Runs with Scissors

Hello, dear Readers! Valentine’s Day is in the past and, my, it is obvious here in the Penny Black studio. The decorations have been taken down and since they brought joy to those of us who hang out here, they will be packed away to be used next year. I will be discussing “Joy” a lot this week, thanks to Ms. Marie Kondo, latest Netflix sensation.

There is joy in the Penny Black shop now that the new release, Timeless, has arrived.   My heart races seeing the wonderful and Timeless stamps, dies, and sample cards.

I love the entire release, but at first glance, these cute transparent sets are destined to become favorites:

30-542 Critter Celebration

30-543 Flower Teddy

30-545 Balloon Ride

30-546 Smiling

30-549 Cheering Critters

However, the cards I made for Runs with Scissors this week are made with older Penny Black stamps. In keeping with my theme of “joy” this week, I wanted to browse my collection and choose stamps that brought me joy at the time I got them and continue to do so now. I wanted to honor them before I go onto the new collection.  Remember the Girl Scout song “Make new friends but keep the old”? Here are some of my old Penny Black friends:

The Special Thoughts transparent set includes seven beautiful messages, some Biblical and some special thoughts of encouragement. They bring me joy. I chose these words to remind me that little acts of thoughtfulness or kindness matter for those who give or receive them. Because it is the heart of winter, I added a favorite bouquet from the Stitched Flowers set, using soft colors that made me smile. That butterfly is from the Flicker and Flutter die set and reminds me of the magic of nature.

I’ve never been owned by a cat, but Penny Black’s cat stamps make me smile. These two are from the Critter Fun transparent set and they are the feline representation in the group that includes mice, dogs, birds and a hedgie. Just looking at that group of diverse critters having fun brings me joy. All are fun to color and will cheer anyone’s day.

I may have overdone my polka dot theme this week, but I was so excited to find my old generic polka dot stencil that I couldn’t stop using it to create backgrounds. I know Penny Black has a polka dot stencil called Dotlets which I will order for future polka dot projects. What is happier than polka dots? The word polka reminds me of my Polish extended family that never missed a chance to dance the polka, especially at family weddings. My sweetie in the tree is from the Sweet Smiles set and she is enjoying a sunny day. I made the curvy edge by using the Edger die and trimming off the lacy part. A sunny day, flowering tree and polka dots = Joy!

Joy

Have you heard of Marie Kondo? She is a Japanese organizing consultant and the star of the Netflix hit “Tidying up with Marie Kondo”. She has named her system of tidying and organizing “KonMari” and has been referred to as “a tiny and terrifyingly cute woman”. Thrift shops across the country are reaping the bounty of the KonMari trend.

I have to believe that anyone who is referred to as “terrifyingly” anything is a force to be reckoned with and her advice should be taken seriously.

While tackling a major decluttering of our homes, Ms. Kondo’s mantra is “Does it spark joy?” If the answer is no, then it doesn’t make the keep pile. She says it is helpful if you choose what you want to keep, not what you want to get rid of.

Marie Kondo also has sage advice regarding gifts you have received. How often we feel obligated to keep gifts even though we don’t use them or they don’t spark joy in our home. She says, “Presents are not things, but are a means for someone to convey their feelings for us. The true purpose of a present is to be received.” At last, we have permission to let go of unused gifts.   The giver had the joy of presenting their feelings, we have had the joy of being cared about and the gift can now be sent to bring joy elsewhere. How freeing!

Last week I finally tackled the purging of my clothes closet. Unlike the way I used to tackle this chore, I nibbled at it daily for a few days rather than emptying out the entire closet onto my bed and working from there. This made the task more manageable and allowed me to work at my slower pace without being exhausted.

In a telephone conversation with one of my stamping friends, I expressed the guilt I felt when I added clothes to the donate pile that did not bring me joy but still had tags on. My friend wisely shared what she had learned from Ms. Kondo: that piece of clothing brought you joy when you bought it. Maybe it was on sale, maybe you really believed you would lose the weight so that it fit, or maybe it just made you feel better to buy something that day. This advice was like a light bulb going on in my head!   I had received the joy that article of clothing had to give and now it was time for it to be the joy in someone else’s life.

By the time I had purged my closet, I had emptied sixty hangers. My joy is now seeing space between my hangers and reconnecting with what I kept.

My clothes closet is just a start of the decluttering and organizing I hope to do. I have even attempted a minor purging of some crafting items, but I find these are the hardest to give up. It seems everything in my crafting stash brings me joy! Obviously, Ms. Kondo is not a stamper!

Joy came to us in Northern Alabama with unseasonably warm temperatures last week. It was early February and we enjoyed highs in the seventies! How awesome to have doors and windows open and experience the smell of fresh air. To think that just days earlier everything in our city was shut down due to predicted ice and snow. Families shared the joy of a day home together, feasting on the snack foods and extra groceries purchased for the possibility of being home bound.

My week included an important anniversary, too. I joyfully celebrated 23 years of remission from breast cancer. How blessed I have been to experience these past 23 years! My children are well settled adults; I have grandchildren; I have enjoyed retirement; I have experienced a trip to Ireland and a trip to the Rocky Mountains and an Alaskan cruise. I remember at the time I was diagnosed hoping to make it to the five year survival mark. It gives me joy to share my story to frightened newly diagnosed women so that they know remission is very possible.

It goes without saying, but I am going to say it, Penny Black and Runs with Scissors and you, dear Readers spark joy in my life. Your comments and suggestions and encouragement would be the envy of Marie Kondo if she knew!

Mimi stamps stole my heart years ago and I was happy to reunite with her as I was going through my Penny Black stamp files and chose this Happy Days transparent set. She is always fun to color and this time I chose a monochromatic theme, combining Copic markers and purple polka dots. Just saying “purple polka dots” is fun! I am also thrilled with my new jar of fine white embossing powder that picks up the detail on sentiments and leaves no scattered “snow”. Little things bring joy!

I have saved my most favorite for last! I have several cards made with these images from the Tiny Wishes transparent set and each time I have paper pieced this cutie’s outfit. I love paper piecing. That Wood Floor die gives Ms. Tiny and her sweet dog a place to stand while they prepare for their next adventure. As you see, I’ve used polka dots on three different cards in three different ways. The Tiny Wishes joyfully takes me back in memory to my early days of discovering Penny Black. The stamp set is dated 2009 and is truly timeless.

This little guy brings us joy every day. As a child, our family’s military lifestyle didn’t accommodate having pets so I didn’t discover the joy of having a dog until well into adulthood. Mr. RWS and I let fifteen years go by between the death of our first jointly owned white poodle and the adoption of Cooper. We were certain we could never have or love a dog as much as we loved Jobi. We were so wrong. Each dog brings its own personality and its own brand of joy to the family. Cooper is now making use of his winter wardrobe since our temperatures have become more seasonal after a week of temperatures in the high seventies. I’m not sure Cooper cares one way or the other about having a coat or sweater, but I feel better when he puts it on.

It is time to stow the scissors, pack away the inks and paper and ponder which closet is next on my decluttering journey. I hope you find joy in your surroundings and activities even in the midst of snow and wintry temperatures. If all else fails, try chocolate!

Shop for today’s featured Penny Black supplies

 Card No. 1: 30-418 Stitched Flowers, 30-338 Special Thoughts, 51-110 Flicker and Flutter, 51-484 Lovely Border

 Card No. 2: 30-335 Critter Fun, 51-093 Heartfelt, 51-375 Snowflake Stitch Frame

 Card No. 3: 30-349 Sweet Smiles, 51-033 Silver Linings, 51-209 Edger

 Card No. 4: 30-242 Way Cool, 30-277 Happy Days, 51-033 Silver Linings, 51-422 Stitched Square and Circles

 Card No. 5:   30-026 Tiny Wishes, 30-071 Mimi in Paris, 51-441 Wood Floors, 80-015 Golden Moment

If you want polka dots: 25-007 Dotlets