Information and Cricut Craft Room Tip

Hello everyone.  I was down with a bit of a tummy bug yesterday so I am behind on my weekly schedule - both crafting and around the house.  I had planned to be finished in my recovering project, but alas after breaking three sewing machine needles (and I only had three left!) I must go to sewing store before I can share my recovered footstool.

I also will have to finish my video before  I can share the technique used to create those awesome Cuttlebug Quill Flowers.  Do you see a pattern here?  Yes, my week is full of unfinished....

The one thing I did mange to finish, just before the tummy thing hit, was this new floral arrangement for my coffee table.  I LOVED the flowers that my husband gave me for my birthday.  And I loved them sitting on this table.  They made me realize that the table needed both color and a taller element.  So, with all of the flowers on 50% off sale at Hobby Lobby, I made my choices and my purchases.  I thought the arrangement came out nicely and added a pop of color to the area.

Now for the real reason for this post.  I read a wonderful tutorial on converting your Design Studio .Cut files into .ccr files to use in the Cricut Craft Room.  The Craft Room will not support .cut files, only .gypsy files and .ccr files.  While I was visiting Karen Adamczyk's blog, Scrapper Creations, I read her tutorial on converting your Design Studio library into gypsy files. 

I have both .cut files and .gypsy files on my computer, and have moved back and forth between my Gypsy and my Design Studio.  And while I am not sure that I will convert everything, Karen makes a great point when sharing her calendar cut files.  I too have calendar cut files and would hate to have to recreate those.  Soooo, I will be converting some of my files.  My Design Studio llibrary is far too large to covert everything in one sitting - but perhaps I could start with favorites. 

Of course now I am questioning whether I should put the time into converting all of the cut files on my side bar into .gypsy files.  Yikes.  So much time involved. 

Faces to Love

Here's a face I love...

...my next-door neighbor and friend, Kristen from We are THAT Family.  Do you know she has a book? {I might have mentioned it....and if you're a mom, I think you might need it. It's GOOOOOOD.}

Kristen had her first book signing this weekend and I was so happy to be able to go...and so happy to call her a friend.  Y'all, she's just as funny and sweet and good in person as she is on her blog and in her book. 

{I brought cookies.}

---

Now, Kristen doesn't need a photoshop makeover, but her neighbor (me) does.

Have you heard of the I Heart Faces:  

Faces to Love, Blogger Makeover Project?

I Heart Faces is a photography website with weekly photo challenges for all levels of photographers. Co-Founders, Amy & Angie make sure you'll find great photo editing tutorials, camera tutorials, photography tips and giveaways each week.

Well, at the Blissdom conference, I knew Angie and Amy, the founders of I Heart Faces, were up to something, but they wouldn't spill the beans.

Here's the deal... Amy & Angie took photos of bloggers to use as their profile image! The are calling it Faces to Love - Blogger Makeover Project. To make it even more fun... they want to give one of you and one of their readers a photo makeover as well!

My picture was taken by the fabulous Angie (if you live in Ohio, seriously look into Angie taking your family photos...she's amazing!):
 

{Look ma, no wrinkles!}

One lucky Bake at 350 reader will get themselves made over photoshop style! Amy & Angie will work their magic on a photo you provide them. They will then send you several images to use on your blog, Facebook profile or Twitter Avatar, or whatever.  Hmm....can I take this to the DMV?

To be entered to win a make-over for your photo. Just leave a comment below! 

To be entered for more chances to win:
•  Visit I Heart Faces and leave a comment on their site. 
 •  For even more chances to win, visit the other two bloggers' sites (Cheryl & Rachel) featured on I Heart Faces today as well...and leave a comment on their blogs.

Winner chosen and notified. Congrats to The Perfect Trio!

This contest ends on Wed. April. 13th at 10 pm. Good luck!

Meet Elisha Jean from The Cutting Cafe!!

Hi everyone! We've made it half way through the week and we're on the downhill slide now! Can you belivee they are talking SNOW tonight? I'm so sick of the white stuff (just like all the rest of you). But to go from 70 deg weather two days ago to a high in the 40's, lows in the 20's, and snow on the valley floor tonight. YUCK!!! I will say though that this is very typical for spring weather in Reno. So onward and upward, right?  Now how about we take a peek at this card! Is she not the cutest little thang you ever have seen??!!! Her name is Elisha Jean and she's a brand new digital image my good friend and adopted sis Regina has released. I LOVE her! She and two of her friends are available for purchase right now over at The Cutting Cafe!  For my card, I used Bazzill cardstock and the DP is from My Minds Eye.

I added some Wild Orchid Crafts flowers edges in some Crystal Stickles with the Martha Stewart frond punch. I honestly can't remember where I got the lace from, but it was either from Stamp and Create or Wild Orchid Crafts. The ribbon is also from Stamp and Create as are the Kaiser pearls and that pretty little heart charm. The magnificent glittered heart is from Melissa Frances (looooove them!!). There's lots of machine stitching and lots of dimension too.  Elisha Jean is colored with Copic markers.
skin E11, 21;     hair-E15, 39, 59    socks  YG11, 13, 17    shoes: E13, 15, 17

I think that's about it for today! Please be sure and visit Regina over at The Cutting Cafe! She's got some truly amazing digital images and sentiments to offer you. Thanks so much for stopping by to see me today, and hope to see you back again soon! Hugs!

Easter Silhouette Card

Have I told you that I love the Martha Stewart Seasonal Art Cake Cartridge?  I really, really like this cartridge a lot, though I have not used it once for cake making!!  It has a lovely font and art work for every major holiday. 

Purple is not a color I work with often - and there is a reason.   Short story, I once had to do an entire scrapbook in a purple palette.  It wore me out on purple for quite a while.  :D

My daughter told me told me that the bunnies are creepy!  What?  Creep?  No way.  But yes, apparently the clothing on the bunnies that makes them creepy.  And of course my husband agreed with her, only he claims the creepy parts are the eyes.  Everyone's a critic!!  But okay, I probably should not have drawn in eyes....... Or the ears......?

My favorite part of the card is the background paper.  I like all of those Easter eggs.  In fact, I liked them so well that I cut out six of them to use the in the silhouette basket and the bunnies'  hands. 

The flower embellishement was created by layering two large white flowers with two lavender flowers and topping them with a crocheted flower and button. 

I stamped the inside of the card with a stamp I picked up at Hobby Lobby last year. 

This probably is not my best card every - I think it is curse of the purple.  After that purple scrapbook, purple and I just do not work well together!! 

How to Clean Squeeze Bottles . . . Works for Me Wednesday

The good news?  You've just decorated 5 dozen cookies.

The bad news? Your husband is on a business trip and YOU are the only one left to clean the squeeze bottles.

Truth be told, I'd much rather clean out squeeze bottles than icing tips.
{If you want more information on using squeeze bottles for flooding cookies, please visit this post.}

First, pour out the majority of the icing.


Then, fill with hot, soapy water.  Let it soak a few minutes.


Next, shake and squirt out the water; refilling with clean water.
 

Continue shaking and squirting out the water until it runs clear and is no longer soapy.  It's fun; I promise!


Now, turn upside down and let dry on a drying rack.

After a few hours, if the water hasn't all drained out, do the chopstick trick.

Here's the chopstick trick:

• twist a piece of paper towel around a chopstick,

• use the paper toweled-chopstick to dry up any lingering water drops.

{And isn't this the prettiest picture of a squeeze bottle & a chopstick you've ever seen? I know you've seen a lot.}


Voila! Clean as a whistle...and ready for your next batch of cookie decorating.

Next up, how to clean a toilet.

{I kid.}

Quinoa with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Leeks and Slivered Almonds

Gluten-free quinoa with Brussels sprouts, leeks and almonds.

If you've been hanging with me for awhile here on Gluten-Free Goddess, you already know how much I dig quinoa. It's one of my favorite gluten-free grains. I've grown to love- even crave- quinoa's distinct smoky-nutty flavor. More assertive than rice or oatmeal, the taste of quinoa gives gluten-free baked goods and grain dishes a certain je ne sais quoi that feels nourishing, healthy, and satisfying all at once. In a very understated, happy blue skies kind of way, I mean.

Not in a pious eat-this-it's-good-for-you kind of way.

Though I'm sure there are plenty of quinoa converts that proselytize its admirable qualities in the nutrition arena (and why not? Its protein profile is a vegan's wet dream) I prefer to love my quinoa on its own unassuming terms. Even though folks have dubbed her Queen of Grains and Mother of all Vegan Goodness in the Bunny Scampering Universe, I love her just because. Without projection. Without expectation. Or assumption.

I meet quinoa where she stands. I accept her for who she is. In all her cute as a button faux grain glory. After all, her botanical name is Goosefoot. Not a very glamorous moniker. Imagine being saddled with that one.

Hey, you! Goosefoot. That's right. I'm talking to you.

Sweet Mother Mary. Can you imagine? No wonder she chose to change her name. Quinoa is so much sexier.

So Quinoa, honey. What are you doing tonight? Wanna come over? I've got some Buble.

You can even stay for breakfast.

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Papertake Weekly - anything goes!!

Hi everyone! We made it through Monday! WHOOT WHOOT!!  LOL! Hope you're having a fabulous start to your week! I know I am! It's time for a new challenge from Papertake Weekly, and this week it's "Anything Goes" sponsored by the amazing Lili of the Valley!  For my card this week, I used this adorable image "waiting for rain" by Mo Manning at Digital Pencil Too. I fell in love with her when I saw her and just had to have her.  She's colored with Copic markers (list below).

That adorable little birdie is from Mangolia-licious and the sentiment is a very old Penny Black stamp. (boy did I have to dig to find this one!) Cardstock is Bazzill, DP is April Showers by Three Bugs in a Rug, and  I used a Martha Stewart "punch around the page" set for the flower panel. I also added machine stitching and the pearls are Martha Stewart.

So that's it for me today! Please be sure to pop over to Papertake Weekly and check out all the gorgeous creations by the rest of the team! Then we'd love it if you'd grab your paper and glue and play along with us! Thanks so much for stopping by to see me today, and hope to see you back again soon! Hugs!

Copics:

slicker YG11, 13, 17

buckles C1,3

dress B93, 95, 97

knickers under dress Y13, 15

boots: yr12, 14, 16

hair E21, 25

skin E00, E11

lips R32

grounding E31