Butterfly note card

Hello again, it is a CHILLY 26 degrees here today and I'm really dreaming about summer!  The seed catalogs have started to arrive and my garden plans have begun.  Can't wait.

Here is one last card that I made using the postcard technique shown earlier this week.

 On this particular card after I used a brayer to apply the Tsukineko Kaleidacolor ink in the "Tomato Vine" colors and sprayed it with water, I dried the paper with a heat gun.

  Then I put some water on my fingers and flicked it on to the watercolor paper panel.  The longer you allow the water to sit the more ink will be removed.  I allowed it to sit for about 30 seconds, applied some heat from my gun and then blotted it with a paper towel.  When this was completely dry, I stamped it with a phrase stamp by Rubber Stampede and Impression Obsessions Gardening Tools stamp.  StazOn Black ink is my favorite permanent ink.  After this was completely dry I glued the card to a black piece of card stock and then adhered the entire panel to a blank white card.  I tied an orange and white piece of bakers twine on to the cards crease.  The final touch was Tsukineko Goosebumps applied just to the butterfly for a little extra texture.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Please leave a comment if you have time, I love hearing what you think.  Have a great day and stay warm!

My Garden

When we first moved to Mass. from Calif. and realized that we could actually have a yard that was bigger than 30' by 40', I told my husband I really wanted to have a garden.  I had never grown anything.  In fact my gardener in Calif. had forbidden me to plant anything in the yard.  He told me if I wanted anything changed out just set the new plants in the general area and he would take care of it.  It seemed like everything I stuck in the ground died.  I had a purple thumb.  I was too afraid to argue with the gardener, I was afraid he would quit.
When Joe installed my garden here, being the tidy little guy that he is, he built boxes for the plantings.  He was careful to measure how far I could reach (you know how he is) and then made sure I could access each box from either side.  He measured the walk ways in between the boxes so the wheel barrow could roll through without difficulty.  Then he installed a fountain in the center so the birds would come and take a bath in the summer.  Perfect.
I have enjoyed that garden for 11 years now.  Every year I try to plant it out in different colors.  Sometimes in purples and pinks, one year it was all white flowers, this year it was pretty miscellaneous.  It is starting to wind down now that the seasons are changing.  We're putting a few of the beds to rest and cleaning up all the tomatoes that the chipmunks have dragged and stuffed everywhere.  Last night we built a fire in the fire pit and made S'mores with Lanie and her parents.  Lanie, who is four, thought we were camping out.  Nope, just looking at the stars and listening to the tree frogs for a little while longer.

In about another month the rest of my flowers will be wiped out with the first hard frost.  Then I'll dig up the Dahlias, store them in the basement and put everything to bed until next year.  I'm already thinking about what color my garden will be next year.