Sharing ... Crafting ... Moving On to the Next Holiday!

Well, Christmas is past (sort of) and today I have a day to myself to do whatever I please, and what pleases me, of course, is crafting!  And since I make crafts to (attempt to) sell, I have to look ahead to the next holiday ... Valentines of course!  And I just LOVE making Valentines tags using vintage images! 

Where do I find those images, you ask?  Well, these days I primarily find them on Pinterest, but I don't pin them, but instead save the images to my computer and use Picasa to edit and print them.  (The link on the word Picasa will take you to where you can get the free download)  For the Valentines tags I print 9 images per page, set at 'Wallet' and 'Shrink To Fit'.  Here is an image just for you ... simply put your cursor over the image, right click on your mouse and choose 'Save Image As' and save it to your computer.

This is one of my favorite vintage Valentines images because it is so sweet and simple!  Once you have saved this to your computer and printed out numerous copies (In my case 9 on one sheet) you want to 'fussy cut' these sweet puppies out from the white background.

What is fussy cutting?  Well, according to definition.net, it is to cut pieces of fabric (or paper!) so that a particular part of the printed design is centered or featured.  In the case of these images you can simply cut around the whole image, removing the white around it.  

The only really hard part of doing this is leaving 'just the right amount' of white outside of the printed area.  It really does make a huge difference if you do this!  Here is what I mean ...

I know the picture isn't great, but it's hard to get a very up close photo without it being a bit fuzzy.  But do you see what I mean?  Just a tiny bit of white outside the printed area is all you need.

One thing that I do suggest you have for this process is a pair of good 'detail' scissors.  The pair I have now is great!  I bought them at the 2012 Scrapbook Expo nearest me for $1 and they work great.  They have think sharp blades and a pointed tip.  When I went back to the 2013 Expo they had gone up in price to $2 ... but still a great value for these wonderful scissors!

The scissors I use are about three to three and one half inches long.  The blue ribbon tied to one of the finger 'holes' is because there are several of us at my LSS who have them, and with the blue ribbon I know this pair is mine!

And what do you get when you do the fussy cutting?  Well, you get a neat and clean image, ready for turning into something pretty!

Do you see how pretty those little images are?  They will look great on some valentines tags once I have inked the edges and prettied them up a bit.  But that's for another post!  Thanks for visiting today, and I look forward to showing you more about how I make some really sweet Valentines tags!  Blessings,

Facebook Recipe Review ... Coconut Cream Cake (aka Icebox Coconut Cake)

Merry Christmas!  I would first like to wish you a very happy and blessed Christmas, filled with friends and family, joy and good cheer, love and laughter, and un-failing knowledge that Jesus came as a tiny baby to save the world, because he loves you, and me, and every person on earth enough to die a horrible death on a cross.  The peace and joy and amazing love that comes from knowing Jesus Christ is beyond anything that we mere humans can comprehend, but it is real, and it is meant for you too!

Now, for the recipe!  I have been making this recipe for years, and have always called it icebox coconut cake, but recently I saw it on Facebook and it was called Coconut Cream Cake ... and trust me, whatever you call it, it is delicious!

Icebox Coconut Cake

One box yellow or white cake mix (I prefer one without pudding in the mix!)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 can cream of coconut

1 carton (8 oz) Cool-Whip

1 package (6 oz) frozen fresh coconut

I've been using this cake mix for many years, but you should use your favorite brand.

Prepare cake mix according to box directions.  Bake in a greased and floured 9 x 13 cake pan according to box directions.  (Note:  I add about 1/2 teaspoon each of vanilla extract and coconut flavoring ... makes the flavor richer)

A well greased and floured pan makes all the difference!

While cake is baking, mix together the can of sweetened condensed milk and cream of coconut.  Sometimes the cream of coconut is kind of lumpy, so mixing the two together makes it easier to pour.

Mixing the sweetened condensed milk and cream of coconut together makes for an easier pour.

As soon as you take the cake out of the oven, using a fork, make holes all in the cake, then pour the cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk mixture over the cake.  As the cake cools it will soak right into the cake.

I like using a long, two pronged meat fork for making the holes ... it reaches all the way down.

 

Pour the mixture evenly over the still warm cake, then allow to cool slowly.

Allow cake to cool completely.

Sprinkle the thawed coconut over the top of the cake.  Top with Cool-Whip.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  

This one didn't turn out pretty, but it sure does taste good!

This is one of my husband's favorite cakes, especially for Christmas.  If you try it, please come back by and let me know what you think!  Oh, and I give this Facebook recipe ...

Blessings on this Christmas!

Sharing ... Swaps ... Sue's Christmas Ornament Swap ... What I Sent Sue

Good Morning!  I am so excited that I can finally share with you the goodies that I sent to my partner Sue of It's a Very Cherry World for her Christmas Ornament swap!  Sue was the hostess of the swap, and since she was my partner I felt just a tiny bit of pressure to make my gifts for her really great.  But it was all so much fun!  Everything I sent her was handmade except for one little thing that I knew she would love.  Here, let's unpack the box ...

Here's everything all together!

And here's an item by item display ...

The ornament ... I painted the inside of the plastic ornament with turquoise paint, then covered it with felt circles in turquoise and white, added red buttons, gingham ribbon, and a heart charm.

A roll of washi tape with Sue's favorite ... cherries!  This was the only thing in the package that wasn't hand made.

Some white muslin 'ribbon', made of torn strips of muslin and stamped with Christmas greetings, and coordinating stamped, covered buttons.  Perfect for wrapping small packages or decorating a tiny tabletop tree.

Two hand crocheted dish cloths or wash cloths.  The white one is 'single thread', the red and white one is 'double thread' and will hold up to heavy duty cleaning jobs.   I love crocheting these things!

A file folder mini album that I made just for Sue.  All the pictures follow, but I'm not going to explain each one.  Enjoy!

And that's what I sent!  Info on the mini album:

• Video with instructions for mini 'bones'
• Papers used are scraps from a Bella Blvd Christmas line 'Christmas Wishes'
• File Folders - Dollar Tree
• Ribbons and fibers - stash
• Brown Ink - Stampabilities

Thanks so much for visiting!  I hope I'll have my package from Sue soon, and when it comes I will post it all right here!  Christmas blessings!

Sharing ... Graphic 45 'Twelve Days of Christmas' Mini Album

Hello!  Do you believe it's just over a week until Christmas?  And I am so not ready, and that's just fine and dandy to me!  This year things are very lean for us financially, so we're just going to enjoy time together and eating some good southern cooking and relaxing.  I do have the tree up and one of my Christmas flags out on the front porch, and that's as Christmas-y as it will get here.  But .....

 ... I have been doing some crafting!  The Saturday after Thanksgiving, for 'Small Business Saturday', I went to my local scrapbooking store (Altered Angel) to show my support and look for some bargains.  One thing I had to have (and they were on sale) were the papers from Graphic 45's 'Twelve Days of Christmas' collection.  Have you seen them?  They are gorgeous!

Anyway, as soon as I finished the mini album I was working on then ... you'll see it this weekend in full, but I posted a sneak peak HERE a week or two ago ... I got right to work on a new mini album.  It is basically a modified manilla file folder album.  Here is the front cover ...

The pages are made from file folders, but the covers were cut using my Cricut Expression and the Elegant Edges cartridge.  This cartridge had MANY different frames, mats and yes, book covers!  For this cover I used the <swirl1-s> cut using the 'book' feature.  This was a little wider than I needed, so I trimmed about 1 1/2 inches off of the left hand edge.  I added a felt rose and leaf, and added some Diamond and Platinum Stickles to bring a little bling to the cover.

This is a view of the right hand edge, with a nylon seam binding ribbon for tying it closed.

This is a view of the opened book.  If you will look at the page on the right, you will see the red card stock ... I used that to cover the ribbon and hold it in place.  After I made the Cricut cuts (on both front and back inside covers) I cut a slit in the card stock, pulled the ribbon through and glued it down with the card stock ... it is surprisingly secure!  The glue I used was Beacon 3 in 1 Advanced Craft Glue.

Above is the page that is the inside front cover.  The pocket is formed by the file folders, trimmed with an EK Success 'Arch Scallop' edger punch.  Inside the pocket are two photo mounts with room for photos and/or journaling.  The frame for the 'rose' picture at the top is kind of unique ... I used a round, metal edged grungy prim tag from the Kraft Outlet.  I was on their design team a while back, and still enjoy using their products.  I simply added some Glossy Accents around the metal part of the tag and added a light gold glitter on top of the Glossy Accents.  I'm sorry I can't remember the brand of the glitter, but it came in a small box of 3 small apothecary jars with different glitters.  After the glitter dried, I punched the rose image using the Epiphany Round 25 tool and bubble cap, and adhered it to the tag.  It looks very cool up close!

The photo above shows the first pages ... a small flap page, plus a tag that fits inside a pocket between pages one and two.Plenty of room for photos and journaling!

Pages two and three above show  a small pocket with a fussy cut Christmas rose image, touched up of course with some Platinum Stickles ... my favorite color!  Inside the pocket there are two journaling tags with more Epiphany bubble caps (round 25 and square 25) and pictures cut from the Graphic 45 papers.  There is a heart with the Epiphany round 25 punch and bubble cap in the top right hand corner of page three.

Pages four and five plus a flap in the middle.  The pocket on page four has two more photo mats.  You can see the tag sticking out at the top, in the pocket between pages five and six.

Pages six and seven ... very simple and plenty of room for photos or ephemera.

Pages eight and nine ... a pocket with more mats on the left, another flap page, and another big tag coming out of the top.  I used a gift stamp and paper pieced the gift at the bottom center (on the green ribbon) of the left hand page.

Pages ten and eleven, with photo mount tags sticking out of the pocket on the last page.

Product List:

• Patterned Paper - Graphic 45 'Twelve Days of Christmas' Collection
• Card Stock - Bazzill Basics
• Manilla File Folders - Dollar Tree
• Seam Binding Ribbon - Hug Snug (via eBay)
• Epiphany Bubble Caps - Round 25, Square 25 and Heart 25
• Glitter - Misc.
• Stickles 'Platinum' and 'Diamond' - Ranger Inks
• Felt - Hobby Lobby
• Tags - Kraft Outlet
• Brown Ink - Stampabilities
• Adhesives:  Beacon 3 in 1 Advanced Craft Glue, Scor-Tape 1/8"

Tools List:

• Cricut Expression and Elegant Edges cartridge
• Scissors - Fiskars
• Paper Trimmer - Martha Stewart / EK Success
• Scoring Board - Martha Stewart / EK Success
• Ruler - CThru Ruler Company
• Stamp - Gift Box - Fiskars

Thank you for visiting me today, I have enjoyed it!  Blessings,

Sharing ... Cooking ... Molly Wilson's Cheese Muffins

I am so blessed to have a wonderful LSS (local scrapbooking store) in my area called Altered Angel.  We have a great group of ladies who get together most every Thursday to craft and create art together called "Thursday's Angels".  Last Thursday we had our Christmas party and celebrated with a finger food pot luck, crafting and a 'Dirty Santa' gift exchange with one rule ... gifts must be either from your stash, or something you made by your own  hands.  It was so much fun!

My contributions to the food was one of my family's favorite desserts ... Chocolate Delight Pie, and Molly Wilson's Cheese Muffins.  I got the muffin recipe years ago from local radio personality and gardening Guru, Walter Reeves' website after hearing him talk about the muffins on the air.  I have to tell you, these muffins are so delicious, so easy to make, and so very full of fat!  The recipe is only 4 ingredients and 3 are fats, but they are so delicious, and your guests will love them!  Here is the recipe ...

Molly Wilson’s Cheese Muffin Recipe

2 sticks of very soft (almost melted) butter
1 cup of sour cream
2 cups of self-rising flour
2 cups of sharp cheese

Add ingredients in order, hand-stirring after each one, in a big bowl. Spoon into small muffin pan (1.5″ muffins), three-fourths full. Use Teflon-coated pan or you can spray pan with floured no-stick spray beforehand. I have also used silicone muffin pans but they take longer to bake than the metal pans.
Bake at 400 degrees 15 – 20 minutes or until the tops are brown.

Make four times as many as you have guests coming. They’re that good!

How many muffins does this recipe make?  Linda S. says “about 48″.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That is it!  So easy, and so delicious, these would be great for a Christmas morning breakfast ... I think they would amazing with the addition of some finely chopped bacon, ham, or crumbled breakfast sausage. 

What are some of your favorite holiday recipes?  I'd love if you would go to my Facebook page and share your recipes with us!  Blessings,

Sharing ... Crocheting Again

Just a quick post to let you see how much my afghan is growing ... it is now larger than my lap and then some ... and if you'll look closely, it sort of kind of matches the quilt on my bed ... hmmmm!

The crochet hook in the center is about 6", so that will give you some idea of how large it is now ... around 20" square.  And I used the flash, so you can get a better idea of the colors than the pics last night.

What project are you working on this winter's night???  Blessings,

Sharing ... Chilling on a Chilly Night!

I can't believe it's been almost a week since a blog post ... I've been here, and I've been crafting, but busy with other things too!  Today I did all the laundry and cleaned and purged the kitchen pantry.  Fun times!

But tonight it's a chilly and rainy night and I'm sitting cross-legged on my bed, watching The Voice with a bag of yarn and a J/10 crochet hook, working on an afghan!  Here is the color scheme ...

This picture doesn't do the colors justice, they are Red Heart yarn (yes, the cheapy kind is all I can afford these days) and the colors are Baby Pink, Delft Blue, Soft White, Hot Red, and Light Blue.  They are what I call 'Cath Kidston' colors.  I am making a basic 'Granny Square' afghan, but not making small squares, just going round and round.  Three rows of pink in center, then 2 rows of each following color.  Here's what I've got done ...

I'm sorry these pictures are so bad, but the lighting in my bedroom isn't the greatest, so that's what I get for being lazy tonight!  But it's a good night to be lazy and watch TV and listen to the rain on the windows and crochet to my hearts content!

I hope you are enjoying your night too ... wherever and whatever you are doing!  Blessings,