I'm Angry... At a Candle

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Well, not really. I'm really mad at my camera. Or maybe my eye. I don't know. I'm just angry.

I challenge you to make today's project and then go outside to try to photograph it and just SEE if you can get your SLR to focus in the right place!

I couldn't do manual focus because I actually hold my projects to take photos of them. I don't have a little outdoor photobooth set up and I really do prefer natural light.

So 300 blurry photos later, I finally got ONE pic I could use. *Growls*

I was on YNN again last week, doing handmade fall projects. We painted a pumpkin like a candy corn, did fall tealights, a little bat that held a Hershey nugget and this candle.

Now if you haven't gotten the new Stampin' Up! two stage heat gun, this project is a great reason to do so. We've all made disastrous, lumpy decorated candles by over-melting them when we were attaching the tissue paper, but the new gun has a lower heat setting that makes this MUCH easier.

To make the leaf, I just folded up tissue paper so that I was making about 8 leaves at once, and I cut them with my Autumn Accents die. These are all the shapes it cuts


It matches this stamp set:



I didn't use the stamps this time - I used Direct to Paper with More Mustard and Pumpkin Pie ink pads randomly all over the leaves.

Then just hold it on your candle and gently heat until you see the wax melt through the tissue paper and you're all done! I move my heat gun around a lot so I don't melt it too much in any one spot.

I thought about adding more leaves, but I ended up liking how clean and bright this looked, so I think I'll leaf it alone. Heh.


Can you be-leaf how simple and quick that is? It took much longer just to type about it!

Are you ready for fall? Our first cool temperatures have snuck in while I wasn't looking and it's a nice break!

Makes me less angry when I run outside to curse at a candle!

Loveyameanitbye.

Earl Grey & Miracle Whip - a Genetic Mystery Story

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So I haven't even had any espresso since we got back from Santa Fe because I'm SO addicted to these London Fogs! In case you missed it, here's how you order it at Starbucks: Grande whole milk no water five pump Earl Grey tea latte. It's a lot of words, but it's worth it. It's the best drink in the world.

However, I've noticed something since raving about this drink.

There are people with a very serious genetic anomaly I wasn't aware of before now. It's frightening for the families of those affected, I'm sure.

These people suffer from Earl Grey Aversion Disorder Syndrome - or EGADS for short.

EGADS!! How can you not like Earl Grey?? Well, aside from a genetic disorder, that is...

I questioned my sister on the subject, as she suffers from EGADS, and she claims that it's the bergamot.

Pfft.

No one's ever heard of bergamot or would be able to identify it in a tastebud lineup. That is just a person in denial about EGADS.

I posed this question to my barista this morning -I said, "Barista, what is wrong with people who don't like Earl Grey?" And she made a very wise observation. She said "You know - it's like those MIRACLE WHIP people." And I think I saw an eyeroll.

She's right you know. Miracle Whip is only enjoyed by a small group of people with a similar genetic defect. Normal people eat mayonnaise, you know. And drink Earl Grey tea.

These are the things that divide our nation!

How will we achieve world peace with imaginary bergamot and Miracle Whip keeping us apart??

While I ponder that, I'm going to have a London Fog and keep calm and carry on.




Stamps: Carry OnInk: Midnight Muse, Poppy Parade, Tangerine Tango, Summer Sun, Lucky Limeade, Tempting Turquoise
Keep your chin up and try to have empathy for those with EGADS and Miracle Whip Affinity Disorder. 

I'm sure Bono will get all over these causes soon. 

Loveyameanitbye.

How To Get a Divorce in 30 Seconds

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So I'm on my walk not too long ago - not a geocaching walk - just my regular route.

At one point I cross over the entrance to a gated community of garden homes. There's the entrance, which I cross first, a small grassy median and then the exit.

As I approach this entrance on this particular day, right before my eyes, a lady on her bike just crashes and falls over in the entrance, which is the side closest to me. A jogger, a woman, in front of me, just keeps going while the lady is stuck under her bike, sort of struggling to get untangled and up again. Then, across the median, in the exit from the subdivision, a man in his car has his window rolled down and is yelling something. I assume, being a normal human being with empathy, that he is asking her if she's ok.

As I'm hurrying to get closer to this lady and see if she's okay, I can hear that is NOT, in fact, what this human was yelling at her. This person was her HUSBAND. And instead of getting out of his car when he sees his wife on the ground, pinned under her wrecked bike on a busy street, he is 15 feet away, in his car, asking her WHAT HE SHOULD TELL THE PAINTERS TO DO IN THEIR BATHROOM.

Still trying to get up, she's yelling a few instructions at him and telling him to just deal with it when I finally get close enough to ask her if she's okay or needs help. She gets the bike off herself and stands up and says she thinks she's okay. At this point, there's a car behind her idiot husband and he says "I'll be back in an hour" and drives off. Astounded, I look at her and say, "Would you like me to find you a divorce lawyer on my Iphone?"

Some people. I swear.

I hope she meets someone nice in her cycling group after it's all finalized.

Maybe she'll have a Merry Christmas :).



I made this card for Giovana's Hope You Can Cling To challenge to use three punches or die cuts and a sentiment. I thought the little mini tree punch would go perfectly with the big snowflake die. 
The background paper is actually Howlstooth and Scaringbone Halloween DSP but it's perfect with this Christmasy layout!
Are you playing along with us? If not, you're missing out on the chance to lift the spirits of women battling breast cancer at MD Anderson, and also on more than$6500 in prizes from your favorite crafty companies. So what are you waiting for? Get to stamping!

BOO-ing myself

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For some reason, I'm even MORE into Halloween this year than normal. And that's saying a LOT because I love Halloween.

This year, I put out my awesome wreath of bones, my beautiful Decor Elements spooky white pumpkins, my little pumpkin I painted to look like a candy corn, and I did a live segment on YNN  With Bonnie Gonzalez on pumpkin carving and decorating.


Then, I added this crazy awesome decal to my car....

Don't ask to hitchhike unless you want to ride with MY SKELLIE!!

It's been a hoot and I can't wait for the big day.

OH - and this weekend, some friends and I are going on this EPIC haunted geocache set up by the way more than famous Richard Garriott...



I wish Halloween was a season and not just a day. There's too much fun stuff to do and not enough time!
Like stamp, for example!! So many cute and spooky images, so little time! 
I made this card for one of our Hope You Can Cling To challenges on Splitcoast (wherein you can win some of our $6500 in stampy prizes, btw) called "Monster Mash." This challenge - since we are making cards for breast cancer patients - is to remind us to get MASHED :). Adorable.
So I busted out my SUPER awesome Googly Ghouls, the Ghoulist Googlies Printed Kit, the self adhesive googlie eyes and I went to town!
Do you love Halloween too? I'd love to see pictures of what you do!

Loveyameanitbye.

A Walk In the Woods

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When did the fall get so crazy? This month was not only completely full - every second of it, but there were even extra things shoved into all the cracks. I'm hoping for a quiet close to the year.

When it's crazy busy like this, the only thing that maintains my sanity is my walks.

This month, some friends and I took a day and did the insanely fun Necropolis of Brittania Manor III haunted geocache. It took us on a journey all over Austin, during which I ripped my pants and apparently showed my underwear to everyone on Mt. Bonnell.

Despite my unladylike exhibition, we solved the puzzle and made it to the end, which was an insanely awesome locked building in the woods, full of bones, a geocoin that has been into space with its owner and all sorts of other fun things. It was a complete blast.

I would go crazy if I couldn't go outside every day. That's why I love living here in God's country, where it's not only possible, but pleasant nearly every day of the year.

This was the inspiration for our final Hope You Can Cling To challenge - my walk in the woods each day.

Here are some of my recent walk photos. Do I not live in the prettiest place on earth?




I thought that for the ladies being treated at MD Anderson, seeing some art representing the outdoors might be a virtual breath of fresh air, so my challenge is for you to do just that. Bring something that you love about being outside onto your card.

I used an image that I colored for my Watercolor Wow class last weekend (which was an insane amount of fun, by the way) for my challenge sample.


Isn't she adorable? One of the most fun things about being outside in the winter is all the fun coats, scarves and sweaters we get to wear, and she is so sassily dressed for her walk!

We colored using three different mediums and it was really interesting to see how my students really took to different tools for their favorites.

My favorite is still reinkers, which is what I used here. I think I like it best because it gives such saturated color.

Now if you haven't had a chance to play yet, you still can! Our upload deadline isn't until November 7th - so you have plenty of time to upload cards for a chance to win our more than $6500 in stampy prizes! Here is the prize list.

Get yourself a little early Christmas present :).

Loveyameanitbye.

Canning Sugar Free Peach Butter

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This is a sponsored post. Over the years I have learned thatI really enjoy fruit butters because of their intense fruit flavor, but I donot enjoy the large quantities of sugar that usually go into make fruitbutters, so I decided this year to make a peach butter with a little honey as asweetener. I have found that I am a better judge of how much honey I need if Ialready reduce the peach puree down by 50%. I add just enough honey to takeaway the harsh tartness of the peach butter. This leaves me with a mildly sweetpeach butter with a very intense peach flavor.
I usually do not have peaches this late in the season, but theWashington State Fruit Commission and Sweet Preservation were kind enough tosend me a box of fruit that included peaches. The peaches came in blemish free and slightly firm, but I prefer my peaches a little softer and riper. If you buy peaches that are not to your desired level of ripeness, then storethe peaches at room temperature. The peaches will ripen within a few days. Oncethe peaches are to your desired level of ripeness, you need to eat or can themquickly because they can turn into a pile of mold quickly. My peaches took 3days to ripen to my desired level of ripeness. 
To get your hands on beautiful Washington fruit go to yourlocal grocery store. Washington peaches are becoming more popular in grocerystores especially in areas where peaches are already out of season locally. Ifyour store does not carry Washington peaches, then talk to your store managerabout getting Washington peaches on the shelves at your local grocery store.
When buying peaches at the grocery store, there are severalthings to keep in mind. Look for a store with a well maintained producedepartment that carries no bruised or over ripe fruit and is equipped with airconditioning. Always buy peaches that are slightly firm so they do not bruisewhile transporting them to your house. Once they are home you can allow them toripen to your desired level.
For more peach canning recipes, check out Sweet Preservation. Sweet Preservation also has some really great canning labels that you can print from your computer. My favorite labels are called Hippie Chic. They are beautiful bright orange labels that would be perfect for this sugar free peach butter.

Ingredients (makes about 3 pints)              
20 peaches4 tbsp honey
Directions
1.      Peel the peaches. You can peel the peaches witha vegetable peeler or you can dip the peaches in hot water for 30 seconds (makesure to turn the peaches in the water so all sides of the peaches get hot) andthen dunk them in an ice water bath for 2 minutes. The peels will slip rightoff.2.       Puree thepeaches in a blender.3.      Gently simmer the peach puree in a large potuntil the puree is reduced 50%, about 3 hours.4.      Add honey to taste. I used 4 tbsp of honey. 5.      Reduce further until desired thickness, about 30minutes.6.      Ladle the hot peach butter into hot sterilejars.7.      Remove any air bubbles with a plastic utensilsuch as a spatula.8.      Leave ¼” headspace.9.      Adjust two piece lids and process in a boilingwater canner for 10 minutes.Posted on Simple Lives Thursday, Full Plate Thursday

Canning Plum Juice

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This is a sponsored post. Growing up my grandmother had twoplum trees. Unfortunately, plums were one of my least favorite fruits. Now thatI am older I recognize it was never the flavor of plums that I disliked.Instead I disliked the texture of plums. I did not care for their rubbery skinwith a soft inside. I found the skin too tuff for the interior of the plum.This made me avoid plums for years.
In the past few years I have learned to appreciate plumsagain. I really enjoy deep dark purple plum juice. I get all the flavor of the plumthat I enjoy without the unpleasant texture. This plum juice is very concentratedso you can dilute the juice upon serving. I usually dilute the juice by 50%.This makes the juice about the same consistency as store bought juice.
These wonderful plums were provided by The Washington Fruit Commissionand Sweet Preservation. Sweet Preservation is a canning website with lots offun extras like how to plan a canning party and canning labels. They eveninclude information on the health benefits of canning your produce. They alsohave more plum canning recipes, if you are looking for more ways to can yourplums.

Ingredients makes about 3 pints
6 cups purple plums, pits removed and sliced in half4 cups water
Directions
1.      Add the plums and water to a pot. The plumsshould be completely submerged in the water. If the plums are not submerged inthe water then add more water.2.      Simmer the plums for 2 hours or until the plumsare completely mushy and the water has turned a deep dark purple color.3.      Filter the juice with a strainer double linedwith a cheese cloth.4.      Add the filtered juice back to a pot and bringto a boil.5.      Ladle the hot juice into jars leaving ¼ inchhead space. If your last jar does not have enough juice in it to fill the jar,then add some hot water.6.      Adjust the two piece caps.7.      Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutesin a boiling water bath.8.      To serve, dilute with water by 50%.
Posted on Simple Lives Thursday, Full Plate Thursday