Pages

Monday, November 29, 2010

Vinyl + Laptop = Major Cuteness!!!!

So I was playing around with my new stash and decided I would put my new little Decor Element Vinyl thingie onto my laptop. You wont be able to see it from the picture but my laptop is a very very soft shade of pink (I'm not a girl obsessed with pink, I swear!...It had all the features I wanted and only came in this color) and what goes better with pink then chocolate! So I gave it a quick cleaning but all of a sudden my DH comes over and starts using the little applicator to rub it onto my laptop! He totally stole my thunder! So I let him have a little fun by getting to rub the pattern on but I got to peal off the paper (with him looming over me telling me to be gentle, when aren't I?



How cool does my laptop look now?!? I've never used the vinyl decor elements but I'm totally sold, this has to be one of my new favorite things! Oh and just for size reference, my laptop has a 17" screen so this small size is pretty substantial.

For this Project:
More fun to come later.

Till next time,

An Early Christmas Gift

I have been waiting or this little box of happiness for a week and a half! I should have had it on the 23rd but due to "adverse weather conditions" it was delayed, much to my dismay...I'm sure plenty of you are out there that feel my impatience. Anyway....behold the box!


So in that box was all of this fun crafting goodness! So lets take a tour of my new stash.

 


In My Kit:

Classic Stampin' Pads: So Saffron, Real Red, Basic Black, Old Olive and Early Espresso
Classic Ink Refill: Early Espresso
2 Stampin Write Markers: Daffodil Delight and Certainly Celery (my new fav!)
Blender Pen
1 Small Clear Acrylic Block
Early Espresso Satin Ribbon (15 yrd)
Stampin Scrub & Mist
Stampin Round and Wheel in Baroque Border with a un-inked cartridge
Stampin Sponge
Designer 12x12 cardstock in Regals
8.5x11 cardstock in Neutrals
8.5x11 cardstock in Whisper White
Sticky Strip adhesive
Dimensional Adhesive
and a bunch of catalogs and biz stuff.

Oh the fun I'll be having for the next few days playing with all of this!

Happy Holidays,





Saturday, November 27, 2010

Holiday Cheesecake

I know Thanksgiving is over but I thought I would share a recipe for a very delicious cheesecake I made. I know some people still like to make pumpkin type things through the Holiday season so I thought it was worth sharing.

Pumpkin Cheesecake:


Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Servings: 12









Ingredients:

Crust:
2 cup Graham Crackers Crumbs
2 Tb. Sugar
4 Tb. Butter, melted

Filling:
 2.5 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/3 cup White Sugar
1 (16 ounce) can  of Pumpkin
1 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Clove
1/2 tsp ground Ginger
1/2 tsp. ground Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Flour
3 eggs

Topping:
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tb. White Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Cloves
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1 splash of Grand Marnier

Directions:

1. Combine crust ingredients and press into the bottom and onto the sides of a 8'' round 4" deep pan. You may also use a 9" spring form pan if you like, doing the side crust is optional for springform. Chill.

2. Filling: Beat the softened Cream Cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl or you can use a 5-6qt KitchenAid, scrape the sides a few times as well as the paddle to make sure there aren't any lumps. Next add in your pumpkin, spices and salt. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each and then add the flour last. Scrape the sides again just to make sure you have everything nicely incorporated and then pour into your crust.

3. Bake at 325f for 1 hour and 10 minutes. When you pull it out, let it rest on the table for 10-15 minutes and then if using a regular baking pan, carefully run a small knife around the edge of the pan to unstick the crust. Cover with foil and put in the freezer overnight.

4 To remove from pan. Run your small knife around the pan once more.If you have a spring form it should release fairly easily but i f using a regular pan, invert it onto a plate or small cutting board that you can easily move and flip. Using a kitchen torch, warm the bottom of the pan lightly to unstick the bottom crust. You should hear it drop to the plate or board. If you do not have a kitchen torch you can just soak the pan in a bowl or sink with shallow hot water and then invert. If you will not be doing the Sour Cream topping go ahead and put it on your serving plate and garnish.

5 Topping: You'll want to set your cheesecake onto a baking sheet pan because we will be baking the topping at 325f for about 8 minutes to set it. Mix all of your ingredients for the topping together and then pour it onto your cheesecake. Using a offset icing spatula spread the topping out to the edges, trying to get it as level as possible. Bake.

Garnish: Once its done baking you can immediately put it on its plate and add dried Cranberries and Almond slivers like I did or use Pecan halves, Walnut halves or whatever you like.

I hope you like this as much as we did.

Happy Holidays!

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Handling Some Business


I haven't been able to do much crafting due to this projects I'm working on. I am making 556 invitations for an event I'm co-hosting on Dec. 8th so I've got to finish these bad boys up fairly quickly. Luckily half of that number is totally done and the other half is almost finished. 



What I used on this Invite:
  • Stamps: Your Invited(Hero Arts), Natural Beauty (Stampin'Up!), True Friend (Stampin'Up!)
  • Cardstock: Kraft (generic)
  • Colored Pencils (Prisma)







I'm hoping to post my first tutorial next week on a very cool projects I've been working on prior to these invites so stay tuned for that!


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!


Friday, November 19, 2010

Love on the Fence




This card was inspired from a white fence and that K&Co love sticker. 
I started by stamping the flourish background first.
Then cut plain white cardstock into various widths and edge with a brown Cat's Eye that managed to detach itself so I used petite pliers to hold it while I finished up the "fence".
I stamped the flowers in brown and shaded them in with colored pencils.

Products I used on this card:

Cardstock: Generic Kraft and White
Ink: Old Olive, Frayed Burlap and Walnut Stain (Distress Ink)
Chipboard: Love sticker (K&Co)

Thanks for checkin' in,


I'm Soooo Excited!

So since I've totally drowned myself in this fun little craft I thought I'd take advantage of this pretty sweet offer Stampin' Up! has going on and I am happy to say I'm a Stampin' Up! demo now. :D I figure since I've been teaching classes I might as well make the extra $ that comes with it instead of it goin to someone else (no offence Tracy, still love ya!) and now I also get a sweet discount on all my purchases, score! 


If you haven't heard about it here is the info.

I just liked that the kit isn't a generic one, its almost totally customizable so I got to toss in quite a few set of papers, stamps and ink pads that have been on my wish list in there. So you get a bunch of stuff for only $85 bucks! My mama didn't raise no fool, I know a good deal with I see one and that one wasn't about to pass me by!


Oh and its a no obligation kit too so if you don't want to do there thing you can buy the kit and not do anything further without any penalties at all. 


If you want to score the deal go Here and use my code: ASmudgyInkyPassword


I should be getting my kit by Monday or Tues so I'll post pics of my goodie box.


Until next time,

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Fun with Flock

I think my style is starting to evolve into soft pastels now, I just love this card, I think this would have to be my favorite one that I've made so far in the 5 months I've been card making. I really dont know if I have the heart to give this away, I almost feel like I should make a shadow box for it so I can keep it safe. Do you ever feel that way?


I experimented with a new stamp set and some fuzzy flock I picked up from the Scrapbook Expo. Okay I also picked up a pink ATG gun too while I was there so this card was a gathering of all the fun goodies.


To get my diagonal stripes I used the ATG gun and just laid down the adhesive in the pattern I wanted when hit it with the Funky Flock. I love that its such a soft look but manages to still stand out with all the other things going on.


Things I used on this Card:

  • Paper: White Cardstock(walmart), Pink (Recollections), Scallop thingie (My Mind's Eye: Signature Christmas by Jen Wilson
  • Funky Flock in White (the Rubber Cafe)
  • Cheers (K&Co BW Everygreen Medallions)
  • Stamps: Christmas Silohouttes (Inkadinkado) Clear Stamps Christmas( Fiskars: Heidi Grace)
  • Inks: Tattered Rose, Bundled Sage, Walnut Stain(Distress Inks), Sea Breeze (Versa Magic), ColorBox Cat's Eye set for red, Sky Blue (Versa Color)
Hope you like it as much as I do,

Hello Sweetie Pie


My Mother-in-law had told me she thought my cards were pretty but usually their colors were too dark for her taste so I made this bright and vibrant card to make her smile.


I layered my background with soft shades and used a very very pale green pencil to color my pears. I've also been dying to try out one of these boarder frames from a Ephemera pack I got awhile back so I think this is the perfect use for that. Before I glued down the frame I measured where I wanted my heat embossed image first, I have to get some kind of dark vintage color in here somewhere otherwise it would feel like mine.



Things I used on this card:
  • Cardstock: White (brandless)
  • Flowers: Prima and Hero Arts
  • Bling: Unknown
  • Inks: Distress Ink (Frayed Burlap, Antique Linen), Color Box Cat's Eye in blue.
  • Stamps: Bird (Elements of Style SU), Pear Collage (Memory Box), Vintage Stamps (Liberty, London Post by Hero Arts), Lace detail ( Prima)
  • Ephemera Boarder and Expression from K & Co.
  • Embossing Powder in Bronze (Hampton Arts A La Mode-Basics)
  • Colored Pencils ( Prisma)
Thanks for looking,

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Been Thinkin'


Since thinking of someone special can give you warm fuzzies I thought I'd make a card that had those fuzzies too. A friend of mine shared that cool fuzzie paper with me that she scored from a pack Costco was selling awhile back. It has fuzz and glitter, talk about one awesome combo!

Products I used to make this card:
  • Paper: Kraft (unknown Joanne pack), Red (American Craft), Floral (Coscto pack)
  • Stamps: Frames with a Flourish (Stampin' Up!), Sentiment (Stampin' Up!)
  • Ink: Walnut Stain, Frayed Burlap and Fired Brick (Tim Holtz Distress Ink)
Have a great day!





Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Some Love For Ya...


Here's my latest card featuring my favorite new thing...Cardboard! I hit the cardboard with a bunch of Distress Inks to give it a much warmer/worn look. 
While making this I had a bit of a lapse in common logic...I forgot to open the card up before I ran it through my sewing machine, oops :). I ripped the seam and then just added the light blue to the inside of the card then re-sewed it into place to make it look like I did it on purpose. :D


I modified this tag from K&Co with a piece of scrap paper I had laying around. I must say I'm totally in love with this new (to me at least) heat embossing technique. I'm thinking I'll try to do a photo tutorial on it because its pretty cool, stay tuned for that.

Products I used on this card:
  • Paper: White cardstock (walmart), Light Blue (DCWV Latte Matstack) Green (American Crafts: Earth Tone pack) Tag (K&Co)
  • Stamps: Love (Kathy Davis for Inkadinkado), Le Jardin Botanique (Stampin Up), Frames with a Flourish(Stampin Up), French Foliage (Stampin Up) and Old Letter Writing (Hero Arts).
  • Embossing Powder: UTEE (Ranger)
  • Cardboard (from a toilet seat cover I bought)
  • Ribbon (brand unknown)
  • Inks: Walnut stain, Frayed Burlap, Crushed Olive, Fired Brick (Distress Ink), Bronze (ColorBox), Liquid Chalk Cat's Eye in Dark Brown (ColorBox).
  • Boarder Scallop Punch (Stampin Up)
Thanks for looking,

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Scrapbook Expo was.....

So much FUN!!! I didn't find out about it in time to take advantage of the classes but just walking around the floor was a great experience. I loved seeing all these woman shopping for scrappy, artsy goodness, it gave me warm fuzzies knowing that there really are a bunch of chicks out there getting creative like I am. Since I haven't done much crafting outside of my house it was very exciting to say the least.
I snapped this shot right before I left but the crowed sure did this out by 3pm. When I got there at 11:30 it was packed and hard to move. Dig that lady's shopping purse, lots of people had these in so many patterns....love it! 

The expo is still going on so if you have time head on over to the Sacramento Convention center and score some sweet deals on lots of things we tend not to find locally but even some we do but at cheaper prices.

Have a great weekend!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Chubby Birdie




Good Morning! I'm just loving the Stampin Up stamps this week, especially the French Foliage stamp set, I think this is now my favorite sets. Those little ink spatters are just perfect, not too big, not too small...I'm obsessed! I'm also totally digging the cardboard too, its so fun to work with.

Products I used on this card:
  • Plane white Cardstock
  • Cardboard
  • Hero Arts: Old Letter Writing
  • SU: French Foliage,  Le jardin botanique, The bird is SU but I'm not sure which set.
  • Distress Inks in Antique Linen, Crushed Olive, Fired Brick, Frayed Burlap and Walnut Stain.
  • Cat's Eye ink in a beige color.
Thanks for reading,


New Shelf display

So a month ago I went down to visit my family on the Central Coast, while in the basement looking for the Tamale pot I had found the 7-up crate. The next day I was in mystical land that time has forgotten aka my Nana's Garage, in that fun time warp I spotted this little odd shelf, here's its journey.

All dirt and dust removed its a lot lighter of a wood them I originally thought, yikes!

I didnt want to deal with staining the wood so I busted out my distress ink pad in Walnut Stain and went to town. I carefully painted the slats blue (now matches my other display piece) then I glued the paper to the back.



I realized after I loaded this up with stamps that now my other display piece that used to hold all of these is now looking a little bare....what's a girl to do????

A little bird told me the Sacramento Scrapbook Expo is on this Friday and Sat, maybe I'll able be to find something there to help fill the empty space on that other display piece. :D

See ya later,




Thursday, November 4, 2010

A little note for you

This is my first venture into using cardboard and I think I complimented it nicely with dainty stamps from SU.

I colored the cardboard with distress inks to give it more depth in color. Sadly I shot these at night and the full color isn't really coming through. I stamped all of these details in Frayed Burlap and then used colored pencils. I also added a bit of curling under the leaf and gave it a crease down the center to add to dimension. I also used the rounded end of a paint brush to give a bubbling up effect to the berries.


I really love those little berry branches, I layered small script over them and added a little distress inks to the edge of the card.

What I used on this Card:
  • Plain white Cardstock
  • SU: French Foliage, Le jardin botanique.
  • Cardboard
  • Distress Inks in Frayed Burlap, Antique Linen, Fired Brick, Spiced Marmalade
  • Prisma Colored Pencils
Thanks for looking,


Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Vintage Book Wreath

I had seen these beautiful book wreaths all over the place and fell in love and when I saw that ScrapScene had a blog post featuring a tutorial for one I was totally excited. Sadly the original place that had the tutorial was down so I couldn't see it. Being the somewhat tech savvy chica that I am I looked it up on youtube and watched a few different various ladies doing the tutorials there. 


And here is what I came up with from those tutorials...




Isn't it adorable, I just love how it turned out! 

Products I used on this Wreath:
  • Old book: this wreath used about 40 pages give or take
  • Potpourri
  • Hot Glue
  • 6" round cardboard circle
  • Tattered Angles Glimmer mist in Old Lace
  • Leaf Stamp by Inkadinkado
Thanks for readin',
 p.s My MIL and I will be make a big...okay a giant version of this for christmas, I'll make sure to post pics of that, I can hardly wait!!!!


Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Sweet Noel

So I was in a little bit of a vintage Christmas kind of mood and thought I'd use use super cute stamp from Stampin Up.



I stamped this onto plain white cardstock, colored in the design with pencils and then used a lemon Zester to distress my edges before I stared to rip the paper. To get the perfect looking torn little curls I used my paper piercer to roll the paper nice and tight before lightly unrolling to give it that roughed up look. I also mounted this onto white cardstock that I colored with my distress inks. I also added a little touch of glitter to the top color because every Christmas card needs a touch of glitter right?

Things I used on this card:
  • Plain white card stock for base card
  • Distress Inks in Fired Brick, Walnut Stain, Antique Linen and Frayed Burlap
  • Prisma Colored Pencils
  • K&Company Grand Adhesions from the BW Evergreen Medallions collection (scored these last season on clearance)
  • Hampton Art A la mode Glitter in Red
  • Stampin Up: Christmas Collage, For You 

Thanks for stoping by,


Bonjour Paris!

I was hanging out with a friend of mine when she gave me a quick card challenge. The challenge was can you take this bright colored paper and turn it into something cool and vintage looking. So here is what I created in a matter of minutes.


I'm not going to lie, when she handed me that bright pink paper to match the baby pink tag I was creating, I was a bit worried. She is a Stampin Up! demonstrator and she can color coordinate like nobody's business but pink on pink was a bit of a odd combo for me since I'm not used coordinating things in that way. It was a fun experience though and I'm getting totally hooked on Stampin Up! stuff now because of her :D.

Items used on this card:
Stampin Up! Stamps: Artistic Etchings, French Foliage, Cracked paint background is discontinued. 
Stampin Up! Cardstock: Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette and Very Vanilla
Distress Inks: Vintage Photo and Aged Mahogany.
Stickles: can't remember the shade sorry.


If you'd like to buy any of the Stampin Up! products I used on this card you can visit my friend Tracy's site http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/tracysart/

Thanks for dropping,