Glistening Shamrocks and an Irish Blessing

Well, it's March!

I have always liked March...from start to end...

 NOT just because it's my birthday month

and the birthday month of quite a few people that I love.

I actually share my birthday with my cousin Johnny who is a few years older than I am...

and every year..when we wish one another a Happy Birthday...I always add...

"I am the BEST birthday present that you ever got"

(have to remind him, after all...just in case he's forgotten)

March is a wacky month...

It brings with it, hints of Spring (YAY)

We re-set our clocks and instantaneously gain an hour of daylight

Always a welcomed thing after a long Winter.

(You know..the old....Spring forward..Fall back thing)

Sometimes, Easter happens in March. crocuses arrive...

March is the preamble to April showers...and shares itself with "the ides"..

March has set aside days to honor lots of things

National Pig Day... Potato Chip Day...Panic Day...

Johnny Appleseed Day....Ear Muffs Day, Buzzards Day...

National Alien Abduction Day...Maundy Thursday...

Pecan Day...and National Goof Off Day....

And almost smack in the middle of the month is St Patrick's Day.

Growing up and living in NYC ...on Staten Island...this is a BIG deal.

There's "the biggie"...the St Patty's Day Parade in NYC...

and Staten Island has it's own St Patty's Day  parade...

and in it's own right...it too, is a biggie.

So even though there's not an Irish gene in me...

I have always been a lover of St. Patty's Day.

Then again...now that I think about it....

I'm not sure that I could feel otherwise...

with my 3 closest and dearest finds since childhood having red hair 

and cornering the market on all things Irish.

Carol...Colleen...and Ellen

My wonderful, twinkle in their eyes, 

full of life and laughter...

red headed besties.

It was always me.....the dark haired, meatball rolling, sauce stirring Sicilian speaking girl

...and the 3 red heads.

And so, in the spirit of St Patty's Day...

I am welcoming the month of March

with these three St Patty's day cards.

Love that shamrock..and the pretty clover print paper is very sweet

I've always loved the Irish Blessing

and how about that gorgeous glistening gold card stock

and the glistening green shamrock.

(the little mat layer under the Blessing also glistens...like the shamrock does

I wish it showed in the photos...because it's so beautiful.
That shimmery gorgeousness is all from LCI PAPER
If a card making girl like me could have a crush on a cards tock company...
I would have crush on LCI

Aren't the details on the shamrock leaves nice?

and the inside sentiment

Simle..but nice...

and never to be seen gain...

because when I went to remove it from the acrylic block...

it tore in half...

Oh well..at least I managed to stamp the sentiment inside of each card before it went to the trash.

The cards are all very similar...

created with identical supplies..

but with tiny differences in how they were put together.

Same supplies...different sketches.

I have quite a few shamrock dies..but this one is really the nicest...

I like the detail..and the size...as well as the shape of the leaves

The Authentique 6x6 pad is a treasure.

I can't think of any other paper company that has a pad dedicated only to St Patrick's Day

The paper is lovely...

and when I saw it on line...I ordered it ASAP

(Wish I had ordered 2 or 3)

So, there you have it....

My little Hello to March...

and 3 St. Patty's Day cards with a lovely blessing on the front.

3 cards...similar...yet different...

...symbolic of my 3 much loved and very wonderful, zany red headed friends..

Card Loving friends: These lovelies are today's addition to the Bellissima Card Shop.

You can purchase one...or all 3 of them HERE.

Card making friends: I've included a short supply list below

Thanks for visiting...

Happy March!

Michelle

Supplies:

Stamps: unknown

Paper: Authentique (6x6 Print), PTI, LCI, SU

Ink: SU Garden Green

Die: Frantic Stamper