Christmas Gifts for my Family and Friends

My cousin Jon is quite a hunter...


This one is for my very dear friend. She's a great, funny, smart, amazing lady... and my friend!

Dad belongs to a bowling league, and when I saw this paper, I thought immediately of him.

My nephew is finishing architectural school soon...

My uncle LOVES his hunting dog from long ago.

My mom is an avid bird watcher, and I know she'll love this.

This one goes to a very dear friend who has become like a sister.

My husband requested a Texas notebook for his office.

This went to a dear friend who is more musically talented than any other person I've ever met.

This was the first notebook I made as a gift. When I saw the paper, I knew it was for my sister.

This one goes to my youngest nephew. He loves wolves, and his bedroom is decorated in that motif.

My brother-in-law is an avid hunter, and has taken a black bear.

My dad loves to travel to Alaska, and I just had to make this for him.

I made this one for a colleague at work. She and I have very similar styles, and I enjoy talking with her.

Our latest task for the Lime Light Design Team was altered notebooks for the Ronald McDonald house, and St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis. I had such a blast with these, I made one for every one in my immediate family.

Christmas Cookies!

After I received a comment, I realized I didn't post the recipe! Sorry!!!
Sugar Cookies
1 c. butter
1 c. confectioner's sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 t. flavored extract... (orange)  Orange Emulsion is the best flavor. LINK to Orange Emulsion
1 t. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. salt
fine zest from one orange

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and extracts.
Combine flour and salt. Add and beat until barely mixed.
Chill.
Roll out to 1/4 in.
Cut with cookie cutters.
Bake 375 7 - 9 min.

Variations: I use orange or lemon extracts with fresh zest. They are DELICIOUS!!! Very tender and nice.

One comment I will make is that I never make a single batch. I use those 3" Wilton cookie cutters, and even a double batch only makes like 2 dozen cookies. I usually make 2 to 3 double batches to make LOTS of cookies!

Check back for my Valentine's cookies. They are already in the planning phase!

I found a recipe last year (Christmas 2007) for sugar cookies. They have never been my favorite, but this recipe has totally changed my outlook! I have the Wilton cutters, cookie decorations, and the frosting in the bottles, and make them now for every holiday. This is how my trees turned out this year. Aren't they gorgeous! I made cookies for Easter, and they looked just terrible compared to these. Technique really counts!

We are going to visit a dear friend, and they will be going to her neighbors.

CD Case Calendars DONE!

It took me so long to make these - only because I was working on so many other projects, and the calendar just had to wait.

Well, here it is! I've seen so many versions and so many crafters have their own ideas of a calendar. Here's mine!

I figure I'll make another 25 of these or so to give to friends and sell. It will be a busy time getting them all done, but I will set up my assembly-line style, and all of a sudden, I'll be finished.

I hope you enjoy them!

Cards for Soldiers Challenge 12/8 -1/5 Valentine

It's been so crazy busy here with making Christmas gifts and all my other projects, not to mention WORK... But since school was cancelled these past 2 days, I knocked out these Hello Kitty Valentine Cards. Aren't they just the cutest things?? Yes, I know I'm biased.

The Hello Kitty's were made with Stampin' Up Wheel Stamp - Hearts as a border around the bottom and some side edges. I used DCWV paper from the Spring Stack as a background. HK was cut at 4 inches, and since some of the pieces were SO small, I just used Christmas Red stickles in her bow for some pieces, and Baby Pink stickles on her nose. Her eyes are sparkly from the Black Diamond stickles, and I again used the Christmas Red stickles on the I Love You sign. It was cut at 2 inches. Since I had some space above the I Love You wording, I used some of my Studio G month stamps - the heart and circle are from the February set.

Enjoy!

Just the Cutest Kitty Video!

My husband found this one evening, and we just had a huge laugh over the kitty! We are in process (when there's time) to make one of these for our two babies. They're going to LOVE it!

Enjoy the video!

Task 2 for the Lime Light Design Team

Our second task for the Lime Light Design team was to alter notebooks. Please go and check out the post including all of my 20 notebooks.

http://limelightscrappers.blogspot.com/2008/11/altered-notebooks-for-task-2.html

Above are only three... there are so many more, plus the other designers' notebooks to see!

6,000 + hits AND RAK!

I just posted on the Cricut Messageboard about the RAK I'm offering.

Just find the post; http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=3419226 and include your name in the RAK.

It's going to be an altered notebook with a Valentine theme. I'm using a random number generator, and will pick the number on December 1st.... so include your name before then!

I'll post a picture of the notebook on the initial post on the MB, and post a pic here as well... It's here! I put this notebook together tonight. GS, and AE for the Cricut cuts as well as Candy Cane, Xmas Red, and Crystal Stickles.

Good Luck, and THANKS for visiting!

Altered Notebooks 1 !

See Below for the rest of the post...

Altered Notebooks!

This is a premature post, but the notebooks I covered on Sunday turned out so GREAT, I just had to share these!

They still need 'stuff'... and I'll add that this week. Just had to share how cool they turned out!

Who knew Altered Notebooks could turn out SO FUN!

Note: The binding pattern is a coordinating pattern I used on the inside to help disguise the edged of the cover paper. DCWV is AWESOME! I also use some of my Hobby Lobby stacks for the paper.

CD Case Calendar

This is also one of the threads out on the Cricut Messageboard - someone posted a link, and I knew once I saw this, I was going to make a TON of these!

I think it's one of the coolest ideas! Now, I'm sure it's not a new idea, but it sure is new to me! I've already got paper cut and moving forward on the first calendar so I can mass-produce them for Christmas gifts this year. When I have the first calendar done, I will post pics here.

I think this is one of the coolest ideas EVER!!!! LOL

Here's the link from the Messageboard post. http://www.thestampingstudio.com/new/classes/class3.htm
Here's a link to a Messageboard member's December calendar page
http://justmousinaround.blogspot.com/2008/09/cd-case-calendar.html

Bridal Shower!

One of my colleagues is getting married at the end of November, and we had a small "work" shower for her. I made the centerpiece to go on the cake table, and then on the Cricut Messageboard I saw a post about a towel cake... I just had to make one! It turned out so cute!

I also made this card for her shower.

Directions for the towel cake: http://www.thinkwedding.com/Art-Wedding_Towel_Cake.htm

Enjoy!