I just love Graphic 45, don't you? I'm such a paperholic and they just keeping feeding my dependency. So Naughty of them. And Vintaj.  Say Hello to my new little brassy friends.  Santa probably will still visit both them though, because they are awesome. Plus he should come visit me after he visits them, 'cause his sleigh will be FULL of goodness then, lol.

I was working with their Christmas Emporium Collection, making this incredibly layered juicy flip book I learned off of YouTube (another addiction, and Pinterest...there really should be a Crafter's Anonymous) when I dropped everything (left a big mess in the middle of the crop room) to run off to Galena for my second ever all day workshop over at Vintaj. Oh my gosh and goodness. I learned so much. Tons. And I drug along Michelle my scrappy chum/business partner/aunt who had never made so much as a friendship bracelet before. Bless her, she is always game for a wild hare brained new idea:-)

To dip her toes into the waters of jewelry making, I signed both up for a basic stringing class over at Galena Beads the night before. While Michelle was whipping up a necklace that has to probably win the Best Necklace by a Complete Novice Ever Award, I whipped up my own necklace from some beads and (yes!) Vintaj pieces.

I had all those great warm Christmas Emporium Colors that reminded me of Christmas at home percolating in my head. I wanted the necklace to look like the old glass garland my mom used to put on our tree in the big bay window of old Victorian house. Reading in old green tapestry chair by the fireplace with a cup of spiced cider and making pomanders out of cloves and oranges to put on the buffet with the Christmas cards. Amazing how many memories a few mossy greens, rich reds, and aged brass elements can bring up, hmmm. I even added a little mistletoe on each side of the magnolia leaf bead cap ;-) and a "wreath" closure. It gives me warm fuzzies and makes me want to sing Holly and the Ivy (which I will do despite not knowing all the words, be forewarned).

Go make yourself some holiday cheer!

I'm so excited!  Why?  I'm now a famous blue ribbon farm girl cook.  Faaaamous.  In Iowa anyway and some of Nebraska.    I just got a two page spread in Iowa Farmer Today.  You can see it here. Well, I guess you will next week.  This week Kay Wohlenhaus is having her moment in the sun :-) Those oatmeal cookies sound good, might have to try them.

Tim came by right on the heals (like the day after) we had our big scrapbook retreat at the Dairy Barn.  I did most of the cooking for that, plus ran a couple classes.  I was a little crazed at the end.   And then I made 6 dozen filled cupcakes in 3 different flavors, chocolate chip cookies, gingersnaps, chicken vegetable soup and foccacia.  Maybe manic might be a better description than crazed, lol.   Unfortunately that meant I had to delegate something, in this case, typing recipes so this lovely man could take them back to his paper fell into my grandmother's lap (bless her heart for helping).  But you know every cook changes something as they go... yep, so my margin notes didn't make it into the final copy.

The recipes are good as they are, but I like the way I do it  :-) So here you go if you want to be awesome and faaaamous in your state.

1) I was born in Iowa, and grew up on the Kansas-Oklahoma border.  On the Kansas side.   I went to college in Oklahoma.  I like cowboys, okra, and ranch dressing and picked up a little accent that I've kept, 'cuz it's fun.  I point this out so nobody in Kansas thinks I'm putting on airs.  This postcard is about 2 blocks and a hundred years from where I lived.  Hmmm, hasn't changed much.

2) Like I said, I was a bit manic and making food.  I took a shower, but didn't have time to do my hair or makeup before caught in action making focaccia.  Sorry about that photo.  Most days I look like this:

3) I did not make Irish Car Bombs for Tim.  He just thought they sounded good.  Which they are. I did make Tuxedos (devils food filled with raspberries and frosted with white chocolate) and Daisies (sour cream yellow cake filled with from scratch lemon curd and frosted with lemon white chocolate)  plus the Pumpkin Spice (which need cute name suggestions).  We weren't done chatting 'til lunch so we had my favorite chicken vegetable soup, focaccia, all those cupcakes, plus my BLUE RIBBON!!! winning Gingersnaps.  I'm just a little in love with those gingersnaps.  Alfie (the dog) likes them a lot too.

4) The Irish Car Bomb and Pumpkin Spice Cupcake recipes are actually perfect.  I had them on file because I made them up and I have a rotten memory for measurements.  Bake them.  You won't be sorry.  Unless you are in AA.  In which case, leave out the booze, you will still be happy.

Now Margin Notes from the Delegated Recipes

5) Chicken Vegetable Soup: Corrections

• Feel free to substitute canned vegetables for fresh.  It's winter.  You aren't getting fresh corn on the cob and if you do you are going to hell for not being a locavore and your punishment will be having corn that tastes like cardboard.  Just sayin'.  ;-) But realistically time and effort is an issue for everyone.  I try to use home canned tomatoes, but when time and pantry don't allow, I reach for the Rotel.  See that part about growing  up on the Kansas-Oklahoma border.  Only ingredient better in the whole wide world than ranch, is rotel.  
• I sometimes throw in pesto instead of fresh basil, because my basil plant is usually naked stems because I made pesto.  It's an addiction, but I don't smoke so it must be okay.  
• I use leftover chicken in my soup.  And sometimes canned.  Shhhh, don't tell.  
• Pickapeppa sauce = Tabasco sauce.  I like a bit of spice.  You can leave it out.  
• I don't blanch my zucchini.  I just peel it and cut it up and toss it in the pot with the corn.  This is an excellent soup to use up the giant zucchini that got away from you in the garden.  Most people eat it and think it's celery.  
• I don't ever thicken it with cornstarch.  That is what crackers are for.

6) Focaccia: Corrections

I think this is my dear grandmama's recipe.  It isn't mine or at least not one I've made in the past decade.  Pesto is involved so it's got to be good.  I'll put a link to my current fave (the one I'm chopping rosemary for in that oh so lovely photo) here just as soon as I retype it, sounds like a goal for tomorrow morning.

 This is a class I'm teaching in a couple of weeks.  It's all sold out (I ran out of castles!) but if you can snag the supplies, I've got clear shots of each page if you'd like to make one :-)

You'll need: 

Pink Paislee's Hocus Pocus Line, embellishments & papers

Walnut Stain Distress Crackle Paint

Kaisercraft Beyond the Page Castle Album

Black Vine Ribbon

Black Sheer Ribbon

Tim Holtz Rosette Die

Scallop Border Punch

Glue (I like Zip Dry)

 Make a pocket on the first page

 Make another pocket on the back of the page as well

 Punch holes in one of Hocus Pocus clear cards and use it as a page.

  Punch holes in another one of Hocus Pocus clear cards and use it as a page.

 Paint the rooftops with crackle paint.  When it dries go over it with distress ink.

Now go back through the book and apply stickers.  Fun and easy!  Just don't watch spooky movies while you are making it like I did.  I've got the heebie jeebies now!  I think I'll throw a Young Frankenstein Party and put the pictures in this album...

hehehe

Happy Monday, everyone!  It is a beautiful fall day, the leaves have changed, the mums are blooming, and the scarecrow is the next thing on my to do list :-)

It is the perfect day to announce the winner of this Fall Magic Box Kit!

Drumroll please.....

The winner is Pamela Young!  Your name literally fell in my lap during the drawing, lol.  Please e-mail me at donya at backroadsplumcrazy.com with your contact information by October 17th, 2011.

I taught this as a class this time last year at Door County Rubber Stamps in Egg Harbor.  We had so much fun!  Everybody made such beautiful boxes.  I think the most popular part was making the paper rose and coloring it with Twinkle H2Os.

Here are the instructions for everyone who wants to try this at home:  

Fall Magic Box

Supply List Details:

• Stamps are all available at Backroads Plum Crazy or directly from Door County Rubber Stamps
• I used decorative paper from Cosmo Cricket Flueriste Paper (Vineyard & Dew Drops) & Cosmo Cricket Flueriste Cardstock Stickers on the inside of each notecard
• I used the Marvy Embossing Oak Leaf Punch and the McGill Designer Series punches to make the foilage out of vellum.  Since then Spellbinders has come out with some really excellent foilage dies that I would highly recommend.
• I stamped my main image, cut it out with Spellbinders Nested Maple Leaves (S4-228), colored the girl and branches with Copics, then created sky and leaves with a blending tool and distress ink.
• Brown Vine & the Antique Gold Silk Ribbon are from May Arts and are to die for.  Swoon.

That's all for today folks!  If you have trouble with any of the steps or questions, don't hesitate to shoot me an e-mail. Have fun and thanks for visiting!

Yay! It's World Cardmaking Day! Time for some swag! I'm on the road this weekend, so no card making for me, bummer! I was up until the wee hours making these card kits. Leave a comment for your chance to win a kit and the stamp I used on the top of the box!!!

Each kit contains materials to make a beautiful one sheet wonder gift box and a handful of 4x4 notecards. Everything you need is included (well, except glue)

Tune in Monday morning and I'll post the winners names plus instructions for making your own!