Hey Cupcake!

Hey Cupcake! I just love that sentiment, too cute! And I found the perfect stamp for it, too. :) This was today's submission for the Dare to get Dirty challenges over on SCS - make a one layer card. This card is shimmery white cardstock, and the image is stamped with black Stazon. I colored in the image with my Zig Brushables which are pigment ink markers. I also got to use my new Stickles, which are on the top of the hat and also the frosting. Ribbon is from Hobby Lobby. Thanks for stoppin' by tonight!

Supply List:

Stamps - Whipper Snapper Mouse and AMuse sentiment

Paper - Shimmery white cardstock

Ink - Black Stazon, Zig Brushables

Accessories - Stickles, stitched organdy ribbon

Goodies!

Well, I just returned from Cottage Corner (http://www.cottagecorner.net/) and here's what I came home with:

Orange CS and some Halloween paper - never too early to start thinking about those cards! I thought this would also go well with the Trick or Treat SU set.

Black CS - I ran totally out, can you believe it?

Shimmery white CS - everyone is raving about this so I just had to try it out.

Mouse cupcake Whipper Snapper stamp - thought it would go well with my AMuse "hey cupcake!"

Have a Splendiferous day AMuse stamp - I have been wanting this forever!!!

What's Cookin' AMuse stamp - This will go well with my Chefabella

More adhesive - I love this stuff and it's so strong

Square envelopes - I am seeing so many cute square cards on SCS!

Stickles - OOOH I am so excited, this is my first time buying stickles!

That's it for now. I also stopped by Walgreen's to pick up a few things and I found a yummy snack that I have never seen before. It's called Popcorn, Indiana Authentic Smoked Cheddar Kettlecorn. YUM! It's so cheesy, yet a little sweet at the same time. Mmmmmm, if you see this, you have to try it! Here's the website: http://www.popcornindiana.com/

Hopefully I can get a card posted later but for now I'm off to get my hair cut. See ya!

Another swap

I had a very big problem with swaps for a long time.....after discovering SCS and all the swaps, you know I just had to get in over my head! :) Anyway, now I am done with all the swaps, thank God. I have to say, I wasn't always that impressed with the quality of work that I was getting back. Plus, I would rather spend my time getting my own things done!

However, I am still involved in one swap -- a monthly ten card swap in my Yahoo group. Every month, we do a different card, and this month's assignment was to use vellum. Good for me, since I hardly ever use it, but I like the way it turned out.

I found this particular vellum at Reminisce, but I'm not sure what company makes it. It's adhered to the Soft Sky layer underneath the cake panel, and then the corners are held down with black brads. Solves the problem with the adhesive show-through!

The cake image is stamped with Versamark and embossed with silver embossing powder, then colored in with my blender pen and Soft Sky and Real Red ink. The cake plate is colored using one of my pigment Zig markers. Congratulations is stamped with Stazon directly on to the vellum. Thanks for stopping by!

Supply list

Paper: Soft Sky, Whisper White, Basic Black, vellum

Ink: Stazon black, Versamark

Stamps: Year after Year and Congratulations sentiment - $1 stamp from Michaels

Accessories: Silver Embossing powder, black brads - Doodlebug, Dimensionals

Tomorrow I'm planning on visiting my favorite stamp shop in Davenport, Cottage Corner. They always have tons of new stuff coming in, lots of Bellas, cute Whipper Snapper and AMuse stamps, and this week they now have stickles! Which I have none of, so I definitely have to get up there and get some. :) Good night everyone!

Goulash

What's for dinner tonight? Goulash! My mom always made it when I was a kid, and you know how that goes, no matter how many times you make it, it never tastes just right. Well, I finally found a recipe that does, so now I make it all the time! I got this recipe from one of Paula Deen's shows on the Food Network, and tweaked it just a bit, so here goes. (PS - sorry the picture is of the tupperware! I forgot to take one until after dinner was over, lol!)

Goulash

1 pound ground beef
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 T canola oil
1 ½ cups water
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 T Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 T soy sauce
1 T House Seasoning
2 T sugar
1 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked

In a dutch oven, sauté onion and garlic in oil just until tender, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and sauté just until pink disappears. Drain. Return to pot and add water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, house seasoning, and sugar. Stir well and cook, covered, over medium heat for 20 minutes. Add macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot, and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and allow to sit covered for 30 minutes more before serving. Serve with salad and garlic bread.

House Seasoning

1 cup salt
¼ cup pepper
¼ cup garlic powder

Mix together and store in air-tight container for up to 6 months. Can be used on meat and vegetables as well.

Two of my favorites

This card definitely uses two of my favorites, sage shadow and the Delight in Life set. I scored this set from my demo at her open house in July for six dollars! Woohooo! I CASE'd this layout from somone on SCS, sorry I can't remember who!

Supply list:

Cardstock: Sage shadow, basic black and whisper white

Ink: Sage shadow, basic black, and blender pen

Stamps: Delight in Life, Happy Harmony

It's About Time!

Boy oh boy, it's about time I made a scrapbook page! Lately I have been so into making cards, my scrapbooking has gone by the wayside. It makes me sad a little bit...just because scrapbooking is where I started out with the whole paper crafting thing!

This is a page I originally made back in February, but wanted to re-do it because I wasn't happy with the original. (Too bad I don't have a pic to show you, but I already ripped the darn thing apart! When I saw this paper and these cutouts by Daisy D's at Reminisce, I knew it would be a perfect title for my page. Basically, when I originally typed up this "year in review", I went through my planner and just listed all the things that we had done that year! I think last year was definitely the busiest year of both Adam and I's life. He graduated and got new job, we bought a house, I took my nursing boards, got a new job, we got married, went to Vegas....blah blah blah.....whew! Just makes me tired thinking about it!

Supply List:

Paper and die cut: Daisy D's, Miscellaneous yellow cardstock

Chipboard numbers and flower, real red ink, button and hemp twine

A Lazy Day

Today was a good day at work, really it was. And we needed it so badly I have to say! We had 6 RNs working with 9 patients, plus nursing students to help us out. How awesome is that? Hopefully this weekend is just as good.

I didn't get any stamping accomplished today, but I will try to post tomorrow. I have been working on some cards for a monthly swap I am in, and this month's assignment is to use vellum. At first I was hesitant about this because I really have not used it all that much, but the card actually came out very nice. More to come tomorrow....I'm off to bed!

My Heart

Yesterday I was so surprised to find my creative juices flowing after a slow start on Saturday. I cranked out four cards and this was one of them. I like the fact that it is somewhat cheerful for a sympathy card. The inside is stamped with "I'm praying for you" which is a stamp I got at Hobby Lobby.

I usually make 2 of each card and give one sample to my Aunt Sherry. She is the one who introduced me to SU and is always looking for new samples too!

I can't wait for lunch tomorrow -- I'm meeting my Mom and sister for lunch at Las Lomas, an authentic restaurant here in town. I love love love Mexican food, and especially theirs, because everything is so authentic and delicious! I will share my other cards later this week. :)

Supply List:

Stamps - Delight in Life, Small Sayings

Paper - Basic Grey Phoebe line, whisper white, cranberry crisp, Bazzill green for card base

Ink - Cranberry Crisp

Ribbon - JoAnn's

Misc button and Marvy Uchida scalloped circle punch

Cider Beef

Okay, so I'm a little late! I said last night that I would post the recipe for my beef stew so here it is!

Cider Beef with Cheesy Mashed Potatoes


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
2 pounds top sirloin, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, chopped
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
6 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups good quality apple cider (the dark cloudy ones always taste the best)
1 can beef consommé
4-5 Idaho potatoes, peeled and chopped
Milk, as desired, for mashing potatoes
½ stick butter
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese (super-aged and super-sharp!)


Preheat oven to 375°F. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add EVOO and butter. Season the beef with salt and pepper and add to pot. Brown on all sides, about 6-8 minutes. Add onions and carrots, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add flour, stir to combine and coat. Add the apple cider and the beef consommé, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover and place in the oven for 1 hour. Once the beef is about 3/4 of the way cooked (about 40 minutes after putting it in the oven), place potatoes in a large sauce pot, cover with water by at least 1-2 inches and place over high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, add some salt and cook potatoes until tender. Once the potatoes are tender, drain and return to the pot. Add the milk, sour cream, butter, and the cheese. Smash with a potato masher to desired consistency. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and reserve until you are ready to serve. When the beef is done, remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. To serve, place a spoonful of potatoes in a wide serving bowl. Make a well in the middle of the potatoes and spoon the beef into the center.

This recipe is awesome and actually really simple to make. I got it from the Rachael Ray show's website and have made it tons since then.

Another card to come yet today!

Ever After

I decided to get motivated today and do the Featured Stamper challenge on SCS. Ana's (annieht) gallery was chosen, and boy, what an awesome gallery to look at! She also has a cool blog here:

http://www.inkastamp.blogspot.com/

I just love all the cool inspiration I get from these blogs! I decided to keep mine simple (mostly because I have stew in the oven for dinner). This will be an anniversary card going out to my aunt and uncle that live in the Seattle area. I love surprising people with handmade cards! The sentiment stamp is from Catslife press, and is too cute. My LSS (Reminisce) has been carrying some of their stamps and I have been buying them left and right! The Catslife press website is http://www.catslifepress.com/ .

Supply List:

Paper: Saffron, Plum, and Creative Memories patterned paper

Ink: Brown Stazon, image colored with SU ink and blender pen, purple colorbox ink

Paper piercer and MatPack

White brads

Cuttlebug and embossing folder

Thanks for stopping by today! I will post what's for dinner later tonight.

No stamping today...

I have been so lazy today and have done no stamping at all. Pretty sad considering I have the weekend off. Oh well, I caught up on my DVR recordings and read a ton of blogs! Hopefully that will mean that I will have lots of inspiration for tomorrow. :)

Tonight, Adam and I decided to run to Hy-Vee and get some steaks for the grill for supper. Adam ended up buying a "cowboy"cut steak that was $25.50 -- the thing was probably 3 inches thick and weighed over 2 pounds! I could have dropped over dead right at the meat counter! But, I composed myself and thought, "Well, it's not like I haven't ever wasted $25 on scrapping/stamping supplies...." LOL! And PS -- to his credit, the steak was really really good.

Well, I'm off to hit the sack for tonight, hopefully I will get tons done tomorrow :)

Happiness and ranch dressing!

For some of you, this card may look familiar..... :) I CASE'd this card from Julia Stainton's card on page 8 of the new STAMP IT! summer magazine by Paper Crafts. Her cards are just awesome! I love looking at her blog too (see at right). I had some square envelopes lying around so I thought I would give it a shot!

I have had this patterned paper lying around for a while now and this is only the second time that I've pulled it out to use. I really need to use patterned paper more!!!

Supply list:

Bazzill cardstock and Basic Grey Scarlett's letter paper

Eyelets and Crop-a-dile

Stamps: Best Blossoms and Warm Words

Ink: Stazon black, craft white and clear EP

Ribbon from Hobby Lobby

Today was really busy at work....but that's been the norm lately. The upside to that is it goes by super fast! 8 hours just flies by. So what was for dinner tonight? Pizza and salad. I picked up a really good thin crust sausage pizza and made salad with homemade ranch dressing....mmmm, can't beat that! Here's the recipe for awesome homemade ranch:

1 tsp Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

1 cup mayo

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp garlic powder

Mix together well and refrigerate before serving. It will keep in the fridge for about a week.

Well that's it for tonight! I've had my sister's copy of "Little Miss Sunshine" for about 2 months now, and I think I might actually watch it tonight! Plus, Adam bought me a DVD player for upstairs...even better!

So Very

So Very was a Sellabration set from last year that I never did get. However, I did win it as a door prize at my Demo's open house last week! Yay! This card was cased off of SCS. I am always struggling to incorporate patterned paper into my cards and this was a great use of it. Paper is American crafts, cardstock is cert. celery and black, black and celery ink, and black grosgrain ribbon.

Since I also love to cook and collect recipes, I am going to start "What's for dinner" in all of my posts. I always think it's so fun to see what other people are having for dinner, :)!

Tonight I'm making vegetable beef soup and cheesy garlic bread. Last Sunday we went to visit Adam's grandfather in the hospital (he has gallstones) and I had a roast in the crock pot. However, Adam's parents took us out for dinner, so there I was left with the roast and potatoes! I cubed them up today and added to the soup pot along with the leftover beef stock. Mixed veggies, diced tomatoes, and some additional beef broth, and supper is simmering away! I also have some fresh watermelon and chocolate cake for dessert. Yummmmy!

As I always say, the diet starts Monday! Hehe!

Stamp class this week

It's been a few days, but man, what a busy week at work! Too much to do in so little time, and we have been full on the floor I work on. All I want to do when I get home is eat supper and crash on the couch. :)

I did, however, find the time to go to my demo's stamp class on Tuesday night. We made some awesome cards, as you can see! I also placed my first order for the new catalog. I will be getting the sets Year After Year and Absolutely Fabulous, along with some new In Color cardstock and inkpads. Can't wait for that stuff!

I visited my Grandma today and dropped off her (belated) birthday gift, the two sets of notecards. She is always so complimentary of my work! :) I guess that's what Grandma's are for, and thank God for them! We had about an hour long conversation even though I had cold groceries in the car......lol!

I will be posting another card soon that I made today. Bye for now!

Friends

Okay, I just can't help myself. Here's another quickie card I made this weekend. Brittany sent me a bunch of these stamped "friend" images (and forgive me, I can't remember the exact name of the set from the spring mini!). I colored it in with some inkpads and a blender pen. The cardstock is stampin up, and the patterned paper is Creative Memories. Buttons, hemp twine, slot punch and ribbon, and that's it! Finished size is 4.25x4.25.

Thanks for taking a look! :)

Finally!

Well, I have finally joined the blogging world! I have spent the last couple of weeks cruising all of these wonderful stamping blogs (see my list of faves), and have gained tons of inspiration from them. Soooo, I thought, why not try to do the same for some others?

I had this weekend off work, plus... I got an awesome box of goodies from a gift exchange in my Yahoo Stampin' Up group! (Thanks, Brittany!) She got me 3 retired stamp sets that I wanted: Trick or Treat, Best Blossoms, and Fun Filled. Two of them were even unmounted! Plus, she got me a ton of ribbon, embellishments, and other goodies! Wooohooo! I am anxious to get started with my new (to me) stamps!

Yesterday, I worked on a birthday gift for my grandma. I love the clear boxes from Papertrey -- they make giving cards as a gift so cute! I did two sets for her of 4 cards each. The card posted here is one of them. I used the long agapanthus stamp by Stampendous, and the sentiment is A Muse. Just a simple, reproducible card!

Well, that's all for tonight. Back to work tomorrow.....good night!