Newly hatched chicks, new Artisan designs and mid month shares

This was 'hatch day' on Thursday 4th July, three eggs produced three perfectly hatched chicks (see further down post for the update)

It's mid month inspiration time at Penny Black and More and Stamping Sensations challenges where our themes are 'Summer colours and 'The Earth Laughs in Flowers'.

I have indulged again with my PB's this time from the just released 'Dreaming' range of stamps and dies, there are quite a few scenic images so I couldn't resist and they arrived from John across the pond a few days ago.

This one is called Paradise and isn't it just, I could while away my time there quite easily, in my head it's the Caribbean as that's just how I always remember the sunsets on our visits. A simple to create card, stamped the image with Versafine Clair, placed a circle mask for the sun and added colour with Pan Pastels. Finally a some birds and leaves which are also PB.

This is one of my samples for Pete's Artisan Designs shows on Hochanda on Sunday 21st July, this release of stamps is a little bit different and were a delight to work with,  the shows are at 10am and 2pm so please do make a note to tune in. 

My Stamping Sensations uses an image from Crafty Individual our sponsor, stamped onto an Oxide background and coloured in, I them created the frame using the same colour Oxides and stamped CI Dragonflies, cut a circle in the centre and mounted onto the base card. The sentiment is computer generated.

We have loads of birds nesting around the gardens, Pigeon's in the pergola and top paddock, Wrens and countless Sparrows in the courtyard, Bullfinches and Robins in the back shrubbery along with several families of Great Tits, Green Woodpeckers with two young, Swifts in one of the stables, two pairs of Jay's in the front hedges, Magpies in the tall conifers, Moorhen's in the pond as well as several pairs of Blackbirds, numerous Starlings and a pair of Honey Buzzards with one youngster. And probably a few species I've forgotten but gives you an idea of the abundance of birds we have.

But try and I may I can never get decent photos as my hands are too shaky, but one pair of Blackbirds played right into my hands with this precariously positioned nest in the top of a shrub just below one of the bedroom windows.

And just eleven days later on Monday 15th July,  still three of them although only two are visible, the other is underneath but all three beaks soon appear when Mum or Dad bring the food. And as I write this post on 17th I can confirm they have had their maiden flights and left the nest.

Isn't Nature wonderful and we feel so privileged to witness so much wildlife in our own back garden, there is a healthy population of most of the usual garden four legged wildlife, Rabbits apleny much to hubby's annoyance as they plunder the veggie gardens, Red and Muntjak Deer venture out of the thicket into the orchard when they are feeling brave and of course there is the Fox. Sadly the latter has taken to daytime visits with his young teaching them the ropes and our chicken and duck population has suffered in recent weeks, but they are free range (shut up at night of course) and you can't warn hens about the dangers of going too far! 

 

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