Crabby Birthday!

Here is the card I made for my niece Brianna for her 5th birthday.

It didn't scan very well because it wouldn't lay flat in the scanner so it looks a little dark.

Recipe:
Stamps: SU Crab & Company
Cardstock: I used mostly cheap Martha Stewart cardstock for this because I know that she is only 5 and doesn't really care about cards! I did use SU Creamy Caramel for the sand.
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Real Red
Techniques: Water coloring

I water colored the crab and clam and then cut them out and popped them up. The sentiment is also popped up and I love how it is put in the crabs claws like he is holding it up!

Here are a few cards I made this week.

My Valentine's day card for Sean, actually my first card using this set! The crab is cut out and popped up!

Recipe:
Stamps: Crab & Company
Paper: SU Whisper White, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Real Red
Blue from Martha Stewart Line
Ink: SU Chocolate Chip, Basic Black, Real Red




This is just a thank you card I whipped up to keep on hand. Just in case! I like it but I wish I had used different embossing powder. I wanted it to be a rich gold and this stuff came out clearish and glittery.

Recipe:
Stamps: All Natural
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Old Olive, Confetti White
Ink: Versamark
Technique: Embossing

Tasty Thursday! - Curry Glazed Chicken and Rice

Happy Valentine's Day! It's Tasty Thursday!

This is a really good recipe, even if you aren't a huge fan of curry you should try this.

1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup honey
3 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3-lb chicken, cut up into serving pieces

Preheat the oven to 375F. While the oven is preheating, measure the butter into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, and put it into the oven to melt.

When the butter is melted, remove the pan from the oven and stir in the honey, the mustard, the curry powder, and the salt. Add the chicken pieces to the pan, turning them over to coat with the honey mixture on all sides

Bake at 375F for 45 minutes, turning the chicken pieces over after 20 minutes.

Cook up some instant brown rice according to the package directions. I usually throw in some chicken broth for some extra flavor.

Serve the chicken over the rice. It is DELICIOUS!

Green Monday - No More Plastic Bottles!

Plastic water bottles are a HUGE source of waste. For one many of the bottles never make it to a recycling center and end up in a landfill where it will take FOREVER for them to decay. Recycling is better but still not as good as just plain not buying them! Instead invest in one reusable water bottle, like a Nalgene bottle. They won't retain odors or make your water taste bad, you can even throw in some ice cubes to keep the water cold!

Here are some good sites to get you going!

http://refillnotlandfill.org/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5279230/
http://www.container-recycling.org/mediafold/newsarticles/plastic/2006/5-WMW-DownDrain.htm

Stampin Sunday - Valentine's Day Projects

So I made a few Valentine's Day projects yesterday. Here they are:

I made a few of these cards and sent them to my nieces and nephews and a friend of mine. It is a 3.5"x3.5" card using the crab from the SU! Crab & Company set. I used red paper from the Martha Stewart Line at Michaels (Out of Real Red!) then I matted it with Cameo Coral. The crab is stamped in Jet Black Stazon on Whisper White then colored in with a Real Red marker. Then I punched holes in the crab claws to hold the lollipops! Last I stamped the sentiment "Shore Do Love You" inside in Real Red!



My mom loves the Altoids covered with dark chocolate so I made a little slider cover for a tin of them as her Valentine. I covered the tin in Cameo Coral paper. I stamped the shrimp, starfish and shells on Whisper White paper in Jet Black Stazon and then colored them in with some SU markers (can't remember exactly which ones). I cut out the images and glued them to the piece of whisper white on the slider to give it a little dimension. I wrapped a piece of wide red grosgrain ribbon (not SU but I don't remember where I got it) around the slider and then glued the Whisper White paper to the Cameo Coral. I used the Scallop punch on some red card stock then stamped the "Shore do Love You" sentiment in Real Red. I popped it up in the corner and that's it!