Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Mind Your Peas & Q's...and Dreams of Roses...


"Peas and beans do well in the company of carrots, leeks and turnips, neither of them thrive in the proximity of onions, garlic or gladioli."  --The Country Diary of Garden Lore--

Good evening, everyone!

Hope your day has been wonderful...mine's been full of everything, and not enough of nothing....does that make sense? 

I have a couple of things to share with you tonight...I definitely have spring on my mind today!  I worked at the Park again this morning...took a delightful 4th grade class on a hike and taught them all about the Ohlone Indians who lived here  for so many hundreds of years before we came here...a good morning!

Okay...my first card came about just because I've been feeling the need to get out in the garden.  My daughter's been craving a teepee full of sugar snap peas, and I've been in love with this adorable Crafty Secrets' image for ages...so this card emerged today...



...the image comes from Crafty Secrets' "Garden" Creative Scraps--isn't it fun?!  I came up with the saying myself...I've got a terribly corny sense of humor, so there you go!

I had fun "dyeing" the white pom-pom trim with Olive and Garden Fairy Glimmer Mist, added some lace and ribbon, Martha Stewart's "White Gold" fine glitter, some beautiful paper from K & Co., and that's about it!


Silly peas!

I love turning to this book each spring--one of my very favorites--to re-learn old gardening traditions and get tips and ideas...



This book is meant for the English gardener, but as I love England and it's beautiful gardens, I love this book, and take what information I can for me and my garden...It's filled with ancient garden lore, superstitions, traditions, practical information, and gorgeous images...a book to treasure.

Here's what they say about peas...

"There are several superstitions attached to the shelling of peas.  While it is considered good luck to find a pod containing a single pea, the luckiest pod of all is one containing nine perfect peas.  If an unmarried girl puts such a pod on the lintel of the outer door, the first man to cross the threshold will be her future husband."

Fun stuff!

Here's my second card...


I did this one to fit this week's Crafty Secrets' challenge over at Splitcoast--to use different textures on our card...  Hope this works!  Some beautiful lace, leaf trim, gingham ribbon, more K & Co. designer paper, Moonstone German glass glitter, and some more of the tattered roses I made last month...I love these!



So much fun to make!  I covered them with a couple of shades of pink and some gold Glimmer Mist--then dabbed them with some Vintage Photo ink to grunge them up a bit. Oh, yes...and some Dazzling Diamonds for just a bit of sparkle!


This little sweetheart is also from Crafty Secrets' "Garden" Creative Scraps.  She reminded me how excited I am about my garden full of roses...

We just pruned them back about a month ago, and they're all (over 100 bushes!) covered with lush new growth...it's the most marvellous thing to watch them spring to life!  Soon they will be covered with little buds...I am so ready for the heady scent of roses to be filling the air of my garden and the beautiful, fat bouquets filling my house....ahhhhh...perfection!

Well, that's it for me tonight...off to watch a little "American Idol" with the family...I've been getting so caught up in this show for the last couple of years!  Hope you all have a wonderful night...I'll be back on Friday with something new...

May your dreams be rosy!

35 comments:

  1. I was watching American Idol last night too Julie although I am sure I am way behind you on it! I just LOVE LOVE LOVE your newest cards! Oh how sweet the Pea one is!! How clever to add the pompoms, they look just like sweet little peas!! I just LOVE LOVE this card!!!! You are so clever and talented!!! And those roses, how very breathtakingly beautiful!! Your cards are so very lovely. I truly treasure the one you sent me for Christmas. I could never make as lovely card as the ones you make, and I am so blessed to have one of them. I hope that you have a lovely spring day tomorrow and digging in your garden. I can't wait to get to our new place so that we can begin to put our garden in! I may grow some peas!!! Love and hugs to you. XXOO

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  2. The cards are beautiful...special the green card...lovely idea!

    Hugs,Willy

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  3. I love peas,I especially love to use in baby cards, but with these vintage images, including your seed packet (which I LOVE), no limits!!

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  4. Hee hee, I'd have thought back then that for an unmarried girl it would be quite likely that the first man across the threshold would be her father! Great cards, love those silly peas! The pom pom trim is perfect with them, clever girl!

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  5. Ah, Julie, I love to start my day with your beautiful posts!! That peas card is simply stunning, with its fresh spring greens, and I LOVE the way your pompom trim turned out with the glimmer mist. Fabulous idea - the color is so soft and yummy. And I adore your roses card, too. I've been debating splurging on some German glass glitter.... maybe I'll take the plunge. I can't even imagine what your yard must look like with it's avalanche of roses. Must be heaven on earth! :)

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  6. Hello Julie... thank you so much for visiting my blog, as now I have found yours! Your blog is just lovely... your cards are so cute and I always love to read or hear about garden lore... gardening is such a huge part of my life, along with everything in Nature... I must make myself a cup of coffee and sit and savor your older posts... I would love to see all of your beautiful roses... 100 bushes... I wish I had room for that many, I love roses! I am signing on as a follower as well... chat with you soon!... xoxo Julie Marie

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  7. Both cards are so beautiful, I love your little pom pom peas!

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  8. Good morning, Julie! Taking a short break from work to enjoy your blog, and a relaxing break it is! I love your sweet green pea card, especially the pom-pom trim! I knew you would fully embrace this week's CS challenge. ;) I love the layers of trim you used and those sweet glimmered, glittered roses.

    Wishing you a lovely day, my friend!

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  9. I love the roses on your second card, they're stunning.

    And I love sugar snap peas, too!!!

    Glad you got your recipe, can't wait to hear how you like them.

    Hope you have a delightful day!!

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  10. You make the most creative cards! I love vintage labels like that. I have a CD around here somewhere with them on it. I still haven't gotten around to trying Martha's glitter. But I keep hearing about it. It's almost time to plant veggies, something I don't usually do. I normally stick with herbs and flowers and other plants.
    Brenda

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  11. Cute post! Aren't you glad we don't pick husbands by puttting peas in a doorway? Just think what you might get these days! And you post of the fog rolling in made me so jealous that I'm not there. I am so missing California. It's been almost a year since I have been there & I tell you I AM HOOKED! Hubby just thinks I'm nuts but, I LOVE IT on the central coast. Thanks for the photos that make my heart go pitty pat. Loved your post on the moon too. Of course I LOVE all your work & your posts. ALICE still hangs on my fridge & I see her everytime I open the door. Reminds me of you my friend. Have a beautiful day. HUGS! CHarlene

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  12. hi julie,

    lots of beauty around here, as always! love the little pea-lore, too! very fun.

    xo
    elyse

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  13. Love the new background:)
    Your cards are stunning as usual. I think the pea superstition is funny... I don't think I would like to leave the choice of my future hubby up to a vegie. Ha!
    Blessings!
    Gwen

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  14. You are so creative! Don't know anywone else who could make peas such an interesting subject; you have a way with your crafts and your words; thank you.
    Rita

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  15. Julie, your cards are simply darling! Thank you for the graphics! Have a great day! Twyla

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  16. Your cards: Wow!!!! Love them! The roses you have made are so beautiful Julie! You are so creative!

    Have a wonderful day!
    Hugs Hanne

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  17. Sneaking a peek.........running out the door with baby girl # 2 for fun in the snow ....she has Spring Break........coming back to read more......can't wait!

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  18. First I want to say your new background is Spring like and fun. I don't know how to do this I should work on finding out.
    Anyway I loved your peas in a pod card, so clever you are with all those tiny details they go into making up the whole so stunning and interesting.
    As for you 100 rose bushes, oh how I love a rose garden. I had them in CA all my life but alas here in Alaska they do not work. I tried so many times but just had dead plants the next year. We can have an Alaskan wild rose however, not much variety in that. Nan

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  19. Love your cards and the extras you added to your already beautiful roses!

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  20. Hey girl...miss you! Your new blog background sure suits this post!

    Before we left our home of 16 years to settle into our condo (the kids are all gone now) I have a rose garden filled with Fair Biancas and so many others. I loaded my library with beautiful coffee table books of English Gardens....those were the days.

    Of course, I still have the books but only photos and memories of those roses which surrounded our pool. Our children (loooong before they had their own) splashing around all the color and joy those gardens brought to me.

    Thanks for the lovely memories.....

    (p.s...did you get my email this week?)

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  21. I like how your comments are called "kind words"! Your creations are lovely!

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  22. Julie, your cards splendidly smell of spring :)
    Beautiful!

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  23. Wonderful, just a fabulous use of these great images. I just adore your vintage makes. Kim

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  24. Perfect paper for such a lovely image! :)

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  25. Thank you so much for visiting me the other day...your blog is so lovely..especially yor wallpaper..beautiful! Plus your cards and creations are amazing..wow you really inspire me. I will be back again to visit. xoxo

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  26. Your cards are beautiful, I love all the detail, the roses arelovely.
    I am having a Easter Candy Cup Giveaway.
    Stop on by for a chance to win!
    Join the Fun
    www.saturdayfinds.blogspot.com

    Hugs, Diane

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  27. Julie, your cards are gorgeous!!! i love the one with the silly peas, i like a little bit of whimsy myself, and they are just too cute:)

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  28. I love your pea card! I'm all about my garden right now and love the image and bright green color. All your cards are beautiful!

    Manuela

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  29. Great cards as always. I see you and my cousin have the same taste in beautiful blog backgrounds. :) We watch American Idol here on Thursday and Friday so the second round is tonite. Only a few standouts - the rest don't seem to be doing too well. And judges are harsh! Hope you are having a fabulous Friday. Blessings, Tammy

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  30. Julie I love your new blog background it is gorgeous as are the shabby chic roses you have made! I would love to try growing peas this summer, if only the weather would warm up soon! Happy weekend to you and your family xxx

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  31. Julie......you do make lovely things. I always love coming by to see what you are up to.

    Jo

    P.s. love the floral background

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  32. I'd saw it works, its just darling!

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  33. I am in LOVE with this!! Those Tattered roses are to die for gorgeous! How stunning and what a great creative mind you have Julie!

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  34. Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous! You've been blessed with such creativity!

    Do you have a tutorial on how to do the roses? They're awesome!!

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