You're The Bee's Knees!

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You may have heard about Small Business Saturday in between your pie and your Cyber Monday.

This past Saturday was a day where you were encouraged to shop at the very heart of American business - the sole proprietors, the mom and pop shops - the people who took big risks to try to to make it on their own instead of slaving away in a cubicle.

I'm lucky enough to call one such small business owner a good friend - Korin Sutherland.

I never get tired of the stories of people who started a business literally in their living rooms. Korin did just that when she started Sweet 'n Sassy stamps five years ago and she's been a huge success.

As much time as I spend BUYING and PLAYING with stamps, I honestly don't know how she has the energy to DESIGN and MAKE stamps, but she does, and I'm so thankful that because she does, I have a sweet friend.

Korin and I met through Splitcoast, when she became a member company, and I just love her to death. She is sweet, and she is sassy :), so her marketing skills are obviously on point!

Anyway, today we're having a little birthday party for Korin and Sweet 'n Sassy, so I really hope you'll hop around and see all the cards her friends have designed for her birthday party. Here's mine, for a girl I think really is the bee's knees.




Stamps: Bee Happy Rhubarb Paper: Crumb Cake, Polka Dot Party, Chevron treat bagAccessories: Sizzix Westminster Hexagon Dies (2")
So happy birthday, friend! Thank you for making the world sweeter and sassier! Y'all hop along now!

It's The End Of The World As We Know It

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So in 1999, we knew what we were in for with the whole Y2K thing.

All the power would go out at once, we'd be plunged into darkness and have to drink out of the toilet. I knew a LOT of people who bought generators and stockpiled Snickers.

But it was a known quantity. No power.

With the Mayan apocalypse bearing down on us, I'm amazed at how poorly defined it is.

Will yetis or zombies come barreling out of the Barton Creek Greenbelt to eat us? Will an asteroid hit us? Will we spontaneously combust?

I think the Mayans must have been very unorganized people to have such a poorly defined apocalyptic prediction. Had crafters been in charge of the apocalypse, we would have organized a themed blog hop, had custom digital downloads for the pinhole sunglasses you'd need when the sun and all the stars exploded, and strategically pre-staged glitter and die cutting machines for those in harm's way.

It's embarrassing, really, to see what a shoddy apocalypse this is. So we just have to carry on and guess.

Since I just organized my glue collection, I'm actually feeling pretty confident that I can face whatever is coming.

In the meantime, I think it's very important that we don't stop recycling. Because if it ends up being a huge fizzle like 1999 we don't want to be surrounded by mounds of trash. And generators. And zombie bullets.

So I have three reanimations for you today.

I went to retail church yesterday - Whole Foods - and I worshiped some Hail Merry Tarts and the precise number of Telicherry peppercorns I needed for my insanely awesome carne guisada - I love the bulk section.

Since I didn't bring a bag, I got paper bags for my holy goods. And man, are they gorgeous - all year. You may remember my last Whole Foods bag project. I loved those saturated greens.

But the holidays are upon us and the bags have kept up. So, in order to procrastinate cleaning and prepping for my classes, I sat down and did a little recycling.

Supplies: Whole Foods paper bag, Poppy Parade Ink, Whisper White Cardstock & Seam Binding

Turns out their ink is a dead on match for Poppy Parade Ink, so I used Word Play to finish it off.

BUT - there are even CUTER holiday versions over at Project Reanimate - and all three of these cards were made with a single bag.

Recycling gives you good Mayan karma, I promise. And if it does come to pass, please head to the designated glitter pickup station for supplies. I'll be the one in the cute apron.

Loveyameanitbye.

Lincoln Says Shalom

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This afternoon, I went to see Lincoln with a neighbor.

I was struck by two things. Well, maybe three.

First of all, I typically see movies about ten years after they are released. I don't like theaters very much, and I get a wee bit antsy about sitting in the dark with strangers. Especially when I can hear them eating.

I attribute this, as I do most things I'm afraid of, to the Grimm brothers and Edward Gorey.

So I didn't even know that the lead was played by Daniel Day Lewis until we were in the car on the way home - that's how good he was.

I was very taken by how charming they made Lincoln. That was never a word I would have described him with. My first impression of him was the monument in DC I saw when I was somewhere between kindergarten and fourth grade. Seeing that is still one of the most memorable moments of my life. It's a heart stopping monument, whether or not you even know who he was. He was imposing, dignified, larger than life, stoic. Not charming. So that was very enjoyable in the movie, whether or not it was accurate.

Next, there was the fact that that politicians were, are and always shall be, lower life forms not worthy of our energy. Sheesh. Some things never change.

God bless our American revolutionaries who understood this in their very DNA. I have that DNA :).

Finally - there was a quote which really paused the movie for me and made it hard for me to concentrate for the remainder.

Lincoln quoted the Euclidian "common notion":

 Things which are equal to the same thing are also equal to one another.
All creatures great and small.

Think about that one for a while.

Meanwhile, happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends! As usual, I'm a day late. But I couldn't resist CASE'ing a card I saw on Facebook for the start of Hanukkah - the Keep Calm and Shalom cracked me up :).


I used some sneak peek goodies from our spring mini catalog, including the hexagon embossing folder, the DSP, the Pool Party embossing folder and the ribbon. Pretty, eh? The stamp sets are Carry On and Jewish Celebrations. Can't wait to show you the rest!

Hope you are having a good December - I was shocked to see today that there are only 16 more days until Christmas - where does the time go?

Loveyameanitbye.

Simple is Good, Especially in December

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I think we all get sort of CAS at the holidays, just because of the frantic pace of life.

I had my monthly class this weekend and I kept the projects simple so as not to add to the holiday stress!

For one of Saturday's class projects, I CASE'd a card I saw on Splitcoast by one of my favorite paper artists - Karen Dunbrook - just substituting products I already owned. She has an absolutely amazing design sense and I think I click the "favorite" button on every one.


Here's how you make it.

• Cut a card base and a 4" x 1.5" strip from Whisper White cardstock. You'll also need a scrap for punching that is 1.5" wide and at least 3" tall..
• Using a Stampin' Sponge, cover the strip with Tempting Turquoise ink. 
• Using a Sponge Dauber, add a little Wisteria Wonder ink as desired.
• Fill your Stampin' Spritzer with water, and holding 12" away from the sponged strip, lightly spray with water. You just want droplets, don't soak the paper. One or two light spritzes will give you the snow texture. Set aside to dry, or dry using the heat tool. 
• Using a scrap of Whisper White, punch the two trees using the Merry Minis punch pack. 
• Using the 2.5" Circle Punch, punch a curve for the hill from the same scrap - the width of the strip is 1.5" so it will fit perfectly. Glue hill and trees to colored strip using Mono Multi. 
• Glue strip to card and stamp "Merry" from Snowflake Soiree in Midnight Muse ink. 
• Using the Essentials Piercing Pack Template and a piercing tool, pierce the card base (don't forget to open your card first :) ) along the left and top sides of the strip. 

Your cards don't have to be complicated to be beautiful. Just add a simple technique like the watercolor snow to make a big impact!

I hope your holidays are both merry & bright!

I have an ornament class this weekend, my January class is on January 5th, and don't forget - you can get $235 worth of goodies for only $99 when you purchase the starter kit, including a full color family of ink pads free through December 16th.

Loveyameanitbye.

A Doctor WHOop. :)

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It's weird, I know - blogging about a show I've never seen.

But Dr. Who is swirling around among all my friends, tempting me into being lazy over the holidays and trying to start watching it.

There are so many friends posting about it that I'm actually familiar with some of the terms and the iconography, like the TARDIS, which fascinates me.

Mostly it fascinates me because I keep calling it a phone booth when it's not - apparently it's a police box, whatever that means. But even MORE fascinating is that it is a deep, beautiful blue.

So how, when I got to pre-order Feeling Sentimental from the Sale-A-Bration catalog, was I supposed to resist turning this stamp into a Who-fest card????


I do not have the strength to resist things like this, my people!

Also, I can already tell I have to send this card to my friend Laurie, who is more than a little bit of the inspiration for it.

I stamped the TARDIS on watercolor paper and then watercolored it with Brilliant Blue and Pacific Point. After it was dry, I covered it with Crystal Effects. I printed the sentiment :). The super fancy and sassy cloud embossing folder in the background is also from the upcoming spring mini.

I noticed on a google image search that the sassy blue box is always flying through space so clouds seemed appropriate.

I guess I have a few weeks I could try to get addicted to this show.

But when Downton Abbey starts back up it's all over, no matter what.

So please, in the meantime, keep calm and who on. Because John Bates is going to preempt your police box, I assure you.

Loveyameanitbye.

Crockpot Cream of Mushroom Chicken and Linguine Recipe

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Another one of those on the go recipes, come home to a comforting tasty meal!

1 can cream of mushroom soup 98% fat free
1/2 can white wine (Use empty mushroom soup can)
1/2 can water
1/2 teaspoon each: oregano, garlic powder, parsley, black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
parmesan grating cheese
6 boneless chicken thighs or 4 boneless chicken breasts

1 box whole grain linguine pasta boiled in salt water

In a 5 quart crock pot place boneless chicken breasts on the bottom. Add the mushroom soup, wine and spices. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours. When ready to serve, boil 1 pound of whole grain linguine pasta in salted water in a 5 quart saucepot.
Drain. Place pasta back into the saucepot you cooked it in.  Pour the chicken and juices over the pasta, mix together pulling chicken apart with two forks.  Serve with grating cheese.

Mini Brownie Nutella Rocher Bites Recipe

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Depending on how much you love Nutella and Ferraro Rocher candy that will make the difference between bookmarking now or running to the kitchen. These are one of my favorites.  I always used a plain boxed mix until I found this brownie recipe online thanks for Mother Thyme. I cut it open so you can see the candy in it.. not a very impressive photo but it's delicious!

My favorite candy in the center soft, warm and nutty. Not too sweet there's no frosting just the candy inside to compliment the surrounding cake!
Easy to make and a delicious treat anytime. They look great on the cookie tray!

Brownie Batter Recipe:
Adapted from Mother Thyme Recipe 

3/4 cup flour
1 cup Nutella
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar

Mix sugar, butter together till light. Add everything together well except flour, stir that in at the end and blend together.
Line mini muffin pan with paper liners. Add a small amount of batter, place some of  the crushed candy in the center (and optional crushed hazelnuts on top). Top with more batter and sprinkle with colored candies. Bake at 350 in preheated oven or around 8 minutes or until the center is set.

24 or more Ferraro Rocher Candies unwrapped and crushed a little
optional: more crushed hazelnuts
mini cupcake liners
colored candy sprinkles