Runs with SNOWY Scissors!

Hello there! I’ve had quite a trek today through the Alabama snow to the Penny Black blog. Be careful not to slip on the puddles I’ve made with my wet boots. Ironically, today’s post is all about spring but unfortunately Mother Nature didn’t get the memo.

See what I mean? Record breaking snowfall for this part of Alabama and not a shovel to be had! Looks like I will have to make my own spring. I’ve used stamps, dies, stencils and stickers from the wonderfully named new release “Bring on the Happy”. So let’s bring it on!

I may have leapt from spring into summer with this card, but I couldn’t wait to use my new Penny Black butterfly dies Flights of Fancy and Swirling Wings. This butterfly makes a statement! I diecut the top layer from the Gentle Whisper designer paper pad and backed it with a panel cut from the same pad. You can’t go wrong by using sister papers. And the sentiment is right from the Sentiment stickers. No chance to ruin this card with inky smudges!

Brush stroke stamps bring on my happy. I simply inked the woodblock Poise stamp with various Memento Luxe inks and stamped onto watercolor paper to create this watercolor look. The background is a combination of papers from the Gentle Whisper and Painted Blooms paper pads. The brush stroke stamps are perfect for practicing your water color technique, too. Jill Foster has made several videos showing how it’s done.

I stamped, embossed, paper pieced and fussy cut this sweet image from the Woodland Friends transparent set. It was hard to choose which adorable critter to stamp first, but I decided the nesting birds said spring most of all.

While our snowy weather can’t compare to the misery suffered in other parts of the country, eight inches of snow here completely shuts down our city and interrupts our lives. Recently, we experienced four winter storms in a period of nine days. We have had a very cold February which has seriously altered our routines.

It has been weeks since Mr. RWS has been able to join his golfing buddies for their three times weekly rounds of golf and lunch afterwards. Not to worry, he just practices in the living room. And as any golfer will tell you, it’s the short game that counts. We do have a rule, though; no golf shoes allowed and the vacuum cleaner is allowed to play through.

Our lawn is planted with a type of grass that dies off in the winter and the dried clippings then get tracked into the house by shoes and paws. Mr. RWS had every good intention of mowing the dead grass to cut down on the debris tracked in. He even had the lawn tractor ready to go but Mother Nature had other plans.

The best thing to do while your husband is chipping and putting in the living room is to retreat to your craft room and pray he doesn’t decide to practice his long game.

Gentle Whisper is a large stamp that makes a big impression. Again, I just inked it up with Memento Luxe inks and stamped on water color paper. This new release of Penny Black stamps includes some of the most beautiful flower images ever. They are designed and made to look lifelike using a variety of techniques.

I’ve been paying rapt attention to Micheline’s fabulous watercolor masterpieces here on the blog and with the help of her tutorials will attempt some real water coloring of these gorgeous stamps. Who knows? Maybe I will be invited to sit next to her during her next visit to the Penny Black blog.

What fun I had using the Intertwined stencil to create this card. I used Distress inks and my blending tool to pounce the colors onto the watercolor paper. I used the Dotlets stencil to add the green dots, just for fun. Love that sentiment banner from the Come Rain or Shine transparent set. I plan to use that stamp frequently.

Mimi is a sure cure for the winter blahs. The Happy Days transparent set includes this delightful spring image that makes my heart smile. Don’t you love how the new designer papers provide great backgrounds? This paper is from the Painted Blooms pad.

When real life interrupts our plans, it is good to remember that we can bring on our own happy. We are fortunate in this part of the country because the snow usually melts from the roads and sidewalks within a day. And that is a good thing because the Alabama Snowstorm Policy states “if Mother Nature dumped it, she is responsible for removing it”. This was a difficult concept for this native of Wisconsin to grasp. No salt trucks, no plows; just wooden barriers across the closed roads.

We have reached the weekend of the year when it is time to lose an hour of sleep and set our clocks forward one hour. I’m not sure how I feel about Daylight Savings Time. I believe it benefits in some ways and causes concern in others. Seems to me it is like cutting a piece off your blanket and sewing it to the other end in order to make your blanket longer.

My plan today was to share a photo of Cooper in the snow. However, he was really miserable when I tried to coax him into the cold and fluffy white stuff for a photo. One or two paws into it he realized snow was wet, as in water, as in having a bath, as in worse thing that can happen to a dog, ever. I didn’t have the heart to make him pose for photos.

So here is a photo of Cooper dealing with the snow as most smart dogs and humans might prefer; hibernation. He was REALLY making sure he wasn’t available for snow photography.

I just heard the door slam… I think that was February beating a hasty retreat. And it is about time. Hopefully Mother Nature will check her calendar and notice it is time to ease up on the winter stuff and gently coax spring out of hiding.

What fun I’ve had ignoring the snow outside the window and bringing spring inside. I hope you can take some time to do the same. I’ve holstered my scissors, cleaned up the horrific mess I always make while stamping, and finished mopping up the puddles. Thanks for visiting me here at the Penny Black blog. I love seeing what you post to the Penny Circle Flickr Gallery. Now go forth and Bring on the Happy!

Shop for today’s featured Penny Black supplies:



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