Runs with Scissors is Back!

Back on the blog and amazing as always… welcome, Judy!!

Hello, everyone! Well, we made it. Here at the Penny Black blog folks are celebrating that March has finally moved on and April has arrived. Here in Alabama, the daffodils, forsythia and Bradford pears are finished blooming. It’s time for the red bud and dogwood trees now. And spring was celebrated with the new release on the Penny Black blog last week; gorgeous floral images. No one does floral as beautifully as Penny Black.

Before I share my spring-themed projects with you, take a look at this:

Yes, it’s Mother Nature herself. I believe she heard my whining, complaining and gnashing of teeth all winter and dropped by to explain herself. Before she could say a word, however, I brought up the issue of the Polar Vortex that seemed to hang around forever. I explained to her that in the month of January alone 240 million people in the United States and Canada were affected by this lingering blast of icy air.

And what did Mother Nature have to say for herself? Are you ready for this? She claims that she never meant for the deep freeze to last so long. She claims forgetfulness; she has trouble finding her car keys lately and forgets to water her plants sometimes. And the Polar Vortex was just one more item she misplaced. She did spend a lot of time trying to locate it and moved it out as quickly as she found it.

I can totally relate to missing car keys and thirsty plants, but really? Of course I questioned Mother Nature how she plans to make sure this doesn’t happen again. She quickly whipped out her Smartphone and said, “I’ve got an App for that.”

I’ve had a lovely week using Penny Black floral images.

I’ve colored the hollyhocks and birds with Copic markers and added a strip of vellum for the sentiment. A bit of bright green gingham adds to the cheerful spring theme.

I’ve altered the Botanical Notes cling stamp for this next card:

I stamped and colored the images with Copic markers and then fussy cut the flower and butterfly from the collage background. I created a new background for these images with Penny Black’s Creative Die Interlocking. It reminds me of a garden trellis, so perfect for the flowers.

I’ve made the next card a bit larger in order to accommodate the over-sized cling stamp Softly. I followed the colors of the rainbow while coloring the blossoms with Copic markers. I love the simplicity of those blossoms.

My cards today aren’t just celebrating my favorite season, Spring. I’ve used the opportunity to reconnect with some of my favorite stamping things. I’ve sadly neglected my collection of Stickles lately and decided to start using them instead of just collecting. Mother Nature’s wings, the birdie’s wings, the floral centers all sparkle plenty!

I have a drawer plus a storage container filled with ribbons of all colors and sizes. However, after the week of inspiration provided by May Arts and all the glorious ribbon, I had to order more … along with a bow maker. I just love including ribbon on my cards and the soft apricot ribbon on the Softly card is part of my new stash.

And the Creative Die Interlocking has become my newest favorite thing.

It goes without saying that Cooper is a very favorite thing at our house. And now that Spring has arrived, the need for a haircut has become quite obvious.

So a trip to the groomer’s was on the agenda:

I took the photos while Cooper was keeping vigil at the front door, waiting for Mr. Runs With Scissors to return home. Sadly, Cooper doesn’t understand that his buddy has gone to Arizona for ten days. Even his favorite thing, a walk, isn’t enough to coax him away from the door. Hopefully, our family will be reunited by the time you read this.

Enjoy this amazing time of the year! See if there are “favorite things” being neglected in your craft room. Time for me to leave … I see Mother Nature in the parking lot, checking her Smartphone. Who knows what she’s up to! I’d better get home before she presses a wrong button.

Shop for today’s feature Penny Black Supplies:

Stamps:

Creative Dies:

51-029 Interlocking

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