A little Spring for your Monday. *UPDATED WITH LINKY*

At my house, right this minute, it is snowing.  There is a little thunder and lightening mixed in with that snow too.  Out my front door, when I took the girls to school, there was the sun shining, but in the distance, dark, dark clouds.  We could hear the thunder and knew what was coming.  When we looked out the back door, it was so deceptive!  There was full sunshine, a little blue sky, some light, white clouds, but a totally different world out that back door.
The point in all of this..
It is springtime in Utah.
This is how I have to get my fix for Spring on days like today:
Echo Park has a new line out today, “Sidewalk Chalk”.
(Click on image for full credits.)

Spendid Fiins has Baker’s Twine, new in store today.  I love the stuff already!!
(Click on image for full credits.)

Hope you have a little Spring wherever you are!
(Hope you can find some if you are in the same boat that I am..  or sled.)
Just for kicks and giggles, here’s the templates I made for these layouts, for you, for FREEEEE!! 
If you use them, link up to this post, show me what you did with them.
Swooshy squares template.
Simple Circles template.
**I wasn’t sure how difficult/time-consuming it would be to add a linky to this post, to, you know, link up what you did with the template, but turns out it’s not so hard!
So link away ladies…
Link away.**

Some Carina love.

Today is another designer spotlight at Jessica Sprague.

Carina Gardner has me wanting to go and buy more fabric.

(Because she does that too.)

But I have this silly rule…  I can’t buy more fabric until I do what I intend to with the stacks (and stacks and stacks) that I already have.

(Sigh.)

But once you see here papers, you’ll understand my frustration.

(You’d think it would make for some serious motivation, but then the time element comes in…  can I buy and stack some of that?)

I will attempt to make it easy on you (and to enable a bit), go buy all of her “essentials”.  I love it all.  She even has stitching!! 

(For those who might have a slight addiction like I do.)

Not to mention, her store is 25% off through this Sunday.

(Ahem..)

And then, there is a freebie here too.

And not to go on and on and on over here, not meaning to take up too much of your day, not to toot my own horn too much, but somebody out there likes me!

Being part of the community at Jessica Sprague has blessed my life with some pretty special friendships, and I treasure every single one of them, but this particular friend has made my day!

(Kisses and hugs and more kisses to you Miss Monica!!!)

P.S. Click on the images for full credits, mmm-kay?

10 Happy Little Things.

This has to be my favorite project yet for MPS.

(Although the top secret project was a blast..)

I made this book with my own two hands (and my printer..  and Photoshop..  and my trimmer, and glue..  etc. etc.)  but isn’t it cool?!  Just paper and other stuff..  and I made it!!

(With help and instructions..)

I am just in love with it.

I learned somethings though:

I have more than 10 things that make me happy.

Like, WAY more.

And they aren’t little, not in the least.

I also learned that the colors that I did this book in, make me very happy and make me feel very creative.

(Maybe that is why my room is in these colors?)

So indulge me for just a minute…  okay?

Good..  scroll on!

  

Paper yo-yos!!  How can one NOT be happy with a paper yo-yo?

 

So are you resolved to take this class next time around?

I mean, c’mon?!

Supply list:

Papers from Crystal Wilkerson

“Sweet Summertime”

“Playground”

“Funky Fresh”

The glitter papers used as the sticker bases are from “Bristtish Designs”.

(Some papers have been re-colored to stay within the set color scheme.)

Font: Pea Matt & Kari

Other junk this book wouldn’t be possible without:

Staples, sticky jewels, dimensional foam adhesive, Tombow Multi adhesive (that I would marry if I could, go buy some, it is that AWESOME!), ribbon, “Electric Blue” Glimmer Mist, “Chandelier” Glimmer-Glam, “Broken China” and “Fired Brick” distress inks, tissue paper, my good old printer and computer combo, punches, trimmer, and scissors.

More fun with MPS.

We’ve done a couple of hybrid layouts already for class, I am just a little behind as wiping snotty noses takes precedence here lately.

I know that this one is a year ago, but hey, when they say a “celebration”, this was it.  I was so happy to be 30!

Details:

And here’s the second one:

Something more recent from this summer.

P.S. I just had to add a new category to my tags..  “hybrid scrapbook layout” (!!!!)  There will be more of these for sure. 

A little template for your Tuesday.

That’s right.. it’s Tuesday again and that means another “Template Tuesday” is upon us.

Here’s where you can get it, and here is what I did with it:

All papers and elements are from The Queen of Quirk- “You are Here” full kit.

The alpha is another goodie from The Queen of Quirk- “Aubergine”.

Staples are from Splendid Fiins.

And that stitch..  well that is from this brush class.

(Take it.  You won’t regret it, I promise!)

Font: Pea Matt & Kari

Happy Spring!

It’s just the start of the celebration here..

I was in the mood to bake something cute (and tasty of course) the other day, so I let the first day of spring be my muse (and excuse).

I really wanted to make fondant butterflies.  They are such a sweet, easy touch to any cake or cupcake, and the girls love them.

And the fondant contains marshmallows.

(I have a real thing for marshmallow lately..)

I use this recipe, and I have never gone back.  (It was part of an inspired message one month from my visiting teachers..)  It is just as easy, cheaper, and more tasty than your boxed variety.

And it has marshmallow in it…

(Have I said that already?)

If you are lazy, well then, here’s the recipe:

Marshmallow Fondant

• 8-ounce bag of marshmallows
• 2 pounds of powdered sugar (also called confectioner's sugar or icing sugar; you won't quite use all of it for this recipe)
• 2 tablespoons of water
• vegetable shortening (Crisco) for greasing hands and tools

Put the marshmallows and water in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for about two minutes. The marshmallows should be puffy but will still hold their shape. Stir thoroughly until smooth.

Next, add about 1 1/2 pounds of the powdered sugar and stir with a spoon well greased with the Crisco. The homemade fondant at this point should be a very sticky dough.

Thoroughly grease your hands and work surface with the shortening and knead the fondant, adding a little bit of powdered sugar at a time until the mixture isn't sticky anymore. If it's sticky, add more sugar. If it's dry and tearing, add a teaspoon or two of water and knead it in. The homemade fondant recipe is finished when the dough is pliable and stretchy without tearing.

If you won't be using the marshmallow fondant recipe right away, cover it with a little bit more Crisco and wrap it well with plastic wrap. Seal it in a bag and keep it in the refrigerator, where it will last for several weeks.

You can color and flavor it like you can the nasty boxed kind too.     

After I have colored parts, I roll it out with the help of lots of powdered sugar, and use my tiny butterfly cookie cutter to cut out lots of little butterflies.  I will lay some flat to dry, and others I lay over the edge of a thick edged platter to get that about to take off look. 

I pinch off a small piece of the yellow fondant and roll it like a short snake, then pinch the end for the body.  One year, I got all detail oriented and used my fingernail to make little lines for the segments.

Then you leave them there to dry.  The thinner your fondant is rolled out, the quicker they dry.

I attach the bodies to the wings by pipng a little bit of buttercream using the smallest tip I have.

Then they can go onto cupcakes…

Or a cake…

 

We teased the girls, telling them that we couldn’t eat the cake until 5:21 pm on Sunday (the OFFICIAL start of spring).

Surprisingly, they waited patiently!

Some yummy for your Monday.

Happy Spring!!

(More to come on that subject later..)

For now, here is some gorgeous stuff to get you started on a great week of digi/hybrid scrapping/crafting.

(More to come on that “Hybrid Crafting” part too.)

First up:  Cosmo Cricket “Lil’ Girl & Lil’ Boy” Papers and Elements.

LOVE them.

(Click HERE for full credits.)

And then there’s more Splendid Fiins.

(LOVE HER!!)

This time around it is border bits that go with the “Brilliant” collection.

You should already know of my love for that line..

(Click HERE for full credits.)

Go check out what else is in store today..  have some fun with your Monday!

Easy leftover fajitas.

My family loves fajitas.

LOVES them.

I love them too.  I love having just a little bit left over for my lunch the following day too.

(Don’t care so much for the fact that my hair still smells like them all night though…)

I have tried to find ways to cut down the cooking time on this favorite dish.  Cut down the cooking time, time that I get to babysit a pan on the stove, so I can play more, of course!

I have found a couple of tips recently that have helped me, and I thought I would share.

First off, I started using the left over chicken after we have roasted chicken.  We pick the chicken clean after we are done eating it (usually on a Sunday).  It makes for good quality time with the hubbs. ;)

(But this week, it made for good quality time with my momma.)

The next day (cause I am weird with left overs like that..) is when I use it.

This cuts down on cooking that chicken in the frying pan, and thus, babysitting..  or chicken sitting, I guess.

Then I will start my onions in the pan with just a little canola oil and garlic salt.  Just after I get those on, I take my peppers, cut them in half, de-seed them, and place them cut side down on a cookie sheet.  I put them under the broiler (on high) for just a few minutes until the skin is blackened.

(This cuts down immensely on the stove cook time.)

After those are done, I let them cool and then slice them up and add them to the onions.

Closely following into that pan is the chicken that is already broken up into bite-sized pieces (time saver!!!) to mingle with the peppers and onions.  I add my seasonings and let it simmer and heat the chicken through.

I think we all know what to serve this stuff with (minus the guac for me!).

I have recently found a new favorite way to eat it.  I have to admit that I thought I was a total genius, I even posted my genius on Facebook, only to have a “duh” moment after.

I will take tortilla chips (yellow corn chips please!) and sprinkle grated colby jack on them, microwave them just long enough for the cheese to get gooey, top that with the fajita mixture, then lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.

Yum.

Now for the “duh” moment..

One of my favorite restaurants, Costa Vida, does this same thing!  I have only seen them in person topped with sweet pork, and they are called, helloooo…  “Sweet Pork Nachos”.

I am such a blonde.

(Not that that is a bad thing to all you blondies out there!)

They are tasty nonetheless.

And here is a sneak peek at that fun project I did for my class:

A little inspiration.

I do a lot at the computer.

(Page credits here.  You can download FREE template here.)

Edit pictures, digi scrapbook, blog, create other things digitally..  basically I spend a lot of time in Photoshop.

I have a few choices as to what I can do while I am doing that.  I can listen to music.  I can listen to the girls play.  I can sit in silence.  I can sing to myself.  Before the teenaged DVD player decided to be a grumpy teenager, I could listen to whatever movie (or “ooive” if you are three) the girls were watching, or I can talk on the phone..

I would rather not hear myself sing.  Really.  So that leaves  a few other options.

Around Christmas time, my mom shared a link on her Facebook page to a program on the Mormon Channel. 

Yup.  I am a LDS (aka “Mormon”) and quite happy with my life…

It was an interview with Ed and Lois Smart.  If you don’t remember, or just don’t know, their daughter was kidnapped from their Salt Lake City home in the middle of the night in May of 2000.  I was pregnant with Lynn, and my days were spent watching all the news I could about this horrible situation.  She was found, March of the next year.  Alive.

This interview was one of the first of the series “Enduring it Well”.  It was what got me hooked.

To listen to their story, what life was like while Elizabeth was missing all of those months was awe-inspiring.  I have listened to many of the interviews on that program since, have some to catch up on, and love what it does for me personally.

It gives me strength.  It gives me a positive way to spend my time here.

I have since become addicted (nearly) to another program “Conversations”.  LOVE the stories that are shared by so many. 

My favorite of all time (so far) is with Herbert Klopfer. He grew up in Nazi Germany.  His story gives me chills!!  His life was full of miracles throughout that time.  I dare you to listen to his interview and not cry..

Member or not, these stories will uplift and inspire.  They truly testify that there is a God, and He loves us all.

The coolest part, you can listen to them on your computer, or download them and listen to them wherever you want!  Makes other chores so much more enjoyable..

So while I try to fill my time doing good things, I also try to find ways to edify myself in the process.

I love Mondays, don’t you?

There is just so much good on Monday!  Some people frown down on Monday, I look at it as a new to-do list, more fun to be had.

Oh, and “More In Store”..

See, good!

Just a couple of the new items for today over at Jessica Sprague:

First up, liv.eDesigns with her Needs + Wants: Eyelets Galore.

There are two sets of these babies, 24 different colors, four different sizes of each color.  These red guys are from set number 2.

Now for a confession:

I have SO many of these guys in real life.  I am talking drawers, keepers, and a bunch of packages in a big bowl of other goodies.  So the digi versions of these guys are perfect for me.

Another plus, no hammering!!

Credits for this page:

Eyelets: Needs + Wants: Eyelets Galore liv.edesigns

paper: Warm Wuv & Sofy Hugs - The Kit Papers liv.edesigns

overlay: EZ-PZ Template 06 - Fotocentric No.1 liv.edesigns

frame: Tape It Up! Frames liv.edesigns
border: Squiggle Borders liv.edesigns
stitching: Sew Crafty - messy stitches vol 1 Splendid Fiins

And then there’s those eyelets!
Needs + Wants: Eyelets Galore no. 2

font: my type of font

Next up is a sample for my recent (and strong) love of hybrid..

I already mentioned a bit about the “Mouse Paper Scissors” Class.  Get ready to sign up for this one the next time it comes around!!

I created this card and envelope set with the templates from the class, and goodness from Echo Park.

papers: flower pattern & solid purple- Echo Park Digitals Sprintime Element/Paper Pack #2 , light blue dot & multi-colored dot- Echo Park Digitals Springtime Element/Paper Pack #1

elements: yellow scalloped border, butterfly, circles, & label- Echo Park Digitals Springtime Element/Paper Pack #2 cloud- Echo Park Digitals  Springtime Elements/Paper Pack #1

Other items used to put this card together:

- Tombow dimensional foam adhesive.

- Tombow mulit adhesive.

- Glue Dots memory and craft dots.

- Emery board (to distress).

- Thread & sewing machine.

- Circle punches: 1 inch and 3/4 inch.

- Fiskars “Threading Water” border punch.

Now go and enjoy your Monday!!

Mouse Paper Scissors

Holy lovefest!

I signed up for this class, needing to get my butt  back in my craft room, and oooh howdy!  Has it ever!

I am loving it!

(Hence the lovefest..)

It is so much more than just creating the assignments, it is getting me back in touch with me.  It is about loving what I can do, learning how to do it better, and learning how to do more.

It has even gotten me excited to do things that have been on my list (on my table or in my sewing bin) for months.

Good, creative energy.

LOVE IT.

(Have I said that yet?)

Just a little of what we have been doing:

I have been a crazy card making lady..

They provided us with this darling template that I have been using digitally, but plan to use traditionally as well.

We also have fun envelope templates.

This card was made with all Crystal Wilkerson’s “Sweet Summertime” stuff. 

I used “Lobster” font on the little label there.

Add in some sanding, “Broken China” distress ink (that I hunted all over for..  helloooo, it is turquoise..), staples, dimensional foam adhesive and good old glue dots.

Isn’t it cute?

Then there’s my cute observations notebook..

We made the cover in class using Daily Junque paper by House of Three for Pink Paislee.

(Early release of this paper just for this class = I feel cool.)

I also fell in love with glimmer mist from Tattered Angels.

(I went and bought three more bottles of it.)

(One of those colors are turquoise.)

(It is an obsession.)

I love how it says “Think Positive Today”.

I so need that!

And then there’s my newest, most favorite tool..

The Martha Stewart scoring board.

AWESOME.

If you love making cards, or paper crafts of any type, get yourself a coupon, go to JoAnn’s or Michaels and buy one.

Today.

 

It really does make life easier. 

I have always used my Fiskars trimmer with the scoring blade on it, I love this so much more!!  I haven’t torn paper once scoring it.  That bone folder comes in handy too.

Right now I am working on a fun (but secret) project, and loving every minute of it!

When this class comes around again (because it had better, it is that good!) jump on it.  Register for it the second you can.  You do not want to miss out on this!