Craft it Forward...

You know the movie where the theme is to "Pay it Forward"? Well, there's also a group that likes to "Craft it Forward" by sending handmade items to others simply as an act of kindness. I recently participated in a round, and ended up sending five different people five cards each. Some of them I've already posted here before (like my spring card with the Spell-binders die and the butterfly), but I also made a couple of new ones. Fairly simple, but fun! The card with the jungle animals is a "Waterfall Card".
If you'd like to Craft it Forward, check them out at http://www.facebook.com/CraftitForward

Emma's birthday invitations...

I haven't bought a card at a store in years. In fact, I have a LOT of hand-made cards ready to send out at a moment's notice. Still...I'm not good at sending cards in a timely fashion, and I still like to create new cards for certain events. My kids' birthdays are a great example. :-) Since our youngest recently turned 10, I made these fun owl cards for her invitations. Her actual birthday card was just like them, but without the "Party this Way" element on the front. The owls were made entirely with punches, and the scalloped circle is a Spell-binders die.

Playing with my Cuttlebug...

About a month or so ago...I spent some time playing with my Cuttlebug and Spellbinders dies. The end result? This happy little card. Sometimes you just need something bright and "springy" to look at when it continues to rain outside...

My Stampin' Up! party...

Since it's "Sale-a-Bration" time with Stampin' Up!, I recently hosted a stamping party at my house. My friend Tessa was our demonstrator, and brought supplies for each of us to create three cards. Spending time with friends and stamping = a perfect day in my book! Here's what we made (the last picture is the one I made as invitations):

If you'd like to contact Tessa (she offers classes regularly!), just visit her website at www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/tessaboulter/

Valentine's Day...

I must confess...I LOVE Valentine's Day! I see it as a day to celebrate and connect with those you love (and not just a "Hallmark holiday".) This doesn't mean you need to spend a ton of money, either. At our house, I got up early (very rare!), and fixed my family a hot breakfast of bacon, heart-shaped pancakes, and eggs. Now, this might seem normal to you, but with 5 different people all leaving the house at 4 different times, this can be a challenge. My family loved it! Later in the day I made these cute boxes (instructions can be found at http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/allinonebox/ ) and filled them with Hershey's Hugs and Kisses. They were a huge hit! Tom gave me a beautiful pink rose and a card that he created himself - absolutely made me smile! I hope you and your family had a great day - no matter how you chose to spend it!

Cinnamon Rolls - Oh So Yummy!!!

Ok...all of you who know me know that I LOVE to eat! Right up there on that list of things I love to do is to bake, and (of course!) the two go hand in hand. :-) Here's a recipe I tried recently that turned out SOOOOO good! Well worth the effort!

"Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls" - taken from Todd Wilbur's More Top Secret Recipes.

Rolls:
1 (1/4 oz.) package dry yeast
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup margarine (I used butter)
1 t. salt
2 eggs
4 cups flour (I used 3 cups white and 1 cup whole wheat)

Filling:
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 T. cinnamon
1/3 cup margarine, softened (again...I used butter)

Icing:
8 T. margarine (yep - I used butter)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/2 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt

For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl. Add the sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour; mix well. Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour. Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approximately 21" long by 16" wide (it should be approximately 1/4" thick.) Preheat oven to 400.
To make filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough, and then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly ever the surface. Working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge. Cut the dough into large, even slices (about 1 3/4" each), and place in a lightly greased baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
While the rolls are baking, combine the icing ingredients. Beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy. When the rolls are done, spread generously with icing.

Give Thanks card...

Ok...so I've managed to squeeze in a little stamping time recently, and this is the result. I made 6 of these to send to some very dear people...enjoy! The stamps are from "The Cat's Pajamas", and all other products are Stampin' Up!