FOX & FRIENDS BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR 6

I have started selling items on ETSY. This is one of the kits I have for sale here:   (http://www.etsy.com/listing/53163104/unique-adorable-birthday-party-ensemble) This set includes paper party hats, party blowers, goody bags, invitations/ thank- yous, cupcake picks,  ribbon, store bought serving products, tablecloth,  and curly ribbon streamers.

This is an adorably unique ensemble that will work great for any young child's birthday, and/ or a baby shower. I used the Stampin' Up! set FOX & FRIENDS. I used So Saffron, Bashful Blue, and Rose Red for the colors. I found plates, napkins, flateware, and cups to coordinate at a local store.

*hint: because these stamps are a solid image stamp, it is best to use permanent ink such as chalk ink. stazon/ or pigment ink. I used chalk inks to get a crisp/ clean image.

Here is a close- up of the party hats. I found a pattern via internet and traced, cut, and assembled. I added paper strips with a hot glue gun and curled the strips with a bone folder. I think they are adorable. In this picture you can also see the mini cards that can be used for invitations/ thank- yous.

In this photo you can see more of the mini cards plus the goody bags (under the party blowers), and the party blowers. Aren't they cute?

Here is a close-up of the cupcake picks and the birthday boy/ girl's ribbon. This kit is sold with a box of confetti cupcake mix (makes 12 cupcakes). The picks will work perfectly to further decorate each yummy treat.

Tropical Luau Ensemble

All materials are Stampin' Up!
Finally got around to posting some pictures of some projects I made at my last Open House at the end of June. The ladies made the tag and the small take-out style box. I added the adorable coconut drink vessel and the card to make the ensemble complete.
MOST MATERIALS USED FROM SUMMER MINI CATALOG: Island Floral Bigz Die #118871, Island Oasis Party Favor Boxes #117178, Island Oasis Designer Series Paper #117173, Tropical Party Cear stamps #120081, Scallop Circle Punch #119854, Rhinestone Brads (Square Ice) #109113
(sorry cannot adjust this picture size)

Once flowers/ leaves were cut on the Sizzix machine,  I distressed/ shadowed the edges with classic ink in the same color (rose red/olive green)  I then used a bone folding tool to curl the petals.  I threaded string through the small button, tied in a knot,  and attatched button to the center with a glue dot. I fell in love with this line of products once I saw them in the catalog.  They are so bright, happy, and cheerful.

DISTRESSED SHADOWBOX WITH TIM HOLTZ

Ok, if you follow my blog you know that I met one of my favorite stamp artists back in April. I posted this picture back then but, had not got around to posting the picture of what I did with the photo. I decided to make a distressed shadow box. I coordinated the paper with both Tim's and my shirt.
I came across the shadow frame clearanced in a large chain store. I could not pass up the deal- 80% off.  It was already distressed to the extent that I wanted so I did not do anymore with it. It was perfect!

Here's a close up picture of the tag (sorry for the glare). I added pearl-like embellishments (misc.) to coordinate with the pearls I was wearing (my great-grandmother's). I added SU! polka dot ribbon (Bermuda Bay- retired) to the tag (size #8 tag). I added further metal embellishments from Tim's line (of course, could not use anythign else). I distressed with SU! Soft Suede classic ink and sponge dauber.  

I am so happy with the way it turned out... LOVE IT!!!! My husband doesn't understand it.

GOODY BAG TAGS

My youngest turned 9 this week. We had a small birthday party during the day because of our hectic softball schedules. Thank goodness the season is almost over.

Here is a picture of the goody bags I made up for the girls. I found these clear, snap closure bags a while back and decided to use them for take- home bags for the girls. I stamped a tag for each bag coordinated by color. Embossed texture using Sizzix Big Shot machine and plates.Filled each with stamps, ink spots, beads, bath gel, picture frames, and candy. Used a retired SU! set named  ALPHABITS and retired  1/4" square punch to label each tag with their names. Tied each tag on with retired SU! rainbow sheer ribbon. Colored each tag with COPICS and viola!

The girls just loved how they truned out! They couldn't wait to use the bags for their makeup and nail polish. They are going to use the tags on their overnight/ book bags.

CELEBRATE FREEDOM

Playing around with some non SU! stamps. Isn't she cute? Couldn't resist this one. Colored with Copics. Punched 3 different size and shaped stars and attached at various heights using dimensionals. Added small brads, star brads, and button in center of each star for more depth and texture. Used up some retired SU! (Ballet Blue) cardstock and some old (misc.) patriotic striped designer paper. I only had a 1/2 sheet of DS paper  (I got 12- 1" strips to make 12 of these cards). I thought it was a clever way to use a splash of  busy patterned paper that was sitting in my stash for many years. I whipped these up in no time at all. I like to make quick- "no frills"- cards these days.

 

I always decorate my hutch in my kitchen with various dishes and items that coordinate with the season, Holiday, or time of year. I have recently started to collect antique milk glass (white- from various makers). I like to coordinate these items with new and festive pieces to give an eclectic look. Here's what I did for INDEPENDENCE DAY. I like how it turned out.

COURAGE

Here is the card I made for a local wounded soldier (link for info regarding the soldier on June 30th post). I used  the SU! COURAGE set #115330 from pg 49 in the new catalog.  I borrowed this from my aunt (thanks Crystal). What a beautiful stamp! I really like the stippled/ collaged image, it is different than something I usually purchase. I may have to add this to my wishlist ( which is a mile long since the new catty release).

 I distressed the edges by tearing and inking with the new Crumb Cake Classic ink # 121030 color using an ink dauber #102892 from pg 195 in new catalog. I used a color combination found from the new Color Caoch #121620 on pg 165- Not Quite Navy, Red Ridinghood Red, and Crumb Cake. The Color Coach is a "MUST- HAVE" from the new catalog. I used color pencil to add further color and mounted onto cardstock with dimensionals #104430 on pg 197.

I hope everyone enjoyed their  Holiday weekend, and spent many wonderful hours with family/ friends. Thanks for stopping by.

Card For a Local Soldier

Hello, I have recently started FACEBOOK   http://www.facebook.com/  and am trying to get used to things. I know Iknow What took me so long?" Not sure I like it as much as everyone said I would.
Anyway, I was notified that a local soldier (19 years old) stepped on a mine and is suffering from numerous injuries. Read more here:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=127569070616771
I was asked to send a card and pass the news along to anyone else that may be interested in making/ sending a card.
If you are interested, please send some get well wishes, and encouragement to both him and his family. The card can be homemade, store bought, or an ecard. It can be a thank you or get well. After all, it is the soldiers that are fighting everyday that make this country great.  Truly sad, he's only a couple years older than my daughter. There are too many young men and women over there. I hate to hear things like this. They are happening nearly every day.

Here is the specific info.
National Naval Medical Center
LCpl Timothy Conner
c/o Marine Liaison Office
8901 Wisconsin Ave.
Bethesda, MD 20889

Please send me a note or an email letting me know that you participated. Thanks.

NEW 2010-2011 CATALOGS HAVE ARRIVED

The new catalogs have arrived and they are great! I have done some delivering this week to those that preordered.  If you are interested in ordering a catalog and having it delivered priority mail please email me.
You will love all the changes. The colors look fabulous together,the new COLOR COACH  is a "must-have", and the papers are yummy.
Let me know what you think.

Flutterby

Not much stamping going on here. I baked last Friday (brownies), my girls love when I bake. I have done  some craft supply shopping but, have not done any stamping. I did find time to put together 4 small (6x6) memory books for a few friends I work with . One of the main classrooms I work in is losing the main teacher and both paraprofessionals. The teacher is moving to FL and the others are moving to other buildings/ classrooms. I decided to make a small book to remind them of all the fun we had together (with the kiddos). I put various pictures of each student in the book and decorated them all very similar. Once all the photos were cut, they went together fairly quickly. I cannot post photos of the books secondary to confidentiality. I will give them to the ladies in a couple weeks or when all get together for SUSHI sometime in the next week or so.

I was able to fit in some more small gardening tasks on Sunday. All the sod is lifted and ready for good topsoil and to plant the foliage that I bought last week at a local nursery. I cannot wait to get that project done. The grass has started growing (seed was planted a couple weeks agao when the 20 trees were planted). My Lilac trees are really very pretty this Spring. Friday they had a sworm of butterflies all over them. I was so pleasantly surprised. They smell som wonderful too.

Both my girls are still playing softball this season. That absorbs so much of my time both evenings and weekends. Not to mention that my husband has been working out of town. Its so hard to keep up with everything. I don't know how some (single) women do it. My oldest daughter's JV (HS) team won first place the county tournament this past weekend. She hit back to back home runs (5 runs batted in) in the final tournament game. This was her first over- the- fence home run "ever" and it was so exciting. I am so proud. I know it couldn't have come at a better time. The girls all did well. It was an exciting good time.

Well, I guess I have run on a bit. It is getting late and have some things to do. Have a great week and thanks for stopping by.

2010-2011 IN COLORS

I just got the latest edition of my Demonstrator Publication- Stamin' Success today in the mail. I was pleasantly pleased to see the new IN COLORS that will be available for the next TWO YEARS.
Wow, so many changes and so much to keep up with. Along with the new ink colors, you will also find  new Designer Series Papers, Stamp Sets, Single Stamps, Ribbon, Big Shot Dies, Simply Scrappin' Kits, Stampin' Around Wheels, Punches, and embellishments.
Check out the new colors below:

I am loving the COLOR RENOVATION announced last month. I have cleaned out, reorganized, and have starting using these colors together more and more. They are truly beautiful. The new  IN COLORS will fit in with the new families fabulously. I cannot wait until I can order them. I think I want all of them, for sure. I know many of my customers will also. I'm hoping they will have Stampin' Spots and markers available... will have to wait and see.
Stay tuned for some samples using some new sets from the Summer Mini, some of the new color combinations, and sizzix dies.

An Eventful Weekend- Without Stamping

Even though we had spotty rain all weekend, my husband and I got a ton of yard work done. We had 4+ tons of dirt hauled in on Thursday evening. We borrowed a tractor and hauled all the dirt to the back yard to build a raised bed and to fill in a low spot (previous swing set/ playground area).  The swing set came down last fall and the cut out rectangular spot needed to be filled in. We got the grass planted and hopefully it will fill in quickly. Ahhhh... my yard back. Cannot wait to see the green grass.
All our neighbors have planted fences around us and as you can see from the picture, my yard bumps into yards of the neighbors behind us. This drives us crazy! It was one of the cons when we bought this house. We decided to go a little green and plant a NATURAL  fence line. I hope we do not regret this decision. It took us a year to decide what to do- we went back to our original plan after talking with professionals. I planted small perinneals (Spirea) in front of the trees (hard to see in the picture)  for a little color contrast in fron to f the everbearing trees. We are happy thus far.

I fit in some time while he was hauling the loose dirt (top soil) to plant my annuals in my planters on the deck and around the house. I have 4 of these large urn-like planters that I plant every spring. I always change the flower choice and colors. This year I decided purple (pansies) and orange (unknown) and instead of Sweet Potatoe Vine as I have always used, I decided to use English Ivy to grow and drape over the edge. I hope these do well.  I have always had great success with Pansies- one of my very favorite flowers. GORGEOUS!

KRAFTY TESS

I found a fun challenge while searching through my (near) daily blog list. The challenge is to use KRAFT anywhere and  anyhow on a card or project. Yeah- I'm digging this, Kraft has become my new favorite color . I'm so glad SU! has decided to keep it (renaming it Crumb Cake).

I decided to try out my new binding system that I purchased this past weekend at Adventure's In Stamping. Wahoo- I had a blast! It took me less than five minutes to figure things out. I made one error and I was soon off and running. I used thin chipboard (back of a used tablet of paper) in Kraft color to make the front and back cover. I filled it with 20+ pages.

I thought TOTE-ALLY TESS would fit on this size notebook perfectly.  She was colored with Gamsol and pencils. I paper pieced her tote and her jeans from retired SU! papers."I love thosejeans".  I sewed the buttons together with wire I learned this (from T!M HOLTZ) this past weekend. I decided to curl the ends around a pencil tip.I love the way that turned out. 

TIM HOLTZ

OMG... I finally met one of my favorite stampers- T!M HOLTZ. He is amazing, I took his Distress Class on Friday and then watched demos for nearly 3 hours on Saturday during the Akron's Adventures In Stamping Convention.  He really is fun to watch and does some amazing things. He's got clever thoughts and is so knowledgeable. It was such a treat. I had a wonderful time both days.

COLOR TALK

I got my hands on actual CS in the new (upcoming) colors. WOW! They've done it again. I love them! I know a lot of my customers have had many questions so I thought I'd do some color comparisons for you.

DAFFODIL:  Yum! This color is lighter than CURRY but darker/ brighter than SAFFRON. Forget the vivid YO-YO, this is truly a perfect shade of yellow.  Perfect for cheery Birthday, Spring, and Summer cards or projects.

MARINA MIST: This color is lighter than the previous In- Color BLUE BAYOU but definately a similar hue. It is a blue with a green undertone. It is a very inviting color. It has a nautical/ beach feel to it.  Definately can be used for Birthday, Masculine, Sympathy and Thinking of you cards and projects.

CAJUN CRAZE: Wow! This color is rich, rich, rich!  It is darker than REALLY RUST. Very nice compliment to Baja Breeze, and Early Expresso. Will work fabulously for all Fall Projects.

CHERRY COBBLER: Sumptuous! Truly the color of cherries. This just may be the perfect shade of red. Less bright than REAL RED and darker/ richer than RUBY RED. Totally different shade than  RIDINGHOOD RED.  Will work great for all Christmas, birthday, Thank - you, and misc cards and projects.

EARLY EXPRESSO:  Delicious! Truly looks like a cup of expresso. Very dark. rich chocolate color. This brown is darker than CHOCOLATE CHIP. When held next to CHOCOLATE CHIP  it shows the red undertones in the CHOCOLATE CHIP that are not noticeable at first. If you thought CHOCOLATE CHIP  was a perfect brown you will love EARLY EXPRESSO,   I promise.

All of the new colors, plus newly relaesed In- Colors (will be announced soon) will be available in markers, CS, inks, refills, and ribbon. As always, SU! has covered all areas of design and makes it easy to coordinate all items needed to make a completely matched project.

Due to upcoming circumstances/ changes, I will be selling some retiring ink colors and stamp sets from the existing SU! catalog. The changes will take place by the end of June 2010. Please email me or let me know if you are interested in me reserving any of these for you. I will sell once they have retired. I will be adding retiring stamp sets when I get notification in a couple weeks.

I have 3+ sheets of cardstock, classic ink pad, classic ink refill,  and stampin' marker for all the following:  $8.00 each bundle
Lovely Lilac
Almost Amethyst
Pale Plum
Ballet Blue
Sage Shadow
Mint Melody
Gable Green
Blush Blossom
Only Orange
Barely banana

I have Bordering Blue cardstock, classic ink pad, classic ink refill, stamin' marker, and classic wheel cartridge for $10.00 for bundle.

I am selling these retired stamp sets now:
It's A Loop Thing $5.00   (2009)
Doodle That $5.00    (2007)
Pocket Full of Posies $5.00   (2005)
Made From Scratch $5.00   (2005)
Spring Solitude $5.00   (2008)
All The Best $5.00   (2004)
Shapes and Shadows $5.00   (2004)

COLOR RENOVATION

Stampin' Up! announced last week their plans to renovate their colors. They have decided to scale down and "weed out" a lot of colors. The changes have received various reviews. I am still feeling uncertain about the change. I need to see how things will work out in the next 6+ months to feel more comfortable.  There are going to be many changes. Some gradual and some abrupt. Getting used to the changes will take some time. I hope this announcement does not upset my customers and people too much. 

 As a demonstrator I have decided to not to keep stock in some of the retiring colors. I will be selling inks, cardstock, papers, refills, and markers.  I am expected to buy new colors and new inventory so i will need to purchase these things.  I received a piece of cardstock in all the new colors today in th email- beautiful! I was upset to hear CURRY was going but DAFFODIL is a very good "fill in" choice- "I love it". 

The renovated palettes in the new color collections (formerly known as color families) are "hip" and ""highly functional". They are exciting colors and will be very easy to coordinate. 

BRIGHTS: This new collection is a mix of happy colors. Easier to work with than the previous brights.  This collection covers all basic colors without being overly dramatic. You will be reaching for these colors more than you did before.

SUBTLES: This collection hold luscious, "yummy" colors in all pastel glory. This color collection brings back many of the previous IN- COLORS and adds a soothing shade of blue (Marina Mist). This collection is still baby soft but, yet sophisticated.

REGALS: This collection is rich and delightful. They have depth, and warmth. These lavish colors are a "must" for  all vintage projects.  Sumptious!

NEUTRALS: Who can live without this collection? One or more from this family are used on nearly every card made. They work flawlessly with all the other color collections and smashingly when used together. Crumb Cake (formerly known as Kraft) will be a "must have" and will now be available in ink, marker, along with cardstock. Each color in this collection should be available for individual cardstock color packs. 

***It sounds like SU! will still have IN COLORS and they will last 2 years opposed to just the 1 year. SU! will slowly fade colors out of each color collection (3-5 years). They will release more specific info regarding  IN COLORS in May. Expect more changes with stamps, embellishments, and papers too*** 

Saint Patrick's Cupcakes

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Had time to bake some cupcakes yesterday (cheated and made from box mix). Found these toppers, candies,  and adorable shamrock paper wrappers at the local craft store a couple weeks ago. Added green coloring into the batter prior to baking. Colored vanilla frosting and Viola! You definately get a green tongue afte reating them.  Gave away cupcakes to a couple neighbors as a "good luck" surprise.  Everyone enjoyed them. My girls will have the rest gone by the end of the week. YUM!

"Luck of the Irish to ya"

BALSAMIC GLAZED CHICKEN WITH GRILLED VEGETABLE SALAD

Here is my new recipe this week.  Balsamic glazed chicken. I made this for dinner last night. I cooked the chicken in a grill pan on the stove. My outdoor grill has not been uncovered yet. Spring will be here very soon and that "puppy" will be put to use nearly every night for months. I love the taste of grilled/ charcoal grilled foods. Ok, enough about the grill and on to the recipe. I am a semi- homemade kind of cook, and when I came across this recipe I knew I had to try it. 

RECIPE:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 C olive oil, use some for vegatables too

1/4 C balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. Dijon- style mustard

1 red pepper, sliced thick

1 red onion, sliced thick

Mix ingredients in 1 gallon resealable bag and place chicken breasts in bag and turn to coat. Marinate for 2 hours -overnight in refrigerator. Remove chicken from marinade and discard bag.  Grill chicken on medium about 14 minutes or until cooked through. Turn chicken over half way through. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil. salt and pepper to taste. Add vegetables to grill and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Add warm vegetables to bed of baby spinach. Dress with favorite dressing.  I also added a little crumbled blue cheese. Viola! This salad looked so "gourmet" it really could not have been easier or more delicious.

Here is my try at MOJO128. I pulled out the trusty SU! color wheel and picked these colors- saffron, Amethyst, and Celery. I used 6x6 DS paper samplers- mixed and matched. I found these great light green bling stickers at a local store and used them on my shamrock cards last week-wanted to use them again on this cutie. I am so in to owls... I think I have 10 single owl stamps and 5+ sets with owls in them. I even found some funky carved owls for my living room. They remind me of the 70s and the decor of my house as a child.

Material: So Saffron, Almost Amethyst, and Certainly Celery CS; XL 2-Step Bird Punch (branch and leaves);Scallop Trim Corner Punch; 1 3/4 Circle Punch; Fox & Friends Stamp Set (owl); Scallop Mega Punch; Green Sticky Rhinestones.

YOU'RE LATE FOR A VERY IMPORTANT DATE

If you have not got your tickets or have not seen the new Alice In Wonderland you are LATE... it's fantastic! Bizarre, Burton-like, Thrilling, Humourous, Colorful, and Action packed... I loved it. We saw it in 2D and it still was great. Gotta love Johnny Depp! Yum!

I was totally inspired by this month's STAMPIN' SUCCESS examples on page 13 for these cards. This was a pefect opportunity for me to hit the scrap bin again. I used multiple green scraps punched with triple heart punch to make the shamrock cuties. Used up some old 1yd spools of ribbon bought at local store. I did not purchase the GOING GREEN individual stamp as used for my inspiration pieces (highly suggest you get this one,it is perfect to use for St. Patricks cards. I used an old (probably 10+ yrs. old) St. Patricks verse from multiple holiday set. I stamped on a 1 3/4 inch circle and mounted on a coordinating green square. Embellished square piece with mini silver brads in 3 corners. Stuck a bling/bead in center of the shamrock to give a finished look. I had some extra hearts punched and some more sahara cs scraps so I chose to make some tags. I love tags...they are so easy and fun to make. Now, I have to decide what I will do with the tags. Any ideas? give me ideas in your comments.

GOING GREEN individual stamp #117074
1 3/4 circle punch # 112004

silver brads #104336

sahara sand CS #105328

Heart to Heart punch #113694

Here is another project we made at my last workshop. Rather simple really- looks harder than it is. It is 1/2 sheet of 12x12 paper cut on the bias and then rolled (similar to a party hat I made for new years). Once rolled and glued I attached a butterfly punchie and ribbon to hang it. You could always add longer ribbon so it could be hung on a door knob or hook. It can be filled with candies and other goodies. I glued 2 cherry candy canes togeher to form a heart and placed it inside.

hello

I'm back. Just returned from a fabulous relaxing scrapbooking weekend retreat. I have not scrapbooked since last February. It was nice to switch gears for a while and get some things accomplished. I don't know why I have not done scrapbooking is such a while. I got near 40 pages done- got very little sleep but still enjoyed every minute.

I have made a goal for myself to try to get a few pages (at least) done per month. I hope that I can stick to it.

My husband made it home while I was gone. I'm glad to have him home. He had the house cleaned, laundry (1/2 ) done, kids tended to (sports and food), and my dog back at home by the time I got home. It was a good weekend.

Here are samples of cards made with SU! sweet treat cups (heart and circle). I used SWEET CENTERS #116521 from the Holiday Mini along with the SCALLOP SQUARE PUNCH #112081, 3/4 POLKA DOT REAL RED RIBBON #115608, Misc. DS PAPERS, SCALLOP TRIM CORNER PUNCH #118870, and filled the cup with heart shaped chocolates.


Used SWEETHEART #120780 (clear mount) from the Valentine Promotion flyer, Misc. DS PAPERS, HEART SHAPED CUPS #120435, 3/4 REAL RED POLKA DOT RIBBON #115608, PINK PASSION and REAL RED cs, and filled with cinnamon hearts.

Hello

Hello bloggers, I'm still here... just not been stamping/ crafting lately. We've had some very unfortunate events happen this week and I have not had time, energy, nor a desire to craft. I know the MOJO will return sometime.
My aunt (mother's sister) passed away on Monday after a illness caused by a bacteria (difficult to treat) passed to her while in a hospital. I've heard about these type of cases/ situations on TV or through community events but never thought this type thing would happen to smoeone in my family. She was a very kind, loving, adventurous woman whose life was cut short and it is true when they say "only the good die young". I will truly miss her. The whole family will miss her.

We have received our 2nd "bizzard-like" storm of the winter season last night after the funeral. I would guess that we have more than 12 inches and they are expecting more storms on Monday and Tuesday. I am truly thankful that my neighbor was able to help "dig us out" today. My poor 14 year old lab, the snow is up to her nose, and she is having a hard time walking in it. Thank goodness I have a JEEP and I was able to get to the store for milk, bread, soda, eggs, etc before the next batch comes in. We may be snowed in for a couple days.

My husband (electrician) was called out to Virginia to assist the people with power line difficulties. He was stranded by himself on I76 for 8+ hours last night. There were accidents and the highway was closed for many hours. They refused to let people continue to drive until late this morning. He finally was allowed to move around 11:00am. I hope and pray he gets to his destination in one piece and gets some desperately needed sleep before going on to his final destination (somewhere near Baltimore). Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Ok, Im off to check on my girls and see if the laundry is ready to switch. Have a great weekend and try to stay warm.

I made an adorable Vintage "shabby" banner using the Pennant Die from SU! and some vintage (free) images from the internet. LOVE IT! Distressed with cocoa and choc. chip inks. Added glittered letters from a banner I've had for years, the rest of the old banner was trashed. I recycled, didn't I? Although the font does not match up perfectly with the style and look I'm pleased with how it turned out. Great way to go "green". Thanks for stopping by.

MINI MILK CARTON

The pink milk carton is one of the projects that the ladies made at my Valentine Workshop yesterday. They filled them with pink M&Ms and finished them off with red or pink ribbon and clips. They all turned out so cute. Most the ladies loved their cartons. I did get a few grumbles about folding and putting the cartons together (the hardest part) but most got the hang of it and completed them with their own adorable little touches.
The second picture is made from the mini milk carton but the top is removed. It was folded the same way. I added a scallop trim border (to resemble lace). Placed two lip glosses in the small SU! flat cello bag. Added a epoxy sticker. Tied a cute ribbon on top and stuffed some bag filler in to finish it off.

PAN ROASTED CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES

Here is another easy and yummy recipe I came across in my cookbooks. I made it this week and everyone enjoyed it. That is a good thing, it s hard to please everyone. I enjoyed it because it reminded me of summer flavors. I miss the grilled taste of meats and vegetables. We grill almost every meal when the weather here in Ohio is warmer. From Spring through Fall we use our grill. My husband has really become a good charcoal cook. He makes a mean BBQ chicken.

Sorry the pictures are not the greatest. I tried to get a decent picture to show all the yummy goodness. Make sure you cut your squash thick so that it does not get "mushy" while the potatoes are cooking.

RECIPE:

2 large potatoes, unpeeled

1 medium zucchini

1 medium squash

1 large red onion

1 large red bell pepper

4 T olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tsp. rosemary, divided

1/2 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 egg beaten slightly

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut potatoes, zucchini and squash in half lengthwise then cut crosswise. Cut potatoes into 1/4 inch slices and squashes in 1 inch slices. Cut bell pepper and onion into 1 inch chunks, Place vegetables into a Bar pan and toss with 2T olive oil. Press garlic over vegetables. Sprinkle with half the salt, pepper, and rosemary. Toss well and place around edges of pan. Combine bread crumbs, rosmary, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, set aside. Lightly beat an egg in a shallow dish. Dip chicken breast in egg and then into bread crumbs and arrange in the middle of the bar pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Makes 4 servings.

Valentine Matchboxes

Here are a couple pictures of some Valentine matchboxes I made for an upcoming workshop. The ladies will be surprised when they see what is hiding inside- I hid some candies in all of them and put a gift certificate in a couple of them. Yeah!
There are so many things that you can put in these little boxes. They would be perfect for: weddings, showers, classroom parties, church get-togethers, hanging on the Christmas Tree, Secret Santa office gifts, presenting wallet sized pictures, giving a pair of earrings, mini photo albums or gratitude books. The possibilities are endless.


I think they all turned out so adorable. I love all the mix-matched color patterns and textures. I can't get enough of the pink and red these days. I used up some old SU! papers in shades of pink and red. They shades of colors worked out perfectly.
I have really got good use out of my SIZZIX, Dies, and punches these past few weeks. The dies are sturdy, and nearly indestructible. I love everyone I own.

Material:
SU! Exclusive MATCHBOX Bigz XL Die (#114890), SCALLOP SQUARE PUNCH (#112081), HEART TO HEART PUNCH (#113694), misc. buttons in red and pink tied on with white string.

If you don't already have any of these items listed above (in pink) I highly suggest you purchase them for your Valentine goodies. I consider these "Must Haves". The purchase of all these would qualify you for a FREE SAB set from the pink catalog at the right of this blog. Email me if you have any questions. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great week.

MOJO123

I played around with the MOJO Monday sketch again today. I thought this sketch looked clean and crisp and wanted to keep my image the same. I used string to hold the two buttons together and put a small piece of the ribbon between the two and pulled the string tight. I like the way it turned out. I had never done this before.

Material:
Razzleberry Lemonade DS paper. Melon Mambo card base. Melon Mambo ribbon. Triple Heart Punch. Non SU! buttons.

I am in the Valentine mode. I have been making cards, pennants, tags, bookmarks, treat bags, boxes,clothes pins, and lollipop covers. I still have a few more things to make. I got another SU! order delivered today- yippee!
Here is a photo of one of the bookmark styles I made. I was inspired from the bookmark found on page 64 of the main SU! catalog. I punched the hearts with the FULL HEART punch (#113693). I stayed with the traditional Valentine colors and used mostly scraps- wow, this is a great way to use up some scraps. I'm already thinking of ways to use spring color scraps for Easter. I have a tone of scraps that really need to be used.
I have a workshop this weekend and I marked one of these bookmarks for an attendee to win a small goody bag filled with Valentine themed die cuts, punchies, buttons, eyelets, paper strips, and mini incentive stamps. I also have some other clever ways to win small prizes. I will post them later.
Please stop by this week and next to see some more Valentine projects I have been working on. I will be uploading them in the near future. Have a great Monday.

Italian Sausage Casserole

I just love casseroles in the winter. I found this recipe in a cookbook that has easier/ speedy meals for the working mom. It is a perfect cookbook for me. I have a large cookbook collection and have been very bad with using them lately. They are just sitting on a shelf in my pantry collecting dust. I made a goal for myself (since Novemeber 2009) that I would pick 1-2 new recipes each week. I have done fairly well keeping up with my goal.

I have made baked potatoe soup, seafood lasagna, cranberry/cornbread stuffed pork chops, baked salmon with honey glaze, pita pizzas, chicken salad, white chili, and pasta primavera to name a few. So far all have been a hit with the family. My oldest (15.5 years) is the pickiest and she has liked most of them. . She used to be a better eater than she is now, I wonder if teenage years have anything to do with this. :0 This contemporary casserole is a mixture of Italian and Frech cuisine. The savory custard dipped bread comes from the France and the other ingredients are definately Italian. I tried to get a picture before my family "dug in" but obviously that did not happen. This casserole is perfect by itself or perfect to serve with a mixed green salad with Italian cheeses and a vinegrette.

Meat Mixture:

1.5 lbs of Italian sausage links, casing removed

1 medium zucchini

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

1 medium red pepper, diced

1 jar (16 oz) Alfredo sauce. divided

Topping:

1/2 C milk

2 eggs

1 garlic clove, pressed

2 tsp. Italian Seasonings

1/8 tsp. salt

12 slices of firm Italian bread, 1-2 days old

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained

2 T fresh parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut sausage into 1/2 inch pieces and cook in frying pan until no longer pink and well browned. Remove sausage from pan and drain.

While meat is browning slice zucchini and mushrooms thinly. Dice red pepper. Add 1 cup Alfredo sauce to the pan and bring to boil. Stir in sausage and vegetables and toss until all is covered with sauce. Pour mixture in 2.5 quart oval or square baking dish mounding in center.

Whisk remaining Alfredo sauce, milk, and eggs. Add garlic, 1 tsp of Italian seasoning, and salt.

Cut crusts off the bread and dip into egg mixture, coating lightly; overlap bread in a circular pattern over sausage mixture. If using square pan go around edges, evenly spacing leaving center open.

Drain tomatoes and add remaining Italian seasonings. Spoon tomato mixture over the open center. Grate the cheese ove rthe top of the entire dish (bread and all).

Bake 30-35 minutes or until edges of bread are golden and toasted. Serves 8 people.

MOJO WEEK #122

My husband took my youngest daughter to a sporting practice and my oldest is at a HS basketball game. I'm enjoying the peace and quiet and waiting for American Idol to start. Made Belgian Waffles for dinner- yum! Actually had time to do this week's MOJO Challenge created by a fellow SU! Demonstrator Mary Fish. I enjoyed this layout. Broke out a new SU! cling stamp set TOTE-ALLY TESS (#118595). Very ingenious- SU!!!!!! These clings rock! I absolutely love this idea. Can't wait to show my customers. I think they will love them too. I'm off to finish some matchbox favors for an upcoming workshop I'm hosting. I just love the BIGZ XL dies from Sizzix/ SU! (#114890).