Butterflies, Lambs and Llamas…

I have several cards to share with you from the May release from Our Daily Bread designs and then some pics of what’s keeping me so busy!

This first card was for the Sketch Challenge on Splitcoast this week.

I started by choosing which piece of the beautiful Blushing Rose Collection I wanted for my main panel and to emboss Belles Vignes onto. I inked up the beautiful corner image with  Versamark, then Ranger Distress Shabby Shutters and took Forest Moss to the edges  and a little of the corner. (although Distress inks usually stay wet long enough to emboss on their own, since this was a large image and I was applying the 2 inks, I gave them some help with the embossing ink!). I also used my MISTI so I’d be sure to get a good image.

I stamped Trois Jolis Papillons and Butterfly and Bugs in Memento Rich Cocoa, colored with Copics and cut with Trois Papillons and Butterfly and Bugs die. I separated the gate from Gilded Gate die and put the fence in the middle.
I wasn’t exactly sure where I wanted my sentiment, played around with different options and finally settled on using the smallest Vintage Labels die , and again using my MISTI, stamped a sentiment from Mini Tag Sentiments.

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This next card I wanted to make a scene from part of the 23rd Psalm.

I stamped and embossed Psalm 23 Script on a piece from Rustic Beauty Collection and trimmed it to fit the panel on the Side Step card from Fun and Fancy Folds.
I stamped The Shepherd and colored with Copics, then hand cut the lamb/daffodils and the shepherd’s hook.

For my “green pastures” I used Grass Border, Birds and Nest, Peaceful Poinsettias, Ornamental Crosses, and Fancy Foliage dies.

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May is a busy month for me because I start shearing the critters before it gets too hot. People always ask about “how and what” etc. so I took a couple of pictures as I went along.

This is Dapple, my very first baby born here. I love Appys (Appaloosa, just like in the horse world), and was so excited that my first baby was one!! Funny thing… his mama was pure white and his papa was black with a white tuxedo!

He’ll be 16 on the 25th of this month!

I start by using a real strong blower to get all the dust and vegetation out of the fiber. It really makes them FLUFFY!! Then I use electric clippers (hanging there). That 3-4 inch growth you see is what’s grown from last year! Sometimes if an animal isn’t being used for 4H or show, I’ll take them all the way down with a ‘nudie’ cut….they look so funny! I wasn’t quite ready to take all his neck fiber off just yet, maybe next year.

I did take a lot off his hind quarters though! It looked like he had a shaggy animal hanging from his hip!

He’s such a good boy…. he just stood there, probably saying Ahhhhhh… that feels so good!

Then…………………I let him out in the pasture with everyone else! Every time it’s the same.

“Oh, who’s the NEW llama?”, says Nyla.

“Ooooh, I don’t know”, says Chocolate… “I’m going to go check him out!”

“Stop it…. STOP IT!!!!! It’s ME, Dapple!!!”

Just a couple of minutes and the excitement was over…. no new faces, just old Dapple, LOL!

The dark one with the white neck, Chocolate was next, but I didn’t take pics of her afterward. She’s one of my 4H animals so you’ll be seeing lots of her! The fiber on her neck is easily 10 inches long!

Tomorrow is a 4H meeting so with the help of several of the kids I’ll get a couple more done!

Thanks for stopping by!

Dawn