6" by 6" recipe page Bistro Burgers

Good Morning! How about grilling a burger for Labor Day? If you like basil this is the way to go. I love the combo of the basil with lemon, tomato, and cheese. Adding the lemon juice to the mayo really adds flavor. For this page I started off with old olive, and added real red and chocolate chip. I added some printed paper leftover from my BBQ apron cards with a grill on it. I used several punches again, the scallop circle, both circle punches and my NEW scallop border punch! Some red brads, a snap and it was done. Here is a salad I often make too.

Classic Macaroni Salad

2 c. cooked elbow macaroni

1 c. fat free mayo{ I use lite}

2 tsp. splenda

2 T. relish

3/4 tsp. mustard

salt and pepper

1/2 c. chopped celery

1/3 c. sliced carrots

1/4 c. chopped onion

1 boiled egg {sliced for the top}
Mix altogether and chill.{ I often add more veggies or chicken.}

111 cal. 2 fat 2 fiber [ 3/4 c. serving}

Hope you are having a nice weekend!

6" by 6" recipe page Sunshine Cake

This cake is one you may have already had, but a lightened up version. I promise no one can tell, it tastes just that good. It keeps well in the refrigerator and is great to take to potlucks. You won't be disappointed if you try it! For the page I used summer sun, white, and apricot designer paper. I stamped with apricot appeal ink using my tart and tangy stamp set. I added a dimensional of a scallop circle,circle, and a brad. That was it! I think it looks very simple and reminds me of a sunny day, just like the recipe itself. Hope you enjoy it!

Christmas Card

Merry Christmas??? I know its alittle early to be thinking of Christmas, but remember that Debbie Mumm paper I just got? Well, it has some sweet Holiday paper in it! I saw the penguins {not only did I immediately think of Jody, AKA penguin lover} but I thought about the penguin in my punch pals stamp set. Don't forget I just got my new Heard from the Heart set either, that I had to use on this too. When I was stamping "Welcome Christmas into your heart" it made me think of how fitting that saying really is. Welcome Christ into your Heart. Then the idea came to me! If I just don't ink the "mas" I could use that sentiment for baptisms, confirmations,etc. I'll have to try that sometime! I have another recipe page to post, but I'm off to work. I'll try to post it tonite. Have a great day!

Bag in a box

I also had time today to make some box in a bags. Can you tell I am really into Halloween today? You can find the directions for these here:http://dianagibbs.typepad.com/ They were really very simple to make. The inside bottom is a tiny box with paper wrapped around it, decorated, and closed with tab punches and ribbon. I may need to make a few more of these, they were just too much fun!
Here's a quick cake I make quite often. I just took out the ingredients to make one! {It's very low cal}

Diet Coke Cake

1 pkg. devils food cake mix

1 can diet coke

2 egg whites

Mix altogether and put in a greased 9x13" pan. Bake according to directions on the box. Cool.

8 oz. lite cool whip

8 oz. fat free cream cheese

Mix together and frost cake. Keep refrigerated.

I also am making this quick low cal salad.

Tomato and cucumbers

1 1/2 c.cucumbers, chopped

1 1/2 c.tomatoes,chopped

1/2 c. onion, chopped

6 tsp. splenda

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

1/2 c. water

1 tsp. dill weed

Mix altogether and chill.

And I plan on making Steak burritos.

2 lb. round steak

1/2 pkg. taco seasoning

1/2 sm. can mild green chillies

1 T. vinegar

1 chopped onion

Cook in crock pot 6-8 hours on low. Shred and serve in tortillas with Monterrey jack cheese. I'm getting hungry for tomorrow!

Hey! I got alot done today. Remember those sour cream containers we made but didn't decorate? I finished mine. {If you would like the directions scroll down and you will find them in another post.} The orange one was made with summer picnic paper and then I stamped tiny spiders all over it with black stazon. I added a spider that I had made awhile back with my cricut. Then I used my tab punch and some ribbon to tie it shut.For the other one I used some skull paper I found at Ben Franklin. I stamped some tiny spiders on the tab punch and tied it closed with ribbon. Guess what I put inside? Hershey kisses!

Fall birthday Card

Yesterday my friend Peg picked up a Debbie Mumm Harvest and Holiday paper pack for me! The one I really like! I had started a card that morning using my nestabilities and new Prima Daisey Doodles and when I saw the paper I knew it was just what I needed to finish it off. The card went together in no time! I have some fall Birthdays coming up so I plan to make a few more. Here's the recipe:
Paper:Old Olive,ruby red,Debbie Mumm
Ink: Chocolate chip
Other:Prima Daisey,raffia,button,nestabilities
Stamps:Heard from the Heart

Another Fall Birthday card

I just can't stop using Old Olive paper! Here is another fall card using my nestabilities and prima daisies. I am really liking my new stamp set "Heard from the Heart." I know I'll use it alot. I like the way the script is, and also what is says. Stampin Up could use more sentiment sets! I have never used primas before and I'm finding I really like them. The problem with that is now I'll be hoarding those too! I 've been enjoying making fall and Halloween cards lately and with the weather turning already, I think it's time to dig out my fall decorations this weekend. But first, I plan to make a few projects today. So check back later tonite and see what I've been up too! Here's the recipe for this card:
Paper:Old olive,summer sun,pumpkin pie, designer paper
Ink: chocolate chip
Stamps:heard from the heart
Other; Raffia,button,Prima Daisey,Nestabilities, eyelet

Special Day

Yesterday we went to our sons white coat ceremony for pharmacy school. They had a nice dinner and a program where he received his "white coat." He will begin his 4 year Pharmacy school next week. {He graduated with a degree in chemistry this spring.}It was a special day and we are so happy for him!

Sky Blue Embrace Life

I thought I would show you another card I made with the SU Embrace Life set after looking at the gallery on Splitcoast. This is made similar to the one I posted earlier. I used sky blue, white, and night of navy. The sentiment is from the Birthday Whimsy set. I am looking forward to tomorrow! I have the day off and besides finishing some chores around the house, I plan to make a few projects. Have a fun day!

6" by 6" recipe page "Basil Chicken Provolone"

Good Morning! It must have really rained last nite. I slept right through it I guess. I'm glad I don't have to water the flowers. Last nite before I went to bed I made this recipe page to show you today. I love basil and have some growing in a pot on my deck this summer. We grill almost everyday

so this is a frequent sandwich around here. I like to grill extra for our lunches the next day too. Lately with fresh tomatoes abundant we'll throw a slice on top. Gotta love basil with tomatoes! I used real red,white,chocolate chip, and you guessed it, more old olive. I had some designer paper with basil on it that I trimmed around the edges. I added some ribbon, a button, and 2 brads. Hope you have a great day!

My buddy Zoe

Here's another photo of my buddy Zoe. She follows me everywhere! It's going to be hard to bring her back. I think this means Brent should let me have another dog. We lost Griffey { a 14 year old retriever} this year and it was hard on both of us. He was such a part of our lives. It was hard on the kids too even though they don't live at home anymore. Zoe sure is fun to have around!

More Hershey Bar Pockets

Aren't these candy bar pockets awesome? Peg made them to sell at her church bazaar in Iowa. I think she did a great job! You can see the Debbi Mumm paper on the photo with the Christmas paper. I can't decide which ones I like the best. They all turned out so nice. I posted the directions for these on an earlier post if you want to try some just scroll down. I bet after you see all of these you'll be inspired to make some!

Rub-Ons

I really love this card! It's so simple. I made it at Yvonnes {SU Demonstrator} workshop not too long ago. She let us create a card using the rub-ons and flower fusions. One of my favorite colors is Old Olive. I am seeing alot of things on the blogs using the rub-ons on jars, candles, etc. not just cards. I am thinking of ordering the word flurries on page 178 for some Christmas projects. Another thing to add to my wish list! I'll be back later with some more posts!

Cutttle bug cards

After checking out Splitcoast under the Embrace Life set, I took a few ideas and put them together to come up with this card. I have some paper and ribbon that look very much like SU river rock. I thought they went well with groovy guava and ruby red. I stamped the flower on both colors and cut them out,rounding them with a pencil to give them some dimension. I also doubled them for further dimension. Then I put tiny pearl beads in the center with crystal effects. I ran the paper through my cuddle bug, and adhered it all together!

Refrigerator Pickles

I went to the Farmers Market Saturday and came home with some cukes. I have been so hungry for refrigerator pickles that my mom always made this time of year. Here's the recipe:



Refrigerator Pickles

8 c. sliced cucumbers

1 c. sliced onion

2 T. salt

Mix and let stand 1 hour. Drain and add:

2 c. sugar

1 c. vinegar

1 T. celery seed

These will keep in the refrigerator indefinitely.

The Princess

I am dog sitting for my daughter this week! I picked up little Zoe yesterday and we have been having fun together. She is a miniature Pomeranian. Her feet are about the size of my finger. I love to hold her and prance around the house pretending I'm Paris Hilton! This morning I took her out for a walk and I saw a huge lab running towards us that I had never seen before. He was huge and didn't look too friendly. I picked up Zoe and ran as fast as I could for the house. I didn't know I could run that fast! This could be an interesting week.

Tiny Takeout box

These are some Halloween Takeout boxes I have been working on. I'm trying to get a head start on some treats to stick in shoe boxes I send to my kids every Halloween. I started this tradition when they went away to college for during finals. They still like to get them! I found the tutorial for these by Beate Johns on Score-pal. I love her tutorials, they are so easy to follow. For this project you will need an 8" square piece of card stock,your score pal,crop-a-dile,ribbon,stamps, and adhesive. Then head over here http://scor-pal.com/apr_magazine/index.htm for the directions. Have fun!

6x6" recipe page " crockpot chicken"

Today I thought I'd show you another recipe page I made. This is a pretty simple recipe, but everyone really likes it. It tastes like the Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. If you have any leftovers its great for chicken salad sandwiches the next day. For this page I chose real red, night of navy,so saffron,and white paper. I cut out the chickens from some designer paper I had, and added red brads. At the top I used the round tab punch with another red brad. I have really been into recipe pages and cooking lately. I think its because of the fall weather! Check back tonite as I am finishing up a project I plan to post later.

Wild Rice Soup 6x6" recipe page

Good Morning! It feels like fall out there today. How about some good old comfort food? There have been requests for my wild rice soup recipe, so here it is! I make this alot during the winter months. It tastes even better the next day. It freezes well too. It's a thick soup but if you want it thinner just add some more water mixed with bullion to thin it out. For this page I chose black, white,and real red paper. I like to use punches and for this I used three! I used the spiral punch, word window punch, and the round tab punch. The black brad and checkered ribbon add a little bling. The loon stamp is from the Stamp Pad Company out of Big Lake Mn. As I'm posting this I can hear the loons outside. How appropriate is that? They must know I'm talking about them! I hope you try the soup. Have a fun day!

Hershey Bar Pockets from our stampin day

Check out these Hershey bar pockets, aren't they fun? Judy made the one with the stripes. She had some cool paper that she could cut, peel, and stick. Diane's is next, then Peg, Jody, and mine. Peg has already made more. She showed them to me yesterday. She used a Debbie Mumm Harvest and Holiday paper with glitter{ 6 1/2" x 5"} pad. Love that pad of paper, it has the cutest designs! She got it at JoAnns for 40% off. Diane tried to find one yesterday but they were all sold out! I 'll try to get a picture from Peg and post them. I can't remember where I got the directions but you start with a 7 by 7" square piece of paper. Score at 3 1/2" and fold. Then cut down the fold 1 and 1/2 " at the top and fold down to make a flap. Round the corners and glue the sides to make the pocket, and decorate. We only had time to make one, but with Halloween and Christmas around the corner, we all plan to make more!

Still more from our stampin day....sour cream containers

Jody brought us a project to do.... sour cream containers! They were so easy it took just minutes for us to make this pile. She even brought the candy kisses for inside. We all plan to make more and took ours home to decorate. I 'll post some that are decorated when we get them done. You can find a tutoial here:http://splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/sour_cream_container

And yet more from our stampin day!

We made some double pocket cards (you can find these at splitcoast too). Peg made this anniversary card for a friends 40th anniversary. I LOVE the colors. She used cranberry crisp ink which was my favorite in-color from SU awhile back. I am still hoarding some paper! She used her cricut for the tags. I made her hurry to finish it so I could post it today!
Then we made some Halloween double pocket cards. Everyone really got into these! I have to admit they were fun. The set is called Spooky Halloween and has the cutest bats and spiders!

More from our stampin day!

Jody {http://discoverdecipherdigest.blogspot.com/ gave me this cute bag-in-box! She got the idea at: http://dianagibbs.typepad.com/ It's so cute I can't wait to make some....thanks, Jody!

Here are 24 water bottle toppers Diane and I made for her friend Shelia. Hope you like them, Shelia! Diane worked like a busy bee mass producing them. We were ptetty proud of ourselves when we were done!

3x3 note card boxes

My friends and I spent ALL day into the nite stamping! We did manage to take a few breaks for food, though. We had a lot of fun making these 3x3 boxes with note cards inside. You can find the directions over on splitcoaststampers.com under resources. Here are a few close-ups.

Gift Card Holder

Aren't these a great idea? I made several to keep on hand for quick gifts! I found them over at http://impressionsbyrochelle.blogspot.com/search/label/Gift%20Card%20Holder . Rochelle has great directions on how to make them. You just need a piece of paper 4 1/4" by 10 3/4". Score at 4 1/4" and 8 3/4". I used SU Tart and Tangy and Old Olive ink. Then I used a glitter pen to add some bling to the present I stamped from the SU Birthday Whimsy set. I love those Gelly Roll clear star glitter pens! Thanks, Peg for showing me yours! I use it all the time! The slot for the gift card was a little tricky but I practiced a few times until I got it right. I can't wait to get some new Christmas designer paper and make some more!

Fun day!

I am all excited today because some friends are coming over to stamp and scrap! I will post the things we make later so be sure to check back!

North Shore

Hi! We just got back from the North Shore. We had a great time! Here we are waiting to eat at Fitgers Brewery.

We also went to Two Harbors and toured the lite house there. I had been there many times but I had heard they turned it into a bread and breakfast and I wanted to check it out. It looks like it would be fun!

Gotta stop at Betty's for pie!

Then a hike at Gooseberry and a scenic railroad trip.

And of course a stop at Michael's.

Water Bottle Toppers

These are some water bottle toppers I made! I see them on splitcoast all over the place. They are 2 1/2" by 8" and scored at 2 " and 6". I used two brads to hold the pouch together. Super easy and fun to make!