Fabulous Friday, Flower Art Friday and Photo Friday Link Party.