Monday, May 31, 2010

Drumroll, please!

The winner of the recipe album is

ME... said...
so very cute!


The winner of the calendar is

naomie said...
im lovin the colors of the recipie book..especially that you used black..your an awesome scrapbooker.. i love the inspiration that you give to others..loving the calender..thats a conversation starter..


Thanks so much for all the kind comments! Winners, contact me with your mailing info, and I will get your prize to you.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Let's get hopping!

Welcome to the Memory Works Backyard Blog Hop! If you came here from Lynn's blog, then you are on the right track. If you did not, be sure to start at Sue's blog. You don't want to miss out on any great inspiration or giveaways!

For the hop, I decided to make a recipe album. Cooking/baking is me second love, so I thought it would be fun to have a small album that I could use in the kitchen. You could even add more index cards or make your own (like I did). I used one of my new favorite products, a 6x6 paper pad. This one happens to be Cosmo Cricket's Garden Variety. The papers are so sun, and I love the colors! I also used a Garden Variety cardstock sticker. The flower is Creative Imaginations and the letter stickers are Making Memories. The ribbons are just some from my stash. The cover I made from cutting down 2 pages of a Cosmo Cricket blackboard album. I still have plenty of pages left for another album!

I was feeling so inspired by this hop, that I decided to make another project! This one is also for a contest which I will post about next week. I really enjoy making calendars. They make great gifts at Christmas! This one is made from toilet paper rolls. The tags could be used for keeping track of important dates like birthdays and anniversaries or for journaling important facts from each month.

I used the Basic Grey Green at Heart 6x6 paper pad for this one. The 6x6 paper is perfect for toilet rolls because it will wrap all the way around, and it's a little wider. So when you cut off the extra width, you then have paper to use for layering or embellishing. When I started this album, I was regretting that I hadn't ordered any of the coordinating embellishments. One thing that I like about mini albums is that I can use all leftover bits and pieces that I already have. I cut several things with the Cricut too. For the flower on the cover, I took a white chipboard flower, misted it with Tattered Angels Mist, and then painted on the Rock Candy Crackle Paint. The mist wasn't quite dry when I painted it, and I like the resulting effect. I also used Tattered Angels Mist on some of the white Petaloo flowers. I misted in several different colors and those are on a couple of pages in the album.

Being inspired also makes me feel generous, so today I'm giving away both projects that I made! All you need to do to enter is leave a comment and be sure to check back next Tuesday to see if you are a winner! Feel free to become a follower so you don't miss out on winning! The giveaway is open to everyone--even our international friends.

Your next stop on the hop is Rosann . While you're hopping, be sure to check out Memory Work's own line Simple Stories. Scrapping has never been easier or so guilt-free! Have a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Digging Around

As I was going through some of my treasures, I came across this envelope book. I made it for a challenge last summer, but I don't think I've posted it on my blog.
I used Fancy Pants patterned papers and journaling cards. The journaling cards are the tags inside the pockets in the book. This project is easy enough that I can make it with my daughters.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Family

I'm thinking about my family this week because Dad will get back some test results on Wednesday. So, I thought I would share this layout of my sister and I.

Several years ago, I realized that, as the photographer, I was missing from all our photos. With some inspiration from my sister-in-law, I decided to start taking photos of myself. My children fell in love with the concept of taking photos of themselves! Occasionally, I can get other family members to indulge me as well. I decided that my sister and I needed to do a self-portrait together. Apparently, she couldn't handle the flash so close to her face, so she had a couple of funny faces. My comment was, "Well, at least I look good!" Her birthday is in July, and I think she might need some photos of us!

I used the November 2009 and scraps from the January 2010 Express Kits and felt Thickers.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Amusing myself

It is no secret that I am easily amused. On a recent visit to a local stamp store, I found a stamp that amused me. It was only $1, so I thought I could surely get enough use out of it to justify spending a $1. When my friends saw this stamp, some of them were amused like I was and some were wondering why on earth I would ever buy a stamp like that. So, I had to incorporate this stamp into my card for our card club!
The inside reads, "Just for you! Happy birthday!" I used several different papers on this card: Little Yellow Bicycle, Crate Paper, and Basic Grey. The cardstock is from my stash. There's a paper clip and some twill ribbon that also came from my stash. The ink is Colorbox Chalk Ink. My friends were excited that I actually sewed on the card. We had a good laugh because I own two sewing machines (one is small so that I can take it with me for scrapping), and I don't know how to hem! Anyway, I feel I've already gotten my dollar's worth out of the stamp, so anything from here on out is just gravy!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Weekend fun!

I went digging through my stash and pulled out some things that I hope to use this weekend. I'm working on a project for the Memory Works blog hop (which starts next Friday). And, just in case you're worried, I actually have a few projects in mind, so I tried to pull out things to use on all of them. I hope all os us can have a creative and productive weekend!

Friday, May 21, 2010

A Weekend Away

It was a blessing to be able to attend a weekend crop! I was able to accomplish so much, and it is so relaxing to take a break from the responsibilities of home! Through the wonders of internet and a laptop, I was able to easily keep in touch with my hubby. On that Friday, I spent the entire day working on a project for church. I was able to complete everything that I had at that time. I'm still waiting on a few things to add to the book, but it will be out of my hands at the end of this month. It was a relief to get that all behind me!

Saturday, I worked on layouts for me. I was trying to use some kits I have neglected. I love the Memory Works Express kits! I enjoy the mix of patterned papers and embellishments, and it's really easy to complete a layout since I have everything I need in one place. (It also made it really easy to pack for a weekend of cropping!) This is the March 2010 kit. I made my own journaling block because I didn't have one that was the right size or color. The stamp is from Unity.


My son is quite the entreprenuer. He's always thinking of things he can do to make money. Of course he thinks all his ideas will be a fast track to lots of money. When he was younger, he really enjoyed selling lemonade at his grandparent's house. They lived in a generous neighborhood! Once, he even woke up early enough to sell Kona coffee to anyone who was on their way to work.

By Sunday, I think I was overwhelmed. I spent the day mounting some rubber stamps onto cling foam so that I could use them with my acrylic blocks. All in all, it was quite a productive weekend, and I'm happy that I went! Now, I just need to get everything unpacked!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Busy, busy!

May has been a busy month! I started off the month with a relaxing weekend of scrapping. I'm hoping to get those photos taken and uploaded this week.

After my relaxing weekend, we had a "Guys Craft Night". It was really a card making class for the men in our small group. They made Mother's Day cards for their wives. (They also planned a great Mother's Day lunch for all of us!) It was fun helping the guys get out of their comfort zone and craft. It was also fun to see them get creative and put their own touches on their cards!


Here's the proof they actually made their own cards. They are all working so diligently!

Joe's card and homemade envelope. (The Crafter's Companion makes those envelopes a breeze!)
Lawrence was so impressed with the envelopes, that he tore open his plain one and made one for his card!

I was too slow in photo taking and only got 2nd Scott's envelope.

Here is the card and envelope that I received. It was difficult trying to take a photo and not look at the card!


Here are the happy recipients of the cards. We are happy that we received handmade cards and especially happy that we didn't have to cook or clean up lunch!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

May's Recipe

This recipe comes from Picky Palate . I love cinnamon rolls, so I definitely had to try this one. It also helps that I have a pile of bananas that are ready for being baked. I will have to admit that the French bread dough is not my favorite. My rolls came out looking nothing like hers, but they were definitely yummy! I think the next time I try this, I'll be using a homemade dough. Also, I was out of parchment paper, so I made sure that I sprayed my glass baking dish. The rolls didn't stick at all.

Roasted Banana Cinnamon Rolls

2 ripe bananas cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 Tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 roll Pillsbury French Bread Loaf
4 Tbsp. softened butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place banana slices and cut up pieces of butter into a small baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. brown sugar and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes. Next, use a fork to smash roasted bananas until well combined.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Unroll French bread dough into rectangle. Spread with softened butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Place dollops of roasted banana mixture evenly over top. Starting from long end, roll up into log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1 inch slices and placde onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until just turning golden brown. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes.

Whisk powdered sugar and heavy cream until combined; drizzle over top of warm rolls. Makes 12 rolls.