Happy Mother's Day!

Every Day Is the Best Day of the Year

I never make New Year's resolutions, but this year I've decided to make an "attitude resolution". Ralph Waldo Emerson sums it up perfectly: "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year." Good words to live by, I think. After an especially tough year (um, make that 2 years), I think a more positive attitude certainly can't hurt.

For this small card (2-3/4" x 4-1/2"), I heat-embossed the text with Versamark ink and silver detail embossing powder, and layered it on plum then silver metallic cardstock. Next is a patterned cardstock layered over mauve. Finally, I finished the card with a beige ribbon.

Happy New Year!

Holiday Traditions

Our family has been making these chocolate-covered coconut balls every Christmas for longer than I can remember. I'm not sure where Mama got the recipe, but we've enjoyed them so much that they have become a holiday tradition, and now my nieces look forward to this as much as my brothers and I always have. Pie-making, on Christmas Eve Day, is also something you can count on, and over the years, Mama has calculated her pie-filling recipes and cooking times down to an exact science. In addition to pumpkin and cherry, we will be feasting on the best homemade chocolate, lemon, and coconut pies around. I'd be happy to skip the feast and go straight to the coconut pie. Just give me a whole pie and a fork, please!

How-To: Treat Bag Topper

A bag topper is one of the easiest ways to dress up a holiday treat or stocking stuffer. For the 4" x 6" cellophane bag pictured here, I cut a 4" x 4" square, folded it in half, and attached my stamped image to the front with mono-adhesive. I then punched 2 holes and tied everything together with a ribbon. Just be sure you insert the bag into your folded topper before punching the holes.

How-To: Holiday Treat Box

This is a simple treat box that can be cut, decorated, and constructed in no time flat. The box pictured here measures 3" wide by 2" deep by 2-1/4" high. It easily holds 3 cookies in a cellophane bag. At this size, you can make 2 boxes out of a single sheet of cardstock, plus scraps for the greeting.

First, refer to the image below for cutting and scoring instructions.

Next, decorate the outside of your box. Don't worry about getting good coverage on the bottom flaps, since they won't really show.

Fold the box together. The small side flap tucks to the inside, as do the smaller 2 bottom flaps. Glue or use double-sided tape to secure.

Stamp a greeting on a scrap of cardstock and attach to the front of your box.

Fill the box with a cellophane bag of treats, tied with a ribbon.

How-To: Takeout Box Gift Package

I wish I could tell you where I got the template for this little takeout box, but it has been so long since I used it, that I simply can't remember. However, a quick search of the web should result in several free patterns. I just happened to come across a few of these today, already cut out, in a folder, probably left over from a workshop. You can find something similar at Mirkwood Designs, and there are many free templates at By Donovan, although I didn't see a takout box there. Boxes are also available at craft stores, but it's easier to make your own than to take one apart to decorate it. This box measures approximately 2-1/2" tall.

My first step was to stamp a snowflake design all over the flat cardstock.

Next, I used a bone folder and a ruler to score all the fold lines, and carefully folded the box. Once you score all the fold lines, it will be pretty obvious how the box should be folded.

Then I used a long-reach punch to punch 1/8" holes in the sides, through which I inserted a tiny brad. The brads should hold everything in place, so there's really no need to use tape or glue. If you have a Crop-a-Dile (which, sadly, I don't!), you can easily punch holes through all three layers at once, or you could even use eyelets here, and maybe add a wire handle through the eyelets.

To finish off your box, fill it with treats or a gift, and tie it with a ribbon.

Holiday Gift Gala Super Sale at Artella

Over at Artella they're having a Holiday Gift Gala Super Sale, where everyone can save 55% on up to 5 eProducts, PLUS get their choice of 4 Creative Gift Packs free.

This is their biggest sale event of the year, so you won't want to miss it.

Artella has lots of great collage kits, backgrounds, and image sheets that are perfect for your collage work and other crafting.

National Vanilla Cupcake Day

Today is National Vanilla Cupcake Day. Aren't you glad to know that? In celebration, I made French Vanilla cupcakes (Duncan Hines instead of from scratch), and topped them with MaryKaye's Caramel Frosting (from the CakeCentral website). This is a cooked frosting, and it develops a crust very quickly, so I recommend adding a little bit more milk during the final mixing. Next time, I think I'll make it just thin enough to pour, and let it spread by itself.

December 15th is National Lemon Cupcake Day. I think I'll take a pass on that one. The only lemon dessert that appeals to me around the holidays is my Mama's lemon pie.

Another Cupcake Holiday Tomorrow

Just a heads up for all you bakers and cupcake-lovers out there that tomorrow is National Vanilla Cupcake Day. I'll be making cupcakes to celebrate, not that I need an excuse to bake cake. I wanted to make them today, but last night I made my weekly batch of sandwich rolls, as well as some Peanut Butter Dog Treats, and I didn't want to heat up the house two days in a row. It's still warm here, and my kitchen gets outrageously hot when I use the oven. Jasmine and Harley loved the treats, which require only four ingredients and were a snap to make. I got the recipe from Katy at sugarlaws, who got it from Brown Eyed Baker. I don't have a bone-shaped cookie cutter, so I just cut them into bars, because my mutts usually aren't picky about presentation. I don't think they noticed.

Sweet Home Alabama!

Photo courtesy of Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel.

After two ill-fated moves in the past year, in only four days we'll be moving back to the Alabama Gulf Coast. South Alabama is a land of mosquitoes, hurricanes, spectacular thunderstorms, and unspeakable heat, and I love it all! This time we'll be less than 10 miles from Gulf Shores -- close enough to enjoy the beach often, but far enough away to avoid storm surge from a major hurricane. I'm looking forward to seeing pelicans again, and eating fresh seafood, and walking on hot sand, and simply experiencing the lifestyle that comes with living in a coastal area.

Now you know why I've been absent from this blog. My 3-week visit to Mobile was not only for visiting family, but for the purpose of finding a rental property as well. The past couple of weeks have been devoted to packing and organizing the move.

With all my supplies packed, I won't be able to make cards or any other art until at least the middle of next week. At that time, I hope to catch up on a few of the challenge sites, and will also begin planning holiday cards.

Thanks for sticking with me -- see you in a few days!

Happy Groundhog Day!

Today is Groundhog Day here in the United States. I'm pretty disappointed with Punxsutawney Phil this year, because he claims to have seen his shadow and has announced that we will not have an early spring.

I never paid any attention to Groundhog Day until I lived in Pennsylvania, and my boss had a little office party for us every year on February 2nd.

Frankly, I got a little spoiled while living back down South, and this Southern Illinois winter is starting to wear on my nerves. I hope Phil is wrong.