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Occasions Mini Set....Vintage Vogue

I really enjoy the new Vintage Vogue set in the upcoming Occasions Mini Catalog.  In addition to this F friends stamp, there are a lot of useful pieces.  The Very Vintage wheel (at the bottom of the card) is lovely alone or in combintion with the Vintage Vogue set.  The colors I used on this card are Blush Blossom and Chocolate Chip with Cameo Coral as an accent.

This card simply has the Very Vintage Wheel in chocolate chip with Apricot Appeal, Pumpkin Pie and Certainly Celery markered accents.  Your initial (mine is shown) from the Lovely Letters set creates a nice notecard which can also be used as a Thank You note.

Both of these cards are stamped on Very Vanilla, but it is also lovely on Whisper White.  On Monday, in addition to recipe Monday, I'll have a card for you that is stamped on white. And don't forget to stop by January 1-3 for the Stampin' Addicts Occasions Mini Blog Hop in which I will be showing EASTER cards and decor using the Eggcoutrements set and the Eggcellent Eggs kit.

Nugget Tin Stationery Box

My friend Trina swapped a similar stationery set at Convention, so I had to try one of these. This set uses the lovely Night and Day Designer Series Paper (which will be gone after January 4, 2010). Notice how beautifully the swirly brocade bits from the Lovely Letters Alphabet coordinate with the paper.  I stamped them on the envelopes without trying for perfect coverage because the paper has areas that look distressed. Add a mini pen, and instant mini gift!

Check back on Friday for our Occasions Mini blog tour!

Recipe Monday #13 Wassail...Happy New Year!

Toast the New Year with a warm apple drink your kids can toast with too!

Wassail

1 gallon of apple cider
1 tall can (46 oz or 64 oz?) pineapple juice
1 quart of brewed tea
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp all spice
Orange slices
Cloves
Sugar to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large pot with orange slices floating on top. Boil gently for at least 20 minutes while watching constantly and stirring occasionally. Check sweetness and add sugar to taste. (Allow sugar to dissolve completely.) Cool a bit and enjoy! Refrigerate any remaining wassail after the party.

This is the hand cream I added to my Stampin' Up! downlines' gifts for Christmas. I like how the butterflies with flowers "matched" the name of the scent.

Going Soon...The Holiday Mini

This journal features the Night and Day Designer Series Paper from the Holiday Mini. This Mini Catalog will retire on January 4th, so if any of the items intrigue you, call or email me! I used a clear button backed with the polka dot print from the Night and Day paper with a white taffeta knot for the center of the large Pretties Kit daisy flower. Just a bit of wide Basic Black grosgrain and a completed project results.

Cottage Wall Fancy Favor Box

I used this Fancy Favor Box/Bag to give a Christmas Gift this year, but it would be even better for spring and summer gifts. Cottage Wall designer series paper and Rich Razzleberry polka dot ribbon make a nice addition to the Pretties Kit large flower and Plum-colored bling brad.

Gift Card Holders for teachers and coaches....

I needed some gift card holders, and wanted to use the top note, so I looked on the internet and found this picture:  http://cynthiaewer.com/node/39  I didn't want it to be 3D though...just fairly flat, so it was easy to alter it for Christmas.  It was so simple to cut the top notes, score the flap and trim up the edges.  I then added dimensionals between the top and bottom layers, a daisy with a rhinestone center and a gingham ribbon...The Christmas Cocoa Flocked paper makes a great inset for the front too!

You can see that the dimensionals allow the card to slide in easily as well as stopping the gift card from falling out of sight, and Velcro dots glued with Crystal Effects secure the flap.  (Magnets are probably not a good idea with the strip on the back of the cards.)

Recipe Monday #12 Christmas Morning Oatmeal Casserole

This recipe came from my MOPS friend Amy Moses. I often halve this recipe for our small family. This reheats nicely in the microwave and is just enough breakfast to get you through the unwrapping of presents while still leaving room for lunch!

Christmas Breakfast Oatmeal Casserole

4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
2 tsp salt
1 cup oil
6 cups oatmeal
2 cups milk

Combine and place in a greased 9X13 pan.

Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Good with milk and fruit on top. You can also add 1 tsp of Cinnamon if you are using a fruit that is good with cinnamon. I have also added a diced apple before baking which is delicious too.

Today's project:

Covering a tin with designer series paper is a quick way to package baked goods or to wrap unusually shaped gifts. This tin has Stampin' Ups! lovely flocked Christmas Cocoa paper and the Christmas Punch snowman as a tag.

Joseph's Coat Inside Out

This is the last card for my January Faux Fabrics Technique Class.  (To see the other cards click on my Projects Blog.) The technique is Janine Tinklenberg's Joseph's Coat Inside Out and uses the new Vintage Vogue stamp set and Very Vintage wheel. The butterfly that I highlighted (by stamping a small flower over it so that it wouldn't be covered) is on a part of the wheel that is just not shown in the Occasions mini.

I think my local customers will really enjoy this free-style technique.  For Janine's complete tutorial click here: http://stampspaperscissors.typepad.com/stamps_paper_scissors/2007/09/josephs-coat-in.html

For my example, I rolled the wheel in Rich Razzleberry at the bottom of the card. I then rolled it randomly at the top in several directions without re-inking so that it would be fainter. I then splotched Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery and Bashful Blue on with a sponge.  Next I Versamark stamped the flowers and vine images, applied clear embossing powder and heat embossed.  My final step, brayering, is only done using Rich Razzleberry and Brocade Blue. The lighter colors were achieved as the color became less dense on the brayer.

Nugget Box and Tea Bag Holder

These quick projects are easy and cute when you just need a little giftie or as part of a gift basket.  Cover the box with scraps of paper and add ribbon and an ornament stamped popped on dimensionals. Just wrap 5 Hershey Nuggets in Stampin' Up!'s designer series paper and you're all set!

Tonight was our downline Christmas party..

What a fun group of girls I have in my first level downline.  They are so fun and so energetic about stamping! We had a great time laughing, snacking, crafting and talking about upcoming Sale-A-Bration promotion fun.

Aren't they cute?!  And so tall!  Love you girls!

Sweet Season Tin O'Fudge

This little tin was simple to alter for giving gifts of homemade chocolate fudge and peanut butter fudge.  I simply used the Merry Moments Designer Series paper for the top layer and the inside layer in the Old Olive Snowflake and Stripe patterns.  I just rounded the outside corners to follow the lines of the tins and added a bit of red ribbon.  Next, I stamped the "From Our House to Yours stamp in Old Olive on Very Vanilla cardstock.  I used my Real Red Stampin' Write Markter to color the heart (as we were shown at Convention) and punched it out with the wide oval punch....Once it was layered on a Real Red and a Chocolate Chip Scalloped Oval and popped up on dimensionals, the top was finished.

I stamped the Gingerbread and sugared things sentiment from the Sweet Season set in Chocolate Chip ink on the inside and added the waxed paper to protect the paper from the sweet contents.  It was so easy and really improves the look of my small gift.

Penguin Valentine & Recipe Monday #11 Paprika Pecan Cheese Rolls

The new glassine envelopes that will be available on January 4th from Stampin Up! will be a lot of fun. Below you can see the back of a small size glassine envelope which works perfectly with the new Kisses die cuts. I used a TO: FROM: from the Christmas Punch set punched with the small oval punch, sealed the envelope flap with some two way glue (after letting it dry so that it will stick and restick) and added a small heart Melon Mambo punch with a mini glue dot.  The Pretty in Pink larger heart punch adds just a bit more to the back of the envelope.

My daughter loves penguins, so we will use the penguin from the Cold & Cuddly Set from the Holiday Mini for her Valentine's this year.  I stamped the Happy Valentine's Day stamp from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set onto the Kisses Die Cut and punched the penguin circle while adding a layer of Pretty in Pink behind it.You can see the little penguin peeking through the envelope here, and my daughter thought she'd rather her friends have to open the envelope to see the Valentine, so...

Ta-da!  We used the pretty new Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit in Pretty in Pink with a Melon Mambo Heart cut using the movers and shapers heart die behind it.  SU!'s glue stick secured it to the envelope easily.

This is my Aunt June's recipe and is one of my favorites for savory snacking this time of year!

Paprika Cheese Rolls

½ lb (8 oz) grated cheddar cheese

½ lb (8 oz) Velveeta cheese at room temperature

3 oz Philly cream cheese (silver box) at room temperature

A bit of garlic powder (less than ¼ tsp.)

¾ c chopped pecans

Optional: 1 tsp red pepper

Paprika

Mix well all ingredients but paprika.

Form into roll and sprinkle with paprika until the outside is covered. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.