Easter Joys...and a "Vintage" Easter Egg Hunt!

Good evening, everyone! 

From what I hear, today's been much better weather-wise for just about everyone--is that true?  I sure hope so!  Enough snow & rain--we want Spring!

With that in mind, I've got a couple of new, fresh Eastery things to share with you...and a bit of a stroll down  memory lane, if you'll indulge me...!

First off, I made a fun little Easter card this morning before work--just had to squeeze in a little creative time! 

I found this sweet vintage image online and just had to use it!  Love these lady chicks, each with their floppy Easter bonnets on...I did something fun with the lace--I didn't think cream or white stood out enough with the papers I chose, so I started wondering what I could do.....Glimmer Mist, of course!  I sprayed it, let it dry (with a little help from my heat gun!), and it was perfect!  That Glimmer Mist is a miracle, I tell you!

...a little Dazzling Diamonds to sparkle up the eggs & flowers on their bonnets...surrounded it with Martha Stewart's "White Gold" fine glitter, some ribbon, and that's about it!

Next--oh, I just love these--another of Vicki Chrisman's amazing 3D Shadowbox die cards...available through Crafty Secrets, of course! 

The sweet pastel colors on these vintage Easter images just make me so happy!  Look how wonderfully these cards stand up on their own--great design, Vicki!  And get a load of those new Prima flowers--fabulous!  They even come pre-sparkled!  (How thoughtful, Prima--thank-you very much!)

This image I found online---just fell in love with this sweet little ducky family!

This little cutie is from Crafty Secrets' "Easter" Creative Scraps--her beautiful tulip is covered with Dazzling Diamonds just to make it pop a bit more....and see that adorable little basket with the eggs at the bottom?

This is a new (to me, at least!) Martha Stewart punch--don't you just love it?!  I punched it with various pastel colored cardstock for the eggs, then covered them with Glossy Accents and Dazzling Diamonds...

And this little bunny boy also comes from Crafty Secrets' "Easter" Creative Scraps--a little more Dazzling Diamonds on his yellow daisies, some "White Gold" glitter framing each image, beautiful crystal rhinestones here and there...lace, ribbon & pom-pom trim--that's it!

Now for the indulging me part...this is mainly for my family, scattered near and far, but I hope you will enjoy it, too!  Some "vintage" scenes from a sweet Easter Sunday long ago...

My brother Steve & I ready to head out to hunt for eggs...don't you just love how excited he looks?  Not sure what I was thinking right there, though!

What's up with that enormous bow, Mom?!

What a cutie-pie!  (He's an old daddy now--but I love remembering him like this--love you, Stevie!)

Proud big sister...that little guy that I'm holding is Scott--my pediatrician brother--love you too, boy!

Now joined by Dad and Mom to make the picture complete...until the next three came into the picture...a ways down the bunny trail...!

Finally got rid of that bow!  Thanks for sharing these memories with me...I actually remember this day, hunting for eggs in the back yard, taking the pictures, the warm southern California sun, the smell of the grass...funny how those things stay with you after...um...a LOT of years!

***A quick thank-you to Lynn for the kind award yesterday--you're too nice to me!***

Hope you're busy making fun memories with your families this weekend--I'll be back on Sunday with something new to share.  Have fun!

More from CHA, the Joys of Glimmer Mist...and Birthday Memories...

Good evening, everyone!  Sorry I haven't gotten back here in a couple of days....things have been so busy, but I'm here now!  This is going to be a long post, so grab a big cup of hot chocolate & get comfy...here we go!

First of all, I wanted to show you some more photos I took at CHA.  I focused on Crafty Secrets the other day, and these are all of other booths that really appealed to me--so much gorgeous stuff all around! 

...Tim Holtz

...can't remember what this one was....but we LOVED that vintage pink typewriter!

...oh, so much fun!

...Yellow Bicycle

...Die Cuts With a View

...can't remember who this was, but it was so pretty!

...Pink Paislee

...Melissa Frances

...GCD

...and our wonderful neighbors, Tattered Angels!  What a wonderful bunch of people they are!  I so enjoyed getting to know many of them...they helped us with ladders & waters when we were exhausted, invited us to their house for a fabulous taco dinner, and sweetly gave me a bag full of delicious Glimmer Mist on the last day---now that's being neighborly!  (Thanks so much!)

Here's a card I made today using that kind gift of Glimmer Mist--I wanted to do another card with Crafty Secrets' new "Mermaids" set--I love it so much!  I used various Glimmer Mists in greens/blues/turquoises/ purples/ to make my background...

I LOVE this image--isn't she beautiful?  I don't think my background shows up very well--but it really turned out pretty and shimmery--I stamped the image again on another piece of white cardstock and sprayed it with gold/yellows/candlelight Glimmer Mists--then used watercolor pencils to shade certain areas of the stairs...

I love using watercolor pencils--gives me so much control over detail and blending--stamped the mermaid again on white and cut her out and placed her on the steps...

...added a bit of lovely Flower Soft to the flowers on her beautiful hair---then had to add some Pearl Stickles, of course!  I love this aqua lace--perfect for my mermaids!  Lastly, I lightly sprayed over the whole card with the gorgeous "Iridescent Gold" Glimmer Mist...yummy!

Next,  an adorable Little Bo Peep from the Storybook Vintage Postcard Kit by Crafty Secrets...one of my favorites!

These postcards are so fun & easy to do--not too hard to make them look good!  I added some soft pink pom-pom trim, some chunky silver glitter...

...green gingham ribbon, green crystal rhinestones...and we're just about done! I couldn't resist adding a few drops of lemony yellow Stickles to her daisy garland...

...a cute little "stamp" for an accent--that's it!  (Well, except for spraying this with Iridescent Gold, too!)

Yesterday was my birthday...48...yikes!  Time's flying!  It was a rather sober birthday, as we spent most of it at a heartbreaking funeral for the nineteen-year-old son of our very dear friends.  But, the day was filled with much faith, hope and love.  Really makes you remember what's most important in life, and not to take anything--or anyone--for granted.  Thanks to all who left me such sweet birthday wishes both here and elsewhere!

Today is another very special day that I'd like to share.  This would be my Grandpa Smith's 100th birthday--hard for me to believe!  He has been gone for about 28 years now...but he is still so alive to me...doesn't ever seem like he's very far away...

My sweet grandfather, Rudger, on the left...I love this picture!  I learned so much from him in my life, and I just wanted to honor him by remembering a few of those things...

The twinkle I always saw in his eyes when I was with him told me that I was loved for just being me...

He always called me "my Jewels"...

He taught me that none of us are perfect (although I always thought that he was!); we all make mistakes, and it's so important to do all we can to fix them, and move on...

He taught me to always try to help others in whatever way I could...

He taught me a great love and respect for those who came before me and made me who I am.  He loved to tell me stories of our family long gone, of happy childhoods, sad losses, joys and pains...and I learned and I remembered, and I try to teach these same stories to my children...

Happy Birthday, Grandpa.  I love you.