We're Going to the Zoo!

I love spending time with my grand nieces and nephews - and recently during school vacation - Landon, Mila, mum Katie and I went to the Stone Zoo together.  I took some photos of them and turned them into framed cards.  They love to get mail and to see themselves on cards!

The zoo had these fun penguins along the walk through the zoo - and of course, we had to get photos of them peeking their faces through the penguin's body!

 Here's Penguin Landon (age 7)

 I used another one of my favorite dies from Eileen Hull/Sizzix -  the Mailable Frame Die (curently on sale!)  The frame die has a cut out on the front panel to layer your photo behind - but it's smaller than my photos - so for these frame cards, I adhered the photo right over the opening and I adhered some of the patterned paper on the back side to cover the opening as well.

I added layered flowers from Eileen's sweet Stitchy Flowers and Leaf Thinlits die set -  the different sizes and petal shapes layer wonderfully!

Here's Penguin Mila (age 5)

I just happened to have this fun zoo stamp in my stash - I thought it was so fun when I purchased it many years ago - but I think this is the first time I've used it.  

And the reason I love this die - because you can stand up your card - and display it on shelf, bookcase or bureau!  AND it fits in a regular A2 envelope
(I usually give these to people at Birthday Parties etc -  but I did mail these to the kids -  it cost $3.50 for each one - as the matboard is stiff and thick so it was considered a parcel in the US)

It's good to have it weighed at the post office if mailing.  You could die cut this out of cardstock - it wouldn't be as sturdy - but it would be lighter if you are mailing.

So the Zoo stamp I used actually had two lines on it 

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo,

You can come too, too, too!

but I stamped it and then cut strips of each line - so I put the 2nd line on the inside of my frame card along with some sentiments I made with my Brother P-Touch Label maker to personalize it all!

It was an unusually warm day for Feb -  74 degrees F! So they were in t-shirts and shorts!

Of course, there were also live animals at the zoo......

a beautiful leopard enjoying the sun

and a soft furry Lynx with his oversized paws and black point feathery ears.

And then we went out to lunch at Friendlies and had ice cream sundaes for dessert!

I've used this wonderful frame die many times on projects here on the blog

Mila's 4th birthday frame card.  See here how I made it.

See here how I made this one.

See here how I made this Valentine for Kent.

And -   see here how I made this one using real shells from Sanibel Island! 

 (it really IS one of my favorite dies!)

Please check out Eileen Hull's blog all month to see what the rest of the Creative Team choose as their favorites of Eileen's dies!

I'm linking my card to:
Cute Card Thursday
Cute Critters

Penguin cards
Stamps:  Going to the Zoo - Simply Stamped
Paper:  Black Little Sizzles Mat Board - Sizzix, black and white cardstock, DP Text Style Black and White Designs - PTI
Ink:  Hero Arts Black
Accessories:  Mailable Frame Die and Stitchy Flowers and Leaf Dies - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Noted: Scalloped die - PTI, foam dots, black and grey half pearls.