Birthday Card - A Little Hut inspiration

Once again I am way behind on posting  so am just gong to try to share cards that I have done the past few months and delicious foods I have made and catch up on sharing.  And I have LOTS to share :)  Between creating, baking, working on diamond painting (totally addicted and doing a huge one so nothing to share - yet - but have MANY more to do that are smaller) = quicker gratification!!

Anyway - will keep sharing.  If you want to follow me on Instagram, my posts there are more timely and one of these days I will be coordinated enough to have my blog posts match my IG posts!!  Don't hold your breath!!

This summer I have had a lot of GREAT family time with my boys (Rob and Scott's family) and have been gobbling up time with the grandsons. They are so much fun. We had two beach weekends together in a row so now I am totally spoiled - and it feels wonderful!!

Ok - enough about me and on to this card. It was so much fun to make and I love Patricia's designs at A Little Hut.  I want to use more of them because they open up so many creative ways to interpret them.  This birthday card was for a neighbor friend and she loved it.  Made me so happy.  That's the beauty of cards to me - the smile that they put on the face of the recipient = pure joy for me.

This is just the basic file - but even without anything it is so beautiful.  

Would be great glittered or just the flower colored - so many different

ways to highlight it!

The colors are all cut outs of the Shimmer Sheetz which cut effortlessly

with the Silver Bullet Platinum.  Looks almost like stained glass - 

only prettier if possible!

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Dove Inspired Sympathy Cards - the Hungry Jpeg!

Seems that I have been making a lot of sympathy cards this summer so far.  I am always looking for new ideas  and I love how beautiful these doves came out.  I love using vinyl for more intricate files because it can handle the detail often much easier than paper!

The image is from The Hungry Jpeg.

Sometimes the simplest designs can help create the most beautiful cards that express much with few words.

The image on the left was removed with transfer tape.  It is the main image and the one

on the left it was what remained behind - leaving another beautiful image for a card.

This file was super detailed, but cut beautifully out of vinyl.  It's a good thing to remember

that there is no reason all cards must be made with card stock and paper.

The vinyl adds a lovely touch and transfers easily and needs little else.

I have another sympathy card to share soon, along with some birthday cards and new recipes.  I was feeling a bit "uncreative" lately but am getting some enthusiasm back.  I have to admit that a lot of my free time has been spent working on my diamond painting (I am still loving it) which is huge and I have collected many more to do - I love them.  It's a great way to just stop and take a breath.  I have also been doing more volunteer work and am getting ready to take over the presidency of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oceanside so have been trying to get more organized so I can continue to find the time and energy for all of the things that I love.  I am still a work in progress!!

Enjoy what you love.......Life is too short.

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Ambitious Kitchen Tahini Brownies - GF and fabulous!

I am still enjoying cooking and baking with Tahini and trying new things.  This recipe was on the Soom (my favorite tahini) website and I have been eager to make it.  Trust me - it doesn't disappoint.  Even better, these brownies are gluten free, grain free, and have no refined sugar (if you don't count the chocolate chips!)  These are delicious on their own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.  Major YUM!  I will be making these often!


AMBITIOUS KITCHEN'S TAHINI BROWNIES
adapted from Soom Foods

1/2 c. Chocolate Tahini
1/2 c. Tahini
1/3 c. coconut sugar
3 T. vanilla infused maple syrup (regular pure maple syrup is fine)
1 t. vanilla bean paste
2 eggs
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 T. coconut flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/4 c. dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the chocolate tahini, regular tahini, coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla bean paste and eggs until smooth.

Gently fold in the cocoa powder, coconut flour, baking soda and salt until combined.  The batter will be thick.  Finally, fold in the dark chocolate chips until they are well distributed.

Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan.  Bake for 23-26 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean.

Cool the brownies completely on a wire rack before cutting.  Enjoy!

Makes 16 bars



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INTRODUCING... A Baby Card....and....a....???

So about a week ago I got a call that my new grandchild was about to enter the world - finally!  It was morning and I knew there was some time before I would be heading to the hospital - so I had time to make a card.  That's what every self-respecting crafter things of first - right?!?  But I didn't know if they were going to have a boy or a girl so what could I do?  Easy - make two different card fronts, of course!!

I don't know why I waited until the last minute to think about this, but it certainly forced me into a creative zone whether or not I wanted to be there!!  I just knew I could not arrive at the hospital without a card for this wonderful occasion.  Nothing like putting pressure on myself!

So I created these components

File is from Lori Whitlock - cut on the Silver Bullet Platinum

And put them together into these two cards:

 Crazy, right?  But I was prepared and ready for anything when we entered the doors of the hospital that night.  I had printed out the inside and had it with me, tape and all!  So once I knew the baby was here, the card was finished and delivered in person!!

IT'S A BOY!

Welcome precious little bundle, Graycen Robert (Graycen spelled that way means gift from God and that he is).  Robert was my father's name and is also the name of my youngest (after Dad).  It is also Megan's Dad's middle name - so the families are well represented! :)

So happy for Scott and Megan and Carter. Congratulations!

Barely an hour old

About 5 days old

Big Brother Carter with his little bro!

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Luscious Lemon Bars

Luscious Lemon Bars

adapted from Once Upon a Chef

The Crust

94 g. unbleached flour (3/4 c.)
31 g. arrowroot starch (or cornstarch) (1/4 c.)
1/2 t. salt
58 g. powdered sugar (1/2 c.)
1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2" pieces

Line a 9 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil.  Push the foil into all of the corners and up the sides of the pan, using two pieces if necessary to ensure that the foil overlaps all of the edges. (the overhang will make removing the cooked bars from the pan so easy).   Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray,  or grease it with butter.

Put the flour, arrowroot starch or cornstarch, powdered sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor.  Add the steel blade attachment and pulse for a few seconds.. Add the chilled butter cubes and pulse to blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds.  Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly with your fingers into an even layer, building up a thin edge around the sides to keep the filling from oozing under the crust.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Be sure the oven rack is in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350.  Bake the crust until light golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Lemon Topping

3 large eggs
300 g. raw cane sugar (1 1/2 c.)
2 T. lemon zest
5 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
 25 g. unbleached flour (3 T.)

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, lemon juice zest and flour together.  When the crust is baked, give the lemon mixture a final whisk and gently pour over the top of the crust.  Return the pan to the oven immediately and bake another 20-25 minutes or until the topping is set and firm.  Let cool on a rack to room temperature, about 45-60 minutes, and then cover and chill in the refrigerator until cold.  The bars will cut more easily when cold.

To serve, using the foil overhang, lift the baked lemon bard out of the pan and onto a cutting board.  Loosen the foil from the edges of the crust and remove.  Using a sharp knife (or a pizza cutter), trim the edges off (if desired), then cut into 2" squares.  Use a fine sieve to dust the squares with powdered sugar.  Store in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

These are not super sweet - they have a nice tartness to them.  I prefer a slighly tart lemon bar - SO GOOD!!









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Chocolate Tahini Banana Bread

Once I started making hummus (oops - I still need to post that recipe!) I have become slightly obsessed with finding new ways to use tahini.  It has the most delicious taste.  But I always thought of tahini as something you would use in a savory dish, until I made this bread.  OMG!  This is another MUST bake recipe,  The bread is so moist and the chocolate tahini adds a delicate cocoa flavor without the overwhelming sweetness normally associated with a chocolate spread.  It's perfection - really.

And it is super easy to make so there really is nothing from stopping you from trying this delicious breakfast, mid afternoon, any time of day treat!!!  (try warming a slice in the microwave for 20 seconds with a little butter on top... I am getting hungry again!

Chocolate Tahini Banana Bread

from the Soom website with minor changes

3 very ripe bananas
1/4 c. applesauce
1/4 c. good quality tahini (I use Soom)
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 t. vanilla bean paste
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. chocolate tahini

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper

In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas  with the applesauce..  Add the tahini, eggs and vanilla and stir well to combine..  Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Fold these ingredients into the banana mixture.

Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Melt the chocolate tahini in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.  Drizzle half of the chocolate tahini over the batter, swirling the batter with a knife to form ribbons.
Pour the remaining batter on top and repeat with the chocolate tahini.

Bake for 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes clean.

Allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.  Finish cooling on a wire rack.

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Baby Rhino Shower Card

I cannot believe I overlooked posting this whimsical card.  It was definitely a challenge to come up with a baby shower card that highlighted a "rhino" theme.  I literally found one image that looked "cute" and inspired me to create this card which was surprisingly fun to make.  I never thought the words "cute" and "rhino" would go together, but this project changed my mind.

My neighbor's daughter is expecting her first child any day now and there was a shower for her last month.  They know they are having a boy and the nursery is being decorated in a rhino theme so that was my challenge.  Certainly there are a gazillion files for baby designs out there, but I wanted the card to fit into the theme, so after much searching, Miss Kate's Cuttables had the absolutely cutest baby rhino on the internet!!

Since I decided to have this little rhino peeking in the window, I had to make him a lot smaller and had no issues getting the tiniest detail with the Silver Bullet Platinum.

Look at those itty bitty toenails!!

And here it is assembled.

The window was cut from some my patterned paper stash and lined with acetate on the inside so

it looked like there was glass.  The writing was done with the pen tool in the Silver Bullet.  She sent me a picture showing it proudly sitting on top of the baby's dresser - just waiting for his arrival!

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Happy Mother's Day

It wasn't until I became a mother that I fully realized what an incredibly taxing and rewarding job it was - and that every day should really be Mother's Day - right?!?  There is no job that requires you to be on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week ... no breaks!!!  Crazy!  But..... the pay is not measured in dollars and cents but in  the countless rewards of enjoying each milestone in your child's life and feeling your heart swell when they look at you with love and delight.  The only thing better than being a Mom, is being a Grandma! :)

But today, the focus is on my Daughter in Love who is expecting their second child in about 6 more weeks..... that is coming up so fast!  I had so much fun making this card for her and was my first time doing anything like this.  My fingers may have been glued together when all was done, but the end result was worth it.

I normally do not make 3D paper creations.  I am in awe of the multi-dimensional structures that so many create and love the results.  I was just never sure I had the patience for it.  But this project seemed like a good place to start to get over my reluctance to try something new - and I am so glad I did!

I learned a lot with this first project, but we all have to start somewhere and I am eager to try another project like this soon.

This daisy zig zag card is from 3D Cuts. The centers of the daisies are cut out of a paper velvet to add some interesting texture.  All of the card stock is from Paper Temptress.

It would be fun to use this basic file and create some other flower "tops."

I will undoubtedly leave that to those who have the talent to design

and I will happily benefit from their talents and make more cards!

This is how the card looks folded and ready to be inserted

into an envelope.  It folds pretty flat and is so neat.

I enlarged the card tag that was part of the file so I had room

for a larger greeting.  I flipped up some of the petals to give the daisy a more

dimensional look.  And the white background paper is covered in

translucent yellow Nuvo Drops. They look really shiny in person.

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Egg Roll in a Bowl

The concept initially threw me, but this was actually delicious and very Keto friendly.  I used varying ingredients from three different recipes, substituting and adding according to what I had on hand.  Sometimes you just do NOT want to make one.more.trip. to the store!  Such was the case with this dinner, and since I didn't know how it would have tasted if I had used just one recipe in total, I can say wholeheartedly that this morphed creation was actually really good!

EGG ROLL IN A BOWL

adapted from Pinch of Yum, The Girl Who Ate Everything, and Simply Scratch

1 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. fresh grated ginger
1 t. Chinese five spice
1 lb. ground pork
1 pkg. coleslaw mix
2 carrots, shredded
1/4 c. liquid aminos or soy sauce
1 T. toasted sesame oil
1 T. Shaoxing rice wine
2 t. toasted sesame seeds
3 green onions, sliced
Cauliflower rice or jas,ome rice

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the ginger and garlic and saute for 1-2  minutes.  Add the ground pork, five spice and soy sauce or liquid aminos.  Break apart until the meat is browned and cooked through.

Add the coleslaw mix and carrots.  Then add the rice wine, toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.  Toss frequently until the cole slaw starts to wilt.

Serve over cauliflower rice* or jasmine rice and garnish with the green onions and additional sesame seeds.

* I like to roast the cauliflower rice to give it a richer flavor. Pin It Now!

Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know.... I know....... tahini belongs in hummus and only in hummus - right??  Well that is what I thought up until recently.  I have been seeing recipes scattered over the internet and favorite food blogs utilizing tahini in a variety of ways and I just didn't have the courage to try any of them.  But this one just spoke out to me - I mean tahini is just sesame seed paste so  how could a slightly nutty  ingredient be bad in a chocolate chip cookie??  So I gave it a try and let me tell you - there is no turning back now!  I have 2 jars of tahini on regular delivery from Amazon to make my favorite hummus from Molly Yeh (recipe share soon) and now these cookies and anything else I can find. These are my new favorite cookie and of my neighbors who have tried them have raved about them - there has not been one naysayer in the group.  These are a MUST bake as soon as you are feeling like venturing out of your comfort zone. They are a little more work - chopping the dark chocolate and chilling the dough - but trust me.  These cookies are worth every bit of effort.

And I have every intention of trying new recipes with tahini because it is just delicious to save for only hummus and cookies - so stay tuned!!

SALTED TAHINI DARK CHOCOLATE CHIP/CHUNK COOKIES

adapted from Simply Scratch

4 c. all purpose flour, unbleached
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
2/3 c. tahini (I like Soom Premium Tahini)
1 c. raw cane sugar
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 t. Mexican vanilla (preferred, but regular is fine)
10 oz. dark chocolate bar, cut into chunks (I used Trader Joe's 72%)
flaked sea salt (Maldon is excellent)

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the softened butter, tahini and sugars on low until well combined.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.  Add one egg at a time and beat on low just until well mixed.  The vanilla can be added in with the last egg.

Gradually add the flour mixture in and beat on low just until combined. Do a little at a time or it will fly everywhere!
Mix in the chopped dark chocolate.

Use a one tablespoon scoop and make cookie dough balls.  Place on a rimmed baking sheet (lined with parchment is optional but makes cleaning easier)  and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375.  Prepare another baking sheet with parchment and place 12 chilled cookie dough balls on the sheet.  With the bottom of a small glass, slightly flatten the cookies.  Return the unused dough balls to the refrigerator in between batches.

Bake for 9-10 minutes.  The cookie edges should be barely browned.  Remove from the oven and lightly sprinkle with sea salt flakes and allow to cool on the baking sheet before placing on a wire rack to finish cooling.  Repeat with the remaining dough.  This makes about 5 dozen medium sized cookies.

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Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

This breakfast cake is easy to make and a delicious treat in the morning. And it is a great way to use up a lot of blueberries at one time!  I somehow either have too many blueberries or not enough, so you may need to plan ahead and be sure you have enough for this recipe.  You could use less, but the 2 cups of blueberries ensure that you will bite into that tasty fruit with every bite.

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

adapted from Alexandra Cooks

1/2 c  unsalted butter (1 stick)
zest of one lemon
1 egg
1 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/4 c. buttermilk
2 c. blueberries
1/4 c. flour (additional)

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream the butter with the lemon zest and sugar using a mixer.  Beat until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined. Toss the blueberries with the 1/4 c. flour and set aside.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add half the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir with spatula or wooden spoon until incorporated.  Add the buttermilk and mix well. Add the remaining  flour mixture and stir until the flour is absorbed. batter will be thick.  Fold in the blueberries, leaving any excess flour in the bowl.

Grease an 8 inch square pan well.  Spread the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the batter with 1-2 T. coarse sparkling sugar, if desired.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean.  Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

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It was a FUN Easter!

I hope everyone had a happy and blessed Easter.  It was a glorious day here in southern CA.  I was lucky enough to spend the day with three important males in my life (my two sons and grandson!) and my DIL and her mother.  It was a lovely day and we all had brunch together at my grandson's home! :)  He clearly rules the roost these days as most four year olds do!

We all brought something for brunch (muffin recipes soon) and just had a nice relaxing time being together. I love it when everyone can just enjoy being together - life is just too precious to waste a moment, right?

As Carter gets older, it is more fun each year to do things for him because he understands more and takes delight in every little thing.  I loved doing this card because it was just fun and whimsical..  When he opened it, he turned the card upside down to make the bunny right side up - I don't think he liked that the bunny wasn't upright!!  His Mom kept showing him that the bunny was peeking out to say hi, but he wasn't quite sure of it all!! 

The bunny fur is actually Cosmic Shimmer Glitter Jewels - little flakes of glitter that made

it look like sparkly fur!  The eyes and flower centers are Nuvo Drops 

and it was just a really fun card to create.

This is the inside.  I usually don't decorate the inside of the card  but it was so easy

to put together that I couldn't resist.  I added a yellow card stock circle behind the bunny so 

I could write on the inside and have it not show through.  Forgot to take a picture of that!

Carter was much more interested in pulling out the little eggs full of candy, the jelly belly bubbles, the goldfish crackers and the peanut butter bunny.  I have a feeling that his Mom and Dad may be fighting over that one! :)  And the book was the cutest - it was about an elephant who wanted to be like a bunny and deliver the Easter eggs - so funny and just plain adorable.  I heard they read it to him that night and he loved it.

That makes a Grammy very happy!


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Sympathy Card - Graciellie Design

I wanted to make a simple and elegant sympathy card for a dear lady who recently lost her husband.  she also lost two of her grown children the end of last year and I honestly don't know how people without faith get through trying times like these.  She is an amazing woman.

I love this floral image from Graciellie Design (the You Matter collection). It is simple yet elegant and when foiled (I used DecoFoil) it just radiates beauty.  The sentiment is also from Graciellie - the Healing Prayers collection.  

It is much prettier in person. 

It is difficult to capture the shine 

    and coverage of the foil.  

I wanted to keep it uncluttered so just used Neenah Classic Crest card stock and some gold card stock from my stash of scraps!  The card is accented with sequins from 28 Lilac Lane and Nuvo Golden Ovals which are new and add a special shimmer to the card.

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Butterfly Thank You

This is a very simple card but it has a wonderful story to go with it  that will explain the theme.

I was invited to have lunch with some of my friends at our local community college. I used to serve on the Foundation Board there and we were catching up on all sorts of things. It was a lovely spring day, but was most amazing was the influx of butterflies all over the campus.  It was incredible.  When I drove into the parking lot I first saw them darting in and out of the cars - or so it seemed. They were nowhere one minute and everywhere the  next.  You may have heard about the butterfly migration that was hitting southern California, and in all my years living here, I had never ever heard of butterfly migration, let alone see it.  I was a bit of a skeptic until that day.  So I walked up to the admin doors and stopped at least a dozen times just marveling at all of the butterflies playing a sort of game of hide and seek.  I was enthralled.

So onto the lunch in an office that had windows all alone. There were four of us enjoying great company and great food but I cannot tell you how many times each of us stopped mid-sentence to watch a group of butterflies darting in and out of the bushes.  Now when I refer to a group of butterflies, I mean HUNDREDS of them at any given moment.  We were all mesmerized. I learned later that they are California Painted Lady butterflies.  They were small, but no less magnificent in their splendor and sheer numbers........  I have lived in southern California most of my life and I don't remember ever seeing anything like it.  It was just amazing.......

So to thank these lovely ladies for a wonderful lunch and great conversation, the thank you card just HAD to include butterflies -right?

 I continue to try to photography foiling with success, but I am not there yet!

The cardstock is actually silver foiled butterflies, but they are reflecting the light

and shimmering in a wide range of colors. The greeting was foiled on the 

Gemini Foil Press and the butterflies from Graciellie Design (Moments of Bliss) 

were printed, cut and foiled with DecoFoil in turquoise.  They are so much

prettier in person.

I love the simplicity of this card.  I am definitely in a foiling rut and don't plan on stopping anytime soon!

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Hello Card - Graciellie Design

 I have been spring cleaning and uncovering layers/piles/drawers full of craft supplies that either need to be used or donated. So I sent boxes of "stuff" over to the Boys & Girls Club because I know they put all of it to good use as they have the main site plus have after school programs in 8 schools.  They are always happy to receive whatever I can share.  So it makes the giving away process so much easier!

And during that process I always seem to get invigorated and feel creative again because I am reminded of all that I have wanted to use and forgotten about - or just haven't had time.  I find ideas whirling around in my head again and it just feels so good.  So even tho my craft room is in a bit of chaos at the moment (I promise new pics soon when I CLEAN it up), it's all good.  I am rediscovering the things I love doing and starting physical lists of what I want to try as the ideas come because I just don't trust my memory anymore!  I should not say that out loud. :(

I have done the same with the kitchen and I am sure that is why I have started doing more baking and experimenting there as well - so there will be more recipes to share soon - it all feels good. And maybe that is part of what spring cleaning is all about - letting go of what gets in the way and making room for whatever it is you want to do or what feels important in the moment. So glad I am at least in the process!  Progress is often baby steps, but at least there is movement. I will take it.

Enough chatter - on to the card.

This is one of the newer designs from Graciellie Design.  She is such an engaging artist and her artwork always makes me smile.  The image is from her "Your Kindness" collection and it was such fun to color even tho I am still a work in progress on that front!

The fun thing about coloring on vellum is that it is so forgiving whether it is markers or pencils.  You color on the backside and it is super forgiving - you don't have to do a lot of blending

This was printed in SCAL using a print and cut on the Silver Bullet Platinum.

I purposely left an edge because I wanted it to pop a little more...

And here it is from the front - so soft and the colors are 

diffused but I love how subtle the colors are - like a gentle spring day.

Here it is assembled on the card with ribbon and backing

and some foam squares to pop it up a little.

Designed in SCAL from a simple font and cut on the Silver Bullet Platinum.

Look at now narrow the lines are - cut with ease!

 Loving the finished product - hope you do too!

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Mocha Muffins - healthy!

This is a really healthy way to start your day with chocolate. You will notice that the only sugar in this recipe is honey (and the dark chocolate chunks but that doesn't count!)  These are so moist and delicious - you will love them!

MOCHA MUFFINS

adapted from Easy Flourless Muffins, Bars & Cookies by Amanda Drodzd

1 c. almond flour
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
3 T. instant espresso powder
2 T. ground golden flaxseed
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2 large eggs
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c. almond butter
6 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract (I use Mexican vanilla for anything that has a chocolate base)
1/2 c. coarsely chopped dark chocolate chunks (about a 3 oz bar)

Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare a muffin pan by lining with parchment paper baking cups.  Set aside.

Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, ground flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a large mixing bowl and mix well.  Add the eggs, applesauce, almond butter, honey and the vanilla extract.  Beat well on high for about a minute until things are well blended.  Fold in the dark chocolate chunks .

Fill the lined muffin cups with batter (I like to use an ice cream scoop - it keeps it neat and makes the muffins more uniform) and bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted ni the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then place on a wire rack to finish cooling.  These freeze really well too!!

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Floral Get Well - Power Poppy

I have been trying to embrace working more with digi images (aka digi stamps) and everytime I do - I just love them.  Two of my absolute FAVORITE COMPANIES are Power Poppy and Graciellie Design..  Be sure to check them out if you love beautiful floral and inspiring images.

This card uses a Power Poppy "freebie" - Kindness is the Way.  I used the image for the background which I printed on a mono laser printer and foiled in Deco Foil, and then cut out one of the floral images with the Silver Bullet Platinum and colored with pencils.  There are a lot of different products used on this card and I am so happy with the end result.

The sentiment uses a FoilStamp from Crafters Companion and is foiled on vellum.  I love foiling and use the FoilPress from Crafters Companion, laminating foil from Thermoweb, and the new WRMK foil quilling pen all used on this card (!) - I love foil!

It is hard to capture the beauty of foil, but I tried. You can see

the background images showing through in a subtle way.

I am still working hard at my coloring skills and I admit I have a long way to go, but it's all a journey - right?  The beautiful image is from Power Poppy and I used the print and cut through SCAL along with the Silver Bullet Platinum machine.  It cuts with such accuracy and I marvel at the flexibility it gives me.  I cut out the image after it is printed and then I color it just to be sure I don't wait to cut out a colored image and then do something careless and not get a good cut.  If that happens, it is user error and not the machine so I want to be sure I give myself the best chance for success!!

Cut out perfectly with the Silver Bullet Platinum

and colored with Spectrum Noir Pencils.

Still on the mat using the regular tip of the WRMK foil quilling pen

and champagne foil. This was done with the Silver Bullet Platinum

and as you can see, worked perfectly and beautifully.

Removed from the mat so you can see more detail but

it doesn't show the foil sheen as well.

Tried to angle this so some of the background foiling would show.

This is using the Thermoweb Amber Watercolour to give

a lovely array of colors.  I wish you could see it in person.

If you have not discovered digi stamps yet, I highly encourage you to give them a try - there are so many options.  And it is just so much fun to pretend to be an artist when I clearly am not!  But all of these amazing artists make us all strive to be more creative and I am grateful.

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