I remember the Easters of my childhood and how mom made them so special. She created colorful Easter baskets overflowing with green grass and topped with jellybeans, boiled eggs we’d decorated, marshmallow chicks and chocolate bunnies. A pretty new dress for church was a must, along with white or black patent leather Mary Janes. To this day, I love the smell of new leather. The anticipation of all that Easter brings was overwhelming. The tastes. The smells. The colors. I adored the soft pastels, especially lavender, a fondness that stayed with me. I now have a collection of Easter rabbits. Ceramic or stuffed, they seem to find me. I cannot resist.

I chose lavenders and purples for this year’s cards, using both Stamperia Provence and Lilac Flowers cardstock. I think the combination allowed me to create some interesting elements. The card cover features a fanfare fold-out design tied with shabby ribbons. I embellished each one with doilies, antique music paper, vintage French book pages and charms from my personal stash. What you might find odd is that none of them have any classic Easter images. No bunnies. No chicks. No eggs. I want my handmade cards to softly suggest the occasion. Instead, they have Hello Spring and Happy Easter sentiments here and there, along with quotes from Oscar Wilde or Charlotte Bronte about Spring or Easter. Enjoy.