This certainly is not the Easter any of us would have expected. The COVID-19 Pandemic has forced us all to be away from our families, friends and celebrations. I’ve found this time of slowing down, settling down and being limited in our movements has brought a greater awareness of the smaller things we so often take for granted.

Crafting has always been a type of therapy for me. It forces me to think and work completely differently than how I go about my work and home life. I love how it pushes away the stresses of work and life in favour of finding a creative space. I’m a planner and an organizer by nature. I’m always pleasantly surprised to find that the “plan” I had in my mind for a layout or project never materializes as envisioned. That’s the beauty of creativity – it’s so unpredictable, liberating and inspiring.

I am fortunate to have 3 grandchildren that live right across the street. But social distancing means no more hugs, no more family dinners, no more cuddles and bedtime stories – for now. I wanted to try and make Easter as special as always for these beauties, and a new t-shirt and warm breezes just seem to beckon spring to come our way. I knew I could supply the new t-shirt part of the deal! To round out their gifts, I also baked some chocolate cupcakes and printed out some Easter mazes, word search and hidden puzzles from Pinterest. This year, gifts were delivered and left on the front step.

The two oldest, Maddy and Owen each received a new t-shirt using the Easter Bunnies Couple cut file by Anett Gelencsér. You can find Anett’s cut files on Etsy, her shop is called AnettsDesigns (https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/AnettsDesigns?ref=pr2018). Her designs are simply gorgeous, and as you can see, so adaptable to paper crafting,  wearable art and just about anything you can think of!

I used the male and female bunnies for each of the kids t-shirts and coordinated cards. I can’t wait to receive some pictures of Maddy and Owen in their new t-shirts, and then I’ll use the file to scrapbook a page for each of their scrapbooks. I’m thrilled with how they both turned out. Here’s Owen’s t-shirt and card.

I took time to back fill the bunnies on the cards to help them stand out a bit from the background. The Silhouette is so handy for this type of work. I used a heavy vellum for the body of the bunnies.

The female bunny was a bit more intricate and took more time to back fill for the card. It was worth the effort, and I’m really happy with the result.

Ben’s t-shirt and card was made with the Bunny Trail cut file by Virginia Walker of COAPA (Confessions of a Paper Addict).Virginia’s shop is also found on Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/COAPACutfiles?ref=pr2018). She has also created a Facebook Fan page where you can learn about upcoming releases and be inspired by others who love her cut files. Virginia also gives away free cut files via the Facebook platform – so be sure to join the group and start collecting some amazing cut files for free!

This is such a perfect cut file for the young ones. I wanted the bunnies in the card to look like they were sitting on the grass. I achieved this by using the Grassy Fields die from My Favorite Things (MFT). The Hoppy Easter stamp used in each of theses cards is by We R Memory Keepers, and I’ve had it in my stamp stash for years.  Last, but not least, all the patterned paper backgrounds on the front of each card comes from Lawn Fawn’s “speckles” 6×6 inch petite paper pack. The papers look exactly like dyed Easter eggs, making them the perfect compliment to the design.

Well, there you have it. My Easter gifts to my grandchildren in 2020. A year we’re not soon to forget. I hope you all stay safe and well in the coming weeks and months. And remember, crafting can be a wonderful, relaxing and fulfilling hobby. To me, it’s the perfect elixir in these stressful days.