CAS155

This is for the Clean and Simple Challenge this week. An inspiration challenge...this fabulous puzzle called Summer Gold. FOr this one-layer card, I used a rectangle acrylic block (no stamp at all here) and inked it directly on a distress ink pad. Made a cool, manly card (even though I felt the need to add some bling on it!)...

Recipe:

Paper- Papertrey Ink Stampers Select White

Stamp- Papertrey ink Inside and Out Birthday

Ink- Ranger Distress inks, Versafine Black Onyx

Accessories- square rhinestones

You can see the full challenge HERE on SCS...

Have a great week!

CAS 154

This is for the Clean and Simple challenge for this week over on SCS. The challenge is to use the colors celery green, pink and white. Not my everyday colors but I like how "girly" this card came out!

Recipe:
Cardstock: PTI white, kraft; SU pretty in pink, certainly celery

Ink: versa fine black onyx

Stamps: PTI birthdays by the numbers

Accessories: gingham ribbon, cricut plantain schoolbook (flower), PTI Text embossing plate, Sizzix embossing folder, PTI block alpha dies

Versafine Black Onyx Ink

Pink 1/4 " gingham ribbon

PTI birthdays by the numbers

PTI block alpha dies

InLinkz.com

Thanks for stopping by!

NY Giants going to the Superbowl!

Go Giants! Superbowl here we come!

Just had to add that in....;)

...more for HP Weekend

Go Hermoine! Chug that Butter Beer! Too bad it is non-alchohlic! But we are looking forward to trying some this weekend. But in the meantime, I may just make some as a treat to get us excited on Friday night! Here is the recipe I found on Pinterest via ThePastryAffair.com

Butterbeer
Adapted from Huffington Post

Yields 4 servings

1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup heavy cream, divided
Four 12-ounce bottles cream soda, chilled

In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar with 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F (115 degrees C) on a candy thermometer, stirring occasionally. If you don't have a candy thermometer, bring to a gentle boil and turn off the heat after about a minute of cooking.

Turn off the heat and add the butter, salt, vinegar, and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Stir until smooth. Cool mixture to room temperature before using.

In a medium bowl, beat together the remaining cream (1/2 cup) with 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar syrup.

In each glass, mix together 1/4 cup brown sugar syrup with 1/4 cup cream soda. Pour in the rest of the cream soda until it is nearly to the brim of the glass. Top with whipped cream.

Serve immediately!

Harry Potter Weekend!

FINALLY! We got our yearly passes to Universal Studios for Christmas and the kids have been dying to go to see Harry Potter World! They got Harry Potter robes for Christmas from Auntie Laurie and Uncle Brian (Griffyndor of course!) and wands also! We have seen almost ALL the movies (still have to watch Deathly Hallows part 2) and love all the video games and lego sets they got for Christmas. And to make it even better, our cousins from North Carolina are coming to stay at our house and come to the park with us!

So I had to come up with some fun stuff and foods for the HP weekend! They are coming in Friday night so I wanted to make a fun dinner for the kids....How about Hufflepuff Pizza Puffs!

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray and Cassie Craves

via lickthebowlgood.blogspot.com

• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup cubed pepperoni
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes (if using) ; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella, Parmesan and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.

I'll be back tomorrow with some more snacks straight from the wizarding world!

CAS152 & CAS-ual Friday Challenges!

This is for the Clean and Simple challenge this week...ways to use DIE CUTS!

And finally, I am playing in the CAS-ual Friday challenge ...I have been dying to play and I am looking forward to playing more often!

Oh how I adore my Cricut expression. I can't wait until hubby finishes my new craft room so it can sit out on a desk, plugged in all the time, ready for whenever! For now, when I do take it out, I cut out anything and everything, use up scraps and plan future cards and scrapbook pages. I have no idea when I cut this out (The SMILE part is the die cut- i cut it out in black CS and thin chipboard) but I have a little cigar box that I keep all the things I cut in. Then I can just look through it and viola! This is the happiest card I have made in a while! Yikes, you can't be sad looking at this baby! LOL

supplies used:

stamps- PTI bitty background blocks

paper- SU scraps, PTI stampers select white

Cereal Box chipboard

Cricut Expresion - Going Places cartridge

ink- Ranger distress inks

Thanks for looking and have a great week!

CAS151

This is for the Clean and Simple challenge this week...the first of the new year! Happy new year to you all!

This week's challenge is a theme challenge....BEVERAGES! And of course I have made 2 cards this week for my 2 favorite beverages....ok ok so if you know me you know I prefer martinis but I couldn't find those stamps today! So margaritas are a close second. Actually I will take anything with a pretty umbrella in it! LOL

.... AND coffee, well, coffee I cannot live without!

Thanks for looking and Have a happy and healthy new year!

Happy new year!

Happy new year! May 2012 bring you all happiness and health!

I am so happy to be back to blogging! I have been out of practice with my stamping, moving to a new house in a new state kinda messed me up! All my things are not in a working order for me but soon, my hubby will build me a new craft room in one of the bays of our garage! I'll be sure to take pics of the transformation!

As far as my blog, there will be more than just stamping here...I have been a baking fool lately as well as the crafty things I do to decorate my new house...so this blog will be chock full of all different kinds of crafty ideas!

So for today I will share my Grandma's recipe for Lentil soup. This is an Italian tradition I remember from being a kid....lentils are said to bring you money and luck in the new year. We always had to have lentil soup on new years day...and some years it actually worked! ;)

So here it is:

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

3 celery stalks diced

2 carrots diced

5 cloves garlic minced

1 medium onion diced

1 lb. lentils (rinse and pick out bad ones)

3/4 cup whole or chopped canned tomatoes (I use San marzano tomatoes)

3 vegetable or chicken bullion cubes ( or use chicken or vegetable stock)

1-2 small white potatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic in the olive oil. Add some salt and pepper. Cook until softened slightly. Add 8 cups of water or stock. Bring to a boil. Add the lentils and tomatoes. Bring back up to a boil. Add the potatoes and boullions (unless you used stock), slat and pepper to taste. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for 1 hour.

Next time I will share some photos as well, but I made this soup yesterday and forgot!

Enjoy and good luck and fortune for 2012!