Month: May 2010

Idea for Thursday: mini book page turned gift card holder

I like turning things into gift card holders. I like gift cards too. They can be fun, pretty, and a HECK of a lot better in shipping fees! So I have been leaning towards making the presentation special. So I’m not just thrusting cash at somebody, but showing that I took time and thought about it…

I saw this super cool Coffee Cup Album (FREE) kit by Wilna over at two peas. I strongly suggest checking out the coolness there. I downloaded, thinking it looked awfully cool but then, what to do with it?

I’m not a mini-book girl 99.9% of the time, but I had other ideas. I printed off just one of the pages, cut it out, and sealed the bottom and open side (one side just folded) leaving the top open…

All I did was add a bit of stitching on one side, spritz a bit with some Chalkboard glimmer mist, edge in gold pen, and add a few do-dads to the front.

On the back I tested out my Copic markers along the edge… jury still out on those, but someday soon I’ll do a post about these ‘new to me’ pens.

and there you have it! A fun little gift card holder (or it could hold a note, and a tag, and/or jewelry or other small gift) made from a mini-book page. Wilna is quick becoming one of my ‘keep an eye on her’ digi designers. Can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

your .02, if you please…

“I’m moving the bed from the studio into Becca’s room (aka it’s forever home now that she’s ready for upgrade to full-size bed)”

sounds simple, but in fact is not. Removed the changing table (now my sewing table), had to move and muss up the studio all over, take the toddler bed/crib (it was convertible deal) out of B’s room… in other words, a quick project in theory, but I’m in day #2 now.

Above: girls all “whoa, you can walk in mom’s studio! and the floor is clean!”

below, from new reading nook: “Nobody cares! Feed me and pet me and worship me!” – Princess

Here’s where I ask for your .02. Do you want photos and tales from the trenches? info on how I’m storing stuff and all that jazz?

Or not. Either way ok by me, just curious…

Lemon + walnut + cream cheese cake

When we got married Jason’s mom made the (amazing) cake. She did a lemon cake with walnuts, lemon curd, and cream cheese frosting in between the layers for one of the cake layers/levels and it was awesome. I’ve convinced her to make it 1 or 2 more times since then, but since she was a) sick and b) doesn’t make cakes anymore I decided to have my own go at making the cake, and to do it my own way without help of any recipe or anything…

Ingredients:
1 box lemon cake mix
1/4 cup lemon juice + water as directed on box
eggs (as directed on box)
oil (again, as directed on box)
grate 1 lemon peel/zest into batter
*bake as directed*

For frosting & filling:
8oz cream cheese (room temp)
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter (room temp)
2 1/2 – 4 cups confectioners sugar
1tsp vanilla
lemon simple syrup OR lemon curd
chopped walnuts

It’s so easy, I almost don’t have to explain.

First off, just combine the cake mix + ingredients, pour into pans, and bake. I did an 8″ and 9″ (as you can see from photo) because I have 1 of each. I should fix that, but it honestly did not matter! I added in the lemon juice and zest really just to up the “bam” factor of lemon in a mix cake. EASY.

Then for the frosting. You want to beat the butter + cream cheese until it’s fluffy and silky and lovely. I beat mine like 3-4 minutes. I did NOT want chunks! Then I added the vanilla, then started dumping (and letting mix in) powdered (confectioners) sugar. I didn’t measure, I had a small box and would shake some in, mix, repeat. Then after about 2 cups worth I started testing and I continued adding until it had the sweetness I wanted. This frosting was sooo smooth and delightful!

To assemble I put the 9″ cake down, put some of the Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup on and spread out (maybe a few tsp). this just added another layer of lemon and yum! Lemon Curd (I can find it in the ‘international’ section of my grocery store) is real nice too. Then just put a thin layer of icing and a layer of chopped walnuts before setting the top cake down. I did spread a teeny bit of icing on bottom of top cake due to the walnuts and me not wanting the top to slide off.

Finally – I frosted it then made the decision to cover entire thing with walnuts. It was prettier plain – but all that walnutty goodness was yum.  

Pumping up cake mixes is a great way to customize a cake while saving time and mess.

5 1/2 weeks to Camp Scrap!

Guess what? Just 5 1/2 weeks until Camp Scrap starts! I’m so excited for this class – there is just so much that went into it, and I can’t wait to share the experience of it with students. I am excited about the 1-on-1 video calls (via Skype) I’ll be doing with any students interested, the inspiration, the encouragement to scrap without guilt, the chats, the prizes, the fun… just everything!! 

If you have any questions or want to know more about class please feel free to leave a comment here or e-mail me mflaum @ comcast . net with your question – nothing is too small or silly – I’m always happy to help!

Here’s a peek at one of the layouts:

I love every single bit & piece that went into this class, and I’m grateful to the awesome companies that are friends of camp. What does that mean? Well it means that you’ll see some of their product featured in class AND you’re going to have a chance at a give-away from them! Cool, I know. In fact I have a very drool-worthy package of Botanique from American Crafts that one Camp Scrapper will win. That’s right – American Crafts is in!

This layout has nothing to do with Camp Scrap, except it does feature American Crafts goodies (these products are mostly Dear Lizzy – I used Botanique in class). I love the fabric paper from this line, and the felt goodies + my favorite thickers + glitter buttons = a quick but fun page.

I really wanted to document the ear infection – it’s the first either of our kids ever had and was a pretty big deal. She was mega sick over it! But I love that I could still make the memory pretty – and using pen (instead of stitching) to accent meant I kept it quick too.  

5 weeks until Camp starts, and I can hardly stand the wait. I hope you’re thinking about joining in!! Stay tuned to my blog for more info & updates as it draws closer. I’ll be sharing a lot of layouts (blog exclusives!) inspired by camp and also featuring companies that are sponsoring give-aways during the class. So much BIG fun to come…

http://www.bigpicturescrapbooking.com/campscrap.php

Childhood issues + Entertainment: 5/14 edition

last day of being 30… will make a “31” layout this weekend as I celebrate my birthday…

For most of my childhood I loathed the fact that my parents had named me, who was born within the month of May, MAY. I was teased, annoyed, and bothered to no end as a kid. I wished they’d switched with my middle name (Eveline) so I could be “evie” or “eve”. I tried to get that to catch on a while at school, it never did. As a teenageer and young adult I’d sneer and make obscene comments when annoying strangers would ask “durrr if you were born in June would that be your name?” and other obvious, not funny, and generally clueless comments. These days, not working in an office (thank heavens) I really don’t have these issues. Or perhaps I’ve just chilled. For the record, I was named after my (maternal side) great grandmothers, the names picked out before I was concieved, had NOTHING to do with month of my birth.

In the early years of our dating, Jason did something nobody else ever has: he made me enjoy sharing a name with a month. Yeah, I remember that the first year we dated (19th birthday) was my WORST of all time all around. Long story short- it started with finding my mom crashed (she was totally ok!) on a bridge, then all day at boring firefighter event where we carpooled to and I couldn’t get away from, then watching LAME movie w/friends… it was just all around a craptastic day.

After that day, maybe even that night I made my feelings clear to my boyfriend. The next year? He started a tradition that has been in place for 11 years now: because I share my name with a month, I get to celebrate for the WHOLE month. During the month of ‘me’ I can call out “It’s my month” and what I says goes. Now, that’s a powerful thing, and I am careful not to go insane with the almightyness of my reign. But it’s fun. and it makes me smile often.

Lesson learned: find the bright spot, look for the positive whenever you can!

So, you’re going to see some hefty “I been readin'” reports from me – because I can plop into a chair and know that novel reading = ok since I, queen of this month, declared it so.  I started Sherlock Holmes (movie) and turned it off 30min in bored as can be. So let’s move on to reading…

bottom to top:

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris: Drama, family, conflict, more drama… and at the center of it all heroine Sookie Stackhouse who is one of my faves. What I love about this series is that Sookie is changing, growing, going places. She’s not the same exact girl as book #1.  Totally worth the hard cover price, though it wasn’t much since Amazon had it for $9.99

Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts: The most recent, and 3rd installment in the bride quartet series. Gah! I just loved Laurel and her story, and I baked my own birthday cake just ‘cuz talking about all that baking made me want to. 🙂 Add in that I got it for 50% off cover price, and I’m extra happy.

Avalon High by Meg Cabot: A teen/YA novel I found cleaning out a shelf that I’ve obviously read before, but have no memory of. Heroine finds herself in odd school where a lot of people seem to be King Arthur & crew reborn. but modern. and teenage. I liked it – and I know it’s slated to become a Disney movie. I could see that being cute.

Kiss the Bride by Patricia Cabot: This was the pen name Meg Cabot used once upon a time, and I bought it for about $1 at a used bookstore, all excited to see some of one of my favorite author’s early work. Um, I see why it’s out of print. GACK!!! It was repetitive, slow, had me saying “oh give me a break” and generally I hated on it. But that’s ok!!! Not everybody has winners always, and I still love me some Meg Cabot.

Breaking Loose by Tara Janzen: I discovered this author (all her books are a series, but can kinda be stand-alone) about a year ago and the thought of super secret ‘black ops’ + a good number of awesome tough chicks too + based out of Denver, CO… well it intrigued me. You know I can’t resist good spy/secret mission/hush hush action adventure!! Anyhow, this is her latest novel, and I’ve now read them all. This was one of the best of series for sure.  A few I wasn’t wild about – but there’s mega action and intrigue going down involving ancient Egypt, an art dealer/secret agent, missions crossing each other, and of course, a bit of romance.

I can’t tell you how good it feels to be devouring novels once again!! Taking a lot of down time when I can feels good, even if I am behind in e-mails and such.

FYI – if you are a bookworm like me you might be interested to know that I’ve started posting over at www.goodreads.com – it feels like facebook, but for books. I have already gotten some cool suggestions for books to read over there. If you’re a member – look me up!