More Zoo

There were several camels at the Denver Zoo and these were more hairy than those we encountered up close and personal in Australia.  The ones we rode there (ours was named Nimrod) were very pleasant and we saw none of the reported bad habits like spitting, biting and kicking.  The camel trainer told us it's a matter of how they are treated.  We treated those camels to a newly-picked orange at the end of our ride to make sure they retain their happiness.

Denver Botanical Garden

We spent a couple hours strolling through the Denver Botanical Garden recently.  They have the grounds divided into different types of gardens and we saw all of them (including the children's rooftop garden) and took quite a number of photos.  The photo on the left is the original and although I like it, it seemed to be a good one for some blending.  I'll let that one speak for itself.

If you haven't visited the garden, I recommend it. 

Journal Page

Notice how the changing of seasons affects what we do?
Progress in my journal is slower than before because I now have to devote some time to yard duties but this is a finished page that I can share.  The background is stenciled with my gelli plate with some pan pastel added.  The flower petals are a die cut and I hand cut the stem and leaves.  I printed the text on my computer.  An art journal is a good place to experiment with various techniques before committing them to another project.

Also Rustic

This leaf caught my eye on a recent walk.  I was a bit amazed at how it was blown into the stems of the vine and probably remained there all winter.  But there were little signs of deterioration so perhaps it got blown there this spring.  In any event it was trapped and it provided nice contrast from its surroundings.  Soon it will be obscured by the greenery that grows on the vine.  Nature is amazing.

Embossed Label

This card was made with a Tim Holtz embossing folder.  I like the various levels of the embossing and the fact that it's done once through my Big Shot.  I used some pretty simple and classic embellishments for a spring look.  

Beautiful Burlap

Burlap seems to have been around forever and it has a rustic, country feel which is unique.  I wouldn't want to wear anything sewn with it but it's good for utilitarian purposes--and art.  I added paint to the background and used an unpainted strip for contrast.  The leaves are die cut, the butterfly punched and the flower is a commercial one.  What have you done with burlap recently?  It's quite popular right now.

Things To Be Happy About

More things that make me happy:

adventures shared with friends

Cadbury chocolate eggs

chocolate pudding

beautiful fabric

upbeat music

furry bunnies

acrylic paint

straight pins

deviled eggs

baskets