Snowman Treat Tin & Recipe Monday #10 Peanut Butter Christmas Mice

This Snowman Treat Tin makes a quick and easy gift for neighbors and friends, but it gives your gift a sweet, handcrafted boost over a store-bought Christmas tin!  The Big Shot Scalloped Circle Die makes a quick little face, and just rounding the corners on some scraps of Basic Black cardstock created a hat. 

I used the 1/2" circle punch for eyes and made a triangle nose.  The holly leaves are just the large oval punch punched (sort of randomly) with a circle punch to create the points, and the berries are 1/4" circles. (I had seen this done previously in several places.) I used the back side of the 3/4" Real Red Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon for his hatband.  It was assembled with sticky strip and SU! glue sticks. The 5" diameter and 7/8" tall tin was found online.

Now, what will you put inside to complete your gift?  A few chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter fudge or raspberry truffles would be nice, or what about today's recipe?

Peanut Butter Mice

1 cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup butter (no substitutes), softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup peanut halves (roasted not raw)
2 tablespoons MINIATURE M&Ms
Red shoestring licorice-separated into strings 2 inches long

Cream peanut butter, butter, sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour/until easy to handle.

Roll into 1 inch balls…..place 2 inches apart on baking sheet, and pinch one end into a taper for the nose. Insert 2 peanut halves in the center of each ball for ears. Add a brown or red M&M for the nose and use two brown, blue or green M&Ms for the eyes.

Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes or until set. On pan, gently insert a read licorice piece into each cookie for a tail. (Yield 4 dozen)

A Hopping Good Time!

Welcome to Stampin' Addicts Retiring Dormant List Stamp Sets Blog Hop! Our blog hop features some of the stamp sets we've just learned are retiring on January 4th. These are just a few of the 32 sets that are being retired. (There is a complete list below in my blog post from yesterday.)

If you have been following the blog hop in order, you've just seen Holly's wonderful creations at Rubber Redneck featuring the Sweet Stems set.

For my little corner of the hop, I chose the Wonderful Watercolors set because of its pretty design and ease of use.  I did a watercoloring class last March in which we did wet watercolor crayons (misting) and watercolor wash with this set. It is so versatile!

First, I made this fun Stationery Box which was Monday 3-D challenge #21 (search 3D021 in the SA forums) by challenge hostess Holly Krautkremer. I did alter the measurements slightly by using a 12X12 piece of cardstock cut to 6-1/2 inches wide and scoring at 1 inch on each side of the 6-1/2 inch side and at 5-1/2 from each side of the 12 inch length. My flap piece size was then increased from 4-1/2 X 4 to 4-1/2 X 5, and I scored the 5 inch length at 2 and 3 inches (ie 2 inches from either end) for a slightly longer flap and full one inch depth.

Next, is this Thinking of You card.  It is quite simple with just a little blender pen smudging of the leaves. I used a leftover top note die edge for the decorative edge on the right.

Finally, I happened upon thin mini notepads at the dollar store and decided a pretty to do list might make checking off completed chores more fun...It is a great purse size.  The notepad will be affixed to the cover....I just wanted to show the notepad in the picture.

Make sure you check out the next stop to see Mary's lovely designs using the fabulous Branch Out set at {scrap and stamp with Mary} .

And if you've never visited Stampin' Addicts (or even if you have), we'd love to see you posting in the forums and sharing the love for Stampin' Up!

Retiring Dormant List Stamp Sets

I love the Branch Out set, and it is on the list of stamp sets that are currently on the dormant list (not in the catalog, but available for purchase) but will retire on January 4, 2010.  If you love it, and don't have it, call me to order it!

The full list is posted below, and several friends of mine will be having a blog hop on Saturday and Sunday the 5th and 6th of December to show off a few of these sets before they are gone. So check back here tomorrow for my creations and a link to many more!

The following stamp sets will be discontinued on January 4, 2010.

Item # Stamp Set Last Publication this Set Appeared in Page #

113407 Backwoods 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 102

114492 Beautiful Baby 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 208

114486 Birthday Wish 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 208

113200 Branch Out 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 100

114496 Celebrations 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 208

113732 Central Park 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 106

113206 Classic Sketches 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 119

113226 Classy & Fabulous 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 51
114498 Flowers in Silhouette 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 208

113405 Font of You 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 46

113216 For the Bride 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 61

114028 Para la novia 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 61

114494 Forever 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 208

109425 Friend by Definition 2008 Fall-Winter Idea Book & Catalog 135

114488 Fun Flowers 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 208

113716 Garden Greetings 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 55

114490 Glad Friends 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 208

111580 Grand Soiree 2008 Fall-Winter Idea Book & Catalog 126

113242 Hit the Road 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 103

113710 Lexicon of Leaves 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 101

113236 Man's Best Friend 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 72

114423 Ocean Commotion 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 97

113728 Playful Petals 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 99

109276 Polka Dot 2008 Fall-Winter Idea Book & Catalog 135

111544 Putt Putt 2008 Fall-Winter Idea Book & Catalog 81

113240 Quilt Quips 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 53

113754 Really Retro 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 132

113403 Sip by Sip 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 51

113726 Sweet Stems 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 99

113250 That's Funny 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 63

113688 Wonderful Watercolors 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 85

114032 Acuarelas Maravillosas 2009 Spring-Summer Idea Book & Catalog 85

Spark YOUR Creativity Challenge #4

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!

Now on to this week's "SPARK":

Here's my card:

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 in the comments here AND tell me what in the picture "Sparked" your creativity.

See you next Thursday...Happy Stamping!

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