Watch the birdy

I had another online card swap to do.

Which I forgot about completely until two days ago.

And it is due in Utah by Saturday.

I probably could have just flaked, but I hate to do that.

It just feels so, well, flaky.

So I started working something up yesterday.


The title of the swap is "Flowers for Mom," which is pretty open as far as what I could do.

I knew already that I wanted to use this bird. I just think it is such a pretty image.

I played around a while back with something called emboss-resist. This is when you stamp the image and them create the shiny, sort of raised effect by heat setting embossing powder over the image.

For this one I stamped in clear ink and embossed in clear powder on white paper.


Then I sponged the color (Groovy Guava from Stampin' Up) over the whole bird. The ink settles into the parts that are not embossed. In this case the floral pattern on the bird.

On the parts that are embossed, the ink will not stick. I have seen this image stamped in white ink on colored paper. Sure, you get a white bird with a colored pattern in it.

But the bird never looked really white. It looked like white ink on colored paper. Kind of muddy.

This way I got a bright white and the color exactly like I wanted, not having to rely on having a certain color paper.

Anyway, enough of the stamper talk.

It's just pretty.

Hello, spring

It has been feeling very springy here these days.

That was the inspiration for my color scheme on this card.

Patterned paper is all from Stampin' Up.

Image stamp in center is from Stampin' Up (good things grow set).

"Hello" stamp is from Paper Trey Ink (paper tray set).

Ink is Stampin' Up in Sage Shadow.

It came together fast and I was done with all 8 cards in about 45 minutes.

Thinking of You - in black and white

With a little red thrown in for color.

The Internet swap I signed up for was a black and white color scheme with a little shot of one other color.

My first choice was not red.

But instead of having a caard made from a piece of paper just folded over, I wanted to use two separate pieces of paper, held together at the side by eyelets.

And the only color I had enough of in the eyelets was red. So red it was.

After that it was pretty easy.

I had waited until beyond the last minute to do this card. It is due in Ohio on March 15.

So I kept it simple. Plus I like simple.

I got these done pretty fast on Monday and sent them out yesterday to arrive by March 14.

The stamps are just random things I have here. I don't know brands or anything.

There is a bit of glitter on the little red flowers. It is hard to see in the picture.

No fancy tricks or techniques. No time for that.

My battery power is at about 73 percent

Normalcy has almost returned.

I still have a bit of a cough. You know, that cough that lingers for weeks after all the other symptoms have long since left the body.

That doesn't mean I got much done this weekend.

I was actually pretty lazy.

The energy level is just starting to return. I still get tired quickly by simple things.

But I did manage to sweep and mop the floor in the living room/dining area yesterday. That was my big achievement, complete with moving the furniture and cleaning under everything.

I feel a bit guilty that I have not cooked anything in days.

Adding water to Trader Joe's miso soup mix does not count.

Manfriend came over Saturday after I got off work and grilled some veggies and a steak and made artichokes.

It was nice that he took on most of the cooking chores that night.

He doesn't cook much, but he can work the grill just fine.



Sunday I had stamping (that is my card contribution above) and, before I got sick, had signed up to bring the main dish for the lunch part of the gathering.

I was thinking Thursday that I might be too sick or tired to go, or at least too sick or tired to be responsible for making the main course.

But I decided to just do something easy.

I made the mushroom-sage bread pudding that I made as a dinner side dish a couple of weeks ago. But this time, to make it more of a meal, I added diced ham to the mushrooms and onions while I was cooking them.

I did most of the chopping Saturday night and stuck everything in the fridge.

Sunday morning, I cooked the mushrooms, onions and ham. Then I mixed the milk and eggs and put it all together and baked it. It went pretty fast having it all chopped ahead of time.

Seems like it was a hit. Most people went back for seconds.

But when I got home that afternoon, I was exhausted.

Basically I sat and stanped for 4 hours. But I was just beat.

So I napped.

Then we went out for dinner.



This week I will work six days (Mon-Sun) to cover for someone who is helping with Oscar pages.

So I sure hope the energy level is up by then.

Tuesday is my Monday

Man, the weekend went so fast.

Sunday was pretty much done before it started for me.
It was fun, but jam-packed.

I had the stamping group over for our monthly gathering. We made it a tea.

Everything was so yummy.

All I had to provide was the tea. And I made a pomegranate-lemonade that was a big hit.

For food we had little sandwiches and a frittata and pasta salad and scones and fruit and cake.

I love a good tea. Having a good tea lets me connect with my girly-girl side.

Plus I got to use all my favorite teapots and fancy dishes and all the cute mismatched cups and saucers.

So we stamped and we ate and we talked. It gets surprisingly rowdy sometimes.

After the tea, I had to run up to my favorite local bakery and pick up a cake for my grandmother's birthday.

She wanted carrot cake and this place makes a good one.

Then I came home to wash teacups and dishes.

But I only had about 45 minutes before I was off again to my aunt's house for grandma's birthday party. My grandma is now 89.

We had a feast of fresh crab (Grandma got a nice lobster, as was her wish).

My uncle cooks them all outside in one of those giant turkey fryer things. Instead of oil, he fills it with water.

Then we round out the meal with some rice and salad.

Sorry, no crabby pictures. My hands were too messy from cracking crab legs to operate the camera.

Maybe next time I will do a before and after shot. The after is a huge pile of crab shells and dirty napkins. Nice.

I was home by about 8, but really exhausted from all the running around. Plus my tea caffeine buzz had worn off hours before.

On Monday, I was determined to get shopping done for the party this weekend.

So I hit Costco, Trader Joe's and Ralphs.

I got mostly everything. There are a few things I want to get the day of the party so they are fresh or because I will not have room in my freezer.

Like the ice. I figure on getting at least 30 pounds. I need ice to ice the beers and I need clean ice for drinks.

My car was loaded by the time I got home.

I unpacked it all and put away most of it.

Then I made the spinach-gouda bites and stuck them in the freezer. That way on Sunday I just have to thaw and bake them.

I did some chopping of other things and made a pate and the olive tapenade for my crostini trio.
I also got the hoisin sauce ready for the meatballs that I had already made and stuck in the freezer.

Then I decided to take a break. Of course, it was already dark by then and I hate to do chores after dark.

My plan for the rest of the week:

today - do some more cleaning around the house, fold laundry and run a couple errands before work. (Luckily I work late today.)

Wednesday - start marinating the flank steak for the chevre-mango steak bites.

Thursday - grill the steak.

Friday - make the bread cups for the mushroom tarts, make bruschetta for the crostini.

Saturday - slice the steak and prep the other ingredients for the steak bites, roll the asparagus spears in the ham so they can be roasted quickly on Sunday. I also will do any last bits of housecleaning.
Sunday - pull it all together. This is where my double ovens will go into overdrive.

I am really looking forward to this party. The last time I did a good, nighttime party was my birthday in 2006.

Now I am off to my chores. I have a good two hours of time to get some stuff done.

Season's Greetings

I really did plan on making and sending Christmas cards this year.

It just got by me.

Last year and the year before I made two styles of cards. One was fun and flirty and one was sedate and serene.

I think I made about 70 total. And yes, I have that many people on my card list.

This year I have managed to make one card.

Not style of card.

One actual card.

It's nice, huh?

I made it for the monthly stamping/eating group I am in. We all bring cards, we all bring a dish. We stamp, we eat.

The stamps are from Papertrey Ink's Take a Bough set.

It looks better up close because you can see the two shades of green on the leaves and sentiment.

I double stamped them in a light green and a dark green over it. The light green makes a shadow effect.

There also is some glittery stuff on the leaves that does not pick up in the photo. Oh well.

You get the idea.

I think that I should start now to make my cards for next year.

But then I figure I would just put them in a place where I would not be able to find them next year.

Or when I did find them I would think they were ugly. And by then it would be December and I would once again not have the time or inclination to make cards.

Maybe I should start at Halloween.

OK. I am out. Time to go to work.

Finally, my Friday.

Pretend sometimes

So I went to the stamp convention Sunday in Carson.

According to my friends, this used to be much bigger, but it still seemed like a lot of vendors to me.

I ended up buying a few things. Surprise, surprise.

But I did try to keep that in check. Mainly I wanted to look at the ideas there. And I wanted to find something that would make me try something new.

So that new thing is going to be watercoloring and using pastels. I don't do too much of that now and it seems a bit labor intensive for making a lot of cards. So I probably wouldn't use it for Christmas cards, but maybe for swaps of 10 or fewer or for cards I make specifically to give to someone.

Anyway... here are some photos of a few of the things I bought:

I have no idea what I am going to do with this one. I don't usually work with stamps of this style. The samples I have seen tend to be very detailed and embellished and, well, somewhat over the top for me.

But I like the little guy with his funny wings.

And I like that the sentiment is "Pretend sometimes."

The stamp is from Stampers Anonymous.

I got all these at a booth called Savvy Stamps.

The dot background stamps will be pretty good for many occasions and types of cards. The poinsettias were just pretty and they had some nice examples of how to use them.

They had a ton of stamps, all on the small side, which I like. I could have spent a fortune there, so I made sure to set a limit for myself.

They have a decent gallery area on their Web site.

This cute little Christmas stamp is from Memory Box.

It is about 2 inches tall by 1 inch at the widest point of the image.

I walked by this display a couple times and didn't see this stamp until I went back to show a friend something else they had.

But once I saw it, I wanted it.

I did get a couple other things that don't photograph so well. Things like unmounted rubber stamps and acrylic stamps.

Overall I had fun. They have this show a few times a year with varying numbers of vendors. I think once a year would be about enough for me.

Now I just need to find the time to play with all my new toys.

Thinking of you...

Just a quick post to upload the photo of my card for this month's swap.

Nothing fancy here. Just a nice, clean card in a color scheme I really like.

The dots on the pink paper are from a roller stamp (Stampin' Up).

I inked the sentiment and flower stamp (Stampin' Up) with markers to get all the separate colors.

The centers of the flowers are tiny pink and brown page pebbles.

-

That is all. Back to what you were doing.

A little bit of this, a little bit of that

Kitchen
I got the call yesterday from the tile place. My order is in.
I may try to get by there this morning before work, but it is in totally the opposite direction of where I need to go.
If I don't make it today, tomorrow or Monday will have to do.
I guess this means I cannot put off painting the kitchen any longer. That will happen Monday for sure.
Then the following weekend I hope to get the tile up behind the stove, sink and in the area under the glass cabinets.

Work
We got the information about our new workflow yesterday. It will not change my hours substantially. Which is great. And it won't change my days off. Of course, had it changed them to Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday, I would have been fine with that.
But as long as I get to keep my Sunday and Monday, I can deal with it.
And it won't change my work too much. There were the usual skeptics, but I think it will be fine once we all settle into it.
Other than that, work is work.

Life
I've got a couple things in the works for Sunday with friends. My monthly card group is going to skip our normal get together and head out to the stamp convention in Carson. I haven't been to one of these things, but i have a feeling I should leave my credit cards at home and only bring what I can afford to spend in cash.

I made a card for the swap, but forgot my camera at work last night, so a photo will have to wait.

Then Sunday night, the manfriend and I will be having dinner with some friends at this place.

I have never been there, but I am already checking out the online menu trying to figure out what I want to eat. Wait, I want to eat ALL of it. It sounds great. And my friend tells me they make a killer martini.

It is in Stanton. Which is some vague place in O.C. But that is what Google Maps is for.

Well, I must be off now if I have a prayer of getting from Torrance to the tile place in Hermosa Beach and then to work before noon.

Yeah, I know. Noon. I sound like a slacker. It's just my crazy hours.

Just a wee favor

No, I am not asking you all to do me a favor.

I just wanted to show off the sample for the wedding favors I am making for my uncle's wedding.

I got a Halloween-themed version of this from the Stampin' Up demonstrator, Iris, at last Sunday's stamping.

I thought it would be a great party favor, so I offered to make them.

So simple, so easy, so chocolatey. Yes, those are full-size chocolate bars.

(The image is from PaperTreyInk)

Just a little tart

My cold is gone and with it seems to have gone any energy or creative spark.

I am finding it hard to even get really pissed off about anything the past few days.

That should tell you how lousy I was feeling.

I took a sick day Thursday. I tried not to need it, but I worked sick Tuesday and Wednesday and just needed the mental break and the break from driving 37 miles each way on the freeway.

Today is Saturday, but it is my Friday. Maybe my spark will return this weekend.

I am stamping tomorrow and have to make cards and dessert for that tonight. Maybe that will get me going.

I have some ideas for cards, but nothing is set.

For dessert I think I will make individual apple galettes. Which is a fancy way of saying apple tarts. But without a tart pan.

Basically it is puff pastry crust with crushed nuts, fruit and jam.

I have made this Martha version in the past. It calls for plums, which are good. I also have made this recipe using peaches. Yummy.

For tomorrow I want to make apple and I don't want to make the dough.

So I am combining it with this simpler version using apples and frozen puff pastry dough.

I think I still want to use the nuts that the Martha recipe calls for. They add another layer of flavor and texture that I like. And the jam is a nice touch.

My plan to finish this is to make homemade whipped cream with just a bit of almond extract. It adds a little hint of flavor and a great aroma.

I will let you know how they turn out and if I can remember, I will post my own version of the recipe. That way I can also remember how I made them in case I want to make them again some time.

Wedding invitations

Gotcha there for a second with that headline, huh?

Nope, not wedding invitations for me.

They are for my uncle's wedding.

The wedding itself is pretty small, with a bigger reception later that night.

So I did one set for people invited to the wedding and reception and another set for people invited to the reception only.

I did about 100 total, which was more than they needed. So I am going to repurpose the leftovers into thank you cards for them.

They are tri-fold cards with an insert that I did on the printer.

I wanted to keep these very simple.

The bride is from Vietnam, so I also wanted to do something not quite so traditional. I like the botanical image with its two flowers bending into each other. It just seemed right.

The flower images are from Papertrey Ink.

I stamped them in clear and heat embossed the color so they have a little texture to them.

Another one for my card-loving, card-making friends

I made this yesterday before work for a swap with my girlies. Actually, I made 8 of them.

I really liked the little vellum pocket thing on the ones I made for the online swap, so I basically cheated off myself here.

The pocket is a little vellum envelope. I cut off the flap and made it into the pocket.

The only thing I am not totally happy with are the colors. I thought they would look better when I cut them all out. But after I made the first one, I was thinking "Eh."

But I already had it all cut out. That'll learn me for next time.

Here's a little love for my cardmaking friends

I made these last night for a swap I am in on Splitcoast.

For non-cardmakers who read this, sorry. You have to put up with my crafty side once in a while.

Anyway, the swap was for a base color scheme of black & white with one other color for pop. I signed up to make one set of full-size cards and one set of 3x3 cards.

First up, the 3x3. This is just what it sounds like. A 3-inch by 3-inch card that are good for little gift cards, with flowers, etc.

I had seen this little black dress idea in a magazine and decided to mock one up to see how I liked it for real.

I thought it came out great.

I gave a lot of thought to the color I added. I considered red, pink, purple. But decided to go for something a little different.

I really like the green. I think it is somewhat unexpected to see such a soft pastel with the b/w base.

The dress does have a fold at the top to open, so I snuck a little greeting in there. The card also opens from the top.

The frill at the bottom of the card is two layers of mulberry paper, one white, one green.

For the full-size card I knew I wanted to use this taupe as my accent color. I know it isn't very colorful, but I really like the contrast.

Plus the color goes great with the French-inspired image I chose and the "Bonjour" greeting.

The photo corner detail was done with a heart-shaped scallop punch that I folded around to make the corner.

The vellum on the front is a tiny envelope. I got them in clearance and figured I would think of how to use them later. I cut off the top flap so the greeting tag just slides in and out.

I really love this card. I think it is fun, but elegant.

And I have a bunch more of those vellum envelopes. So you are likely to see more of this type of thing.

a blog break

OK. So I have been a slacker the past few days about posting here.
But that is because I have been consumed by my kitchen plans and astounded by how many design type people have told me that $30,000 is way too little to spend on my project.
Um, I don't want to spend $50,000 on my kitchen. It's really not that large a kitchen.
So I think I found a way to do it on my budget or damn close to it.
I found a designer that I was not immediately put off by yesterday.
She is coming to the house Monday to take some measurements and then draw up the design and start bidding out the different cabinets and countertops.
That place doesn't do the tile work or sell the appliances.
Which is fine by me.
I know someone who does the tile and I trust him to do it well and not rip me off in the process.
As far as the appliances go, great. then I get what I want, not the brands they want to sell me.
Usually in those design places the brands are the really high-end ones. Which is great if I want my kitchen to be valued the same as the whole rest of the house.
The tile guy also knows a good person to do any finish work, so I think I am set.
I just need to find out some prices on the cabinets and counters and I can start choosing materials and getting this show on the road.
_____________________________________

Other than kitchen stuff, I have been pretty lazy. I have been sleeping in every day. It feels so good.
I went out to lunch two days in a row, just me and a book. Of course, when I have a big lunch like that, I eat small dinners. So that is actually better.
Last night I went to see my cousin graduate from high school. It made me feel a little old. I remember pushing him in his stroller and changing his diapers.
I have work today (the one day this week I have to go in) and then I am off again until Tuesday.
The rest of my time off should consist of making some cards for an online swap (I will post those here when I get them done. I got some new Papertrey stamps I may play with for that); making some side dishes for a barbecue Sunday to follow my nephew's baptism; going to the baptism (I am the godmother!); and cleaning house.
Like I said, I have been a slacker so far this week and I really need to change that.
The weather has been so nice, if I get all my other stuff done, it might be fun to do some gardening one day and freshen up my flower beds a little.

Time to start cooking up some ideas

Here is a simple card I did for an online swap. It is just the image stamped in the magenta then versamarked and embosses in ultra thick clear, then versamarked again and double embossed in the ultra thick clear. It gives it that glassy look I like.

Stamp is from Stampin' Up.

Anway, I had a busy, but good day today. I started by doing some errands (carwash, Target, bank, etc.). Then I had lunch with a friend and went to work.

I really didn't accomplish anything at home, but that is OK. There is always tomorrow. And the weekend.

I want to start looking into some ideas for my kitchen remodel on Sunday. I am so excited about this. It really will be nerve-wracking for me though. It is a huge deal and likely will end up being a good chunk of money.

I have a friend who recently redid a kitchen (among other things), and he is going to share his budget with me and what all he put into his remodel. You can check out what he is doing on his blog at http://intergalacticrehabs.blogspot.com/.

I am so looking forward to a new kitchen, but worry about the work time and being without a kitchen while they do the construction. I guess there is always paper plates and cooking on the grill if I get sick of takeout.

Once I get started on this whole adventure, I will post some before, during and after pictures.

So, anyone go through a remodel like this recently? Have any tips?

Keeping it clean

This is a card I made as a good luck card for a friend moving to a new state and a new job. I loved the textured paper, so that was the inspiration for the card.

The stamps are All Night Media (http://www.plaidonline.com/productSearchResults.asp?cat2ID=36&cat3ID=99.) It was one of those boxed sets with a theme. The inside is stamped with the symbol for good luck (and the words under it.)

The base of the card and the paper right behind the image are DCWV matte stack papers. The patterned paper came from one of those pound-of-paper packs that is just filled with all sorts of random scraps.

I kept the palette simple with the tone-on-tone paper and a simple sheer ribbon. I really wanted to let the texture and the image be the focus, so I didn't use extra embellishments or too much fussiness.

The image was just colored in with markers.

My friend loved the card. She said she framed it and has it at her desk at her new as a reminder of the friends she still has in California.

Awwwwwwwwww... sweet!

Playing ketchup, er, catch up.

First of all, no tire problems to note here. Whew!

I know I have not posted for a few days, but I had a busy weekend of chores and errands.

Here is a recap: Sunday we had our monthly stamper group lunch. It was fun as always. And the food was good as always. My contribution was dessert. I made a lowfat trifle with angel food cake, nectarines, strawberries and a sauce of part skim ricotta cheese and honey (instead of a heavy cream or custard). It was quite good and light. And the nectarines were fabulous in it.

After that I went home and did some chores around the house. I still have stuff to do. It never seems to end.

Monday was a good day. I found out I was approved for my refinancing. I was able to lower my interest rate and take out some equity all while keeping my payments the same.

Yay! I am planning on remodeling the kitchen. I also want to pay off a bill. But if I can stretch the moeny far enough, I may do some work on the guest bathroom.

That is going to be a very involved process for me. I have so many ideas of what I want in the kitchen. But the basic space and layout will not change. So I need to do some research and planning.

The notary came over that evening and I signed all the paperwork.

What else did I do Monday?

Oh yeah, I went to pottery. I was bummed to hear that the teacher I like won't be back in the fall and may not even be back for the summer class I have already paid for. I guess they will get someone to take that over if she leaves. I hope they don't cancel.

I decided to skip the Thursday class next session. Two days a week was too much. I like that Thursday time for chores. If I get the chores done Thursday before work, I don't spend so much of my weekend on them.

The rest of Monday I puttered around the house and did some cleaning.

Then I went to the late showing of "Knocked Up." It was a cute movie. Overall I enjoyed it. I could definitely tell it was from the "Anchorman" "40-Year-Old Virgin" people. So many of the actors were the same and the writing style is the same.

I don't buy that a smart, gorgeous successful woman like Katherine Heigl's character would hook up with a schlubby stoner like Seth Rogen's character. But hey, it is entertainment. Sometimes it requires turning off your brain and just enjoying the jokes.

As always, Paul Rudd was great. I think he is underrated as a comic actor.

Today I met a former colleague for lunch at a Japanese place in Torrance. It was washoku style food, which is Japanese comfort food. It was unusual in some ways, familiar in some ways. But very, very good. Even the stuff that was a little funky for me was at least interesting. My only experience with Japanese food is really sushi and the various dishes you might find in a sushi place. It was fun to try something new.

The name of the restaurant is Yuzu. It is in Old Torrance.

I had a lunch special of grilled halibut. It came with salad, miso soup, rice, tofu and a couple little dishes of pickled and stewed vegetables.

That is the art for this post. That was taken in dim light with a camera phone. Trust me, it looked MUCH, much better in person. And it tasted fabulous.

Time to get creative again - already!

It seems like only a couple weeks ago that the stamping group met.

Oh wait... it WAS only a couple weeks ago.

The thing with the group is that we don't always meet on a set Sunday, say the third Sunday of the month. We meet on the Sunday that is the best for the most people. So sometimes they come one right after the other.

I was going through some cards I did for some recent Splitcoast swaps. The one above seemed to be well-received and it was quite simple.

I may do that. But since I am doing premade cards instead of sets that we make during our gathering, maybe I can get more elaborate.

I like to keep the ones we make at the gathering simple. I feel bad when I make people spend so much time on a really fancy card with lots of little doo-dads and techniques.

Anyway, the image and sentiment on this card are Stampin Up, as are the inks. I used generic patterned paper for the stripes. I like a lot of layers and I like a lot of texture. So I used my paper crimper on the pink backer paper. And I turned the stripes horizontal since I mostly see vertical stripes on other cards. It also is a good contrast to the vertical crimping. Then I used the extra strip of orange behind the "Heartfelt" to make it stand out more from the vellum.

I inked the flower with my markers to get the mottled look and then added a coat of glitter glue to give it some sparkle.

Sounds like a lot of steps, but it really is an easy card.

My cartoon alter-ego

I did this card a while ago. I just loved the stamp. I call her the "birthday babe."

I also did a version of it in orange tones to give to a friend with an October birthday.

Anyway, I chose to post the "birthday babe" today because when I bought the stamp last year, she reminded me of the figure I had oh, say, a few years back (OK, more than a few, but who's counting?).

And I have been on my diet lately, trying, trying so hard to be good. It is tough to diet when you are a foodie like I am.

But I lost another 2.5 pounds this week. Yay for me!

So the "birthday babe" is my sort-of inspiration. She's hot for a cartoon, huh?