Bah Humbug! - NOT

"Oooh-whee!" exclaimed my German husband as he opened the door to my classroom/studio to bring me my afternoon Jasmine tea and gingerbread. You've got a Santa's workshop down here." "Looks more like last night's 70-mph winds whipped through my room, I replied." I was having so much fun creating, with Pandora music blasting from the other room and Bellina at my feet (no, ON my feet) that I hadn't noticed the time or the mess. It was good to sit back and reflect.

Just after Thanksgiving, I went into kind of a funk. I had decided to say Bah Humbug! to Christmas. But last week thoughtful small gifts from my friends at work prompted me to rally and reciprocate with my own little gifts; my usual custom.  To combat my otherwise sad feelings, I decided to make some whimsical notecards. My friends are often the recipients of my botanical illustrations in card form. But I wanted these to be more fresh, more fun! I didn't have much time so I used some of my "Tangling with Stamps" images that I had prepared for last weekend's class. And as if I don't have enough art hobbies, I started carving my own stamps and used some in this series of cards. Coupling the whimsical images with fun phrases like, "A hug in a cup," "Head over heels for you," and Apple of my eye,"  made for some cheerful greeting cards that I thought my friends could use for Valentines. Not works of art, but I hope these will bring a smile to someone's face. The whole process cheered me up, and I'm back in the Christmas spirit!

A hug in a cup

Apple of my eye

Also apple of my eye!