Having fun with the Green!

The Green is coming! Are you ready???

I discovered a sweet little gift shop here in town called The Hummingbird Junction, just blocks from where I live! I stopped in a few weeks ago (had already been many times), and took some of my crafty creations there to ask if she'd be interested in carrying some of my cards and albums, and she was! So I've been busy making cards, treat boxes (green of course) and teapot "cards".  Whatever she doesn't sell, will go into my Etsy shop.

Every year, I find myself wanting to know WHY we and so many other countries celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I always (kind of) forget. So here is info from Wikipedia if you're interested. I just love Wikipedia when I want to look up anything!

Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig, "the Day of the Festival of Patrick"), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion(especially the Church of Ireland^[4]), the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland,^[3] and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.^[5] Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, céilís, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks.^[6] Christians who belong to liturgical denominations also attend church services^[5][7] and historically the Lentenrestrictions on eating and drinking alcohol were lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday's tradition of alcohol consumption.^[5][6][8][9]

St Patrick's Day, while not a legal holiday in the United States, is nonetheless widely recognised and observed throughout the country as a celebration of Irish and Irish-American culture. Celebrations include prominent displays of the colour green, religious observances, numerous parades, and copious consumption of alcohol.^[8] The holiday has been celebrated in North America since the late 18th century.

Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival.^[12]

Here are two of my more "fancy" as I call them, cards. I used vintage images for all of them from The Graphics Fairy

Handmade double bow, handmade rosette, layered (digital) papers that I printed out from my printer (purchased from Etsy), and I had to make a special "box" envelope to hold the card.

Inside there is a pocket that holds some cute tags and an Irish Tea teabag.

I gold glittered the images. Isn't she the sweetest image?

I decided that these fancy, layered cards with pockets inside, and a teabag, were too labor intensive to put into a shop who takes 50% of the profit! So I made some simpler cards.. just as cute in my opinion.

Each card has a decorated envelope.

I made the paper bows using my We Are Memory Keeps Envelope Punch Board. I LOVE that punch board!  You can make so many things with it!

I made the tags that I put on some of the cards, using an old photo program (The Print Shop) that I have, where I can easily "collage" clip art images. I gathered together a top hat, some flowers, an old pocket watch, a hummingbird and a piece of lace (all clip art) and collaged them onto the tag.

I made all of the "word" tags using my photo program.. then backed them with a piece of white or green cardstock.

This fancy flourish behind the vintage image is a die cut using some gold glitter paper.

I made the circle "Happy St. Patrick's Day" tags and printed them out, then punched them out using my 1" paper punch. Then punched a scalloped circle to put behind the little tag.

Another handmade tag. This is an easy way to make cards!

Here are the tags I made:

I know this post is photo intensive, but also want to show you some darling little "teapot" cards I've made, following a YouTube video by Rejoice and Create.  Here is the link to her video: Mother's Day Teapot.  These are just darling! The card opens at the top.

Each card has a little stand I made, so it can sit up to be displayed. 

The top of the "card", where the gold clip is (or the ribbon bow) opens up and inside, there are 2 teabags, a fancy tag and a plain tag for writing on.  I had such fun making these and want to/will make some for my Etsy shop (soon I hope). I did also make a St. Patrick's Day teapot card, but forgot to take a picture of it.

And one more thing I whipped together - some tiny little treat boxes. Each one holds one little Ghiradelli chocolate square. These are in the shop in town now... and if they don't sell, I'll take them back and eat all the chocolates! 

Look at the darling little alpacas clip art I found on Etsy! 

I think I'm all "greened" out for now! 

We still have a good foot of snow on our ground and I'm SO ready for it to be gone (we DID have 2 feet, but some has melted and settled) - at least gives me an excuse to stay in the house and craft (except for having to go out and shovel every couple of days, we we kept getting more... and more..... and more)!

Have a good week everyone! Oh... and Happy St. Patty's Day!

~Marilyn~

Do You Remember Mary?

Mary Engelbreit that is.............. oh how I used to (and still do) love her and her wonderful, whimsical art. I collected her magazines, Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion, for YEARS. I still have them.... can't part with them. Each one is an absolute treasure.

The other day, I happened to find one of her little books at a local gift shop, and of course, I just HAD to buy it.  It's entitled Words for Gardeners to Live By and I love it! 

What a sweet little book! I love gardening and flowers, and quotes and poems, and this little book embodies all of that. It brought back such good memories, browsing through it, of the times I'd see her artwork and little treasures for sale in shops I would visit, years ago. Her artwork was showcased on so many wonderful household items, teapots, books, calendars, linens, dishes, etc. and I wanted them all! I never really did buy many of her items, but have collected some of her calendars just for the artwork. I saved the Home Companion magazines for her prints in each one and the paper dolls!

It was always her style, and still is, to use poems and quotes in her drawings.  Here are a few from the book:

Perfect for Valentine's Day!

I love her trademark flowers. You see these in much of her artwork.

And my little front  yard plot looks suspiciously like her drawing (below)! I must have seen this years ago and it's been in my subconscious mind ever since. I had a picture in my mind of how I wanted to make a little area in my front  yard that looked like a "cottage" garden.

Here's Mary's.............

Here's mine!

Here's a link to information on Mary Engelbreit if you would like:
Mary Engelbreit biography  I just headed on over to her ONLINE STORE to see what is there, and I see that she has apparel, books, coloring books, greeting cards and accessories. I know she has written and illustrated some childrens' books in the past too. 

Mary (ME as she is known as) is still drawing up a storm and now has her own online store. Sadly we don't see many of her darling household goodies, accessories and cards in stores and shops anymore. Every once in awhile though, I'll find a shop that has a space just dedicated to Mary! She has quite a story from where she began to now............ 

Did you love her (and do you still?) as much as I do?

Have a great week and HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to you all.....

~Marilyn~

Pretty Pinks from Past Posts.

I've been reminiscing about and looking at my blog posts from the past.............. as I'm in the mood for some PINK since Valentine's Day is right around the corner! 

Some newer subscribers may not remember these pictures and projects... some of my favorite "pink" memories..................... flowers.........scenes...........things I've created...................

TINY THANK YOU CARDS.

BLOSSOM FROM A TREE AT MY HOUSE IN WASHOUGAL, WA. - LOVE THE VERSE.

FOLDED STAR I MADE WITH FABRIC, AND FRAMED WITH WOOD FELT.

PRETTY DECK FLOWERS FROM 5 YEARS AGO.

PEONY FROM MY YARD IN WASHINGTON.

CARD I MADE USING THE "BLOCK FILL" TECHNIQUE. LOVE IT!

CANVAS BOARD HANGING WALL ART, WITH A SEWING THEME.. I MADE FOR MY SISTER WHO QUILTS ALL THE TIME. SHE QUILTED THE STRIP QUILT I MADE MY SON LAST SUMMER(2018).

ANOTHER CANVAS BOARD WALL HANGING I MADE.

RHODODENDRON BLOOM FROM ONE OF MY SHRUBS IN SW WASHINGTON WHEN I LIVED THERE. LOVED THE PINK ONES!

PAPER "DAHLIA" FLOWER I MADE.

GORGEOUS ROCK DAPHNE BUSH (I THINK) FROM THE OREGON COAST.

A LITTLE GUEST COTTAGE FROM OUR RENTAL HOUSE 5 YEARS AGO, IN CENTRAL OREGON. I "COLORIZED' IT WITH PINK (OF COURSE)!

SWEET LITTLE "TAG ALBUM" I MADE.

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE HEXAGON BOXES I MADE. I LOVE THE VINTAGE SHABBY PAPERS AND AM STILL HOARDING MOST OF THEM!

FOX GLOVE FROM MY PREVIOUS HOME OF MANY YEARS AGO, IN WASHINGTON STATE. THEY GREW WILD THERE ALL OVER THE HILLSIDES.

ONE OF MY MOM'S TEACUPS.

SHABBY "ORNAMENT' I MADE WITH FABRICS AND NO SEWING.

TINY 3" BOX TO HOLD TINY GIFTS.

ONE OF MY MANY MINI TREAT BOXES.

I "adore" you all sweet subscribers and blog friends!

Have a great week!