Saturday, July 30, 2011

Welcome Home - Gob Cake

A Navy friend came back from his deployment two weeks ago.  The above "card" decorated the bulletin board on his first Sunday back. The top graphic is from a Thomas Kinkade calendar (thanks Christa) and the bottom image comes from The Workshop Window.
Of course I tried to make all his favorite foods for his first dinner back -- Deer Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Broccoli Salad, Corn on the cob, Homemade rolls, AND Chocolate Gob Cake!
  Chocolate Gob Cake
1 box deep chocolate cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
Mix the above ingredients together and add water, oil, and eggs as directed on cake box. 
Then add:
4 more eggs
1/4 cup oil
Mix and pour into two lined 
(with greased parchment paper) cookie sheets.
Bake @ 350 degrees 14-15 minutes.
Cool.
Invert onto wire racks.
Filling
1 egg white - beat till stiff
1 cup sugar - added gradually
1/2 cup warm milk - beat again
1/2 cup crisoco
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp. vanilla
Beat until it turns fluffy.
Don't stress if it looks like it's not turning out -- be patient and keep beating till it turns fluffy.
Put filling on one cooled cake and
flip the other cake on top.
Cut into squares
ENJOY!
 

Thursday, July 28, 2011

More Wallets and Recipe Cards

More wallets using the same tutorial as I did in this post. I found this Chinese lantern material at a thrift store -- brand new!  A friend had the perfect red material to match it and gave me some -- (thanks Christa!).
I really like how these turned out --- using only two materials instead of three.

Also tried the recipe cards on colored card-stock instead of white with two-tone coloring around the edges.
A view of them as a set
All tied up with ribbon....
If you don't have the stamp set but want to give some pretty recipe cards as a gift -- you can always print some off (on cardstock) from Gooseberry Patch and tie them up with pretty ribbon!

Click here for Spring Recipe Cards
Click here for Sweet Shop Recipe Cards
OR something for any style......
A huge collection (30+) of free printable recipe cards here 

This post linked to:
It's A Party 
T.G.I.F

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Little House Cards

Another item from my R.A.K. box that Abby sent me.......the above house die cut (in pink.)  Once again I love the shape and made myself a template with it producing two more cards while I was at it.
You can see that I punched a little heart out of the window and added it to the upper left corner.  Also added a scalloped rolled rose (from this post).
Faux stitching around the edges was with a felt tip pen, and the ric rac on the roof was made with zig zag scissors and white paper. The flower on this one is a Heartfelt Creations Posies Stamp.
Can you see those little music birds on the top right --- those came from Abby too! The "For You" stamp is a from Studio G, and the embossing folder on the white cardstock is Scallops from Sizzix.
Every time I use this floral border punch from Martha Stewart, I save the flowers in a small jar.  They're perfect for adding an extra touch to my other projects, and you see them all along the bottom of my little houses.
Thanks again Abby for the sweet box with LOTS of inspiring goodies inside!
This post linked to:
Whatever You Want Wednesday

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Masculine Cars

I found this little car cut-out in the R.A.K. box my friend Abby sent me...and I love it.  In fact I traced it off and made myself a template of it so I can use this shape again.
For today I'm sharing 4 cards I made with it -- for 4 guys who keep our church grass mowed, the weeds sprayed, gravel in front of our mailbox, and a host of other maintenance type projects completed.
I like to give them a little something from time to time to show them how much I appreciate all they do -- this time I made them German Chocolate Cupcakes with a surprise filling inside. (I'll share that recipe later)
 
 You all know (if you've followed my blog for long) that masculine cards are a real challenge for me -- so happy with the way these ones turned out. 
Thanks Abby for the car cut-out that inspired them and gave me something to work around!
Supplies used:
  • Car cut-out
  • Buttons
  • Thread
  • Twine
  • Eyelets
  • Roll of Wallpaper (the text piece behind the cars)
  • Black Felt Tip Pen (lines traced around cars)
  • Blessing Stamp (Word Border from Hero Arts)
One more card using the car cut-out template ---- this one is a masculine birthday card....
I used the distressing technique (on the car) from Make It Monday #5 --- take a pair of scissors, open them up, and go around your image with it like you're peeling potatoes.  It gives it a really neat "feel" in real life.
Supplies used on this:
  • Diamond Border punch (Fiskars)
  • Twine
  • Buttons
  • Black Staz-on ink
  • Silver Embossing Powder
  • Stamps
    • Happy Birthday (from the Distinctly Classic Creative Stamping kit)
    • Textured Background (from the Backgrounds and Beyond Creative Stamping kit)
This post linked to:

Take a Look Tuesday
Tip Me Tuesday
Handmade Tuesdays
Whatever You Want Wednesday
It's A Party 
T.G.I.F  

      Monday, July 25, 2011

      Recipe Cards & Apron Card

      I had so much fun making up these recipe card packs last week!  You'll want to click the picture below to pull them up big so you can see all the fun details of the border and category stamps. These will make nice little "tuck ins" in thank you cards, add-ons to birthday gifts, and one set is for the receptionist were I get therapy! We share recipes, baked goodies, and produce back and forth -- and I can't wait to take her a set of these when I go tomorrow!
      Supplies:
      • Recipe Fun stamp set (Stampin' Up)
      • Colorbox inks
      • Crayola Pip-Squeak Markers
      Here's the little apron card I made to give Lori along with her recipe cards...
      Supplies:
      • Card Template from Sassy and Sweet
      • The green polka-dot part is actually a piece of recycled packaging 
      • Chalks
        • I sponged green over the apron and pink over the pocket
      •  Black Felt Tip Pen
        • Faux stitching - traced over with...
      • Crayola Markers
      •  Pink Brads (remember the R.A.K. my friend Abby sent me - they were in there)
      • Pink Ribbons 
      • Kaleidoscope Transparent Embossing Powder
      • Liquid Pearls
        • Icing on Cupckae
      • Stamps
        • Lg. Cupcake (Studio G)
        • Sm. Cupcake
        • Bold Damasks (Inkadinkadoo)
        • PaperWork Greetings (Inkadinkadoo)
        • Small Alphabet (Studio G)
      Here's a view of the personalized ticket that's in the pocket
      This post linked to:
      Made With Love Monday
      Take a Look Tuesday
      Tip Me Tuesday
      Handmade Tuesdays
      Whatever You Want Wednesday

        Friday, July 22, 2011

        Pumpkin Scones

        Last week my 8 year old daughter helped me "deep clean" the kitchen......WITHOUT being asked! Her usual job is the dusting which she finished without complaint and even did the few things I allow her to leave for me because they are high or harder to do.  She then found me in the kitchen - bent over my stove-- scrubbing!!!  She volunteered to help me and with her help we cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom by about 3:00 --- after which she helped me finish my regular cleaning by mopping both bathrooms and the entryway on her hands and knees!
        As part of her reward we had a tea party!  She absolutely LOVES having tea parties and was even more thrilled when I whipped up these pumpkin scones as a special treat.  We shared them with a "tea-loving" friend that night and were happy to hear they were thought of as a "comfort food" due to their being pumpkin! (You know - pumpkin makes you think of fall and fall is such a "warm and cozy" time with wood fires, sweaters, and of course hot tea!)
        Anyway -- here's the recipe in case you'd like to try them sometime.
        Pumpkin Scones
        2 cups flour
        1/2 cup sugar
        1 T. baking powder
        1/2 tsp. salt
        1/2 tsp. cinnamon
        1/2 tsp. nutmeg
        1/4 tsp. cloves
        1/4 tsp. ginger
        6 T. cold butter
        Combine dry ingredients and cut in cold butter. Fold in:
        1/2 c. pumpkin
        3 T. milk
        1 large egg
        Form the dough into a ball.
        Divide in half.
        Pat out one half on a floured surface - about 1 inch thick.
        Slice into 6 pie shaped pieces
        Place on lightly greased baking sheet.
        Repeat with other 1/2 of dough
        Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

        Drizzle with Glaze:
        1 cup powdered sugar
        1 - 2 T. milk
        1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice.
        ENJOY!

        Thursday, July 21, 2011

        Gift of Cards

        Needed a "thinking of you - thank you gift" for a friend so I decided to maker her up a set of cards.  I used the same packaging as described in these posts:
        I attached a 6 x 6 page protector  to a piece of cardstock - leaving enough to fold over the top - and wa-la a simple, clear packaging for my set of cards.
        Here are the individual cards:
        Supplies used:
        • All images from The Graphics Fairy
        • Scriptures from  Paper Craft Memories
        • Threading Water Border Punch (Fiskars)
        • Sewing Machine
          • sewed the border strip on with it
        • String of pearls
        • Ribbon
        • Crayola markers
          • tracing around edges
        • Butterfly Punch
        • Brayer with splatter roller (THANK YOU CHRISTA!)
        You'll notice I made the right edge of the cards interesting by tracing a shape I had onto it and cutting it out.
        I also made some little seals for the envelopes by punching a circle out of white cardstock, stamping a flower and verse on it, and running it through my xyron sticker maker.

        Wednesday, July 20, 2011

        R.A.K.

        Abby from Little Birdie Blessings sent me a R.A.K. (Random Acts of Kindness) box this week. What a day-brightener!!  Can you believe she stuffed all that goodness into one little box?  I can't!
        (Side note: click the picture to see all my prizes close up) 
        She packed that little box full of all kinds of goodies --- some of my very favorites are:
        • The tiny white envelopes (how did she know I was wanting some like that?)
        • The digital collages that she did up and sent -- so very, very pretty!
        • All the music die cuts --- and I love the way she glued a tiny bird/butterfly etc. to the top of the package so I can easily distinguish what's in the baggie!
        • Love that piece of material you see on top -- the cream with the blue flowers -- BEAUTIFUL!
        • All the little tiny sliver charms- what fun!
        • Those puffy floral stickers and....
        • The giant circles --- I'm going to trace one off and keep it for a template.  (just this past week I traced a giant scallop circle off and thought it would be nice to have a plain circle to go with it!!)
        • And can't forget the burp cloth pattern she sent me --- want to make some of those up soon -- to go along with another baby gift I made!
        Oh my -- the whole box was full of delightful surprises and it really made my day!!!  Thanks so much Abby --- you've become a sweet friend!!!

        Bits and Pieces

        Today's post is going to be bits and pieces of tips, tricks, links, and projects.   Just a few little things I thought I'd put all together in one post to (hopefully) help or inspire someone.
        FIRST UP: A little "Thank You" Gift and Tag...for a friend who let me borrow her ($98) teacher's manual last year instead of buying one! What lady doesn't like Bath and Body Works stuff?  Here's the little tag card I made to go with it.
        Supplies used:
        Red - Cream Cardstock ---- Martha Stewart border punch ----- Sewing machine ----Pink Button-----Red Ric Rac-----Stamps: Stitched With Love (JustRite), Clipboard Bracket (Stampendous)


         Second Item: Make It Monday
        My (8 yr. old) daughter and I enjoy watching Make It Monday each week over on Nichole Heady's blog. She was inspired by this particular episode and disappeared into my craft room - she later resurfaced with several cards she made following Betsy's tutorial -- the only difference is she used my chalks instead of ink.
         I thought they turned out pretty good - all things considered! 
        Now on to some organizational tips....

        Third Item: Clear Stamps Storage
        Thought I'd share my preferred method of storing my clear stamps -- standing up in a basket.  It's so easy to flip through them and find what I'm looking for this way, and it doesn't take up loads of room.  
        (Side note: Lest you think I'm a millionaire that can afford to spend lots of money on stamps - let me assure you that none of these were purchased at full price -- many were clearance items, a few gifts, and many more I found at Ollies or Big Lots for $1 and $2 a set.  I HAVE been collecting for a while too!)

        Fourth Tip: Embossing folder names
        I personally don't read the entire supply list of other crafter's projects, but once in a while I'll see something and wonder "what embossing folder is that?" OR "who makes that punch?" etc. etc.
        Because of that I try to post the supplies I use, but it can be overwhelming to keep track of the makers and titles of all my supplies.  
        Recently I went through all my embossing folders and attached a small label to the back with the official name of that particular folder to it.  Some I knew, others I looked up on-line.  Now when I list supplies it will be easy to find the name and I'll remember to call the Swiss Dots folder "Swiss Dots" instead of "Polka-Dots!" (oops!)

        Five: Stamp Cleaner
        Last year sometime I bought a black Stazon Ink pad and realized that my normal method of cleaning stamps (a little bit of soap and water in a squirt bottleand a soft cloth) wasn't going to work on Stazon ink.  
        After searching around on-line for something that would clean my stamp without "breaking the bank" I hit upon the perfect solution...
        ...Hand Sanitizer! I now use it to clean all inks off my stamps.....just pump a little onto the stamp, spread around with your finger, and wipe with a soft cloth! It lasts a good while--- I've had the above bottle for several months now and it's not even 1/2 used up! 


        Six: Do-It-Yourself Spiral Notebook Page
        Has anyone besides me noticed all the spiral notebook dies and punches everywhere? 

        Whether or not you've noticed -- I have -- and I thought about purchasing either a die or border punch sometime.  THEN I got the bright idea to try and make my own look alike notebook page using my comb binding machine.
        A friend of mine actually found this at a thrift store for $2!  I'm not sure I would have even known what it was had I seen it there -- but thankfully she knew what it was and knew it was a good deal too!
        I started out by punching the edge of my cardstock with the above machine:
        I then took my scissors and snipped a little bit out of the center of each punch and wa-la - my own imitation notebook page!
        If you're thinking "BUT I don't have a comb binding machine!" -- keep reading.....
        For a slightly different look (that I like just as well if not better) -- I took a small hole punch and punched
        along the border of my page....
        Snip the centers from these and you get a rounded notebook page look.
        Last but not least....

        Seven - Spiral Roses
        I'm sure the paper crafters in my reading audience have seen the dies they have out now for spiral roses.
         I've admired the roses out there with the pretty edges - especially the scalloped edged roses -- BUT I'm too cheap to buy the die.  I came up with my own solution to the problem, and while it may not look exactly like a die cut rolled rose -- I'm happy with the results.
        Here's the supplies I used: 
        1. Circle or Scallop Nestabilities OR Circle Punch
        2. Scallop Scissors (Guess they are officially called "Clouds")
        Punch your circle and cut into a spiral with the scallop scissors.  Roll up starting from the outside and you'll get these -- pretty scallop edged roses. 
         Another way to achieve the scalloped look is described in this little tutorial from Valita!
         Hope you've enjoyed my Bits and Pieces today!
        Happy Crafting!
        This post linked to:
        Penny Pinching
        Whatever You Want Wednesday

        Thursday, July 14, 2011

        Sewing Wallets

         I'm so excited to share with you my very first homemade wallet taken from THIS WONDERFUL TUTORIAL! The only thing I would change about it is this: When using the magnet snaps like I did attach your snap to closure strap  BEFORE you sew the two pieces together!  Liz used a different kind than I did so the tutorial tells you to do it after you sew it together and flip it right side out.
        I don't always feel patient enough to sew, but yesterday I decided to give this particular tutorial a whirl -- and I'm very pleased with the way it turned out.  Now that I've made one - I think I could probably whip up another one in 2 hrs. or less.
        Inside details:
        You'll notice it has a magnetic closure --- here are two links concerning them
        1. A reasonable priced place to purchase
        2. A tutorial for inserting them
        O.K. I had to come back last night and add and "s" to the title (wallet-S) since my daughter saw the one I made for her grandma and wanted one.  She really liked the material I used on this apron INCLUDING the red bias tape around it.  Here's the one I made for her
        Inside:
        I didn't do step 23 -- sewing the inside and outside layers together and turning -- instead I just sewed the red bias tape around the outside edge to give it the finished look.
        While I was at it (cutting her wallet out) I went ahead and doubled my material and cut two. The second one I didn't add the bias tape to as it was rather trying to my patience (though I do like the look of it!).
        Inside: