SC421 - Thank You

This is my card for the Sketch Challenge on splitcoaststamper.com located here.  This is a really cute sketch, but I couldn't seem to get a focus.  So I just kept doing things until this pretty card turned up.  Someone called it "the Creative Process".

The background is an A2 sized scrap of Co'ordinations Tim Holtz Ranger Distressed cardstock.  I guess they all get a piece of the profit today.  I love the stuff.  The stripes are Recollections from Michaels and the pennants - there are two together  - on top are what was left of a discarded paint chip.  I tied a doubled piece of twine - actually a "thread" pulled out of a big piece of burlap, and when one end was longer, I just let it hang because I liked the look.  Didn't want it swinging, so I attached it with a brad.

I cut a Spellbinders Petite Oval from a scrap, embossed the edge and then got to use my new Memory Box Honeyblossom Sprig die which I love.  I just glued it over the top.  Then I decided it better say something.  Ask anyone who knows me, I'm big on "saying something", so I added a Rubbernecker "Thank You".  I am pleased.

Yes! Snow!

This is unbelievable.  I have wanted snow for a long time now and we just never get any - at lease not any to talk about - and this is Wisconsin.  We got some this morning and I wanted this picture here to prove it.  This was taken through my upstairs front window about 15 minutes ago and yes, we have snow.  It's OK.  We are supposed to have snow in Wisconsin, but somehow this year, we keep getting missed.  It's not a lot and if you look closely, you can see the grass through it.  AND the sun was out in this picture, but my camera was facing right into it, so the picture is bad.  But the temperature is high enough that it might just melt so here's my proof.

FS312

This is my card for Splitcoaststampers.com Featured Stamper challenge this week located here.  I used a piece of dp cut to A2 size for the background.  Anything left over from a 12x12 piece for me is a scrap, so this is a scrap.

Next I glued vintage music which is pretty frail to a piece of sturdy cardstock and punched Tim Holtz Tattered Florals to make a couple of musical flowers.  I wanted to use four flowers as the Featured Stamper - Bonnie - did, (she used four squares)  but they were too big to fit and it was out of balance, so I "went artistic" for a minute and thought I would add to the music theme.  The notes are Stampabilities stamped with Archival Jet Black, cut out with scissors, and popped up to make the entire card a symphony.  The Happy Birthday sentiment is from a stamp fair.  Yay for Stamp Fairs.  I love this card because it's lighthearted at a dreary time of year.

Victorine Originals

This is my card for the current Queen on Splitcoaststampers.com located here.  I used two Victorine Originals snowman stamps for this card.  I used a scrap of dp for the background, then embossed a piece of white CS and tore it for the snow on the bottom.  Next I glued on the snowmen, gluing only the bottoms so they stand out a bit from the background.  The snowflakes are ProvoCraft dies - some of my very first and I glued them on.  Then I colored the noses, and scarf, hat and arms on the right with copics.  I think they are so cute.

Oh, by the way, if you check out and LIKE Victorine Originals facebook page located here and then click the Giveaway button, you just might win some stamps.  Check it out.  Aren't these just the cutest snowmen.

Homemade Granola

Today I made another batch of Homemade Granola. I wish I could share with all of you. I found a recipe in a magazine - Feb 2012 - and decided to try it. The first time I burned it really bad and had to pick out all the dried fruit and pitch it, but I practiced and it's downright good now. The recipe is from a Vermont Maple Farm and was from Country Living Magazine. I just wanted granola - not overly healthy, or astoundingly gorgeous to look at - but just good tasting granola that I could eat for breakfast every day because my doctor said my cholesterol needed help. This is what I found.

4 cups rolled oats - Old fashioned
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup almonds, chopped
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
6 T. raw pumpkin seeds
3 T. raw unhulled sessame seeds

1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. salt

1. Preheat oven to 300 F. Mix together first 7 ingredients.
2. Whisk remaining ingred. in small bowl Pour over first ingredients and mix well. Spread in two oiled pans (I use two glass pans - 12x13 and 8x8 Bake about 45 min, turning every 10 min I turned my oven off and left the granola in for another 15 min. It got crunchier this time. Usually I like it really chewy. Adjust to your own taste. I hope you try it.

HSCRC13 -Lift High the Cross

This is my submission to Patter Cross's Hymn and Scripture Challenge #1 for 2013. The challenge is located here:

The Hymn this time is "Lift High the Cross" and the scripture I chose is an excerpt from Exodus 15: 1,2 from the Message - as the Cross is the Victory.

The hymn was provided by Patter Cross. The verse is computer generated and the cross and heart are cut and/or punched from a cupholder.  The background cardstock is Basic Grey Aged and Confused.

Upside Down is Better

This is my card for the Queen for the Day challenge on Splitcoaststampers.com posted here.  I started with the card upside down with "sand" for the bottom and "dark cloudy skies" for the top color because I have had a few of those lately and I just thought it was great idea to show how I felt. But then I slept on it.

The next morning things looked a little different.  Isn't that just the way life goes!  So I turned the thing over.  Now it looked like "angry waves" in a deep sea, but with a very pleasant sunset, so I kept it this way, added the ship and got to use my brand new HOPE stamp from Paper Inclinations.  Hobby Lobby is such a grand place.  I'm always looking for a sale and they had one.  Yes! 

So now this says to me that the seas are still angry and sometimes I am out there in the middle feeling all alone but God is there and has plans for me, plans to prosper me and not harm me, plans to give me hope and a future.  What a great verse.  I am "hanging onto it" because the other option is not so good.

Winter Decorations

I don't know about you, but I usually have a tough time with Winter Decorations for my house.  I think it's maybe because all the glitz and glory of Christmas and then Winter is here is full force and I feel SO PLAIN.  And what can you do with "plain".  I try to make some simple seasonal decorations from things I already have around the house.  Goodwill is a good spot, but I already have LOTS from Goodwill so I just start digging.
This decoration is in a small corner by the front door,  at the foot of our stairway and is intended to move your thoughts to Valentine's Day.  I have lots of "collections" and at my house something that you have more than two of is a collection.  I have more than two Vintage Purses, more than two Vintage Hats and at least two Vintage Umbrellas, so we started there.
The lampstand is from Goodwill.  I found it this fall.  The cord was already cut off and the hat or whatever else I put on usually covers the "lampy" part on top.  Bob is an electrician and will take it apart for me in a minute if I ask, but as long as it doesn't show, I am fine using it as a display.  Goodwill has lots of different kinds of these.  The hunt is the best part.  The cloth is probably a yard of something I couldn't resist once and is not hemmed, but just put over the round covered box underneath.  I store wrapping paper in there.
I am not completely happy with this and keep moving the purse around.  I might try one that lays flat next.  This one has to be propped and I want the lampstand base to show.  Any ideas are welcome.  I sure won't feel offended.

City Lights

Sometimes I struggle with making a card and sometimes I just have a ball.  Today I  had a ball.  I wanted to try out my new Memory Box dies and I got a chance to do it - with a bit of a "wild hair" added on this Splitcoaststampers Wed. Sketch.  I used yellow cardstock for the first die cut which is the Cityscape Silhouette.  They I cut the Cityscape Nightline out of black and put them together.  I wanted a big moon and Nestabilities Petite Oval came to mind, so there you have it.  That's a BIG moon.  I did change some shapes and flip the sketch, but I think that's ok.  I added the red flower instead of the bow on the sketch sample.  The flower is Memory Box Honeyblossom Sprig.  What a cute name for a die.  The stars are from one of my oldest ProvoCraft dies.  I don't know the name but it's stars and snowflakes and I use them all the time.  The sentiment is my only stamp and is Victorine Originals.  I hope you like it too.

Sparkle and Shine

This is my card for the current Victorine Originals Challenge located here.  Just posted today, it's called Sparkle and Shine.  So if you didn't get enough sparkle over Christmas and New Years, go for some more this week.  Embossing is what sold me on stamping in the first place and this card is simply stamped and gold embossed.  It sure does shine.

Taking Down Christmas

Today is the day we take down Christmas.  It always gives me a few sad feelings.  Seems as if I am "undoing" the joy it gave me to trim the tree - hanging all the homemade ornaments made by the grandkids when they were small and beautiful ornaments made over the years by my more artistic friends.  I know this is not the case, but you know "feelings".  They sometimes tell the truth and sometimes they don't.  When the tree comes down, they LIE a lot.  I first need to "undress" the tree and then take a few walks around the house to find things like  my jar with the vintage ornaments and cookie cutters that's on top of the kitchen bookcase.  I think one year that one stayed up all year.  (There's no excuse for me)  We seem to collect doorbell ringers - you know thos pretty decorated big bells that you hang on the doorknob and they jangle loudly when someone walks in?  They are packed in their boxes.

 The Manger is empty.  It was under the tree and is now all folded up and packed away.  The angel over the doorway blowing the trumpet to announce the birth of Jesus has been taken down and is replaced by a Winter Greetings snowman sign.  The sparkley garland on the mantel  is down, but I did leave some of the other pretty stuff that just says "Winter" to me.  (Happy thoughts)  There are several spots in the house that are filled with greens from our bushes outside and the greens are now bone dry.  I worry about the ones on the mantel as we have had lots of fires this weekend.  So those greens will go today, but I may replace them with new ones soon.  Greens are SO NICE in winter and we have so many bushes that need trimming.  So most of my part is done.  Now Bob will take the lights off the tree and it will go outside for the birds for the rest of winter.  I hope taking down Christmas is not sad for you.  January is a good cooking month.   Get out some of your good recipes and dream a bit today.