Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Last Day of CDS Sneak Peeks

Good Morning! Today, I'm sharing another supercute stamp set by Clear Dollar Stamps, called "Porch Conversations". This stamp sets offers a larger stamp of the front porch and swing and is ideal for watercoloring or Copic coloring. This sample that I made for "Porch Conversations" was another case of having fallen in love with the designer paper and was just itching to use it and waiting for the perfect occasion. Well, when "Porch Conversations" came to my mailbox, I knew that the occasion had come! The floral background and checked bottom would compliment the lovely image illustrated by Laurie Wilson. The main image was watercolored with Derwent Watercolor Pencils for a soft and summery look. And when I finished with watercoloring the image and sewing it all together, I added the computer-generated sentiment "Smile!" to the card as who wouldn't smile sitting on that front porch? "Porch Conversations" can be purchased July 1st at www.newcleardollarstamps.com. For other samples of "Porch Conversations" by my fellow CDS Design Teammates, visit Candy Fosta, Stacy Morgan, Kim Teasdale, Tori Wild & Laurie Wilson.

Stamps Used: Clear Dollar Stamps "Porch Conversations"
Cardstock & Papers: Making Memories "Flower Patch" Designer Paper Collection, Swarthmore Watercolor Paper, Paper Trey White Cardstock
Inks: Stazon Black Ink
Accessories: Martha Stewart Doily Border Punch, Sewing Machine, Thread, Martha Stewart Leaf Punch, Karen Foster Click-It Hole Punch Kit, Derwent Watercolor Pencils, Aquabrush, Adhesive, American Crafts Satin Ribbon, Spare Parts Paper Flower, Hero Arts Flower Button, Crochet Thread, KaiserCraft Self-Adhesive Pearls, Computer Generated Sentiment
Techniques: Basic Stamping, Watercoloring, Machine Stitching

Isn't That The Truth?

This second sample that I created from Clear Dollar Stamps "Porch Conversations", was created with Basic Gray's "Wisteria" Designer Paper Collection -- that sort of set the mood, the color scheme and the whole flavor of the card. I decided to color the image on this card with my Copics and figured I could use a little practice blending and shading. I was trying for a cooler, Spring-ey feel with this card with the use of violets, lavendars and soft greens. The array of self-adhesive pearls on the upper right of the card is my attempt at creating a visual "Wisteria" hanging bloom. I'm not sure if it flies, or not, but I left it, as is, just the same. LOL The more I stared at it, the more I decided, "I kinda like that!" LOL The sentiment/quote that is included in "Porch Conversations" is such a wonderful quote and as I was creating the card, I couldnt help but think, "Isn't that the truth about a best kind of friend!" "Porch Conversations" can be purchased on July 1st at www.newcleardollarstamps.com. To see other samples of "Porch Conversations", visit my fellow CDS Design Teammates: Candy Fosta, Stacy Morgan, Kim Teasdale, Tori Wild & Laurie Wilson.

Stamps Used: Clear Dollar Stamps "Porch Conversations"
Cardstock & Papers: Basic Gray "Wisteria" Designer Paper Collection, K&Co. "Remake - Lilac Lavendars" Mat Pad, Paper Trey White Cardstock
Inks: Memento Black Ink, Stazon Black Ink
Markers: Copic Sketch Markers - BG000 Pale Aqua, B00 Frost Blue, B32 Pale Blue, BV01 Viola, BV11 Soft Violet, BV13 Hydrangea Blue, V09 Violet, YG41 Pale Colbalt Green, YG67 Moss, G07 Nile Green, G21 Lime Green, G82 Spring Dim Green, #25 Cariba Cocoa, E27 Africano, E31 Brick Beige, C1, C3, C5 Cool Grays, 0 Colorless Blender, Signo White Gel Pen
Accessories: EK Success Flourish Punch, Fiskars "Scallop" Shaper Scissors, Sewing Machine, Thread, Karen Foster Click-It Hole Punch Kit, Adhesive, Stampin' Up! Dimensionals, Offray Organza Ribbon, KaiserCraft Self-Adhesive Pearls
Techniques: Basic Stamping, Copic Coloring & Blending, Machine Stitching

Sunday, June 28, 2009

"Veggie Sales!"

Good Morning! Today I'm sharing a super cute new stamp set by Clear Dollar Stamps, called "Veggie Stew". This stamp set is so much fun to create with! I didn't know which vegetable to stamp with first, because I was so excited to get stamping with them! Well, I settled on a red, orange and green theme with white as a neutral so that led to broccoli, carrots, peas and tomatoes! Some of my personal favorites! LOL The background was stamped overtop striped scrapbook paper in a darker green ink. I stamped the carrots and tomatoes twice each and cut them out and popped them up for dimension and interest. The sentiment was curved on the acrylic block to create the curved type look. "Veggie Stew" releases on July 1st at www.newcleardollarstamps.com. To see other samples of "Veggie Stew" by my fellow CDS Design Team members, visit: Candy Fosta, Nancy Grant, Cassie Trask & Laurie Wilson.

Stamps Used: Clear Dollar Stamps "Veggie Stew"
Cardstock & Papers: Color Mates Medium Orange Dream Cardstock, Bo Bunny Cardstock, Paper Trey White Cardstock
Inks: Stampin' Up! Only Orange & Garden Green Inks, Vivid! Red Ink, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities Regular & Scalloped Oval Dies, Cuttlebug "Spots & Dots" Embossing Folder, Martha Stewart Eyelet Scalloped Border Punch, Karen Foster Click-It Hole Punch Kit, Sewing Machine, Thread, Adhesive, Stampin' Up! Dimensionals, Pebbles Ribbon, Spare Parts Button, Crochet Thread
Techniques: Basic Stamping, Background Stamping, Masking, Paper Tole, Machine Stitching

Get Your Pickle On!

This is my second sample that I created with "Veggie Stew", Clear Dollar Stamps' soon-to-be-released stamp set for July. I had already stamped with the carrots, broccoli, peas and tomatoes, and I thought to myself, "I've got to stamp with that pickle!" Then what to do with it???? LOL My brain was spinning and spinning and spinning...then I remembered that I had these two cute Clear Dollar Stamps' mice, Marcy and Marvin in my stamp stash! And Voila! The wheels kept spinning -- I just had to put Marvin in the Pickle! And then had to make Marcy look astonished that Marvin was in such a pickle! I had so much fun making this card with all the fun colors and the fun flavor, and the fun theme! Who knew that a pickle would bring so much joy??? You can purchase "Veggie Stew" July 1st, and get your pickle on at www.newcleardollarstamps.com. Don't miss the other CDS Design Teammates' "Veggie Stew" sneak peek samples: Candy Fosta, Nancy Grant, Cassie Trask & Laurie Wilson.

Stamps Used: Clear Dollar Stamps "Veggie Stew" & "Marvin & Marcy Mice"
Cardstock & Papers: DCWV "Animal Crackers" Designer Paper Collection & "Summer Fun" Designer Paper Collection, Paper Trey White Cardstock
Inks: Stampin' Up! Glorious Green Ink, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
Markers: Copic Sketch - RV13 Tender Pink, RV23 Pure Pink, Y13 Lemon Yellow, C1, C3 & C5 Cool Greys, 0 Colorless Blender. Zig Fine Tip Black Marker
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities Long Curved Rectangle Dies, Nestabilities Regular Round Dies, EK Success Corner Rounder Punch, EK Success Corner Punch, Paper Piercing Tool, Stampin' Up! Mat Pack, Sewing Machine, Thread, Embroidery Thread, Adhesive, Stampin' Up! Dimensionals, Doodlebug Buttons, AC Mini Brad
Techniques: Basic Stamping, Paper Piercing, Copic Coloring & Blending

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Lighthouses You'll Love!

Good Morning! Today is the beginning of Clear Dollar Stamps' July Sneak Peek Week! And, today I'm sharing a gorgeous new stamp set called "Sheltering Lights" that is one of my very favorite CDS stamp sets (so far - wink, wink) because I am a lighthouse lover, as well as anything nautical. This stamp set is a "must have" as it contains 2 beautifully illustrated lighthouses, by Laurie Wilson, as well as several pretty coordinating sentiments. For this card, I was striving to create a coral, sandy, clean feeling. I used my new Nestabilities Inverted Circle Dies along with the Regular Round and Scalloped Round Dies, and it created an interesting shape as well as texture to frame my stamped image. I used my Copic Sketch Markers to color and blend the main image on this, and worked my Cuttlebug quite a bit for texture on this card. The sentiment/quote is one of the sentiments included in the stamp set. To see other "Sheltering Lights" samples, see Candy Fosta, Nancy Grant, Stacy Morgan, Katie Renz, Sarah Taylor, Kim Teasdale, Cassie Trask & Laurie Wilson. "Sheltering Lights" will be released July 1st and is only available at www.newcleardollarstamps.com.

Stamps Used: Clear Dollar Stamps "Sheltering Lights"
Cardstock & Papers: K&Co. "Remake - Roam" Designer Paper Pad, Color Mates Light Geranium Cardstock, Paper Trey White Cardstock
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
Markers: Copic Sketch Markers - R02 Flesh, Y21 Buttercup Yellow, E02 Fruit Pink, E25 Caribe Cocoa, E31 Brick Beige, E33 Sand, YR21Cream, B00 Frost Blue, BG000 Pale Aqua, BG11 Moon White, BG15 Aqua, C1, C3, C5 Cool Grays, 0 Colorless Blender, Signo White Gel Pen
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Cuttlebug "Bubbles" & "Swirls" Embossing Folders, Nestabilities Regular, Scalloped & Inverted Circle Dies, Paper Piercing Tool, Karen Foster Click-It Hole Punch Kit, Sewing Machine, Thread, Adhesive, Stampin' Up! Dimensionals, Jolee's By You Seagull, We R Memory Keepers XL White Eyelet, Loop Polyester Ribbon, KaiserCraft "Bliss" Self-Adhesive Pearls
Techniques: Basic Stamping, Copic Coloring & Blending, Dry Embossing, Machine Stitching, Paper Piercing

A Strong Tower

This is my second card created with Clear Dollar Stamps, "Sheltering Lights" & "Shinng Strength". For this card I chose a teal flavor to satisfy a CDS Design Team Challenge to make a monochromatic card. I love making monochromatic cards and this one was no exception. I used some teal-colored coordinating designer paper to make most of the card, except the paper on the right panel, which is so old from my scrapbooking days, that I don't even know what it is other than it looks like water. LOL But, it's always good to use paper that I've been hoarding for years, literally. The main stamp image was colored & blendied with Copic Sketch Markers, the fish charm and monkey fist was added to create a "nautical feel" to the card. "Sheltering Lights" stamp set contains two light houses and several sentiments. The sentiment on this card is from another stamp set called "Shining Strength", devoted to speaking of God's strength and might. It's a lovely sentiment set and coordinates beautifully with "Sheltering Lights". Both stamp sets will be released on July 1st and available for purchase at www.newcleardollarstamps.com. To see other "Sheltering Lights" & "Shining Strength" samples, see Candy Fosta, Nancy Grant, Stacy Morgan, Katie Renz, Sarah Taylor, Kim Teasdale, Cassie Trask & Laurie Wilson.

Stamps Used: Clear Dollar Stamps "Sheltering Lights" & "Shining Strength"
Cardstock & Papers: Creative Imaginations Christine Adolph Designer Paper Collection, K&Co. "Remake - Ocean Blues" Designer Paper Pad, Paper Trey White Cardstock
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
Markers: Copic Sketch Markers - Y21 Buttercup Yellow, YR21 Cream, YR24 Pale Sepia, B00 Frost Blue, B32 Pale Blue, BG000 Pale Aqua, BG11 Moon White, BG15 Aqua, BG18 Teal Blue, BG72 Ice Ocean, YG03 Yellow Green, G21 Lime Green, E34 Orientale, C1, C3, C5 Cool Grays, 0 Colorless Blender, Signo White Gel Pen
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Cuttlebug "Bubbles" Embossing Folder, Nestabilities Curved Rectangle Dies, Fiskars "Wave" Shaper Scissors, Sewing Machine, Thread, Adhesive, Stampin' Up! Dimensionals, White Nylon Twine, Crochet Thread, K&Co. "Sea Glass" Collection Charm, Robin's Nest "Water" Dew Drops
Techniques: Basic Stamping, Copic Coloring & Blending, Dry Embossing, Machine Stitching

Thursday, June 25, 2009

A Little Slice of Heaven...


Good Morning! Just a short hello from Ocracoke Island, on the southermost tip of the Outer Banks. We're here for a few more days before we head home, and I wanted to share a few photos of what we consider, "a little slice of heaven". The top photo is of the Ocracoke Island Lighthouse, which is still a working lighthouse for all seafaring vessels passing on the Atlantic Ocean or into the Pamlico Sound. Below, that is the lighthouse keeper's cottage and the full length view of the lighthouse. Ocracoke Village is the only "town" on Ocracoke Island and it is a sleepy, working fishing village full of charm that seems to be suspended in time. Most travel by bicycle on the island as the roads are sandy and narrow. Once visitors arrive on island, they usually park their car at their cottage and either get around on foot or by bicycle. Life here is on "island time" -- no stress allowed, whatsoever! Tomorrow, I will have some ocean photos from the Ocracoke Beach portion of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The seashore is a nationally protected and natural seashore and a pristine vista for sore eyes!

Monday, June 22, 2009

A Month of Birthdays!

Good Morning! Well, July certainly is turning out to be a busy-birthday-cardmaking month for this girl! I had a few more to create before we head out to Ocracoke Island, NC on the Outer Banks for a week and decided to continue with the "cupcake theme". I mean, who doesn't love cupcakes? Plus I purchased this sweet, cutie-pie designer paper from Doodlebug (they've got the cutest papers) and had to use it and it just looked happy and so I coupled it with a cupcake. Makes no sense...but then again, as I've said many times before, "in Linda's stamping world...anything goes!" LOL Here's the deets:

Stamps Used: Hero Arts "Cupcakes", A Muse Sentiment
Cardstock & Papers: Doodlebug "Berry Blue" Designer Paper, Retired Stampin' Up! Gingham Scrapbook Paper, Paper Trey White Cardstock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
Markers: Copic Sketch Markers - BG000 Pale Aqua, B00 Frost Blue, RV13 Tender Pink, RV29 Crimson, YG03 Yellow Green, 0 Colorless Blender, Signo White Gel Pen
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Regular & Scalloped Round Nestabilities, Martha Stewart Eyelet Border Punch, Paper Piercing Tool, EK Success Corner Rounder Punch, Sewing Machine, Thread, EK Success Small Flower Punch, Doodlebug Buttons, Crochet Thread, Adhesive, Stampin' Up! Dimensionals
Techniques: Basic Stamping, Copic Coloring & Blending, Paper Piercing, Paper Tole

Sunday, June 14, 2009

The Arduous Task of Simplicity!

Hello! It's gonna be a crazy busy week for me as we are preparing to leave for a much-needed vacation, but I had 5 -- yes 5 July birthday cards that needed to be made before I leave and I decided that they had to be pretty simple, clean cards. I struggle with keeping cards clean and simple, as I tend to just add this element or this embellishment until it is loaded with detail. But, I was time-pressed to produce 5 cards, so I set out on the arduous task of simplicity! LOL

For this card, I decided to not use any Nestabilities to frame the main stamped image (can you imagine that?), but rather, I stamped the main stamped image directly onto the card front, just adding designer paper, a border and a few Robin's Nest Dew Drops. All-in-all, I was pretty satisfied with how they turned out...now I hope those recepients of these cards don't get a peek before they arrive in their mailbox. Here's the deets:

Stamp Set Used: Hero Arts "Cupcakes"
Cardstock & Papers: Doodlebug "Cherry Amore" Designer Paper, Color Mates Medium Berry Red, Paper Trey White Cardstock
Markers: Copic Sketch Markers - RV11 Pink, RV23 Pure Pink, RV29 Crimson, YG03 Yellow Green
Accessories: Martha Stewart Eyelet Border Punch, Sewing Machine, Thread, Adhesive, "Flame" Robin's Nest Dew Drops
Techniques: Basic Stamping, Copic Coloring, Machine Stitching

Monday, June 8, 2009

To Welcome Laurie's Baby

Good Morning! I'm sharing a card that I made for my friend and CDS Design Team Coordinator, Laurie Wilson a few days ago. I had to wait until she received her package and card before I could post -- I didn't want to ruin the surprise. Laurie is expecting her second child, a little boy, anytime between mid-June to early July. Laurie is such a terrific design team coordinator, and I wanted to make her a keepsake card, so I hope that she likes it and more importantly, I wish she and Brad all the best wishes and prayers for the new little one! Here's the deets:

Stamps Used: Clear Dollar Stamps "Little Lamb", Stampin' Up! Sentiment
Cardstock & Paper: Making Memories Polka Dot Scrapbook Paper, Paper Trey White Cardstock
Markers: Copic Sketch Markers - B00 Frost Blue & E02 Fruit Pink
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities Dahlia Die, Nestabilities Regular Round and Scalloped Round Dies, Karen Foster Click-It Hole Punch Kit, Paper Piercing Tool, Offray Satin Ribbon, Doodlebug Button, Embroidery Thread.

Monday, June 1, 2009

June at My Little Yellow Cottage

Good Afternoon! While I'm waiting for the end of my laundry to finish drying, I thought that I'd share a few photos of June at My Little Yellow Cottage. Most who know me, know that I love, love, love flower gardening! Especially container flower gardening. This photo is of a hanging basket arrangement that I made of one single red geranium, red & purple cascading petunias, purple ageratum, yellow superbells, sweet allysum and vinca vine. I'm lovin' the red, purple and right yellow combo on this -- I'll have to steal that for a card color scheme! (she's sick I tell ya! -- LOL)

The following posts share some various photos around the house and property and sort of shows you what I've been up to when I'm not making cards or blogging. Springtime is busy for us at the Borneman house -- we're usually sprucing up the property, planting flowers, shrubs, plants and Tom is tilling and planting his vegetable garden. I think we're about done this year with planting, and now we can just sit back and enjoy God's creation!

A Windowbox of Color!


When we first moved here, the house was white with bllue shuters -- no windows boxes and the front porch was left natural - no stain, no paint, and the front porch railings were pressure-treated wood, unstained. Yucko! So, we went to work to make this house our home. One of the first things that we did was paint the house a soft yellow and the shutters were painted a light evergreen. The front porch floor was painted grey to match the shingles on the roof and the front porch railing was painted a white shabby chic! To add to the "cottage charm" that I was trying so hard to create, I asked Tom to build me 4 window boxes for the 4 front windows on the house. Remember, we live in a tiny house, a Cape Cod and there are only 4 windows to the front of the house! So, I thought..."window boxes filled will flowers will certainly make it cuter." So, my loving and devoted and talented husband built 4 wooden window boxes, drilling 4 holes in the bottom of each, securing them to the windows and adding matching painted, wooden braces for extra support. I then change up the windowbox flower arrangement each year. This year, I ordered a window box flower collection from Park Seed, but because of all the incessant rain that we had in May, I lost quite a few of the pretty surfina mounding Pink Petunias. But, I replaced them with some Pink Wave Petunias. The Surfina Petunias never need deadheading! How cool is that! There are some Yellow Surfina Petunias that survived in the mix, however, and they are beginning to rebound as are the other flowers in the collection. There is some dark purple trailing, flowering vine that has yet to bloom in these boxes, but I cannot remember the name of them. Within a week or two these windowboxes will be mounding upward and cascading downward and I'll be lovingly tending to them. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that when I plant my windowbox flower arrangements, I do not plant them directly in the wooden windowboxes. I have these Rubbermaid plastic planter liners that also have draining holes...they fit perfectly inside the wooden windowboxes and that keeps the wooden windowboxes from rotting from all that wetness. Just a little tip, there. Tom did mention that he will have to built me new ones next year (these are at least 10 years old and starting to warp and decay on the bottom, he said). So, I think I'll buy new windowbox plastic liners and then Tom can built the new wooden windowboxes to fit around them. Hope you enjoyed seeing them!

My Summer Reading Room

I just had to show you my Summer Reading Room! Tom built this deck by himself about 3 years ago and I "designed" the look of it. The deck is two-level (I'll have to photograph the levels), but the lower level is where you come out the back door (the deck is flush with the door level), and then you either go left out the back door and down two steps toward the detached garage, or if you go straight 3-4 footsteps, you step up about 6-8" (not sure which) onto the upper level of the deck which is about 12'x12". The upper level deck steps go out to the left from this view and are "terrace steps" they are extra shallow and wide. When "designing" this in my head, I envisioned some recessed lighting installed in the steps risers -- we've not done that yet, but it's "on the list" Tom's list, that is. There are only two steps off to the deck and they run the entire width of the deck -- so they are shallow and wide. There are only 2 railings on the deck -- one on the extreme left (behind the fern on the table on the left) and a shorter railing by the lower part of the deck where you go to the garage. I wanted to create a wide open feel to the deck since it wasn't a very large deck. But, we couldn't built a deck larger than the backside of the house -- remember, we live in a cottage! ; )

So, then we bought a 12'x12" gazebo/canopy thingy that came with zip-up mosquito netting that is removable if you want to open up the deck. I have a deep-seating conversation set out there with a loveseat and two chairs, several side tables, a coffee table, a few plant stands, ferns, impatiens and a few pots of coleus and sweet potato vine, as well as some hanging baskets that usually hang on our 6' fence by the sugar maple tree over on the West side yard, but the squirrels have been very devilish and have been digging in these hanging baskets -- so, I'm nursing them back to vigrous health on my deck, and once they spring back to super health, I'll hang them back up on the fence over there.

This is where I hang out most of the summer when I'm not making cards. I try to catch up on my reading in the summers and I have several books that I'm hoping to read -- "A Tree Grows in Brookyln" by Betty Smith and another, "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers. And I may read some that I have lying around by Nora Roberts and Anne Rivers Siddons -- although Anne Rivers Siddons does use some very colorful language -- she is still, an excellent storyteller. So, now you have some visuals when you think of me, if you think of me at all! LOL

I know, I know...you're probably thinking..."next time, give us a card!" LOL

A Stone Walkway Project



I wanted to show you a project that I've been planning for a long, long time -- just couldn't get Tom motivated about it, and when I explain, you'll see why. On the West side of our house, when it rains, it floods! For 17 years, every time it rained, if we wanted to walk around the side of the house toward the back yard or back deck, we had a swampy, muddy mulchy walkway! Finally, I had a lightbulb moment, and decided to try a walkway project. I thought that a red stone walkway edged on both sides would solve the mud and swampy problem, and provide a much cleaner walkway to the backyard and garage (our garage is a one-car detached garage). I approached Tom with the idea, and he, after hearing the details, agreed! So, we bought the edging at Home Depot -- Tom bought this really cool edging where it you buy these hard plastic stakes that you drive into the edging's molded holes -- the edging stays down more secure and the line is more smooth than other edging that I've seen in the past. Tom then lined the walkway with this fabric-type stuff that is supposed to keep weeds out - it is a very tight woven fabric, so we'll see! Then we needed the stone! So, his boss recommended this stone and mulch place off Rt. 40 (which is a commercial type highway) and off we went. When we got there, there were quite a few types of stone from which to choose. I immediately was drawn to the "Redstone" which is more like a light reddish-brown to me. I liked the "natural" look of it and didn't want anything hideous to stand out or look tacky -- so Tom got a truckload (and his truck is a smaller one) of it, and off we went. Now, we do not own a wheelbarrow (can you believe that!), so poor Tom backed up his truck to the walkway area and with a shovel unloaded that truckload of redstone! And, there's more to the story -- he didn't have enough redstone in his one truckload to cover the entire walkway -- so back to the store to buy another truckload -- and another few hours back home, hand shoveling the stone into the walkway! I felt so bad for him! I offered to run and buy a wheelbarrow -- he said, "no - I don't want to wait, I want to just finish the job!" So here's to Tom and I just had to share the finished walkway!!

The top photo is the view looking from the left front corner of our house toward the back where our detached garage is facing (white garage door). We have a chain link fence around the back half of the house and you are looking at the gateway into the left side yard where we have a 40 ft. sugar maple tree to the left (I really don't know how tall it is - but it is precariously tall to me -- another story, another day). The people who lived here before us put these landscape timbers around the sugar maple base, raising it up and made a square foundation. I have ivy in front of the left and right side of the gate as well as behind the left and right side of the gate.

The second photo shows the view behind the gate (you are now in my West side yard facing the front street). To the left is the ivy and to the right you can see the timber square foundation around the base of our sugar maple with more ivy cascading over that. Well, that's what we've been up to and what I do when I'm not blogging or making cards and just a small peek into my life at My Little Yellow Cottage. Hope it was some what interesting...