Home Sweet Home with Label 16 and Lacey Circles

 I must open with an apology - I intended to write this post and publish it at 6:00 am this morning, but .... Last night I fell asleep reading and did not finish everything I had planned to do.  My husband has this bad habit of falling asleep on the sofa.  The way this plays out is about three nights a week he falls asleep on the sofa and I wake him to send him to bed.  He ignores me the first time or two that I wake him.  Occasionally he begins snoring while on the sofa, which is quite irritating.  Usually I just wake him and eventually he will go to bed.

Last night I was reading on the love seat and he fell asleep and began the snoring routine.  I suggested he go to bed and he promptly ignored me.  As his volume increased I decided to find a new reading location and I took my kindle to bed.  At some point I feel asleep and left him on the sofa.  He woke me at 3:00 am as he turned off the lights and came to bed.   So... he was on the sofa far longer than usual and I got nothing done on my blog!!  I am not sure exactly which of us learned a lesson there....

So on to the card.  This is one of the fun Spellbinders cut cards that I created last weekend at the lake.  I used left over paper (that I love) by Three Bugs in a Rug.

 I began by creating this fun focal point of the card - I used Spellbinders Nestabilities Label 16, a GinaK stamp from the lovely labels 2 set, and circle nesties.  I stamped the music frame on smooth white cardstock and cut it out with label 16, using a circle nestie to cut out the center.  I then cut a larger version of label 16 in black cardstock and cut the center out with a smaller circle nestie.  I adhered the two layers together and placed the pink house image in the circular opening.  I adhered the house label to the card using pop dots.

 Next, using Lacey Circle nesties and round nesties I created the tag.  I layered three round circles on top of the lacey circle - stamping the top layer with black ink.

I found pink ribbon in my stash that perfectly coordinated with the background paper and added a the ribbon runner with bow as a finishing touch.

Now all I need is a house warming party to attend or a new neighbor down the street!!

Tilda with Balloon January Mingle card

Hi and happy Friday Eve!! Today I have the January mingle card I made for  the Magnolia-licious Yahoo group.  It's really a fun thing to do and a great way to meet new friends! I didn't plan on making such a spring like card, but I just kept going with my brain, and this is what I ended up with. LOL!!  I knew I had to use this adorable cutie #294 Tilda with Balloon from the You Are So Special collection! They're available for preorder right now over at Magnolia-licious!! I seriously don't know how they so it, but each new collection just keeps getting cuter!

She's colored with copic markers and then cut out with petite scalloped oval nestabilites (I used pink chalk on her cheeks). Flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the leaf punch and butterfly border punches are from Martha Stewart.  The corners are from a Cuttlebug die, and the little butterflies are an EK Success punch. I love using flat backed pearls on my little butterflies. I put just a little bit of stickles on the edge of the butterfly wings, and I also added some to the flowers. The balloon has glossy accents on it. That yummy ribbon is May Arts pure silk ribbon from Lacey over at Stamp and Create. The pink polka dot paper is from Nitwit Collections, the white cardstock is Bazzill. I have no idea where the turquoise cardstock came from.

Kind of a wonky shot, but I rather like it. LOL! So anyway, this was a special card made just for Gail Lass. Hope you enjoy it Gail! Thanks so much for stopping by to see me today, and hope to see you back again soon! Hugs!!

Copic markers used:
BG10, 11, 13, 15, 18
R32, 35
E31, 33, 35, 40, 41
T1, 2
Y21

Pecan Snowballs

 
You know those people in your life that you just *trust* when it comes to food? I don't care if they are serving you a piece of toast, or a bowl of soup, or a slice of pie....you know it's going to be good.

Well, this recipe comes from one of *those* people....my Aunt Janice. When she mentioned these Pecan Snowballs around Christmastime, I knew I MUST make them!

Two things....

1. Aunt Janice says that she usually doubles this recipe. I forgot to buy double the pecans.  I will not make that mistake again. DOUBLE IT....they go FAST!
2. The.dough.is.so.good.....do not pinch off a piece to taste before baking.  You may end up eating half the dough before it gets to the oven. {Not that I did that or anything.}

Pecan Snowballs
{from Aunt Janice}

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flour
Powdered sugar to coat the snowballs after baking

Cream sugar, salt, butter.

Add vanilla, then flour and nuts.

Chill 2 hours.

Form small balls...about 1 inch diameter


Place balls on cookie sheet and bake in 250 degree oven (yes, two hundred fifty:)  until light brown on bottoms......40-50 minutes.


Roll them in powdered sugar as soon as they are cool enough to handle.  Then, roll them again after they've cooled more.  Then, roll them again when completely cool.

These cookies were a huge hit at our house!  Make them....just remember to double that batch!

Gluten-Free Carrot Muffins

Wake up with a warm and lovely carrot muffin.

This is my first muffin recipe for the New Year. A tender little bundle of gluten-free joy. So cute and sunny. I love the color. The subtly fragrant texture of finely grated organic carrots, coconut flour and breakfast quinoa flakes. A hint of cinnamon and ginger. A bite of raisin. Seriously chai worthy. And more fiber rich than say, a powdered donut. Or your average gluten-free bagel which is nothing but starch. This a treat you can eat without too much guilt.

Just a smidge.


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Peggy Loves Vintage - Cutie Couples

Happy Hump Day friends! I am having sooo much fun with these adorable Cutie Couples from Peggy Loves Vintage! She created three different sets of cutouts of these adorable couples for us  just in time for Valentine's Day!! (there's even one of a lady whomping on a guy with a frying pan!! LMBO!)   I was over at my friend DeeDee's blog the other day, and she made the cutest joy fold card, and I fell in love with it! HERE is her card (she used one of Peggy Loves Vintage Cutie Couples too!! So I then set off to learn how to make one. HERE is the link to the video if you are interested. I just think it's so cute!  I grabbed some of my scrap papers and made up this cute card VERY quickly!

I printed the cute little image out and just printed out a sentiment on my computer to go with it. I pretty much followed Mary's instructions all the way down to using the heart from the Doodlecharms cartridge on the Expression. LOL! I added a cute little bow made with red and white striped twine from PTI to the center of the heart. I also added a punched heart border courtesy of Martha Stewart.

You can find this adorable couple, along with many other cute, cute, CUTE ones over at Peggy Loves Vintage.  The only way to make card making easier is to walk into a store and buy one! Thanks so much for stopping by to see me today, and hope to see you back again soon! Hugs!

Warm Mittens for a cold day

Have you heard the expression "cold hands - warm heart"?  That is what I thought of while making this adorable card.  With these adorable mittens the warm heart can also have warm hands!  This card is one of several cards that I created while on my scrappy girlfriend boondoggle to Lake Murray!

This card was created with Spellbinders Nested Mittens dies and Gina K Winter Mittens stamp set as well as the Snowflake Pendent die set and Snowflake 1 die set.  In addition to the smooth white cardstock, I also used printed and solid cardstock from my scraps.  I love using up scraps. 

I tried a self adhesive silver metallic paper/cardstock to cut the embellie snowflakes.  I had mixed results with the self adhesive aspect.  In the end I had to add Tomboy glue to a few spots to ensure that the snowflakes stayed on the card.  I will add that the metallic paper cut marvelously with my Spellbinder dies and my Grand Calibur.

I used Stampin' Up ink to stamp my mittens.  I also used Stampin' Up ribbon to create the exquisite bow.   I used a one-eighth inch hole punch on each of the mittens and suspended them on one-eighth inch white ribbon (and pop dots, of course). 

I hope this card makes you feel all warm inside when you see it.  I truly enjoyed using my Gina K stamps.  I have purchased three sets of Gina K stamps which are compatible with my Spellbinders Nestabilities and I am excited to share them with you over the next few weeks.

Meringue Powder . . . Works for Me Wednesday

Using meringue powder is not the only way to make royal icing, but it's what I use to make mine.

When I first started decorating cookies, I used raw egg whites in my royal icing, but I started getting nervous.  Not nervous for me, but for other people who might eat the cookies.  About 9 years ago, I discovered meringue powder and I haven't looked back.

Does the brand of meringue powder matter?  Yes.  These are 2 of my favorites:

• Williams-Sonoma brand (made by CK)
• Ateco, available at bakery supply shops or Amazon

I also like:

• AmeriColor
• CK

There is another brand that is more widely accessible.  I won't mention the brand here because I think they do a lot of things really well, but I don't love their meringue powder.  Actually, I used it for years before even realizing there WERE other brands.  Once I bought one of the brands above from a bakery supply shop, I immediately tasted a difference and saw a better consistency with my icing.

{That said, if you are experiencing a cookie decorating emergency, you have my blessing to use the other stuff.} ;)

Gail of One Tough Cookie uses powdered egg whites with fantastic results.  She even has a vlog post about it if you want to learn more.

What do YOU use to make royal icing?

{Psst....here is the royal icing recipe I use if you're ready to make some of your own.}