Golden Toile Your Appreciated Thank You

Happy New Years Eve....  Today we are getting ready for a fun family New Years Eve party.  I've finished all my shopping and I am just cooking up some fun finger food for us all to share.  So it's time for another challenge card, this time a Thanks So Much card.   The challenge is from Mojo Monday #428 and it's a sketch challenge.  This is the sketch below.

I used mostly some scraps of paper and cards Shirley from stamp club traded with us and a stamp set(Toile Blossoms by SU) that was lying on top of stack of stamps.  I've had these stamps forever and I have used them tons well a long long time ago.  I just recently unmounted them so they were at the top of the stack.  

Here I stamped them in Tree Branch Archival ink on a craft tag and colored them with Prisma Color Pencils(haven't used these in ages).  I do like how the flower turned out on the craft.  The sentiment came from another older SU set Lots of Thoughts.

I've also stamped the Ivory Background with a Crackle background stamp in the Tree Branch again.  This paper was the only new paper I actually used.  It's called Gold Dust Shimmering Cardstock from Crafter's Companion.  I wish I could get a better photo of it so you could really see the shimmer, it's so pretty.

The other sparkle elements I've added are the gold vellum strip, gold ribbon, the gold metallic paper circle and there is gold Wink of Stella around the leaves and in the flowers but it is also hard to see. 

The fun was in creating this from what was sitting here on my desk needing to be put away for the most part though.  A challenge on top of a challenge.

I would like to take this opportunity to Thank each and every one of you that stop by my blog and wish you a Happy Healthy and Safe New Year.   I wish you a Wonderful 2016.

Merry Christmas - Deer!

 Merry Merry Christmas to All!  We are wishing all of our Family and Friends a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

I spent some time this week creating one last Christmas Card for the Lawnscaping Challenge #120.  First I created this background paper by stamping Holly leaves using Holly from 3 different Lawn Fawn sets Joy To The Woods, Bows And Holly,  and Winter Gifts.  I colored them in with my Copic Markers then colored around them to create the background  blue color.   I also used the Holly from Bows And Holly for the Deer in her antlers.  The Deer is from Critters In The Snow she is colored fussy cut and popped up over the greeting.  The greeting is from Winter Scripty Sayings.  There is also a Holly on the inside of the card.  I do Love how it turned out. 

Even though all of my cards have been sent I enjoy creating Holiday Cards so this will start my collection for next year!   It's much nicer when I work on them throughout the year instead of at the last minute. 

Thank you so much for stopping by today and be sure to check out the Lawnscaping Blog and Challenge Here.  Once again Merry Christmas.

Elvis Cake - Dave's Birthday Cake

 

Dave's Birthday was Monday.... For the first time in 20 years he did not request for me to make a Cheesecake  for his Birthday Cake.  This time he requested an Elvis Cake.  

I first made this cake to take to a friends house for dinner.  It's gooey and yummy with pineapple, pecans and cream cheese frosting.  What's not to like and it's fairly simple with just some wait time for cooling.

Elvis Cake Recipe

1 Box of Yellow Cake Mix

1  Box of Vanilla Pudding

Make the cake according to the box and add the pudding into the mix.  Bake as directed, you may need to add a couple of minutes.

Once the cake is cooled poke holes in it. Then Boil 

8oz Crushed Pineapple

1C Sugar

Pour over the cake, allow to cool before frosting.

Frosting

1 stick of butter

1 8oz block of cream cheese

4 C Powdered Sugar

Chopped toasted pecans for topping.   Chill and serve.

You will not be disappointed with this cake it's always good even the doggies wanted a piece of it they tasted the frosting while I was cleaning up.  

 Vienna is so patient when cake(frosting really) is involved.

Thanks so much for stopping by have a Great Weekend!

Gracie In Her Element

OK so I know I'm behind on posting about Gracies progress.  Mostly because well it's the Holiday Season and we've been running around to concerts and events and shopping etc.

Gracie has made herself at home and Vienna has excepted that.  They now get up every morning and run together to the yard it's a race to see who gets downstairs first.  Gracie doesn't make the turn well though on the wood floor at the bottom, so I'm sure there will be a Christmas tree accident in our future. 

We are still working on Potty Training; Grace has days where she forget she just can't pee in a chair or mommy's bed, she needs to go outside.  Our unusually warm weather has been a blessing though, even if I have mud everywhere.  Mostly because the rug I bought to put by the back door is one of Graces favorite potty spots and it's in the wash more than it's on the floor.

We did get her a crate for when we're not home and she's starting to get she's not in there that long(it's great nap time) and she gets treats when she goes in.  Soon she'll be like her big sister Vienna and run in there when I put my shoes on, even if I'm just going to get the mail.  The crates are set up across from each other so they can see the other throughout the day and I think she's stopped howling the entire time we're gone.  I'm sure Vienna is grateful for this... 

Grace did get a hold of some Styrofoam recently and chew it up.  I assume she ate some since she had some problems going potty for a day or two.  I'm still finding it, she got it in her crate and apparently has a Styrofoam stash hidden somewhere.  I haven't been able to find it.

She is a chewer but that's the puppy in her.  She chews on us, Vienna, the shoes at the front door if she is sunning(when we have sun), herself, the side of the garbage bag on the tall can in the kitchen,  the Christmas presents under the tree, tissues from the garbage,  the doggy bed, and all of the toys which she collects in the bed so there is barely any room for Vienna.  It's fun though she creates play time everyday and pretty much involves everyone in it.  Gracies rule of the day would be EVERYONE PLAYS WITH ME.....  Maybe this is because she hasn't discovered belly rubs....  Viennas rule of the day would be EVERYONE RUBS MY BELLY or FIX THESE BLANKETS SO THERE IS A TUNNEL....

We've been doing lots of new things though.  Going in the car can be fun - We went to get our nails clipped where she did great and she and Vienna shared and ice cream after, plush they got Christmas collar covers.   We also went to the Petco and shopped for food and treats.  For some crazy reason Mommy was looking at doggie diapers, although they did not come home with us YET.   

The garage can be fun(unless no one realizes we're exploring and we're stuck out in the dark for awhile) - She loves to explore and if a car door is open she will go in and sit down. 

Walks can be fun - She has finally gotten the hang of the evening walk although she still needs a harness since she pulls so much.  But she can go potty on a leash now.

This week she will meet her Aunts Mia and Brie we are so excited for them to come.  More friends to play with.

Thanks again for stopping by hope your week is going well. 

 

What's on your Workdesk? WOYWW 341

It's Wednesday and I have a pic of my Workdesk?  Well it's a week before Christmas so things are pretty clean since I'm really just wrapping gifts in my bedroom(if the gifts are for people in my house) or the dining room.  Those places are trashed, it looks like a department store back room exploded with plastic bags and tissue.

I have a pretty clean desk.  New planner supplies on my planner, my to do list, BRAND SPAKIN' NEW Lawn Fawn(Valentine stuff can you believe?), new Sizzix dies, Hanukka stamps I have yet to put away(from a project for my Husband), and some swap cards in the drying rack.

I found that drying rack at a resale store for $1.50 I was very excited, I think it's for plates or media?  But it's great for when I'm doing multiple cards they can sit in there and dry or cool off.  Those cards though have been in the drying/cooling rack for over a week now I think their cooled off now?  I stopped working on them when I started wrapping gifts.  It's ok I have until May, I'll get back to them by then.

My desk would surely be more fun if I could wrap presents here(but NO PEEKING).  Be sure to head over to the Stamping Ground and see the working desks from around the world for week 341.


Hope your having a wonderful week and Thank You so much for stopping by today.

 

Bold Watercolor Birthday

Good Morning!  We've had unseasonably warm weather lately.  Like 60 degrees warm in December.  But in Chicago that doesn't mean warm sunshiney weather.  nooooooooooooooooo....  That generally means Wind(lots of wind) and rain and wait a second.... is that the sun?  5min later storm clouds....  Well you get it if you wait a minute the weather will change.

It's had me thinking of sunshine a flowers though and so today I have for you a fun card and break from Christmas.  I actually made this back in October for a friends birthday card. 

I've used Brusho's for the background and for the flowers which I embossed with white and cut out.  The stamp set is WPlus9.  I stamped the stems in dark green then popped the flowers up on them.  The Happy Birthday is a die cut by Cheery Lynn.  I've cut them out of white and added glossy accents to them.  They also look embossed onto the front of the card. The finished card is actually and A7 card a new size for me to work in but more space.  Love Love how this one turned out the bright colors just make you happy!

Ok so now after all that flowery fun I'm off to wrap Christmas presents and start my Holiday Baking!  Can't wait to fill the house with Chrsitmasy smells!

Have a Wonderful day thank you so much for stopping by!

Dashing Through The Snow - Memory Box

Good Morning!  We've experienced snow already it was pretty when it started like this floating around the trees.  I love the soft sound snow creates in the world it's as if everything is muffled!  Today I have created a soft card using some of my collected vintage sheet music over on the Memory Box Blog.  Some of the sheet music I collect is to fragile to actually use or display it can then become part of a project so it can live on.  First used the Zippy Dots stencil randomly with Versamark ink and white embossing powder from Imagine Crafts.  Just sponge it randomly through the stencil, over a piece of vintage sheet music,  and add the embossing powder.  Once everything was heat set I layed down the Birch Landscape Stencil and used 2 colors of Pan Pastels, Ultramarine Blue Tint and Ultramarine Blue, over the stencil.  I kept checking for color intensity.   It had to be blue visible but still remain soft.  Finally I added the sheet music to a white card and cut a snow drift and the phrase Dashing Through The Snow from pearl paper with the Curved Dashing Die.  It is attached with foam tape for dimension.  The Midnight Blue solid twine finishes the project off.

Hope everyone is having a Wonderful Tuesday.  You can find all of the Memory Box Products used on Memory Box Co. Website.

Thank you so much for stopping by have a great day!