11 years of memories....

This past Friday marked 11 years that my QT has been my cutie.....we spent the weekend in Fredericksburg shopping and eating and on Saturday, we drove over the New Braunfels and "floated the river" (which was beyond FUN!!! and I have the sunburn to prove it).

Sadly....this is one of only 7 or 8 that we've taken together in the past 11 years (he's kinda camera shy and I'm always trying to find a flattering angle for me)....lol

Hey There Cupcake....full post

Remember a couple of weeks ago I gave you a sneak peek at a little project I was working on.....

Well...here it is!!! It's a cupcake in a jar....cookable in 3 minutes via your microwave!!! All you have to do is add the "wet" ingredients and frost to your heart's desire (it's a good thing that these little gifts are left up to the recipient to decorate 'cause baking is NOT my forte!!!)

Here is the gift (8 oz. jar - a little over 1/3 cup yellow cake mix - some mini m&m's)....

Dump contents into a bowl....

Add 3 tablespoons water....1/2 tablespoon oil....and 1/2 egg (I add mini m&m's on this one and that is why it's baby poop green PLUS the chocolate is so heavy that it doesn't cook into the cupcake, it just hangs out at the bottom - so I would suggest NOT adding chocolate chips or m&m's, etc.)

Mix and pour back into jar (I sprayed the jar - inside and out - with Pam so that the batter wouldn't stick too bad).....

Microwave for 3 minutes (as you can see it WILL overflow (ths picture is only about 1 minute into cooking) - not to worry).....

Depending on how the overflow looks, you can frost after it cools or you can trim off some of the excess batter that spilled over and then frost and decorate!!!

SUPER CUTE, huh? I got the idea from Lauren . She includes a recipe for homemade cupcake batter but I tried it and it didn't work....so, me being the short-cut gal, I divided up a cake mix and it's added ingredients to make my own. Please try her mix if you prefer (I'm a terrible baker and that could be the reason it didn't work - 'cause her cupcake is WAY cuter than mine so she did something right).

I'm baaaaaaack....

and have quite a few things to share, however....I still need to take pictures. I promise to have that done in the next day or so!

Check back and see what I accomplished at the Retreat....I even counted shoes in the dark!!!

AWARDS!!!!

YIPPEE....I received my very FIRST blog award a couple of weeks ago (I even had to ask what to do with it...hehehehe) and now I've received my SECOND. So...I thought I'd better post them and pass them on!!!


This award was given to me by Jenn...

And....I now give it to (in no particular order):

Jamie - Her layouts are absolutely STUNNING!!!

Lisa - Her artwork is always AMAZING!!!

Yvette - Everything she does is so DIMENSIONAL!!!

Karen - Her artwork is SO FAB....ALWAYS!!! (not to mention the music on her blog always make me sing or dance)

Vicki - Her stuff is MAGICAL!!!

This award was my 2nd and was given to me by Carla.... AND Pamela since it took me so long to come up with this post...hehehehehe

And....now I give it to (in no particular order - going to newly discovered blogs):

Melissa at The Polkadot Chair - she does a little bit of everything which fits me to the T

Amy - CTMH consultant who's work is always neat and tidy!

Rachel - ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS has fun stuff on her blog!!!

Melissa P - LOVE all her layering and glitter!!!

I've seen where several of you already have these awards and everyone who visits your blogs can see why....thank you for constantly giving me and anyone else who keeps up with your blogs inspiration to create!!!

Weekend Retreat.....

I'll be gone all weekend...scrapbooking all day and night with little sleep (hopefully) so check back next week for pictures of everything I created!!!

Have a good weekend and enjoy the HEAT if you're in West Texas.....

Hey there CUPCAKE....

Here's a sneak peek at a project I'm working on....it's actually done but as you all know my photo quality is seriously slagging (that's hybrid for slacking and lagging :0) and I'm hoping to get a better picture of it before I do a full post!

YUMMY!!!!!!

True Happiness is.....

.....finishing my SECOND Color Me Monday challenge from our founder and CEO Jeanette Lynton!!! She's been having these color challenges for some time now but I've been so busy that I've had to watch everyone else participate....this color combo spoke to me and I just had to do it!!!

This card design comes from Wishes....it's called Collage and I tweaked the measurements for a 5x7 card....I hand drew the 'heart strings' using a black My Legacy Writer.

I cut out each individual tree and adhered on top of the stamped image.
Inside of the card....I hand drew the heart and cut out...then masked the sentiment from the ss True Happiness and stamped "heart" in Tulip.

Products used are all CTMH:

Paper Packet: Animal Cookies (Tulip Heart B&T)

Cardstock: Tulip, Twilight, Sweet Leaf & Textured White Daisy

Stamp Set: True Happiness & Argyle Backgrounds

Inks: Tulip, Twilight & Sweet Leaf

White Grosgrain Ribbon

Adhesive & Glue Dots

My Legacy Writer (black)

Connection Club Rhinestone Frames

Give me MORE....MORE....MORE....

ANIMAL COOKIES!!!!!

I'm so sorry for those of you who check my blog often, but I'm HOOKED, ADDICTED, STRUNG OUT ON....ANIMAL COOKIES paper packet!!! And believe it or not, I still have another project I'm working on with no other than....Animal Cookies :0)

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The inspiration for this card came from Amy Sheffer at Pickled Paper Designs (her original card can be seen <<here>>) and I totally cased it...using ALL CTMH product of course!! I love finding cards/layouts online or in magazines and adapt them to use CTMH goodies which, in turn, allows me to show my customers that CTMH has everything they need! No need to go to their LSS and buy a specific stamp just because they saw a card using it, as long as they have one of ours that is similar, they'll be fine.

Front of the card....for the grass, I used the backside of the large multi-colored polka dot B&T from Animal Cookies pp and the backside of the Dutch Blue flower B&T from Animal Cookies Creative Basics...tore the edges and then sanded. For the sun, I used the backside of the Dutch Blue Stripe B&T and the backside of the Tulip Heart B&T from Animal Cookies pp....

Inside of the card..... I cut out one of the hearts for the Tulip Heart B&T for the tree.....

Products used are all CTMH:
Paper Packet: Animal Cookies & Animal Cookies Creative Basics

Cardstock: Textured White Daisy

Stamp Set: Tree Tops & Childhood

Inks: Clover Meadow, Tulip, Dutch Blue & Desert Sand

Dutch Blue Grosgrain Ribbon (Retired)

Dimensional Elements Perennials

Dimensional Elements Basic Shapes (Retired)

Pewter My Accents - small concho (Retired) & small pewter brads

Piercing Tool Kit

Memory Book Glue Dots & Tombow Adhesive

Liquid Glass

Foam Tools & Corner Rounder

I totally apologize for the quality of my photos....my camera is broke so I'm having to use my video camera and the quality isn't that good :0) EDITED TO ADD: maybe these are a little better

Animal Cookies....MY FAVORITE!!!

Who doesn't LOVE animal cookies....now you can enjoy them without all the calories with CTMH's new paper packet!!!

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This is a view of the June Layout Workshop we did this week. I totally cased this from my dear friend, PO, who made these exact layouts using another SUPER CUTE paper packet, Tinkerin'. Thanks, PO, for making this month easy peasy.....

The layouts on the left are using a True Fit Folio (TFF) which flips up to reveal 2 additional layouts (shown below). The layout on the right is using our Photo Storage Pages (PSP) which have 6-4x6 pockets.

This is the 1st layout which is not protected by a page protector and lifts up to reveal additional layouts....
Here's a look at the TFF open....
This is the 2nd layout which is the top portion of the lifted TFF and is not protected by a page protector...

This is the 3rd layout which is the bottom half of the TFF and is also under a page protector...hence the aweful glare (SORRY)....

This is the 4th layout using the PSP. The pieces of Tulip (yes that color is TULIP) and Dutch Blue cardstock are flaps that can open for hidden journaing, pictures, embellishments and more...

Products used are all CTMH:

Paper Packet: Animal Cookies

Inks: Clover Meadow and Deseart Sand

Stamp Set: Sweet Baby (on layouts 1 & 2) and Tree Tops (on layout #3)

True Fit Folios and Photo Storage Pages

White Daisy Ric-Rac Ribbon

Holiday Red Buttons (the pp contains the color Tulip but I thought the HR buttons were close enough)

Adhesive and Glue Dots

Color Me Monday

Color Me Monday

Twilight, Heavenly Blue, Grey Wool & Cranberry

CTMH's founder and CEO has a challenge on her blog every Monday titled "Color Me Monday" and this is the first Monday (okay....I know it's late but that's how I roll) I've been able to participate. The color combo is gorgeous but I had some trouble with it...I thought I'd share anyway!

Here's the inside of the card.....

Products used are all CTMH:

Cardstock: Twilight, Heavenly Blue, Grey Wool, Cranberry & White Daisy

Ink: Twilight, Grey Wool & Cranberry

Stamp Sets: Tree Tops & Childhood

Ribbon: Twilight & Cranberry

Pewter Brads

Stylus & Sandpaper

Adhesive

WOWZERS!!!!!!

For just $60 US/$75 CAN, you can get approximately $120/$149.95 worth of popular product! And an added bonus of only $8 shipping and handling....that's SUPER discounted (different discounts apply for APO addresses and shipping to PR, AK, HI and others (these prices are based on single box prices - will increase for multiple boxes).

Get it here>>>>>>>GOODIE BOX FOR ONLY $60

Forgot to mention....this is part of CTMH's "Deal of the Day" promotion and is ONLY GOOD FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 4TH....so HURRY....go get your's today!!!! I just did!

A new home....

This card was made for my dear friend, SR, to congratulate her and her boys on their new home!! I got the inspiration from another blog (as soon as I find which one, I'll edit this post to add credit EDITED TO ADD: found it....Cassie's blog "For the Art of it") and couldn't wait to try it....

All products are CMTH....

Teacher Gifts...

for the over-worked, under-paid teachers that I trust to teach my children their ABC's and 123's.....THANK YOU!!!

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Here is a few pictures of the gifts given to my son's teachers....

Close-up (kinda) of the clip holding the Sonic gift card....

Top view.....to include pencils, RSVP pens (red and black), gum, note pad, thank you cards and mini-office set (stapler, erasers, tape, etc.)

A dressed up memo pad.....
I included a set of 5 "thank you" cards for the Teachers to use.....

Dry-erase board (inspiration from my stamping sisters, Trinka & Pamela) made using Notebook pp and a picture frame from HL....

Love me tender.....

Most people don't know this about me, but I absolutely LOVE Elvis!!! Not sure why or when it happened...

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This 6x6 card is using one of our NEW paper packets, Animal Cookies....and June SOTM, Tender Tags (the holes of the tags are covered using sparkles). The pattern came from our NEW card program WISHES (you have to GET THIS one....it's wonderful!!!).

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Products used are all CTMH:

Paper Packet: Animal Cookies

Stamp Set: Tender Tags (June 09 SOTM)

Inks: Dutch Blue, Sunflower, Clover Meadow & Tulip

Sparkles

White Grosgrain 5/8" ribbon

Blending Pen

Sponge