These are a few of my Favorite Things!

So it is Tuesday and time for another installment of favorite things! I thought this time I would focus more on my favorite things in my scraproom.

I love the color and the butterflies on my wall. Those two things put me in a great state of mind. Calm, happy and ready to create! I love the little basket from Michaels that holds my bling and a few mini roses. I keep it on my desk and it just looks pretty to me.

I love my Cuttlebug - of course I would love a Vagabond or Big Shot - but my Cuttlebug gets the job done and is one tough little machine! I am LOVING the Tim Holtz dies! Especially the Tattered Floral. I love the jean flower I made for the beach mini.

Of course, like everyone else, I love the white prima flowers. I love to alter them with inks, glimmermist, smooch and more! So versatile and easy to match each project.

I am obsessed with my Martha Stewart butterfly punches. I have (2) - punches that create a total of 3 sizes of butterflies all the same style so i can mix them together. I use them often to add that final touch.

I also love anything Tim Holtz - I am just plain crazy over his stuff! Distress inks, rock candy, masks, dies, stamps, tools, I love that you can go vintage, distressed, grungy or even clean in regards to style. I am a fan through and through and just wish I would win the lottery so I could buy his entire line of products. I get what I can, slowly. I have a great Tim inspired project to show you on Thursday so be sure to check back for that!

Most of all I love getting comments, So leave one will ya??? LOL! Have a great day and I will be back tomorrow with a haul.

Always,
Amy

Bubbly Birthday Card!

Ok so happy Monday everyone! Today I am sharing a card made for my nephew's Birthday. He is now 5 years old. I wanted to make him a card that he would love. He is a super swimmer and has a fish in his room. I decided to break out my "Sushi Bowl Party" stamp set from Stampendeous. I love how cute it turned out.

I used some watercolor paper to stamp my images. I cut a wave out of computer paper and used it to mask the top of the fishbowl as I inked it blue. I colored all of the images with Distress inks and a blender pen. I added some stickles to the cupcake icing and some faux stiching to finish off the card.

My favorite part of this card are the bubble strings on the balloons. I hope you like it! He did, which made the 2 hours worth it!

Some might call me crazy to spend that time making a 5yr old a card - I call it being a great crafty aunt!

Hope you like it! Blogiversary week 2 has officially begun!

See you tomorrow!

Yummy!!!

Here is my go to summer dessert recipe. It is super yummy. I think you all will love it!

Serves 8

* 1 1/2 pounds (about 6 cups) fresh strawberries
* 1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for dusting
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup milk
* Whipped Cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make the sweetened strawberries: Hull and quarter strawberries; toss in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup sugar. Let stand until syrupy, tossing occasionally, at least 20 minutes (and up to 1 day, covered and refrigerated).
2. In a food processor, combine flour, butter, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt; process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk; pulse just until moistened, 4 or 5 times. Do not overprocess.
3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; with floured hands, gently pat dough into a 4-by-8-inch rectangle.
4. Dust a large knife with flour; cut dough into 8 squares. Transfer to a baking sheet; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes; cool on baking sheet. To serve, split biscuits with a serrated knife; layer with berries and whipped cream.


Give it a try! Have a great weekend. I hope you guys are enjoying the Blogiversary so far. I will be back on Monday. Have a great weekend!

Butterfly Layout

Today's blogiversary post is a layout! Simple, yes, but it is very me. I used glimmer mist, masks, Tim Holtz of course! This is the first time I used the fanciful flight die and I love it! I decided against using the overlay on the wings and just play with some shine and texture instead.

I hope you like the layout! Thanks for stopping by today! I have something a bit different for tomorrow, so be sure to check it out!

Blogiversary Haul

OK, Wednesdays are Haul days during the Blogiversary month. I haven't done a haul in a LONG time. I have been buying only when on sale, with coupons or when a store is going out of business (Sad!). I have been shopping less which is good and really waiting for those great deals before pulling the trigger. So there are a few things to show you and I have separated them into a haul a week.

The first is a haul of fixtures that I got from a local scrapbook store that recently had to close. I was able to get a bunch of great deals (some of which I will show you later) and a few cool fixtures. I got a Making Memories mat for only $5.00! I got the really cool lamp for $10 and a cup holder / heat gun holder for $10 as well! Very cool! I love that they don't take much room on my table.

I also show my paper sorter. I got this for super cheap at hobbylobby.com with a 50% off coupon and free shipping. A great deal. I LOVE it! I have been complaining about how I store my paper since I started scrapbooking and now I am a happy camper!

So my hubby helped me put it together because he is super sweet. So, of course, once I fill it with my paper I show him so he can see how awesome it is. He says, "Wow, that's a lot of paper!" I say, "Wow, I was just thinking the exact opposite and thinking how I really need more colored cardstock!" Mars vs. Venus strikes again right?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my new fixtures. It is sad that Scrapbook Island had to close in order for me to get these goodies but I will think of the store and friends every time I use them.



Thanks for listening and be sure to tune in tomorrow for another Blogiversary post!

Also - I will probably run out of things to blog about in a week or so, so feel free to let me know what things you would like to see or have me do! Just be kind - this isn't fear factor or anything! LOL

These are a few of my Favorite Things

I bet you are all singing the tune from Sound of music now! LOL! So, during my Blogiversary month, each Tuesday I will be sharing some of my favorite things. I am going to start out with my favorite basic tools. I wouldn't say these are must haves but I certainly can't live without them now that I have them. I am sure you have all heard these raved about but I thought I would add my two cents.

First - My ATG gun. I know you've all heard about these wonderful tools. If you don't have one - get one! They now come in PINK for a CRAZY low price at www.customcrops.com! That would have saved me from altering mine (twice!). I love it now - a textured dark gray with cool silver rubons and bling! I use this tool on every project. Love it!

Second is my ranger craft sheet. Mine has certainly taken a beating but still works like a charm. I use it when I stamp, ink, glue, etc. I basically use it for everything except cutting. It is invaluable to get great blending technique and keep your mats from getting all bumpy with glue and glitter.

Third is the Tim Holtz ink blending tool (with foam or felt I love both for different uses!) With the foam it creates beautiful blending effects and soft edges. With the felt, you can play with alcohol inks - a new pass time of mine! Love them!

Fourth fav is my Tonic guillotine trimmer. I LOVE this thing! It always cuts a straight line...ALWAYS! I know that is what all trimmers claim to do and should do from a function standpoint but I have three trimmers in my closet that don't. I cannot tell you how frustrated I would get when I would cut a card, fold it and it was off a little - oh man I would get so mad! Finally I had had enough! I broke down and bought this trimmer and it was, hands down, the best scrap purchase I have made yet! I love it and it cuts chipboard! Highly recommend it and could go on forever!

Fifth basic that I cannot live without is a computer. I use this tool more than any other for scrapbooking. The inspiration from fellow scrap buddies on youtube and blogs is a MUST for learning and growing into this craft. When I first started I was clueless about what tools to buy, what techniques looked too scary (embossing) and how to approach a layout. I wasted money before I found the tools that worked best for me. I have learned so many techniques online. I have had so many different teachers over these 2 years and my scrapping has evolved so much. I learned you can scrap about your trip to the dentist and make it a really cool addition to a scrapbook. I go to the internet for ideas, for support, for friendship, for help when I am stuck, for tips on where to shop, to find out what's new and so much more. The computer is also where I do a lot of my journaling. I love handwritten journaling but sometimes you need to type it out first to edit and prevent those scratched out words. It is also nice to just type and print sometimes.

So there are my top five basic tools I need when I scrapbook. I know there is nothing earth shattering here and most, if not all, of you share my love of these things. I just wanted to honor the basics that help me do what I do. What is you favorite tool?

Thanks for listening! Please leave a comment and tune in tomorrow for more Blogiversary fun!

P.S. - How do you like the new background for the blog??

Blogiversary has officially begun!

OK! August is here, you know what that means??? Time for my blogiversary month! So here is how things will go. I will be posting like crazy from here on in this month. I will have 3 video blogs a week and other random thoughts from my head in between! I will be showing minis, layouts, cards, and more! I am sure my Finn will be making an appearance, of course. The illusive Grunge series will finally happen! There will be a giveaway on August 31st (My birthday!). Tons fo fun right???

OK, onto my first post, The Beach mini!

My mom and grandmother go to the beach every year for mother daughter bonding mini vacation! I knew this trip was special to them and wanted to make my mom a mini album for her to preserve her memories. Truth be told - it was a paper line that prompted me to make this mini. The Graphic 45 "On the Boardwalk" papers just had the perfect style for a beach mini including pictures of my grandmother. I knew it would be a great mini! This is my first paper bag mini and also my first shot at vintage. I am not usually a fan of the vintage lady images but in this case it just fit! I had a blast making this mini and I think it turned out great! I hope you like it!




Don't forget to leave comments and check back tomorrow for more Blogiversary fun!