Make It Monday #2

Happy Saturday, friends! I bet a lot of you have heard about the new Make It Monday weekly challenges going on over at Papertrey Ink. I've been thinking about this one all week, but just got around to making a card today. Actually, I was waiting, because UPS said I'd have my PTI February Release order in my hot little hands today. But they accidentally routed it to Western Mass or somewhere not near here, so they've updated the expected delivery to Monday. As I've said in the past, I don't have a ton of PTI products, but I was super inspired by the American Crafts Confetti goodies that arrived yesterday, so I decided to roll with the birthday theme for the 2nd Make It Monday challenge: Vellum sentiment strips.

American Crafts has adopted our favorite detail from Sassafras and started printing on the b-side of the barcode strip at the bottom of their paper! SO awesome! That's where that little line of cupcakes is from - and I love how it looks layered under the vellum.

Thanks for stopping by! Do you have Monday off? :)

new love meets first love

This fall I decided I wanted to try candle making. In December I ordered a bunch of supplies, but I just started getting into it recently. And when I say I'm into it... well, I'm kind of obsessed! :) It is SO much fun! I feel like a mad scientist melting, and mixing, and pouring away in my kitchen. I can't get enough! To save money, and keep things simple, I've been using tins to make 100% soy candles - glass jars are too expensive, and molds are just too fussy. But of course, plain tins are just that... plain. So, enter my first love: papercrafting. To make them look a little more "boutique," I'm using patterned papers and hand stamping to decorate my candles. This is one I made yesterday for my friend's birthday - and it's pink frosted cupcake scented! :) YUMMY!

PTI tags: day two

Papertrey Ink has started something very cool called Make It Monday. (They've also joined facebook and twitter! It's about time!) The first Monday challenge is all about using similar sentiments from a bunch of different sets - such a great idea, but I only have 4 PTI stamp sets and they're all really different, so I couldn't really play along this time. BUT I did take about 15 minutes this evening to whip up an uber-quick, very simple card with another of yesterdays freebie tags! :)

See ya!

a very Papertrey anniversary

The awesome folks over at Papertrey Ink are celebrating the 4th anniversary of their company! Congrats PTI! To celebrate, they're showcasing a lot of amazing design team projects, and having a few contests. The designers released an absolutely adorable collection of tags as a free download, and projects made with them will be entered into a contest to work with Nichole Heady to design their own PTI stamp set! WOW! These are truly some fantastic images, and I very highly suggest visiting the PTI blog and downloading them yourself, even if you can't get a project done with them in time for the contest deadline at 7am tomorrow! :)

This is a Valentine's card I whipped up pretty quickly this afternoon and I'm really thrilled with how it came out. I didn't have time to make more cards with the tags, but I promise you'll be seeing more of them soon.

Hope you had a great weekend! Did you watch the Superbowl?

Cards for Charlie

Just look at this face. This darling four-year-old boy, Charlie, is suffering from a rare skin condition called epidermolysis bullosa (EB). We all have two layers of skin, which generally are not meant to move separately. In people who suffer from EB, the layers do move separately, and the friction causes painful blistering all over the skin. It's been compared to third degree burns. Charlie is being treated by doctors at the University of Minnesota, and he'll be having a new type of procedure done that will give him new, healthy skin.

I first read about Charlie on Britta Swiderski's blog. She's taken it upon herself to organize a card drive for Charlie and his family (who are staying at the Ronald McDonald House). Please take a moment to read their story, and then I hope you will join me in sending a card to brighten this little hero's day.

Here's the card I made for him...

And here are some details on the card drive...

What to send:
Cards made by you, your friends, your loved ones, or your children. They can be as simple as a sheet of paper with “We’re thinking about you in Arizona!” on it to as elaborate as you want it to be.
How to send them:
Put your cards in an envelope inside the one you mail, but don’t seal it, just in case the parents want to look at them beforehand. Send your cards to
      Britta Swiderski
      P.O. Box 13130
      Minneapolis, MN 55414
When to send them:
Try to get them in the mail by Monday, February 21st, 2011. That gives you a full month to get your card (or cards!) ready!

For more details, please visit Britta's blog.

This story just breaks my heart, and I know that any of you with special kiddos in your life will feel the same way. Look around at all your blessings, and I hope you will be inspired. Your caring participation in this card drive will make a very sick little boy very happy!

k-i-s-s-i-n-g

:)

Here it is, folks - the first Valentine of 2011! Made using We R Memory Keepers' Be My Valentine collection. It's totes adorbs, if I may say that - LOL! I love We R Memory Keepers tiny stamp sets. They're $1.25 at my LSS and they are SO worth it. I love the color palette and the mix of patterns. There are lots of hearts, but it's definitely versatile enough to use for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, etc.

The inspiration for this card came from two awesome sources - Kristina Werner's recent Finally Friday card, and the first installment in an awesome new Two Peas video series called Products You Love Every Which Way. Can't wait to see what else Shannon Tidwell comes up with!

P.S. My photos are definitely getting better since my new camera (Oh yeah! I never told you about my new camera, did I?) but I'm still learning and my house is very dimly lit. I'll get there... I hope! :)

Did you do anything fun this weekend?

{comfort} food

Helllloooooo blog land! WOW, I've been gone for a while, huh? Not sure why, but I got really burned out after the two craft fairs I did in November and early December, and I just lost all my inspiration. I've got two cards to share soon that I made with some of the new Hero Arts goodies (love them!), but for today, a little something different.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

(adapted from Gina's Weight Watcher's Recipes)

1/4 cup flour

2 cups chicken stock

4 cups milk

a few celery stalks, chopped

1/2 medium chopped onion

garlic

1 pkg (8 oz) sliced baby portabella mushrooms

frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed small

2-3 chicken breast, dice

1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

salt and pepper

In a large soup pot, saute onions and celery over medium-low heat until translucent. Add 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped or grated, and mushrooms. Saute for another 3-5 minutes. Stir in poultry seasoning. Add about 2/3 of the bag of frozen veggies (or however much you like) and the diced chicken. Add milk, and 1 1/2 cups of the chicken stock. Bring to a boil slowly over medium heat. Add potatoes and simmer until tender, 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the flour and remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock until thoroughly combined. When potatoes are tender, add flour mixture to soup and cook another 5 minutes, or until soup is thickened.

We made this soup for the first time tonight - it was so yummy! Perfect for cold winter nights - and a very healthy choice too for the post-holiday detox! :) The website I adapted the recipe from (and I didn't change much) puts it at 3 points for a 1 cup serving. That's pretty awesome in my book! 

December {Delights} Vol. 2 - the Unique Gift Edition

Here we go with another installation of my favorite seasonal shares! :)

Alison Avenue on etsy

Ok, ok, so this is one I should have shared well before we hit the ten-days-until-Christmas mark! But I just can't get over how beautiful this jewelry is. I ordered a custom necklace for a special someone on my Christmas list, and it is so stunning and super well crafted. It turned out even better than I would have imagined, and the seller is so lovely to work with. She's currently closed her shop until after the New Year, so it's too late for this Christmas (sorry!), but definitely check back for Valentine's Day, and to find special ideas for all your year-round gifting needs.

 Paddywax Candles

Another one of my favorite products that I chose to gift this Christmas. These are definitely the highest quality candles I've found. They have - in my opinion - the perfect amount of really lovely fragrance, and all of their candles - from the small travel tins to the larger glass pieces - are really attractive to have around your house. Whether you choose one of their holiday scents, like Gingerbread House (ginger and pear) or Amarylis, or you choose a more classic fragrance like Limoncello (my fave!) or Gardenia, you really can't go wrong!

(+)

Felt Play Food

Ask pretty much anyone who's ever met me and they will tell you that, even childless and at the age of 26, I'm obsessed with play food. And I'm so excited about the influx of handmade felt play food I've been seeing. There are some really adorable pieces out there - and they're very safe for little ones! I've even found some patterns you can purchase to make your own "meals." Also, if you want to give some felt play food to your favorite wee one, check out Family Fun's recent tutorial on making a play kitchen out of cardboard boxes! So fun! :)

The Container Store Stocking Stuffers

Here's another can't-miss option. The Container Store has an amazing selection of fun, useful, and just downright quirky little items to bring a smile to anyone on your list. A 3D drawing set for your nephew, jeweled ear buds for your teen's bff, an apple shaped notepad for your child's teacher, vintage record CD labels for your hubby, a fancy-schmancy crossword book for your mom, a cute silicone sleeve for your girlfriend's morning coffee, and hanging work light for your dad. Done! :)

Santa Claus around the world

This is just too cute - the info and the graphic! - I couldn't possibly not share :)


Via: TravelInsurance.org

December {Delights}

'Tis the season for gift giving, treats, traditions, and small luxuries. So I've decided to put together a couple posts throughout the month with some things I've found recently that I love. Gift ideas, recipes, project ideas... anything seasonal that I stumble upon and want to share! :) So, without any further ado (aka babbling from me) - here are my first picks!

Swedish Visiting Cake

I found this recipe on the poppytalk blog back in September. My dad loves all things Scandinavian - Swedish especially - so I immediately emailed them the recipe, and then promptly forgot about it. And then my mom brought it over for our pizza-and-tree-trimming party last night. She said it was so easy to make, and very different from other cake recipes, that she actually questioned whether there was a mistake in the recipe. And it is so delicious! The perfect combination of lemon, almond, and vanilla. I have a feeling this will definitely become a go-to recipe.

Yukon Classic Down Vest from Eddie Bauer

 For a few years, I didn't even have a winter coat, I just wore my LL Bean fleece. Last year, though, I started to feel super cold in October, and I knew the fleece just wasn't going to cut it for the rest of the winter. On a whim, walking by Eddie Bauer at the mall, I decided to look at their down jackets. Hands down, the adorable bright red one I walked out with just a few minutes later was the best money I've ever spent. I just purchased this vest as a treat for myself, and - surprise, surprise! - I am absolutely in love. It has the best fleece lining in the color and pockets - it feels like a really expensive stuffed animal! :)

Terrain at Styer's

I just discovered the amazing online boutique of this garden and home store in Pennsylvania. All I can say is, too bad I had all my shopping finished before I found it. They have the most beautiful selection of home decor, accessories, and stunning gift items for your favorite gardener. My faves? Vintage icicle ornaments, a brightly colored scarf on a spool, a hot cocoa treat set, a vintage fruit crate. Love.

Zamforia T-Shirts

This is a small, Quincy, MA-based company run by a brother-sister team that got its start peddling t-shirts on college campuses around the Boston area. I went to Boston University, and then lived in Quincy for a year while working in Cambridge, so I'm all about supporting my neighbors. And this company has such a cool concept: They make super fun tees that say love in various languages. A friend of mine (who also lives in Quincy!) made me aware of the company when she was raving about how much she loved the tee she got from them. I can't wait to get one for myself! :) But I'm sharing their site because I think these T-shirts would be fantastic gifts for husbands/boyfriends, teenage kids, best girlfriends - almost anybody on your list!


OK, that's it for my first round of December picks. I'll try to do at least a post a week for the rest of the month. Hope you enjoyed this assortment of recent fun finds! Let me know if you've come across anything you think is share-worthy!