Dem Bones

Just one last Halloween post to get your creativity flowing for the big day tomorrow.  Costumes to come in a few days. 

Want to spruce up plain old chocolate cupcakes.  Add a marshmellow and pipe on some white frosting to make these cute little skeletons.  I am not a cake decorator...as is obvious, but these turned out pretty cute and were really easy to make.  Yet again another fun idea from Family Fun. 

 Your little goblins will love them too!

Happy Hauntings!

~Amy

Christmas Card Workshop

Christmas Extravaganza Card Workshop

Saturday, November 19th at 10AM

Please join me for a fun morning creating these beautiful cards using exclusive Close to My Heart Products. 

Get a start on the Christmas Holidays.

Create 10 cards for $10.00

Enjoy of a morning of crafting, listening to carols and tasting a few holiday treats.

Holiday give aways each hour. 

RSVP by November 3rd to make payment arrangements and ensure your materials will be ready for the workshop.

Whooo's Ready for Halloween?

Who wouldn't want to receive a nice little treat like this for Halloween?  This year my daughter and I made a handful of these special treats to give to neighbor children and friends that come trick or treating to our house.  I think they are a "HOOT" and can't wait to give them away.   

When I first saw these adorable little critters in BHG Scrapbooks Etc. Magazine, I knew I needed to make them.  And what better tool to use to make these little guys, than CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge.  

Here is a quick picture tutorial on what you need to create this owl.

  

1.  Cut the following shapes using your CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge.

* 1 pillow box size 5 1/2 inches (Color Cardstock or B&T)

* 2 circles size 1 1/2 inches (Color Cardstock or B&T)

* 2 circles size 1 inch (Colonial White or White Daisy Cardstock

* 2 1/2 inches by 3 inches rectangle (B&T of your choice) with paper cutter

* Cut a small diamond shape for the beak. (this is done free hand) 

 

 2. Fold and crease the perforated lines of your pillow box as shown below.

3.  Cut off about an 1/2 of inch of the bottom right hand side.  Cut slightly above the perforated arch.  This helps to make the bottom flat part of the owl less bulky. You don't need to do this step, but it makes a nicely finished box if you do.   

 4.  Glue together the side of the box, as well as the bottom.  Fold the curved side up so you have a nice flat closed bottom.

 5.  Take your 2 1/2 x 3 inch square and cut out a curved wing. 

6.  To make your wings symmetrical, flip your first wing over and cut around it. 

7.  Take your 1 1/2 inch circles.  Snip some fringes around the outside to give your owl character and dimension. 

 8.  Glue together all the parts of the owl.  It works great to use brads or opaque pearl gems (both licorice gems or mocha gems ) for the owls eyes.  Of course you could also use a tiny piece of paper. 

 Any paper combination using CTMH's Mischief paper pack makes for a very cute owl.  Don't you think?

 9.  Fill with treats.........

 .....and maybe even a trick. 

 These little owls are stuffed and all ready for the big night. 

WHHOOOOOO wants to stop by?

Happy Halloween!  Make sure to stop by the Heart 2 Heart Challenge Blog to see more Halloween/Autumn creations.

~Amy

P.S.  These would also make great favors for a woodland themed party. 

Easy as 1, 2, 3

This week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge entailed creating a project using numbers.  I took the challenge pretty literal and created a nice Valentine's or Anniversary card by utilizing numbers into my sentiment.  Can you guess what it says?  I hope so, or my husband will never be able to figure it out.     

You're my one to love forever!   Did you get it? 

Not being a frequent texter, when I saw the <3 symbols used in a message recently to make a heart, I thought it was quite clever and knew I hade to use it in this challenge.  I think it works pretty well and like how this card turned out. 

Make sure to check out other number creations on the Heart 2 Heart challenge blog and leave one of your creations there too.  

~Amy

Scrappy Creations Class November

Scrappy Creations Class-November, 2011

Thursday, November 10 at 7PM

Create a layout plus 6 additional cards (2 of each design)

Cost:   $15.00

RSVP by October 31st so all materials can be ordered. 

The layout and cards for November's class are direct from CTMH Fall/Winter Idea Book.  Using October's Stamp of the Month, we will create this darling Christmas layout as well as 6 beautiful cards.  You will receive all the paper(one B&T plus a lot of solid card stock) you will need to create these projects plus the Olive Green Embellishment pack.
                               

If you would like to purchase the cute October Stamp of the Month that goes with this layout, you may purchase it on my website for $17.95 by itself or order $50.00 or more in product and purchase it for only $5.00.

Hope to see you at class!

~Amy

P.S.  Details coming soon for a Christmas Card Workshop make 10 cards for $10 and get a jump on the holiday season.  Free giveaways and lots of fun.  Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 19 at 10AM.  More info soon! 

Creative Snacks

This week I was in charge of bringing snacks for my daughter's school.  Being a former Speech Therapist, I was excited to use the "letter and theme of the week" to create some fun and educational snacks.  So, the week before our assigned snack week, I eagerly asked the teacher what the new letter and theme of the week would be.  She told me "L."   "L" as in lion, lizard, leopard, lolly pop........nothing too exciting or healthy!  Why didn't I chose the week before, "P?"  I could have made oh so many fun "pumpkin" treats. 

After thinking about it for a while, I decided to focus on the theme, "Leaves."  I browsed the internet for ideas and was able to come up with a good plan.  Here is one of our favorite snacks we made....... 

Pile of leaves!!!!!!

This cute and ever so simple snack is basically a rice krispy treat made from cornflakes.  After combining 3T melted butter, 4 cups of marshmallows (heated/melted) and 6 cups of corn flakes I just placed "piles" of the mixtured on a slighly greased cookie sheet.  I found it was easier to scoop out the treats after the mixture had had a few minutes to cool.  Don't wait too long or it will become to difficult to seperate into piles. My daughter help to add a few pumpkins to the the "Leave Piles" to get them some color.

This snack was a big hit with both the teachers and the children.  Plus it was easy and quick to make.

TIP OF THE DAY:  Don't be too proud to search the internet for ideas.  There are so many helpful and fun websites to gather information from, why not utilize it.  I would love to say the I am the sole creator of everything I do and make, but really in some way or another, I create from what I have seen or done before.  Therefore I am a constant searcher and idea grabber from anywhere I can get it.

Happy "leaf raking"....and "treat making!"  ;o)

~Amy    

CR84FN TK 2

I have been busy creating fall scrapbook pages lately and although, I have already share this pumpkin layout few days ago, I was proud of it and wanted to share it again to enter into the CR84FN Color Challenge this week. Sorry for the redundancy, I promise something new tomorrow.   

 In this fall layout I used CTMH Mischief papers and coordinating cardstock colors of Desert Sand (Kraft) Barn Red (Red) and Cocoa (Brown).  I really love how the outdoorsy pumpkin patch pictures go so nicely with this color combo.  A little splash of orange helped to pull it all together, pumpkins and all. 

~Amy

Festive Fall Recipe

I just got on Pinterest yesterday and think it is pretty cool.  I am still trying to get the hang of it, but think it will be a great resouce for all things, crafty, yummy and pretty.  Found these cute  Martha Stewart cookies on Pinterest and pinned them to my Halloween Board.  Couldn't wait to try them out, so since it was cold and foggy morning, I decided to whip out a few quick batches.    

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

Right after removing the cookies from the oven, be sure to press in the candies.

• Prep Time 15 minutes
• Total Time 30 minutes
• Yield Makes about 36

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• About 36 candy corns

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter and sugar in a medium bowl; beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Add flour, and mix until a dough forms.
2. Scoop out level teaspoons of dough, and roll into balls (chill dough briefly if it becomes too soft to handle). Place balls on baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
3. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are firm and cookies are dry to the touch (do not let cookies color), 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Remove from oven; gently press a candy corn into center of each cookie (surface of cookies may crack slightly). Cool on sheets 1 minute; transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Cook's Note

Chocolate Variation: Reduce the amount of flour given in the recipe to 1/2 cup. Add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder along with the flour in step 1, and proceed.

These cookies were so easy and quick to make--tasty too.  There was no frosting, decorating or piping involved.  Great for the kids to help press the candy corn into the cookies, although be careful with little little children, so they don't burn themselved on the hot cookie tray.  I plan to make these right before Halloween to bring as gifts to family and friends.  So cute and festive.  Love these!

~Amy

P.S. Although the recipe says makes 36 cookies I only got between 16 to 20 cookies per batch, but with both chocolate and plain cookies there are plenty.  I may double recipe in the future.    

Mischieviously Different

I love the versatility of CTMH "Mischief" papers.  Below are two layouts we will be creating today at my "Scrappy Creations" monthly class.  Same paper pack 2 different looks. 

Thanks to Scrapbooks Ect. for the inspiration.  Stay tuned for super cute Owl treat holders.  Picture tutorial coming soon!

To Tell a Story

I have told you enough how much I love Studio J, well I do!  This week's  Heart 2 Heart challenge gave me yet another chance to tell you.  The challenge was to create a layout and share a layout that tells a story.  Studio J is so convienet and easy it allows me to document and tell all sorts or stories that I probably wouldn't have in the past.  Here are a just few examples of how you can use Studio J to tell a story. 

1.  Capture the ordinary in a layout.  Daily activities are great memories to preserve.  Yes it is fun to scrap pages for birthdays, holidays and special occasions, but sometimes the ordinary can turn into a special momento to help you reminince. 

This layout is one of my favorites.  I have shared it previously but I love how my daughter's pink shirt just pops with these beautiful but subtle Sonoma Papers.  I was inspired one day while my kids were wrestling in the yard to create a layout of just that, the kids playing.  This is something they do a lot and really is not that out of the ordinary.  I took a few pictures and then later that evening I was able to create this layout and journal about what good friends they are.  I love the embellisment clusters and the simple photo layout.  It is perfect to capture a brief moment in our family history that I might otherwise would have forgotten.        

 2.  Document a Daily Routine in a Layout.  Daily routines my children once had are also fun to document and write about.  It helps to remind of of who they were when they were so tiny. 

3.  Use quotations as a title.  I love to use actual quotes for titles as a reminder of sweeter times that our little one has now out grown.  Quotes help to create the theme of the page and give directions for pictures to use in your layout. 

This layout shows how my daughter use to run in the morning get the newspaper with Daddy, yelling "wait for me!"  Now that she is few years olders, she no longer rushes to help her Dad in the morning.  It is something I think both her Dad and I miss.  I am glad we have this layout.   

 4.  Document moments in History.  Not that this is a huge history making moment, but the snowfall we had in 2008 where is snowed over 100 inches in the month of December is definately a fun memory and fact to add to any scrapbook. 

Other than special occasions, what are your favorite pages to scrap about?  Leave a comment letting me know.  Excited to hear your ideas!
~Amy

Apple Sweetness

This weekend we headed to Greenbluff to visit Seimer's, our favorite farm.  We made it through the corn maze, rode the "choo choo" trains and picked some perfect Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins.  It was a beautiful October morning. 

 While there, we also picked up a big bag of sweet Honey Crisp Apples.  I decided I would attempt to bake an apple pie.  Don't you just love the smell of apples and cinnamon baking in the oven, especially on a chilly autumn day?  I am by no means a "pie maker," and aside from the annual pumpkin pie and a few huckleberry pies here and there, this was my first attempt at an apple pie.  It is not the most perfect looking pie, but pretty good, if I do say so. 

I found this great recipe  from Grandma Ople.

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add white sugar, brown sugar and water; bring to a boil. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes.

Aside from tossing some cinnamon onto the apples and pouring the caramel mixture on the apples prior to adding the lattice crust, I followed the recipe above.  It was easier than I thought and tasted delicious.  Think I will have to start attempting to make pies more often.  

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!  Happy Baking!

~Amy 

Blog-tober Fest

I am a little late starting Blogtober Fest, but hey it's never too late to have a party on your blog....right!?!  This is something Tresa Black has started and promoted for the past several years.  So, for the entire (errrr rest of the) month, stay tuned as I attempted ot blog more and share more.  Should be fun to share all the goodness the month of October has to bring.    

Happy Blogging!

~Amy

Spooky Creations for October

Scrappy Creations Monthly Club

Thursday, October 13th 7PM

Please join me for a fun filled night of scrapping.  Create a fall/Halloween layout using the Mischief paper pack from Close to my Heart, plus 2-3 decorated treat boxes. Stay tuned for pictures of the projects early next week. 

Basic Kit $15.00

-1/2 Mischief Paper Pack

-Mini Medley Accent Pewter

Better Than Basic Kit $20.00

 -Basic Kit
-1/2 pack of Licorice Opaques Adhesive Gems
-1/2 pack of Clear Sparkles

Deluxe Kit $30.00 (Full packages of all products)
-Mischief Level 2 Paper Pack
-Mini Medley Accent Pewter
-Licorice Opaques Adhesive Gems
-Clear Sparkles

Please comment or send me a message as soon a possible if you would like to join me.  Everyone is welcome!  Please RSVP no later than Tuesday, October 4, so that I may order and receive all supplies in time for the class. 

Hope to hear from you!

~Amy