The First Batch of Stamp a Stack card options....I never post on Sunday....but...

Since I am going to start a series for the month of February on my blog, I needed to post these cards I plan to use for an upcoming Stamp A Stack before then because they do not follow "the plan".

A Stamp A Stack participant could choose however many of this card to make and then use any of these five images to create a Thank You, Baby Girl, Baby Boy, Birthday Present or Birthday Cake card.  The choice and placement of the sentiment allows for some personal expression too!  I think the bug background looks nice with the bugs or turtle, but not as nice with the cake :wink:, so that is another way to change it up.

As you are stamping on your own, using one sketch and color scheme to make a variety of cards that use similar-sized different stamps is a quick way to build your card supply.

Tess has presents!

When I saw a card with Tess overwhelmed by her packages on the web forum for Stampin' Up! demonstrators, I had to CASE the idea! Laurie LaRose was the creator...thanks so much for sharing Laurie! 

First you just mask Tess's arms and stamp the rest of her onto your cardstock. Then, I had to Mirror Image Tess's hand using a window sheet to transfer it to scrap Whisper White paper using Black StazOn. (She has what looks like two of the same hand due to how she is gesturing.)  Mirror Image=stamp the part of the image you'd like to mirror onto a window sheet/transparency and then immediately stamp the window sheet onto a piece of paper.  I outlined my mirrored hand so it is the darker one in the picture...guess I need to outline the other one...oops! :)

I used the Sketch Challenge for this week on Stampin' Addicts for my layout.  SASC39 was such fun, and with this color scheme, I was able to use some Celery brads that look like Gable Green to me!

Secret Reveal....Things I Love

One of the cards for next week's technique class will be this Secret Reveal "Things I Love" card. It is such a fun card that would make any friend or family member smile. I didn’t create the original…it was by my friend Kim Bolzenthal. I changed the colors and designer series paper, added the bling on the high heel (now that we have the Eggcellent Eggs Kit) and made the scalloped circles pointy. She found the original tutorial by Kelly Acheson http://astampabovetutorials.blogspot.com/2009/02/secret-reveal-card-tutorial.html . I received a swap of Kim's amazing card at Convention last summer and saved the idea for my stampers to create for Valentine's Day.

Recipe Monday #17 Teriyaki Steak Kabobs and Okie Bunny Stampers Challenge

At my last downline meeting (I've named us the Okie Bunny Stampers), I challenged everyone to create an Easel card with the set and papers I had randomly placed in each person's bag...This is a very difficult thing to do since it stifles personal creativity a bit, but they did a great job!

Here are our cards:

Valerie Aguirre

Shawna Maxwell

Kris Kilkenny

Rhonda (ME)---Can you believe I got the easiest one? Totally luck of the draw...I let them choose first!

Today's Recipe is an easy Grilled Teriyaki Steak Kabob.

In a 1 gallon Freezer ziplock bag, begin with a clump of brown sugar (about 1/3 of a cup) and the juice from a small can of pinepple rings. (put the pineapple rings in the refrigerator until the next day)

Next add, steak (not a wonderful T-bone or Filet Mignon, but a less expensive cut such as sirloin or "strips for kabobs") cut into 1-1/2 or 2 inch cubes.  You will need less steak than you normally would if you were just eating a steak....2 steaks for 4 people for example.

I like 1-1/2 inch half rounds of zucchini, 1-1/2 inch aquares of orange (green) peppers, onion petals/slices (as if you quartered the onion) in the marinade as well.  Now add Soy Vay Brand Island Teriyaki marinade (I usually use 1/2 a bottle), slide the zip lock and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or overnight.

Soak bamboo skewers in water (in a 13X9 inch pyrex dish) for at least 2 hours. Dump the water when you are ready to create your kabobs. 

After marinating, skewer the steak and vegetables and reserved pineapple rings (cut in quarters) alternating them. Put them in the 13X9 inch pyrex to hold any run off from the marinade and grill as soon as possible.  (You may need to pour off the liquid as you reach for veggies because it will be extremely cold.)  Serve with a baked potato or with Asian rice and side dishes.  This is a great alternative way to have steak that our girls love!

Technique Tuesday Kissing Lip Balm Valentine Recipe Monday - Taco Soup

Tuesday is the Technique Challenge day on Stampin' Addicts, and today I thought the Kissing Technique was in order since many Stampin' Up! demonstrators are preparing for Valentine's Day classes and clubs.

My project is a lip balm holder, and there is a tutorial on SA from the Monday 3-D challenges: Chapstick Holder Challenge

For this lip balm holder, I chose the new Sending Love Specialty Designer Series, decorated it with the Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon and a Real Red Heart Sending Love Epoxy Brad.

For the Kissing Technique I used the large solid heart from the I {Heart} Hearts set and stamped it onto the Fine Flourish Mini Background which had been inked with Real Red Classic Ink.  I lined it up carefully (which was easy using the center three petals at the top and bottom of the stamp) to place the circle in the center of the background in the center of the heart. Here's a link to the Challenge Post on Stampin' Addicts: Tech38 Kissing

On the 3 X 3 card and on the pink heart below, you can see the intended use of the technique for creating a shape with pattern on a larger sheet of paper.  My lip balm holder looked better with the heart cut out though :). So, following the technique, I cut out the heart, added the brad, sponged the edges with Real Red Classic Ink and popped it up on dimensionals. I also sponged the sentiment from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set and adhered it using dimensionals as well.

Today's Recipe is a combination of several recipes most notably a corn chowder altered to use lean ground beef.

Taco Soup

1 lb lean ground beef (Though not as good for hamburgers, I like 90% for this soup.)
1 package of taco seasoning
1 can of Mexican corn
1 can of Cream of Potato Soup (this is not enough to make the soup gooey-don't worry)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can diced green chilis
1 can of Rotel tomatoes
1 small can of tomato sauce (if you'd like a red broth)
1 32 ounce carton of Beef Broth
Cilantro and Mexican spices to taste (I added some chili powder and a scoop of a home sales party enchilada seasoning)

Brown ground beef and cook onion at the same time.  Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil...stirring to prevent sticking.  Turn down heat and simmer for an hour or so to meld flavors.  (You may need to add a little water at the half way point.) Serve with shredded cheese and tortillas or tortilla chips.  This recipe serves about 8.

Spring Song Stampin' Addicts Sale-A-Bration Blog Hop

Welcome to the Stampin' Addicts Sale-A-Bration Blog Hop!  We're focusing on the six NEW Sale-A-Bration offerings as well as other sets stampers might choose for FREE with a $50 order listed on page 11 of the Sale-A-Bration brochure. Join us at Stampin' Addicts for fun and easy gallery gazing and chatting about stamping and Stampin' Up!

**This blog hop continues through Monday at midnight, so my Recipe Monday post will be up on Tuesday morning this week.**  (Yes, obviously it will be Recipe Tuesday, but...hey.)

You probably arrived from Lisa's Stampin' My Life Away blog where you saw touching creations with the Ribbon of Hope set.  If not, you can continue through the circle and get there eventually!

The projects at this stop were made with the Spring Song set on page 102 of the 2009-2010 Idea Book and Catalog. 

This is an easel card-these popular cards have been attributed to Penny Wessenauer. I think it shows off the Hummingbird and Trumpet Vine image in this set nicely.  I used the hostess level one designer series paper pack in Ruby Red with the Earth Elements brads and Going Grey Satin Ribbon. The image was stamped in Black StazOn on Watercolor paper and colored with markers and an aquapainter. (Just click the picture if you'd like a closer look.)

On the card below, I used the Stampin' Addicts Sketch Challenge #37 (SASC37-flipped) for this week as my layout and the Color Challenge #41 (SACC41) for the colors. I love the new Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions embossing folder as well as two other embossing patterns from SU!  The "ring" around the thank you sentiment is the very center (punched with the 1" circle punch) of the Vintage Labels Medallion on page 4 of the Sale-A-Bration brochure.

I hope this doesn't hurt your eyes, but I think this set also looks nice in the monochromatic look on a wide pocket card. I used JanTInk's crimped scalloped edging technique around the circle, as well as a piece of the Sale-A-Bration dsp for contrast on the front.

The scallop trim border punch is easy to use and has a sweet look.

Now continue the fun by visiting Melina Stamps! to see her pretties with the Thank You Kindly set. Enjoy the hop!

Heart Flip Flop Card

This will be a card that we'll make next month at February Technique class.

I CASE'd the idea from a Halloween variation on the old Flip Flop card which uses the big shot (and changed it to Valentine's Day) for which the technique came from Jackie Topa. The card I saw was on Stampin' Addicts though: http://www.stampinaddicts.com/galler...ca&cat=950

Baby Wipe Stripe Cards

For Tuesday's Technique Challenge on Stampin' Addicts, I chose the baby wipe stripe technique. It was a lot of fun to do, but a bit messy.

You need reinkers, baby wipes and glossy cardstock for this technique. I also recommend paper towels, copy paper on which to work and plastic gloves.

First put a small bit of dotto or adhesive on the back of your glossy cardstock to attach it to your copy paper so that you can go off each of the edges of the glossy paper for a smooth edge. (I still was glad I left the paper 5-1/2 X 4-1/4 and cut it down to 5-1/4 X4 afterward though for a neater look/no stop-start area showing.)
I folded the baby wipe several times then applied the reinkers so that they were touching each other. (It was necessary to reink the baby wipe as I repeated the technique, so I recommend writing the order you used on the copy paper you put under your work area for reference .

I used Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Certainly Celery and Old Olive. I tried adding Chocolate Chip, but when I put the Rose Red next to the Old Olive a Chocolate Chip naturally occurred, so I didn't need it and didn't use that one on either card pictured.

I then swiped the baby wipe across the glossy cardstock to create the lines.

To get more even coverage and the muted look, I repeated wiping the wipe across the glossy cardstock.

In this picture you can see my attempts and to the left my inspiration, a vibrant and lovely swap by Nancy Brundidge.

 

After I'd completed the technique, I tried it on a card both horizontally:

and vertically:

My circle flower has the lovely Sweet Pea Stitched Felt as its leaves and center. I used the 1-3/4, 1-3/8, 1-1/4 and 1 inch circle punches to make the flower and just curled the edges in to create the petal look.

Recipe Monday #15 Cranberry Almond Brie Appetizer

Everyone asked for the recipe for this at last Thursday's class...It is SO easy!

Cranberry Almond Brie Pizza Appetizer

1/2 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 of an 8 ounce wheel of Brie Cheese (I cut the rind off of the rounded edge)
1/2 package of sliced almonds (the thin slices not slivered chunks)
1 can of big and flaky crescent rolls

Unroll the crescent rolls onto a pizza pan sprayed with Pam, and press the pieces together to cover bottom of the pan.  I like to put it in the oven at 350F for 5 minutes at this point so that the center isn't as doughy after cooking.

Next spread the whole berry cranberry sauce on the top and add small slices/bits of Brie. Sprinkle the thinly sliced almonds on top and bake 10 more minutes.  Slice with a pizza wheel and enjoy.

I made this card using the new Vintage Vogue Set. I always like to make sympathy cards very simple.

Eggcoutrements MOJO Monday Sketch

Here's a sweetie style card using the Eggcoutrements Stamp Set and the MOJO Monday Sketch for this week.  Gotta love the Springy goodness since it is SO cold right now! Here's a link to the sketch: http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/

1, 2, 3 Stamp!

Join me on Thursday, January 14th at 1:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. and be creative for one hour and make two cards for $3. (Or FREE with any order) Have a great afternoon or evening discovering stamping! These are the cards we will make:
This gatefold card was made using the new heart border punch and the I Heart Hearts Stamp Set. There are a variety of hearts from which to choose for the main image in the center if you plan to send the card to someone other than a friend.

This soft blue and green Vintage Vogue card is surprisingly quick to make. You can also change the sentiment to Thank You or Get Well Soon (it is winter after all) if you don't need a birthday card right now.

Vintage Vogue and Recipe Monday #14 French Onion Soup

This easy recipe is yummy too!

French Onion Soup

6 medium onions
3-4 Tablespoons butter (or margarine)
2 32-Ounce cartons of Beef Broth
1 bouillion cube (beef)
1 teaspoon Worchestershine sauce
a sprinkle of dried Parsley flakes
a sprinkle of dried bay leaves
2 teaspoons of red wine

French Bread sliced and toasted
Provolone Cheese in slices

1. Saute Onions in butter until they are completely clear, but not browned/dried.
2. Add the next 6 ingredients.
3. Simmer for 3-4 hours.
4. Ladle into bowls,
5. Top each bowl with a slice of toast and a slice of cheese (completely cover the toast with cheese.)
6. Since my bowls are oven safe, I put them on a cookie sheet and bake at 325F for ~10 minutes to melt the cheese.

As promised, here is the Vintage Vogue card on Whisper White with floral cut outs...I used Melon Mambo accents with Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery.  In addition, I used the new Pretty in Pink satin ribbon also available for order tomorrow January 5th from Stampin' Up!

Eggcoutrements Stampin' Addicts Occasions Mini Blog Hop

Welcome to the Stampin' Addicts Occasions Mini Blog Tour! We're glad you're here! 

You've probably arrived from the great projects on Heidi's Blog with the Something Sweet set, but if not, you can go either direction to see all 25 stops on the tour.  Be sure to drop by Stampin' Addicts for Stampin' Up! creative fun!

First, I have a Big Shot Scalloped Envelope Die basket (which I admit is SO last year), but I really wanted a basket for this set.  I think the color scheme of the Shades of Spring Designer Series Paper brings it into the new decade ;).  The flower and swirly are from the Eggcelent Eggs Kit, and at $9.99, it is a great value.  It includes sheets of flowers, rhinestones, Egg holders and rub-ons!

Next is this card which highlights the Eggcellent Eggs kit.  I cut out the bunny face and chick from the Eggcoutrements set and tucked them in the grass of one of the Egg Holders...The Egg Holders are easy to adapt to a border for the short side of a card.  I used the Eggcellent Eggs kit flowers for the garden, and happily, the small dots in the borders make great centers for the tiny flowers. (Centers are included for the larger flowers.) The flower stems and sentiment oval are the striped pattern from the same paper.

Here's the Egg Kit in its intended use. I added Janine Tinklenberg's fun Scalloped Crimped edging technique for the top of the egg (topped with a flower) and for the mat for the blue bunny.

This final card uses the sticky-backed rhinestones to highlight the stamped images and rub-ons along the bottom edge. The Pretty in Pink Satin ribbon is threaded through both sides of the Hardware piece and adhered with dimensionals.

Now, continue the fun by visiting Holly P. at Ink Paper Stamps to see great projects with the Mini Milk Carton Big Shot Die! Thanks for touring with us!