Zoe's Closet

12.13.2011

2011-12-13T16:10:00.007-05:00

It's been quite a while since I have posted -- almost 2 months!

One of my favorite sites to visit lately is Pinterest -- thanks, Jennifer (just jingle). I found a great Christmas decoration that I absolutely loved.

The best part was that I had the glass block in my Scraptorium closet that I had bought 2 years ago (didn't know what to do with it, but I just had to have it)! I used a 20-light package of mini lights (white cord), 2 packages of Twinkle Trim from Hobby Lobby, and the vinyl phrase from Stampin' Up.

And, my 1st try at a no-sew blanket for my granddaughter, Caroline Jayne. Now that I have done one, I can see making more!

2011-10-26T13:31:00.004-04:00

This week's Midweek Throwdown Challenge at OWH is to use polka dots to create cards for our heroes to send home to their loved ones. As the deadline for Holiday cards is October 31, I decided to make Christmas cards for this challenge.

My supplies: pp - Colorbok, Paper Studios; borders - Sizzlets Dots & Scallops, PTI Rickrack; stamps - PTI Holiday Tree, Hampton Arts Merry Christmas Set

And, I just finished this wonderful book by one of my favorite authors, Jason Wright. This book is the sequel to "The Wednesday Letters". Loved it!!

2011-10-11T14:42:00.015-04:00

Been awhile since I posted, but here is this week's sketch from OWH:

Using a Sizzix embossing folder, Heidi Grace paper, and sentiment stamp from Impress, this is the Christmas card I created:

And, this is the Halloween album I made for my granddaughter, Caroline. Sorry about the glare on the first photo, due to the acrylic cover. Should be more fun for her this year - from what I understand, I believe she is going to be an Alabama cheerleader!

2011-09-12T11:26:00.011-04:00

Nothing crafty today, just a few photos. We went to Callaway Gardens yesterday in Pine Mountain, GA. Callaway Gardens is a 13,000 acre complex that includes horticultural and butterfly centers, golf courses, trails, a beach and lots of recreational activities. Here are a few of the photos I took:

Red Spider Lily

Plumeria

Herons

Heron, just after catching a fish for his lunch!

2011-09-06T14:43:00.004-04:00

For this week's Stars & Stamps challenge over at OWH, since I needed a masculine birthday card for my eldest son, I did a simple card. Wow, hard to believe he is going to be 33 on Saturday. That is also our 35th wedding anniversary -- where did the time go? Seems like just yesterday that I was watching Sesame Street and Mister Rogers with the boys!

Anyway, here is the sketch:

And, my simple card:

Regarding the Zucchini Salsa that mentioned on my last post, it was really good. It had a bit of a kick due to the two jalapenos we added.

2011-08-30T14:35:00.003-04:00

Nothing crafty for you today -- trying to finish up a halloween mini album for my granddaughter, Caroline.

Been spending lots of time in the kitchen lately. Last night's dinner was french dip sandwiches. And, yes they were delicious.

Over the weekend, we made zucchini salsa. It's a new recipe and we thought it sounded interesting. It called for 10 pint jars, but since my canner only holds 7, we cut the recipe in half and it only filled 4 pint jars. Since I'm out of nacho chips, we haven't tried it yet. Seems we're always out of something!

Finished this Nicholas Sparks book over the weekend. Although it is a typical Sparks book, I enjoyed it more than some of his others.

2011-08-22T15:08:00.006-04:00

This week's OWH sketch is a good one for just about any occasion. Again, I chose to do a baby card. Here is the sketch:

And, my card:

Supplies: pp - KI Memories, stamp - PTI Sweet Baby; dies - PTI Sweet Baby, Nestabilites labels

On the weekends, we like to try out new recipes and we found a good one in this month's Food Network Magazine - Eggplant Ricotta Bites. They were quite good!

And, if anyone is looking for a couple of good books to read, these are the latest two that I have read and they were both excellent!

2011-08-17T14:17:00.004-04:00

The Midweek Throwdown at OWH is to make a card using the inchie theme. For my 1st card, I used distress inks smeared on a craft mat, spritzed with water, and then I smeared it with a piece of a manila folder. Then it was stamped and heat embossed.

Supplies: pp - My Mind's Eye; Provocraft Clockworks embossing folder; dies - PTI Banner Builders, Nestabilities square scallop; stamp - Hero Arts; Distress Inks - Ranger Spiced Marmalade, Barn Door

The second set of cards I chose to do were baby-themed cards:

Supplies: pp - KI Memories; Fiskars Border Punch; die - Nestabilities square scallop; stamp - PTI Sweet Baby

2011-08-08T14:51:00.005-04:00

For this week's OWH sketch challenge, I chose to create a Thanksgiving Day card. Here is the sketch:

and, my card:

Supplies: pp - The Paper Studio; embossing folder - Sizzix Plaid; dies - Slice Noteworthy label, Nestabilities mini label; bakers twine

2011-08-01T16:02:00.005-04:00

For this week's sketch challenge at OWH, I chose to do a Halloween card. Here is their sketch:

and my card:

My supplies: pp - The Paper Studio; embossing folder - Cuttlebug Distressed Stripes; die - Nestabilities oval; sentiment - The Cutting Cafe

Verbena & friend:

2011-07-25T14:18:00.006-04:00

This week's sketch challenge over at OWH came together pretty quickly for me. I used an embellishment I had made a few years ago. I made several of them and apparently forgotten about them. Anyway, here is the sketch:

Here is my take on the sketch:

Supplies: stamps - Rubber Soul, PTI Ribbon Tails; die - Nestabilities circle

2011-07-20T13:30:00.004-04:00

This week's Midweek Throwdown at OWH is called Cards 4 Kids. The challenge is to create a card for our heroes to send home to their children. I don't really have too many suitable stamps for children so I used a baby-themed stamp. I purposely left the sentiment off so that it could be used for various occasions.

Supplies: embossing folders - Provocraft Cuttlebug; die - Nestabilities; stamps - PTI Sweet Baby

For those of you interested in the Beef Stroganoff recipe I mentioned earlier, my husband took leftovers for lunch 2 days in a row, so I guess it was a hit.

Beef Stroganoff

2 lbs. stew meat (I used London Broil)
2 cans Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup
1 large onion, diced
2 T Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 c water
8 oz cream cheese
1 t garlic salt
couple dashes of hot paprika (didn't have any so I just used regular)

In the slow cooker, stir in all the ingredients, except the meat and the cream cheese. Once combined, add the meat and mix together.

Cook on low for 8 hours. Cut up the cream cheese into cubes just before serving and turn crockpot on high. Stir the cream cheese in until all combined. Put lid back on and leave for about 10 minutes. Serve over egg noodles.

I thought 8 hours was a bit too long; mine was ready in 6 hours.

2011-07-18T14:57:00.003-04:00

This week's sketch challenge at OWH is to create a card using this design:

Using one of my favorite PTI dies, I made a clean and simple card:

Supplies: pp - very old; die and buttons - PTI

I found a recipe for "The Absolute Best Crockpot Beef Stroganoff". So, that is what I am making tonight for dinner. It calls for cream cheese instead of sour cream. I'll post the recipe if it turns out well.

2011-07-11T16:01:00.002-04:00

For this week's sketch at OWH, for some reason, I went with a bit of a summer theme. The sketch:

My card:

Supplies: stamp - A Muse; dies - Nestabilities; embossing folder - Cuttlebug Distressed Stripes; bakers twine; random buttons

2011-07-08T15:04:00.005-04:00

Back with another card for OWH's "Christmas in July" theme. I cheated and used the same technique and design as yesterday's card!

Supply List: embossing folders - Sizzix, Cuttlebug; dies - Nestabilities; stamp - PTI Peace Be Still

Another little project I've been working on are yoyo barrettes for my granddaughter, CJ.

Last week, I finished "10th Anniversary" by James Patterson and it was excellent and yesterday I started his latest book, "Now You See Her". I'm only a couple of chapters in and I find it hard to put down.

2011-07-07T15:16:00.003-04:00

Yeah, I know it's early, but today's challenge on OWH has a "Christmas in July" theme. I used a technique I found on Splitcoaststampers to dry emboss, then to wet emboss. Not sure if I love the embossing folders I chose to do this card, but I have started another one using a snowflake folder, so you might see that one tomorrow.

Supply List: embossing folders - Sizzix, Cuttlebug; dies - Nestabilities; stamp - PTI Wreath for All Seasons

Now that the Cannas are starting to bloom the hummingbirds are visiting the backyard. It wasn't easy, but I was able to get a photo last weekend.

2011-07-01T15:06:00.006-04:00

Just sharing a layout with you today. I know it's a little sparse, but I'm not sure what to put in the white space. I hate to add an element and then end up wishing I hadn't. The idea for this layout design came from a poster on 2Peas, unfortunately, I don't remember her name. I love the circle elements sewn on the top.

The supplies I used: pp - Recollections, Paper Studio, Basic Grey; dies - PTI Eyelet Lace, Butterfly; circle punch; bling - MS

2011-06-29T14:26:00.003-04:00

Today's challenge over at OWH was to create a fall-themed card. As I do not have too many fall-themed stamps other than pumpkins, this is what I came up with:

Supplies: Adirondack Alcohol inks ( Terracotta, Butterscotch); stamp - Inkadinkado; embossing folder - Sizzix Plaid

I finished reading "Knit The Season" by Kate Jacobs, which was just okay, not nearly as good as her first two in the same series.

Now I am reading a new James Patterson novel. I have read the first 9 books in this series and really enjoy them. Of all of his books, I enjoy The Women's Murder Club collection the best.

2011-06-28T12:33:00.006-04:00

Today there was a tutorial using alcohol inks to create cards. Since I have previously used alcohol inks for cardmaking, I dug out my supplies and created a simple card.

Supplies used: Adirondack Alcohol Inks (stream, pearl, blending solution); Versamark Ink; stamp - Stampabilities; border die - PTI Eyelet Lace Border

Here is the Spicy Grilled Shrimp Skewer recipe that I showed yesterday:

Spicy Grilled Shrimp Skewers

1 ½ lbs. extra-large shrimp,
peeled and deveined
4 T butter, melted
¼ t cayenne pepper
salt
½ c pepper jelly
1 t grated zest of lime
2 T lime juice

Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Thread shrimp on skewers and brush with 1 T butter. Season with cayenne and salt.

Heat jelly in saucepan over medium heat until bubbling. Off heat, whisk in remaining butter, lime zest and lime juice. Cover and keep warm.

Grill shrimp over hot fire 2 – 3 minutes per side. Brush with glaze. Serve.

**Since it is just the two of us now, I only used a dozen shrimp, but used the full amounts for the glaze. This left enough glaze for another dozen, so the balance was placed in a seal-tight container and stored in the refrigerator for the following weekend.

2011-06-27T14:59:00.007-04:00

This week's sketch challenge at OWH was to use scraps along with their sketch:

Here is my attempt at the sketch. I purposely placed the strips a bit askew. Although I am not 100% happy with this card, I do enjoy participating in the challenges.

This is what we had for a little appetizer yesterday -- Spicy Grilled Shrimp Skewers!

The key ingredient to the sauce is pepper jelly, which just happens to be one of the recipes that I can every year.

2011-06-14T15:01:00.005-04:00

A tutorial posted today on OWH Stars & Stamps blog featuring a Starburst card caught my interest, so I thought I'd give it a try. I used the same papers as on the card I posted yesterday.

It may look complicated, but after following the tutorial, it came together quickly.

2011-06-13T15:33:00.004-04:00

It's time for another sketch challenge over at OWH; here is the sketch:

I created two cards using the same color scheme, but different embossing folders.

2011-06-10T14:34:00.009-04:00

Nothing crafty today, but yesterday as I was changing my flag outside the house, I saw that wonderful man in the big, brown truck and I knew he was stopping at my house! And, this is what he brought me:

I bet you're sayin' "yeah, so". Well we have not been able to get decent hotdogs or rolls since we moved to Georgia 8 years ago. New England Style hotdog rolls are flat on the sides so that you can grill them. And, the hotdogs have a nice snap to them. The only hotdogs we can get here are either store brand, Ball Park (which is ok) or Nathans (which we hate).

This morning, I looked out the kitchen window and thought I saw a twig stuck to the screen. An hour or so later, the "twig" had moved and then I realized it was an insect -- googled it and it is a Phasmatodea. Their defense mechanism is to replicate sticks or leaves. In the U.S. they are found in the southeast. Hopefully, this will be my last post about bugs and insects, but they are not as gross as the cicadas, in my opinion!

2011-06-09T13:36:00.004-04:00

I know it's a tad early, but this week's Mid-Week Throwdown Challenge on OWH was to create a Thanksgiving card. Totally cased this design from Skipping Stones Design!

And, since I'm on a roll with my layouts, here is one I did yesterday:

Having just finished Jason Wright's "The Seventeen Second Miracle", I needed a new book. The only 2 books remaining in my unread book stack unfortunately are Christmas-themed books. So I am reading Kate Jacobs "Knit the Season"; I've enjoyed the previous two in this series.

2011-06-08T14:07:00.002-04:00

Since I am trying to get back in the swing of things with blogging and doing scrapbook layouts, I have another layout with my favorite subject -- my granddaughter, CJ.

As you can probably tell, she is the center of our universe!

2011-06-06T14:51:00.002-04:00

Today, I have a couple of layouts of Caroline Jayne. As I only started scrapbooking after my boys were all grown up and am still working on their scrapbooks, I am bound and determined to keep up with CJ's photos. These photos were taken in March on her birthday.

Sorry about the crappy pics of the layouts!

My supplies: (first layout) pp - Basic Grey; die - PTI Fillable Frames #11; border punch - Fiskars

(second layout) pp - Basic Grey; stamps - PTI Bitty Background Blocks; die - PTI Buttoned Up; border punch - Fiskars

2011-06-02T14:14:00.004-04:00

Wednesday's color challenge on OWH was to create a card using a green & purple color scheme.

Supplies: pp - Chatterbox; dies, stamp, jute twine - PTI

After making and uploading the card, I noticed how similar it is to my previous card -- oh, well -- it is what it is!

Today would have been my Mom, Genevieve's 86th birthday -- Happy Birthday, Mimi!

The book I am reading now is The Seventeen Second Miracle by Jason Wright.

I enjoy his books and have read all but one, which is out of print.

2011-05-27T14:42:00.002-04:00

Today's card was created to send to my cousin. Unfortunately, it is a sympathy card. I have had to make too many of these lately. His mom, my godmother, passed away in April, and now, his dad, my godfather. I dearly loved Uncle Ugo, my dad's brother. It is sad to realize that an entire generation is now gone. Don't mean to be such a downer -- here is my card:

Supplies: pp - Chatterbox; dies - PTI Fillable Frames #8, Ribbon Tails, Butterflies; stamps - PTI Fillable Frames #8, Ribbon Tails; bling - Paper Studio gemstones

Nasty storm rolled in last night just before dinner and knocked out our cable and internet. Didn't have either until noon today!!!!!! Thankfully, we had shows to watch on our DVR. One of the shows we watched was Law & Order Los Angeles, and, since we really like it, they have cancelled it along with Lie To Me, another favorite of ours! Why couldn't they get rid of SVU instead?

Okay, I'm done ranting! Have a great weekend!

2011-05-24T14:30:00.004-04:00

It's time for another OWH Stars & Stripes card sketch:

And, my card:

Supplies used: pp - Recollections Cherry Pie, Karen Foster Pink Sprinkles; Fiskars Scallop Border Punch, Paper Crimper; Spellbinders Mini Tab die; PTI stamp - Fillable Frames #8.

2011-05-20T15:45:00.003-04:00

After a bit of a break from cardmaking, I have a card today using OWH's sketch:

and, my card:

2011-05-18T14:03:00.005-04:00

Miniature Gardenias {Wordless Wednesday}

Can you smell them? They are just delightful!

2011-05-11T14:44:00.000-04:00

Vintage {WORDLESS WEDNESDAY}

2011-05-06T14:10:00.009-04:00

Since I love making my own embellishments, I was thrilled to stumble upon a wonderful blog called juhishandmadecards. She had a great tutorial on making layered flowers. I had all the supplies already, and, although mine didn't come out quite as nice as hers, I am pleased with my first attempt.

My mother's engagement photo from 1947 -- Happy Mother's Day, Mimi -- I miss you!

On another note, we here in Georgia are being inundated with the drone of the cicadas. The backyard is filled with holes from which they emerge. They apparently live underground during their adolescence and fly out every 13 years to mate and then die. Nice, huh?

Anyway, if you're interested here is a link to an article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42901017/ns/technology_and_science-science/

2011-05-04T14:43:00.004-04:00

FLORAL {WORDLESS WEDNESDAY}

Happy Birthday, David

2011-04-01T13:57:00.006-04:00

Hard to believe, but, 30 years ago today my second of three sons was born -- yes, on April Fools Day!

Here is the card I made for him:

Supplies: Tim Holtz Patchwork embossing folder; gingham ribbon; PTI twine

A photo I took of Caroline Jayne last weekend just before we went to Bonefish Grill to celebrate her 1st birthday:

Pleasantly surprised to see the very first Clematis of the season today:

2011-03-25T19:42:00.005-04:00

Just a little card I made for our granddaughter's birthday, tomorrow. I cannot believe a year has passed since she came in the world. She has brought so much joy into our lives!

Supplies: CB embossing folder; dies - PTI Fillable Frames, Butterflies

Unfortunately, it will be a bittersweet day as it would also have been my sister's 60th birthday. She was just delighted that Caroline Jayne was born on her birthday.

But, tomorrow we will go to Atlanta and celebrate Caroline's day with my son, Alex and his wife, Alexa. As you can probably tell, I cannot wait to see them!

And, yes, I will be better about blogging - I'll try for once a week, Tracy!

2011-02-25T14:26:00.003-05:00

A card I made for my husband's birthday tomorrow:

Supplies used: pp - Junkitz; stamps - PTI; dies - PTI, Spellbinders; ink - Barn Door Distress Ink

An update on our Yellow Lab, Zoe - her surgery went well and we will find out the lab results next week when she goes in to have her stitches removed. I know most dogs hate going to the veterinarian's office, but not Zoe. She just loves it! Actually, she seems disappointed if we arrive at the office and she doesn't see people there waiting.

2011-02-17T11:40:00.006-05:00

Just received a big, fat envelope from Shutterfly with our Christmas photos, so I thought I'd share a layout I just finished. I have a wonderful Canon Rebel, but need to figure out how to make my layouts look nicer on my blog. Anyway, thanks to our granddaughter's arrival last year, I have started to do more layouts. So, of course, this is Caroline Jayne's 1st Christmas layout!

Supplies: paper - Coredinations, KI Memories, Heidi Grace; dies - PTI Fillable Frames #5, Banner Builders, Spellbinders; stamps - PTI Banner Builders, Wreath For All Seasons

Thanks to Alison of AMI Designs for passing along The Stylish Blogger Award! And, in turn I am to reveal 7 things about myself

1. I am the youngest of 3 children

2. I met my husband in October 1975 and 3 weeks later he proposed and are still together; we will be celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary in September.

3. I have 3 grown sons and one delightful granddaughter.

4. When we lived in Savannah, on one occasion we went to our usual Friday night pizza joint, Vinnie Van Go-Go's, and sat next to Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck.

5. Love raw oysters and hate cantaloupe

6. Up until September when I had an appendectomy, I had a belly ring.

7. I am an avid reader.

And, now to pass the award along to:

Sue - suealthouse.blogspot.com

Jennifer - justjingle.blogspot.com

Joslyn - hereiswhatido.blogspot.com

Jennifer - simpleflourishes.com

Diana - designbydiana.blogspot.com

Keshet - keshetstarr.com

Danielle - meamontaryglimpse.blogspot.com

Gretchen - gretchenclark.blogspot.com

Haven't figured out how to make my links clickable - sorry!

2011-02-14T15:00:00.003-05:00

This card was adapted from a card I found on SCS by Ocicat. Since I didn't have her cool music-themed paper, I used what I had in my stash.

Supplies: pp - Kelly Panacci, Paper Pizazz; die - PTI; stamp - Heidi Grace; cork paper - Quickutz

Unfortunately, our sweet lab, Zoe, has to have surgery on Friday. Kinda nervous about it as she is 13 years old. Without going into the gory details, she has a tumor on the side of her mouth. Keeping our fingers crossed for Zoe Rosebud - yes, her middle name is Rosebud!!

2011-02-07T16:06:00.006-05:00

After a bit of a blogging lull, I have a card using this week's sketch from OWH's Stars & Stamps blog.

The sketch:

and, my card:

The card will go to my son for his 27th birthday later this week.

Just finished this book:

I really enjoyed this book; it was quite a heartwarming story.

Now, I am reading I, Alex Cross by James Patterson.

2011-01-04T13:42:00.005-05:00

As I'm about ready to send off my Valentine's Day cards to be mailed to the troops, I needed just a few more. Searching my favorite blogs, I found one I could easily card lift. It was found on Heather Nichols' blog.

Supplies used: pp - The Paper Studio; stamps - PTI Banner Builder, PTI Fresh Alphabet; dies - PTI Banner Builder, Spellbinders Labels; Tim Holtz tissue tape

Finished this book last night:

Although I am a big James Patterson fan, this was not one of my favorites. It was just okay! Off to start a new book!

2010-12-31T08:09:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

We had a quiet New Year's Eve last night - a couple of adult beverages and Chinese takeout that was delicious!

Although I am a tad late posting my photos, we did actually have snow on Christmas! It was the the 1st time in 17 years it snowed on Christmas in Georgia. Although we did not get nearly as much as my friends in Boston, we can say it did snow!

2010-12-24T19:06:00.004-05:00

A few last-minute glitter ornaments I made using a tutorial I found on Youtube.

I will leave you with a photo of my granddaughter at her very 1st visit with Santa.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T13:09:00.006-05:00

Today's Christmas project is simply my glitter houses. The one on the left I made last year and the two smaller ones were done this year. The small houses are actually paper mache ornaments I found at Michaels and snipped off the jute hanger on top. I removed the window frames, painted them and then reglued them. The snow glitter is Martha Stewart tinsel glitter.

I also made a Santa door hanger for my granddaughter, CJ. I found it on Kim Hughes blog. http://paperhugs.typepad.com/paper_hugs/2010/11/wow-thanks-so-much.html

For my version, I used a Spellbinders Nestabilities die, PTI Holiday Tree stamps, Making Memories key, bells, ribbon and faux vintage pp.

2010-12-22T07:59:00.004-05:00

Took a break from blogging for a bit to concentrate on a few Christmas projects.

The most important one was to make my granddaughter's Christmas stocking. Although, I really wanted to make it out of velvet, my sewing machine fought me all the way and the lining kept shifting, so after 3 attempts, I made it out of red felt and used Papertrey Ink dies and buttons to embellish it.

2010-11-02T13:29:00.005-04:00

I'm a tad late this week, but, here is the OWH Stars & Stamps sketch posted on Sunday.

And, since the shipping date has already passed for Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanukkah, I made a Valentine's Day card. I know it's early, but this is the next holiday I can create cards for.

Supplies: pp - KI Memories, The Paper Studio; stamp - Stampabilities; dies - PTI tag, Nestabilities; bling - MS gem stickers

I will leave you with a photo of my newest Toland flag.

2010-10-27T14:56:00.003-04:00

This week's Midweek Throwdown at Operation Write Home is called "Almost Anything Goes". The almost part means "NO GLITTER". Since cards for the Winter holidays need to be mailed by October 30 to the shippers, I did one last Christmas card:

Supplies: pp - KI Memories; stamps - PTI Holiday Tree & Holiday Button Bits; dies - Nestabilities

2010-10-25T14:12:00.005-04:00

It's time for another Stars & Stamps Challenge over at OWH!

The sketch:

And, here is what I did with it -- of course, a holiday card!

Supplies: pp - KI Memories; stamp - PTI Holiday Button Bits (Merry Christmas);Sizzix Snowflake embossing folder and die; PTI Holiday Mix Vintage Button; MS Bakers Twine

2010-10-13T14:09:00.003-04:00

This week's Midweek Throwdown challenge at OWH is to make an anniversary or love-themed card for our heroes to send home to their loved ones. This is the card that I created:

Supplies: pp - Imaginisce; PTI Fillable Frames #8; dies - PTI large rick rack, Fillable Frames #8

2010-10-12T14:03:00.002-04:00

Today's card was an attempt at the tutorial at OWH. It was a cracked glass tutorial using Versamark and clear embossing powder. It was recommended that you repeat the process 4 times to get the desired effect. I did it 5 times and still couldn't get the dang image to crack, but, I do like the shiny, glossy embellishment it made! However, I thought the sentiment on the bottom needed a little something, so I removed the back of a snowflake brad and adhered it with Glossy Accents. In hindsight, I wish I had left it naked.

Supplies: stamps - Impress, Great Impressions, PTI Holiday Button Bits; Ink - Versamark, Versamark Dazzle, Distress Ink Faded Jeans

TTFN

2010-10-11T14:17:00.005-04:00

This week's Stars & Stamps sketch at OWH was a bit of a challenge for me as I don't have many large stamps, but I gave it a whirl!

For my image, I stamped it twice, cut out the 2nd set of leaves and applied Glossy Accents to them. Then, adhered them using foam tape.

Supplies: pp - Fiskars; stamps - PTI Holiday Button Bits; dies - Nestabilities; embossing folder - Sizzix Ornaments; Glossy Accents

2010-10-06T15:51:00.004-04:00

This week's Mid-week Throwdown at OWH is simply to create a Christmas card. So, I used a previous OWH sketch to create my card.

Supplies: stamps - PTI Wreath for All Seasons; pp - Heidi Grace Designs; TH Distress Inks - Peeled Paint, Barn Door; dies - Nestabilities; button; MS Baker's Twine

2010-10-05T11:34:00.010-04:00

Just a quick posting today as Sweet Caroline is occupying a bit of my time today. She is spending the day with Grammy!

Here is a chipboard album for my Nestabilities dies I made after seeing a posting on 2 Peas. I wish I could remember who posted it so that I can give proper credit.

Anyway, I used my Bind-It-All tool, chipboard and cd pages to assemble it.

TTFN

2010-10-04T11:45:00.007-04:00

It's time for another Stars & Stamps Sketch Challenge from OWH. The sketch:

And my holiday card:

Supplies: pp - The Paper Studio; stamps - Penny Black, Hero Arts; embossing folder - Basic Grey/Sizzix Snowflakes; dies - Nestabilities; button - PTI Holiday Mix Vintage; embroidery floss

On Saturday, we went to the Cotton Pickin' Fair in Gay, GA, and were expecting to see, maybe, 20 or 30 different booths set up with artisans and other vendors. What a surprise to find at least 150 different booths. Got a few cool items - a hanging candle holder crafted from a recycled wine bottle, a handmade puzzle for Caroline, and some Apple Salsa, which was, surprisingly more spicy than the Chipotle salsa! And, to top it off, the Shady Days Fair was going directly across the street where I found the best hair ties.

And, best of all, I got the web address so I can buy more!

2010-09-30T14:48:00.004-04:00

This week's Midweek Throwdown Challenge at OWH is to make a "for the girls" card. These cards would be used for our soldiers to send home to their female loved ones.

My creation:

Supplies: pp - so old that I haven't a clue; stamp - Indadinkado; dies - Nestabilities

Today, I had my follow-up visit with the surgeon -- all is well. Of course, he may need glasses, 'cuz he said I looked great!

TTFN

2010-09-28T17:16:00.003-04:00

This is a card I made for my daughter-in-law's birthday this weekend. Inside, she will be pleasantly surprised when she finds a gift card to a nail salon. I get a lot of my ideas and inspiration for cards during the Papertrey Ink new releases. This idea came from Heather Nichols when she introduced Fillable Frames #8 this month.

Supplies: pp - Imaginisce; die - PTI; stamp - PTI; ribbon - American Crafts; button -PTI Vintage Raspberry Fizz; MS Bakers Twine

Yesterday, I finished this book by Jason Wright. It was quite good - very thought provoking!

2010-09-27T16:05:00.005-04:00

Here is this week's card sketch for Operation Write Home:

For my card, I decided to create a birthday card:

Supplies: pp - Sandy Lion; stamp - Hampton Arts; dies - Nestabilities; embossing folder - CB Polka Dots

Right now, we should be winging our way back from California after having attended my brother-in-law's wedding. But, alas, we had to cancel our trip. The day after coming home from the hospital after my appendectomy, my husband started having pain, swelling and severe redness in his left calf. So, Dr. Jayne immediately got on the internet and decided he had a blood clot. No sleep that night! He is not a doom-and-gloom-type person, but, even he was quite concerned. When he got to the doctor's the very next day, they, too, thought it was a blood clot. After an ultrasound, they decided it was cellulitis. He was started on antibiotics -- no change. Then, he had to go in daily for shots. The swelling just started to go down today, but they are concerned that it is taking so long to clear up.

What else happened? Oh, yeah, my less-than-2-year-old, apple green Dell laptop's screen went black on Saturday -- dead!! Peter took it to see the Geek Squad at Best Buy, thinking just to look at it would be almost the price of a new laptop. They opened it up, took out the board, put it back in and it works! Best of all ---- no charge! We couldn't believe it!

TTFN

2010-09-21T10:44:00.004-04:00

This past weekend we were planning on doing our last-minute running around before leaving on Thursday for California to celebrate my brother-in-law's wedding. Well, you know what they say about best laid plans!

Last Thursday, I started getting back aches, and eventually abdominal pain. By late evening, the pain had shifted to my right side and by 2 a.m. we were leaving for the emergency room. After waiting 2 hours before being seen, they did a CT scan to check for kidney stones -- nope, acute appendicitis. Within 2 hours, the surgery was over and I came home the following morning. As of today, I feel like I'm back among the living.

I was able to make a necklace on Sunday to wear to the wedding. I used Swarovski crystals and pearls strung on 3 strands of crinkle wire:

And, these are the earrings I made to match:

2010-09-15T15:27:00.002-04:00

The Midweek Throwdown challenge at OWH is a simple one -- make a birthday card for our soldiers to send home to their loved ones!

Creatively, I seem to be in a bit of a rut; all my cards tend to look the same. But anyway, here is my card:

Supplies: dies - PTI, Sizzix; brad - Doodlebug; felt; not a clue as to the pp I used, though!

2010-09-14T13:04:00.006-04:00

Using this sketch posted on OWH by Teresa Kline of Enjoy the VA Sunshine ...

... I created this winter card:

Supplies: stamps - PTI; pp - KI Memories, Rusty Pickle; dies - Nestabilities, PTI; felt

My husband and I are travelling to California next week, so I knew I needed reading material. I took a trip to Books A Million and purchased 3 books. This is the 1st one I have started to read. I've read other books by Jennifer Weiner, so I was pretty sure it would be a good choice.

2010-09-13T13:43:00.007-04:00

It's Monday and time for another OWH Stars & Stamps Sketch Challenge.

For my card, I flipped it and went with an all-green theme:

Supplies: stamps - Savvy Stamps, PTI; CB Embossing Folder - Polka Dots; pp - Daisy D's

2010-09-09T14:52:00.004-04:00

With a bit of inspiration for yesterday's Madison Avenue blog, I made this card for my husband, since tomorrow is our 34th wedding anniversary.

Supplies: embossing folder - CB Polka Dots; dies - Nestabilities, Slice Animal Crackers; crochet lace; MS Bakers Twine

2010-09-08T15:05:00.003-04:00

For this week's Midweek Throwdown at OWH, the challenge was to create a fall-themed thank you card for our heroes to send home to their loved ones.

Here is the card that I created:

Supplies: very old Chatterbox pp; stamps - Heidi Grace, Inkadinkado; die - Nestabilities

2010-09-07T14:46:00.004-04:00

After spending Labor Day weekend in Atlanta with our son, daughter in law and granddaughter, I finally got around to this week's OWH sketch challenge.

the sketch:

and, my card:

Although I followed the sketch, I did stray a bit from the challenge. It was supposed to be a thank you card using the color yellow. As you will notice -- not a thank you card and no yellow!

My supplies: stamps - Magenta, PTI; CB snowflake embossing folder; dies - Nestabilities; clear embossing powder

2010-09-01T14:29:00.005-04:00

Sat down yesterday and completed another layout of our granddaughter, Caroline. This layout was inspired by a design I had seen on Sarah de Guzman's blog, Red Oak Lines. She does great layouts, quite often centering around her two dogs Maui and Hilo.

Anyway, here's my layout:

Supplies: paper - Coredinations, The Paper Studio; die - Slice Noteworthy; buttons - PTI Holiday Mix Vintage; bakers twine - MS; title - Foam Thickers

I'm off to do a companion page, now.

2010-08-31T14:07:00.004-04:00

Having just finished packing a large box of cards for Operation Write Home, I thought I'd do a few layouts to get back into my scrapbook routine. This is a recent layout of my new favorite subject - Sweet Caroline:

Supplies: pp - K&Co, KI Memories; die - Nestabilities; chipboard letters - Heidi Grace

I wish I knew how to photograph them better!

Off to start another layout!

2010-08-30T13:15:00.003-04:00

Had a pretty low-key weekend -- boring grocery trips, lots of grilling, and managed to, finally, watch the Netflix movie we've had for a couple of weeks. We watched Extraordinary Measures with Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford. It was very good!

And, here is this week's sketch from OWH:

And, my card:

Supplies: stamps - Magenta, PTI; pp - Heidi Grace; dies - Nestabilities

2010-08-25T13:24:00.003-04:00

This week's Midweek Throwdown at OWH is a recipe challenge. The challenge is to create a card using a die cut or punch, ribbon and heat or dry embossing.

I chose to do a holiday-themed card:

Supplies: pp - KI Memories, The Paper Studio; stamps - A Muse Artstamps; dies - Nestabilities; embossing powder

That's it for now -- we have a doubleheader today, due to a rainout last night. They may not make it to the playoffs, but, being a die-hard fan, I still watch 'em!

2010-08-24T14:38:00.004-04:00

I'm a tad late with this week's Operation Write Home sketch, so here it is:

And, here is my card:

Supplies: stamps - PTI Holiday Trees, Savvystamps; pp - Fiskars, embossing folder - CB Polka Dots; die - PTI Scallop; bakers twine - MS

I'm probably out of the loop, but I was delighted to fall upon the larger size Cuttlebug embossing folders at Hobby Lobby this past weekend. I picked up the Polka Dots and Clockworks folders - just perfect for card fronts!

This is the book I am reading right now. It is an older book, but one I had always planned on reading after spending 5 years in Savannah -- and missing it terribly! I'm half way through it and am enjoying it thoroughly!

2010-08-16T14:36:00.003-04:00

It's time for another sketch challenge from Operation Write Home. Here is the sketch:

I decided to do another Halloween card for this challenge.

My supplies: pp - Paper Pizazz; stamp - Inkadinkado; dies - PTI; embossing folder - Cuttlebug Distressed Stripes; Punch - McGill file tab; rub-on letters - Making Memories; felt

2010-08-13T13:21:00.004-04:00

I gathered inspiration for today's card from a combination of 2 sources that I received in yesterday's mail -- the October cover of Scrapbooks Etc. and a card in the Sept/Oct edition of Paper Crafts magazine.

Supplies: pp - Creative Imaginations; dies - leaf/Cuttlebug, label/Slice Noteworthy; MS Bakers Twine; Embossing folder - CB Swiss Dots

Yesterday's kitchen creation - Bread & Butter Pickles!

2010-08-11T14:31:00.007-04:00

It's time for another Midweek Throwdown over at Operation Write Home. This week's challenge is to create a Fall-themed any occasion card with no sentiment.

Here is my creation:

Supplies: pp - very old Deja View; stamp - Art Impressions; buttons, ribbon, MS bakers twine, paper crimper

And, today would have been my Dad's 95th birthday. Although it has been 14 years since he left us, it seems like just yesterday. The grandkids called him Buppa! So, Happy Birthday, Buppa!

I'll leave you with a photo of my breakfast this morning. Found a recipe on allrecipes recently for muffin frittatas. They were quite good!

2010-08-10T15:10:00.004-04:00

Today, my card is inspired by a tutorial from one of the blogs that I frequent. The blogger is Hilary Kanwischer (hilaryscraps.typepad.com)

Her card:

Now, I didn't have all of the cool elements that Hilary had, but I figured I had some supplies that I could substitute. Since I had no chipboard frames, I used Nestabilities round and scallop dies to cut out the frame. Anyway, here is my version:

Supplies: stamps - PTI Holiday Tree; pp - Paper Studio, Imaginisce; dies - Nestabilities, Sizzix; embossing folders - Cuttlebug Swiss Dots, Basic Grey Merry Christmas; buttons - PTI Vintage; MS bakers twine, machine stitching

And, here is yesterday's project -- pasta sauce!

2010-08-09T12:49:00.003-04:00

It's time again for another sketch from OWH. The sketch:

I did take a bit of creative license and changed the rectangular element into an oval one, but still kept it a simply-designed card:

My supplies: stamps - Savvy Stamps; dies - Nestabilities; embossing folder - Basic Grey/Sizzix

Have a great day!

2010-08-05T13:10:00.002-04:00

No cards to post today as I decided to take some time and make multiples of some of my cards for OWH. The deadline for sending Halloween cards is September 20 and for Thanksgiving cards is October 1 and I have a few more to make. So far, I have roughly 110 cards completed. After they are shipped, I'll move on to holiday cards.

Here is the recipe for the photo I posted yesterday. The recipe is from allrecipes.com. First, is the original recipe, and my revisions after that.

Slow Cooker Vegetable-Beef Soup

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 c onion, chopped
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (14 1/2 oz) can Italian diced tomatoes, drained
1 (16 oz.) pkg frozen mixed vegetables
1 c sliced fresh or frozen okra
2 potatoes, peeled & chopped
1 T ketchup
salt & pepper, to taste
water

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and onion until beef is evenly brown and onion is tender. Drain grease.

In a slow cooker, mix the beef and onion, tomatoes, vegetables, okra, potatoes, ketchup, salt, and pepper. Pour in enough water to cover.

Cook 4 hours on low.

My revisions:

did not drain tomatoes

used frozen soup vegetables which already had okra and potatoes in it

I did add a bit too much water. Using the empty 14 1/2 oz can from the tomatoes, I added 1 1/2 cans, next time I will just add 1 can. I cooked it down a bit today on the stovetop and it was pretty good.

2010-08-04T14:13:00.004-04:00

This week's OWH Midweek Throwdown is a simple one -- create a card using patterned paper from your stash. The embellishments I used have been sitting in a basket on my scrap counter for quite some time and the paper came from my scrap collection.

Supplies: stamps - Heidi Grace; dies - PTI, Nestabilities; pp - Crate Paper

Here is a photo of today's Crock Pot recipe:

Crockpot Vegetable Beef Soup

If it works out, I will post the recipe tomorrow!

2010-08-03T14:37:00.003-04:00

Using a leftover stamped image from last Christmas, I created this clean and simple card. Having never stamped directly on ribbon, I wasn't confident that I had the right type of ink, but it seems to be okay!

Last night, I tried a recipe that I had seen on Food Network last week. Paula Deen did an entire show dedicated to the Crock Pot. I love my Crock Pot!!! I know lots of people probably use their's more in the Winter months, but we use ours at least once a week - all year round. With Southern temps in the mid 90's all Summer long, we go out of our way to avoid oven cooking.

Anyway, she did one of my favorite comfort foods in the Crock Pot -- Macaroni & Cheese. Sure it won't have the browned topping like oven-baked Mac & Cheese, but I gave it a try. It was surprisingly good! I will definitely be making this again.

Here is her recipe and the changes I made are beneath hers:

Creamy Macaroni & Cheese

2 c uncooked elbow macaroni
4 T butter, cut into pieces
2 1/2 c grated sharp Cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 c sour cream
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1/2 t salt
1 c milk
1/2 t dry mustard
1/2 t black pepper

Boil macaroni in 2 qt. saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then, add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

***

My revisions:

cooked elbows only 5 minutes

eliminated the eggs

only cooked 2 hours

1/2 hour before done, sprinkle cheese over top

OWH Sketch 28

2010-08-02T12:24:00.005-04:00

Here is this week's sketch ...

...and, my card:

My supplies: stamp - Heidi Grace; CB Swiss Dots embossing folder; handmade felt bird

This is the time of year when I seriously think about canning. Here is my 1st batch of Grape Jelly for the year. Thanks for the nudge, Tracy!

Another Simple Card ...

2010-07-30T13:26:00.003-04:00

...for Operation Write Home. I know this is similar to one I did earlier this week and you're probably sick of seeing the big fat rick rack, but I just love my rick rack die!

Supplies used: stamps - Lizzie Anne Designs, Hero Arts; dies - Nestabilities, PTI; pp - The Paper Studio; felt

Delightful news on my floor saga -- he used a saw and made a couple of slices in between the baseboard and the moulding and the floor flattened immediately without having to replace a single board.

Have a great weekend!

2010-07-29T12:12:00.001-04:00

Some time ago, I cut out and assembled these persnickety apple die cuts. But, then, I couldn't figure out what to do with them. So today, I finally used them to make simple note cards.

Supplies used: CB embossing folders, CB dies, ribbon.

Not much going on today - the floor is going to be taken care of this afternoon. The floor has been quite a saga. Right now we are renting the house we are in.

We moved into the house in December 2008. The laminate floor was replaced (in every room) just prior to our move. Just after Christmas, water started seeping up thru the floor boards in the kitchen. Servpro came and pulled up the kitchen and livingroom floor to find a sheet of water beneath. Turns out the reason the floor needed to be replaced originally was a broken water pipe. Unfortunately, the plumber replaced the wrong pipe. So, kitchen/livingroom replaced for the second time in 2 months. 6 months later -- the floor in the livingroom was buckling. Servpro replaced the floor, again. The 3 gentlemen that were sent out were less than stellar. Extremely unprofessional! They came 3 hours late to pull the floor out and only worked half days and this was 10 days before Christmas which delayed my Christmas tree's appearance in the livingroom. Now, 7 months later, same story. Finally, Servpro has called in a real flooring company. I know long story, but, it should be done this afternoon. Since my husband went in at 1 a.m. this morning to supervise a construction pour on the base, he will be home early so I can leave when the floor guy is here. Yippeeeee!

Christmas in July

2010-07-28T13:57:00.004-04:00

This week's Midweek Throwdown at OWH is to create a Christmas card for a soldier to send home during the holiday season. For my card, I pulled out one of my favorite whimsical snowman stamps:

The supplies I used: stamps - Whipper Snapper Designs, Hampton Art; dies - Nestabilities, PTI; buttons - PTI Holiday Mix Vintage; felt; MS Bakers Twine

I'm off to wait for a flooring service call. The laminate floor that was put in 6 months ago is buckling -- perhaps the floor boards were put in a tad too tight!

Paper Piercing

2010-07-27T13:07:00.004-04:00

This week's tutorial over at OWH involves paper piercing. Although I don't have the neat Stampin' Up template, I made an attempt.

Using the same stamp, I cut one into a rectangle and the other I die cut using the scallop Nestabilities die. On the rectangle cut, I used the Tim Holtz Idea-ology ruler with the piercing holes. I have not had very good success with this tool as I think the ruler itself is just too thick. The rectangular one is now in the trash. On the oval scallop, I free-hand pierced each scallop.

Nothing fancy, but here it is:

Supplies used: stamps - PTI, dies - PTI, Nestabilities, pp - Daisy D's, Designs by Reminisce

Have a great day!

OWH Sketch 27

2010-07-26T16:00:00.005-04:00

Here is this week's sketch:

I deviated a bit from the sketch with the dimensions, but, here is my card:

Supplies used: stamps - PTI, Hero Arts, pp - Heidi Grace, die - PTI, rhinestone brad, Stampendous Dot Sparkle Stickers, felt

I just love the dies that PTI makes. So far, I have the 2 rick racks and one of the scallop dies. But, I WANT THEM ALL!!!!!!!

Had a lovely, but hot weekend. My son, Alexander, his wife Alexa and Sweet Caroline came from a visit on Saturday. We are all huge deviled egg fans, so I tried a recipe I saw on Food Network last week. The Neely's made Fried Deviled Eggs! Although they were good, I think we'll stick with our original recipe. They were very messy to prepare and very filling.

2010-07-23T15:02:00.000-04:00

With the temperature hovering at the 100 degree mark again today, I thought I'd do a Winter card.

Supplies used: stamp - Stampendous, inks - Black Soot Distress and Copics, pp - Heidi Grace, CB embossing folder, and organza ribbon.

Tomorrow is the local library book sale. The email said the books are generally $1. I hope to score some children's books for Caroline and maybe a few reference books to embellish a few projects.

This is the book I am currently reading, so I'm off to see how long I can hack reading on the veranda in this dreadful heat!

2010-07-22T14:28:00.005-04:00

The sketch for this card was found on littletreasures blog.

The supplies I used were pp scraps, Inkadinkado stamp, PTI Rustic Jute button Twine, embossing powder.

Another garden photo:

2010-07-21T12:23:00.006-04:00

For these cards, I used the same design layout that I used for my husband's Father's Day card and made Halloween and Thanksgiving cards.

Since yesterday's banana bread came out good, here is the recipe:

Raisin Bran Banana Bread

2 c Raisin Bran cereal
1/2 c milk
1 1/2 c flour
3 1/2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 c mashed ripe banana
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

In a bowl, combine the raisin bran cereal and milk; let stand for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, bea together mashed banana, sugars, vegetable oil and egg. Combine the cereal and banana mixtures. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Let cool before slicing.

Mine was baked in an 8 1/2 x 4-inch pan and was done in 50 minutes. Recipe is from allrecipes.com

And now, I'm off to make Pork Wontons!

2010-07-20T15:16:00.001-04:00

Sesame Street is brought to you today by the letters "C" and "E". Wow, it's been quite a long time since I've heard that!

The tutorial today on Operation Write Home is to use paper punches and create simple cards for children. These cards would be perfect for soldiers to send home to their small children.

Here is my Elmo and Cookie Monster:

I like the Elmo better than the Cookie Monster. Sandy's version of Cookie Monster on OWH came out much better than mine, in my opinion. Perhaps my paper needs to be bluer. Anyway, once you get all of your components cut, you can make quite a few in a short amount of time.

This morning I made banana bread using Raisin Bran as one of the ingredients. I'll post the recipe tomorrow if it turns out as good as it looks.

And, another garden photo:

2010-07-19T16:23:00.000-04:00

I'm back to posting after 4 days of no internet service last week. In the last month, we have had 4 tech visits, 2 new modems and the cables outside replaced! Right now, everything is running at a blistering pace, but I probably shouldn't talk like that, should I? It's kinda like a pitcher in the process of having a no-no. You don't talk about it!

Here is this week's OWH sketch:

And, my simple take on it:

I will leave you with a couple of photos of the Cannas in our back yard. They are about 7 - 8 feet tall.

2010-07-12T15:43:00.002-04:00

It was a miserably hot weekend here!!! Although, I am not complaining -- after all, it is the South and we chose to live here! That'd be like someone to the North complaining about the snow in the winter, right?

Anyway, here is the OWH sketch for this week:

For my card, I thought it would be a great design to use for either gender. Although I wanted to put a flower or heart smack dab in the middle of the rectangles, I kept it simple. Other than the card base, it was made solely from scraps.

2010-07-08T16:13:00.003-04:00

Not much to post about today -- just a simple card I made for my daughter-in-law's grandparents to go along with the mini album I showed here yesterday. I saw it in the most recent Papercrafts magazine -- yeah, I pretty much copied it exactly!

Finished this book yesterday:

Paul's wife, Lexy, is found dead after an apparent fall from an apple tree in their yard. The only witness is their dog, Lorelei, who cannot relay the answer to Paul's most important question -- did Lexy fall on accident, or was it suicide? As a linguistics professor, Paul does a lot of research and work with the spoken word. Why couldn't he teach Lorelei to talk? So Paul takes a sabbatical and embarks on the process of teaching Lorelei to say what she knows about that fateful day.

There is a very painful part of the book when Paul, through his research, encounters an underground group dealing with horrific ways to make dogs communicate. But, all in all, I did enjoy the book.

2010-07-07T14:29:00.004-04:00

This week's OWH Midweek Throwdown uses this floral pillow for a color inspiration for cardmaking.

I chose to use the pink and yellow in the pillow for inspiration to create my card:

This past weekend I made 2 more mini photo albums. The covers are made from bar coasters and hold wallet-size photos. The left one is for my nephew's best friend. He and his wife just had their 1st child. The one on the right is for my daughter-in-law's grandparents.

That's all for now -- off to make American Chop Suey for dinner tonight!

2010-07-06T13:31:00.000-04:00

For this week's OWH sketch, I chose to create a holiday card.

Supplies used: Scor-Pal to create the lines, stamps (Magenta, Hero Arts, pp (Imaginisce)

Finished this book yesterday. It is the 3rd of 4 books in the Bride Quartet series by Nora Roberts. Each book focuses on one of 4 best friends from childhood that go into the wedding-planning business together as adults. I have really enjoyed this series and look forward to the 4th book coming out in November.

I will leave you with a photo of my newest flag.

2010-06-30T13:18:00.004-04:00

This week's Midweek Throwdown for OWH is a Tasty Challenge! Make a card involving food. Well, apparently that is a challenge for me since I realized I did not have one stamp in the food category! So this is all I could come up with, a bit basic, but, it is what it is!

The ingredients for my card - scrap pp (Basic Grey), Dies (Nestabilities), MS bakers twine and cupcake embellishment, Cake Time! stamp (Purple Onion)

This is the book I am reading right now, borrowed from my daughter-in-law, Alexa. It's nice to have someone to swap books with.

2010-06-28T15:11:00.004-04:00

Had another nice, but hot weekend. On Saturday, our middle son, David, texted me from Atlanta to say he would be coming by to watch the USA/Ghana World Cup game with us. And, that he would be bringing 2 people with him. So, I quickly made some fresh salsa, and pulled together a few other items. When I heard the car door shut in the driveway, I was pleasantly surprised to see the other "people" were his brother, sister-in-law, and of course, sweet baby Caroline! We had a good time, good food and, of course, adult beverages. Gotta love adult beverages!

Here is this week's OWH sketch:

And, my card:

Supplies: pp: K&Co Itsy Bitsy Baby Girl, stamp: Purple Onion, dies: Nestabilities, Papertrey Ink.

2010-06-25T10:06:00.004-04:00

For any of you that stumble into my little blog world, whether by accident or on purpose, you know that my scrap/cardmaking style is pretty much clean and simple. The design for these cards is just that -- from the Clean & Simple challenges on SCS. Three strips of patterned paper, rounded on one corner, and embellish!

These lovely birds were found on my birdfeeder yesterday morning. We do get a lot of colorful birds down here. I believe they are Black-Headed Orioles. If I am wrong, please enlighten me! Now we wait for the annual appearance of the Blue Bird -- it's quite a beautiful sight! Have a great weekend!

2010-06-22T11:52:00.006-04:00

Had a wonderful weekend with my son and his family in Atlanta. We went to dinner on Saturday evening and then a Father's Day brunch on Sunday.

It seems everytime I am ready to post, my internet goes out! We blame it on the fact that the utility lines in this area are all exposed -- not buried.

Anyway, here is this week's OWH sketch:

And, my card:

The supplies used: Quickutz embossing folder, Inkadinkado stamp, buttons, MS bakers twine. The large stamp was heat embossed and trimmed.

Last week, I posted this photo of my favorite quiche recipe:

Here is the recipe:

Hash Brown Quiche

3 c shredded, frozen hash browns
thawed and drained
4 T butter, melted
3 large eggs, beaten
1 c half & half
½ c diced cooked ham
½ c diced green onions
1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Press the hash browns to dry them. In a 9” pie plate, toss the hash browns with the butter. Press into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust. Bake 20 – 25 minutes at until golden brown.

Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour egg mixture into crust.

Bake 30 minutes, until quiche is light golden brown on top and puffed.

Enjoy!

2010-06-18T14:20:00.004-04:00

This is just a simple card I created for my husband for Father's Day.

And a photo of the quiche I made this week. I know what you're sayin' "It's just a quiche"! But it is so yummy, 'cuz the crust is made from shredded hash browns!

We're off to Atlanta tomorrow to visit Sweet Caroline!

2010-06-16T14:19:00.002-04:00

The Midweek Throwdown challenge from OWH this week is to go thru your stash and use bling on a card - not glitter, though. No glitter can be used on cards for OWH.

I am not a huge bling-a-de-bling-bling person, but I did manage to come up with a card. This doesn't mean I don't have bling in my stash - I just don't use it a lot!

Found some Stampendous Dot Sparklers, satin trim, and a butterfly that I had already punched out of handmade paper. Also, used my Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher on the corners. Gotta use that thing more often.

2010-06-15T15:42:00.004-04:00

It's been a while, but I actually created a layout today! I am an extremely slow scrapper and sometimes I just need a challenge to get motivated. As I only started scrapbooking in 2003, I had tons of photos to work with. The latest challenge from the Scrap that Baby! site is to do a layout using a baby and his favorite things. Unfortunately, CJ is only 3 months old, so I don't know if she even has a favorite yet! But, I did find a photo of was my oldest son (he's now almost 32 years old) and his Pooh Bear. I still haven't figured out how to take a better shot of my layouts, but, here is it is:

The design of this layout came from an old Scrapbooks Etc. magazine.

2010-06-14T18:55:00.000-04:00

Not much went on here over the weekend - 'cuz it's too freakin' hot! Yeah, I know, that's what happens when you live in the deep South. Right now it's a sultry 98 degrees! We did manage to enjoy the Sox and the Celt's games though!

Using old pp scraps, I managed to create this card using this weeks OWH sketch.

My card:

OWH Sketch:

Off to the veranda to read (and sweat). Perhaps I'll have an adult beverage to make it a bit more tollerable!