30 Minute Card

This is a good way to use up scraps.  I managed to get the lower portion of the card front and the sentiment from a 4 1/2" x 12" piece of left over orange card stock and complete four cards.

The flowers were done with an older EK Success punch.  The petals were scored on a Martha Stewart scoring board and slightly folded for dimension.  The flower center was done with a Bitty Punch.

Using Make The Cut and Marketing Script font, I cut the word "Hello" and attached it into the white area at the top of the card.  Then I added some pen stitching using a Stampin' Up marker.

30 Minute Card

I saw a card similar to this online.  It's a layout that you can use for a variety of occasions by changing the sentiment stamp used.

The first layer is kraft cardstock, then white and the top layer is Stampin' Up designer paper.  The butterfly punch is Elegant Butterfly from Stampin' Up.

The sentiment stamp is part of a set that was attached to a card making magazine from the UK.

Roses Card

The roses and sentiment were done with stamps that came with a card making magazine from the UK. I sure do wish my scanner was working!  I had to cut them out by hand after I colored them.

The white dots were done with a Signo white gel pen.

You Are My Happy Card

Inspired by a card seen in a magazine, I used Pharmacy and Marketing Script fonts and Hallmark Card Studio to print the sentiment. 

The corner embellishment was cut with a die attached to a card making magazine from the UK.

Make The Cut was used to cut the little flags for the banner.

I inked the edges and pop dotted the top layer for dimension.

Floating Fern And Butterfly Card

The greenery is a Silhouette image, Floating Fern #55302. which I slightly modified.  I used a background stamp from Bo Bunny's Stained Textures set and Memento Dandelion Yellow ink to add some texture underneath the greenery.

The butterfly was stamped with Stampin' Up's Papillon Potpourri stamp and punched with the Elegant Butterfly punch.

The sentiment is from the Clearly Collaged Hearts stamp set by Diana Wakely.  The set was a bonus that came with a card making magazine from the UK.

Cardmaking Magazines From the UK

We get the card making magazines from the UK about a month behind, but that's okay, at least you get your money's worth with them!  I'm not sure we even have any card magazines, or scrapbooking magazines, still being published in the U.S.   JoAnn's carries Cardmaking and Papercrafting, Quick Cards, and Simply Cards and Papercraft.  Each issue has some sort of bonus inside the plastic wrapper.  Sometimes it's a stamp set, sometimes a die or a collection of papers and each of the magazines includes projects utilizing the bonus.

Perhaps if the U.S. magazines had included some premium their sales would have stayed high enough for them to stay in business!

Here are the stamp sets and the embossing folder that came with those three magazines.  In my opinion, you're paying no more for the stamps and magazine than you'd pay for just the stamps so it's a good deal.

This set coordinates with Spellbinders dies.  I don't have the dies but am certain I can cut the shape I need with my Cameo.

 I saw this set of stamps online a few weeks ago and have been waiting for JoAnn's to get issue 133 of Simply Cards and Papercraft to get them!

I like that the embossing folder has colors on the butterflies so you can easily see what the pattern will be when it's embossed.  I will probably cut the "Birthday Wishes" sentiment off the stamp and just use the butterfly images the majority of the time.

Summer Wreath

There is a Facebook page dedicated to crafts made with items from the Dollar Tree.  Wreaths like these have been popular for the last few weeks.

Mesh wreaths are all the rage nowadays for home decor.  The mesh is expensive and the wreaths turn out really large.

I wanted a summer themed wreath for the door leading into the kitchen from the garage.  No one (that we know well) uses our front door, they all walk through the garage and right into the kitchen so this is what they'll see now.

The supplies you see all came from the Dollar Tree.  I found a package of yellow butterflies, pink polka dot wire edged ribbon, pink and yellow flowers and chose three colors of bath scrubbies for the netting. 

To apply the bath scrubbies, slice an opening in the styrofoam wreath form then clip the thread in the center of the scrubbies.  You'll have a long mesh tube that slides right over the styrofoam form.  Gather it to your liking and then hot glue the wreath together. 

Easter Themed Table Setting

You have to love the Dollar Tree!  Whenever the wine group meets at my house I do a themed table setting.  Everything you see in the photos came from the Dollar Tree except the forks!  Even the wine glasses were bought there. 

When you total up the cost, it was only $14, and that includes the glasses!  I attached yellow bows onto the wine glasses using glue dots.  That's much simpler than trying to tie bows onto the stems!

The take out boxes are filled with some goodies as a take home favor.

I have enough of the big bunny footprints left over to arrange them on the walkway into the dining room.  They can "hop on down the bunny trail" to our meeting this month!

Three Feathers Birthday Card

This is a card seen in issue 132 of Simply Cards and Papercraft, a publication from the U.K..  Each issue of the magazine comes with a gift attached.  The gift for this issue was a feather shaped die.  There is a set of coordinating stamps and sentiments to go with the die but I have been unable to find a source to purchase it.

The sentiment was printed using Hallmark Card Studio and the background was embossed with a script folder.

The colors are gold, bright pink, teal and navy blue.  The navy photographed as black.

Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese

I found this recipe on the macaroni and cheese box.  It's really good!  I chopped a large Roma tomato and left out the green onions since I don't care for them.

To me, boxed mac and cheese is kind of dry.  The Shur-fine brand is the best I've ever used.  It's much less expensive than Kraft and creamier.  The addition of the Hidden Valley dressing makes it even more creamy.

Since I keep all the ingredients to make this on hand, it's going in my recipe folder.  I believe you could substitute canned diced tomatoes if you drained them well.

Super quick to make!  The recipe "makes 2 servings".  I would say it makes 3-4 generous servings because it's rich and filling too.

RANCH CHICKEN MAC

1 (7.24 oz) package macaroni and cheese dinner
1 (10 oz) can chicken, drained
2 T. Ranch salad dressing
½ cup chopped tomato
3 T. sliced green onion

Prepare macaroni and cheese according to package.
Add chicken, salad dressing, tomato and onion.
Stir gently until warmed through.

Grunge Card

I was inspired by Gwen Edelman's card using Stampin' Up's Gorgeous Grunge stamp set to make this one.  I've wanted that stamp set ever since it was shown in the catalog and have never gotten around to ordering it.

This morning, I went through my stamp catalog and selected multiple "grunge" images to create my version.  I added some straight lines with a Stampin' Up marker over the stamped images.  The oval was punched with a 1 3/8 x 2" punch.

The butterfly is from the Papillon Potpourri set, punched with the Bitty Butterfly punch.  The sentiment is from Whimsical Words stamp set. I used Memento Tuxedo Black, Lady Bug red, Bamboo Leaves green, and Dandelion yellow inks.

Jalapeno Chicken Burgers

JALAPENO CHICKEN BURGERS

1 pound ground chicken breast
1-2 tablespoons dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
chopped jalapeno peppers to taste--I used about 4 tablespoons full

Combine all ingredients.  Form into patties and cook
in lightly oiled skillet until internal temperature reaches
at least 165°.

These are also good if you coat the patties with the
Panko crumbs.

Serve on buns with sliced tomatoes and lettuce.

Happiness Always

The background was embossed using a Swiss Dot folder.  I used two different Stampin Up stamps for the rectangles.  The flowers were done with the Boho Blossoms punch.

Graphic 45 Card

This card was made using three different Graphic 45 collections:  Glimpse of the Past, Eclectic Emporium and All Decked Out.

The sentiment was done using Make The Cut software.