Saturday 19 February 2022

"I love...." and a hint of Spring in the garden this week


Morning everyone, Allsorts challenge time again and this week Lynn has chosen the theme of "I love....", a chance to indulge in your favourite crafty loves. We welcome Oakwood Archer to our challenge who will be sending this weeks winner a surprise package of goodies. Their new Spring releases are being launched on The Craft Store on Monday 21st at 9am and 1pm.

And on the subject of Spring which is one of my other 'I loves,' I have a few photos of what's happening around the garden and paddocks this week, gales aside there are distinct signs of it being on the way.

As an Oakwood DT I am sharing a couple of recent makes for Monday's TV shows. Above using Little Critters and Rose Garden stamps and coordinating dies along with sentiments. An Oxide background, stamping using Oakwood Mixed Media Textures. Roses, two die cut hexagons and some washi tape and wordage to finish.


For this one I used the new Iris and Spring Verse, they are pretty large stamps and the verse which is A5 makes a great background. Here I used a reverse mask around the Iris and stamped the verse through the mask, then using a piece of torn paper to cover the card stamped down the edges.  


I just love Snowdrops growing in the undergrowth as with these in the top paddock hedgerow and a few Daffodils just peeking up behind. It's their normal habitat if one goes back over the years, they were first spotted in the UK in the 18th Century and believed to have been imported from the Continent where they grow wild in meadows and woods liking a damp climate. So in theory hedgerows and wooded areas are perfect habitats for them.


Two different varieties of Hellebore, the top one nestled into the undergrowth close to the Snowdrops and below in one of the flower beds.



One of the young Viburnum Tinus which usually flowers in April but well on it's way into bloom.


Primulas need no introduction, they've been rather battered by all the rain and winds but still glorious colours and below a few more Snowdrops, these are in a shrub bed.


Spring is clearly very early this year, some of the Daffodils are just beginning to show colour and will be ready to be picked in a few days. Let's just hope the weather gets the idea and the sun makes an appearance.


If you are still with me, a couple of photos taken through the kitchen window yesterday of a pair of Squirrels clearly terrified of the gales, the one in the tree sat immobile in that position for a good couple of hours, meanwhile his mate scuttled about under a Beech although the photos not as clear as it could be.


Have a good weekend and thanks as always for your visits.
 
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36 comments:

kiwimeskreations said...

Love your cards Brenda - the roses with the hexagons are an amazing combination, and your use of masking on the second card is so innovative!
Wonderful garden photos too - that bi-coloured hellebore is stunning.
Stay safe
Blessings
Maxine

meg said...

Beautiful florals in wonderful colours,love your backgrounds and finished cards.Fantastic pics of your garden and wildlife visitors

Crafting Queen said...

Wonderful cards Brenda. Your flowers looks b eautiful. My kitties would love your furry visitor. Have a great weekend. Anesha x

Mervi said...

Gorgeous cards, my fave is the rosy one, stunning.
Oh my, you got spring and flowers, we have a meter of snow allover;-))m

Gerrina said...

The art is beautifully and colourfull, but I love the photo's! Here the snowdrops at their end and the dafodills and crocusses are blooming already. Enjoy the weekend!

Pauline C said...

Two gorgeous cards Brenda .. the first one is a beautiful combo of detailed stamping and dies, and I love the new stamp on the second one, plus how you have stamped text through it, plus the wavy edge to the edge text .. must try that! Fab pictures of the flowers and squirrels .. hope everything is still standing after yesterday’s storm and spring is on its way!
Pauline x

Stamps and Paper said...

Beautiful cards as always Brenda…your garden flowers are lovely..it’s so nice to see some flowers in the garden…roll on Spring

Anne

Sandra H said...

Beautiful cards and post your squirrel looks very big must be feeding them well x

Conny said...

Wonderful photos, Brenda! Love the flowers and the backgrounds of your cards!

Hugs,
Conny

Pat said...

Beautiful cards Brenda, I love the Iris image. Lovely photos too of the snowdrops, ours are round the pond but they are being covered at the moment by the snow which is falling quite heavily, a change from the wind of yesterday. Have a good weekend.

Pat xx

Sarn said...

Your cards are beautiful Brenda. I'm particularly taken with the first one as I love the inky background with the stunning flowers on top!

Thanks for sharing your lovely garden photo's. Spring is definitely on the way! xxx

Lynne said...

Two fabulous cards Brenda and I love how you've masked with torn paper on the second. I too like to see snowdrops, they look so dainty and look lovely when they grow in abundance x

Rainey's Craft Room said...

Such lovely floral cards Brenda and lovely photos of Spring in your garden. I hope you escaped any damage from yesterdays Storm Eunice - we found the greenhouse door had come off it's runners and blown across the garden but no severe damage.
Lorraine

Chris said...

I love the spring too- just can't wait for it to get a bit warmer and I don't think the plants can either- buds already opening on the camellia which is at least a month early, we have snowdrops, crocus, hellebores all in bloom and even a yellow rose, the daffodils aren't far behind them.
Your cards today are, as always, beautiful!
xx

crafty-stamper said...

Both beautiful cards and stamps,great background on the first and love how you stamped onto the flower through the mask,our snowdrops are all in flower but no sign of the daffs yet but too cold and wet to really check! Your Hellebore are absolutely beautiful always had these on my wish list but never got any :(
Carol x

Alice (scrAPpamondo) said...

Poveri scoiattoli!!! E chissà gli uccellini! Questa terribile tempesta è sicuramente un danno per la natura e gli animaletti del bosco! Spero che ora si sia quietata. I fiori del tuo giardino sono bellissimi, anche qui iniziano a vedersi le prime gemme degli alberi e i mandorli sono in fiore, così come la mimosa.
La tua card richiama davvero la Primavera con quella bella tonalità di verde e il giallo luminoso. Mi piace molto come usi il washi tape strappato nella sua lunghezza, devo provarci.
Molto interessante e creativa la card con l'iris, tu hai sempre una tecnica nella manica per stupirci con effetti speciali! :)E il fiocchetto giallo e nero la rifinisce alla perfezione.
Ti auguro un weekend di serenità e possibilmente un po' di sole nel tuo paradiso.

Carole said...

Two beautiful cards as usual Brenda. Love the designs, clever masking in the second one, but for me the star is the rose. Lovely photos to of your flowers, they do seem early this year but it is nice to see them even though it makes one realise the work in the garden waiting for dryer days! xx

Dena J said...

LOVE the iris card!! One of my favorite flowers. I have two patches in the garden - they are a few inches of green sprout right now. Beautiful pictures.

cuilliesocks said...

Hi Brenda, what a lovely post, your photos are fabulous. Your plants are really well on, no sign of my bulbs flowering yet. Your squirrels are real cute.
A lovely card, beautifully designed and a pretty floral image, keep safe, Kate x

Fikreta said...

So wonderful cards !
lovely photos!

Mrs.B said...

I love the yellow rose card Brenda, love the design with the die cuts and stamping the verse onto the flower adds a great interest. Lovely photos of the spring flowers - my snowdrops are all showing but no sign of flowers yet on the Hellebore.
Hope you're staying safe in these storms.
Avril xx

KarinsArtScrap said...

beautiful flowers and cards Brenda. and what great photo's and flowers.
I love Hellebore I have 3
Gr Karin

Craftyfield said...

Gorgeous cards, as usual, a perfect mix of grunge and and beauty! I enjoy your garden pictures too, as mine is small and quite uninteresting! We had a terrible time on Friday with that wind and no electricity for most of the day. Glad it's over! x

Vee Cassidy said...

Lovely cards and great pics. Spring feels far away at moment as, over the past few days, we have had snow, hail,gales but we did not get the worst of it. Vee xx

Ellibelle said...

So nice to see a sign of spring in your garden. I am amazed at all the things already growing! Spring surely came early over there! Meanwhile we received another few inches of snow on Thursday so everything is covered with a blanket of snow. Sometimes I feel like this winter lasts forever!!

Your cards are all so gorgeous and I can clearly see all the things you love!

Linby said...

Your decoupage on the first card is so pretty against the inky background. Love the way you continued the text through the flower on the second one.

HilaryJane said...

Love your cards this week, especially the second one. thanks for sharing some pictures of your garden, that's always special. I am going to check out that background verse stamp xx

Lisa Lynn said...

Those are both lovely cards and great pictures. You have such wonderful backgrounds on your cards.

aussie aNNie said...

wow these are beautiful, great designs and colours....♥

Wendy L said...

Gorgeous cards Brenda. The colour of the primrose is amazing, lovely pics, xx

KraftyKoolKat said...

Such gorgeous creations Brenda. I love the techniques you have used on the iris card. Your garden photos look amazing too.
Hugs
Cathy
xxxx

SewPaperPaint said...

The cards are gorgeous and the flowers are too! Sending love and hugs your way. xx, Autumn

Greta said...

Love seeing your nature pictures, Brenda! Spring is such a beautiful season with all the new blooms! I see daffodils & snowdrops blooming here now, so we're having an early spring, too. Not sure the below freezing temps this week are going to be good for them, but at least it's sunny! Such pretty cards! I especially love the first one!

Tina Z. said...

ohh, such beautiful cards and photos ... we have the same here, Spring is slowly arriving ...

Aimeslee Winans said...

Beautiful flowers and cards - love the yellow roses, xoxo

Stamps and Paper said...

Beautiful floral cards Brenda

Anne