Recipe Monday #9 Strawberry Pecan Salad

Today's recipe is perfect for holiday parties or for a light lunch between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Strawberry Pecan Salad

1 package of washed baby spinach
Feta Cheese (an ounce per two people maybe)
Strawberries, sliced
Kraft Creamy Poppyseed Dressing
Roasted Pecans (recipe below)

Combine and enjoy!

Roasted Pecans

1-1/2 Tblsp Margarine, melted

1 Tblsp Brown Sugar

Combine and toss with 2 cups of pecans.

Bake on a Cookie Sheet at 250 F for 5 minutes.

Today's cards are an example of "flipping the sketch".  I wanted to show you two cards that are virtually the same, but one is turned horizontally(landscape) and the other vertically(portrait).  It is a simple way to create a new card based on one you've already made quickly.  The first card (landscape) was made with the Patterned Pines Hostess set from the Holiday Mini, and the second card (portrait) was made with the Berry Christmas set from the Holiday Mini. I used Stampin' Addicts color challenge #40 (SACC40) for the Rich Razzleberry, So Saffron and Always Artichoke color scheme.

Quick and Easy Card

So this one is a little strange huh? Well I needed a quick card...and what set did I go to???? Medallion of course!

This is a perfect all purpose stamp that can be used for any occasion. I have all the Classic Ink Spots, so I used them to ink up the stamp in little square type shapes. Then I just edged the card with the Basic Black marker and notched the corners....ribbon and sentiment and finished!

If you took more time to plan your colors and precision, the effect might be nicer.

Animal Crackers Bundle...

Today's card features the Animal Crackers bundle which is one of the items on sale for 50% from Stampin Up! until the 30th of November. For just $12.95 you can get the Animal Crackers Stamp Set and the Star Designer Brads instead of the regular price which would be $25.90.

I'm also using a Sketch Challenge from Stampin Addicts again today....My card is a gatefold that opens in the middle front.

Spark YOUR Creativity Challenge #3 AND BLOG CANDY

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'd love for my customers and friends to take part in this challenge-everyone is welcome....You can make a card, a scrapbook page or a 3-Dimensional item with either traditional cardstock and ink or a digital papercrafting program such as My Digital Studio by Stampin' Up!

Your creativity may be Sparked by the colors, shapes, placement of elements or textures. There is no limit to what might inspire you! All you need to do is link your blog post, internet post or photograph on an online photo site or Facebook in the comments here, AND tell me what exactly in the picture "Sparked" your creativity.

Now on to this week's "SPARK": This is my 7 year old daughter's Thanksgiving Cornucopia page from school....I thought it would be fun for Thanksgiving Day.

Here's my card:

Today's card also features the Cheep Talk Stamp Set which is a part of a 40% off bundle from Stampin' Up! The price is just $25.71 for the Cheep Talk Stamp Set, Pumpkin Pie Corduroy Buttons and notecards. (Regular price-$42.85) I used a Sketch Challenge from Stampin' Addicts for this card as well which makes a quick start for any card.

See you next Thursday...Happy Stamping!

Blog Candy you say? Yes, I did. All you need to do is enter any one of the last three Thursday challenges and link a picture of your creation to this post to be entered in the drawing.

What is the candy? For my current local customers, you can win 20% of any one item on your next purchase (or I guess a stationery set if you'd rather).

For any member of my downline or online entries (you'd need to provide your address within 3 days of your win), you can win one of these stationery sets. (My friend Paula Wright swapped it at Stampin' Up! Convention, and now I've made several of my own.)

The two notecards on the right also feature the For All You Do set which is available in a bundle with the 5/16" Neutrals Jumbo brads until November 30th from Stampin' Up! for $25.83. Email me to place your order before noon on November 30th.

Tomorrow's Blog Candy....You just need to play my challenge!

Just by playing tomorrow's challenge, you can win one of these stationery sets. (My friend Paula Wright swapped it at Stampin' Up! Convention, and now I've made several of my own.)

The two notecards on the right also feature the For All You Do set which is available in a bundle with the 5/16" Neutrals Jumbo brads until November 30th from Stampin' Up! for $25.83. Email me to place your order before noon on November 30th.

Technique Tuesday....Baby Wipe Ink Pad Technique

Baby Wipe Ink Pad Technique

Did you know you can make an inkpad with any Stampin' Up! colors using baby wipes, reinkers and a plastic dish?

First choose a plastic dish (Gladware or Lunchmeat resealable plasticware) to allow you to use it again with in the next couple of days if you'd like and to provide a non-porous surface for inking up your stamp on your baby wipe ink pad.

Place a couple of baby wipes smoothly into the container...I occasionally use the lid as the ink pad, and either way works.

Drop a few drops of reinkers onto your baby wipe. Try for a nice variety of color and try not to allow the colors to get muddy by mixing.

Ink your stamp onto the baby wipe ink pad and stamp.

Finish your card.

My example uses the Fresh Cuts Stamp Set which is on a 30% off bundle sale until November 30th with the Notes I used! (You get Fresh Cuts stamp set, Fresh-Cut Notes, and 5/8" Neutrals Jumbo brads for $26.50 instead of $39.85.) For this and other great deals, visit my Stampin' Up! website here: http://www.rhondag.stampinup.net/ (Bottom of the page, just left of center, Promotions, details)

The reinkers I used were five of this year's In Colors....Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Bermuda Bay and a dash of Dusty Durango.

(Alternately, I used this technique with a solid color (soft suede) so that I could use the shimmer paints directly sponge daubered onto the stamp and then ink it up again. This was much nicer than cleaning the stamp each time and kept a lot of shimmer paint off of my REAL ink pad. You've seen this card before, but I'll repost since it is an example.)

Recipe Monday 8 "A Post A Day" November

This week's recipe should work with the white meat of turkey to help you use up some Thanksgiving leftovers when the time comes. :)

Creamy Chicken Cheese Tortilla Soup

½ c flour
½ c (one stick) butter or margarine
½ gallon (64 oz) chicken stock (canned broth is fine)
½ tsp white pepper
2 c Monterrey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese, mixed (just 2 cups of cheese plus some for the top when you serve it)
1 c milk and 1 c heavy cream or 1 pint half &half
2 tsp diced jalapenos
1 10 oz. can of Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies
1 cup diced browned chicken breasts (2 or 3 cups makes the soup heartier)


In a soup pot, make a roux. (Melt butter and add flour gradually.)

Gradually, stir in the chicken stock. (If it becomes lumpy, the lumps will eventually dissolve.)

After the chicken stock is incorporated, add the white pepper and the cheeses.

When the cheese is melted, add the half & half, jalapenos, Rotel and chicken chunks.

Bring the soup to a boil. Serve with tortillas or tortilla chips, and garnish with mixed cheese.


I'll have another recipe next week...



Here are the final four months of 2010 with my girls:
September:

October:

November:

December:

MDS Calendar "A Post A Day" November

Today, will be the next five months of the calendar I created, and Recipe Monday will include four months plus the number page.

April:

May:

June:

July:

August:

MDS projects "A Post A Day" November

My Digital Studio by Stampin Up! is a fun, easy program that I have completed certification with Stampin' Up! to teach others to use. I've recently made both a card and a calendar, so I will share those with you today, tomorrow and Monday the 23rd (along with Recipe Monday).

First is this simple card I designed and then had printed by the contract printer. Do I need to say that my watermark isn't printed on the card? Well, just in case, the watermark is just for the internet on each of these items. :)

I decided to make a calendar (for us, and for the grandparents) as well, again using the Stampin ' Up! contracted printer to obtain a finished wire-bound calendar. I used a simpler look on most of the months than I might choose for a scrapbook page since these will be hanging on the wall.

January, February and March:

"Spark YOUR Creativity" Challenge #2 "A Post A Day"

I've decided to try a challenge on my blog! I'd love for my customers and friends to take part-everyone is welcome....You can make a card, a scrapbook page or a 3-Dimensional item with either traditional cardstock and ink or a digital papercrafting program such as My Digital Studio by Stampin' Up!

Now on to this week's "SPARK":

This is a flyer given to everyone last Sunday in church...I've sure you've heard before that cereal boxes and advertisements are often great starters for both Scrapbook and card layouts. I thought this flyer could be a layout, theme or color "Spark".

Here's my card:

Wandering Words is only available until January 4th, so if you like it be sure and get it now! I sort of used the colors and layout of the flyer, but I didn't distress my card or add extra visual elements. My card has larger top pieces than bottom pieces though. If you like the layout, the measurements are as follows for the background:

Top Left/Mellow Moss: 1-3/4" X 2"

Top Right/Light Grey: 3-1/4" X 2"

Bottom Left/Dark Grey: 2-1/8" X 1-3/4"

Bottom Middle/Light Grey: 1-5/8" X 1-3/4"

Bottom Right/Mellow Moss:1-1/4" X 1-3/4"

Your creativity may be Sparked by the colors, shapes, placement of elements or textures. There is no limit to what might inspire you! All you need to do is link your blog post, Facebook upload, internet post or photograph on an online photo site in the comments here AND tell me what exactly in the picture "Sparked" your creativity.

See you next Thursday...Happy Stamping!

Stampin' Addicts-The gallery is growing! "A Post A Day" November

If you haven't visited Stampin' Addicts lately, let me share a bit of what you're missing!

I blog almost every week about the Technique Challenge, but did you know there are five other challenges with no time limit? In addition to sketch, color, and accessories challenges, we also have a great 3-D challenge with video tutorials by Holly Krautkremer. So there are 200 ideas to kick start your crafting already! http://www.stampinaddicts.com/forums/challenges/

There are also great discussion forums both for Stampin' Up! demonstrators and Stampin' Up! fans, and the gallery recently reached 10,600 uploads, so you would probably also find something to love there! The gallery is separated into current and retired SU! sets with the current mini catalog sets separated. http://www.stampinaddicts.com/gallery/index.php

Faux Marble "A Post A Day" November

Faux Marble/Marbling/Shaving Cream is technique challenge #34 on Stampin' Addicts today....Hop on over if you'd like to read the tutorial! http://www.stampinaddicts.com/forums/tuesday-technique-challenges/3696-technique-challenge-34-11-17-09-faux-marble.html#post203880

I apologize for the un-cropped looking pictures....I have to sometimes make pictures taller than they are wide on blogger so that the images don't rotate 90 degrees.

I used Bermuda Bay and Brilliant Blue as my main colors for this card with Gold accents. The other reinkers were Crushed Curry (minimal to avoid overpowering) and Tempting Turquoise. This Triangle Slider card was shown to me by my buddy KimB/s1itcher46, and was created by Dawn Griffith: http://dawnsstampingthoughts.typepad.com/dawns_stamping_thoughts/2007/05/new_tutorial_fo.html

Recipe Monday 7 "A Post A Day" November

Last Monday I finished my weekly meal plans, so this week begins a real life recipe and a card recipe of sorts...

Italian Tomato Spinach Tortellini Soup

32 oz Swanson’s Chicken Broth (I sometimes add another 14 oz can)
1/2 pkg Baby Spinach
1 14 oz can of Petite Diced tomatoes
2 6 oz cans tomato sauce
1 pkg refrigerated cheese tortellini (approx 4 servings not 8 servings)
Italian Seasoning
Extra water, if needed

Combine broth, spinach and tomatoes in soup pot. Bring to a boil and cook spinach. Add tortellini and add water if needed to cover the tortellini fully. Boil according to tortellini package instructions (except you are boiling in the soup rather than in plain water. Serve with breadsticks or garlic bread and with a bit of Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Here's a card with a slightly different layering of the sentiment. The "happy birthday" is punched out with the small oval punch as expected, but I used the scallop square punch to create a sort of rectangle around it. I punched the scallop square and then Re-Punched it by putting just the top three rows of scallops into the punch and punching again. (Pictured below)

Baby Buggy Scallop Circle "A Post A Day" November

I love the way these little buggy cards look, so I had to CASE Lyssa Zwolanek's fun little creations. This is a direct link to her tutorial: http://songofmyheartstampers.typepad.com/song_of_my_heart_stampers/2009/10/photo-tutorial-baby-carriage-card.html

Glazed Tile "A Post A Day" November

Last week's Technique Challenge Tech32 on Stampin Addicts was Glazed Tile. My friend Trina Caraway made a gorgeous card for the color challenge the week before, so I asked her to use her card for Technique Challenge 32. I of course had something in mind to try...I wanted to try a Mexican tile look. The colors are a little dark, but it is a kind of masculine look I think.

I used Old Olive Craft Ink to stamp the Medallion onto Barely Banana cardstock (Cardstock darkens when glazed). Then, I heat set the craft ink. Next, I colored all the open space that I wanted to have color with markers. Then, I cut the square (4-3/4 inch) into four squares and sponged only the outer two sides. Finally, I pressed the squares into the Versamark ink pad and heat embossed with Glassy Glaze Enamel. The pieces are then adhered to the Chocolate Chip Base and then onto a So Saffron Card base that is 5-1/4 inch square. I added the sentiment piece and ta da.

"Spark YOUR Creativity" Challenge #1

I've decided to try a challenge on my blog. Hopefully, something you see here will Spark Your Creativity! I'd love for my customers and friends to take part-everyone is welcome....You can make a card, a scrapbook page or a 3-Dimensional item with either traditional cardstock and ink or a digital papercrafting program such as My Digital Studio by Stampin' Up!

Now on to this week's "SPARK":

Yes, this is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and a patriotic card would be perfect to send to an organization that sends cards to the troops, but there is a lot of content in this photograph that isn't specific. You could instead be inspired to make a card that: is a Christmas wreath, is light blue, white and brown, is symmetrical (such as a gatefold) or has rectangles and squares. My friend Kathryn Varner photographed this (and has shared several other pictures for me to use in some upcoming challenges), and her husband just happens to be a Veteran as well.

Your creativity may be Sparked by the colors, shapes, placement of elements or textures. There is no limit to what might inspire you! So stamp something and then link your blog post, internet post/online gallery or photograph on an online photo site in the comments here AND tell me what in the picture "Sparked" your creativity. (Subliminal message---->blog candy announcement on Thanksgiving for participants)

Here's my Veterans Day card:

Should you want to send cards to the troops, this is a great website that accepts card donations (without glitter-Should it get on a soldier, glitter can apparently be seen really well in night vision goggles.) and cards for "Any Hero" : http://operationwritehome.org/mailroom.html Currently, they are especially wanting Valentines for the troops to send home to family.

There will be another "Spark" next Thursday......Good Stamping Vibes to you!