Monday, June 11, 2018

Fun Times


 Hello peeps! Hope everyone is doing well. I've got lots to share again so let's get to it. First up- update on my first nest of finches. This was over the weekend:

 Only two of the four survived :( and we won't know what that one brown egg was all about. But as of this posting these two babes have flown the coop. The other nest still has the 5 eggs. And I have lots of other creatures visiting like these two:


These two have made themselves quite comfy and are so close to where I was sitting when I got these pics. They are most welcome since they are behaving and not eating my flowers:)

 On Saturday we hosted a little "Vinyl Party".  Todd and friends now have record players and think it's a novel thing to play records. So, we all got talking and a party was planned for sharing some of our records. I sent out the two invites:
                                                   envie and card

 And we had a blast- with such a variety of music too! I was banned from playing ABBA so I fixed them and brought out these albums for my turns:

 Does anyone remember these lads? I was in love with them back in the day!!



 Besides these snacks I made roast beef sliders and chocolate chip cookie bars.

                                           Andrew and my hubby

                                                son Todd

       and me with the two daughters I never had- I love these girls!! Kyra, Todd's gf on left and Lynn- Andrew's wife on the right. Cheers to the T Stands For Tuesday gang!

 This tag is meant for Tag Tuesday (theme is "A Night At The Movies"):

              Black glossy tag and movie ephemera (DMD Papers)

 Another tag which is for the Simon Monday Challenge (anything but a card) and Moo Mania and More (die cuts):


 I used a large manila tag for the base but chose not to punch the hole or crop the corners. The top piece of Tim Holtz Worn Wallpaper was a remnant from a tag I cut from it. I am determined not to let one bit of these awesome papers go to waste:):) Other products: manila tag, Stickles Diamond Glitter glue- Ranger;Tim Holtz- Worn wallpaper; Botanical; Paper Dolls; Small Talk Occasions stickers; Thinlits dies- 6602220; Distress Oxide inks- Frayed Burlap, Faded Jeans; Distress Worn Lipstick; heart button - Blumenthal Lansing Co.; Moonshine Sequins- Simon Says Stamp.

Edited in: I am also linking to a new to me challenge at the Crop Stop.com Blog thanks to an invite from Esther-thank you! It's always  "anything goes" so long as you use one or more products from one of the companies carried in the store. And yes, there are prizes:)

 And for Art Journal Journey (theme is "Inspired By") and Paint Party Friday I have this journal page:

 I was inspired by this card sent by my dear friend Patty a little while ago:


 I knew I wanted to try to do an acrylic painting of it. Here is my version:


 and a few close ups:




 Several paints were sponged onto the gessoed page. A few flower stamps were repeatedly stamped on the dried background using Aquamarine Archival ink. I first drew in the flowers etc. with a white Stabilo pencil then kept painting on layers of paint diluted with matte medium for more translucency. Golden Glazes were added and then Pearl Medium was applied to the flower petals. I finished the painting with doodled touches here and there using a gold glitter gel pen.

 Busy, busy week ahead as I am helping my Mom pack, plan and get everything in order for her month long stay with our family in France. She's leaving on Sunday. Wish me luck because she does have anxiety issues but I really wanted HER to go and spend as much time with them as she wanted. I will miss them so but did not wish to leave Bill for a month. I will be taking care of her home along with bills, watering flowers, papers, mail, etc.  So I will be around to visit as I have time. Wishing you all a wonderful week!

  " Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun."   Randy Pausch

50 comments:

  1. Great art again this week. What a very fun idea-a vinyl party-had me smiling. loved your invitations, food looks great too
    Safe and fun travels for your Mom
    Love your quote too-my Hubs and I forget to have fun
    Happy T Day Have a great week Kathy

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  2. Oh my, you have packed a huge lot into one week. That vinyl party looks like big fun. Thanks for making that gorgeous tag for Tag Tuesday, much appreciated. The other pieces are all fantastic, too. Hope your mom enjoys her stay in France. Happy T Day, hugs, Valerie

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  3. your tags are so beautiful and the acrylic painting of the flower is just breathtaking!!! LOVE it!!
    great idea with the vinyl party! i never could give my old records away, all those memories... abba, of course... did you hear they recorded two new songs they will release later in the year? they will not go on tour again, they only came together for these two songs...
    have a great week, linda, and happy t-day!

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  4. The vinyl party sounds fun, my hubby has a huge collection of records! I have a few, including one or two Donny Osmond and Abba, but no Bay City Rollers.
    Beautiful art and wildlife!
    Happy T-Day,
    Alison xx

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  5. A lovely idea to have a Vinyl party, it would be hard to chose what to listen to, for me Abba was and is a favourite of mine.
    Your art projects all look fabulous, your flower painting journal page looks beautiful.
    I hope your mom has a wonderful trip to France.
    Happy T day wishes Linda.
    Yvonne xx

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  6. What an art filled week you had. You certainly pack a LOT into a post, so I often never know where to begin (grin). Guess I'll start with the birds and the bees (OOPS, I mean bunnies). Those bunnies are SO cute and adorable looking. Never saw one so tame. Too bad about the two birds that died, but at least two lived.

    I'm going to skip to the art and tell you how much I like that movies tag. It's wonderful. The other tag is lovely, too. I like the little girl. She is one of my favs.

    But of course, I'm really partial to the beautiful journal page you drew that was inspired by a card Patty sent you. I think I got one similar to it, but it's been a LONG time ago and it made the journal page even more meaningful. Thanks for posting it with us at Art Journal Journey.

    Now let's talk about the record party. Vinyl seems to be having a resurgence and people are bringing out their old records again. I have heard of ABBA, but not the Bay City Rollers. Were they a rock group? People tell me I was born a decade too late, since I loved all the old rock music from the 70s. That's why I ask. Looks like the party was fun, the food was good, and the wine flowed freely Thanks for sharing your art and your vinyl party with us for T this Tuesday.

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  7. So cute to see your little birdies and bunnies... My wildlife friends keep me well entertained... lol Oh i hope your mom has a wonderful trip despite her anxiety.. Knowing you are there to take care of everything while she is gone i'am sure is a big help.. Going for a month must be fabulous!! Your painting turned out beautiful Linda! Just love the colors.. the gold and the pearl... just lovely.. Happy happy T day! Hugs! deb

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  8. A vinyl party sounds like so much fun. I would have banned you from playing ABBA, too :-D The bunnies are so cute, and I'm glad they are not eating your plants. The bunnies in my yard seem happy to just eat the grass. Fine by me. You painting is lovely as are the tags. I love the movie tag. Happy T Day

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  9. Rabbits are so cute - as long as they don't eat your garden!

    Your invitation is really cute. We don't have any vinyl anymore. Too many moves to keep paying to have the lugged from place to place. I've never heard of the Bay City Rollers, but I love ABBA - always have, always will.

    Have you seen the musical Chess, written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus with lyrics by Tim Rice? We have it on DVD and absolutely love it.

    Lovely pictures of your family. It looks like everyone was having a grand time.

    Darling "grateful heart" tag, Linda.

    Pearl medium was the perfect touch for the the flowers. Lovely.

    Happy T-day! Hugs, Eileen

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  10. You are getting a great view of the natural world! I remember the Bay City Rollers! They were big in the 70s, and a vinyl party that included them would have me singing along :) I love your version of those blossoms! Happy T Tuesday

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  11. Oh my gosh! Wonderful art again Linda! I adore your flower painting - it is just so pretty done! A treasure! So pleased you linked it to Art Journal Journey! Thanks a lot and also for sharing this amazing tag with Moo Mania & More! You made me happy!
    Your fauna around is wonderful - and I hope the rabbit couple will behave well futher on! OMG - YES!!! I was a „Rollermania“ girl as well and ABBA was also one of my favourite bands. I was a big fan! What a fab idea with this party and you even made great invitations and the cold buffet looks fantastic! I can see how you all enjoyed the party!
    Have fun with mom's home sitting and have a great T-Day and rest of your creative week my artsy friend!
    Hugs Susi

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  12. Your acrylic painting is so elegant and divine! Love the color palette! ~ will be back ~

    Happy Week to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  13. Fabulous post Linda. How lovely to see all the wonderful birds and animals that visit you - sad that not all the birds survived.
    The vinyl paty sounded fun. It's funny how records have made a come back - we got rid of most of ours but still probably have about 70-80.
    I was a BCR fan too - but have no records any more :(
    Did you wear the tartan clothes too with the short trousers? I have a photo of me in my BCR gear somehwere - arghhh!
    Your acrylic painting is really beautiful, I love the gold details. Thanks for sharing what inspired you and joining in at AJJ.
    Gill xx

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  14. Such beautiful artwork, I love your sentiment on the tag and wow, your painting is amazing! The shine you achieved on the petals and the touches of gold are so beautiful. It looks like you had such fun at your Vinyl Party too :-) . Wishing you a Happy T Day! J x

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  15. Your tag is so lovely as is your painting! What sweet critters visiting you too.

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  16. very pretty flower painting :) the blue background is a lovely colour of blue :)

    mother in law is a huge BCR fan and record players are making a come back, hipsters love to use them lol

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  17. Love your painting!!! Fun filled post!!

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  18. Beautiful art! And i would've loved to be at your 'record' party! I would bring the Monkees and the Beatles💜 happy T day!

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  19. I am loving your painting and tags! Beautiful. Haha, I don't remember any of those lads as they were before my time. All I had to do was look at the hair. HAHA!
    Kate

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  20. You are always having fun Linda. Your vinyl party looks fun, and wow-bunnies besides baby birds. Those bunnies are super cute. I wonder if they are escaped pets they way they seem so comfortable on your porch. And you have made some beautiful art -AGAIN! I love those flowers-they have a little sheen I think too. Hope it was a happy T day-I m late this week. Hugs-Erika

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  21. Sorry about the birds but how cute are those rabbits? I love both of your tags- that little girl is a cutie too! As for the Rollers....Les McKeown was on Breakfast TV recently ....they are still touring in the UK!!Belated Happy T day Chrisx

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  22. Lovely collage creation ~ 'grateful heart' so important too to start the day ~ xxx

    Happy Midweek to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  23. What a charming movie tag - thanks so much for joining the challenge!!! Your flower painting is so lovely!!!

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  24. Glad that two of the birds have flown and that you have very kind bunnies who don't eat the flowers.
    I really love these old-type floral papers in your tag and the girl with the bow in her straight hair, frock and hair-style brings back memories (!).
    Your painting from Patty's flowers is gorgeous, very rich.
    Have an enjoyable week/month ahead - sounds as if it will be very busy.

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  25. What great fun ~ a vinyl party ~ neat photos of the 'gang' ~

    Happy Mid Week to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  26. Wonderful and creative 'Best in Pictures' tag ~ love it!

    Happy Mid Week to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  27. I love the floral papers and other elements you combined on your beautiful tag! What a great sentiment as well -- something we all need to practice!

    I'd like to invite you to link up to the Cropstop blog where it's always "Anything Goes" as long as you use a product or two from one of the companies they carry in the store. (You did!)
    https://cropstop.blogspot.com/2018/06/june-link-party-40.html

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    Replies
    1. Thank so much for linking up, Linda!! I hope I'll see more of your creativity in the gallery soon!

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  28. Thanks for sharing your lovely week and gorgeous family photos. I love your version of the flower card.

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  29. Hi Linda, happy PPF! Hope the birds are doing well, have a great weekend, hugs, Valerie

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  30. What a full full week, Linda. I love your acrylic painting and enjoy photos of your friends and family. Your mother is lucky to have your support! Good luck in the send off!
    ~~ Irene

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  31. Fine that 2 of finches survived. Nice bunny friends you have got, too.
    You really have had nice week with old happy music and happy friend.
    Love your tags and cards.
    Have a wonderful weekend xx

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  32. I like that saying about the grateful heart. We so often forget to be grateful and then we get miserable with life. Shame on us.

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  33. Great tags and flower art. I'm pleased to hear that at least two of the chicks survived.

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  34. What a great week you've had making lots of art, and playing records. :)

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  35. wow, so much beauty in this post..the birds, the bunnies ( I am smitten now) and your gorgeous art, the flower painting and that wonderful blue in the backdrop is marvelous! I love your tag, so nostalgic and magical! Beautiful work, and beautiful photos of you all!

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  36. I love how that rabbit is laying there all at ease :-) I hope all will go well with the remaining eggs. So sad two of the little birds died. You did a lot this week! That acrylic painting is gorgeous, you did the shadows really well, it has a lot of depth. Wishing you also some relaxing time this week!

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  37. So delightful! all of your creations and photos!

    Happy Weekend to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  38. Walking my dogs I've seen loads of bunnies lately in the Chicago area. Today we saw the tiniest baby bunny. Too cute. Luckily the dogs did not notice. Bay City Rollers! My sister had an album or two. :D

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  39. The flower in acrylic is my favourite this week. Happy you dropped by my blog Linda

    much love...

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  40. What a lovely post. Full of family and art.

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  41. Your painting is divine ~ love the bird nest and rabbits! Lots of creativity as usual here!

    Happy Weekend to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  42. this is a wonderful post. i love the grateful heart tag and i love seeing your finches and bunnies. the night at the movies tag is perfect, very clever! your acrylic is beautifully done and looks like you had a marvelous party. thanks for stopping by my blog and have a wonderful week! xo

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  43. What a great idea for a party. I have lot of records too. :)
    Love your nestlings :)

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  44. Wonderful projects! Love your painting. Thank you so much for playing along with us in the Anything But A Card Challenge over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog this week :)

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  45. Great post and some fab art work.Love your movie tag, thank you for sharing on Tag Tuesday. Your vinyl party sounds fun.

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  46. :) BCR :) I liked (and still do!) more James Brown, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin...my sister was BCR fan.
    'Yesterday's music' was so much better - not so sterile and clean as today when everything is done digitally...
    Have a good week!

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  47. Love the artworks and hope you all had a great time together! Happy PPF!
    Love shilpa (desisoul arts)

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  48. Hello Dear Linda, I have been reading through your posts as I catch up. I do love your painting of your friend's card, you did a beautiful version. Always lovely to see your bird nest updates too. Cheers 😊

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Thank you so much for your comments; it's a pleasure to connect with you!