A taste of Christmas

OK - so I do realize it's actually halloween, not Christmas, but... I finally got around to posting one I stamped a little while ago. I love this new set by Stampin' Up - Holiday Lineup - so cute! Great coloring image as well, as you can just color in the hats & scarfs... fun. It's a very simple card, but I think mass producing it with all the coloring would be a bit much.
So - what are all your munchkinz going out as tonight?! Kids get out early on Fridays (12:40) so once they get home we're carving up our pumpkins & then will work on costumes & head out. They are SO excited. Daddy will take them for a bit while I hand out treats at our door & then we'll switch. :) I'm happy to say I'm feeling all better from that nasty flu - how awful that was!

Have a fun and safe time with you kids!!
.j.

Teacher Gift Ideas

Ok... I have been looking all over to compile a list of teacher gift ideas. Christmas is coming and so wouldn't it be nice to be ready AHEAD of time?! So.... get ready... here's the list. OH, and if you're a teacher, leave a comment & vote on what your fav is!! :)

1. A note from the heart. Have your child write a note of thanks to their teacher. Let them use their own words. perhaps even a poem.


2. A class gift. Get all the kids involved and make a mini scrapbook - designate a page for each student that he/she can decorate & scrapbook a picture of either themself or a favorite memory from that year. A simple frame that can hold a photo of each child.


3. Classroom supplies. We know teachers put out a lot of their own pocket money here. Create a unique package to hold colorful paperclips, cool pencils, post-it notes, jiffy markers, stickers...


4. Something personal. Find out if your teacher has a special collection that you could add to, a favorite hobby or craft that you could find a gift in.


5. Pamper. Collect money from all the kids in the class and purchase a day at a spa or a manicure/pedicure. Parents will be glad they are not out hunting for a gift and the teacher might be thrilled not to have 25 bottles of bubble bath!


6. Repackage. Find a cute jar and fill it with Starbuck Coffee beans, popcorn kernels or jellybeans! Decorate it with a cute tag of thanks.


7. Movie Night. Get some jiffypop, licorice, chocolate & a couple passes at the movie theater or free rentals at a local video store.


8. YOUR IDEA???? :)))

enjoy your day,

.j.

Simply Masucline

I seem to have caught my little ones' tummy flu. Not fun at all. It has sure wiped me out! Sleeping with her on the bathroom floor while she was sick seemed like such a good idea.... but now I'm in there! Oh the things we do as mothers! So hopefully I'll be on the mend soon to get some stamping done - who has started their Christmas cards??

Another lighthouse card for the male birthday card stash. Lighthouses are easy that way -- I had a piece of this design paper on the table that I thought would be good for a male-card. Kind of funky, cool. :) I colored the image with my Copic Markers.
One thing about using the cuttlebug is that if you want to stamp a greeting or image, you need to do that *before* you run it through. I forgot here, so I used a piece of vellum cardstock to stamp the greeting in Stazon (Jet Black) and attached it behind the matted design paper. Simple card, the only thing that took time was the coloring (which I love anyway!) :)
We have no school here today -- so enjoying a day with the kids & no school morning/afternoon rush is always a treat! Feelin' a touch better than yesterday -- that's such a good thing!! :)
.j.

From one chick to another.

I sent this card out a few weeks ago to a friend. Penny Black has such adorable stamps -- I've got my eye on a few more -- need to write Santa a letter! I use the small slit punch to create the scallop edge. You simply cut a piece of cardstock just wide enough -- maybe 1.5" -- and starting at one edge, punch the slit.... move the punch over so that you catch the edge of the previous slit... and carry on down the strip of cardstock - make sense? Colors are Apricot Appeal, Almost Amethyst, Pretty in Pink & Gable Green. Love those soft subtles.
How's the prep for Halloween going? Do you have your goodies? Costumes all organized? Need to do all of the above still. Halloween isn't a big deal here -- kids obviously love the candy, but I personally hate the "holiday". My little one gets so scared with all those skulls & scary things... seems an odd thing to celebrate & hang on your door. However... I love the pumpkins, hay & all things fall -- and those little ones wobbling up to the door to say "trick-or-treat"... TOO CUTE!
.j.

Hello Monday....

Finally got to the draw -- my little girl (who is fighting a yucky tummy flu bug) drew RHONDA aka QUILT NUT! :)))) So... send me your address (you can email it to me at jdgray94@shaw.ca) and I will get that little mulberry pack in the mail to you -- thanks everyone!

I have a bunch of photos to upload of cards I stamped a couple weeks ago, so hopefully I'll get those loaded up to share with you this week. Here's one of them:
I'm desperately trying to use up scraps! I have five bins (mini rubbermaids) labeled - Bold Brights, Rich Regals, Earth Elements, Soft Subtles & Neutrals. So before I cut into a fresh piece of cardstock, I *always* check in my bin first to see if I have a piece to use in there. Sometimes though I LIMIT myself to ONLY using bin pieces so I actually USE those pieces up. You know if you cannot put the lid on -- you need to use up!! So I started wth Elegant Eggplant as a base & ran that through Swiss Dots (name?) cuttlebug folder. I had a colored up image of giftiebella to work with, so I was able to draw colors from that to use up some pieces. The Happy Birthday greeting is actually a rub-on, not a stamp (wish it was a stamp, love that rub on!) I used a flower eyelet with two small circle eyelets to add a little balance to the card.
One more birthday card in the Card Keeper Case! Perfect! We sat today and wrote out so many cards for the mailbox tomorrow! Wow. School Photos arrived so we got busy writing notes & getting them all ready to mail out. It's a new week -- do you have a "just because" card or note ready to send out & make someone smile this week?! Mine goes out tomorrow, along with birthday cards & a couple of notes. You have a full week ahead of you - :)
Happy Monday,
.j.

A great time away

We had such a great family time in Edmonton -- even managed to get to a stamp store & pick up a few new things....

We spent a day at the Waterpark - wow did the kids ever love this!! Too fun.

If we were at the hotel they were IN that pool! Got a water filled week! I managed to get a great start on my Christmas shopping too! So... tomorrow I will draw a name tomorrow for the mulberry.... :)

.j.

Starbuck's Date Scones

OK - another starbuck recipe find! :) We love scones here, and these date ones are high on our list of favorites! Made 'em this week actually... and the orange ones too! :) YUM.

Starbuck's Date Scones

1-1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup bran

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled

1 egg

2/3 cup buttermilk (or reg. milk with 1 tsp. vinegar!!)

2/3 cup chopped dates

The process:

Combine the flour and whole wheat flour, bra, baking powder, soda,salt, cinnamon & brown sugar. Cut in the butter. Add the egg, buttermilk & dates; do not overmix. Shape the dough into rectangle about 1" hick on a floured surface. Cut into 12 triangles. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Enjoy - .j.