Happy Independence Day!

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

May we never forget that Freedom is not Free.  When a free people believe their rights come not from God but from the government; they are no longer a free people, but slaves to the government.

Protect your freedom, America....VOTE!  Happy Independence Day!

4th of July Table Decor - May Arts

The 4th of July is right around the corner!  It's the perfect time to celebrate our FREEDOM with friends and family in patriotic style.  May Arts Ribbon has so many beautiful red/white/blue ribbons to make dressing your table easy.

It was dreary and rainy when these photos were taken.  I had to hurry so the paper items wouldn't get droopy but I'm hoping for a beautiful 4th to add American flags to our table.

Head to the May Arts blog for all the details and a tutorial for those cute "sparklers".

CAS Monday - Hello you

It's Monday (almost) and that means it's time for the CAS challenge (CAS177) on SplitcoastStampers.  This week is a color challenge to use Navy, Olive and White.  I was thinking about the Stamp It! Cards Hello Challenge in the Moxie Fab World so I combined the two.

Supplies

Stamps - Papertrey Ink Trendy Tree Tops

Paper - Neenah; Stampin Up

Ink - Stampin Up Night of Navy

Other - Papertrey TTT dies; scallop border punch

Rubbernecker Stamps Sisterhood Sunday Challenge SS19

It's time for the monthly Rubbernecker Stampin' Sisterhood challenge!  This month we have an inspiration challenge for you. 
                              
Perfect for the month of July, don't you think?   We're spoiled because we can take a walk on the beach whenever we'd like.  (We don't get there often enough though!)  Here's my take on the challenge:  my blue is deeper IRL but I couldn't get it to show up on the computer without making the whole card too dark. 

I used a cool product called Mud Puddles Bahama Beach on the sand!

Our son and his wife will be celebrating their anniversary this month so I thought this would be a good card for them.  I used the fun interactive stampss from Rubbernecker Kitty Kits Cause a Scene Beach Master and What's for Lunch #5. 

               

You get so many stamps for the money from these sets and an endless amount of scenes!!  You can win a stamp set of your choice and get a badge for your blog  for playing along so why not join the team and celebrate summer with us.  You've got a whole month to play!!

Be sure to stop by the rest of the Design team blogs (on my sidebar) to see what the rest of DT has created to inspire you!

Supplies:
Stamps - Rubbernecker Stamps Kittie Kit Cause a Scene Beach Master/What's for Lunch #5; Party Time 539 (sentiment)
Ink - Memento;  A Muse; Copics; watercolor pencils
Paper - Papertrey Ink Kraft; Stampin Up; Neenah
Other - Poppy Stamps Picket fence die (I cut off the tops); Mud Puddles Bahama Beach (this stuff is COOL!)

Thanks for stopping by!!

Foodie Friday - Mmmmmm Summer!!

Summertime...melons, berries, tomatoes and PEACHES...love them!  When I was a little girl, I didn't like peaches.  Maybe it was the texture or the fuzzy skin, I'm not sure, but that all changed when my great-aunt made a peach cobbler.  Mmmmm, mmmmm...I've been hooked ever since.

Each summer when we go to visit our kids/grandkids, we plan a trip to the peach orchard on the way home.   Before we leave, we poll our neighbors and friends to see who wants some.  :-)    We eat our fill of the luscious peach ice cream they make there and then head home with our fragrant bounty.

Thankfully, they don't all fully ripen the same day, but there is very short window to preserve and eat them.
Here's how I preserve the peach bounty for eating all through the year.

First, peel and measure out a quart of peaches.  I've found a one quart glass measuring cup filled to the top fills a one quart ziploc freezer bag nicely.

Is your mouth watering yet?

I have ready 1/2 c. sugar mixed with 1/4 t. Fruit Fresh.

Pour 1/2 the sugar mixture into the bag, then the peaches, and the rest of the sugar mixture.  Here's where the kiddos can help out.  Shake the bag until the sugar and peaches are combined.

Take a plastic drink straw, open the bag just a bit, and suck the air out of the bag.  (I know there are machines for this part, and I own one but the bags are costly and they suck the juice out as well. Kinda defeats the purpose.)

Here's how well this method works.  While clearing space in the freezer for the new bounty, I found this bag from 2010.  Still beautiful and delicious!

Of course, that frozen bag of peaches went to good use!  I mixed it with some of the fresh ones, grabbed some Perfect Pie Crust from the freezer and with just a few minutes of prep, we had PIE!

Look at those beautiful bubbles, right out of the oven!

Come on over, I'll put the coffee on!

WOYWW160

Good grief...it's Wednesday, already!  That means it's time for another What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday (WOYWW160)  Julia'sStamping Ground across the big pond. 

There is something wrong with my blog.  I have to reload the page 5-6 times to get the little admin bar at the top to load.  Anybody else having that issue?  It started right after vacation and is getting annoying.  I couldn't find a fix in Google.

At any rate, my workdesk is uneventful.  I'm working on a couple of DT projects that must stay out of site and the project for the final round of the May Arts DT. 

I took a partial shot of my shelves, which I now see need serious straightening!!  Guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow.

Be sure to head over and see what's going on in the rest of the world.

Clean and Simple Teapot Tuesday

It's been a strange few days around here...a dear friend who is one of the healthiest people I know, had to get a pacemaker and my dear next door neighbor has passed away.  Add that to the fact that this is our second week with NO sunshine.   I know that won't garner any sympathy from you northerners but this is the "Sunshine State"!  We're ready for that tropical storm to to move on out.

I combined this week's Splitcoast Clean and Simple Sketch Challenge (CAS176) with the Teapot Tuesday Challenge (MMTPT204).  The last Tuesday of the month is Tickle a Teapotter week where the teapotters (translate - anyone who wants to participate...including you!) makes a card to send to a secret fellow teapotter.  We get an email after all the cards are in with a name and address.  It's so much fun to get surprise mail, especially when it's a handmade card! 

This month, we're going on a cruise so we were assigned to bring all things cruise related.  I chose a sparkly cool cocktail courtesy of Rubbernecker Stamps Party Time (439).    I love this set!  It's got you covered for any occasion with fun images and sentiments.  Here's my card for the challenge:

I colored my drink with copics then sparkled up the bubbly with some glitter.  Fun glittery cardstock from DCWV Citrus Stack (one of my all time faves) provides even more sparkle and a bit of May Arts twine ties in the Kraft cardstock.

Here's the sketch card by new CAS Summer DT member Miss Minx:

Come along and cruise with us.  I'd love to send my card to you!

Best of May Arts Prima Ribbonistas Week

It's that time of year when the Ribbon Lady hosts the best of Prima Ribbonistas projects for the year.  It's a time of celebration of a wonderful year of May Arts Ribbon creations and a chance for you to go back and see some projects you may have missed.

The Ribbon Lady is giving prizes away too so be sure to head to the MA Blog Week posts to comment.

I share the day today with the awesomely creative Jingle and Vera Yates so be sure to tell us what you think.

I forgot to share that I made the cut for the final DT round for May Arts!!  I'm so thrilled to be in the running for another chance to showcase beautiful May Arts Ribbons!

I'll be back later with my Clean and Simple Monday post...still trying to catch up from vacation!!  Foodie Friday will reveal what I've been doing.  :-)

Thanks for stopping by...now head to the May Arts blog and win some ribbon!!

WOYWW, CAS and Blog Candy

If you're looking for the May Arts/Graphic Blog Week post, please scroll down one.

We've been on vacation visiting our family up north for a week.  I must say, little ones are so much fun and ACTIVE.  I've got bruises from playing baseball every night but it was worth it.  I've been buried under laundry and few other things since we got back so this is the first chance I had to get in the studio and "play".

It's time for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday (WOYWW159) over at Julia's.  If you haven't dropped in, you should...there are some really nice people there!  The workdesk isn't too busy..yet.  I have the makings of a flower I used ....

                               

on this card for the Clean and Simple Challenge (CAS175) on SplitcoastStampers.  The challenge this week is an inspiration challenge based on a bathing suit.  You can see it at the link.  Here's my take on the suit.  Black and white with a bit of ruffle in my flower.

Supplies:

Stamps - Rubbernecker 2012 Best Wishes Set 600

Ink - Versafine

Cardstock - Neenah Solar White

Other - May Arts Black Silk Ribbon; plastic flat back bling; white fabric; candle; glue dots

 I didn't forget that today is the day I promised to draw for the monthly blog candy.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

13

Timestamp: 2012-06-20 03:01:59 UTC

okienurse said...



Happy WOYWW! I follow you by google reader and I am clueless as to the die! I have seen it before but my memory is not that great. Love your card and that stamp set. Very creative using the glasses and cupcakes! Thanks for sharing and have a great week. Vickie #51

June 6, 2012 2:44 AM


Thanks Vickie!  Send me your snail addy and the die will be on the way to you.  There will be another random drawing sometime next month for followers only so stay tuned. 

May Arts/Graphic 45 Blog Week

                           

It's time again for the May Arts Design Team to join the Graphic 45 Design Team to bring you a week full of exciting projects and giveaways! 

I'm helping to begin the week with a paperbag book album featuring Graphic 45 Kraft Reflections Designer Papers, Graphic 45 Staples Embellishments and of course, gorgeous May Arts Ribbon.  I tried to keep it simple enough that pictures/journaling cards could be added if desired.

The right page is actually from an old, really old (!), crochet newletter.

Of course, there will be prizes!  How to win?  Just leave a comment on the blogs along the way.

Supplies:

Paper - Graphic 45 Kraft Reflections, Papertrey Ink Kraft/Smokey Shadow

Ink - Versafine Sepia/Black

Stamps - Graphic 45 Antique Typewriter Wood Set

Ribbon - May Arts 1/8" Velvet, 1/2" Solid Wrinkled, 1/2 inch Velvet/Solid Edge, 3/8" Velvet Ric Rac, 5/8" Crochet, 3/8" Double Faced Satin, 3" Single Faced Bias Cut Satin, 1 1/2" Grosgrain/Ivory Stripe

Other - paper bag book; black hang tag; book rings; feathers; brads; Stampin Up Hodge Podge hardware; flat back pearls, Recollections black adhesive backed bling; Crystal Effects; double sided tape; sewing machine

I've included the full week's blog list so that you can check back in to see each day's projects.   Thanks so much for joining us this week!

Monday, June 18th:
Alberto Juárez : http://vintageodyssey.blogspot.com/
Gloria Stengel : http://gloriascraps.blogspot.com/
Nicole Eccles: http://www.nicoleeccles.com/
Jingle: http://www.justjingle.blogspot.com/
Charlene: that's me

Tuesday, June 19th:
Arlene Cuevas: http://butterflykisseswithlove.blogspot.com/
Jim, The Gentleman Crafter: http://thegentlemancrafter.typepad.com/
Betto Cesare: http://scrapguys.blogspot.com/
Vera: http://www.lingshappyplace.blogspot.com/
Latrice: http://www.latricemurphy.blogspot.com/
Karen: http://thebalddragonfly.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, June 20th :
Clare Charvill: http://mycreativespirit.blogspot.com/
Kristin Wilson: http://www.kristinwilsonhandmade.com/
Sharon Ngoo: http://glooshmoo.blogspot.com/
Jenifer: http://stitchcutcreate.blogspot.com/
Tiffin: http://www.linwoodavenue.blogspot.com/

Thursday, June 21st:
Denise Hahn: http://www.inmyblueroom.blogspot.com/
Laura Denison: http://www.followingthepapertrail.blogspot.com/
Susan Lui: http://luv2scrap-pages.blogspot.com/
Jen: http://jenshearsdesigns.blogspot.com/
Candy: http://candyscraps.typepad.com/scraps/
Kimberly: http://serendipityvintagestudio.blogspot.com/

Friday, June 22nd:
Jane Tregenza: http://janetregenza.blogspot.com/
Maiko Miwa: http://shiny-scrap.blogspot.com/
Tara Orr: http://eachmoment-onlyonce.blogspot.com/
Jinky: http://jinkyscrafts.blogspot.com/
Leah: http://1alabasterowl.blogspot.com/

May Arts Ribbon - Let's Go Camping!

It's summertime and that means camping trips, swimming and adventures in the woods.  I've got a quick project for you on the May Arts Blog featuring October Afternoon Campfire designer papers and embellishments.    I think it's a super idea for boys and girls to journal their summer activities.

Here's a sneak peek..

There are two more larger journals as well.  Thanks so much for spending a few minutes with me...see you at May Arts Ribbon!

Foodie Friday - Homemade Granola Bars

Granola bars...I've had a love/hate affair with them for years.  I liked the convenience of  having something quick to grab on my way out the door but I tried not to think about the fact that they were mostly sugar of one kind or another and they had very little nutritional value.  A girl could choose to break a tooth on them because they're rock hard or get the softer ones, which are often a sticky sugary mess.   I finally stopped buying them a few years ago.

Well, the other day, I was looking for something quick my DH could grab and eat on the way to work. (he leaves at 4:30 a.m. and honey, I'm NOT cookin' breakfast that early!) and enter The Barefoot Contessa.

Sweet but not too sweet, chewy, crunchy, delicious and packed with whole grains, nuts and dried fruit.   Real food and easy to boot!

I adapted Ina's recipe a bit substituting her dried dates for dried blueberries, slivered almonds instead of sliced and I used my own Homemade Vanilla.    You can find a printable recipe here.

Happy Foodie Friday!  Enjoy!!