Walking in a Winter Wonderland...Not!

Brrrrr! Good morning!

I awoke this morning to a bone-chilling two...that's 2...degrees! As my friends from the North Pole might say, "It's not a fit day out for man nor beast!" I can't remember the last time we were so cold. I thank God that our furnace is still working. I do wish it could keep up a little better though. I had to give the munchkin (a.k.a. Winnie the mini-dachshund) a blankie, along with darling husband, of course. ;-)

While we're only expected to reach 29 degrees today, I'm looking forward to the coming week, which will attain upper 60s by Friday! Hoorah!

So, in keeping with the current situation, I'm posting a card I made a while back with a digital image from Angel's Landing. The original black-and-white illustration is the work of Judi Maddigan, and I produced the color and finished product. This is one of my all-time favorite cards!

I just love these sweet little penguin babies! They make my heart laugh! I colored them with Copic Sketch markers, and then fussy cut around the images and popped them up with some Stampin' Up dimensionals. I had some beautiful winter-themed designer paper for the background. I hope they make you laugh, too.

Well, my office is in a cold part of the house, and I'm about to seek out my own blanket. Thanks for visiting, and please come back again soon. 

You can view some additional cards in my Etsy shop (link above right), if you'd like to pay a visit. I have additional sets ready (including Valentine's Day) and will be posting them there soon.

Stay safe and warm!

Live in the Sunshine

Hello!

I awoke this morning to a beautiful day filled with sunshine...and a fresh blanket of snow here in eastern North Carolina. Winter Storm Grayson deposited about 4 inches of lovely powder on our yard last night. I sat at the window and watched it pouring down around midnight. I'd say "drifting," which is my favorite speed, but it was coming much too quickly for that. Still, so beautiful!

My favorite thing about snow is "listening" to the quiet when it falls. What a joy to hear the world get still. It doesn't, of course. It just seems that way, and I love the feeling of peace.

Today, the storm is gone, and the sunshine is here in abundance. That made me think of a card I made recently. It uses a Stampin' Up stamp with a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote to "Live in the sunshine." There's also an image from Serene Silhouettes - one of my favorite sets. I made a circle mask and sponged on a couple of Stampin' Up inks to make a sun, and then used black embossing ink for the birds in the tree. Easy-peasy!

As the new year gets underway, I think "live in the sunshine" is a really positive message - and one I'd like to adopt. In spite of the world's ugliness at times, there are many opportunities to feel blessed! I hope you feel that way today, too.

Thanks for visiting, and do come again!

Artistic Year Ahead

Hello, dear friends! Happy New Year 2018!

Three years on, and I'm back online. I can't believe time has passed so quickly! It's January 1, and I'm already fulfilling New Year's resolutions: get back online, post on my blog, build my Etsy shop, and start thinking about what's ahead once I retire from my day job.

A lot has happened since I've been away. There have been health challenges, passing of friends, birth of new family members, family weddings, and all sorts of other normal life happenings. I'm sure you've had them, too.

While I started my blog to share craft projects and artistic endeavors, I expect to branch out a bit in 2018. I'll still be sharing some photos (and possibly videos) of what's on the craft table, but I also want to share more of what's happening in life.

I hope you'll join me as I continue life's journey. For now, it's back to work tomorrow after 11 lovely days of leisure. Oh my! Where DID I put that pesky alarm clock!?1? And my winter coat! Highs in the 30s this week in North Carolina. Brrrrr! On the bright side, the days are getting longer. 😊😊

The card sets below are now active in Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/NCKarenArt. I'd be so pleased if you'd help spread the word! Additional card sets and other items are complete and will be posted in the coming days and weeks.

 

Happy New Year! May God bless you and those you love richly in the coming year!