I’m having a flash back this week. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned thinking about using punchinella (sequin waste) to make a colourful, ergonomic, flowing kind of sweep across a card… turns out that’s bloody difficult! So I revisited the whole thing at the weekend and decided to make a sort of graduated background instead. You can see the results of the flowing rainbow thing on the right, it’s not exactly very natural looking is it!
I’ll cut a portion of this out and team it with a computer generated sentiment along the lines of “have a bright, sunshiney day” kind of thing. It’s for a male birthday card, for a soon to be 19 year old. I don’t know what else to do, lol! But I like those lovely bright colours.
We’re also having more bright, sunshiney type days in Michigan too, finally, I know I’m jinxing myself but I really think Winter is done with us, for a few months at least!
The Curious Cranes (Sandhill Cranes) also think we’re done, they turned up at a local park recently pretty much en masse. And they’re still very curious, they walk right up to you to see what you’re doing and if you have any food for them. We went to that park for a walk on Sunday with friends, expecting to see a few of them as is usual at this time of year, but instead we saw loads and loads. Some singly, most in small group of about seven or so with huge flocks out on the open water. We’ve never seen so many, at times they lined the path as we walked by, just looking at us.
They’re pretty big too, standing about 4ft, or more, tall with 5ft to 7ft wingspans, so walking past three or four of them when they’re lined up like that staring at you down their sharp 8″-10″ bills can be a bit unnerving, but they always seem to be really docile. The one above was pecking at the ground while making a beeline straight for me (thought I had food) and was incredibly interested in my feet, that’s why his bill is a bit cut off, I couldn’t move any further back and he was practically at my feet.
So, a Nature Walk for you this week. To see proper desks, head on over to Julia’s for all the details and I’ll be seeing you anon!
Butlers Abroad 
I like the look of the background. And the cranes are so neat. How funny that they are not at all afraid of people. April (I don’t have a number yet)
What amazing things those cranes are Brenda.. quite take your breath away.. agree with the unnerving bit!!
Do love the inky rainbow.. has me wondering if a piece of gutter guard would be easier?? mm might have to give it a try!! 😀
happy WOYWW Shaz in Oz.x #32
Wow! Those cranes! Glad winter is beginning to release its grip at last. And that’s a clever idea with the punchinella (and I’ve learned a new word!)
Gorgeous colours there on the stripy rainbow effect! How fabulous to have those wild cranes around. We only have them in Wildfowl and Wetland places at the moment, on a breeding programme. I think they are hoping it will be successful enough to loose them into the wild eventually.
Have a great week.
Margaret #25
Oh how funny, you’ve got cranes and I’ve got a heron on my blog!! Coincidence or what??
I love that rainbow of sequence waste too, it’s going to make a great card! Perfect for that age 🙂
Hugs, LLJ 45 xx
That’s a cool idea, the flowy rainbow – maybe if you cut the shape you want your flow to be out of a piece of paper, you could use that like a stencil and put it over your punchinella before you start inking?
Coooool birds! I was standing outside yesterday morning totally shocked by how much racket the birds were making. So used to just hearing a few tweets from the ones brave/stupid enough to weather the weather. 😉
Guessing you didn’t make the record for snowfall then… what a shame when you were so close! Love the picture of the bird – your feet obviously escaped worse attention as you’ve lived to post the tale! Sure the rainbow card will look fabulous. Helen 11
Wow – I never saw those cranes up close (yet – it’s on my wish list for when we come back to the U.S.) Thanks for sharing!
Happy woyww! Jana #65
Hi Brenda, so nice to hear you are now at the end of winter too, same here in Scotland. It’s still cold out and there’s plenty of April showers but we are also seeing more of the sun now too. Like the effect you have achieved with the sequin waste … I think the 19 year old will like it too. The crane pic is lovely but that bill would scare me. Have a great week. Elizabeth x #77
G’day Brenda
I haven’t participated in WOYWW for maybe 9 months and I am trying to get to as many as I can this week.. Oh I love the rainbow flow from sequin waste…what a great idea and I am sure the card will look awesome. OMG what a magnificent crane and how amazing they get up so close…not sure I’d like one interested in my feet though LOL
hugs
Annette In Oz #23
Boy cards they are always such a challenge to avoid the girly look and that background is wonderful .the French in the coffee is the type of roast I believe but over here it could be us just us Canadians tying to make it sound more fancy then Vanilla coffee lol and OMG half and half is so Rich I don’t even like cream in my coffee
YES I’m stalking my mailman too it’s always so exciting to win anything and from LOTV WEEE!!!
Congrats on winning too
hugs Nikki 3 thanks for the visit too
Hi there…! Oh wow, I gotta try that sequin waste homemade stencil.. looking good!
Thanks for sharing!
Now if messy desks are fun (which they really are) , then I am having a super duper FUN time. LOL
happy WOYWW
hugs,
kimmer #103 (last again for the 4th time , I really don’t plan this) LOL
I reckon that’s a great idea – make sure you share the finished card. The cranes are beautiful. We have a heron that guards our neighbourhood, keeping a beady eye on the fish in local garden ponds! Have a great week, Chris # 35
Well I’m loving the non-sweeping colour bursts! Good for you for sticking at the punchinella though,,I may have had a hissy fit that involved throwing if I couldn’t get it to work!! The cranes are huge – quite intimidating in a flock, I wonder if they’ve become docile around humans or are just naturally so….they clearly recognise us as a source for food…
Oh, forgot to say – yep, have taken off the comment bars for now – till I get sick of spam again! And also – whoa, the woodland, please tell me it’s slowly showing signs of green?
Really enjoyed sharing your walk in the woods and those cranes … Wow! Amazing! Waht an experience.
Jo x
I love the effect with the punchinella, you forget how effective some things are until you see someone using them again.
Happy crafting, Angela #64
I’d say that crane has good taste in hand-knitted socks, which I assume were on your feet! Thanks for sharing, B, that was interesting. I’m pretty sure I would have been too intimated to walk among them!! Love your rainbow using the sequin waste. I’ve never even heard of a punchinella. Could that serve as a stencil for embossing paste? I’m avoiding that movement, but it’s all the rage right now. Glad you are getting some sunshine and warmer temperatures at last!! I joined WOYWW for the first time I think all year and I mentioned my fab friend Mr. B.!! Enjoy the week! Hugs, Darnell #26
Quick reply about adverts. I only ever saw one or maybe two here B. Then they stopped. My beef is folk deliberately signing up to ads on Blogger accounts.
Hugs
Di
xx
Love your rainbow effect. I’ve never heard of punchinella. Maybe you could explain sometime.
Did you know that the crane in the picture is a baby? But see how Mother Nature camouflaged it so very well. It really blends in with the leaves. An adult will be grey with a red cap. YOU MUST be carful around any tall bird. They use that sharp beak very quickly and have been know to take out an eye. I have know of several instances where Blue Herons have done that exact thing. Take Care.
How interesting to have such large but docile birds around. How big must their nest be?????
Keep going with the punchinella. xxx
Such a beautiful bird – I did not realize that they would be in your neck of the woods.
Sandy xx