Paper Pleasing Ideas

More Added...

SEVEN to be exact!

What am I talking about??

My TUTORIALS page has been updated with all the latest posts that I have done.  There are well over 100 on there and ALL of them are FREE.  Yes, you have my permission to use them, but please respect me, and let others know where you got them by linking.  I work very hard to keep these free, so please help me out in that way,

If you want to find them on a regular basis, it is posted under All In One Spot down the right hand side ------------->.  Have fun and happy stamping!!

Vintage Rooster

I'm not sure I can do vintage.  I really enjoy the look of it, but it is not my thing.  The problem for me, is I kinda {heart} the vintage style stamps.  I don't buy them, because I feel I won't do them justice.  So, whenI reached a Level 2 hostess with Stampin' Up!, I chose the Rustic Rooster set to get my feet wet.

I have not yet decided if it is going to be a card, or wall decor.  It is 5 X 5, so it would nicely fit in a recessed 6 X 6 frame, but it really does not match my kitchen...LOL.  This took me about 1.5 hours to complete.  Not because it was hard, but because I really did not know how to go about it.  I did find THIS PICTURE on the internet to be inspired by and drew my color choices colors from it.  If I learned anything from creating this, it is to not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.  Have fun and happy stamping!!

"Wonderful" Card Purse

Lynn, over at The Queen's Scene, made this fabulous card purse using my tutorial HERE.

She posted more photos along with the matching cards, so go and check it out!

Cheery Cherry Birthday

 What an absolutely cheery card, hey?  I finally got the Tart and Tangy stamp set from SU and wanted to use it with the Rockabilly DSP.

I used a black base, and added the DSP.  Then I put some black and white layers on the left side.  I tied on the ribbon, and added my image with dimensionals.  It was too plain on the top right, so I added the black and white sentiment panel.  I attached the brads in to jazz it up a bit.

SU had a problem when they made this set - NO SENTIMENTS!  So what is a girl going to do??

  You make your own with the JustRite Stamper available at All That Scraps!!  I used the Trompe and Brayton fonts on a rectangle block.  I colored them with markers to get the lines in different colors.  I then stamped the cherry lightly over the top.  Get it?  " Happy Birthday...With a cherry on top!"

Isn't this a perfect card to welcome the hopefully soon and upcoming season?  I spent the weekend on the back of a snowmobile and had a GREAT time, but it would be nice to see green grass again.  Have fun and happy stamping!!

All Is Roses - Another Tutorial !

 

What a beauty, if I do say so myself!!  I made this for my MIL's birthday card. She loves all things floral, and she {hearts} my cards.  I am not bragging, she just tells me this all the time.  So, I try to go out of my way, and take a bit more time, when creating a card for her.

Here is how I did it!!

 

  I stamped the rose from Fifth Avenue Floral 3 times on a sheet of Pink Pirouette.  It doesn't matter how close they are, since you are going to be cutting them out.  I used my pretty in pink marker to color the shadow areas.  You could also stamp them on white and color them.

I then cut them out along different lines, going smaller for each layer.  I attached them together with dimensionals, and added the greenery.  The branch is a Martha Stewart punch and the leaves are from All That Scraps.

The sentiment was stamped on (Sincere Salutations) and then the card base was run through my Big Shot with the Stampin' Up!  Backgrounds Texturz Plates.  The flower was added with more dimensionals, and the pink taffeta ribbon was tied on.  I used a glue dot to attach the half pearl from the Pretties Kit to the center of the knot. 

I don't think my coloring turned out as good as it could have, but it looks very elegant.  I hope she enjoys it, and I hope you guys try making the layered rose.  Have fun and happy stamping!!

Beautiful Butterflies

  I have seen these butterflies layered all over the web lately, and since I have had this die for over a month now...

I actually have used them, I just never liked anything I made with them.  Not really head-over-heels for this one, either, but it isn't awful.  It is just a little empty, maybe some ribbon.  I really like the layout of it, and am going to use it again.  Well, back to the stamping board.

The colors are chocolate chip, kraft, and baja breeze.  I used the sanded background on the kraft layer, and the sentiment is from Nature Silhouettes. The patterned paper is Parisian Breeze Specialty Paper.  Have fun and happy stamping!!

Olive Thanks With A Twist

  I am so in LOVE with the Thank X 2.  I like the colors they chose to pair together, so classy.

But, I am not one to keep to the posted pictures and make all the cards the same.  So I tried to change it up a bit. 

It's fun to break the rules and do things my own way ... hehehe.

 

So, I pulled out the Three little Words stamp set, and changed out the words and colors.  Because chocolate goes with EVERYTHING!!

 Especially at Easter!!  Oh yeah, I totally LOVE how this one looks.  So colorful for spring, but yummy with the chocolate on there.  I added the pink grosgrain for a little fun touch.

Have fun and happy stamping!!

Manhattan Thoughts

 I really like the modern feel that you ca get from the Fifth Avenue Floral set.  And the colors they featured in the catalog was so perfect - chocolate chip, kiwi kiss, baja breeze.

I stamped the flowers and then added a strip of textured kiwi.  I matted it all on chocolate, added the taffeta ribbon and the brads.  I use my chocolate chip marker to make the dots on the kiwi layer.

The sentiment is from the set Thoughts and Prayers, and I shadow stamped it (Tutorial Here).

When I cut the ribbon, I cut them to inner triangle points.  Sometimes something so easy is the way to draw the eye, and get people to notice it.  Have fun and happy stamping!!

Questions About Canning

I have had numerous questions regarding my "canning" comment HERE.

I don't actually can them like my mom did.  You know, seal the jars, put them in hot water, etc.  Nope, sees like a whole lotta work to me.  I am full bred Mennonite (just got 100% on the Facebook quiz...hehehe), but am a little more modern than my predecessors.

After I ladle a bowl full for my table, I fill up jars with the HOT soup.  You will need to do this before you start eating, since you don't want the soup to cool.  Put the lids on and make sure it it tight.  Let it cool for the evening, and then put them in the fridge.  Pretty much all my lids seal before I put them in there, but I still store them in the cold.  In winter, my garage is a really big fridge, so a lot of jars end up in there.  We only heat it to just above freezing.

If you would do the whole hot water bath thing, you could store them in a cold storage room and they would be fine.  Hope this helps  

Last One - For Now

 

WOW - does that not look like you want to come for coffee?

I have been doing a lot of baking this week.  I was buying stuff for lunches, but decided to put my Bosch machine to use.  These are called Chocolate Crinkles and I got this recipe from a friend of mine in Fort St. John, BC.  She had made it for our College & Career Christmas party, but I make them whenever!

Chocolate Crinkles

• 1/4 cup butter (margarine optional)
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten with fork
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 X 1 oz chocolate baking squares, melted
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar together; add beaten eggs and stir together.  Mix in the chocolate and vanilla, and then add the rest of the ingredients, mixing well.  Refrigerate for 1 hour (or stick it on the freezing deck like I did for 15 minutes or so).

Heat the oven 350F while you roll the dough into balls.  Place some powdered sugar in a dish, and roll the tops in it.  Place them on the cookie sheet (I put down parchment paper first for ALL my baking, helps with clean up!) and do NOT flatten.  Bake for 12 minutes, remove and let sit for 2 minutes before removing from pan.  Cool completely before storing.  Makes 3 dozen ( if you don't eat any of the dough...hehehe).

These cookies are an amazingly soft, chewy cookie, but yet the outside is a little crisp.  I hope you have enjoyed the recipes I posted so far this week, and let me know how you like them!