Speed Scrap Digital Page -

 

Ha, ha , ha ---------------

I didn't even put it together until just now:

The photo is of our "speedy" new Mustang on the

SPEED Scrap page =)

 

I used the soon to be released kit Dawn's Kiss

by Loni at GraceBlossoms4U.

I tried to make a "masculine" page with this lovely kit.

 

 

GO   HERE   NOW

and submit your project before noon CST

to earn a free $5.00 coupon to the store

of GraceBlossoms4U at

Scraps-N-Pieces.com

TODAY!!

INSTRUCTIONS:
. For those of you who are already in 2014, you may still play

  1.You’ll need at least one pic unless you want to make it a journaling page, some long, flat elements like ribbons, a few papers.

2. Make a ‘bed’ with your ribbons and put your main pic over it. You can use as many ribbons or whatever as you like, or you can just use a few and duplicate them.

Here are the rest of the steps so you can work at your own pace. Post layouts within 3 hours from now to qualify for the prize 3. Add 2 papers to your background and arrange them however you want. Layer them so you can shadow them nicely.

4. Add any additional pics, but make sure the pics are overlapping just a bit on a corner of the main pic.

5.Add a third paper and make a border with it down one side opposite your pictures.


6. Add embellishments down the side edge of the last paper. Add a title and some journaling if you like.

7. Add anything else your page needs, post in the thread and in the gallery. Remember to leave love for the others.


Post layouts within 3 hours from now (8:57 AM CST) to qualify for the prize





REMINDER: TODAY is the last day to get any of her kits for half off in the store !
This is also the last day to earn coupons to her store by leaving comments on pages in her gallery, among other things. She has been the featured designer the past two weeks at Scraps-N-Pieces.

My Longest Receipt Ever!

This is surely one of the longest receipts I've ever received -

Nearly 3/4 of it is "Extra Bucks" I earned back on the purchases I made.

Origami Folded Money Christmas Tree Swing Card

A fun way to give money as a gift I made this past Christmas.


I used the circle swing card thinlits die from Stampin' Up ! to make the card base from Glorious Green card stock.

I die cut a light blue textured piece of card stock with a Nestabilites die to make the circle.

Scraps of torn white paper were used to create the snowy ground.

The trunk is a scrap of chipboard painted brown that was laying on my work table (rather than go cut up a piece of brown card stock).

The decorative piece of paper on the right is from an old Christmas paper stack by Die Cuts With A View.

Tiny star paper punched then coated with gold glitter glue.

Hand cut banners with hand written names.

Instructions for folding the Christmas tree can be found here:
http://origami.about.com/od/Money-Origami/tp/How-To-Fold-An-Origami-Money-Tree.htm


Thanks for looking =)

Digital Kit - Dawn's Kiss

A  couple of quick pages made with the newest kit from 

Loni at GraceBlossoms4U.

It will be available in her store at

Scraps-N-Pieces.com

January 2nd.

Here are the preview images from this lovely kit:

Thanks for looking =)

"Don't Let Anyone Pick Your Wallet" Greeting Card

The card was given with the wallet in the pocket

the way one would be.

The top photo shows it pulled out and slightly askew

so you can see the wallet and texture on it.

The photo directly above is meant to show

the dimension this card has.

Mini wallet with real money attached by removable adhesive.

Use a stylus and scoring board to create the corduroys.

Use a water based marker to ink up only the portions of 

a rubber stamp that you wish to stamp.

If you don't have a pocket stamp,

you could still create one by using the marker

along a straight edge to create stitching.

Before adding the belt and wallet.

Notice all the stitching I added with a marker

and the differing directions of the cords.

Also, I slightly puffed out the pocket and belt loops

before I adhered them with strong double stick tape.

Be sure to leave the top of the pocket open !

A fun little card I came up with to gift money to my brother in law

for Christmas. 

It is supposed to resemble corduroy pants, belt and wallet.

I did spend a bit too much time on the details, 

even going so far as to draw in stitching and

changing the direction of the cord along the waistband.  

The texture on the belt and wallet was created by crinkling card stock and 

running it through an embossing folder several times.

Thanks for looking = )

Assorted Greeting Cards

These are the greeting cards I gave my mother in the hand made box. These are made from kits that Stampin' Up! sold.

Blank

I scored two lines along the top of the die cuet edge.

I also added the Prima flowers and paper punched

leaves. It was too plain and boring as it was in the kit.

The center of the flowers also have the itty bitty

punched out pieces from the die cut edge 

glued underneath a pearl accent. 

Thanks for looking =) 

Handmade Greeting Card Box

This is the box I made from chipboard that came with a pack of 12 x 12 paper. It is the perfect size to hold a dozen hand made cards. I gifted it to my mom for Christmas.

I've given the dimensions above. Score, cut and glue together.

It is covered with designer paper (retired Sycamore Street) from Stampin' Up! using a strong double stick tape to adhere the paper to the chipboard. I covered the sides by attaching two separate pieces, one piece would cover two sides. The piece of paper I cut to cover the lid is 1/8" in width and length than the cardboard piece.

The flowers on the top are made with textured card stock from Stampin' Up! and the new spiral flower die that will be in the Occasions Mini Catalog. These were the very first flowers I made with it so they don't look so great. The second set I made for another box (I'll share it once I complete the set of cards that will go in it) look a bit better.

The ribbon is also retired and was a special bundle from a Stampin' Up! Saleabration a while back.

Tangerine Tango and Kiwi Kiss card stocks were also used as well as a retired flower punch to create the leaves.

The scallop circle was cut with a die from Nestabilities.

I'll share the cards I made to go in it in another post.


I haven't done a challenge in such a long time. I already had the box made when I saw this challenge so since it hadn't been posted yet, I will enter it. Be sure to read the spotlight artists blog post and drool over her fabulous paper flowers !
http://anythingbutacard.blogspot.com/2013/12/in-spotlight-and-mini-challenge-with.html



Thanks for looking =)

Time To Bake The Cookies.............

My first batch, Kevin And Amanda's Secret Ingredient Christmas Cookies, was done late last night. I stumbled across this yummy recipe last week and decided to give it a try. It is quite a bit of work (for me, personally), but they were very good. If I make them again, I will leave small pecan pieces in the mix. 

Kevin & Amanda Secret Ingredient 

Christmas Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup whole pecans
1 cup quick one-minute oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Rolling Mixture:
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Melt butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium to medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted and begins to foam, start whisking constantly. Once the butter is brown and has a nutty fragrance, transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool.
2. Meanwhile, toast the pecans in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 4-5 minutes until the pecans are dark brown and smell toasted. Immediately transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Add the oats and pulse until the oats and pecans are smooth and combined. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and whisk in the flour, baking powder and salt until well combined.
3. Next add the sugar and brown sugar to the cooled brown butter and beat on medium to medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for another 2-3 minutes until well combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.
4. Use a medium (1.5 tbsp) cookie scoop to form dough into balls, then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes until edges just start to turn golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

The  second, Oreo Cream Cheese Cookies, a recipe that a friend pinned to her facebook wall, was completed by 6:30 AM today. Now there is an apple pie my dad requested in the oven ! Next up, gooey butter cookies for my daughter and chocolate chip cookies for my son (although I don't think we really need more cookies!). 

Oreo Cream Cheese Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup mini dark chocolate chips
2 cups Oreo crumbles

Preheat oven to 375, line a cookie sheet with parchment. I have found that parchment keeps the cookies from spreading too much, as they tend to do on a greased pan or a silpat.

In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, cream together butter and cream cheese until thoroughly combined.

Add sugar and vanilla, mix well.

Add flour one cup at a time and mix on low just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

Pour Oreo crumbles into a bowl. Scoop dough out and roll into roughly 1.5" balls, then roll in cookie crumbles, coating thoroughly. Be sure to cover the dough balls really well in crumbs, as this is what holds the cookie together while baking. Space cookies about 1-2" apart on sheet. Bake on center rack about 14-15 minutes and allow to cool on sheet several minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

**********************

What's that, a Christmas tree in the background of the photo of the cookies ? Why yes, yes it is ! It wasn't put up sooner, and won't be decorated, because of the menace kitten. 

As I was making the Sugared Pecan Cookies last night about 10 PM, hubby decided to drag the tree out - then proceeded to walk away leaving Hyla kitten unsupervised. She never climbed it as she did last year, but she did have too much fun attacking the branches and hopping around the tree stand. I had to call it quits baking to keep shooing her away from the tree and make sure she didn't eat any of the needles that had fallen on the floor. Not sure how much I will get accomplished today despite being up since 5 AM if she keeps messing with the tree! Geeesh. 

I won't have time to post them today, but I made a neat box to hold hand made cards for my mom and a cool pants with wallet and belt card for my brother in law. I finished them up last night. I'll post the how to's later this week.

Merry Christmas !

Edited to add a photo of the freshly baked from scratch,

even the crust is home made,

apple pie - yum ! 

Festive Flurry Giftwrap and Tag

Happy First Day Of Winter !!!!!!!!!!!

It certainly doesn't look very winter like here today,

it is raining - and raining and raining ! 

We did see 6" of snow last weekend, 

but after a record setting 71 degrees yesterday,

and todays cold rains, it is gone except

for a few piles here and there. 

No White Christmas for us;

it's looking like it will be mud brown ;)

If you don't have brown paper packaging to tie up with string, 

you can reuse a brown paper bag to make cute gift wrap!

Simply stamp with your favorite images 

(permanent inks or craft paints work best)

and create a coordinating gift tag. 

I used Festive Flurry stamps and dies,

Cherry Cobbler ink,

Cherry Cobbler textured and Kraft card stocks.

The "pearls" are actually little dots of 

dimensional paper craft paints.

Large metal backed pearl brad for the center.

Twine to hang with.

This gift tag can become an ornament. 

Thanks for looking =) 

Mini Stocking Gift Bag

Small "gift bag" I made using the stocking die

from Stampin' Up!

Stamped tissue paper,

die cut snowflakes that I added glitter to,

rhinestones, stamped and cut out letters,

crochet trim for hanging finish off the stocking.

I made these to give gift cards and Magic

playing cards to my nephews in. 

Stocking die, Cherry Cobbler textured card stock and 

Whisper White card stock from Stampin' Up!

You will need a 15" x 1 1/2" strip

of card stock to create the sides.

Score 1/4" in on each long side

then snip in to the score line every 1/4"

or so along that long scored edge. 

Fold in to create tabs for adhering

to the inside of the stocking.

Use a strong double stick tape to adhere.

Punch a small hole in the back

side to attach ribbon for hanging

if you'd like to hang it from a tree.

Thanks for looking =) 

Ornament Keepsakes Ornament

There will be a photo here

My crafting can be like my fashion sense, far behind the current trends! With that being said, here is my very first attempt at making an ornament from the coordinating ornament stamps and die set that Stampin' Up! sold last year.

These ornaments were everywhere on the internet, but I never broke down and bought the set / dies last year . As much as I liked the project, I really did not need another ornament set (I do have the stamp set with matching punch from several years ago already) . Plus, the project looked quite time consuming. In the end, I caved and bought them (I really need to work on my willpower!).

As soon as they arrived, I made this ornament  - and haven't touched the set since !!!!!!!!! It was indeed far too time consuming and would have taken much too long to make a half dozen of them to give out as gifts to my aunts and uncles as I planned. It was just as well that I did not invest all of that time as I didn't make it to our family party due to inclement weather anyway.

I would love to make one for my sister and mother, but am afraid as much as they would like them they wouldn't really want them. They, like myself, have cut back on holiday decorating.

I am not going to go into detail on how to make these since there are surely hundreds of tutorials online already.

I chose Wisteria Wonder and Vintage Violet inks from Stampin' Up! to stamp with.

I used scraps of lace from my old sewing supplies stash rather than tulle that was shown on the sample on the front of the old Holiday catalog.

I applied clear drying liquid glue to all the edges of the ornaments then sprinkled them with glitter.

The metal snowflake brad , silver ribbon and polka dot purple card stock are from my craft supply stash.



Thanks for looking =)

Festive Flurry Swing Spinner Card

I finally broke down and bought the swing card thinlits dies

from Stampin' Up! last week (Happy Birthday to me !) 

and immediately put one to use.

All supplies used were from Stampin' Up!

Festive Flurry stamp set was stamped with Cherry Cobbler ink

onto Naturals card stock then cut with coordinating dies.

Nesting circle dies were used to create the metallic gold card stock frames. 

I also used one to cut out the middle of the circle to suspend the snowflake.

The Circle Thinlits die cuts a solid circle swinging piece. 

It's a handy die, cutting and scoring the complete swing card at one time !

A scallop circle punched piece of metallic gold card stock

was scored and folded, layered between the snowflakes die cuts.

The card base is made from textured Cherry Cobbler card stock.

I lightly brushed gold metallic ink along the edges.

The snowflakes are suspended with fishing line.

I sandwiched the ends of the line between the gold frames

that were die cut with the circle dies.

A 1/4" circle punch was used to make the center gold dot

( I would have rather used gold brads, but I wanted it to be 

a mail friendly card).

Thanks for looking =)