Welcome Spring

Oh dear Spring...welcome back...I'm so happy you're finally here...I thought I'd never see you again.

"If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom."-Terri Guillemets

Top of the Morning to YOU!

Today is St. Patrick's Day. I love the story of St. Patrick. He was such a courageous man. Some of the myth and legends are silly compared to his bravery...But, one of the legends that I like involves the shamrock and how he used it to share his faith with the people of Ireland. He must have been a creative man.

I love reading about people's creativity. How they use everyday materials to inspire and create lovely things. Lately,I have been reading about how you can save the everyday paper in your life and make beautiful papers and cards. I have been saving mail, old magazines, the paper that holds your teabags, cereal boxes, on and on. For these cute little flowers and/or shamrocks, I punched 4 hearts, glued them together and inked the edges. For each, I added a button and voila...a lovely Spring or St. Paddy's Day addition.

That little "teabag" shamrock was just the addition I needed to add to a calendar page I created for the month of March. I found a cute little calendar stamp at Michaels...inked and glued it to a cereal box I had been saving...then cut it out and glued that on pretty scrapbook paper. Next I added a "kiss me I'm Irish" stamp for fun.

A little calendar to celebrate the month of March. What a fun month. All the green of St. Patrick's Day really gets me ready to celebrate SPRING! Whew! What a wild winter it has been. I can say I am ready to celebrate this next season.

Add a small stack of little cut papers for notes under your calendar and you're done. Hope you all enjoy your day. Don't forget to wear a little green.

Spring Fever

Finally... It feels like springtime. I thought it would never come. I have had a little bird's nest stamp sitting on my shelf so, as soon as the sun appeared, after seemingly weeks and weeks of clouds, I took it down and quickly...used it. After stamping it, I colored it with my brightest colored pencils. Next, I wanted to give it some thickness and depth. Because I save cereal boxes, cookie boxes, and pasta boxes, I knew just what to do. I cut out a square from one of the boxes, then sanded and glued the colored nest to the cardboard. Finally I cut out the outline of the nest, and then sanded and inked the edges.

After completing the stamped image, I began to prepare the background for the nest to "nest". I used beautiful scrapbook paper. There are so many patterns and colors to choose from these days. I added lace and ribbon, cut out flowers and sprinkled glitter.

A perfect card to send for any kind of celebration.

Je t'aime I love you

Anytime is a good time to say, I love you. You don't have to wait for a special day. Let those you love know how much you appreciate them all the time. It strengthens them and ultimately...you.

I found this darling stamp at Hobby Lobby. It was the last one on the shelf waiting just for me. I decided to stamp and glitter using these colors. How I love these shades of blue and red together. Just like the boy and girl under the umbrella, the colors compliment each other so well. That's what a good relationship does --alone a person may be just an ordinary human being...maybe kind of plain... but connect that person with someone of opposite strengths and even weaknesses... together, they make each other shine.

Opposites really do attract. Appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of the people in your life. Your strengths make their weaknesses strong and their strengths may just support where you are weak.

Friendship

The best kind of ship is friendship. It helps to carry you through the rough waters of life. Happy Valentine's Day, dear friends.
(water soluable crayons, black ink, collage)

Love Letters

What a fun appropriate challenge for the month of February by Michelle Ward.



I know a sweet little couple that fell in love at the beginning of the U.S. involvement in World War II. He was 20. She was 18. For three years they wrote love letters. I am fortunate to have some of these letters because that sweet little couple was my parents. My dad loved to write: S.W.A.K Sealed with a kiss. On this particular letter he wrote: S.W.A.K. I.L.Y.V.M. Sealed with a kiss. I love you very much. Love letters.



This letter has S.W.A.K. and then my dad put an X under that for THE KISS.



I love letters or cards or even postcards. There is something wonderful about receiving something in the mailbox as opposed to the email box. It means someone was thinking enough of me to spend time choosing the card, writing the card and mailing the card. It seems they had to think of something else other than their convenience. Plus you can carry a card or letter. Read it again...and again. Look at it. Hold it. And now all these years later, I can hold the words and feelings my parents had for each other in my hand.



I LOVE love letters.

Will You Be My Valentine?

When my daughter was in elementary school, she began preparing for Valentine's Day starting in January. First would appear a list of those that would receive the valentines. Next a list of supplies would appear. These lists were all made by my sweet daughter. She has always been very organized not compulsive as some would like to label it. We would make valentines together using glitter and glue. The completed envelopes would be ready to mail by January 31. Now even though my daughter is living away at college, I find myself gathering supplies, stamping and glueing. I started in January.

I found this lovely paper at JoAnn Fabrics. It is filled with beautiful butterflies and antique type designs.

I chose two very pale pastel colored papers. They mix perfectly with cream colored lace.

Finally I added valentine stamps also found at JoAnn's in the dollar bin. And just a little chocolate FOR ME to nibble on while working...It just made it seem more like Valentine's Day...the chocolate and all.