Saturday, July 27, 2013

Summertime Flowers . . .

Happy Weekend my friends!
(Warning:  This post is photo heavy!)

Time is going by so quickly it seems, but I'm truly enjoying my summertime flowers this year!  I have some photos to share with you but first I want to share the card I made for the current challenge at Joan's Gardens.  This week Joan has asked us to use:
  • Have three dimensional flowers with greenery
  • Use a Floral Design Paper
  • Use A doily
  • You must use a product sold at Joan's Gardens.
    Also, link back to Joan's Gardens Challenge.

  • Note the coordinating envelope in the background.
    (below is a peek at the inside)

    This was a fun creation to 'toss' together.  Really ... I TOSSED this one together from pieces & parts I had laying on my work table.  I had started the card base for a project over at Crafty Secrets (using their new digital design paper) but moved onto something different.  The flower is one I made with the gals out at Joan's Gardens last week (using Heartfelt Creations die & stamps).  I did have to die cut the doilies and butterflies but that took what ... all of 2 or 3 minutes! LOL!

    A few other challenges:
    613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes w/matching envelope
    Great Impressions Stamps - July Anything Goes
    Penny Black & More Challenge - Die Cuts and Punches
    Creative Creations - Anything Goes

    I have LOVED flowers from the time I was a little girl!  My dad had a fabulous 'green thumb' and I was always watching how he planted and tended to his beautiful flower garden in the center of our semi-circular driveway.  And back then there were lots of beautiful butterflies to watch as they gathered nectar from all the different flowers he had planted.  Here's a few of my flowers  ...

    I just love the Morning Glories in bloom.  They have reseeded themselves to the point of taking over the side of the garage ... but they are so beautiful in the morning!

    I've positioned a few trellis here and there to give them a place to climb besides chocking out my other summer flowers ... i.e. Liatris, Asters, my poor rosebush!  LOL

     In the spring I love planting wave petunias both on the back deck on around the front of our home!  The sweet smell of the petunias encourage the hummingbirds and the color encourages the butterflies.  So nice to sit out on the deck, enjoy our coffee and watch not only the birds and squirrels in our wooded picnic area but the close up view of anything visiting our flower boxes/pots.



    As you can see, pinks & purples are my favorite colors around the house.  You'll see a few reds or yellows but mostly PURPLES ... my favorite color!

    To the right you see my deck flowers.  This corner pot of Speed Well, Verbena & Pentunias has been beautiful all summer.  The bottom photo I took just yesterday morning as we sat outside enjoying the cool morning with a cup of coffee.  I'm hoping the Speed Well will survive the winter and come back again next year.

    My flower boxes certainly filled in nicely also.  I don't know about you ... but this just MAKES ME HAPPY!!

     


    As you can see the front of the house is also adorned with pinks & purples.  This photo was taken earlier in the summer and right now these pots are TOTALLY covered with shades of purple wave petunias and the hanging baskets are twice this size.  



     

     
    Another plant I have love having in our landscape ... not only for it's beautiful wispy appearance, but it's lovely aroma ... is the Lavender.  We have 4 or 5 scattered throughout the front and it just smells HEAVENLY!!!  I was also amazed this year at how beautiful our purple Cone Flowers were.  This clump tripled in size from last year to this year.  
    Isn't Mother Nature wonderful!?!

     Well, by now you've probably had enough of my blabbering on and on about my flowers but I'm just so darn thrilled with them that I had to share it with someone!  LOL!!   Thanks so much for hanging in there and letting me share. I hope you're having a wonderful weekend and will stop back again soon.

    As Always . . .

    Recipe for my card:
    Papers:  SU Purely Pomegranate cs, Crafty Secrets digital design paper, kraft cs, ivory cs
    Stamps:  Heartfelt Creations 'HCPC3533' Sun Kissed Fleur PreCut Set, My Sentiments Exactly '0295'
    Inks:  SU Blue Bayou, SU Purely Pomegranate, Tim Holtz 'peeled paint' distress ink
    Accessories:  Heartfelt Creations 'HCD734' Sun Kissed Fleur die, Heartfelt Creations 'HCD736' Classic Leaf die, Cheery Lynn Designs 'DL112' Exotic Butterflies Small die set, Cheery Lynn Designs 'DL102' French Pastry die, Memory Box '98154' Whimsy Circle die, Sizzix - Susan Tierney Cockburn  Flower Making kit, large sponge dauber

    17 comments:

    1. Oh wow Darlene, you have a beautiful home in such serene surroundings. Your flowers are breathtaking. Adore your wonderful card as well.
      Hugs Desíre {Doing Life}

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    2. Hi Darlene, Your garden in so beautiful, I love my garden flowers this year and to my surprise my jasmine is producing berry like fruits? We also adore the birds that visit our garden, but nothing as exotic as humming birds, wow being so close to them must be amazing.
      I'm also loving your card, its darling!
      Thank you for playing along with us at the Fashionista challenge, good luck and enjoy your beautiful garden.
      cuddles Jay xx

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    3. Your flowers are gorgeous!
      Pam
      scrap-n-sewgranny.blogspot.com

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    4. WOW WOW WOW look at all those flowers!!! Your yard and garden is gorgeous and your card is right up there with all that beauty! Boy I sure wouldn't want to show you my garden/grass. It is all dried up and brown with all this heat we have been having. You would think with all the rain we have been having it wouldn't be...FYI My thumbs are Black..not green That could explain it!! LOL

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    5. fab card,
      thanks for playing with us at fashionista
      hugs
      céline

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    6. Oh, your garden is just beautiful, I loved the pictures of the flowers. And the card fitted so perfect to the theme :)
      A really wonderful card, thanks for joining the Fashionista Challenge with it. Hugs from Lisbeth

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    7. Beautiful card Dar, gorgeous flowers (both the card and the real thing)...it looks so pretty and peaceful, I just want to come and hang out there and enjoy the beauty!!

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    8. Darlene, first of all your card is beautiful. The colors are so pretty and great job on using the doily for your background. Great job!

      Secondly, your flowers are gorgeous and your landscaping looks wonderful!
      I bet your neighbors love driving by your house and enjoying all your handwork. Beautiful!!!

      Thanks so much for joining us at Joan's Gardens for our weekly challenge.
      Joan
      www.atjoansgardens.com

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    9. This is a gorgeous car. The colors you used are spot on. Thanks for joining us at Great Impressions! Be sure to check back for the next challenge

      Hugs
      Monica

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    10. so beautiful!!! Love everything about it! Thanks for playing along with us at Creative Creations Challenges with our 'Anything Goes' challenge! Good Luck, remember you can enter upto three times and we have a DT call :) Hope to see you again soon xxx

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    11. Wow, your home is gorgeous as is your card. Lovin' all the flowers everywhere.

      Mary Anne, Great Impressions DT

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    12. Hi,fabulous card, beautiful die cuts.
      and your flowers are gorgeous!
      Thanks for sharing at Penny Black and more;-))m

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    13. Lovely card, thanks for joining us at Creative Creations Challenges this week
      Kate xxx
      CCC DT

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    14. Pretty, pretty, pretty! Love the vintage feel of this lovely card!

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    15. very pretty! everything really pops and the paper gives it all a vintage look. thank you so much for playing along with us this month at penny black and more.
      linda

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    16. Very pretty card, love those butterflies
      Thanks for joining in with our "With Wings" challenge over at Fashionista Challenges and good luck
      Julie x
      My blog
      Lacy Sunshine DT member
      Crafty Friends DT member
      Brown Sugar Challenges DT member
      Digi Darla DT member
      Fashionista DT member
      Pennys Challenges DT member

      ReplyDelete

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