Tulips

This is our first ever "Invisible Line" digi at Shelly's Images.  And I just love the soft look that this technique gives to the stamp.

I have created a video tutorial with all of the specifics on how I created this card.  The diamond fold cards are so pretty and dramatic.  

Thanks for visiting today.  :)

I actually did it!

Really, truly.  I really did!  I completed a couple of scrapbook pages!!!!!!

It seems like ages since I have done a scrapbook page.  And boy oh boy is it hard after making so many cards!  It wouldn't seem like such a difficult thing to do but for some reason I seem to have completely forgotten how to do a scrapbook page.  And I have a jillion pictures to scrapbook so I better get back into the swing of layouts!

Scrapbooking was my first love and the reason I even got into paper crafting.  And it does feel a little like "coming home" when I sit down and work on pages.  And I love to remember the special times in the photos.  

The first layout is pictures of my youngest daughter feeding our chickens.  I MISS having a chicken house so much.  I just love the look on her face in the middle picture.  I remember how tickled she was that the chickens were so hungry and coming right up to her.  

Hen Digi Stamp from Shelly's Images

Copic Colors: 

Wattle and Comb-R29, R20, R14

Beak-YR24, YR15

Face-R20, E53

Body-Y21, YR24, E57, E53, YR12

Eggs-BG10, BG000, 0 - E50, E33 - R20, E33

The second layout is of our son and his baseball team.  We have been to so many games for our children.  And I am always so proud of my children when I sit and watch them play the games they love.  Although I have to say that there have been so many close games and hours of sitting on the edge of my seat during the championship game.

Baseball Glove digi stamp from Shelly's Images

Copic Colors:

E57, E08, E35, E53, Y21, YR24

Laces-W5, W7, W9

Now to find a little more time in our crazy schedules to do more scrapbook pages.  :)

A Good Witch

Here is yet another card from the set I have been working on for a friend. 

This is SUCH a fun image to work with.  And she sure turned out cute on this partial front card.  

Card Measurements from Tutorial. (I made the A7 size)

Patterned Papers from my stash

Bazzill Papers- African Violet and Raven

Stickles for the hat, waist, and broom

Good Witch Digi Stamp from Shelly's Images

Copic Colors:

Skin-E000, E51, E21

Fence and Broom-E53, E25, E29, E35, E21, YR24, E57, Y21

Hair-YR24, Y21, YR20

Grass-G28, YG17, YG11, 

Dirt-E35

Green in Skirt and Hat- G20, YG06, YG11

Sky- B91, B93, C0

Christmas in May?

Ok...so it did feel a little odd to be making a Christmas card in May.  It is hard to even think about Christmas when we are enjoying such nice weather outside.  But, as I said yesterday, I have been working on a set of cards for a friend and wanted to send her cards for many different occasions.  

And, I will admit that I am addicted to these partial front cards.  They really turn out so pretty, and they are super easy and fast.  If you didn't see the tutorial at the Shelly's Images Blog you can find it here.

Card Measurements - Found in the Tutorial (I made the A7 size)
Santa Digi Stamp from Shelly's Images

Patterned Papers from my stash

Bazzill Papers - Crimson and Aspen

Ribbon and sequins from my stash

Gold Stickles, Liquid Pearl for Santa's beard, Crystal Accents and glitter for the "snow" on Santa's hat, and Crystal Accents for the lenses in Santa's Glasses.

Copic Colors used:

Skin-E000, E51, E21, touch of R30 for cheeks

Reds-R29, R27, R24, R14

Gray for Beard-C3, C0

Blue for eyes-B91

Yellow for bell-YR12, Y21

It really isn't too early to start making some Christmas cards for your stash.  I HOPE to get a very early start this year.  ;)

Birthday Double Dutch Card

I have been hard at work this week creating a set of cards for a friend.  So I have lots of different things to share.  :)

This card is a really fun double dutch card using Shelly's Images "1st Birthday" digi stamp.

This card was made to fit an A2 size envelope.

Measurements:

Card base measures 9" x 4 3/16" 

Score at 5 1/2 inches along the 9" side

Card bottom measures 8 1/2" x 2"

Score bottom at 2 1/8" and 6 3/8" along the 8 1/2" side

Place adhesive in the middle section of this base and adhere to the bottom of the card.

This forms the little wrap around at the bottom of the card.

Other information:

Patterned paper, ribbons, and sequins from my stash

Button from Aunt Minnie's button jar :)

Image: Shelly's Images 1st Birthday

Printed 3 times and paper pieced for the plate

Sentiment: Shelly's Images

Spellbinders die

Copic colors used:

Cake-Y21, Y17, YR24

Frosting-R35, R30, R32

Colorless blender

I hope you will try this fun card style.  

Sunday Supper

Hi everyone!

First I have to say that we have been having ALOT of fish and seafood for dinner!  Recently a new store opened in town called Seafood Thyme.  And we have had some of the best fish ever from their fresh fish market.

This weekend we grilled some Chilean Sea Bass.  My husband and I love to go to Kona Grill at the Plaza in Kansas City and one of our favorite dishes there is the Chilean Sea Bass.  So we had a standard that we were hoping we could achieve at home.  And WOW!  Did it ever.  This fish is so amazingly delicious.  You have to try it. 

Here is how we made our Chilean Sea Bass.

 First drizzle the sea bass with soy sauce and allow it to marinate skin side up for 5 to 10 minutes.

 Then turn the fish skin side down and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Not much salt since the soy has so much sodium.  

 Preheat the grill on low and then place the fish skin side down on the grill.

 After about 10 or 12 minutes the skin is completely charred and the fish has loosened and separated.  

 Test by lightly pressing on the side of the fish.  You can see how it easily pushes off of the skin.

 Oh YUM!  Perfect.

 Use the spatula to clean the grill.  Just roll the skin up and discard.

We like to serve our sea bass with a small cup of soy sauce.  And last night we also served it with spinach fried rice.  Actually...it started out being just plain fried rice and then we found some left over fresh spinach in the refrigerator and decided to add it at the last minute.  Dinner was amazingly delicious.  And even better than the Kona Grill.  Which is certainly an accomplishment.

Easter 2012

Happy Easter!

We had a spectacular Easter so I thought I would share a few of our traditions (both old and new) with everyone.

One of the new items for this Easter were these cute chocolate bowls filled with Easter candy.  I used these for each place setting at the table.  And also sent a larger basket to our neighbors.  They turned out SO cute, but one small warning...they melt very easily.  Next time I will use a quality chocolate rather than the chocolate bark. 

Here is one of the place settings.  I folded the bunny napkins which turned out so cute.  (Another Pinterest find.)

And the whole table.

Even our pets seem to get involved with the holiday preparations.  Claire loves to "help" decorate eggs.  She also loves to roll them off of the dining room table where they are displayed.

The dogs love to chase and bite open the plastic eggs.  I will be finding plastic eggs around the house for quite some time I think.

Each year at Easter I make a Carrot Cake.  I love decorating the top with the colorful carrots.  

For our Easter Egg Hunt this year we changed our tradition a bit.  In the past we have hidden eggs with coupons inside.  The coupons would be for things like "have Mom make your bed" or "rent a movie".  With only Taylor at home now the coupons don't work so well any longer.  So this year we hid eggs with letters inside of them.  The kids hunted for their egg color until they found all 5.  Then they brought their eggs inside and began to unscramble the letters to spell out a word associated with Easter.  

Here is Taylor beginning her unscrambling. 

hmmm....nope...Stop Hiliry isn't the secret code word.  

There ya go!

Our niece Michaela joined us for Easter and enjoyed the egg hunt. 

Nope...wrong again.  Michaela's word was Almighty.

Our daughter Jordan had lots of letters.  Her word was Resurrection.

Our oldest daughter Meghann and her boyfriend Zach seemed to enjoy the hunt.  Zach solved the unscramble with something like 4 letters. 

Once everyone had their secret words they got an envelope with some money.  

It was a really, really amazing day!

I hope you enjoyed a few of our Easter traditions.  I know that many lasting memories were made during this special day.

Should I share my Carrot Cake Recipe? 

Carrot Cake

• Ingredients 

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded carrots

• Instructions 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggs, oil, and sugar in large bowl; mix well. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix just until moist. Fold in carrots. Spread in greased and floured round cake pans. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes (less for smaller pans) or until cake tests done. Let cool completely. Frost with Cream Cheese icing.

  2. Notes 

     1 recipe = 2 8 inch cakes 
     2 recipes = 2 10 inch cakes
      2 recipes = 2 9 inch cakes and 12 cupcakes

Cream Cheese Icing

• Ingredients 

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
  • 8 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (about 2 lbs.)
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • About 5 1/2 cups of icing.

• Instructions

  1. Step 1 In medium mixer bowl, cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add sugar one cup at a time and milk. Mix well. Beat on high until smooth (only 30 seconds to 1 minute). Thin to ice cake smooth; use full strength for piping borders. 
  2. Step 2 NOTE: Do not use light cream cheese or butter substitute. If margarine is used, icing will be softer.