Christmas Robins

 

Robins are the state bird of Michigan, chosen because of their spring migration that brings them back to the state from warmers climes. So you probably wouldn't associate robins with winter and Christmas (even though many robins end up staying here during mild winters).

However, in the UK robins seem to appear in Christmas decor. I'm sure the British robin is different than the American Robin, but it's still fun to see them pop up in an unexpected way.

I made some cards with CP's Birds and Boughs that feature the robins.

Both cards use the Round of Merry, but this one uses the outer ring die.

And this one uses the inner ring die.

Simple and sweet, the way Christmas should be.

Happy Friday, cafe friends!

A Fun Start to October

 

October has been a beautiful month here. Big blue skies, warm golden sun, and the changing leaves and farm fields. Lovely.

We've been getting out as much as possible.

We celebrated our anniversary this week! And look at this amazing bouquet my husband gave me! Stunning!

We spent the afternoon at the Toledo Zoo, admiring their fall displays, visiting the new baby giraffe, and enjoying some really active animals.

We found a new cafe last weekend, and it was so good!

I had my first Music with Miss Mary session at the preschool, and it was so much fun! The children were so sweet, and it was great to see my old teaching buddies again!

And what more can I say about autumn in the garden? It fills my heart with joy.

Jemma loves these days, too. She spends a lot of time soaking up the warm afternoon sun.

 And when she gets too warm, she takes a nap in the shade.

God is good!

Hope your days are golden.

Christmas Cardinals

 

Did you do anything special for World Cardmaking Day?

I made a few Christmas cards, playing with these new stamps and dies from Catherine Pooler. I combined Birds and Boughs with Pinecone and Pine dies and some older CP papers.

For this card, I added the Round of Merry die as a focal frame.

I liked the larger size of the pinecone, ribbon and pine branch with this new die set. 

Christmas is creeping in to the stores now. Have you seen any new themes?

Framed seasonal art seems to be everywhere. Not sure how I feel about framed art that I'd need to store for the other 11 months of the year.

My storage is getting pretty full! Continuing to find homes for my Mom's many treasures. 

Coffee-Off 2026

 

You've probably heard of Bake-Offs and Cook-Offs. But have you ever heard of a Coffee-Off?

The town on Milan was having a Coffee-Off yesterday morning, and it sounded like the perfect way to spend a Saturday morning in October.

Here's how it worked. You paid a fee to get a hand crafted tasting mug, a cool magnet, and samplings from five different local roasters and coffee houses. And then you could vote on your favorites, too.

We listened to live music, tried a donut, and soaked up the sun. Then we walked through the small town to check out some of the shops.

Look at how fun this scarecrow is!

Making memories and enjoying the season!

Angela Harding-Inspired

 

I've long been a big admirer of Angela Harding and other linocut artists, many of whom come from the UK. It's such a lovely, hand-crafted look.

When I saw this new stamp set from Catherine Pooler for the holiday release, something about those birds really made me think of linocuts.

It got me thinking. Could I take these birds and use them with other companies' stamps to make something like a linocut?

I rummaged through my Woodware sets and pulled out a few.

I started with this set (by designer Jane Gill), using a Tombow marker to add some red berries.

Then I did a little masking to add some ink blending.

After masking off the bird here, I went back and stamped it into this space.

And then I finished off the card here:

For the cardinal card, I followed a similar method:

And finished off the card here:

It was fun using these sets and thinking outside of the box.

Next up, I will try these birds again and make some Christmas cards.

Happy Friday, cafe friends!

Before September Ends

 

Before September comes to a close, I want to talk about the importance of cancer detection and research.

This month is Ovarian Caner Awareness month, and towns across the US tie teal ribbons everywhere to raise awareness.

We were visiting the town of Dexter this weekend and saw the ribbons tied to lamp posts.

And it just so happened that we had a family picnic at the park where my brother-in-law had a park bench dedicated in my sister, Tina's memory.

Tina was Luke's godmother, and it was sweet that he took his wife to see the bench.

Cancer has really impacted my family in recent years. My sister died of ovarian cancer. My nephew died of lung cancer just this year. My Mom died from a blood cancer. And sadly, I just learned that one of my brothers is being treated for prostate cancer this week. 

Is it just me, or does it seem like cancers are becoming more and more prevalent?

It's a sad topic for a Monday, I know. But it makes me wonder what are the root causes, and how can we change this trend? 

I'm reminded of the words of that great hymn: Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.

I will hold on to hope.