The Easter Bunny Cometh

Hidy Ho, crafty peeps!

So, when is Easter this year anyway? I have to look at a calendar, because I don't do the whole Lenten season thing, and Easter candy has been available in the store since Feb. 15...so I am clueless.

But that does remind me of a funny story, which I will now share with you...whether you want to read it or not.

I attended a Catholic university for my undergrad studies (and graduate school too, come to think of it). And, although they couldn't FORCE us to participate in the Catholic traditions, we were "highly encouraged" to attend Mass regularly. I mean, when 90% of the nursing-school staff were nuns or ex-nuns it was just one of those unspoken and not required but "expected" things. Know what I mean?

The nursing school was run by the iron fist of Sister Mary Jeremy Buckman. And let me tell you, she was the quintessential nun--right down to her orthopedic hose and sensible black shoes.

So, there it was, about this time of year...my junior year of nursing school. In fact, it was Ash Wednesday, to be exact. I (being the non-Catholic person I am), didn't want to spend my precious free time attending Mass, let alone Mass in Latin that I couldn't understand, to receive ashes that I didn't particularly want. But, I knew, if I showed up to class without that telltale smudge on my forehead, I would be the target of scornful nun-looks burning straight to my very soul, and be subjected to seeing pursed nun-lips frowning at me in disapproval (you Catholic school people know EXACTLY what I'm talking about). I'm certain (if it had been allowed) there would probably have been a wooden ruler and several Hail Marys involved in my rebuking, somehow.

I could not let that happen.

So, as I was hurrying to class, I stopped off at the nearest cigarette ashtray receptacle thing, and proceeded to smear my forehead with the ashes of a butt I retrieved out of the sand.

WHAT?

Like nobody's EVER done that.

WHAT?

Ok...enough reminiscing before I condemn myself to life in purgatory.

Too late.

Here is another sample I created for It's Cheaper Than Therapy using the new Accordion Oval die and matching border dies by Karen Burniston. Sure, it's all pretty and frou-frou on the outside. But you know me better.

On the inside it has CHOCOLATE (or a reasonable facsimile of chocolate) along with a good dash of Torrey-esque humor.

I reinforced all the hinges with tape, so that Maria can show it over and over at her next show without them ripping (in all hopes). I think next time, I'll just coat one side of the hinges with clear lacquer. That will fortify them!

I made the chocolate bunnies in Photoshop and printed them out on chocolate brown cardstock. I added shadowing with my Prismacolor pencils and then coated them with clear lacquer to make them shiny...like chocolate.

It's a simple card, but one that I think showcases Karen's dies well. The next card I'm making for Maria involves a hot air balloon...stay tuned.

Ingredients:
Pop It Up Accordion Oval Die by Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft)
Oval Frame Edge dies by Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft)
Patterned paper
ribbon
clear lacquer
Prismacolor Pencils
cardstock
stamping ink