The squirrel population has exploded in my backyard. They are staying off the bird feeder but wreaking havoc on my deck flower containers. Those darn little squirrels are cute. Could they be burying food in my containers? Does that mean we will have a VERY COLD WINTER? Hmm, so many questions. But first, let me show you a couple of cards that I created using the Nuts About Squirrels stamp set.
NUTS ABOUT SQUIRRELS Stamp Set
Isn’t that little fella cute?
2 CARDS & 1 TAG
HELPFUL HINTS
Combining stamp sets and dies makes creating fun. I love the coordination of color and products that Stampin’ Up! offers. Don’t be afraid to pull out anything you have and tuck a little here or crop a little there to make it work.
I fussy cut the squirrels. Use the Stamparatus if you want a perfect 2-step stamping for the squirrel shading. Practice and get a perfect alignment then stamp a bunch in different colors for other projects. Try Gray Granite, Cajun Craze, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, or any fun color just because. đ
Here are some of the products (and their Quick Shopping Links) that I used.
MORE THAN YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT SQUIRRELS
FACTOID 1: I discovered that used coffee grounds work great for keeping those pesky squirrels out of my containers. Just spread out a layer on top of the soil. It will be effective for about 4-5 days. We drink a lot of coffee, so finding coffee grounds is not a problem.
FACTOID 2: A squirrel’s dream come true. We have a bumper crop for acorns – also called a âmast year*â – because conditions were just right for oak trees to produce a huge amount of acorns. Squirrels will populate directly proportional to their food source. We have lots of oak trees around here so I am going to be plagued by the creatures every time there is a great abundance of acorns.
*The term mast year derives from the Old English ‘mĂŠst’, meaning the nuts of forest trees that have accumulated on the ground, especially those used historically for feeding domestic animals, and as food resources for wildlife.
Typically, there are one to four gray squirrels per 2.5 acres, although there can be more than 20 squirrels per 2.5 acres in an urban park where forage and nesting opportunities are more abundant.Â
FACTOID 3: The eastern gray squirrel has two breeding seasons per year. Fewer females participate in the first season from December through March. More will mate during the second season from May through July. Most females breed once a year, though when food is abundant, more than 30 percent of females will breed twice in one year. None will mate if food is scarce. Guess that explains the population growth.
Pick up your Nuts About Squirrels stamp set TODAY before they are SOLD OUT!
Do Something Creative Every Day,
SNEAK PEEK AT FITTING FLORETS Suite
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