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jessica frost-ballas

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This one’s for the birds!

4 Nov

I can have the best intentions to unpack a few boxes when I get an occasional free hour but nothing derails me quite like bird-watching (or more accurately, bird and small mammal-watching).

It’s something that I’ve grown up with…my mom has always fed birds and taught me how to identify most of the local songbirds at her various feeders.  When I was in middle school she became a wildlife rehabber and brought the birds, squirrels, ducks, and possums inside!  We transported all kinds of weird animals around Virginia Beach (I still remember a large bird escaping from its box and flapping wildly around in the backseat while I attempted to contain it.

In all of my previous living situations I’ve fed the birds to varying degrees of success.  When we signed the papers to build I started thinking about how I’d set up bird feeders once the house was built.  And after a little trial and error I think I’ve got my set-up!

I’m using the Wild Birds Unlimited Advanced Pole System and I really like it.  Originally I just cable-tied a hook to the deck to see what kind of birds I could attract but I knew that wasn’t going to be a long-term solution.  Besides being rather unattractive it was also susceptible to shifting and sliding around.  And it kept the feeders directly over the deck so it was getting pretty messy.

IMG_2766The WBU system is totally customizable and has endless add-ons.  I’m using their deck mount which is bolted to the deck (yay for DIY projects and the maiden voyage of our cordless drill!).  It is 48″ high, has three main hooks, a branch perch, and a cute little bird finial on top.  Then for feeders there’s a finch feeder, a squirrel-proof tube feeder, a squirrel-proof suet feeder, a dish for mealworms (yes I do have live bugs in my fridge…), and a bark butter feeder for woodpeckers, flickers, etc.

IMG_2752 IMG_2751And so far it seems to be meeting the needs of all the local birds.  These are a few of the visitors we’ve had over the past couple of days.

White-Breasted Nuthatch and a Titmouse (my favorite backyard bird!)

White-Breasted Nuthatch and a Tufted Titmouse (my favorite backyard bird!)

IMG_3055

Downy Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

House Finch and a small flock of Goldfinches

House Finch and a small flock of Goldfinches

The Northern Flicker finally discovered the bark butter

The Northern Flicker finally discovered the bark butter

IMG_2896

Carolina Wren

Carolina Wren

Black-Capped Chickadee and another Titmouse

Black-Capped Chickadee and another Tufted Titmouse

So far I’ve seen the following birds in our backyard:

  • American Robin
  • Black-Capped Chickadee
  • Bluebird
  • Blue Jay
  • Cardinal
  • Carolina Wren
  • Dark-Eyed Junco
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Goldfinch
  • House Finch
  • Mourning Dove
  • Northern Flicker
  • Northern Mockingbird
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • White-Breasted Nuthatch

Hopefully I’ll be able to keep adding to the list!  I’m hoping for a Cedar Waxwing or a Baltimore Oriole….we’ll see how it goes…

NaBloPoMo_November_small

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Hi, I'm Jess! Thanks for visiting my blog where I share my adventures in cardmaking and papercrafting! I hope I can inspire you to craft with a little sparkle!

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Jessica Frost-Ballas

jessicafrostballas

Hi friends! I hope you’re enjoying the last few hours of the weekend! ❤️ I spent a mostly relaxing weekend getting my craft room back in order after the holidays and took a little time to do more ink blends! 💛❤️💙 I’m hoping to continually add more blends as I think of them and you can find my first batch by following the hashtag #allthesparkleblends! These particular blends were ones I was testing for future cards but I’d love to know if there’s a color (or two) you’d like me to focus on for the next batch! 😉 ••• #distressoxideinks #distressoxide #inkblending #papercrafting #ink

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Jan 11

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Instagram post 17868283949273571 Hi friends! I hope you’re enjoying the last few hours of the weekend! ❤️ I spent a mostly relaxing weekend getting my craft room back in order after the holidays and took a little time to do more ink blends! 💛❤️💙 I’m hoping to continually add more blends as I think of them and you can find my first batch by following the hashtag #allthesparkleblends! These particular blends were ones I was testing for future cards but I’d love to know if there’s a color (or two) you’d like me to focus on for the next batch! 😉
•••
#distressoxideinks #distressoxide #inkblending #papercrafting #ink

jessicafrostballas

🎉💖🎉 There’s a new release from @concordand9th today and it’s full of fantastic products for Valentine’s Day or any day you want to tell someone how much you love them! ❤️❤️❤️ I created a pair of cards today using some of the new products and you can find more info over on my blog! 😉 ••• LINK - https://wp.me/p5FZxV-6Yb (clickable link in profile) ••• #concordand9th #valentinesdaycard #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb #cardstock #c9creatingincolor

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Jan 9

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Instagram post 17901853459685878 🎉💖🎉 There’s a new release from @concordand9th today and it’s full of fantastic products for Valentine’s Day or any day you want to tell someone how much you love them! ❤️❤️❤️ I created a pair of cards today using some of the new products and you can find more info over on my blog! 😉
•••
LINK - https://wp.me/p5FZxV-6Yb (clickable link in profile)
•••
#concordand9th #valentinesdaycard #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb #cardstock #c9creatingincolor

jessicafrostballas

💙💖💜 Today I’m part of a video hop celebrating the Love Letters release from @honeybeestamps and I’m sharing how to create backgrounds from paper scraps! I also have a trick for choosing a color palette when using paper scraps so head over to the video and check it out! 😉 And make sure to hop along for a chance to win a gift card to #honeybeestamps!! 🐝❤️🐝 ••• 📹 LINK - https://youtu.be/nK4ac-LxwQw (clickable link in profile) ••• #paperscraps #cardstock #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

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Jan 8

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Instagram post 17883135529999626 💙💖💜 Today I’m part of a video hop celebrating the Love Letters release from @honeybeestamps and I’m sharing how to create backgrounds from paper scraps! I also have a trick for choosing a color palette when using paper scraps so head over to the video and check it out! 😉 And make sure to hop along for a chance to win a gift card to #honeybeestamps!! 🐝❤️🐝
•••
📹 LINK - https://youtu.be/nK4ac-LxwQw (clickable link in profile)
•••
#paperscraps #cardstock #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

jessicafrostballas

How many ways do you use distress oxide inks? 🤔 Today I’m sharing several ways to use them including heat embossing, ink blending, and more over on the @ellenhutsonllc blog! I’m also combining one of my favorite floral set sentiments with the cutest otter pair! 😉 Head over to the Ellen Hutson blog for more detail! ❤️🦦❤️ ••• LINK - https://blog.ellenhutson.com/2021/01/06/embossing-two-ways-with-distress-oxide-inks/ (clickable link in profile) ••• #ellenhutsonllc #ehambassador #essentialsbyellen #distressoxideinks #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

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Jan 6

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Link to display lightbox
Instagram post 17926526323490990 How many ways do you use distress oxide inks? 🤔 Today I’m sharing several ways to use them including heat embossing, ink blending, and more over on the @ellenhutsonllc blog! I’m also combining one of my favorite floral set sentiments with the cutest otter pair! 😉 Head over to the Ellen Hutson blog for more detail! ❤️🦦❤️
•••
LINK - https://blog.ellenhutson.com/2021/01/06/embossing-two-ways-with-distress-oxide-inks/ (clickable link in profile)
•••
#ellenhutsonllc #ehambassador #essentialsbyellen #distressoxideinks #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

jessicafrostballas

There’s a new release from @waffleflowercrafts and some fantastic layering stencil sets! I’m using the Heart Blooms set with distress oxide inks and a fun new sentiment set! Head to my blog for more details and hop along for a chance to win a gift card to #waffleflowercrafts!! 🌸❤️🌸 ••• LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/wf121/ (clickable link in profile) ••• #waffleflower #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb #stencil #distressoxideinks

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Jan 5

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Link to display lightbox
Instagram post 17946345070411377 There’s a new release from @waffleflowercrafts and some fantastic layering stencil sets! I’m using the Heart Blooms set with distress oxide inks and a fun new sentiment set! Head to my blog for more details and hop along for a chance to win a gift card to #waffleflowercrafts!! 🌸❤️🌸
•••
LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/wf121/ (clickable link in profile)
•••
#waffleflower #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb #stencil #distressoxideinks

jessicafrostballas

The new My Monthly Kit from @heroarts is now available and it’s Bee-utiful!! 🐝💛🐝 I’m sharing four cards from one watercolored background over on my blog and YT channel! Head over for more details and snag your kit before it sells out!! 💛💛💛 ••• LINK - https://shrsl.com/2ph6v (clickable link in profile) ••• #heroarts #mymonthlyhero #mijellomissiongold #hydracolour #watercolour #watercolor #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

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Jan 4

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Instagram post 17980797202329692 The new My Monthly Kit from @heroarts is now available and it’s Bee-utiful!! 🐝💛🐝 I’m sharing four cards from one watercolored background over on my blog and YT channel! Head over for more details and snag your kit before it sells out!! 💛💛💛
•••
LINK - https://shrsl.com/2ph6v (clickable link in profile)
•••
#heroarts #mymonthlyhero #mijellomissiongold #hydracolour #watercolour #watercolor #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

jessicafrostballas

We have a new Lawn Fawnatics challenge to kick off the new year and we’re creating cards for Outstanding Occasions! 🎉❤️🎉 Today I created a wedding card featuring an adorable squirrel party! 😉 Head to my blog for more details and join the challenge! 🐿🐿🐿 ••• LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/lfch92/ (clickable link in profile) ••• #lawnfawn @lawnfawn #lawnfawnatics #inkblending #copicmarkers #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

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Jan 4

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Instagram post 18184726213057099 We have a new Lawn Fawnatics challenge to kick off the new year and we’re creating cards for Outstanding Occasions! 🎉❤️🎉 Today I created a wedding card featuring an adorable squirrel party! 😉 Head to my blog for more details and join the challenge! 🐿🐿🐿
•••
LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/lfch92/ (clickable link in profile)
•••
#lawnfawn @lawnfawn #lawnfawnatics #inkblending #copicmarkers #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

jessicafrostballas

🐝 Today we’re kicking off the countdown for the @heroarts January My Monthly Hero kit and it’s the perfect cheery way to welcome a new year! 🐝🌸🐝 Head to my blog for a closer look and comment for a chance to win a kit before you can buy it! 💛🐝💛 ••• LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/hacd121/ (clickable link in profile) ••• #heroarts #mymonthlyhero #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

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Jan 2

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Instagram post 17938042399439973 🐝 Today we’re kicking off the countdown for the @heroarts January My Monthly Hero kit and it’s the perfect cheery way to welcome a new year! 🐝🌸🐝 Head to my blog for a closer look and comment for a chance to win a kit before you can buy it! 💛🐝💛
•••
LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/hacd121/ (clickable link in profile)
•••
#heroarts #mymonthlyhero #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

jessicafrostballas

Starting off 2021 with a clean and simple card featuring one of my very favorite companies! 🖤💛🖤 I love the new Lovely Letters alphabet set from @concordand9th and how nicely it pairs with the other alpha sets to create this card! Lovely Letters is a stand-alone alphabet set that looks like hand lettering and it’s designed so you can stamp and build whatever sentiment you want! Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! 🎉🎉🎉 ••• LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/hny21/ (clickable link in profile) ••• #concordand9th #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb #happynewyear

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Jan 1

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Link to display lightbox
Instagram post 17856831182398826 Starting off 2021 with a clean and simple card featuring one of my very favorite companies! 🖤💛🖤 I love the new Lovely Letters alphabet set from @concordand9th and how nicely it pairs with the other alpha sets to create this card! Lovely Letters is a stand-alone alphabet set that looks like hand lettering and it’s designed so you can stamp and build whatever sentiment you want! Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! 🎉🎉🎉
•••
LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/hny21/ (clickable link in profile)
•••
#concordand9th #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb #happynewyear
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I design for several companies because I truly love their products! Anything I recommend on my blog is something that I genuinely love and regularly use. I do not get paid for product reviews and I will never recommend a product that I do not like or would not use.

I am affiliated with several of my favorite crafty companies which means I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you!!) when you click on one of my links and make a purchase through the store.

You can find my full disclosure as well as a list of the companies I am affiliated with HERE. Thank you so much for supporting me!

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