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).

YUM!

Yum! Doesn't this look delicious! It definately caught my attention. Thought I could definately create something with this as my inspiration. Although I wish I had a box of these to eat. hahaha. I came across this challenge at www.palspaperarts.com Come play along. (sorry my blog.google is acting up, I cannot do links at this time).

Here is what I came up with. I used a tomatoe red (non su!) color. I used a heart swirl embossing folder for further texture at the bottom. 1/2 inch chocolate grosgrain ribbon. SU! DS paper strips/ scraps and cupcakes from THE MORE THE MERRIER Hostess Level 3 (#115322) set. I popped 2 of the cupcakes up with STAMPIN' DIMENSIONALS (#104430). Colored images with PURE COLORS (retired) pencils. WORD WINDOW punch (#105090).

ALWAYS & FOREVER

Happy Saturday to all of you. Hope you are all staying warm. We (in Northeast Ohio) have had cold weather (20 degree and below) all week. The girls and I had a rough week trying to get back into the swing of things. I really enjoyed the Holiday vacation. The sound of that early a.m. alarm was not a pleasant one, that is for sure.
I finally got most of the Christmas stuff down and packed away. I am trying to get into the "VALENTINE swing". I am in a stamping/ design "rut". I have colored 20+ images, played with 5+ layouts, and have searched through many papers trying to find VALENTINE items. I did visit a Large Scrapbook retail store this week and found some adorable clear stamps, clearanced papers, and some rub-ons. Now I'm having a hard time creating something.
I did create a card using this week's MOJO120 Challenge. I love this weekly sketch challenge. It is my absolute favorite challenge. No stamping done at all on the card. Sticker chipboard and printed papers are all it contains. I love the vintage and distress feel of the design. Thanks for stopping by. Please come by and visit again.