Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Flowers & Butterflies

Happy Tuesday everyone! I'm on vacation this week - so everyday feels like Saturday to me ......... what a great feeling that is!

So Tuesday is also Teapot Tuesday over on Split Coast and this week's 'story' is all about butterflies and a school for butterfly behavior, and we're all going to Coconut Creek FL - the butterfly capital of the world for out teaparty this week - We have to bring beautifully behaved butterflies and beautiful flowers!
So I put my butterfly and flowers on this cute watering can card - that I made from Claire's free template over at the Waltzingmouse Store. Isn't this a fun shaped card?! All the stamps are by Waltzingmouse. I stamped the watering can with a background stamp from Pic-Nic Patterns to give it some texture and I also sponged the edges. The flowers are from Big Blooms Chrysanthymums

Here's what I stamped on the inside. The sentiment and frame are both from Fancy Phrases
Every week Cindy also has a destination station to go with our teaparty - she finds people who need encouragement or cheering up - and we can send them our teapot cards. So my card will be going postal to fellow stamper Jackie - who was recently diagnosed with cancer. She loves flowers and butterflies - so hopefully this will give her a little bright spot in her day! You can read all about the challenge and the destination challenge here.

I thought I'd share some pics I took at Gloucester and Rockport, MA when Kent and I went there this past Sunday! It's just about 40 minutes from where we live.

First we drove through Gloucester and took a 30 minute hike through a small part of Dogtown where there are a lot of huge boulders that the glaciers dropped here many moons ago!

A man named Roger Babson decided to have some of the stones engraved so people walking through the woods would be inspired to live morally!

There are a total of 22 engraved stones throughout the reserve - here are just 2 of them.

There's quite a strange history to these 5 square miles of woods called Dogtown. You can read about some of it here if you are interested! Kent and I are going to go back to explore some more of it another time!

Then we drove down the highway a bit to Rockport, MA. The red building is the famous Motif #1.
This giant sunflower was growing in someone's front yard along one of the main streets! I was standing up straight taking this picture - so this must be about 8 feet tall!

We ate lunch at this fun little hot dog restaurant called Top Dog - it was hardly bigger than what you can see right here - they had a few picnic tables out front and out back and a few bar table areas to sit inside - and no air conditioning! But the dogs were good!

This is the artery clogging hot dog I ordered - bacon and cheese! (but it was a turkey dog!) That's two big curly strips of bacon you see sitting on top of the cheese there......
And here's the beautiful sunset just as we were leaving. What a perfect day!
Just a reminder: My Waltzingmouse Sneak Peeks start Thursday!! Hope you'll be able to stop by!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Pic-Nic Patterns, Big Blooms Chrysanthymums, Fancy Phrases
Paper: stone, White, Orange Zest - PTI
Ink: Ranger Distress Spiced Marmelade, Peeled Paint, Pumice Stone, Tea Dye
Accessories: Foam dimensionals, glue dots, rhinestones - Kaiser, Watering can template - WMS freebie, Buterfly punch - Martha Stewart, sponge and applicator Inkssentials Ranger.

17 comments:

Debbie Corbari said...

Julia...your card is beyond FABULOUS and it looks like your vacay is wonderful too! Loved all the pics!

Jodi Collins said...

This is STUNNING Julia! LOVE your pics of your trip toO!!

Sharli Schaitberger said...

Hi Julia,
Your card is lovely and what a great idea to shower someone in need with a pick-me-up! The teapot is adorable, the flowers are gorgeous (WMS, right?) and the butterfly is perfect with it's little sparkles!

Your trip looks wonderful - I need to come back when I have time and read the links - I want to know more!!

Hugs!

Joanne Travis said...

One of these days I am going to visit Massachusetts. It looks so beautiful!
LOVE your watering can card, Julia. It's fabulous.

anya said...

Love this Julia - all the details just make it so fantastic! I hope you had a wonderful birthday, from your pictures it looks like you did. Enjoy your week of vacation! :)

Riet said...

This is so beautiful Julia.
So gorgeous photos.

Hugs Riet.xx

Anonymous said...

OOOH wow!! I love your watering can!! Gorgeous details and colors girl!! :) HUGS

Velta said...

Hey Julia! What a precious card...then the pictures of your trip...I will have to come back when I have time to look this up...talk about interesting...and when I had finished reading and seeing all of it, I felt like I had been to the movies...TFS Girl!!

Crystal said...

WOOOWEEE Julia what an awesome watering can!! FANTASTIC Card girl!!! looks like you guys had a blast!! Great photos!

~amy~ said...

I adore your shaped card Julia...fab pics too...thanks for sharing!

Betty Wright said...

Fantastic pictures and that is ONE huge sunflower! Beautiful card and shape! Is that watering can paper textured or is it stamps? Awesome look! Wonderfully done, Julia!

Mona Pendleton said...

WOW Julia! I love your card & all the photos! That sunflower is incredible! I hope you enjoy every moment of your vacation :)

Anne Harada said...

What a great photo tour Julia!! Sounds like complete bliss for your birthday!! The teapot card is wonderful and sure to bring a smile to Jackie. Love the freebie template, TF(always)S!!

Peggy said...

Absolutely beautiful watering can! Love the pics of your forest journey!

Joan Ervin said...

What a fabulous design, Julia...I love the watering can shape and what fabulous flowers and butterfly...over the top fabulous, gf!!!! The pictures are wonderful, too...looks like you had a wonderful time!!!!

Monique said...

Love your tea pot and I am sure Jackie will really appreciate it!! Your photos are so much fun. I Love engraving on the stone how unique!! That is a huge sunflower... I have some that tall in my garden but they have not bloomed and I am afraid that it is getting to cold and it wont..:( What a wonderful post!!

Mary Marsh said...

this is such a beautiful card julia-love the watering can shape-have to jump over and check out the template-
looks like Kent treated you to a special day on your special day-the hot dog looked yummy