Happy Father's Day

I always find myself in a dilema when it comes to cards for men. . . especially on Father's Day. Most of my stamps are just a tad to feminine for the men in our lives, so usually Jon goes to the nearest Target or Halmark store and picks out a gross/funny, more "manly" card to meet those needs. This year, we didn't have time to go buy one. . . it has been a zoo around here!

I found an idea for a card at mmm.crafts and it led me to the printable here. Between that website and mmmcrafts, I was able to get creative with what I had and came up with card you see above. It ended up being a lot of fun, and I am sure that you can adapt it to any card for a man, just cutting off the happy necktie day at the bottom.

Happy Crafting

p.s. for those of you wondering, I am still without an oven, BUT, hope comes tomorrow, when they come to install the new oven (delivered this morning). So, if you are wondering what I am going to be doing. . . there will be fresh baked goodies at my house tomorrow (If all goes well).

party favors

My mom had a bunch of white boxes that she had di-cut laying around, so she gave me some of them. I had so much fun using them for my friend Michelle's baby shower last weekend. I stamped on them, added an embellishment, and filled them with candy. I only had to make 6 of them, so I felt like I could go add a lot of detail. Fortunately, even with the extra details I added, it didn't take long!

:: I stamped a heart shape with the word "baby" around the sides in brown and blue (ink and stamp were both Stampin' Up).

:: On the top, I stamped a blue circle in an eye friendly pattern. I also added a brown smudge around the edges of the top. NOTE: To smudge the edges, take a sponge piece (I get the orange craft sponges and cut them into wedges). Then, I dab it into my ink pad and "flick" it on the edge of my paper starting from above and working down.

:: Then I punched out a brown circle and a blue scalloped circle for each one. On the brown circle I stamped the word "baby" (also a Stampin' Up stamp) with my Top Boss tinted ink pad and embossed it with white embossing powder (also Stampin' Up). I taped the two together and punched a hole using my rectangle punch and tied it to the top of the box with a piece of blue ribbon.
:: I filled them with candy and placed them at each guests' place at the shower. I was so excited to find Hershey's Miniatures. . . that use dark chocolate!!!! Don't worry, I did throw in some milk chocolate treats, too!

is it June already?

Welcome to the first week of June! With all this weird, abnormal weather we have been having, this week hit with a blast of HOT weather and next week it has been forecast to reach triple digits. It has also been a busy week filled with house cleaning, yard work, and cookbook making. Speaking of the cookbook, I am almost done. Just need to scan some pictures and edit. I am very excited to see the finished project!

Here's a birthday card I recently made. This is a really old set of stamps from Stampin' Up called Stipple Celebrations. I used to not be very fond of this stamp, but am just loving it these days! It has everything for every kind of card making, birthday, everyday, wedding, baby, Christmas, etc. So much fun!

I am also having fun tying gross grain ribbon with a coordinating color multiple times. It is a fun embellishment that doesn't take very much, but adds a neat effect to a card or scrapbook.

:: Earlier I posted my goals for this summer. I am curious what your goals are. . .

:: Oven Update - Tomorrow a brand new oven will be installed in my kitchen! I am so excited!

:: We are painting tomorrow night. I am not sure what, but I am excited to continue making our new house have some personality! It is so much fun making this home "ours."

Banana Bread

Happy Tuesday everyone! WOW! 2 posts in a row. . . I must be on a roll.

I made this bread several weeks ago - pre oven break-down. I wasn't sure if I was going to post this recipe, but I decided I needed to, because our weekend heat ripened my bananas incredibly quick (I always forget about the disadvantages to summer heat) and since I am heading to a beautiful beach house with a working oven. . . I need my recipe readily available and that would be here, on my blog.

I found this recipe several years ago over at the food network website (it's by Emeril Lagasse) and it has since been my go to recipe. . . it is so moist and delicious!

Here's the recipe:

10 tbsp. + 1 tsp butter

1 cup mashed ripe bananas

1/2 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups cake flour (I just use all-purpose)

3/4 cup + 2 tbs sugar

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts (I don't always put these in)

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly grease your loaf pan (or pans if you are making mini loaves).

Puree the bananas, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in food processor (when I am lazy. . . i just mix them really well in my stand mixer).

Sift cake flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment. Add the remaining 10 tbs butter and mix on medium-low speed until blended, about 30 seconds. Add the banana mixture in 3 batches, scraping the sides of the bowl and mixing on medium speed between each addition. Fold in nuts.

Pour into loaf pan(s) and bake until lightly browned and bread bounces back to the touch, about 1 hour & 10 minutes (less if using mini-loaf pans). Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Dig in. . . you might have to fight for it. . . it sure doesn't last long in our house!

I made mini loaves and gave a few to some appreciated people! I wrapped them in clear, plastic wrap, tied a ribbon and stamped a butterfly (Flight of the Butterfly, SU) and a thank you (it came from a word collection that was probably hero arts or something from JoAnns). The paper and ink were eggplant envy (I think?, which is also stampin' up). I like to sometimes tear the bottoms of my paper, which gives it a nice textured effect.

All the Best. . . . right?

I started this post yesterday while waiting for the appliance guy to fix my oven. Unfortunately, he just stared at the oven, inspecting it and searching for non-existent numbers and talking on the phone (he was on hold a LONG time!). Needless to say, my post was incomplete because I was distracted (yes, I was eavesdropping!). So, my oven is broken and I am not sure whether to be excited or bummed. You see, on Friday I made enchiladas. . . well, I made them early so I could stick them in the oven when Jon got home from work. When they got put in and the oven turned on, a light show began and the element broke. So, the enchiladas were taken out of the oven and transfered to the freezer where they will stay until they can be baked. We ended up at a local Carl's Jr. for dinner (no complaints here!) and now we wait. As it turns out, our oven is so old, they couldn't find the model number, only a catalog number and the parts are no longer made. As a new homeowner of an older house, we were actually praying for appliances to break during the first year, because our insurance covers the replacement of appliances. However, we laugh, because we have had something happen each month we have been here.

:: December - we had something die in our attic right before we moved in and were welcomed with maggots falling from the vents in our bathroom as a housewarming present. . . lovely!

:: January - Our heater broke. . . not the best time to find this out. . . it was sooo cold!

:: February - Flooded kitchen . . . a pipe burst under our kitchen sink flooding our kitchen. It was quite a mess!

:: March - Garage Door broke. . . that was an easy fix . . . just some muscle power on behalf of Jon.

:: April - Air Conditioner/heater . . . Jon new how to fix it, so he and his dad climbed to the roof and clicked some buttons and fixed the system.

:: And now, we are just barely into May and our oven has broken.

Obviously, homeownership is far from boring! We are really enjoying this adventure despite the frustrations. I am just very thankful that it's not the week of thanksgiving (like last year) when I have a ton of baking to do and my element breaks (in that case, the apartment was on the ball and quickly fixed it!). We will have to wait at least 10 days until we know the fate of our oven. Until then, I am on a baking hiatus. . . and plan to explore the world of no-bake cookies. But, I thought I would share some cards I made a few weeks ago. These are from a stamp set, called All the Best. . . . which is one of my favorite sets.

this one is one of my favorites! The floral print pattern is Amy Butler (available at Michaels).

Well, I am going to go and work on some other projects and watch some TV. Enjoy your day!

Botanical Blooms

Last week, I made a huge mess in the office and stamped like a mad woman! It was so refreshing just to get in there and be creative for an hour a day. I borrowed my mom's new stamp set, Botanical Blooms by Stampin' Up. It is a really neat 2-step stamping set with soft, subtle petals. Sometimes it was hard to match up the top view flower with it's outline, but I gave up perfection with that set. I had a lot of fun playing. . . so many possibities. . . here are a few of the cards I made.

I used the circle cutter with this one.

Cardstock: brown, buckaroo blue (SU), white, and printed (SU)

Ribbon: brown grossgrain

Ink: Buckaroo Blue, Almost Cocoa (both SU)

Ribbon: pink grossgrain (SU)

Punch: Martha Stewart loops

Paper: White cardstock, Lavender Lace (SU), printed paper (SU)

Words: Heard from the Heart (SU)

Ink: Lavender Lace, Pretty in Pink, Garden Green, Basic Black (All SU)

Cardstock: white, mauve mist (SU), ballet blue (SU), printed Amy Butler

Ribbon: white grossgrain

Ink: ballet blue (SU)

Words: Whimsical Words (SU)

A little late. . .

This post is a little late, but I still wanted to share with you. Over at eighteen25, they made this super cute printable available to their fans. I found it via Skip to My Lou, but it's super easy. You can find it here and bookmark it so you can use it later. . . or you can go to Target and buy some on clearance (ours had some blue peeps on sale for 50 percent off today!) and make belated Easter treats.

It prints 2 to a page and all you have to do is print it out, use your paper cutter to trip to your desired size, and make your bag topper. It worked great to use Ziplock snack sized bags and one row of Peeps. I only had to trim my topper a tad.

Ethan handed these out to his cousins and his girlfriend (Abi) over the Easter weekend!

Valentine Time

Happy Valentine's Day!

I know, the holiday has come and gone, but I am so behind on my blogging that the next few posts will be full of Love. . . just for you!

My mom bought this cool new set of stamps, called Sweetheart through Stampin' Up. With the use of the heart punch and these new heart shaped treat containers that fit right into the punched out heart, it makes the cutest card! I had so much fun playing. My mom let me have a few of her containers and I new that I was going to make something for the gals at my MOPS table. Instant inspiration! I decided I was going to fill the hearts with Red Hots (which by the way, are a bit harder to find than expected. . . Cost Plus World Market had them!). Then I decided to go with a red and Black theme. I kind of copied an idea out of the SU website, but used one of my Martha Stewart punches for the white strip and then a red and white polka dot ribbon. I had so much fun!

Now, I will note that there is a down side to this card. . . not very mailable. Thankfully, I just put them at there place at our last MOPS meeting. You probably could mail them, with extra postage and maybe a cushion-y envelope. . . but I probably wouldn't.

So, Happy Valentine's Day to you. I have a camera full of blogworthy posts to blog about that I just uploaded. . . so, I hope to catch up really soon. Have a wonderful weekend!

I like it a latte

Recently I had the opportunity to borrow this really fun set of stamps from a friend. I had so much fun playing with them that I couldn't resist making a bunch of cards to keep for a rainy day. The set is Stampin Up's "I like it a latte." The scrapbook paper came from a SU kit from 5 years ago and I don't remember the name. Inks are Cranberry and Buckaroo Blue. I used Dazzling Diamonds to accent the frosting with 2 way glue. The hearts on the coffee cups are 2 dimensional. I used some leftover rubber from my rubber stamp scraps. . . that I keep on hand for times like this.

I finally got my pictures downloaded onto my computer! I have been such a procrastinator! But, oh, we have had so much fun the past few days and weeks! Check my here for details. So, now that I have pictures to show you, I am going to move on, so I can get started on this week!

Pot Holder

I found this Lizzy House fabric last April at the Cotton Ball (Morro Bay's really cool quilt shop) and have been wanting to make potholders out of it ever since. Now that I have my own copy of Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing, I decided to try out her pattern for a basic potholder. I really, really like it! Plus it was super easy! I opted to use the insulated batting that is specially made for hot things. Lotta Jansdotter warns about using cotton batting as it is flammable.

Chocolate Raspberry Bars

I made a pan of these because they looked so delish here. Here's the recipe.
I baked them for Jon. . . he loved them and would eat them again. . . really. . . he's my biggest critic! I also sent some home with our Breauna, a college student who is just such a great friend and help! She deserves all the study food I can whip up for her!

Baby Card

There seems to be a wave of babies being born around here. I made this quick card for Jon's cousin Erin's shower last weekend. The stamp set is Nice and Narrow (SU) and I used the water color pens to color in the ink from the Buckaroo Blue and Chocolate Chip ink pads. I then layered it with matching blue and brown card stock, snipped off the bottom and tied with a light blue ribbon. Then stamped the bottom of the card/inside of the card with "hello little baby" stamp. Super easy and quick. I am finding that this stamp set seems to be my no fail set when I need a quick, impromptu card.

Coasters:
I had my eye on this fabric for a long time. I bought it right after Christmas. I just now started using it. This fabric is the colors of our living room, and so I thought I would start making a batch of coasters. They are basically two pieces of fabric lined with some really thin batting and sewn at 1/4 inch.

Tag Blanket

I am finding more and more that these tag blankets are the answer to a quick, easy, and inexpensive gift. This one went to Jon's cousin Erin's baby on the way. I really like how the Heather Ross fabric looks with the blue chenille fabric.

Now, it is new week and it looks busy. I am hoping for some time to create. I hope it works out! If not, I have a ton of baking to do! Have a great week everyone! Enjoy the beautiful fall weather that God has given us!

i forgot. . .and other random thoughts

First of all, I realized I forgot to post a picture of Ethan's birthday invitation. I had so much fun making them, although I must admit it is really difficult to find masculine scrapbook paper that doesn't have to do with sports, military, or traveling. But, I found this paper that kind of matched the fabric of Ethan's banners, so I was set! I also must note that several years ago (before I was married), there was a stamp special through Stampin' Up that if I bought a certain alphabet set, they would throw in the numbers. So, I have these numbers and this is probably one of the first time I have used them. . . and used them I have!

Now, for some random thoughts . . .
:::: This week was the first week I haven't had much to do, so I found some time to get sick (now better) and read! It has been so relaxing!
:::: This week I am going to get my sewing machine out and do some sewing. . . I have some new fabric that I can't wait to try out. I am really excited about my new Lizzy House Red Letter day fabric to go with her Lizzy Dish line. I think it will make some awesome hot pads . . . for my new kitchen (if we ever move!).
:::: Starting a new Bible Study this week (well, it started last week, but I was too sick to go. . . sniff sniff) going through Acts and reading Fresh Wind Fresh Fire, by Jim Cymbala. I just got my copy today and already Jon is hooked. . . must be a good read! I am excited to get started.
:::: I am wondering if it is possible to find do it yourself projects for men. . . that are actually masculine and fun. If anyone has any suggestions, please. . . please comment.
:::: I am really excited about a fun, fall toffee recipe I am going to try out tomorrow. . . if its any good, I'll post something soon.

I hope that you are able to take some time and just read a book. . . I definitely feel refreshed and ready to begin some sewing projects!

Happy Sunday!

Ethan's Birthday Party

Ethan's birthday shirt. . . fabric applique. . . so very easy!

I needed something fun for party favors that would be appropriate for all age ranges. So, I found these bubbles in the dollar section of Target (one of my favorite places!) and put them in plastic bags, tied with some leftover ribbon, and attatched a stamped tag on it.

Fabric Bunting - I made this out of Michael Miller and Amy Butler fabric. My inspiration was to have on that matched his bedroom. . . I can't wait to put this up when we move!

Happy Birthday Ethan! I made this out of cardstock and used brown ribbon to connect the pieces. So much fun!

Ethan's birthday cake - We did cupcakes with homemade buttercream frosting, and green sanding sugar. I made the toppers using a circle cutter.

Cupcake up close.

Fabric Swatch Card

Several months ago, while reading some of my favorite blogs, I found an idea for a card like this. When I went back to actually find it, I couldn't find it. So, I played with the circle cutter and some leftover fabric squares and came up with this card. It was so easy! I plan on making lots more to keep on hand.

Going Blue

Last week, my stamps came out and took over our dining room. My husband has been so patient with me in my quest for getting as much finished before we go on vacation next week.

Below is a quick gift bag if you have something small, but still want to make it look cute. I took a regular brown lunch bag and added some flare.

This bag was stamped with the "Celebrate" stamp from ???? (SU) with the cupcake stamp from Little Layers Plus (SU). The cupcake is on top of a popdot to give it some dimension. There is a white ribbon folded in half and stapled to the corner of the background paper. Ink is Close to Cocoa (SU) and paper is Natural and Buckaroo Blue. The cupcake is colored with the ink from the stamp pads and watercolor makers.

This card is one of my favorites. In fact, I may have a difficult time giving back this stamp set and punches back to my mom. I am having way too much fun! I made this card for my friend Stephanie's birthday. It uses Polka dot punches (SU 2009) and Stampin' Up Designer Series Paper, and once again, Buckaroo Blue. I also found some green brads and put them in the center of the flowers. The "Celebrate one cupcake at a time" stamp comes from ???? (SU 2009).

I am going to post this now, and if you are reading it and wondering why I have question marks, it is because the little guy is alseep and that's where I keep my stamps. Must wait til he wakes up. :)

Check-book cover

I love to scrapbook. The manipulation of paper and material to make something pleasing to the eye is so much fun. Here is a checkbook cover that I made today. I am not finished with it, I plan on doing something different with the K. Unfortunately, Jon, who writes way more checks than I do would like one that is a bit more masculine. So, I will be making another one soon.