Recipe Swap!!!!

Hi there!  Today is recipe swap day!  On AiFactory this week, Mia has created recipe cards!  My challenge for the team was to share their favorite recipes!  And that is your challenge too!  We want you to share YOUR recipes too!!!!  Go to http://aifactorychallenges.blogspot.com/ and catch the details!  We hope to see your fabulous tried and true recipes!!!!  You can also purchase the recipe cards HERE!

So, for my project, I decided to share my appetizer recipes because I'm really good at appetizers and desserts, and struggle w/ the main dish.  And all those sides?!  Jeez!  Can't you just have steak?  Why do you have to have potatoes and salad too?!  So, I love when I have parties, and I get to make all kinds of appetizers!  LOL!  I have two appetizers and a drink to share!  Try them!  My family and friends LOVE these!!!!!  In addition to my recipe cards, I also decorated a recipe box!  This is becoming a fun norm for me, and I really enjoy making these!  Enjoy!

Have a STAMPTASTIC day!!!

Flopsey Easter Basket

Hi there!  Today I thought I would share something that I made just for fun, and for the MFT WSC challenge!  I got it in right before the deadline.  Not like waiting til the last minute!  LOL!  Well, not that I waited, it's just that I finally had time to work on it!  Weird how I always get stuff done when my husband is not around.  But when he's home and taking care of all the kids, I can't get anything accomplished?!  Must be that multi tasking virtue that I have!  LOL!  Even when my kids were hanging all over me, I still managed to get things done.  Amazing.  In my book, anyway!  Hahaha!

Ok, anyway, the challenge was to use the Easter Basket template that Mel McCarthy (MFT DT member) created.  I wished that I had more time, because as I was laying in my bed this morning waking up, I thought of all the things that I could have added to it.  Oh well! 

When you purchase the template (which is very inexpensive!), you get a couple different options for printing which I thought was really cool!  I decided that I wanted a woven basket.  Once I cut out all the panels, I ran them through my cuttlebug in the Swiss Dots folder.  Then I cut each piece and sponged around the edges.  I wove the pieces together and adhered them to the liner.  I adhered the corners together on the inside, and then decorated!  The lace is from an MFT kit that I purchased previously.  The grass is from an EK Success punch.  I used Gardener Flopsey for the main image, and cut out the carrot that he's carrying and put dew drops in his basket instead for Easter Eggs!

Paper:  Close to Cocoa, Green Galore, Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla

Ink: Choc. Chip, Copics

Stamps: Gardener Flopsey

Embellishments: lace, grass punch, oval and scallop oval nesties, Swiss Dots embossing folder, sponge

Have a STAMPTASTIC day!!!!

Is turquoise classy?

Hello there!  I'm on a roll today!  LOL!  This will be the last post of the day!  I'm already tired!  This darn cold!  I can't wait to be back to normal!

Anyway, Melissa Phillips has started a new inspiration challenge each week on her blog, and I FINALLY had some time to participate!  YEAY!!!!  And I'm so glad that I did it today because the color that I saw was turquoise!  I don't know if that's just the way it came across on my computer, but, I took it and ran w/ it!  And I gave myself a challenge too!  I have been wanting to try to make white roses.  Well, I think I may be on to something here!  I am SO excited about how this rose came out!  What do you think?????

This card is also based on a layout for Card Patterns this week!  Sketch 51!  I can't believe they're up to 51 already!!!!  Amazing how time flies!  Of course, I couldn't go w/ the exact sketch, I had to change it up a bit.  I really wanted to do something w/ sewing, based on the fabric in the picture on Melissa's blog.  So, I sewed each bead on.  It really didn't take too long!  I'm getting pretty handy w/ a needle!  Don't tell my husband though!  He'll start making me sew all kinds of stuff!  He already tried making me make new pillows w/ the new sewing machine I got for Christmas!  I just laughed at him!  Yeah right, like I'm going to work w/ actual fabric!  LMBO!  Ok, back on track now! 

Anyway, to make the rose, I only used two colors: Versamagic Wheat & Memento Desert Sand.  The recipe goes like this:  3: Desert Sand, 2: Wheat, 1: Wheat, 4: Desert Sand.  And I had a hard time getting it straight and lined up because these are very light colors, and my stamps are colored from their usage!  But, I got it pretty good this time!  The leaves are: 3: Versamagic Spanish Olive, 2: Memento Bamboo Leaves, 1: Bamboo Leaves stamped off.

And there you have it!

Have a STAMPTASTIC day!!!

Crafty Secrets challenge

Hello out there in blogland!  Today I actually had time to spend all day in my craft room!  How did that happen???!!!!!  That NEVER happens!  I have been battling a cold, along w/ my children, and yesterday I just felt awful and never even set foot in my craft room.  So, today I was able to make up for it!  I wanted to get a few things done, because I have quite a few things to create this week! 

Crafty Secrets had issued a challenge using two different images for a chance for a $25.00 gift cert. to their store!  I would LOVE to win that!  I am saving my money so that I can go to CHA this summer, and am paying off my credit card which is still smokin' from all the stamp purchases I have been making!  LOL!  So, I'm taking a break from buying stuff and actually am going to use the stamps I have!  Wow, what a thought!  LOL!

Anyway, back to Crafty Secrets!  So, they issued this challenge and I took advantage of it!  That little cupid is so cute!  I printed out w/out resizing it, and decided I would just use the heart.  So, I cut it out w/ my exacto knife, notches and all.  I found a scrap of Daisy D's red and cream polka dot paper and a scrap of music from Crafty Secret's Radiant paper pad.  I added a little bit of lace, heart brads, LOVE stickers from Making Memories, and a paper flower that I got the inspiration from HERE. (Scroll up to the top of the post).  You can't see it, but I did sponge gold ink around the cream and music cardstock.

Have a STAMPTASTIC day!!!

Softpencil challenge: A Lovely Couple!

Hi all!  Today I am featuring an image by Softpencil who is our sponsor this week w/ AiFactory!  The design team was told to use LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of hearts!  I think I used my fair share here!  LOL!  I didn't think I had any heart paper, but actually found this sheet in my Mad Retro Stack by DCWV!  I dry embossed scalloped hearts w/ my scallop hearts nesties.  I used a stencil for the regular size heart, and 3 little heart charms to dress up the heart.  I just handwrote "True Love" for the banner.  Since it's just going to my sweetie, I wasn't about to find a fancy font!  The Lovely Couple are colored w/ Copics.  I used flocking for their caps, mittens and scarves.  I used Polar White Flower Soft for the snow at their feet.

If you would like to win this image for free, go to http://aifactorychallenges.blogspot.com/ and get all the details! 

Check out the rest of the team!

Penny, Kerry, Angie, Cheri, Carlie, Lola, Fink, Fliss, Michelle, Carole, Monica

Have a STAMPTASTIC day!!!

JessicaLynn Originals & Scrappers Delight!

Hello there!  Today I am featuring specially drawn stamps just for Scrappers Delight!  I am on their design team, and every two months we have new sponsors!  For February and March, Jessica Lynn Originals has stepped up to the plate!  She has some really cute owls that she created just for our use!!!!  How special are we?!  ;)

If you LOVE these owls like we do, you can go to her website, which has just been redone!  And go shopping!!!!  http://www.jessicalynnoriginal.com/ is where you want to start!  Enjoy your time there!

On to my project!  So, over the course of a month, we are expected to create several items.  My first item is just a collage of the 3 owls.  Happy Birthday Brentwood, Motor Running Brentwood & I Love _____!! Brentwood!  These were so easy to resize, print and color!

Happy Birthday Brentwood

Motor Running Brentwood

I love ____!! Brentwood

And all 3 together!  A collage!

If you would like to see what the rest of our design team creates throughout this short month of February, please go to the Scrappers Delight blog.

I'll be back later w/ another item using these cute owls!  ;)

Have a STAMPTASTIC day!

SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday and today we received about 20 inches of snow.  Like my 5 yr. old said, "It's like a blanket over the earth!"  LOL! Indeed it was!  And now my husband is outside unearthing our cars from the "blanket"!  Better him than me!  I'm nice and warm inside!

Here are some pics....

This is yesterday evening when the snow really got going.

I always like to look at this tree across the road from us when we have snow falls.  It's just so pretty!

This is our grill this morning when we were surveying the snow!  My husband measured the snow fall at 20"!!!!

Here's the tree again, only this morning!  So pretty!!!

This is between my house and my neighbor's house.  We have a retaining wall where that ridge is in the snow, and then grass between that and our neighbor's house.

Here's my husband and son making a path down our sidewalk and steps.  The snow hit my son about waist high!  He had a blast!!!!

I hope that you are nice and warm and ready for spring!!!!  Like I am!  LOL!

MFT Birthday cards

Hello there!  Today I have two cards that are very similar that I made for some friends for their birthdays!

I used the new digital calendar from the last release, and the cupcake is from this newest release Lovin' From the Oven!  What a fun set that is!  I'm sure I'll be using it a lot!  The paper is from Nana's Pantry by Basic Grey!  Very cute paper pack!  You can get this 8x8 pack from MFT!  Kim has quite a few Basic Grey 8x8 packs!  Go HERE to check out the store!  MFT just had their latest release, with lots of new things!  So, go and check it out!!!

De's Blog Candy Giveaway!!!

Hey everyone!  My friend De is having a blog candy giveaway!!!!  Go over and check it out!!!!

Here's a little snippet from her blog:

In honor of my birthday on the 1oth, and the launch of the new blog, I’m having a blog candy give away! Some of the things you will win are… 2 CTMH Stamp Sets (Floral – Elegant Floral & Joy Forever); Pink Cat Studio – 13 Dog Stamps (Poodles & more); Birthday Cake Wood Mount Stamp; Unity singles – floral, snow flake, mitten, snow sentiment); Glitter; CTMH Booking Stamp Set – Little Thoughts w/ acrylic block; Bow Easy (so KEWL); Scrapbook pockets; Cookie Lee Daisy Necklace, silver; CTMH Marker – Desert Sand and a Grab bag of small chipboard shapes…. AND I can’t promise that other things won’t be added between now and when it ends too!

AiFactory BLOG HOP!!!!

HELLO EVERYONE!!!!!!!!  We are doing the hop, the blog hop, for AiFactory!  We have blog candy and new team members!!!!!!!!!!!!  Please welcome Penny, Cheryl, Fliss, & Carlie! 

If you have come from Penny's blog then you're in the right place!  If you just have happened along my site, welcome!  You're in the middle of a digital image company's blog hop!  Why don't you start at the beginning so you can see all the wonderful eye candy!!!!  And there's some blog candy too along the way!!

For my part of the blog hop, I worked w/ Ella In Love.  I made the image a tad too big, so a big card is what I got.  LOL!  A very large Valentine for my husband!

I do have to say though, that this card is a whole lot softer in real life than what it looks like here.  Ah, the joys of nighttime photography!

And here's the inside.  VERY SIMPLE!

I used Ella In Love for my image.  The inside is a SU! stamp.  I used my nesties hearts for the inside.  For the front of the card, I used the martha punch for a fence, cut out some roses from the arrangement, and then added some vines so that it looked like a rose garden!

Your next stop is the fabulously talented LOLA!

Thanks for stopping by!  Come back again!

More and more and more recipe boxes! LOL!

Hey there!  I have been asked to make 3 more boxes for my great aunt.  Two of them are for her future granddaughters in law, and one for her daughter.  The two for the granddaughters in law are for their wedding showers being held this month.  Since I don't know these girls and their personalities, I kind of just went with my gut.  I had a hard time w/ the first box w/ the chipboard flower.  So, thank you Karolyn for your inspiration and suggestions!  They worked out fabulously!  The chipboard flower idea was hers, and that was a great jumping off point for me!  That's really scary when she knows how my mind works!

This first box is really girly.  I picked out my paper and started creating and once I had the front done, I lost my mojo.  After I sent a picture to Karolyn and she got me on the right track again, I went full force girly!  I just hope that it's not too little girly!  And since my great aunt is older, I made a card to match so that she doesn't have to go out and buy one!  *Edited to add:  I forgot to take a picture of the card that matches the first box.  The other card is below for the second box.*

The second box is much more modern.  I have been eyeing those paper flowers that seem to be rather popular lately.  I did not sew on mine, I just distressed it and added bling to make it pop.  I do have to say it was rather nice to not have to punch out a punch of circles!  I just cut w/ scissors and made them imperfect for the effect.  I went w/ that theme for the word Recipe as well as for the inside tabs.  I also made a card for this one as well!

 

The third box was hard to make.  I knew I wanted to make it black and red.  It helped that the box was already red!  I used a 12x12 acetate sheet for the front and simply added ribbon and a ribbon ornament (what are those things called????).  I wanted to play up the acetate, so I played down the embellishments.  Same for the top of the box.  I wanted the word Recipe and the paper behind it to be the focal points.  So, I didn't add anything extra to take away from that.  The rectangles are deckled nesties.  Small and large.  The paper, including the acetate is from Paris Nights by GCD Studios.  I found the pack at Michael's. 

And that's it!  Thanks for stopping by!  Don't forget that tomorrow AiFactory is hosting a BLOG HOP!!!!  Go to http://aifactorychallenges.blogspot.com/ to start the hop!!!!  New images, new team, and BLOG CANDY!  Woo hoo!!!!!  See you back here tomorrow!  ;)

Have a STAMPTASTIC day!!!

Recipes:

First Box:

Paper: SU! Retired Spring Fling?; white

Ink:  Pretty In Pink, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, Sage Shadow

Stamps: Gemstone Alphabet (Inkadinkado); Crafty Secrets Kitchen Classics & Sweet Stuff

Embellishments:  Chipboard flower petals and leaves (Mya Road), Certainly Celery ribbon, Lace border punch (martha), SU! circle punches, Pretty In Pink ribbon

Second Box:

Paper: Urban Oasis (SU! Retired), Kiwi Kiss (retired), Basic Gray, white

Ink:  Kiwi Kiss, Basic Gray

Stamps: To Have & To Hold (SU!) (on card); Somerset Alphabet (Inkadinkado); Crafty Secrets Kitchen Classics & Sweet Stuff

Embellishments: rhinestones; Basic Gray ribbon

Third Box:

Paper: Paris Nights by GCD Studios; Very Vanilla; Basic Black

Stamps: SU! Monogram Alphabet; Crafty Secrets Kitchen Classics & Sweet Stuff

Ink:  Ridinghood Red

Embellishments:  black ribbon, metal ribbon ornament, deckled rectangle nestabilities