Runs with Scissors

Here we are in the middle of April and tomorrow many of us will celebrate Easter. As a child, I waited excitedly for noon on this Saturday before Easter as it was considered the official ending of Lent. I usually gave up candy and I am sure I never made it the full forty days without “cheating”. In my adult years I’ve tried to do something positive, rather than fail at doing without something I crave.

It is full blown beautiful spring here in northern Alabama. Azaleas are blooming their hearts out; the grass is green; the trees are leafed out; and there is pollen in the air – lots of pollen. Well, it can’t be perfect or every one would move here and then we would have traffic jams.

By now I hope you have all seen the sneak peeks of the newest Penny Black release “Celebrate”. I am excited about the new possibilities for creativity. But for today, here are more cards using stamps and dies from the “Bliss” release.

I’ve used the dog and cat from the transparent set Time to Celebrate to make this happy card. The awesome Birthday diecut and a few Nuvo drops contribute to the party atmosphere. I love how that doggie is eyeing those balloons. Any age and any gender would be happy to receive this card.

These flowers are stamped using the Tulip Queue stamp. I colored the flowers with Copics and added Glossy Accents to each.   And then I did surgery, cutting away the middle piece of cardstock from the flower image and placing the diecut Butterfly Border between the two halves. Nothing says spring more than tulips and butterflies!

Making scenes with stamps and dies is so much fun. Here I stamped the Stately tree image, using my MISTI and Brilliance inks. Next I built the little house using the Build a House die set and added the Rail Fence to finish it all. The sentiment is from the Faith transparent set and is also stamped with Brilliance ink. Those inks add just a touch of shine. I ran out of space on my card or I would have kept adding elements all day.

Tale of a Mad, Mad Housewife  

It’s been a busy time at my house! Happily, my daughter Kathleen is coming to visit for Easter. This is pretty special as she has a demanding career and her weekends at home are few and far between.  Usually when we gather for a holiday we are either at the Atlanta family’s home or with the Milwaukee family. This allows Kathy to see a sibling or two as well as Mr. RWS and me. But this time she is coming to Alabama and we don’t have to share her with anyone.

If you were to drop in on me unannounced, I would not usually be embarrassed. I keep a pretty tidy house.** There is no clutter, no piles of newspapers, no stacks of mail. Shoes are where they belong, jackets hung up. But please don’t look too closely and be careful which corners you examine.

When Kathy told me she was coming for Easter my first thought was, “I have to wash those kitchen blinds”. I had noticed one day that the blinds over the sink were pretty grimy. They aren’t that far from the outlet for the griddle and many a bacon and egg meal, I’m sure, contributed to the accumulation of greasy dust. Once you see that kind of dirt, you cannot unsee it or ignore it.

Well, one does not just take down the blinds to scrub them. One has to remove the valences first … and, oh my, how did they get this dusty? I realized once I had the curtains down that I did not remember when it was that I last washed them .. did I ever wash them? Aren’t these the new valences I bought to replace the other ones? How long ago was that?

And once those blinds were back on the newly washed window, slats all silky clean, of course the three large blinds in the bay window were next … and more valences.

Then all the white cupboards needed scrubbing. Next, the refrigerator insides to be taken apart, cleaned and reassembled. Of course, dump those old ice cubes and make new ones. Which then led to washing out the drawers and running all those pot holders through the wash cycle. What began as a mere straightening out of the food cupboard turned into a “check the date and purge” chore. My, how time flies while your canned goods are outdating!

I even ran the oven through its self clean cycle!

I tried talking Mr. RWS into painting the guest room, but soon common sense took over and I realized I had just bought a new comforter set for that room and the only color to go with it was on the walls already. So the bedding is now all washed and clean and those curtains have been laundered. I’ve Swiffered the walls and the ceiling fan, cleaned the picture frames and washed the blinds and window.

The carpet cleaners are coming a few days before Kathy arrives, and even Cooper will get a bath.

I have planned meals for her three day visit and all that is left to do is the grocery shopping and some cooking ahead so that once she arrives I can collapse relax and enjoy her visit.

And I will be sure to reassure Kathy that I didn’t fuss at all! And I will attend Easter church service with my daughter which hasn’t happened in a very long time.

I must have been in a surgery kind of a mood because after I cut my tulip image in half I decided to cut the cling stamp Fun Time Girls in half, too so I could have each one peeking from their own little “window”.

Surgery went well and each Fab Friend now has the freedom to go her own way. But first, a cocktail (or more) together at the local café. Seriously, no permanent harm done to the stamp or the ladies, and so many more options.

These sweet little mice from the Stitch in Time cling set are helping their mouse mama finish up her embroidery. The Glossy Accent bottle was on my desk, so the spool of thread and Mama Mouse’s glasses are now glossy. Kisses, hugs and polka dots … how fun is that? These large stamps make it easy to make a card with a wow factor.

I plan to make a bookmark using the Bookmark Tab die set for each member of our Sunday School class. These are just samples; I need to search my paper hoard supply for sturdier cardstock. To make these, I covered an entire card base with blended Luxe and Brilliance inks.   The Spiritual Snippets set is a little gold mine of just the right words.

Guess what I just found here in the studio?! The stash of new stamps and dies from the Celebrate release. I was on my way out the door when I spied them. So of course, I had to play. I was practicing with my new Distress Oxide inks and couldn’t throw that scrap of paper away and so I stamped and embossed in white the Full of Glee flower onto that background. Just add a tiny tag and the word “Mom” from the Word Express set and it’s a Mother’s Day card! How smart am I? By the way, the Word Express transparent set contains more than 50 stamps making it possible to personalize your cards for any relative, include step and in-laws!

Once upon a time I was caught up in the ceramics craze. I know I’ve written a Runs with Scissors story about this ceramic rabbit that cost a fortune to make due to the initial investment in supplies. This is one tough rabbit as it has survived since my kids were in grade school despite all the moves and life in an RV. It is the one item my daughter has asked for as part of her inheritance (I think that may have been tongue in cheek). Cooper does not see the use of ceramic rabbits: you can’t shake them and they don’t squeak. But he wishes all of you a Happy Easter.

It’s been another happy time playing with the Penny Black stamps and dies here in the studio, but it is time to stow the scissors and say goodbye. Now I must dye a few eggs, open the bags of Easter candy and make the stuffing for our Easter turkey. Not very traditional, but the family has never forgiven me for making ham for Thanksgiving one year so it’s best not to do anything to stir up that memory. Happy Easter, happy spring. Thank you for spending time with me again. I am off to visit the Penny Circle Flickr Gallery to see the wonderful work you do.

** The comments about “pretty tidy” and “no clutter” do NOT include the craft room.

Shop for today’s featured Penny Black supplies

 

Card No. 1: 30-414 Time to Celebrate, 51-338 Birthday

Card No. 2: 40-540 Tulip Queue, 51-334 Butterfly Border

Card No. 3: 30-409 Faith, 40-520 Stately, 51-302 Rail Fence, 51-303 Build a House

Card No. 4: 40-532 Stitch in Time

Card No. 5: 40-531 Fun Time Girls, 80-012 Wintertime

Card No. 6: 30-404 Spiritual Snippet, 51-319 Bookmark Tabs

Card No. 7: 40-509 Full of Glee, 30-106 Word Express, 51-191 Gift Card