Project 12 Share: July 2010

Have you been following along with Project 12?  What's Project 12?  I blogged about it HERE but in a nutshell it's a easy monthly sketch challenge that will result in a complete “year in review” album at the end of the year. I've been working diligently on mine and have a bunch done but will be sharing them on a monthly basis.  Here is the sketch from the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog...

Once again, I have to say this is the best way to scrap a year's worth of memories for our family album :) 

Bazzill Bulk Buy

A Bazzill Bulk Buy is an opportunity to stock up on Bazzill paper at a reduced price.

• The cost of this quarter's buy is $23.00
• The colors are...
  
  • Salt (Dotted Swiss) - white not in picture
  • Lemonade (orange peel) - yellow
  • Passionate (grass cloth) -pink
  • Grenadine (grass cloth) -red
  • Olive (orange peel) - green
  • Yam (canvas) - orange
  • Purple Pizzazz (grass cloth) - purple
  • Arctic (canvas) -blue
  • Java (orange peel) -brown
  • Pepper (dotted swiss) - black not in picture

• You will receive 50 sheets of Bazzill cardstock in 10 different colors. 5 sheets of each color.
• Price includes shipping to me and tax.
• Price is for local hand delivery only - It does NOT include shipping to you. We can meet up or deliver at an event (check my schedule here). Mailing from me to you is an additional $7.50 via USPS.
• Order Deadline is noon Friday 08/05/11.

Email me (sluvs2skrap@yahoo.com) to purchase.

Pre-order: Art Bin Electronic Cartridge Storage

I think this Art Bin electronic cartridge storage is the coolest ever! 

I am offering it for pre-order only…it won’t be in until late October…for a great price of $14.99 

(tax and shipping to me included, retails for $19.99)

This will be for hand delivery only ie. I can meet you in Worcester or bring it to a crop we're both attending.  Email me if you’re interested in grabbing one or two or even six!    

Order deadline is Wednesday, Aug 3. 

Project 12 share: June 2010

Have you been following along with Project 12?  What's Project 12?  I blogged about it HERE but in a nutshell it's a easy monthly sketch challenge that will result in a complete “year in review” album at the end of the year. I've been working diligently on mine and have a bunch done but will be sharing them on a monthly basis.  Here is the sketch from the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog...

Happy Scrappin!

It's Summer

The first day of summer...the longest day of the year...LOVE IT!  We packed up the league baseball season with a LL runner-up and a AAA champion :)  The AAA'er started summer baseball and we are waiting to hear for the LL'er.  2 more days of school, a few more weeks of baseball...looking forward to this...

With that said, posting here will be sporadic at best.  I will try to post at least once a week but no promises.  Have a wonderful summer...see you in the fall!!!  And if you haven't yet, seats still available for Just Scrappin' Weekend in Westboro.

Hello Sunshine

 It's been a busy month here and I really really wanted to scrap.  When I saw the challenge up on the Scrap the Boys blog, I knew the exact picture to scrap and even the papers to use.  The whole thing came together in under an hour and I even have hidden journaling :)

What's for Dinner?

Hamburgers, french fries and pickles...now that's it's unofficially summer, the grill has been put to work.  Hamburgers are a quick and easy meal be it veggie burgers, turkey burgers or beef burgers.  It's all good and the boys gobble them up, no complaining about these meals.  We are not big fans of pickles and have always happily left them out until last summer...I had an overabundance of dill and didn't know what to do with them.  The only pickles I like are half sours and when I came across this post/recipe, I just had to try it.  I made a batch and fell in love with them...last week, with dill ready for harvesting, I made the pickles again and shared with the ladies at our Just Scrappin' in Sturbridge crop.  Everyone loved it and wanted the recipe...so here it is.


Dill Refrigerator Pickles

Ingredients
* 1 small sweet onion (such as Vidalia or Maui), thinly sliced
* 2 pounds medium pickling cucumbers, scrubbed, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds {I used 3 regular cukes}
* 1 large bunch dill, coarsely chopped (stems included) {fresh from my garden}
* 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
* 2 teaspoons whole white peppercorns {only had seasoned pepper}
* 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar {used half apple cider, half white vinegar}
* 1 cup water
* 1 cup sugar
* 3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt {used coarse sea salt}
* 2 teaspoons dill seeds {didn't have any so left it out}


Preparation
* Divide sliced onion between three recycled smuckers jelly jars. Pack cucumber slices horizontally in jars. Top each jar with dill.
* Using mortar and pestle or resealable plastic bag and mallet, crush mustard seeds and peppercorns together. Place crushed spices in medium saucepan. Add vinegar, water, sugar, coarse salt, and dill seeds. Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
* Ladle mixture evenly over cucumbers. Leave jars uncovered and chill 24 hours in fridge.
* Cover glass pickle jars tightly with lids. Do Ahead: Can be made 1 week ahead.
* Keep refrigerated.

Spotlight: Petaloo's Color Me Crazy Lines

I discovered Petaloo completely by accident and fell head over heels over their Color Me Crazy line.  It was a natural extension when I discovered smooch spritzes and glimmer mists.  These flowers are made of the yummiest papers that just soak up the color sprays.  They come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, varieties and even in bunches.  Petaloo blog has announced...

so I thought I'd share.  The ideas are amazing...so much more than just spraying the flowers with color.  The Wild Roses are my favorite Color Me Crazy flower and "DT member Lori Gentile has created a beautiful layout using the CMC Wild Roses!!"  Check it out HERE.  I am going to have to give it a shot to make something for teacher gifts,

Just Scrappin' in Sturbridge FALL dates

Jean and I had our last all-day crop on Saturday before taking the summer off.  Fall crop dates have been scheduled for...October 8th, November 12th and December 10th...get them on your calendar :)

Just Scrappin' in Sturbridge is an all day crops running from 9:00am – 9:00pm
at the Hampton Inn in Sturbridge MA
Your $40 includes:
Lunch and dinner, snacks and drinks throughout each day
Plenty of scrapbooking space & use of tools
On-site shopping is available with the latest and greatest scrapbooking products
A welcome gift, door prizes and a GRAND PRIZE drawing

Make n Take - sometimes a project, sometimes a two page layout
Space is limited; you must pay in advance to hold your spot!

And don't forget about our Just Scrappin' WEEKEND in Westboro, Sept 9 - 11.  Go HERE for more details.

Project 12 Share: May 2010

Have you been following along with Project 12?  What's Project 12?  I blogged about it HERE but in a nutshell it's a easy monthly sketch challenge that will result in a complete “year in review” album at the end of the year. I've been working diligently on mine and have a bunch done but will be sharing them on a monthly basis.  Here is the sketch from the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog...

 And here is my May 2010 layout...
Have you been keeping up?  Share yours!

Spotlight: Bazzill Basics Matchmaker

Ever been stumped trying to match colors to your patterned papers?  Well check out the Bazzill Matchmaker site.  Bazzill Basics Matchmaker is a website that "help(s) you find the perfect Bazzill cardstock to coordinate with your favorite patterned papers."  They have a great selection of manufacturers and paper lines.

Hide & Seek

An all day crop, wi-fi and a sketch challenge...I love to scrapbook with a sketch and a challenge in hand.  This past Saturday was no different.  I had brought minimal supplies with me to an all day crop and was stumped.  I decided to search for a sketch online...one of the blog's I visited was Tiffany's blog.  There I found this sketch challenge from the blog Sketches in Thyme.

Here's my interpretation of it...

No quite happy with the journaling...strips are fine, it's the story-telling I'm not happy with.  It's easily remedied so I'll work on it later.  Check out the websites and take the challenge.  Leave me a comment if you do ;)

What's Cooking?

Chicken Dumpling Soup...perfect for a cloudy, rainy and cold day like today (or week).  A recipe I discovered a couple of years back and is a hit with even my pickiest eaters.

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast
2 tablespoons butter
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 onion, finely diced
2 packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

Preparation
1.  Place chicken, butter, soup and onion in a slow cooker.  Fill with enough water to cover.
2.  Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on LOW.  About 30 minutes before serving, place torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker.  Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.
3.  Shred chicken and serve :)


When I make this...
- I leave out the butter and onions.
-  use only 2 chicken breasts
- use only 1 package of dough and I quarter the biscuits instead of tearing.

Enjoy!

Just Scrappin' Weekend in Westboro

Deposit deadline extended to end of May...seats still available, reserve yours now!!!

 Join us for a scrapbooking weekend filled with scraps, laughs and friends

at the Doubletree Inn, Westborough, MA

from September 9 - 11, 2011

Your crop fee includes…

• Crop Room open beginning Friday at 4pm and close on Sunday at 4pm.
• We will close the crop room from 3am -7am to get some sleep.
• 2 night accommodations
• Saturday morning breakfast
• Saturday dinner buffet
• Sunday brunch
• A  6’ x 30” table all to yourself
• Full use of Tool Table – 2 Cricuts, Big Shot, and more!
• Free Make and Take
• On-site shopping
• Welcome gifts, door prizes, games and daily challenges
• On-site massage therapist (for an additional fee)

Rates:

$375 single occupancy

$275 per person, double occupancy

A $75 non-refundable deposit will hold your space!  

**Deposit is due by May 31, 2011

Full payment is due by August 1, 2011.

For more information, contact:

The Crop Shop - Jean Laporte    jean.lee@snet.net, 860-490-0463

Time2Scrap – Siewleng Hiraldo   sluvs2skrap@yahoo.com, 508-363-3836

Spotlight: Split Coast Stampers

Are you a stamper?  I wasn't until I discovered acrylic stamps and card-making.  I've since learned a lot and teach monthly card classes at the Holden Recreation Center.  One of the websites that got me started and that I still go back to for ideas, tutorials and inspiration is the Splitcoaststampers website.  This site is..."A gathering place for stampers - meet and talk with other members of the stamping community, check out the gallery where you'll find tons of paper craft project samples, share your own rubber stamping creations, catch up on the latest stamp and craft news, tips & techniques, or find out about upcoming events and happenings."

One of my favorites is their Wednesday tutorial...where they feature a new project or technique tutorial, featuring step-by-step instructions and lots of pictures!  Go HERE for a list of all their tutorials.  I am thinking this cute card purse will make a great year-end teacher/aide gift...here's my version of it :)

Share your favorite tutorial link.

What's Cooking?

At a loss for a recipe to share...there's been a lot of evenings spent at the ball field. I know I've said that a lot and if you would like proof of exactly how many evenings, go HERE.  There has been a gazillion quick and easy meals but most are the "open a jar" variety as well as my go-to's that have been featured here already.  I do have a few in mind that I will get to in the coming weeks.  For today, I'd like to link/share a recipe from Becky Higgins for Pesto Chicken with Vegetables that I came upon just this morning.  Planning on picking up the fresh ingredients at the store later today and using up the last of my frozen pesto...yes I freeze my own, recipe found HERE. 

If you try it out, let me know how it goes.  And if you have any yummy recipes to share, you know where to find me ;)

Spotlight: Get It Scrapped

Get it Scrapped is a "is a resource with lots of information about the creative AND practical aspects of memory keeping.  It’s like the Home Repair book my husband goes to when the ice maker breaks and he doesn’t want to pay someone to fix it. He also goes there when he decides to do a project to pretty up the place.  The thing is — Get It Scrapped! is not a static resource like that book of my husband’s. We’re continually adding to the information here–so it’s like a magazine on top of a how-to manual!"

I've been exploring this website for a bit and find the information/articles very eye opening.  On top of information, there are classes as well as sketches and a neat forum that I have yet to delve into.  Two articles on scrapbook design that I found interesting are "Tap the Power of Three" and "The 4 patterns that make mixing scrapbook papers a snap".

And this article on 2-page layouts led to this...

What's Cooking?

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!  This is a recipe I discovered at Shaw's, one of their free recipe cards that I have since lost.  It's a recipe for a TACO CASSEROLE that no one in my house complains about when I place it on the dinner table :)  It's a quick, simple and yummy meal that's cooked in the oven.  I've also prepped it in advance and come home to slip it in the oven.

Ingredients
12 Taco shells
1lb ground beef or turkey
1 cup shredded mexican mix cheese
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
1 12oz can diced tomatoes
1 4oz can chopped green chilies
chopped fresh cilantro, to taste

Preparation
1.  Cook ground meat until no longer pink.  Add seasoning, 1/3 of diced tomatoes plus juice and cook following instructions.
2.  Mix together refried beans, remaining diced tomatoes (drained), green chilies and cilantro.
3.  Spray 9x13 pan with a little oil and spread bean mix evenly in the pan.
4.  Heat oven to 400F
5.  To assemble casserole - sprinkle cheese in the bottom of taco shell, spoon in meat and stand taco in the bean mix. Continue until pan is full :)
6.  Sprinkle more cheese on top of tacos.
7.  Cover with foil and place in oven.  When mean mix is bubbly (about 20 minutes), remove foil and cook for another 5 minutes, or until tacos are crunchy.
8.  Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with sour cream and guacamole if you like.  Enjoy!!!

May Scrappy News

Hi all!

Spring is finally in full bloom here and life has gotten even busier.  Baseball season started and we're spending every evening and weekend at the ball field.  The vegetable garden is in, the yard needs work and the house needs cleaning *sigh*...it never ends, does it?  Scrapbook retreat season is winding down, memory making season is ramping up :)  That seems to be how it goes with us, how about you?

A few things to go over...
1.  Just Scrappin' Weekend in Westboro
Seats for our weekend crop has been filling at record speed.  If you would like to save your seat, please send in your deposit ASAP.  We are extending the deadline to May 30th and have a few seats available.  For more info, go HERE.  The flyer and registration form is also attached for your convenience.

2.  Just Scrappin' All Day Crop in Sturbridge
We have two dates left before we take a break in the summer...May 14 and June 4.  Both dates have seats available if you would like to attend.  $40 gets you a seat, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks, a welcome gift, free Make n Take as well as awesome games with prizes to be won.  Contact me for more info.

3.  Card and Layout classes at the Holden Recreation Department.
I have been teaching at the Holden Rec for over 2 years now.  The place is great, easy to get to from I-190 and the people in the office very helpful.  If you've been thinking about taking a class with me there, please do not hesitate.  If you would like more info on the classes, feel free to contact me. 

Going Bananas Card Class
Get your very own stamp set and learn to crate 3 different cards using just the one stamp set.  These cards are so cute, you'll go bananas over them!
Class date: 5/12 (6:30 – 8:30pm)                Cost: $20

A Stitch in Time Layout Class
Ever wante to try stitching on your layouts?  We will stitych our way through 2 two page layouts using several different techniques using fake and real stitching.  We will be using the lovely Basic Grey Kioshi line for gender neutral sping themed layouts.
Class date: 5/26 (6:30 – 8:30pm)                Cost: $20

4.  Relay for Life Scrap Therapy Fundraiser
I'm headed to Pittsfield, MA for a great cause...spreading the news for the crop. 

All Scrap Addicts Welcome!
Relay For Life Scrap Therapy Fundraiser
Scrap Doctor's Orders:
Diagnosis: Scrap Addict's Syndrome
Treatment: Attend Scrap Therapy!
Doors open May 21st at 8 a.m. and close at midnight.
$45 'Co-Pay' includes: lunch, dinner,
Non-alcoholic beverages, giveaways and...
(4) Relay For Life Luminaria Bags (value $5 each)
Everyone gets their own table!
Call today to confirm your appt.
Jody - 413-464-3098 or email jody@rockbusiness.net

Last but not least, if you haven't yet, head over to facebook and "like" my Time 2 Scrap page.

Spotlight: Cool Crops

Cool Crops hosts the ultimate scrapbooking weekend retreats.  It's run by Cris and Cara. 

I have had the pleasure of attending/working at half of their events throughout the course of my traveling scrapbook store career.  I spent this last weekend with them at the Bayside Resort on the Cape and had a wonderful time.  When you're at Cool Crops, you can expect yummy treats...
Special services by Cara...

Great shopping...

And crazy, laugh your a$$ off games...

Head over to their website and check out their upcoming events.