Critters and garden birdies

Morning all, we have a new challenge starting today at We Love Stamping as well Tag-Along (and ATC's). At the first Sarah chose the theme Christmas Critters and at Tags Pinky would like us to create Our own Backgrounds. Our prize at WLS is a very fitting collection of dies and digital download from Highlight Crafts and at Tags we have a lovely Studio Light tag set from AALL and Create.

When I saw Sarah's theme I knew exactly what I would make using Lavinia's Thistlewhisk and Robin sitting on the Streetlamp along with holly and berries to build the scene. All placed inside Craft Addiction Inverted Scallop frame. And it's snowing, lots of Posca white flicks! Linking to Try it on Tuesday Magical theme, Christmas Card Throwdown Mini Scene/shaped dies and Jingle Bells Not a Creature was Stirring and Christmas Crafts V&W - Wintertime

A second one using Lavinia's new Frost and Fable collection, I've had such fun with this release, the Hares are adorable and for this one a Fairy Forager perched on the front of the cart lighting the way, all inking with Versafine Clair and pastel pencil used to colour the Hare's coat as they seem to work well over black ink. Entering Favourite Christmas Critter (Hare) at As You Like It, Tic Tac Toe (animal, glitter, square) and Critter Crazy (Hare)

A tag within a tag cutting an aperture frame and stencilling sunrays for the background then Lavinia Dandelion, Summer Flower, Leaf Spray, a couple of Butterflies and a sentiment sticker to reflect the background. Linking to Stencils at Little Red Wagon and Outlawz Anything but a card.

The set of ATC's came about by chance when I had been using some TRR/Highlight animals and found a couple left on my desk so out they came again and I used some honeycomb pieces left from another project, same with the ATC bases which were Gelli Plate offcuts and stamping in the background with Penny Black Trailing. It's an A/G theme at ATC's Around the World so entering my set there,

A bookmark with a harlequin stencilled background, Lavinia Leaf Spray again, Sunflower and sentiment stickers and another of the Stamp Addicts tassels I found hidden away and trying to use up.

I also have a few photos which I took sitting watching footie last Sunday afternoon (we won!!), we'd had rain, the ground was wet so there was lots of frantic feeding going on. Above one of the pair of Jays, shy birds but so pretty. Not as clear as I'd like, my camera is rather poorly.

We have both Greater Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, above the former and just a couple of apple trees away the Green popped in for a peck at the bark. The Greater Spotted are far more timid than the Green and get easily scared away by the flash of the camera. 

It was a lovely afternoon of footie and bird watching, I always feel so blessed to see so much wildlife from the comfort of a chair indoors. Further across there were a pair of Moorhens, several Squirrels and just before dusk a Roe Deer wandered in to feed on the fallen Quince's, I wasn't quick enough for a photo of that!