New Stamping Projects

Sorry to be away for soooo long but it was for my mental health. I was on overload and had to just let a few things go for awhile--blogging was one of them. But, I am back and ready to roll.


I have two months worth of stamping projects to share with you so hope you enjoy seeing them as much as we did doing them!

This first project from our August Happy Stampers group. It was CASED from Dawn Griffith (surprise!) at Dawn's Stamping Thoughts. Dawn's card was monochromatic but we decided to try out the 2011-2013 In Colors in the new Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalog. The base of the card is Lucky Limeade Card Stock and the pinwheels are in Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade and Pool Party. The Designer Paper is from the 2011-2013 In Color Designer Paper Pack. The stamp set used was Sweets for the Sweet--sooo cute! One of the ladies in our stamping club chose to do her card all in Pool Party and it turned out cute as well. 

The picture for this second project is a little fuzzy and I apologize for that. I really need to get a better system for photographing my cards:( I had been wanting to do a black & white card and found this one but can't remember who's website I found it on. If it is yours, please let me know so I can give you credit for this very elegant card! I used the stamp set called Because I Care (retired--Level 1 Hostess set from last year). Base card is in Whisper White Card Stock with Basic Black then Whisper White layered on top. I used Basic Pearls as centers of three of the flowers and black grograin ribbon "tied" it all together. I made several of these to use as sympathy cards plus made a few Thank You cards as well using red grograin ribbon instead of the black.

I am not in to Halloween at all but the ladies in my stamping group wanted to do a Halloween card sooo... I have to admit, this one turned out very cute! The idea is totally CASED from the current Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog!! The base card is Rich Razzleberry Card Stock with a layer of Rich Razzleberry Designer Paper on top. I stamped the Bingo Card stamp Rich Razzleberry Card stock and trimmed to fit. I didn't have the First Edition Designer Series Paper shown in the original so photocopied a page out of a magazine and used that for the strip across the middle. Also didn't have the Scallop Trim Border Punch used in the original so used a pair of Fiskars Decorative Scissors to cut the Certainly Celery trim at the top and bottom of the Bingo Card. I used the Spooky Bingo Bits stamp set to stamp the little Bingo pieces using Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry, Lucky Limeade, Chocolate Chip and Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pads. I cut each of the Spooky Bingo Bits out and attached them with Dimensionals. You will definitely see another Bingo Card project in the future!

This card and the one above we did this week at our Happy Stampers Club meeting! This one is a favorite of mine and I know I will make dozens of these for all occasions. The card was CASED from Diane Burns at To Stamp or Not To Stamp...what a silly question! Diane posts about once a month and has some great ideas! The base of this card is Real Red Card Stock with a layer of Basic Black Card Stock on top. The butterflies are cut out of Basic Black Card Stock using the Beautiful Wings Embosslit Die for the Big Shot. The small butterfly was attached to the larger butterfly using a glue dot then Basic Rhinestones were attached to the center of each butterfly. Diane's original used First Edition Designer Series Paper (and again I didn't have any) but I used music torn out of an old piano book. The edge was punched using the Spiral Border Punch. I added the Thank You stamp (retired) and punched the pieces using the Modern Label Punch and the Word Window Punch.


Next week I will be visiting my daughter in western Washington and am hoping to do some stamping with her. So will share with you what we do.


Monday's post will be back to recipes:) Tuesday's post will be about our new dog--quite a story!!! Wednesday I will share with you about my 10+ weight loss and continuing journey. So be sure to check back as I love sharing with you.


Have a great day and a super weekend!  Kat

Tortellini Salad

One of my favorite salads for summer is Pasta Salad--especially when made with tortellini. I hope you are able to make this delicious salad for your family and friends this summer.


Pasta Salad


Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch of salt
Mix above ingredients well.


In large bowl combine:
16 ounces pasta, cooked and rinsed
1 large sweet red pepper cut into 3/4" pieces
1 cup sliced pitted black olives
1/2 cup chopped red onion
*3 cups torn fresh spinach or broccoli florets


Pour dressing over pasta mixture and mix well. Chill for several hours or overnight. Just before serving add one cup fresh chopped tomatoes if desired.


NOTE: For quick and easy dressing I used LaMaison Organic Tuscan Style Italian dressing--delish!


Enjoy delicious food this summer!  Kat

Stamping Club Projects for July

This was a fun card to make and sooo easy! It just so happened that two of my stamping ladies have weddings coming up to use their cards for!


Card stock used is Whisper White, Basic Black and Blushing Bride. We used the Framed Tulips Embossing Folder for the Big Shot for the border and the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder for the bride's dress. The Full Heart Punch was used for the bride and groom. The "bride" and the Congratulations banner are popped up using Dimensionals. Basic Rhinestones were added to the "bride's" dress and the Congratulations banner. The whole card was sprayed with a mixture of rubbing alcohol and Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint--gives the card a all over subtle shimmer. The stamp set is Occasional Quotes (retired hostess set) that I got as part of my Blog Candy winnings from Ala Card Monkey. This card design was borrowed from Dawn Griffith and you can view her video for this card at Dawn's Stamping Thoughts.

This second card took a little more time but was soooo worth it! This card idea came from Jill Olsen and the video can be seen at Stamping Jill.


Card stock colors used are Whisper White, Basic Black and Poppy Parade. Don't you LOVE Poppy Parade?!!! It's such a happy color! We used the Perfect Polka Dots and Square Lattice Embossing Folders for the Big Shot. The punches used were the NEW Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch, the flower from the Itty Bitty Punch Pack and the holes for the flowers were made with the Crop-a-dile but could also be made with the 1/16" Circle Handheld Punch. The finished card size is 5 1/4" square so will need the 5 1/2" square envelope and it will require extra postage (but well worth it)! Jill's directions on her video are so easy to follow. 


Remember, if you want to purchase any of the supplies above or order the NEW 2011-2012 Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog, please email me at stampinandgrinnin@gmail.com or order 24/7 from my Stampin' Up! website.


Have a great Monday. Thanks for checking in:) Kat

Wait Till You See This!!!

I know I already posted today but this is for all the days I didn't:) I was checking out my friend, Crystal's blog and found out she's having a GIRL!!! She has a girl, Lily who will be six in October and a boy, Oliver who must be 2 1/2 now. Another girl is PERFECT!  Well, one of her sisters is also pregnant with a girl and the picture (right) is the Diaper Cake Crystal made her for her shower! Is that not the cutest thing EVER!!! Crystal tells step by step how to make the Diaper Cake on her blog--the post for July 18! I can hardly wait for the next baby shower:))) Wouldn't this make a beautiful centerpiece for the shower?


Have a great day!  I need to get something done!!! Kat

Best-Ever Chocolate Cupcakes

I almost never make cake and make cupcakes even less. Cake is simply not my favorite dessert.  Well, Wednesday night was our monthly stamping club and I was to bring refreshments so decided to bring chocolate cupcakes. I had enough cocoa powder for the cupcakes but not for the frosting which is very nummy so went on the internet and Googled "best frosting recipe". The same recipe came up on three different sites so decided to try it. Sooo, today you will get the cupcake recipe, chocolate frosting recipe and Best Frosting Ever recipe. These cupcakes are delicious with either frosting.


Best-Ever Chocolate Cake (or Cupcakes)


2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I use unflavored coconut oil)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cold black coffee (Postum works too)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
2. Beat in the shortening with an electric mixer on low speed. Beat in milk, coffee and vanilla until combined. Increase speed to high and beat for 2 minutes. Add the eggs; beat for 2 minutes.
3. Pour batter into greased cake pans or lined muffin pan cups. Bake the cake in the middle of the oven until toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 30-35 minutes for cake; 20-25 minutes for cupcakes. Cool for five minutes, then turn the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup warm water

4 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Combine the cocoa powder, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Beat on medium speed for two minutes. Add the warm water; mix well. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth.
2. Frost cake or cupcakes and enjoy!

**The above recipes came on one of those promotional recipe cards that come in the mail from Great American Home Baking.

What frosting should look like after about
45 seconds of high speed mixing.

Best Frosting Ever 

1 cup milk (any will do; I used rice milk)

5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

Put milk in small saucepan. Whisk the flour into the milk till smooth. Cook, stirring constantly till thick--about the consistency of cake batter. Let cool completely (cooling completely is important--I put mine in the freezer to speed up the process) then add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well.

While waiting for the flour/milk mixture to cool, cream 1 cup butter with one cup granulated sugar. 

When flour/milk mixture has cooled add to butter/sugar mixture and beat with mixer till the consistency of whipped cream. Tada! It's ready to use! My stamping friends LOVED it!!!

You can find pictorial instructions for this recipe HERE.

Have a great day and a super weekend.  Hug the ones you love and pray for those you don't:) Kat

Wedding Reception

As I said last week, I was the wedding coordinator for a friend's wedding on July 10. She had some adorable decorations for the receptions and I was really hoping to have a better picture than this but this turns out to be the only one my husband took of the decorations.  Guess I should have taken a few pictures myself but I was soooo busy!  On the tables were these adorable planters that looked like teacups--some with dragonflies on them and some solid purple. Then there were two different bird houses--some said Honeymoon Nest and some said Love Nest. These were interspersed with votive cups filled with Jelly Belly jelly beans. We had purple and lavender Japanese lanterns hanging from the ceiling of the tent. It looks like the photographers cameras and bags were also decorating the tables at the time of the picture.

The cake had a very smooth butter cream frosting with purple and silver ribbon at the bottom of each layer. Purple butterflies were attached with frosting in a swirl up the front of the cake. Silk gladiola blossoms topped the cake. The cake knife and server were the same ones my husband and I used at our wedding reception 32 years ago:)
The bride's father is standing behind the cake threatening to put his finger in it.

Weddings are wonderful and this one was no exception.

Have a great day and a good week.  Kat

Fresh Raspberry Lemonade

For the 4th of July I had my heart set on making my signature Strawberry Lemonade for our family and friends to enjoy.  However, the strawberries were "in between" so no strawberries to use.  Plan B was to try raspberries which I had plenty of so I checked on the internet and found a great recipe at Amanda's Cookin'. I like this recipe even better than the Strawberry Lemonade and I'm sure you will too.

Amanda's Fresh Raspberry Lemonade
makes 2 quarts

7 medium lemons
1 cup mashed fresh raspberries
1 heaping cup white sugar
water

First reserve about 1/4 of the sugar and set aside. Pour the rest of the sugar into a medium saucepan. Add one cup of water. Stir and bring to a boil to dissolve sugar. This is called simple syrup) Turn off heat and let cool a bit.

Meanwhile, pour the reserved 1/4 cup of sugar over the mashed raspberries and let them sit for at least ten minutes to macerate.

While waiting for the berries, zest 6 of the 7 lemons. Place zest into a zippered sandwich bag, squeeze out all air and put it in the freezer. Never cut up a lemon and waste the zest! :) Cut the six lemons in half and extract the juice (this should yield a little under a cup of juice).

Pour the lemon juice through a strainer to eliminate pulp and any seeds. Pour the juice into a 2 quart pitcher.

Push the macerated berries through a strainer using the back of a spoon. Pour the sweetened berry juice into the pitcher with the lemon juice.

Pour the simple syrup (sugar water) into the pitcher and top off with water. Stir, add sliced lemons and refrigerate.

Note: You can adjust the sugar to your taste. Also try mixing half and half with iced tea--yummy!!!

I hope you get to sit on the porch today with a good book and a glass of Fresh Raspberry Lemonade!  Kat