Construction to Begin Soon!!

      We have wanted to do some much wanted renovations for some time now, but our priority was to get the boys educated first. Well with that almost complete, we decided that this year is finally the year. We brought in a few companies and explained what we wanted. Last week, after getting all of the quotes, we decided on a company. I got a call today, the permits are all in place and they are planning on starting Friday!! The back deck will be first, then we will have to wait until the windows arrive, to have the windows done, and then finally my Front Porch!! I have always wanted a porch, to sit out in the mornings with my coffee, or in the evenings if it's raining. I will be sure and post pictures as the work progresses and of course the final product!!
Wish Us Luck, Tina

Hello Again

     Well if you spend enough time searching you can usually find what you are looking for. And I did!! If you look over on the side I have created a new spot to place links to sites that I think you would find, or at least I find, interesting. Valita's Freshfolds has lots of ideas and videos of cards and, as the name suggests, ways of folding your punched paper into uniques ways. I hope you enjoy, but be sure to still come back here.
Tina

A Nice Day for Baking-Rhubarb Muffins

One thing everyone, who knows me, will agree to is that I love to bake. We planted a garden a couple of years ago, and even though it is a little work, the fresh vegetables are wonderful. In our garden we have actually, for the first time, grown rhubarb. We have had stewed strawberry rhubarb, which is delicious with homemade bread. I have to thank my mother-in-law for teaching me how to make bread! Well today I made rhubarb muffins, and they are delicious. He is the recipe:
For the muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups 1/4-inch-diced rhubarb
For the topping:
3 Tbs. white sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper baking cups.

Make the muffin batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt and whisk to blend.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Lightly stir the sour cream mixture into the dry ingredients with a spatula until the batter just comes together; do not overmix. Gently stir in the diced rhubarb. The batter will be thick.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups, using the back of a spoon or a small spatula to settle the batter into the cups. The batter should mound a bit higher than the tops of the cups.

Make the topping: In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Sprinkle a generous 1/2 tsp. of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over each muffin.

Bake the muffins until they’re golden brown, spring back most of the way when gently pressed, and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully lift the muffins out of the pan—if necessary, loosen them with the tip of a paring knife—and let them cool somewhat. Serve warm.

These are delicious. I doubled the recipe and used an icecream scoop to scoop out the batter and the recipe made 2 1/2 dozen.
Tina

Prom/Wedding Card

Hello everyone,
     I had great intentions of posting yesterday, but I think it is going to be a little more than difficult, when I am working, to find time in the evening once I get home. I have to work tonight but I got up this morning because I just have to share with you a card I made. While I have been cleaning my craft room, I have been finding scraps of paper everywhere with ideas for cards, and jotted notes of ideas I have seen. Unfortunately I don't write down the website where I found them. So then I have to try and figure it out myself. Actually I am very proud of this card, and with Prom/Wedding season coming quickly I thought these were cute cards to adapt to any situation.
     Here is a picture of the finished card.

     These adorable figures are made from heart shapes. Oh by the way, I have figured out how to make the size of my pictures smaller so they will load faster. It is all a learning game.
     I don't have a large heart punch, but I do have a cricut, with the Sure Cuts Alot program, so it takes a few more clicks to get them set up and cut, but use what you have.....right? With a few cuts and folds, layering and sponging, they come together. The tie, for the tux, is just a piece of ribbon knotted and using a glue dot to hold it together and in place. You could change the color of the dress/tux to match any situation, be it prom or wedding. Vellum would be a very pretty way of making a veil for a wedding dress.
     I have been purchasing items for my craft room, for about 10 years now and there is always something else you could want, especially if it makes your crafting experience a little faster/easier. Well, I have lots of other ideas and projects I want to share with you, so check back often.
Later, Tina

I think summer is almost here

Hello again,
Another beautiful day, I worked today and it was a beautiful day to fly. I have realized from uploading pictures that my pictures from my camera load much slower than the pictures off my phone. I cannot figure out how I can change the resolution on my camera, so I think I am going to stop by the store on my way home to see if I can find an inexpensive camera to purchase, to use for my tutorials. I have a video camera, and maybe on my next days off I will attempt a video tutorial.
I plan to add another tutorial tonight, but I have some ideas I want to try as well, so we shall see what pictures get posted.
So until later, Bye Tina

My Craft Room

Hello again,
     well I had good intentions of doing another tutorial as I am back to work tomorrow, but the day seems to be flying by. So instead I thought I would show pictures of my craft room, that I did clean before yesterday's tutorial. (you will be pleased mom)

This would be my room, the boxes contain supplies in preparation for a craft sale that my mom and I are doing in November. With my mom's help, we tried to organize my room as well as put together my finished cards and my cards which I have started, which are plenty. My sister, Sharon, will agree my room is neater than the last time she saw it, hehehe.
If you notice any of the cards you would like a tutorial on, let me know and I will put one together.
Thanks, Tina

Beautiful Day - Side Step Dresser Card

Good Morning,
    a busy morning already. My son and I went out and got the lawns all mowed before it got too hot. My husband is away on meetings and with all of the rain, the lawn was in desperate need of a mow. I am back to work on Friday, so I decided that I am going to take advantage of the beautiful day, and bring my computer outside, and I will work on my blog. We have a pair of ducks that come to our kitchen window three to four times a day, and they sit below the window waiting for me to throw bread out to them. here is a picture of them.

     I am just waiting to see the babies. Well I know my blog works, as my sister just called me to say she loved the site. So glad it is working.

    Ok on to my cards, because that is why we are here. Keep in mind this is my first attempt, I am sure I will improve with time. :o)

Side Step Dresser Card Tutorial

Supplies needed:

 a paper trimmer

 a piece of cardstock cut to 8.5" x 5.5" (for dresser)

 three pieces of matching cardstock cut to 3/4" x 2" (for drawers)

 a 1 1/2" square punch

 a decorative edge punch

 dark brown ink for sponging

 foam pop dots

 brads for knobs

Directions:

Placing the short side of your paper at the top, and the long side to be cut, measure in 2 3/4 inches, move your cutting blade down to the 1" mark and cut from the 1" mark to 5 1/4".



On one side only, score at the 1" and 2" mark, down to your cut.

Next fold on your score lines. After folding if you want your dresser on the other side fold the scores the other way. Then fold the remainder of your card end to end.

Using your 1 1/2" square punch, punch out about half a square on the bottom edge to make your "legs", and center your decorative edge punch to add to the other side. (I didn't do a great job centering) Then cut out your three "drawers"

Sponge all of your edges with dark brown ink, I used Stampin' Up's Chocolate Chip. Then add your brads to the centers of your drawers, and, using foam pop dots, attach them to your dresser.

Take a couple of scraps of paper and fold over and glue to drawers to look like clothes coming out, stamp a message on the card and you are finished. You can add a note to the side or another decorative embellishment, like the shirt I added in my earlier post.

Well that took a little longer than I thought, but I hope you have fun making these cards.

Thanks, Tina



Let's Get Started

     As my family will attest to, I spend much of my free time searching the internet for card ideas, color combinations, and ideas for different techniques, taking a piece that I like from a card idea and putting my own twist on it. If you are anything like me, often I would have great intentions of going to work on my cards in my craft room, then spend what time I had trying to decide what I wanted to do. My mom has helped me to organize my craft room, trying to make it a little more user friendly....Thanks Mom...... and I can say my time spent down there lately has been very productive. Once I clean it up a little I will take some pictures and show you why my husband shakes his head at me when he walks in my room.
     I usually will work on a specific theme if there is a holiday coming up, ie: Father's Day, but I always go back to Christmas cards. If you hang around 'til Christmas you will see how much I love the cards, the decorating, and Christmas period. Tonight I am going to attempt to attach some cards I have been working on. The color of some of the pictures isn't great, but I found a pattern for a "white box" to help you take pictures of your cards with better lighting and I think it works much better.

     I don't know about you, but there aren't alot of card ideas out there for men. Here are a couple of card ideas I came up with, the dresser is easy to make. I found this idea while searching one day, and when I find where I found it I will attach a link, if I can figure out how, and share it with everyone.
     I am not a Stampin' Up demonstrator, but I love their stamps, but as you will see I use what I like, and if it's on sale even better. Good night everyone and talk tomorrow.
Tina

My first Blog

     Let me start by saying hello to anyone who comes to visit. I have been wanting to create a blog for some time now, to share my love of crafting, especially my love and passion of stamping and creating cards. My sister and mother both share this love with me, and are actually the ones that got me "hooked". Come back often, I plan to share examples of stamping techniques I have learned, pictures of cards I have done, as well as cards my family has made.
     I love spending time in my craft room and thought what a great name for a blogsite, instead of a coffee break let's take a craft break and spend time doing and sharing something that I love.
     I hope to see my visit numbers climb, and look forward to your comments and ideas of what you would like to see here.
Tina :o)