Musings and Magic

 Well, it's the last week of February and the weather has been for the most part- record breaking Spring-like temps, and only a trace of snow:):) I can only hope it continues. Just some art to share this time around, and here goes...

 This card is meant for the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge (Add a Sentiment).
Products: white cardstock; Spellbinders Die -Fleur De Lis rectangles; die cut machine; Wildflower image (Hero Arts); Sentiment (Papertey Ink- Giga Guidelines); Versafine Onyx Black ink; Colorbox Fluid Chalk inks- Tangerine, Olive Pastel.

 For the Art Journal Journey Challenge  this month (theme is Hearts):

 Lots of Dina Wakley (yes, again;) products! DW paints- Magenta, Tangerine, Peacock, Lime.; collage tissue; stencil- Small Basics; Media Journal. Tim Holtz - Paper Dolls, Small Talk Stickers, stencil (Linen).  The circle art (one of many) is from a challenge I had done last year. These are the perfect size for using as a focus on journal pages!

 And now on to my watercolor practices! I have been sharing some of these on IG. But not this one meant for T Stands For Tuesday:

 I had just finished painting this but a few hours before putting this post together. I wasn't sure it would turn out, so, just in case, I did have a photo of the mug of tea that was beside me ready to go :):) I got a lot of help with this from an online demo- but for the life of me I cannot remember the specifics as I have been watching many on watercolors lately. If I do remember at some point I will certainly let you know. The words are added digitally. I used my Peerless Watercolors for this, along with a white gel pen and ink.

 And here are a few of the flowers I have been practicing using my Daniel Smith Watercolors. The You Tube inspirations are from Emma LeFebvre and CeeCee's Creations:

  I'll have more watercolors and flowers coming up since I have been doing them for an IG February Flowers Challenge.

 Linking with Paint Party Friday too!

Happy week everyone!

" You may not seem able to change some outer circumstances but you can start by changing your inner experience of life and yourself."     Joy Page

Gratitude

 Happy new week all! Again, I know some of you had some crazy, stormy weather again obver the weekend so I hope you got through it without incident. We had our first bout of extreme cold (single digits F overnight and only to the 20's during the day!!) but I cannot complain as it hasn't lasted long, AND it's the coldest we've had....since last March! So if this is the extent of our winter I have no complaints. Oh, and a large group of robins appeared in our backyard on Saturday!!

 I mentioned in my last post that we had some fun things to keep us busy. First I'll share a photo and short video of the Il Volo concert we went to . ( Dear Elizabeth, you may share with Sally - or not. She would have LOVED it!!) They got standing ovations for practically every song, and they were on for 2 hours. The little video snippet doesn't even do them justice! Because of the fabulous light show too it was very difficult to get a decent photo. We'll never tire of seeing them or listening to their music!

  We celebrated our son Todd's Valentines Day birthday on Sunday along with his fiancée and my Mom. His dinner of choice - my meatloaf and carrots baked in tomato soup, mashed potatoes, baked rolls, and of course, chocolate cake! He pretty much always asks for the meatloaf, and since he's been living on his own this is the only time I make it as hubby and I very rarely eat meat any longer.

 Here he's opening gifts- these from hubby and I. I tried to get a bit creative because he always says he doesn't need or want anything. I know how much he loves food so I got him some favorite snacks-Goldfish, Pringles, and M&Ms along with a gift certificate to a local family owned hoagie shop where he has been going to for many years now. As a matter of fact, Kyra stopped there and brought him home a hoagie for dinner from there - Carl's Corner,  on Friday:):) There's wine and water on the table here for the T Stands For Tuesday ticket in;)

 Happy Birthday to you, son!

 Yes, I needed my reading glasses on to light the candles-lol. No decorating as both my icing bags broke after many years and I haven't gotten out to replace them yet. And a plastic bag with the corner cut just doesn't do it for me.

 For my art today both of my journal pages are on gratitude. Love of my friends and their kindnesses and my love of birds and nature.

 Grateful for Nature:

 In my Dina Wakley Media Journal. DW paint (Lime), stencil, Collage Collective, washi tape (heart). Dylusions Ink Sprays- Bubblegum Pink, London Blue, Lemon Zest. Fude ball pen, and some machine stitching.
 I am joining in Art Journal Journey's Challenge (theme is Hearts this month) and Dina Wakley's Monthly Gratitude Challenge (on Facebook or Instagram) for the theme this month of "I am grateful for nature".

 I created this journal page for January's DW Year of Gratitude Challenge theme " I am grateful for kindness":

 Dina Wakley Media Journal, tissue papers, paints. Tim Holtz Paper doll, Chit Chat Stickers. Scrap paper bit, recycled cardboard, scrap of gold string. Speedball Gold ink and Black Marabu ink splattered on page.

 I will also join Try It On Tuesday (theme is "share the love") and Paint Party Friday.

I've been playing a lot with my watercolors and practicing flowers . Been sharing on IG but I know many of you here in blogland aren't on it so I will post them here once I get myself better organized with the files:)

 Looking forward to catching up with you!

"Gratitude makes sense of the past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
                                                     Unknown

Love Is In The Air

  Happy new week everyone! How has the weather been for you? Seems that so many places- in the US AND across the pond have had some strange and stormy weather over the weekend. I hope everyone got through it all OK. We had almost all rain, and very gusty high winds but thankfully no flooding or power outages in our area. I hear there was at least one confirmed tornado in Maryland- and perhaps also in Delaware- in February- unheard of! Yikes!

  We got together again for a record/vinyl party with friends and our son and fiancé but I totally forgot to take pics cuz we were having so much fun! So, instead, for T Stands for Tuesday I'll share another meal from the Merion Inn in Cape May:

 The last time we were in Cape May it happened to be restaurant week which we were unaware of. Several of our favorite places were completely booked that weekend:( However, we managed two seats at the bar in the Merion and had a fixed price three course dinner. It was excellent!! An arugula salad-can't remember what kind of dressing but it was really good. Our main dinner was smashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, and this chicken breast which was divine!! It was an Italian style and had some balsamic glaze over it. For dessert hubby and I both also had the chocolate pot de creme which was a perfectly manageable portion:). They serve wine in small carafes that you can self pour into your glass (you can barely see my glass on the right near the fork) and though you may not see it- my cabernet is in it. Cheers!

 This is an exciting week for me as we have tickets to see Il Volo in town Tues. eve!! This will be our third time seeing them as we love them so. Then Valentine's Day Friday is also our son's birthday but we're going to celebrate at our place on Sunday. He hasn't told me what he wants me to make for dinner yet;)

 Here is a card I made for him:

 Products: light blue, white, brown card stock; patterned paper (Paper Studio); Labels 8 dies (Spellbinders); computer generated sentiment; Shape Sprinkles Tiny Hearts (Doodle Design Inc. - from Simon Says Stamp); Diamond Stickles Glitter Glue (Ranger). Sharing this with the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge (theme is "with love").

 The new challenge for Tag Tuesday is "Spring Is In The Air" so I have this tag :

 I shared the technique for the background here in this post. Tim Holtz Wildflowers die and Small Talk Stickers. Rubber stamp bee is DeNami-an oldie!

 This journal page is meant for Art Journal Journal Journey (theme this month is "hearts"); and Try It On Tuesday ("Share The Love"):

 On the watercolor paper in the Dina Wakley Media Journal. Image is from the Dina Wakley Collage Collective book. I cut it into the heart shape and stitched around it before gluing to the page.

 Linking to Paint Party Friday too:)

 I made some quick and easy Valentine cards to mail out to  friends. Just using up patterned paper scraps, vintage collage sheet images. That is a bit of the envelope on the left . I stamped this heart from Magenta three times. The sentiment on the card is from Waltzingmouse Stamps.

 Wishing you a happy Valentine's Day if you celebrate it, and have a super week ahead!

"Love...it surrounds every being and extends slowly to embrace all that shall be."  
                                                                        Khalil Gibran

You Are Loved

 Happy February peeps!  Enjoy your weekend? watch the Super Bowl? I must admit that personally it was the Puppy Bowl that captured my full attention on Sunday:) OMG, hours of cuteness!! The football game was on later but I really didn't pay much attention. And my guys enjoyed it at least:) Football was never my thing- well, neither is baseball, or golf, or hockey...lol!

 First up I'll share my bit for T Stands for Tuesday:

 I'm taking you back to Cape May to another of our favorite hang outs - we're there most evenings for the piano entertainment and we always have one special dinner there too. The Merion Inn. We're considered "regulars" and our darling waitress Rachelle gifted us with these desserts- on the house! We hadn't planned on having any dessert as we were full. BUT, we managed because they were just too good to pass on. A delicious, and surprisingly light cheesecake on the left, and oh my, the dark chocolate ganache cake with mocha creme filling was to die for!! Good thing we could walk at least some of it off on the way back to our motel;)

 This card is meant for  the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge (anything goes):

 A CAS (clean and simple) masculine card. Much nicer looking in person with the glittery dragonfly wings. Products: white notecard (Recollections); patterned cardstock (DCWV the Natural mat stack); Spellbinders circle dies; Hero Arts rubber stamp; Versafine Onyx Black ink; washi tape (Tim Holtz?); Stickles glitter glue.

 And this card is for the Simon Says Monday Challenge (floral frenzy):

 White notecard, paper flowers- Recollections; paper doily; patterned paper (Basic Grey); numbers foam stamps (Stamper's Anonymous); happy , birthday wishes clear stamps (Papertrey Ink).

 A tag for Tag Tuesday (theme is black, white , red):

 All things pulled from my huge stash of ephemera; washi tapes- Recollections.

The new theme this month over at Art Journal Journey is "hearts" so I'm sharing this page there and also at Try It On Tuesday (share the love):

  Lots of layers including tissue papers, gesso, pencil marks, stencils, paints done awhile ago in my Dina Wakley Media Journal so I'd have some background pages ready to finish another time. This image was actually in my pile of throw away papers! When I pulled this paper to wipe off a brush and saw this on the reverse side I knew it had to be used. Why I had tossed it aside I'll never know. Her heart was fussy cut from Dina Wakley washi tape, and the words are Dina Wakley collage tissue.

 Linking to Paint Party Friday later in the week. Have a great week everyone!

" Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead."   Oscar Wilde