ooo-To Every Season-ooo

It's always a little sad putting down the garden at the end of the season.

The summer of 2014 was certainly one of the better ones for my flowers this year.

They were colourful and seemed to last much longer (probably because of the cool temps and rain). 

I had many compliments on how nice it looked (which for an amateur, "do the minimum gardener" like me is pretty flattering). 

So I find taking the clippers to it all a little ruthless - and timing is never certain - we could get another run of warm weather next week! However the fact it was 27 F this morning (yep) and frosty convinced me today was the day. I learned my lesson the year I left it too long (ugh, a lot of mushy leaves to contend with).

The one good thing I can take away from it all is this. I've had my garden several years now and it always comes back - may be not as nice as this year but it always returns.

Nature is pretty awesome that way... Enjoy. Jewels

You say Asemic...

Say what LOL? Leslie introduced me to this in one of her recent posts: a wordless open semantic form of writing (yep you can find it in Wikipedia). When I saw what she was doing with a Karen Isaacson swap I asked if she and I could exchange.

Here is the close up of her writing....

And the full postcard she mailed me - love it!

Here is my writing (with a few bleep, bleeps) because of the graphic I used.

Calling all Cars! I found this story in an old Popular Mechanics about the latest technology being used by New York Police - what a hoot! Just thought there may have been a little frustration going on with this new fangle thing hence the bleeps (can you see these two stopping any major crimes - I don't especially the gentleman to the right LOL). How far we have come.

This was a lot of fun and I plan to do more in the future. Thanks Leslie! Enjoy. Jewels.

Mennonite Envelopes +++ Part 2

  

Jo and Lenna's envelopes - they were both different and quite beautiful!

Lenna's arrived first before she flew off to see Frieda in Scotland (lucky girl).

Lots of detail on the outside...

And a lovely letter on the inside!

Jo, clever girl, put hers in one of those cellophane covers to protect it coming over the ocean. There is a vintage stamp on it she was concerned would confuse the posties!

Juicy colours all over

And a whimsical picture inside (heh, that could be me and Mr. D lol)....

Next challenge is a "one staple collage"....Enjoy. Jewels 

Mennonite Envelopes ++Part 1

Who knew??? Certainly not me (google it for more info) ....Jo suggested this for our last mail swap. Mine have arrived safely to her and Lenna so I can show you. Jo was inspired by this post...

You start with a page from a magazine (I used covers from some old Better Home and Gardens as they had some weight to them). 

Paint, stamp, draw your little heart out both sides. 

Start folding…

It looks more confusing (maybe) then it really is…

I practiced on some Stampington magazine pages first.

To get the hang of it…

I also got the book (second hand cheap) that has the instructions…

Once the folding is done you know where to place additional art work (I kept to the middle “square” as I did not know how well the graphics would fold). This was Lenna’s – grumpy old lady (not Lenna silly, the woman in the picture)…

And had a funny fortune cookie saying that went along.

Here is how I placed her.

The same for Jo’s – another great fortune cookie saying...

That went great with the ad LOL! I swear I have some kind of warped humour...

So it comes out like this when done! The back…

And the front…I was nervous about it actually making it through the post (especially to England) so I did some extra taping … just  hoped that both of my Peeps were able to figure out how to open in one piece (whew)!

Next challenge is the “one staple collage” – see more here!  Enjoy…Jewels

Maple Hill Journey

Over the last two years I have made many changes to my home. Once I decided to stay I new I had work to do. Everything from making it more energy efficient, redoing the garage, much needed repairs, colorful, vintage, artsy - all those things that make it mine. I had created a Vision Board back in early 2013 and have stuck with it. There are still a few things to be done (next year, a rustic Potting Shed!) but pretty much cosmetic now. 

Today I was going through some things and found this old picture when the house was purchased in 2000 - it was built in 1979 and we purchased from the original owner. 

What a transformation - it hardly looks like the same place. In a few corners you still find traces of the original red paint - but nothing else remains. Needless to say, I am very very very happy! Enjoy. Jewels

Summer of Colour 2014 Wrap Up

The party's over for another year - but it was one heck of a party! Here are all my Boys of Summer postcards together...have to put my thinking cap on for next year - sadly I have 12 months to think about it LOL...

Thanks a gazillion to Kristin over at Twinkle Twinkle!
(in case you are wondering, I used PicMonkey to create my collage - it is FREE)... Enjoy. Jewels

Summer of Colour - Raspberry, Tangerine, Lemon

Last week of Summer of Colour – time flies when you are having fun! So here is my last Boys of Summer installment.

Hank and Gordon have had a bromance since grade school. They’ve known each other since they’re moms met in the local SuperSave oh so many years ago…

Over the years they’ve become renown in the neighborhood for their BBQ’s . “We make the best pork ribs in town” Hank boasts. Their wives Angie and Dolly can’t agree more (and are grateful for the summer reprieve from having to do all the cooking).

But it has not always been this way – we don’t talk about the kerosene incident a few years back when Gordon committed a serious lack of judgment (“It was all I could find in the garage” he says with a sheepish grin). 

Yes the colors are raspberry, tangerine and lemon (pic does not quite show it) – another gesso textured background. The graphics/text actually are a raspberry colour – found in a Betty Crocker Outdoor Cook Book. Snuck some washi tape in as well… Wow six weeks went incredibly fast! I enjoyed all the color matches Kristin gave us and cannot wait till next year! Enjoy. Jewels