Robin Eggs

Hidy Ho, crafty peeps!

It's the mid-way point in our current challenge at House Mouse and Friends, but first, I wanna talk a little about my favorite things in Spring.

Here, in Texas, Spring arrives abruptly. One day it's Winter...the next day, BAM, Spring has sprung.

It's not gradual, like it is in Colorado.

Here, in Texas, it's more like God turns on the Spring light switch. Overnight, trees bud, daffodils and tulips suddenly appear in full regalia, and the temperature clears the 70-degree mark on its way to 80. But in Colorado (where I grew up), Spring is a process. It's NOT instantaneous. It's teasingly slow.

One of my favorite things about growing up in Colorado, was seeing the first robins of the season. Robins, to me, are the sentinels of Spring. They heralded the impending departure of Old Man Winter, and ushered in the wondrous beginnings that were Spring.

I enjoyed seeing the crocuses (or is that croci?) peeking their little purple heads through snow. These were followed by Grape Hyacinths and Henbit. I especially love Henbit. It's considered a weed, but not to me.  I think it's beautiful...and it's edible too. When the Henbit is out, you KNOW it's Spring. The flowers look like little orchids....little, TEENY TINY, orchids. When I say tiny...I mean TINY. The flowers are only about 1/4 inch long. When you get enough of them together in one place...they cover the ground in a blanket of lavender. So lovely. Luckily, we have Henbit here in Texas too.

Henbit

(aka Lamium amplexicaule)

But I digress.

Back to the robins.

I really like robins...from their rusty-red breasts, to their beautifully speckled turquoise eggs--robins are really cool.

In Colorado, the robins have very rusty breasts...theirs are really more of a light brown with a copper tinge than they are "red".

Here, in Texas, the robins have MUCH redder breast plumage. Their breasts are brick red...almost barn red.

So, for my mid-way project for House Mouse and Friends "Easter" challenge, I chose to honor that faithful steward of Spring--the Robin. I colored it up to be a sort of cross between a Colorado robin and a Texas Robin--I guess that would be an Oklahoma Robin.

I chose the ADORABLE "Jelly Bean Bird" stamp (available from Stampendous).

Now, I've only ever seen people color up this bird to look like an Easter chick--all yellow with an orange beak. This (of course) is NOT  how I see this cute little bird...because to me, this bird - perched up on that ginormous pile of jelly beans - is, and always will be, a ROBIN.  I don't know if that is what Ellen Jareckie envisioned when she drew it...but, to me, it's a Robin. Here's a closeup so you can see what I'm talking about! See? It's a ROBIN.

I colored this fun image using my Prismacolor Premier colored pencils. No surprise there. I even made the robin sort of fuzzy looking on top of its head by dragging some of the color onto the background with a blending stub. Neat trick, huh?

Since this is a ROBIN...it only made sense that it be sitting on a pile of turquoise jelly beans (obviously having mistaken them for its nest). Luckily, little Muzzy was there (pen in hand) to "correct" the label on the jar. He's a true friend...that Muzzy!

Oh yeah...I did alter the stamped image a bit...I added the pen image under Muzzy's paw... (I made it in Photoshop, then cut it out of cardstock). The original stamp does not have that feature. I also paper-toled (decoupaged) various parts of the image--the robin, Muzzy, the pen, and the "eggs" resting in front of the jar. I fussy-cut all those elements out and mounted them over the original image with thin foam tape to make it 3-D.

You still have PLENTY of time to enter

our challenge!!!

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Gruffies and Guests - #27 - Flowers or Anything Goes
• ABC Challenges - C is for Cute

Thanks, as always, for coming out to visit me here in Left Field!

May all your days be crafty ones!