Stampin! with Jaydee

Hi Everyone.

Happy Saturday and Happy Independence Day for my fellow American readers!

It's my turn to host the Addicted to CAS challenge this week and I decided to go with a patriotic theme.

We also have a new guest designer joining us, the very talented Kathy K from the Purple Princess Diaries blog.

Now... for my card.   I was really tempted to go with a 4th July card, but decided to use the red, white and blue colors and make a "celebrate" card.  I thought about summer and how many of us go to the coast, or the lakes and that led me to my choice of stamp set - By the Tide.   I waited well over a year to buy this stamp set as I wasn't sure I would use it..... well, I love it!  I love how versatile it is.

Happy Little Stampers is having a great challenge this month - it's all about stamping and, Loll was right, that challenge is perfect for this card.  So, I hope you will pop along and check out the challenge and play along.

Here's my card:

I began by using the second-generation stamping technique for the script stamp.  I wanted it to be Navy, but a lighter color.   I then stamped the coral stamp over the top using Real Red Ink.  The fish was stamped on to a piece of scrap Whisper White card stock and fussy cut.  It was then mounted on top of the coral with dimensional tape.  All that was left was to stamp the "celebrate" sentiment in Memento Black.  The front piece was mounted onto the card base using Fun Foam.

I hope that you will join us and play along with my challenge this week.  We would love to see what you create using this keyword.

On a personal note:

When our landscaper came along with native plants he brought a cactus.  Yep... a cactus.  Now, that probably doesn't sound strange to many of you living in the US.... but we live in Minnesota and I had never heard of a native cactus in Minnesota.  In fact, I laughed when he took it off the truck.   But, I decided to go with the flow and let him plant the thing!  yes... I referred to it as a "thing".  For two years the "thing" has sat amongst the rocks doing nothing other than make it difficult to weed around it as the spikes are sharp!

Imagine our surprise when we went into the garden and found this absolutely gorgeous, delicate, yellow flower bursting forth from the spikes.   Say hello to "Opuntia fragilis" or Fragile Prickly Pear.

Isn't that simply gorgeous?  If you look carefully at the outer petals you an see that they are almost translucent.   Absolutely STUNNING!  I cannot tell you how happy this flower made us.... we might have had to wait over two years, but it was so worth it!

Our jelly and orange feeding station continues to be a hive of activity.  Actually, it's like platform 9 3/4 on the first day before school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

There is a constant stream of woodpeckers, orioles and redbreasted grosbeaks as they wait their turn to feed their young.

Yesterday, there were 4 young Orioles and two exhausted parents trying to feed them!

It's tough to see, but you can just see the dark head of the male on the otherside of the orange.  It was wonderful to see the growing babies and watch them being fed.

I'll be back tomorrow with my Paper Players card.  In the meantime, warm hug and prayers for those of you who need a little lift tonight.  If you are traveling, travel safe.  Have a wonderful 4th July.

Hugs

Jaydee

Card recipe:

• Card stock:  Whisper White - thick
• Stamps:  By the Tide
• Inks:  Real Red, Night of Navy, Memento Black
• Tools:  Lil Inkers Stitched Rectangle Dies