Baby Eden Blocks

I didn't drink the water but many of my friends did! Back in baby-ville (with a twinge of jealousy I might add! This is for my friend Adrienne whom I met through my friend Tori. She now teaches my daughter piano lessons so you've seen her featured on my blog before! She had a beautiful little Eden a few weeks ago and I finally got her gift made! In my defense she wasn't sure of what baby girl's name was going to be until she was born and as a matter of fact she probably holds the record for number of ultra sounds needed to determine the sex of the sweet little baby!







I'd love to take credit for the tumbling blocks (although mine don't really tumble, they just sort of stack all skiwompesy), but I stole the idea from my friend Jenn. You can see her adorable set of tumbling blocks here. Mine doesn't have pictures because I'm letting Adrienne do her own, but I do like how it turned out. Hope the proud new mommy of beautiful baby Eden does too!

Mother To Be

A LONG time ago, I made a baby onesie out of a small white paper sack. Recently I needed a gift bag for a Baby Shower and I had zero appropriate gift bags in my stash, I had an aha moment and remembered the old baby onesie I had made. The gift was larger than a baby onesie, so I came up with this idea. This is the very quickly made result. I think it looks like a maternity shirt, don't you?

Resident Scrap Cat

Penny is all grown up. She loves to sit perched high up in my office/studio and watch the scraps fly while I busily prep for classes and projects. Her 2nd favorite spot is on top of my vertical paper stash. I've had my oldest daughter make a nice pet pad (tranlate hair trapper) to cover it so she can perch there and I keep my sanity! Isn't she pretty? I frequently call her my Pretty Penny.

Wedding Ensemble

I was recently hired to make a wedding ensemble for an adorable young bride I know. This is how my samples turned out. Her colors are Chocolate and Sunflower. What do you think?

Halloween Card Class Time Again??!!??

I just can't believe that it has been an entire year since I posted these:




Yet here we were again on Friday night, me and about 13/16 Card Class members reminiscing about the year that has flown past. These are the goodies we made this year and of course some of them had to be for Halloween. I'm not sure which I like better; Last year's mummy or Franky's Chocolate Drawer? I also like Witchy Poo, but Franky sure makes the popcorn look like a special treat too. We really enjoyed ourselves AGAIN. Not sure if they'll be able to stand me for another year, but we'll see if there is Halloween Card Class III in 2009.





Here are the other 4 projects from Friday Night. I'm so behind on my posting, you better watch out! A flood's a coming!

More Than Just Color

Remember a while back I posted a great COLOR COMBO Blog? Well, guess what? She has a sister blog that you can see HERE!

Talk about inspiration I do promise more art content SOON! I have some good stuff, but life just keeps getting in the way of my blogging habit!

A Little Something

It's just a little something I created for a friend and an idea I borrowed from a gift my friend Lois made for me a couple of years ago.

11 Recipes You Will Want to Eat Soon!

At my recipe clubs we sample the fun recipes from the kitchen's of members and then we scrap the recipes. These are the recipes from this month's club. While I haven't personally eaten every one of these dishes, I can vouch for the quality of women who serve them! The art is nice too. Enjoy!

Yum E - a really good 4 letter word!

Yum. That is pretty much all I can say to describe this recipe. My kids ate 4 helpings each. . . Yep, Yum E it is.

While I was cooking Mikensee was asking what I was making. . . I told her I didn't know yet, but that I promised it would be good. When, after all, is anything I cook not good? She pretty much agrees, but still presses me.

Mikensee says, "Have you ever made it before?"

"Nope." I say.

Mikensee again, "Well then, how do you know it's going to be good?"

"Just trust me." (me again.)

"I don't really like zucchini except in bread. Do you have a recipe for this?" she says.

"You'll love it" I say, " and I don't need a recipe."

Well, I have one now! This is what it looked like then:



This is what it looked like finished.


We are a big family (by today's standards) so I cook a lot. We also like left overs since we eat at home almost 3 meals a day, 7 days a week and cooking and cleaning seems to be all we ever do. . . You may want to adjust up or down, according to how much your family eats.

Recipe for YUM E

1 12 ounce Box Farfalle (Bow-Tie) Pasta - Cooked and Drained. (I boiled it while I cooked the "stuff")
Garlic - lots
Olive Oil - enough to coat the pan
Sea Salt and Coarse Ground Pepper - I like to grind my own
Grilled chicken breast (I used 2 pounds.)
3 large zucchini (the green prolific garden variety)
Grape Tomatoes - about 1 lb, sliced in halves
Leaf Spinach- Raw, fresh, 1 Salad Size Package
1/4 Cup Flour
2/3 - 1 Cup Half and Half
Parmesan Cheese - I like fresh, but only had Kraft. It worked fine!

Grill your chicken until close to done. Slice and place in large fry pan heated with olive oil. Add chopped zucchini, garlic, salt and pepper (generously) and add grape tomatoes. Toss until chicken is cooked through and zucchini is tender. Add spinach and wilt. Sprinkle with flour and stir in half and half. Pour drained pasta into the mix and enjoy! Sprinkle or douse in Parmesan cheese just before serving according to your personal preference!

P.S. Mike is still on his diet so I cooked a second pan and just stopped at the veggies. . . no noodles or cream for him, and he still loved it. I would call this YUM, not quite YUM E, but hey, it's all good! Go ahead and try it! You know you want too! Feel like sharing my recipe? Go ahead, but please link back or give credit here! Love ya!

Oh and the 10 or so recipe cards from my class will be posted in the next day or so, so don't forget to check back! (Art and Food! What a great combination!)

10 Paper Crafting Techniques You Can Try Today!

Stuck in a rut? Need some inspiration.

Here are 10 fast, clever and innovative ideas you may not have tried or tried and forgot to use again.

Go ahead, you know you want to play!

Playground

The QUICKEST EVER Fudge Frosting

Tonight I was making a recipe acquired at my most recent class (the recipe club class. . . what fun!) The recipe calls for a can of fudge frosting, but I have to tell you that I absolutely can not stand store bought frosting. That type of frosting along with a few other things just taste fake and not at all like food to me. I decided I could just make some so I did a quick online search for fudge frosting and low and behold there were several. . . mostly the same variety. I have a secret cake recipe for the Most Incredible, BEST EVER, Chocolate, Chocolate Overload Cake (just ask those I've made it for and they will quickly concur) and for that recipe I make the following Quickest Ever Fudge Frosting. I figured since I was looking, someone else out there might be too!

Here goes:

Chocolate Chips (I prefer Toll House Semi-Sweet or Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet)
Butter (no substitute)
Cream, half and half or Milk (whatever you have)

Melt butter in a saucepan. I stick should do a cake. Add chocolate chips. . . I just pour them in. . . probably about 3-4 cups, add a splash of cream (I usually have half and half on hand) and stir. . . That's it.

Now isn't that the easiest fudge frosting recipe you've ever heard of???!!??

If you watch carefully, my secret Chocolate Cake recipe may just appear on this blog sometime before April of next year when this year's recipe club is over!

P.S. I also found this. . . The Chocolate Blog! Wish I'd have thought of it!

Have a fudge filled day!

A Colorful Idea!

Who isn't looking for an easy way to pick colors for a scrapbook layout, card or gift? Perhaps even for your bedroom? Look no further. I just found this great blog which features color combos to work with and art inspired by them! Enjoy!
Color Combo's - 80 so far!

Theme Cards - Tutorial for one Here!

After I made my cute lady bug themed invitation I started thinking of other cute little theme ideas I could make. . . I saw this one today and I don't want to forget! I'ts so cute for a Halloween party!

Zany Not Crazy: Easy Candy Corn Card Tutorial

Garden Birthday Party

Jessica turns 7 August 8, Wyatt and Walker turn 5 August 11th. Every year this poses a general problem in my house. . . how to have 3 birthday celebrations in only 4 days! (Our anniversary is also the 7th and my birthday is in late July! Oh my!) I always feel guilty having a party for Jessica, but not W&W or having one for W&W, but not Jessica. . . I feel equally guilty about having them all share one party. Last year we went to the Grand Canyon and took a railway trip. That got me out of the dilemma last year (even though we still had cake and ice-cream along with presents on each of their respective birthdays.) So here it is, time a ticking and I had not a clue what to do! Then, a miracle happened! I saw a cute flower cake idea and thought "I should make that for Jessica's birthday." Then, I saw a caterpillar cake idea and thought "that would be the perfect cake for W&W!" My mind started working and by noon today, I had a party planned. Tonight I made the invitations. Here is how they turned out. I made 24 (customized for Jessica and her friends, W&W and their friends and of course family who will be celebrating for all of them!) in about 2 hours with some help from the divine M. The party should be fun. We're going to do some buggy (boy) and gardeny (girl) activities and all should be well! I'm really excited now and the guilt (for now) is at bay. I did tell Mikensee though, that I think from now on I'm going to rotate birthday years making sure I hit the biggies for each child in their year.

Pop Up Tutorial Made Simple

Make any card a pop-up card like the one I made below! I just found this and while my old slice and cut method worked great this is a way you can make a card into a pop-up even if you've already finished the card. For the TUTORIAL, Click HERE!

Cards Installment 2008, Class 1

I just love my new class! I've got some seasoned veterans in class, but some new faces too. I won't have a hard time seeing these ladies until next June at all! (They may get entirely sick of me, but that's a different story!) In all actuality I love all of my classes and don't know what I would do without them!

I was really feeling out of MOJO in prepping for this class and as always I fretted and stewed about the quality and satisfaction level for my students. My DD insisted that I shouldn't do another shaker card, but the class was glad I did and my inspiration to use real cup cake sprinkles was a huge hit. Here's the card. I actually first made the blue but wasn't entirely satisfied and my cupcake sprinkles actually crushed, so I made the second in green.



I think the class favorite was this yellow and black card in which I taught them crayon resist. . . So easy and such a big impact! I had seen a card using this set using the shaving cream technique, but I like how mine turned out better.


They really enjoyed this floating Smile card that I learned from Lois and I do like how this card pops!



I think this card really carries the sentiment well. I love how the colored flowers on the inside give the impression of a better day.



It's hard not to like this card that has a built in book mark gift. A simple magnet underneath the layers keeps the gift attached and also aids when using the book mark!




This 6X6 was one of my favorites. There are things I would do differently if I made it again, but over all I think its a great card.



My next class is Recipe Club. . . This is going to be fun! Until then, I hope you enjoy this post!

Tag, I'm It. . . Again!

I was tagged twice! by Elaine and Stacey.......so this is what I'm supposed to do:

Share 7 facts about myself on my blog, some random, some weird. THEN tag 7 people at the end of my post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs and let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So-here goes:

7 - I like to exercise but I hate to sweat.
6 - I am a quilting dropout. I tried and would love to do it, but my patience level is not high enough for the hobby. That is how I became a paper crafter.
5 - My favorite stores when I was a kid were stationary stores. I used to spend my money on stationary, markers pens and such. . . not much has changed!
4 - My favorite foods are Potatoes and Ice-Cream and yes, I like them together. I especially love french fry's with Milk-Shakes. My favorite flavor is Vanilla; so many possibilites.
3 - If I had unlimited resources I would adopt 10 more children. I would also pay almost any amount of money for the privilege of giving birth to another child.
2 - I frequently wish I didn't have to sleep, just so I would have time to do more.
1 - I moarn the fact that kids today don't have an innocent childhood and that nothing is as good as it used to be. (Some may find that a bit negative, but if you think about it, its pretty true.)

I'm tagging these friends because I'd like to know MORE about them!

Tamara
Tara
Atalie
Lisa
Kari
Tori
Deb