I got a kick out of a recent Stampin’ Up card contest using a template as a guideline to make a card so I went ahead and made two! My Stampin’ Up consultant is Kerrie Lightfoot here in Friendswood Texas, such a sweet gal! I hope you can check out her blog Cards and Coffee Stains.

I also got busy making baby cards last week for some gals I know using the new Stampin’ Up Sticky Cuts Letters. They look so nice with glitter on top and are really easy to use!

We had a great Easter Sunday spending the day coloring eggs, going to church, Eating out and playing around outside. Even though it was extremely wet we got to take some fun photos outside after the rain. We visited the lovely Helen’s Garden in League City, Texas. There was dew all over the flowers so I tried and capture it as best as I could in the close ups.

What an awesome day today! I saw the Help Me pick the Next Swap challenge posted on Helga’s blog, my artistic life, calling for swap ideas and so I got to work right away on some fairies. I had a lot of Red and Blue items as well as vintage papers, this inspired the red, white, and blue theme, so I put together an American fairy and a Francophile Fairy! Very vintage, very Patriotic and very French! I hope this inspires you to jump into art and to also get involved in the art community!

Vintage English Soap mold

I can’t believe Easter is already here, it kind of snuck up on us this year. The kids and I had a blast working on these vintage inspired soaps to give for Easter. I found this English vintage soap mold several years ago at an antique store and I purchased the angel soap mold at Hobby Lobby years ago as well. We used Goats milk Glycerine soap found at Michaels craft store and added soap coloring to it once it was melted. The pink bunny only needed 2 red drops to make a pastel color but the lovely Honey bunny need 20 yellow drops to get close to a honey color. The green was a little bit of gold melted soap left over mixed with 2 drops of blue. It is definitely worth it to make this cute project, you just have to play around with the coloring to get what you like.

Here’s our supplies

my Blue lacey Cone

I decided to hang up my Easter Paper cones this year that I have collected and made above my fireplace. The middle cones are pretty and glittered by Gerri Plummer in Galveston, Tx. And the orange and blue lacey paper cones are ones I made for a contest a few years back.

We watched this awesome video of Artist David Garibaldi: Portrait of Christ. I hope you can check it out and more Easter stories on CBN.com

A Friend of mine shared these Resurrection cookies Recipe with me and I thought I would pass them along to you.

Empty Tomb Cookies

These cookies are to be made the night before Resurrection Sunday.

You will need:
• 1 cup whole pecans
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• Zipper baggie
• Wax paper
• Cookie sheet
• Tape
• Wooden spoon

Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let the children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces.

Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.

Read John 19:1-3 Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him whipped. The soldiers twisted thorns together to make a crown. They put it on Jesus’ head. Then they put a purple robe on Him. They went up to Him again and again and again. They kept saying, “We honor you, king of the Jews!” And they hit Him on the face.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp vinegar into a mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar to drink.

Read John 19:28-30 Later Jesus said, “ I am thirsty.“ He knew that everything was now finished. He knew what the Scripture said must come true. A jar of wine vinegar was there. So they soaked a sponge in it. They put the sponge on a stem on the hyssop plant. Then they lifted it up to Jesus’ lips.

Add egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs can represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.

Read John 10:10-11 Jesus said, “ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so they can have life. I want them to have it in the fullest possible way.”

Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.

Read Luke 23:27 A large number of people followed Jesus. Some were women whose hearts were filled with sorrow. They cried loudly because of Him.

So far the ingredients aren’t very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know Him and belong to Him.

Read Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who goes to Him for safety.

Read John 3:16 God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes (could be longer) until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity, in God’s eyes, of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.

Read Isaiah 1:18 “Come. Let us talk some more about this matter,” says the Lord. “ Even though your sins are bright red, they will be as white as snow.”

John 3:1-3 There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus. He was one of the Jewish rulers. He came to Jesus at night and said, “ Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. We know that God is with you. If He weren’t , You couldn’t do the miraculous signs you are doing.” Jesus replied, “What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can see God’s kingdom without being born again.”

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid.

Read Matt 27:57-60 As evening approached, a rich man came from the town of Arimathea. His name was Joseph. He had become a follower of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. He placed it in his new tomb that he had cut our of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb. Then he went away.

Place cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed.

Read Matthew 27:65-66 The next day was the day after Preparation Day. The chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “ Sir,” they said, “we remember something that liar said while he was still alive. He claimed, ‘after three days I will rise again.’ So give the order to make the tomb secure until the third day. If you don’t , His disciples might come and steal the body. Then they will tell the people that Jesus has been raised from the dead. This last lie will be worse than the first.”
“Take some guards with you,” Pilate answered, “ Go. Make the tomb as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure. They put a seal on the stone and placed some guards on duty.

Go to bed! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.

Read John 16:20 and 22 Jesus said, “ What I’m about to tell you is true. You will cry and be full of sorrow while the world is full of joy. You will be sad, but your sadness will turn into joy.”

On Resurrection Sunday, open the oven and give everyone a cookie!

Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are Hollow !!! ( well, most years they were……) On the first Resurrection Sunday Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Read Matthew 28: 1-9 The Sabbath day was now over. It was dawn on the first day of the week. Mary Magdaline and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a powerful earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven. The angel went to the tomb. He rolled back the stone and sat on it. His body shone like lightning. His clothes were as white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, “ Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here! He has risen, just as He said He would! Come and see the place where He was lying. Go quickly ! Tell His disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead. He is going a head of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’ Now I have told you.”

So the women hurried away from the tomb. They were afraid, but they were filled with joy. They ran to tell the disciples.

Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings!” He said. They came to Him, took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.