Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Little Red Wagon #261

Happy Wednesday everyone!  We have a great challenge from Jan this week over at Little Red Wagon.  She wants us to get Krafty!  Kraft cardstock is such an awesome product to use on cards or layouts.  It is a great neutral that you can do so many different things with.

Here is my card.


I started by stamping the flowers with Versamark onto the Kraft cardstock and then embossing with Zing white embossing powder.  Zing is amazing! It is so bright and I love the contrast between the white and the Kraft background.


Then I stamped and embossed the sentiment.  From there I decided to do lots of layering using Kraft, white and teal patterned cardstock. I also distressed the edges and as a finishing touch, I added a wooden heart.

Now it is your turn!  Create something using Kraft and link it up over at Little Red Wagon.  For more inspiration and ideas, stop by each of the DT member's blogs to see what they created.  I am sure you will love their designs :)



Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Little Red Wagon #260

It is my turn to issue the challenge at Little Red Wagon this week and I would like to see a baby-themed card.

I decided to create a cascade card for a baby girl.


I have not created a cascade card before and it was interesting working with all the different folds and areas to decorate.  I went easy on myself by using a sticker sheet I had, but I did use pop dots for dimension and some gems to give it some sparkle! (After all, it is for a girl.)


I even added a banner to the back panel of the card!  


Well, that was fun! Now I would love if you join in the challenge this week.  First, stop by Little Red Wagon and check out the designs that the DT Girlfriends created.  Then create something fabulous of your own and link it up!  I will be sure to visit your blog and leave a comment :)



Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Little Red Wagon #259

It is that really spooky time of year with Halloween creeping up on us!  YIKES!!  So Heather, our new DT Girlfriend, wants to see a spooky, spooky Halloween card for our Little Red Wagon challenge this week.

I decided to use this little guy from Tiddly Inks (even though he is more 'cute' than 'spooky') and I colored him up with my Copic markers.


I cut a spider web using my Silhouette and added a creepy spider button I had in my wagon.


A couple of sequins added just the right amount of sparkle and a sheer bow finished it off.

Will you join us this week?  Stop by all of the DT Girlfriends blogs for inspiration and then link up your spooky design at Little Red Wagon.  We will be sure to visit your blog :)



Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Shopping, Scrabble and Pumpkin Cake

This past weekend, we celebrated Thanksgiving in Canada.  It is one of my absolute favorite times of the whole year.  I love the change of seasons that seem to usher in this special holiday.  The cooler air, the beautiful colors on the trees, the pretty potted mums, sweaters, the first fire in the fireplace.  And when you add all of that to a delicious meal shared with family and friends - pure love!

One of the things that made this weekend extra special is that my two lovely sisters and my niece and her friend joined us for the weekend.  They drove in from Michigan and we had a little over 24 hours to fit in some girl time in addition to enjoying our Thanksgiving dinner.

So on Saturday afternoon after they arrived, we went to St. Jacobs for a bit of shopping.  The weather was perfect with the exception of a little wind.  The sun was shining and really only a sweater was needed to keep us warm.  The fall decorations and the delightful little shops made for a perfect afternoon.


We started out with the best of intentions to act mature, but that quickly went by the wayside.  Especially when we saw these great blingy, cat-eye sunglasses!  And I don't even want to talk about the variety of hats we had to try on!


Then it was home for dinner, some food prep for our Thanksgiving meal the next day and a quiet evening.  Sunday morning came early and began with Mass, a most appropriate way to pause and reflect on the many blessings in our lives.  When we returned home, the delicious smell of turkey greeted us but we still had a few hours before dinner.  So out came the Scrabble board. We are huge Scrabble fans (with some taking the game more seriously than others!) and we were happy to squeeze in a game.   


We couldn't convince the guys to join in, so it was just the five girls.


Can you believe these tiles I had?  I refused to throw them back in for new ones and I actually ended up winning the game :)


Then came the dinner.  The highlight of our day.  There is something about breaking bread together that brings such a sense of intimacy.  A gathering of loved ones, sharing a meal, giving thanks... it makes my heart overflow.


Little candles and shortbread pumpkin-shaped cookies greeted each family member.


 And everything was delicious!


For dessert, my son's girlfriend made Pavlova - an incredible dessert consisting of melt-in-your-mouth meringue, fresh whipped cream and berries.  Oh.my.goodness! 


And I made Pumpkin Layer Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing!  Can you say, "Died and gone to heaven?"


My sweet friend, Janice, shared her recipe with me and it was incredibly good.  She made hers with Maple Frosting, which I would like to try sometime, but I will say the Cinnamon Cream Cheese icing was amazing!

Here is the recipe if you would like to give it a try~

Pumpkin Cake

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt

In a large bowl mix both sugars, oil, eggs, and pumpkin well.  Add remaining ingredients and stir well.  Pour into 2 round cake pans and bake at 350ยบ for 25 - 30 minutes.  (I did not have cloves, so I substituted 1/2 teaspoon allspice and it was perfect.)  Let cool and then remove cake from pans and frost.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
4-1/2 to 5 cups powdered sugar

In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth.  Add vanilla and cinnamon and beat until combined.  Add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Place one cake layer, upside down onto cake plate.  Add a generous layer of frosting.  Place second cake layer on top, right side up.  Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake.  Sprinkle with chopped walnuts if desired.  Chill until ready to serve.  Take out of refrigerator about 1 hour before serving to let frosting soften slightly.

This cake can also be baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan.  Half of the frosting recipe would be plenty for a 9 x 13 cake.  Enjoy!



Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Little Red Wagon #258

Those of us who live in Canada are busy preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving this coming weekend - one of my favorite holidays! With that in mind, Tracy would like us to create a Thank You or Thanksgiving themed card for our challenge this week at Little Red Wagon.

I decided to create a fall-themed Thank You card.


I began by inking up some leaf die-cuts using my Tim Holtz Distress Inks.  I love how life-like the leaves look by adding the different colors.
 

Then I embossed a swirly background to give the feel of leaves falling to the ground.


Finally, I added a simple sentiment and some embellishments.  Clean and simple and I am happy with the results.

Please check out the creations from the other DT members at Little Red Wagon.  I am sure their designs will be gorgeous!  Then you can play along.  Just create a Thank You or Thanksgiving themed card and link it up.  We will be sure to visit your blog and you might even be picked as our Feature next Tuesday :) 



Monday, October 6, 2014

The Scrapbookers Blog Tour

My fellow scrapbooker and friend, Jayne Morgan, has nominated me to participate in the Scrapbookers Blog Tour.  What an honor!  Especially coming from Jayne, who is an incredibly talented scrapbooker and card maker and whose work I have always admired!


The Scrapbookers Blog Tour is meant to provide a little insight into the creative process of a wide and varied assortment of blogging scrapbookers, by answering a few simple questions.

So here we go.

What am I working on right now?

Right now, I am working mainly on cards. As a member of the Little Red Wagon Design Team, I am required to create a new card each week. This keeps me busy, but I love doing it!


How long does it take me to create a project?

Of course, that depends on what I am working on. I can usually create a card in about an hour.  If it is a layout, usually 4-6 hours, spread out over a couple of days. I normally will have an idea of what I want to do, get the main elements done fairly quickly and then I spend lots of time adding the details. I have a hard time knowing when my layout is finished – I am always asking myself if there is enough on the layout to make it interesting without overwhelming the photos.


What are my favorite things to create with at the moment?

At the moment, I am having a real love affair with my Copic markers! I just love starting with a plain stamped image and then bringing that image to life with color!


I am also using my Silhouette Cameo more than ever!  And the more I use it, the more I love it!!


How does my creative process work?

A lot goes on in my head before I even start to work on a project. I normally will have the photos, paper and a sketch all set before I begin a layout. Then I just go for it!  I get the main elements in place and then I just let my creativity take over.  Sometimes, my finished design is nothing at all like I had originally envisioned it, but I like giving myself permission to let my projects go in the direction that feels right at the time.


How do I become inspired and stay inspired?

I am very inspired by the work and designs of other scrapbookers.  Some ladies are just so talented!  It might just be one small elements or idea that catches my eye and then I am totally inspired to take out my own papers and photos and create something new.  I also find that I am very inspired by layout sketches.  They seem to give me the starting point that I often need.


What is my signature style?

I would say that my scrapbooking style is very clean and organized.  Even if I am working with multimedia products, I still try to keep things from getting too messy!


That is not to say that I don't like layers, paint, ink, texture and all the other wonderful things that can be added to a page.  I just don't like when it gets out of control!  I especially love stitching and buttons - my two favorite embellies that you will often find on my designs!

Now I get to nominate another scrapbooker.  I am tagging my friend, Carolyn Wolff.  Carolyn has such a wonderful style that is very different from my own.  I always admire the layouts, cards and 3-D projects that she creates!  I am sure you will be very inspired when you visit her blog :)

Thanks for stopping by ~



Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Little Red Wagon #257

Jayne wants us in stitches this week at Little Red Wagon!  Real or faux, it doesn't matter, as long as there is stitching on our project.

I have to say that I absolutely LOVE Saturated Canary images, so I picked up this one called Roses are Red, Violets are Blue to use on my card this week. Then I went to work with my Copic Markers.


It took a while to color up this image, especially the hair, but I loved every minute of it! (Well, except when one of the markers decided to leave a large blob on the first image I tried coloring!)


I decided to go all out on my card this week!  I cut a bracket shaped card using my Silhouette and I even did hand-stitching along the edge of the patterned paper!


Then I pulled out my sewing machine and added more stitching around the image piece.


Some flowers, bling and ribbon gave the finishing touches.

Now we would love to see you in stitches too!  Head on over to Little Red Wagon and check out the great designs that the DT created and then link up your own.  See you there...



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