A site for my handmade cards, accompanied by my photos and written meanderings which are occasionally witty, often tongue-in-cheek, and rarely profound. Beginning in June 2013, you'll also see lots of NBUS, which is an acronym I coined for Never-Before-Used-Schtuff. Note: my Privacy Policy can be found at a tab below and you can find my NBUS Challenge online. I hope you'll join in the fun there! Thanks for coming by! Have a beverage and enjoy!

June 10, 2012

Less Is More Week 71 ~ One Layer Flourished Card

Wishing you a Sense-A-Tional Sunday #2!

As some of you know, I treated myself to a new box of Prismacolor Precious Pencils.  I couldn't wait to use them and this is the card I made.  I am entering it in The Chrissie And Mandie Simply Less Is More Week 71 challenge, which is to make a one-layer card and use a flourish.  With relish.


It may be more grapes than flourish, but there is flourish.  Ish.  And it does make a perfect one layer card.  And it was a good image for practicing pencils.  If you haven't yet linked a card for this challenge, check it out.  It's always a fun one!

~~~~~~~

I know you've been wondering how Lizzie is.  I don't know.  I haven't seen her since she was spotted without her tail and scurried off.  I need to ask Mrs. Google how long it takes to grow a tail.  I hope she's fine and just off in the vinca, tail-growing.  Not Mrs. Google, Lizzie.

Lest you think the backyard is now boring, ah ha, you would be wrong.  There is a family of white-tailed kites in the neighbor's tall evergreen that I haven't told you about.  They've entertained us for years.  They can be quite noisy at times with their squawking, but they are amazingly beautiful creatures.  Can you call a bird a creature?  Maybe you can when they are members of the hawk/raptor family.  Here's a nice picture from the Inter Net, because I don't have a camera that can get this up close and personal.


Isn't that stunning?  That picture was taken in Minnesota, but it looks like the ones we have here.  Below are pictures I took.  In the first picture, you can see the roof of my playhouse in the foreground and the tiny white dot in the top of the tree is a kite.




 

They are so spectacular when they take off swooping from the tree top!  Or when you get a straight-on view with binoculars of their black-rimmed red eyes and sharp beak!

When we first became aware of the kites, they were nesting in the evergreen across the street.  I'm not sure if they'd been there for years and we hadn't been paying attention or if they were new to the neighborhood.  It happened to be the same month that our only child went away to college.  Talk about symbolic!  As our nest emptied, we became aware of, and enchanted with, a pair of kites who were filling theirs! 

We could see their nest with binoculars from the deck in our back yard.  Mister can tell you that I would sit for an hour or more watching them every day after work as four little birds appeared.  Luckily we have fences so the neighbors across the street couldn't see me sitting there and think I was staring into their house!  (When I think back, it's a wonder I never fell off the deck, given my propensation for falling.  The legs of my chair had to be at the very edge in order for me to see around the corner of our house and up into the tree across the street.)

Two months later, I came home from work to find the neighbors had cut down the evergreen.  I was devastated. 

It took six long years, but the kites finally came back to where they are now, on this side of the street, and I'm enchanted all over again. 

There's always something awesome going on naturally.  I mean as regards to nature. 

Please enjoy ~ and, as always, thank you for stopping by to visit.   Special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower or leave a comment!


Paper:  PTI white
Stamp:  Mostly Animals, Grape Vine 970-S9
Ink:  Memento tuxedo black;
  Prismacolor Pencils
Corner chomper

26 comments:

Ardyth said...

Love your grapes - you're very good with those coloured pencils. I always loved that look - remember the Bill Peet books? LOVE his style. Beautiful kites, too! We don't have so much wildlife deep in Toronto, but from time to time, we get a nice surprise. Not that I can ever identify them, though! lol!

Chrissie said...

Looks like you're enjoying your Prismas Darnell... tiny little grapey flourish here too!
Thanks so much
Chrissie
"Less is More"

Chrissie said...

Looks like you're enjoying your Prismas Darnell... tiny little grapey flourish here too!
Thanks so much
Chrissie
"Less is More"

Susan said...

Okay..I've NEVER heard of a kite (bird)...I thought at first you were talking about kites...you know...the ones that you attach a string to and fly....yeah, that's what I thought you were talking about! LOL! I see your pencils are getting a workout...excellent results!!

Victoria said...

Stunning colouring! Looking forward to future Prisma creations!

Karen M said...

Lovely card - I really like the look of those pencils and they sound like fun:) Hugs x x

G Peplow said...

WOW Darnell, Fabulous use of your new Prisma pencils and a very small flourish LOL Works for me LOL You lucky lady, Kites? How magnificent, they are truly beautiful. Take care when watching though, Gay xxx

Loli said...

Hola Darnell,oooh my friend what beautiful bird, you have luck, you can see every day this amazing bird, fantastic!!!
Beautiful card, very original colouring, well done darnell.
A hug from Palma

A Consuming Passion said...

Wonderful work with your new Prisma's .......I love mine :) Enjoyed reading a little about 'around your place' too!

Paper Creations by Shirley said...

Beautiful LIM creation ! The image & colouring is fabulous. Great work with the Prisma Pencils, I love mine. I've found a buyer for my 48 set and have a 150 set on order... I'm so excited ! Your post showing all the those pencils had me drooling :)

Paper Creations by Shirley said...

Beautiful LIM creation ! The image & colouring is fabulous. Great work with the Prisma Pencils, I love mine. I've found a buyer for my 48 set and have a 150 set on order... I'm so excited ! Your post showing all the those pencils had me drooling :)

Julie said...

Love the image and the colouring.
Your workshop is great!!
Fab bird photos- we have some sea eagle who visit us( we live on the coast) and I've been married 40 years and... just about to have our first grandchild. Can't wait!I was great looking around your blog.

Kathyk said...

We have red kites swooping around our place when we're in Florida.

Your card is lovely - hope you are really enjoying your prisma's

Kathyk

Redanne said...

You have done a wonderful job with your Prismas, I can tell you like them, cute flourish too! We only have red kites in the UK but love that white one!

shirley-bee said...

Just happened to have a glass of wine in my hand when I saw your card last night, how appropriate - enjoyed the wine so much I forgot to comment ;) Love the colouring, and the little flourish!

Kara Lynne said...

So glad the kites came back for you. Beautiful grapes and I like how the vine is your flourish!

Karin said...

love the grapes, beautiful!

Bonnie said...

Don't you love those Prismacolors, Darnell! You did a great job on those grapes with a flourish! How awesome to have the kite right there where you can keep an eye on him. Hopefully you will soon have a kite family to enjoy! Our lizard looked tailless when he scurried away the other night. Do they regularly shed their tails I wonder!

Jenni's Jems said...

A flourish is a flourish and what a brill take on the challenge!x

Viv said...

Lovely card and photo's too :) Viv xx

Ivanka said...

Your card is beautiful, the coloring is perfect! No Prismas here yet...baby steps with the coloring at my house!

Rosemary said...

super clever interpration of the challenge... the grapes look yummy!

Aileen said...

Fab colouring. I have a pack of these pencils too but haven't had a chance to really practise. Super photos too. x

Sally said...

A beautiful card with a perfectly coloured image. The grapes look good enough to eat! Great pics of the Kites, you are lucky to see them. I spend a lot of time watching the sparrows, blackbirds & blue tits in my garden.
Sally x

Deanna said...

beautiful colors on your grapes! Love the pic of the white kite, never scene one before. Gorgeous Card!

Linda said...

Hi Darnell, I'm a little late with my comments this week, I've been really busy with Design Team stuff, but hey, it's all done now so back to business.
Love the card, and it looks like you're getting the hang of the Prisma pencils - great job! xx