20 DAYS & COUNTING . . . .

ACCORDING TO THE CALENDAR . . . there are fewer than three weeks until the first day of spring. Yet, as I type this post and look out the window, my landscape is still covered in a deep blanket of white that just will not melt. Perhaps by the next time I write, I will be able to post a photo of something green in my back yard. I can always hope!


I have not been as busy as usual in my studio, or perhaps that is just how it feels to me. I admit I succumbed to a bout of cabin fever this past week. My dear husband took me on an outing with him to Buffalo and I visited Hobby Lobby to get something crafty to lift my spirits, but I left empty handed. You see, since I have been visiting my own stash regularly and using the things off my own shelves, I did not see any reason to bring home one more pack of paper. Of course, true to form, once I got home and realized I had a 40% off coupon for a $5.99 item . . . well, then I started to wish I HAD made that purchase of a 6x6-inch pad of Prima paper! I have yet to own any Prima paper! Maybe next time . . .  I guess my husband thought I still was not cured from the blues, so the next day he took me to Joann's to check out the sales. I ended up, AGAIN,  walking out without grabbing the thing that caught my eye. Luckily, he drove me back to the store in a few days and it was still there...the only one left ... AND I got really lucky because along the back wall of the store, where they always put the clearance items, I spied OttLites for next to nothing. I snagged one and when I showed it to my hubby, he sent me back in for a second one. Now I have the one in my paper crafting studio that is splattered with paint and glue, and a brand new shiny one next to my sewing machine and one for my hand sewing on my tray table while watching TV. (I think, though, that the one in the TV room may make its way over to my hubby's tray table when I am not around. . . . Gosh, we both have tray tables . . . are we old or what!?) :-)


I have finally returned to sewing and I have only one more 4-inch block to make! Then I can use the 4-inch blocks to create larger 8-inch blocks for a wall hanging. I am not sure if I have enough of the background fabric for the piece, so there may be a pilgrimage to the quilt shop in Dansville ... Material Rewards in my near future. They used to have a nice selection of black and white fabrics, which is what I will be looking for.

I recently reached out to a cousin I have not seen in probably 30-plus years. We have talked on the phone a few times and have been discussing our family tree. I think I am going to take the plunge and start a little research. He has been doing some and it sounds like a lot of fun. He and his wife live in Chicago, which isn’t really that far away. I hope we can go visit them this year.


It is time for me to download another audiobook to listen to while I sew and craft. I just finished Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business by Barbara Corcoran. It was a short book and easy to get through, compared to Anna Karenina, which seemed to take forever to listen to! But it is a classic that I had always wanted to read and I am glad I did. After reading Tolstoy, though, I needed something light!


Here is a photo gallery of some of the things I have worked on since my last post:

WALL HANGING needs one more 4-inch block before I can construct the rest of the 8-inch blocks.

AN EXPLOSION BOX VALENTINE I made for my hubby.

The paper I used is by DCWV . . . The Dear Jane Stack

 

The heart shaped tags are tucked behind ribbons.

There are love notes on the back of the tags.  

The vellum that I stamped with script can be removed from the

punched photo corners and photos can be inserted:

CRAFT THAT DIVAS February Tag Challenge was

Ooo la la LOVE. I used my hand-dyed seam binding and hand-dyed flat-back pearls.

I cut and trimmed two different dies to make the dress form. 

The paper I used is by My Mind's Eye . . . Lost & Found 3

A long overdue THANK YOU CARD.

It is an easel card.

I handmade the flowers from the same paper as the card.

The paper I used is by Recollections . . . Everyday Moments Paper Pad

I made an envelope box to go with the card.

I had a stamp that just about matched the motif on the

paper that I used on the interior of the envelope box.. 

I cut the fleur des lis closure from a die.

Another THANK YOU CARD.

The paper I used is by DCWV . . . The Chateau Lavender Stack

This ended up having a French theme! 

I hand-dyed the gauze to match with alcohol ink.

The interior: 

I stamped the envelope box interior with a fleur des lis stamp.

The closure is cut from a die.

I  really lucked out on having some French themed things. 

GATEFOLD BIRTHDAY CARD.

The paper I used is by DCWV . . . The Tradewinds Stack. 

I have not used my butterfly punches much.

I like how they add so much dimension to a card. 

 A SYMPATHY CARD for a friend who lost her mother. 

The paper I used is by DCWV . . . The Coral Couture Stack.

Last time I posted a photo of our 2015 GOALS JAR.

I finally got around to making our THANKFUL JAR.

We use the little papers I made with one of my dies

 to write down things we are thankful for . . . such as

 having so many good Samaritans in the neighborhood

who plow our driveway and shovel our walk for us. 

I used the DCWV Coral Couture Stack for both jars.

Here are the jars as they sit together atop our desk.

I hope you have enjoyed reading what I have been up to and seeing some of the things I have been working on. I don't use my blog to make political or social commentary. This is just a place where I can share some things and hope someone will get some enjoyment from it. Your comments are always welcome.

And until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy