Monday, March 18, 2024

Stained "Glass" Vellum

 


It's almost time to get Easter cards mailed. Can you believe it? Time to get busy!

I took another stab at cards using the Cathedral arch dies from The Greetery, this time using the stencil to color a vellum background for a stained glass effect.


I got these mini blending brushes from Spellbinders a few months back (I think I ordered mine from A Cherry on Top with a great sale!). If you like to stencil or apply ink to die cuts, these are a very handy tool. The small sizes get into all the little nooks and crannies of more intricate stencils. 

I priced this style of mini brush with other companies, and the Spellbinders were the cheapest. I ordered quite a few so that I could reserve one for each ROYGBIV color.


I think I like these even better than the shaker style card I made previously.


{Today's Brew: Daffodil Blooms (CP), Joy die cut (CP), The Greetery cathedral arch die and stencil, SU brick embossing folder, CP inks}

Happy Monday, café friends!




Saturday, March 16, 2024

Card Class

 


The Catherine Pooler card class this week was fun! It is conducted via zoom, so you get to interact with everyone as you create along with Catherine. CP sends the project list ahead of time so you can do a little prep work before hand.

I had enough elements to make two cards!


I used mostly CP products, but substituted for others that I already own, like the Lawn Fawn picket fence and grass dies.

I also used a cloud stencil from My Favorite Things.


For this card, I used PTI's egg die and stamped it with CP's Stamp a Doodle floral stamp. I also used sentiment banners from Mama Elephant.

I had some larger card bases (like the kinds you sometimes find at craft stores with matching envelopes), so this card is a bit bigger...closer to a 5 by 7 size.

Bright and happy, just like spring!

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Random Acts of Flowers

 


Last summer, the drain commission did a less than stellar job of clearing the woods along our property in our neighborhood. It looked pretty sad when they were done, with piles of sticks, logs, and debris tossed willy nilly.

My husband and I spent the rest of the summer cleaning up the mess and trying to make it look a little more natural. This area of the woods along the creek is common ground, but it runs along our property and is visible from the sidewalk.

So last fall, I purchased 100 daffodil bulbs from Aldi, on sale, and went to work secretly planting them in clumps in the woods. Nothing that looked too deliberate. Just natural.

I looked out yesterday, on a beautiful 70 sunny day, and look what I spotted! The first of the randomly planted flowers was blooming! Even before the first day of spring? That's a rare thing for Michigan.


I planted some daffodils on an Easter card this week!

I participated in my first ever online card class with Catherine Pooler's Stamp Nation. It was fun! These were some of the elements from that class.

{Today's Brew: Daffodil Blooms (CP), Stamp a Doodle florals (CP), basket die (CP), CP inks, Lawn Fawn grass and picket fence dies, PTI egg die, PTI sentiment, MFT cloud stencil}


Happy spring colors.

Have you ever participated in an online card class or camp? Some of them can be quite pricey. This one was free to CP Stamp Nation members.

Some camps look really nice, and include all the supplies to purchase ahead of time. But yikes! The prices. Too much for me. I'll make do with what I have.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Speech Bubble Bumblebee?

 


Remember yesterday's card that used the Call Me stamp set from Catherine Pooler? I had an idea for that speech bubble in the set, and here it is!

I turned it into a bumblebee!

I got the idea from looking at the Bee stamp set in the spring mini from Stampin' Up. My "Year of Plenty" philosophy told me "Cute, but you can surely make that with what you already have plenty of."

And I did. 

Here's how it works:


I first stamped the bee's body, then went back and stamped the bee's stinger.


I used some washi tape to make some stripes, then inked it all in black.


Before stamping, just remove those washi tape strips and then you are good to go.


I paired this bee with some stamps from this Canvo stamp set from Catherine Pooler.


A fun card with hints of spring!







Monday, March 11, 2024

Call Me

 


Have you noticed? Old-style rotary phones are having a moment in the crafting world.

Here's the funny thing. My parents had not one but TWO rotary phones. One downstairs in the kitchen, and one upstairs in the hallway. And they were still there when Mom sold the house ten years ago!

When I think of all the teen angst conversations I had on that upstairs telephone, with the cord that was stretched all the way into my bedroom because "Hell-o! Privacy!".

I once had a rowdy teen party when my parents were out of town, and someone stole the bottom cover off the handset. I had to replace it myself with the phone company. Yep. I was no angel.

I wish I had that phone today!

And yes, it was mustard yellow, just like the phone in today's card!


{Today's Brew: Call Me stamps and dies (Catherine Pooler), Potluck Party Papers (CP), Des Moines sequins (CP), CP inks}


Tomorrow, I will show you another fun use for this stamp set that will surprise you!





Friday, March 8, 2024

Easter Shaker Card

 


I spent an afternoon cleaning my craft space and doing some organizing. It looked so pretty! And then it inspired me to create, and now it's a mess again.

I should have taken a photo, and captioned it "Sorry you missed it!"

Hey, at least it inspired me to make these shaker cards.

I had this idea floating around in my head, and thought I'd give it a whirl.


Today's Brew pairs the arched cathedral window die from The  Greetery with the new daffodil dies from Catherine Pooler.

{Today's Brew: Cathedral die (the Greetery), Daffodil Blooms (CP), brick embossing folder (SU), Joy die (CP), Easter sentiment (PTI), CP sequins}

And here's a little something we can all relate to:




Happy Friday, café friends!



Thursday, March 7, 2024

Florida, Flare Ups, and Farro Recipe

 


I'm back from our Florida getaway, where we enjoyed three full days of soaking up the sun. Cypress swamp hikes, beach walks, baseball games. Good times!

I ate ice cream every day!


I ate pizza!


I enjoyed wine with dinner!


I ate a ball park hot dog!

And then I got home, and I have been paying for my food choices ever since.

It's been a couple of days slogging through an autoimmune flare up. I can't be certain what triggered it. Possibly the extreme difference in temps and weather? Or perhaps going off my normal anti-inflammatory diet.

I'm trying to rest and take it easy on myself this week. 

Last night, I made a dinner with some leftover farro that was surprisingly good! I thought I'd share it with you here. I love farro, and when I see it on a menu in a recipe, I know that's what I will order. It's an ancient grain that's full of healthy fiber. I don't cook with it often, so I was surprised when one cup cooked made SO MUCH. Thus, the leftover creation.

Farro with Chicken Meatballs


2 cups prepared farro (I had this leftover from the night before, cooked according to package directions. It made a lot!)

Frozen chicken meatballs (half a package, so about a dozen)

Frozen sweet potatoes

2 c. Fresh spinach

1/2 c. Balsamic Dressing (I prefer Primal Kitchen, as it's made with avocado oil)

Feta crumbles

In a large pan, heat meatballs in a few tablespoons of olive oil. While that is cooking, cook sweet potatoes in microwave. When they are finished, add to meatballs. Add fresh spinach until wilted. Add farro and balsamic dressing, stirring it all together. Add more dressing if needed.

Serve with crumbled feta on top and enjoy!


Lots of good healthy foods in this dish. I'm trying to avoid processed foods, especially all of those foods that contain seed oils like sunflower oil, safflower oil, canola oil, soybean oil. Those are highly inflammatory. Just sticking with avocado oil, olive oil, and some coconut oil. Also trying to avoid too many added sugars, as they are also on the no-no list.


It was good to get away, but it's good to be home, too.