HELLO!  I'm still crafting over here on Rue Canyon Court - probably more than ever before!  During the pandemic I learned how to metal-stamp and I've been working on improving my skill - which takes a long time and quite a bit of practice - but the pandemic has been good for that!  I've also been playing with clay.  I made these Christmas tree ornaments quite a while back, but I wanted to be sure to include them so you can see what I've been doing lately.  For the last crafting retreat that I organized, I gave everyone a clay tree ornament.  These are made from Springerle cookie molds.  I enjoy clay and I want to learn more and more about it.  Here is the assembly line of my trees.  I think I made 40 for the retreat.  Once you finish them, they look so pretty with clear glitter glued all over them.  They're all sparkly and pretty hanging from the tree as the lights catch the glitter.  These ornaments are wet and they turn a beautiful white when they're dry.  I'll show you a finished one very soon!  I miss all of you and I hope everyone is doing well.

Fairy Matchboxes and Beautiful Butterflies

Hello and Good Day to You!

Several weeks ago I was looking at beautiful printables online and I came across some adorable fairies and butterflies that you could decorate matchboxes with.  I enjoy making things like this, so I immediately purchased the printables, which included the template for the matchbox, and I made several matchboxes.  I have them displayed in a cookbook hutch with a glass door.  Each time I pass by, I have to smile because they are just so darn cute!  I thought you might like to see them.  You can decorate them any way you wish - and the sky is the limit!  I guess that's what makes them so much fun.  I purchased the template and the printables from Pixie Hill Studio on Etsy, if you find yourself wishing to make some!

Aren't they beautiful and fun?  It takes you away to another magical place and time!  And we could all use another magical place and time right now.

Happy Good Friday!

Greetings, Friends!  Happy Good Friday to You!  I have several Easter projects I want to share real quick!  This is an Easter card I made using my Cricut Maker.  LOVE THAT MACHINE!

And this is another cute project I made with my Cricut Maker.  I love the 3D bunnies!

I love making very small business-sized greeting cards.  I found this adorable stamp of a snow bunny, and I had to have it!

Are you on bunny overload?  LOL!  I've also been busy making some Easter and Christmas domino necklaces.  I'll share those soon!  I hope you all have a wonderful Easter. 

Banana Bread

Greetings!  We recently ended up with an abundance of bananas in our house - and neither one of us eat that many bananas, so the logical thing to do was to make banana bread.  The funny thing is, I've heard that lots of people are making banana bread right now.  That made me laugh because I next to never make banana bread, but I am now!  Banana bread is okay.  It's not something that makes me jump up and down about, but when I tried this recipe, I really liked it!  I made three mini loaves the day before yesterday and gave one to Ms. Lily and Ms. Genice, two of my sweet neighbors.  Our little loaf didn't last long, so I made three more mini loaves this morning.  The house smells heavenly, and there is nothing quite like warm banana bread with a little pad of butter melted on top.  Serve it with a cup of hot tea or coffee.......and you're there!  I thought I would share the recipe with you.  Another thing I was excited about is that I was able to get in Cricut Design Space and cut out a nice little box to put my mini loaves in when I'm giving them away.  I'm happy when I can use my Cricut for things like this!  I found some cute little envelope printables online and enclosed a quick note to tell them to enjoy their bread. 

Grandma's Easy Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 bananas)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips - optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a stand mixer, or hand-held, mix together softened butter and sugar until well combined.  Then add in eggs and mix well.  Next add in vanilla, sour cream or Greek yogurt, and mashed bananas.  Then, while the mixer is on, slowly add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix slowly until completely combined, scraping the sides and the bottom.  Pour batter into prepared loaf pan or pans.  If using one 9x5 loaf pan, bake bread for about one hour.  If using three mini loaf pans, bake bread for about 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  (A note from me:  Check your bread at 35 minutes because it might be done!)  Let the bread sit for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.  Serve and enjoy.  I added chopped pecans and it was heavenly!

This recipe came from www.eatyourselfskinny.com.

Have a good day.  Stay inside and stay safe!

Bunny Garland

Hi, all!  How are you holding up during this coronavirus crisis?  I would be lost without my love of papercrafts.  It's getting me through every day.  I saw a cute bunny garland on Pinterest and I used my Cricut machine to cut all 32 of them out.  I purchased a Cricut machine several months ago.  I was

concerned that it would be way over my head and it would cause more angst than happiness.  I told myself that I would gradually work my way through learning as much as I could - that it's not a race or a contest - that I have no deadlines to meet - it's strictly a "fun" thing for me.  I have done exactly that and I am completely in love with it!  I still have a million things to learn with it, but that's okay.  It's just for me and so far, I have completely enjoyed it.  So, if you're thinking of getting one, DO!  Here is my bunny garland.  I love using newspaper print for anything.  I think it's adorable and I may not want to take it down after Easter!

I hope you have a wonderful Easter celebration.  I am going to miss having my kids here.  :(

I'm Still Papercrafting!

Greetings, friends!  Are you surprised to hear from me?  I've kind of surprised myself to be making a post this morning; however, with the Coronavirus Pandemic forcing us to stay home and slow down, I realized I had time to post some cards I've been making.  It's carthartic, too, to feel that I can communicate with others while not even leaving home!  So.........how is everyone doing?  The funny thing for me is that while of course I'm troubled by everything that's going on, and it's certainly not a happy time, I am enjoying staying home and embracing a slower pace.  I love that my calendar is completely free of any commitments and that I don't have to go anywhere or do anything.  If something doesn't get taken care of today......well.......there's always tomorrow.  No one is coming over and I don't have to go anywhere - it's freeing to me - and I love the calmness and tranquility.  I do miss going to the grocery store, though, and I look forward to the day that if I decide to bake bread, I can run up to the store and get whatever I need, and that's not the case right now!  ANYWAY, I've been having a great time crafting at home, so I'll share a few of those things.

I purchased a cute die a couple of months ago and just never used it until now.  It's from Paper Smooches.  I'm in love with it.  It is absolutely perfect for the types of cards I like to make.  I love the simpleness, the crispness, the cuteness, and how elegant it is.  I've been going through all of my stamps to see what fits in that little rectangle. It works with so many sentiments.  I have been putting together a family directory for all of my relatives, as well as a birthday list, so I'm going to try my best to send birthday cards to the women in our family.  Sorry to the guys, but masculine cards are just not my forte, unless I find something perfect here pretty soon.  I fussed around with adding rhinestones or pearls to some of the flowers, but I ended up taking them off.  It seems perfect when it's kept simple.

Hope you are all doing great!  It feels nice to post again!

My Mom was Buried Today

Today my mother was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.  She was 89 years old.  She was my best buddy.  She had been suffering from COPD and had been hospitalized several times with pneumonia.  Each time she had pneumonia, it was harder and harder for her to recover.  She finally felt that she had lived a good, long life and didn't want to be hospitalized anymore, so hospice came in to care for her 24/7 until she passed away last Wednesday, August 21st, at 7:28 p.m.

When she was in better health, we sure had fun together.  We tore up the roads here in Katy shopping for all kinds of things.  Her favorite store was Tuesday Morning.  I'll never be able to visit a Tuesday Morning without wishing she were with me.  I used to do her grocery shopping......and I hated every minute of it, but now I'd give anything to get her grocery list and do that shopping for her.  I miss her sweet eyes and her sweet voice.  I'll miss fluffing her hair with a hair pick.  I'll miss taking her shopping for T-shirts and beaded jackets and white hoodies and shoes.  She loved going to Wal-Mart, which I absolutely despised doing with her.......but now I'd give anything to take her to Wal-Mart one more time and let her browse up and down the aisles. One of my fondest memories will be when I would drive into The Atria parking lot to pick her up. She would be standing there under the carport, perfectly dressed, and smiling because she was happy to see me. 

I'll miss you mom!  You were my biggest fan and you encouraged me with my jewelry and you were so complimentary about my stamped cards.  I didn't realize it at the time, but you were so generous with your kind words.  You encouraged me.  I wish I could hear those words again just to remember how sweet they were.  I wish we could tear up the roads around here going to IHOP for waffles or French Toast or the Memorial City Mall where you loved to shop or Tuesday Morning.  I'm happy that you're with dad now, and your mother, your father, and your sisters and brother.  I wish you could tell me what it was like to meet your dad for the first time in Heaven because he passed away when you were an infant.  That must have been such a sweet reunion.

Whenever I make brownies, I'll think of you.  Whenever there is Kleenex left in a pocket that is washed and Kleenex is strewn all throughout the washer and dryer, I'll think of you.  Whenever I see a black Dachshund, I'll think of you and how much you loved Schnitzel and Heidi.  Whenever I eat Milky Ways, I'll think of you.  Whenever I sit in church, I'll think of you.  Whenever I see quilts, I'll think of you.  Whenever I make Peach Cobbler, I'll think of you.  Like my brother says, when I look up into the night sky and see stars twinkling, I'll ask you if you're one of them.  Thank you for everything, Mom.  I'm going to miss you so much.  You are my best buddy and I love you.