Well, not really. I had a lovely walk in the snow this morning. For a moment there was a break in the clouds and I caught a glimpse of that gorgeous contrast of clear, bright blue sky against the clean, newly fallen snow. It’s magical, really. When a kind neighbor offered me a ride I just couldn’t bear the thought of missing out on those few minutes in the quiet beauty of the winter morning. Give me a few weeks and I’ll be over it.
At Cuddly Buddly Spring really is in the air, though. The first of the spring art releases – Garden Vignettes – went online today! You can find my latest images in both rubber stamp and digital format, whichever suits your fancy. I’m especially excited about these new images because they’re dear to my heart. The characters are based on my grandmother and my children, and the children were especially excited to be included. You’ll be seeing more of them in the future, but I thought it would be fun to introduce them a bit here.
The first is Alonzo, with his bouquet of dandelions and little frog. Alonzo (the name he chose for his paper-self) is a sweet, thoughtful little boy and is always picking flowers for me in the springtime. It’s one of my favorite things! I remember picking dandelion bouquets for my mom when we were little, but I don’t think I understood how much those fuzzy little posies would touch my heart when presented by small, boyish hands that needed a good washing. Nothing melts my heart quite like that does. This card was made using a digi-stamp and the Garden Vignettes paper collections.
Next, in this lovely card made by Danielle (a Fabulously Crafty Friend at Cuddly Buddly), is Isaac. Isaac (also a name chosen for a paper-self) built his first birdhouse this year and hung it in the tree. He’s also known as the cat whisperer in our house, as he has an uncanny relationship with the felines in the family, especially his devoted friend, Swipey. Isaac is an especially hard worker, and is dependable. At the same time, he’s one of the kindest, most considerate boys I know. But he’s getting old enough not to appreciate those adjectives quite so much, so please don’t tell him I said so. 😉 This card was made using a rubber stamp and the Garden Vignettes paper collections.
And then there is Milly, whose images in this collection are all about friendship and enjoying every moment. Milly is a social creature, who just loves people, and is always looking for ways to express her appreciation for them. She loves chatting and visiting, but also cherishes her alone time with a good book, artwork, or her music, sharing them only with her furry feline friend, Princess (or Principessa). She’s tall and elegant, and I love her enthusiasm for life. This card was made using the 3D Decoupage sheet and the Garden Vignettes paper collections.
Finally, this lovely card by Cuddly Buddly FCF Alison, is of Cal, my grandmother, who was a very practical woman and a hard worker. She liked to get things done, and even when she sat down to visit (which she absolutely loved to do) she had some kind of crochet or embroidery in her hands. I especially love this image of her weeding, titled Cal’s Wildflower Garden. It reminds me of the one piece of advice she gave me when I was about to be married. It boiled down to choosing to be happy even when our first reaction to a situation is negative. If you’re not going to buckle down and pull the weeds from the garden then for Heaven’s sake, call them wildflowers and enjoy them. Well, that’s my interpretation anyway – and it’s proven to be very good advice. This card was made using the rubber stamp and the Garden Vignettes paper collections.
And a few more little samples:
A Good Book, by Cuddly Buddly FCF Sonia
Cal’s Vegetable Garden by FCF Clare
Alonzo Catching Butterflies, by Shelley
And Isaac’s Vegetable Garden
You can find the entire collection in ditigal and rubber stamp formats at www.CuddlyBuddly.com.
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Barbara Anne Williams
Bits of Ivory
available at CuddlyBuddly
