Handmade Easter Cards and Tags

It's almost Easter weekend and I am so excited to not only celebrate Easter, but also to see my grandchildren again.  I always bring them an Easter basket filled with lots of treats and good things (check out THIS POST for ideas of what I put in their baskets), plus I made them each their own Easter Card.  Here are the cards and tags I made this year.

First up is Elisha's card.  Elisha is two years old so I thought he would like this big bunny card.  The image is from MFT and is not from a traditional Easter stamp set.  This card is a good example of how you don't need a stamp specifically designed for Easter to make a card for Easter.

To make the card I stamped the bunny image onto white card stock, colored it, and cut it out.  I used two sheets of coordinating designer paper for the background:  the green and white background and the dashed lines one behind the rabbit.  I cut the oval shapes using Spellbinder's Nestabilities.  I wrapped orange ribbon around the card and tied it with a bow.  The rabbit was popped up on dimensionals and the flowers were stamped twice, cut out, and also popped up on dimensionals.  The eggs are 3D stickers.  I stamped the sentiment onto white card stock, cut it with a tag die, and added an eyelet.

The large bunny tags that have all the children's names on them, were purchased already in the bunny shape but I added the detail myself, and glued google eyes and cotton balls on them.

Next up is Atticus' card.  Atticus is four years old.  For both boy cards, the one above and the one below I tried to use more earthy, neutral colors.

To make this card I stamped the bunny image and flowers onto a white base and colored it with Copic markers.  The Easter basket was stamped separately, colored, and cut out then popped up with dimensionals.  The butterflies were also stamped separately, colored, and popped up.  The bunny and flower vine are from retired Stampin' Up! "Tender Toile" set.  The Easter basket is from retired Stampin' Up! "Spring Gifts" set.  The sentiment is unknown.  The butterflies are from MFT "Adorable Elephants" set.  The "basket weave" background was made using an embossing folder and Cuttlebug machine.  I used and MFT die to make the white and green arch shapes.  Everything was adhered to a beige card base.

My last card is for Alethea, a six year old girl,  so I was able to use softer pastel colors.  Alethea's card is a combo Easter/spring card.

To make Alethea's card I used a floral stamp that has to be colored with water based markers before stamping.  I used Stampin' Up! water based markers.  Once I stamped the image, I added bunny die cuts which I cut with a die from "Memory Box" then I drew some detail on them.  The umbrella was cut with a Circuit machine and I tied on a sentiment tag.  The rain drops are epoxy stickers and the eggs are little buttons which I cut the back off and glued onto the card.  The main image panel was adhered to a blush card base.

The bunnies and umbrella were both popped up with dimensionals.

 Have A Great Day and Happy Easter!  Amy

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How to Style "Pantone's Spring Colors 2024" with Ageless Style

Ageless Style is a monthly style challenge and link up for women of all ages.   Each month we pick a different theme and style an outfit based on that theme.  This month's theme is "Pantone Spring Colors 2024" and was picked by Bo.

I'm so excited Spring is finally here, although in Wisconsin it was ushered in by colder temperatures.  Such irony!  We've had such a mild winter, with some days even in the sixties, and then when spring finally arrives on the calendar it gets cold again.  Anyway, you're not here to talk about the weather but to hear all about our latest style challenge which is "Pantone's Spring Colors 2024".  

According to Pantone's Color Experts, there are ten stand out spring colors and I think I'm wearing most of them in this post ha ha!  You can see all ten colors in THIS POST, and in some of my outfit photos below.

Let's start with the "Mint" color which I'm wearing on the top right.  First of all, I don't know why they are calling this color "Mint", it is more of an "Emerald Green" to me, and frankly because it's a jewel tone, I consider it more of an autumn color.  However, there is a lot of green in spring, so I'll placate Pantone and accept it as a "spring color" ha ha.

I styled my Emerald Green top, eh, sorry "Mint" top, 😂 with white pants.  Everything I am wearing in both outfits is from TJMaxx.  It's just my go-to shopping place right now where I find the right clothes for me in the right price.  Only my shoes, bag, and jewelry are from other sources.

I really do love this color and I have another top in this color but it has 3/4 sleeves so I wear it winter.  I also have a cardigan in this color...so I must really love it if I keep buying things in this color.  I think the color is very complimentary on all skin tones, and it looks great with white pants, black pants, or navy blue to name just a few.  I chose white pants for this photo shoot because it looked the most "springy".

My next outfit I will be wearing for Easter, I mean, why not?  It's got all the colors of Easter plus it's super comfy so I'll be able to hunt for Easter eggs with the grandkids with ease.  I will probably change out the flats for heels when I go to church and then slip the flats back on when it's time to play.

If it's cold, which it probably will be, especially in the morning, I will add this white cardigan.

I believe I am wearing most of the Pantone Spring Colors in one outfit and here they are:  Vibrant Capri, Lemon Drop, Marlin, Desert Flower, Chambray Blue, and Orange Ade.  The only ones I'm missing are Rooibus Tea and Watercress (which I also think are fall colors and not spring colors) and Pastel Lilac.  I'm a walking Pantone Fashion Color Trend in this outfit! 😂

For accessories I chose a simple rose gold pendant necklace since there was so much going on in the top already, and a rose gold bracelet and earrings.  I carried a neutral thrifted handbag.

Did you hear Pantone's Color of the Year is Peach Fuzz?  So expect it to be in all the stores and see everyone wearing it in about three years! ha ha!  JK, I have always loved the color peach.  Peach was my wedding color.  I couldn't be happier about it being chosen as the color of the year, but  it does take awhile for the color of the year to trickle down into all the markets.

Be sure to see how the rest of the ladies in the group are styling their spring colors and link up with us as well!

Have A Great Day!  Amy

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How to Freshen Up Your Home for Spring!

I love spring!  It is my favorite season.  I love to see everything pop out of the ground, turn green, and come to life.  I enjoy seeing all the birds come back home, from robins, to swans, sandhill cranes, and so many more!  I like to shed the winter coat and heavy sweaters and bulky boots and put on lighter, prettier clothes.  Spring is a time to renew, to refresh, to restore;  perhaps that is why we all get the urge to spring clean our homes.  We want to freshen everything up just like Mother Nature is waking things up outdoors.  

Every spring I not only clean my home of the soot from the indoor wood stoves, but I also like to lighten up the look from the dark colors of winter to the light airy colors of spring.   Here are some ways I freshened up my house for spring:

                Purchase New Accent Furniture

Now I don't buy new furniture every season, ha ha, but I have been looking for the perfect accent chair for a corner in my sitting room for years.  It's not a very big space so not many styles of chairs will do.  The chair needed to be small, but also comfy.  So many smaller chairs are so uncomfortable to sit in for long periods.  And of course the chair had to match the room! I waited patiently for the "perfect chair" for many years.  Meanwhile, I had an old dining room chair sitting in this spot, until one day I would find this "perfect chair".  Well "one day" finally came.  I walked into Home Goods and there she was!  Sitting right in front of the store on display.  It was love at first sight.  I knew I finally found my chair.  Only, I was unprepared to buy it that day so I said "If it's still here on Sunday when I have a bigger car and my hubby with me, it was meant to be".  Hubby and I swung by Home Goods after church and I couldn't believe she was still there!  And hubby loved the chair as much as I did; that's a rarity!  I thought he'd give me grief about buying such a girly chair.  So he sat in it while I went to pay for it and would you believe two other women approached him as he was sitting in the chair saying "they wanted to buy it"?  It's a miracle this chair was still there five days after I saw it.

I love everything about this chair!  It's the perfect size, I love the style, the color, and guess what?  It even swivels!  The swivel aspect is PERFECT for this room because the chair can swivel to face the tv, or it can swivel out towards the other two chairs in the room so people can converse.

The tag on the chair says the color is "mint".  Apparently "mint" is a hot, hot, hot color this spring.  However, what designers are calling "mint" and what I consider "mint" are two different things.  This subject came up with my "Ageless Style" group too because this month our clothing style challenge is "Pantone Colors 2024" and they have a Emerald Green color on their swatch which they are calling "mint".  Nope, neither the Pantone Color nor this chair is "mint" to me.  I would describe the color as a moss green or a sage.

Anyway, regardless what name one wants to call this specific shade of green, it screams spring to me!  It really freshens up the room just in time for spring!

Buy New Throw Pillows

Another easy way to freshen up a space is to purchase new throw pillows.  Most of my throw pillows were pretty dated (like the burgundy one on the far left) so I donated them.  I found these two new pillows at TJMaxx.

I have never met a bird print I didn't love.  I am instantly attracted to anything with birds on it.  I love this pillow and because there was some burgundy in my new bird print pillow, I kept my old burgundy pillow but placed it in the background.  The colors in the branches and steel cage also coordinate well with the seat cushion too.

Did you know Granny Squares are really in right now?  While shopping I saw so many Granny Square quilts and pillows.  If you can make one yourself, go ahead, but it's not my gift so I purchased one instead.  This one was on clearance for $16.00.  The colors are so perfect for spring.  Did you notice that moss green (or shall I say "mint" 😀) is in the pillow too?

While I was taking these photos I noticed the beautiful shadow on the wall created by the lace curtain panel.  Isn't it lovely?  I don't think I ever noticed this before.

Change Out Your Bedding

I always change my bedding in our main bedrooms every season.  I remove the puffy, down-filled comforters and replace them with a white, lightweight quilted bedspread.  For the guest room, pictured below, I simply added my new quilt I just finished this winter.  I just folded it in thirds and placed it at the end of the bed.

Buy New Accent Pieces

Did you know in addition to "mint" green, mushrooms are also really "in" right now?  I sure didn't, till I was out shopping and kept seeing mushrooms everywhere!  I normally don't buy knick knacks because I have no place to put them,  but when I saw this glass mushroom for only $12.99 I had to have it.   It has a battery powered light and looks just as pretty unlit as it does lit up.  I love the glass and coloring, and the fun shadows it makes on the wall when it's lit up.  I'm not sure I found the perfect spot for it yet in my house, but for now I placed it on a shelf in the guest room.

Decorate for the Holidays/Season

And finally, the last thing I do is take down all the winter colors and florals and replace them with spring ones.  First, I decorate for Easter, but after the holiday is over, I replace them with spring items.

This is a tiered tray I decorated for Easter.  I decorated it just like I have in previous years (see this post HERE), but this year I added mushrooms, because they are so "in" right now.  Do you see them poking out of the grass with their yellow and blue caps?  So cute!

Once Easter is over, I remove all the Easter items from the tiered tray and I do a "Lemon Theme" for the rest of spring/summer.  You can see my Lemon Tiered Tray HERE.

For my china cabinet I replace all the holiday dishes with spring ones and then I decorate the top of the cabinet with more Easter decor.

                 Change Out Your Dinnerware

As the seasons/holidays change, I always change out my plates.  I have a plate rail all around my dining room which I use to display my plate collection.  Here are some of my favorite Easter/Spring plates.

So what about you?  Do you decorate for the holidays/seasons?  I'd love to hear from you!

Have A Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!
 

What I've Been Working on all Winter: Quilting, Beading, Bible Journaling, and Rock Painting

This had to be the shortest winter ever!  Spring came early both on the calendar and in the weather.  We had a very mild winter which alarmed those worried about climate change but thrilled those who live in northern climates and who normally have to deal with brutal winters.  Usually around this time of year I'm tired of dealing with freezing cold and I still have a foot or two of snow on the ground.  This year it was 64 degrees outside yesterday and I was working in my garden.  However, to my friends who worry about climate change, I have to mention that weather is cyclical.  I had one of those "memory posts" pop up on my Facebook feed where I had posted NINE years ago how beautiful it was outside, in the sixties, and I was working outside in my garden.  It reminded me that yes, this weather is unusual, but it has happened before.

Winter is generally the time of year I get inside projects done because during the spring/summer/fall months I am too busy working outside.  I usually do one remodel project a year, but other than my upstairs hallway, I've pretty much repainted/remodeled my entire house now and nothing urgently needed to be done.  I thought about repainting my upstairs hallway this winter, but after just having hip replacement surgery in October, I thought it was best to set it aside for next year.  Painting my hallway is no easy task as part of it is in a stairwell and would require scaffolding to reach.  I'm not sure if my hip is ready for that task yet.

During October-December I was focusing on healing from my surgery, going to physical therapy/doctor appointments, and preparing/enjoying the holidays.  But once January rolled around I was able to work on some hobbies of mine till I could get outside once again.

Quilting

My first project to complete was a quilt.  I use to work at a fabric store and I started all these quilts while I worked there but I never finished them.  It's been a goal of mine to finish all these quilts.  I do one quilt a winter and I thought this was the last one and would you believe I found another one in my stash?  Ugh! So I guess next winter I will be finishing the last one.

For this log cabin quilt, my best friend was kind enough to come over and help me piece it together.  That saved a lot of time because I wasn't getting up and down from the sewing machine.  The squares were already done, they just needed to be sewn together.  

First we placed them on a clean floor in a "windmill" design.

Then my friend brought pieces of the quilt over to me to be sewn.  Working like this cut the time in half what it would usually take to finish a quilt top.  I was so grateful for her help!

I put the borders on and top stitched the quilt on my own.

For the back I used a collage material that coordinated with the colors on the front.  I actually like the back of the quilt better than the front. ha ha.

Here is how I have it laid on my bed.  I simply folded it in thirds and placed it at the end of the bed.  I don't like the "country look" of quilts so I did not want to fully spread out across the entire bed, but I do love quilts as an accent.  The colors in the quilt coordinate beautifully with the pillows that were already on the bed and they are also perfect for spring!

Bible Journaling

If you're wondering where my monthly bible journaling posts have gone it's because I haven't been doing it.  I think I stopped when I had my surgery because I couldn't get downstairs to my craft room, and then I just got busy trying to have a normal life again.  The top and bottom photos were the last two pages I completed.

I did however buy a Psalm coloring book to work on while I recovered from surgery.  I didn't have to have access to all the crafts in my craft room to work on the coloring book.  All I needed was the book and my coloring pencils.

This is a really cool book if you're interested in Bible Journaling but don't know how to start.  This book has the entire book of Psalms with a space to write your reflections under each psalm reading for the day.  There are also multiple pages to color scattered throughout the book. 

I purchased my book at a small business, but I'm sure you could easily find a similar one on Amazon.

Beading

Most of my beading projects start with broken jewelry.  As my inexpensive fashion jewelry breaks I throw it in my craft room and fix it when it starts to accumulate to a large pile.  But my daughter also brings over her broken jewelry.  She had a gorgeous vintage necklace that broke and for some reason I couldn't repair it so I ended up making three bracelets out of it:  one for me, one for my daughter, and one for my granddaughter.

My grandaughter also gave me a unicorn necklace that broke which  she received for Christmas.  The unicorn was on this flimsy cheap chain and I couldn't repair it, so I just made a whole new necklace for her just using the unicorn charm.  Mine turned out prettier than the original if I do say so myself 😀

Another friend gave me instructions to create a "Gospel Bracelet".  I was all excited to make one but I couldn't come up with a design that was attractive as it used such a wild assortment of beads, so I'm still thinking on that.  However in the meantime, I made a nautical bracelet using seashells, fish beads (that I purchased for the "Gospel Bracelet") and small turquoise beads.

Rock Painting

I've tried so many different styles of plant markers over the years and none of them seem to work for me for one reason or another.  I need plant markers for my vegetable garden at least until the plants are up and growing so I can identify them, and most importantly, to not disturb the soil if there is seed there.  I saw all these painted stone plant markers on Pinterest so I decided to give them a try.  I just started working on them, so I don't have a great photo of them.

They're super easy to make.  I just paint the rock white first.  I think white is the best paint color to use as it will stand out on top of my leaf mulch.  Then I draw the design in with a pencil and then I paint it and seal it with an acrylic spray.

Once I plant my vegetable garden, I will show the rocks as they look in the garden.

So that is all I've been up to this winter.  What projects have you been working on?  I'd love to hear from you!

Have A Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!