Rock the Block Magic Cubes

OK, remember yesterday's post when I said I had big plans for the Rock the Block set? Well...I DID IT!  And it actually turned out pretty close to what I was dreaming of...

This is just one of the things Corporate did with the blocks

And here is a close up picture of the stamp set that comes along with the blocks

Remember, this is a sneak peak product that will be coming out in the new Spring/Summer Idea Book beginning February 1st.  You can get it now (thru the end of January) for only $15 (yep, the blocks and the stamp set) by placing a $25 order with me.  Once the blocks come out in the new Idea Book, they will be $14.95 all by themselves, so it really is a great deal to get the stamp set absolutely FREE!

Alright already, I'll get to my fabulous project - I even made a video for you so it is easier to see it in action!

What did you think?  Go easy on me about the video, I'm not a professional videographer, you know :)  Sorry about the couple second delay about halfway through, I tried to get rid of it, but it just wasn't working.  A special thank you goes out to my niece Kinzie for actually video taping me!

I got my inspiration for this from Tresa Black, but since she didn't have instructions, I just did a Google search.  I can do a class to teach you how to make one for yourself if you are interested.  Otherwise, just Google magic folding cube and you will come up with all sorts of directions.  I just went with the first one I looked at and it really was pretty easy to make.  I do have a few tips now after putting one together, but I'll save them for the class...

Happy Scrappin'

Rock the Block

As I am planning the craftiness I am going to create today, I just realized that I have not shown you the great special that's available through the end of January 2012!  Can you believe that?  Anyway...

Join the craze!  When you place a minimum order of $25 from the Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book (which coincidentally goes through the end of January 2012), you get two new products (read SNEAK PEAKS from the upcoming Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book) for just $15!  You will receive the new My Creations Collage Cubes and an exclusive My Acrylix Rock the Block E-sized stamp set (I don't believe this will be available in the new idea book, so you need to get it now if you want it).  It's a retail savings of almost $30!  You're going to love the Collage Cubes and the Rock the Block stamp set, they are made to work together for interactive, 3-D fun!

Just wait a day or two until you see what I come up with using the Collage Cubes...I only hope it turns out half as good as I am imagining it in my mind!

Happy Scrappin'

Handcarved greatness

Today I have a different kind of craft for you to enjoy.  No, I did not make these, but my talented brother-in-law did!  Ray, you truly have a knack for woodcarving, please don't give it up...and feel free to keep giving me the products of your handiwork :)

Today is Ray's birthday (Happy Birthday, Ray) and in his honor, I am showing you some of his woodcarvings.  I received this ornament for Christmas from him.

Last year I got this ornament (yep, he gave me the bird - hehehe).

The year before I got this adorable little Santa.

Take a look at the toothpicks he carved this year, too.  Yes, I said TOOTHPICKS!  Each one is fully carved and painted.  I told you he was talented!

Happy Scrappin'

Merry Christmas

This Christmas I am counting my blessings for what I do have, not for what I have lost.  It's a tough time of year to get through, but I will be (and have been) surrounded by family and friends.  Thanks to them, I will be just fine.

Merry Christmas everyone!  Treasure your time spent with loved ones!

More handmade greetings

Today I have more handmade greetings to share with you all.  Have I mentioned how much I love to receive these?? 

Here's Wendy's

and Lynn's - what a great way to use up all those little pieces of paper you have, LOVE it!

Sheri's

Leslie's

I just love them all :)

Happy Scrappin'

Handmade Christmas Cards

Oh I just love getting all these Christmas cards in the mail - especially the handmade ones!  Oh I love them all, love reading the updates on everyone's families, love the photos, but really love the handmade greetings.  I am so impressed this year :)  I think a lot of people have really stepped it up!

Here are some of the handmade cards I have received so far:
This first one comes from my Mom-she has had her card planned for months now...

Here are the "Grandkids," their mom did a great job of creating a photo card:

 My friend Ronda:

 And the best story of all, my friend Barb's card.  Her daughter loves my work and thinks of me as somewhat of a guru.  She told her mom how great my card was.  Then she saw the card her mom made and told her that it was just as good as mine!  Barb was proud and I absolutely love the story (I just hope she doesn't mind me sharing it here!)

Speaking of my Christmas card, maybe I should show you mine, too.  Here it is...

Happy Scrappin'

Roxie Club Layout

Finally some artwork to show you.  I have been busy, but not necessarily in my craft room, lately.  I do love the layout I created for Club yesterday, though.  I used the Roxie papers - love that plaid!  It could be Christmasy, Valentiney, or just about anything in between. 

My pictures were actually from last Thanksgiving and since most of us were wearing Packer clothes, I just printed them out in black & white and they worked perfectly!  I love how that worked out :)

I added lots of sparkles to the layout...just because I could :)

Happy Scrappin'

Ugly sweaters and cookies

Today's post brings you some UGLY sweaters!  The girls from work all got together for a cookie exchange and decided to wear our ugly Christmas sweaters, too!  I had a hard time finding one as I got rid of all of mine, brought them all to Goodwill, a long time ago.  I ended up buying one at Walmart.  As I checked out, the clerk asked if I needed a gift receipt.  After answering that I did not, she asked if I was treating myself!?!  I started laughing and said that I was buying it to wear to an ugly sweater party.  She must have liked it much more than I did as she didn't find the humor in it!  Oh well, I truly remember wearing these things years ago.  If only I'd have known, I could have kept them and had a good use for them now.  LOL!

Here is the invitation I made for the girls.  The only problem with it is that after I gave them out, I won tickets to Disney On Ice in the Andersen Suite at the Xcel Energy Center.  Kinzie and I had a great time there last week :)  The girls and I just postponed our cookie exchange for a week.  All is good in the world.

Here we are in all our ugly sweater glory.  Aren't we adorable?  Really, we don't even look that bad!

Barb was our big winner so she won the prize - a snowman in an ugly sweater!

Take a look at some of the treats we had.  Yeah, this was just a small sampling of our goodies.  We all went away with a lot of baked goods.

I made the homemade caramels you can see on the left side of the photo.  They are soooo yummy!  I will even give you the recipe here.  Thanks go out to "Gator" at work for sharing his wife's recipe.  They turned out great :)

Butter Caramels

2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 pound butter
1 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla

In a heavy saucepot, cook butter, sugar, milk, and corn syrup until it reaches 245-250 degrees (approximately 13 minutes).  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Pour into a buttered 9x13 pan.  Let cool and cut into strips then into 1" pieces.  Wrap each piece in wax paper.

**I did double the recipe and put it in a jelly roll pan and it worked great :)

Happy Scrappin'

A fun and crafty evening

So, one of my nieces was in need of making a handmade Christmas gift for her Advisor group at school.  She turned to Aunt Tammy for some help.  No problem, I had lots of ideas for her so Kinzie and her friend Kenna came over after practice one evening last week to create something.  Kiana ended up coming too, as she is the crafty one and didn't want to be left out.  She created a gift for one of her teachers.

The girls decided to make paper bag albums.  They each decided what they wanted on the front of them and they went to town creating.  They did awesome!  I am proud of the girls :)

It was kind of funny as Kinzie isn't the one that's into this whole paper-crafting business, but she did great!

Kenna really enjoyed making her album and had fun.

Now Kiana, to say she enjoyed making it would be an understatement!  I had to shut her down and call it quits or she would have been here till morning still working on hers.  She loves to craft!

Happy Scrappin'

My First Pinterest Project

Have you happened to notice the "Follow my on Pinterest" button on the left side of my blog?  Pinterest is a new addiction I have found.  It is a really cool site where people post ideas - anything from fashion to crafty ideas to recipes to...you name it.  You can re-pin the items that pique your interest, putting them in the categories you set up for your own board.  Essentially, an easier way to "save" all those interesting tidbits of information without having to 'bookmark' all those different pages - they are all saved in one neat little spot for me.  I can even pin things from random websites (not just re-pinning things from Pinterest).  Let me just warn you, though, that it is addicting :)

I have already re-created my first project that I found there.  These candles were so simple and easy to make, it's crazy. 

All it took is some big glass containers, some salt, cranberries, and a couple of candles.  See such a simple idea and oh so cute sitting outside this time of year!

I'm sure I'll be creating a lot more projects that I find on Pinterest.  Let me know if you, too, become addicted to that site :)

Happy Scrappin'

Baked Caramel French Toast

Today's post brings you a yummy, yummy recipe.  It's so sinful, but worth every last bite!

I found a recipe while blog surfing a few weeks ago that sounded delish.  Well, after making it, I was not impressed.  I was hopeful for it, though, so I found another recipe and kind of combined the two.  The result is pure perfection.

I made this Baked Caramel French Toast at the retreat for the rest of the girls.  Everyone agreed, it was a winner :)  *The photo really does not do justice, trust me, it's very tasty!

Here is my version of the recipe:

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/3 cup milk
1 Tbsp. corn syrup

French Toast:
4 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
6-8 slices french bread (however many will fit in your pan)

Combine topping ingredients and cook over medium heat until smooth.  Pour into greased 9x13 glass pan.

Beat rest of ingredients  Dip both sides of french bread into mixture and place slices over topping in pan.  **Now, when I made this, the egg mixture is enough for about 2 pans so either double the topping ingredients and make 2 pans or cut the egg mixture in half - it's up to you :)

Cover and refrigerate overnight.  In the morning, bake uncovered at 400 for 20-25 minutes.  Take out of oven and let stand for 5 minutes.  Invert over a large serving tray.

*You could also add some pecans to the topping mixture (maybe after you invert it onto the tray??)

Enjoy and Happy Scrappin'

Summer Daisies (in winter...)

OK, so I think the project I made this last weekend that was my favorite is this bouquet of daisies.  I know it is wintertime here and the snow started to fall on Saturday at our retreat, but what better time to make some fun summer daisies to brighten the day of some of my friends.  I made 5 sets of these vases of flowers (of course, I had to make one for myself - how could I make these to give away and not keep one for myself?)

Isn't this just fun?  I think so.  I am actually going to put it away until spring - or at least until after Christmas when I am really tired of all the snow and cold!  Then I can pull it out and have a little summer fun to look at every day :)

This was so easy to do using the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge and a little (ok, a lot) of glitter.  I used wire flower stems and buttons for the centers of the flowers.  I was pretty glittery by the time I got done with all of these, but it was so worth it.  I think the girls liked their gifts, too :)


Happy Scrappin'

Beaver Lake Landing

Over the past weekend, I was away at a scrapbooking retreat with 10 of my friends.  It was a great weekend of good friends, good food, and lots of laughs...oh yeah, we even got a lot accomplished!  I love those relaxing weekends full of good times :)  And, to top it all off, the Wisconsin Badgers won and so did the Green Bay Packers!  Love it :)

If you have never been there, I highly recommend Beaver Lake Landing.  I have been there many times and have never been disappointed.  It is the kind of place that you never want to leave.  I really thought they were going to have to drag me out kicking and screaming this time around.  Click here to check out their website.  Trust me, you would love it, too.

The first thing I did when I got there on Friday was to put together a bunch of cards.  These were the extras that I had cut and prepped for a card class I did a couple of weeks ago.  It was pretty easy to just finish them up.

I'll be back tomorrow with a very fun project I created on Saturday.  I won't spill the beans (or would that be glitter) quite yet...

Happy Scrappin'