Stampin! with Jaydee

Hi Everyone.  Happy Saturday.

It's the fabulous Nance's turn to host our Paper Players challenge this week - and it's a clean and simple challenge.

Well, I think when you look at my card you will see that I was very inspired by the challenge tile.  I decided to make a shaker card using my Papertrey Ink Feather Finery set.   I die-cut the front panel, backed it with acetate and added some wonderful gold and silver stars.  What a great way to celebrate a big birthday!

Here's a closeup of the negative space filled with silver and gold stars:

The Stampin' Up! strip foam is perfect for making shaker cards.  It has just the right amount of height to create a perfect well for shaker elements.

For the outside - which is all you are going to see at this stage :-) - I added nothering other than a sentiment of "congratulations"

Here's my full card:

I hope you will join us this week.  As usual, if you are looking for some amazing inspiration, you have to look no further than our wonderful design team:

• Claire
• Joanne
• Laurie
• LeAnne
• Nance 
•  Sandy
•  Elizabeth
• Jan
• Annie

On a personal note:

Some of you may have seen this post - and the photo of this little guy:

We caught him/her trying to steal what was left of the jelly and oranges for the Orioles/Woodpeckers/Grosbeaks/Finches/Robins, etc.  However, this little guy was tiny!   What we missed - at first - was the rest of his family.  I promise you, Lou and I sat at our dinette table and watched these guys and it was like watching the the keystone cops!  It was completely and utterly delightful.   We don't encourage them, but they are incredibly astute at finding food - and hungry Mommy's particularly.  They are incredibly intelligent animals and I felt so sorry for this mother.

The little kit that we saw was obviously the runt of the litter but that didn't stop him/her from trying to keep up with the rest of them.  I just wish I had video taped this interaction!

This was the next photo I captured..... I had chased it off the feeder on the east side of the deck - and he ran westward towards the rest of his/her family and climbed the deck rail to join them

You can see that Mom was only focused on food - and who can blame her!!!  he managed to join them - and then this happened... his/her siblings tried to help:

Phew... finally... part of the family - sorry the photo got a little grainy!

Now it's time to leave - but not without falling all over each other!

Simon Says... follow Mother right through the bird bath!

Hang on..... I don't move as fast as you lot.. remember... I'm the little guy!

No...really... wait for me!!!!

No.. really.... don't leave me!  Help!  I'm all alone.. .where are you guys?

Poor little thing was so hesitant.  The rest of his/her family had already exited stage east.... but he quickly caught up and Mom was waiting at the bottom of the stairs!  I know people trap and kill racoons, but I don't get it.  We have lived with them for years.  They have never done anything more than steal the occasional paw full of jelly - and distributed the jelly feeder about 20 feet away... but they are smart, intelligent, mammals, that are pretty amazing mother's with really clean habits.  When we create an environment where they are trapped, is when issues occur.  But they deserve to live in their little environment  - just as much as we do.  Watching this little family episode evolve was like watching the best of gatherings of our family and friends at Christmas and Thanksgiving..... maybe we aren't all as fast as each other; as rich as each other; as smart as each other; as successful as each other; but we are all family - and we support and help each other - and should be grateful for our parents! :-)

On that note.... I will be back later in the week with another card and some more nature shots!  In the meantime, warm hugs and prayers for those of you who need a little lift tonight - and... reach out and help someone.... you have no idea how much they might appreciate it - even if they don't say it!

Hugs

Jaydee