February 17, 2026

I realize it's been awhile since I posted one of my greeting cards. Since the last time, I have been going through one medical issue after another. Although it's not all settled quite yet, I decided it was high time I offered you another card with tutorial.

Doesn't this raccoon look like he REALLY cares? I mean, look at him worriedly wringing his little hands! 


SUPPLIES:
White cardstock
Red cardstock
Black and White Gingham Patterned Paper

Sentiment Stamp
Raccoon Stamp

Black Ink

Big Shot
Circle dies
Label dies
3/4" red grosgrain ribbon
Dimensionals

INSTRUCTIONS:
Fold a 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" piece of white cardstock in half, creasing it well with a bone folder.

To this white card base, add a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of red cardstock, and to that, adhere a 3 3/4" x 5" piece of black and white gingham patterned paper.

On white cardstock, stamp in black ink a raccoon. Use an appropriately sized circle die to cut the little guy out.

From red cardstock, cut out a larger circle. Adhere the two circles together.

Use Dimensionals to add it to the black and white piece, leaving equal borders at the top and sides.

In black ink, stamp a sentiment. Use a die that fits the sentiment to cut it out.

Cut a 3 1/2" piece of 3/4" red grosgrain ribbon and adhere it to the back side of the sentiment piece.

Use Dimensionals to add it to the card  below the raccoon.

There! Now, send it off to make someone feel better!

Kind
Smiles. 

January 2, 2026

THE DAILY BIRD - AUGUST 2025

Hey all! I know I've been missing for a bit. But I'm back -- with a handful of bird portraits I've done, this time from August 2025.

As I always do in these birdie posts, I will include the name of the bird as well as where on earth they can be found living. 

If you ever have any comments on my drawings, I would dearly love to hear from you!

Here goes:

white-crowned pigeon

the caribbean


red-cheeked cordon-bleu
tropical sub-saharan africa

ruddy shelduck
southeastern europe and central asia

stripe-throated bulbul
tropical southeastern asia

great thick-knee
asia

red-legged seriema
south america

grey peacock pheasant
bangladesh, northeast india, southeast asia

scaly-breasted kingfisher
indonesia

collared trogon
mexico, central america, south america

And there is a very small taste of what I drew during August, 2025. Hopefully September will have a better showing.

Please respect that these are quick photos of my origiinal artwork and cannot be used in any way without my express permission. Let me know if you'd like a print!!

Once again, I am always grateful to have you accompany me on my exploration and drawing of the world's birds. If you ever have an idea for a bird I should draw, let me know!

I should just mention that besides drawing birds as part of Terry Runyan's #dailycreating group on Facebook, I also finished a personal challenge, #365birds, during which I drew a bird each day for an entire year. Once I finished that challenge, I immediately segued right into another personal challenge, The Daily Bird. The drawing I did tonight was Day 665 of The Daily Bird! I am well over 1,100 drawings of birds!! Yay me!

Birdie
Smiles.