Color Pages ~ Stain Glass

A couple of years ago, Greg and I stayed at The Moondance Inn located in Red Wing, Minnesota.  I snapped a picture of the stained glass lamp located in the front foyer.  Using the colored glass as a guide, here are the Creative Memories card stock I selected to scrap book the pictures.



 
 

Cactus

Sea Glass

Honeydew

Yellow

Cranberry

"Life is Too Short for Beige"

Stacy Julian loves color and she has a blog called, "Life is Too Short for Beige."  Whenever I am stuck on a color scheme, I will adventure to Stacy's link to obtain some great color ideas.

Since I was looking for colors to use with pink, I searched through pictures of flowers captured on my camera last summer. Catching my eye was a water lily gently floating on a pond at Winter Greenhouse.  Kay and Russ were visiting us and they loved the colors, so I snapped a picture.  Here is the water lily and scroll down for the Creative Memories Cardstock I picked for my scrap book page...

Taffy

Pink Lemonade

Yellow

Black

 Butter 

 

Sew it All Magazine

Sew It All Magazine
Just found a new magazine called, Sew it All.  Great site for sewing projects and patterns.

Home in the Garden

Thank You Card: Faux Linen

I learned this technique from Bobbi Jo V. a Close to My Heart Consultant.  Bobbi Jo found the idea on Split Coast Stampers: Faux Linen Technique.  Using photo paper, a thank you stamp, and black CTMH ink, stamp the words "Thank You" over the entire photo paper.  A card size stamp with a verse or over-all design works great too!  Once the ink is dry,  gently sand horizontally and vertically until all the gloss is gone.  Next, using a sponge, apply a light colored ink to the sanded photo paper.  Gently sand again.  After selecting a flower stamp, finish the card by stamping on the design, adding a ribbon, and adhering the photo paper to the card.

Snap Happy!

Love this bag!  Stitchin' Sisters from Fall Creek, WI created the pattern called, Snap Happy.  http://stitchinsis.com/  What is fun about the bag is the closure...a metal measuring tape is inserted into the casing, so that the bag closes shut.  Can't wait to give this bag to a friend who ran (and finished) her first 5K.

Making Jams and Jellies

Summer is here...the strawberries are looking beautiful in Wisconsin!  Here's a picture of the strawberries Megan, my daughter-in-law, picked a couple of weeks ago.  Hmmm...I wonder if the wild blueberries are also abundant this year?

For those of you who are interested in making jams and jellies, here is an excellent resources from the University of Wisconsin ~ Cooperative Extension Agency.  I like this preserving guide, because it is an up-to-date resource concentrating on food safety.  One safety tip is to not use paraffin wax on top of jelly jars, this process can lead to food poisoning.  Instead use the boiling water canning method, which is easy to do.  The Ball Canning Book is another great resource.  Have fun canning!!!

http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Assets/pdfs/B2909.pdf

   

Memories of Day Two at the Savory Spoon

Just finished shopping for groceries.  Can't wait to prepare some of the recipes from  the Southwestern Class at the Savory Spoon.  What did we cook this time?  Well, my cooking partner was Cathy, one of the owners of Sweetie Pie in Fish Creek and we prepared Papaya Poached in Cinnamon Lime Syrup served with a Mexican Shortbread.  (I did some searching to find a recipe that was close to the one prepared in class...Papaya Poached in Cinnamon Lime Syrup.)   Additional items on the menu were Salmon Cilantro Eggs Benedict, Iced Mexican Chocolate Coffee, Creamy Shrimp Nachos, Roasted Onions Stuffed with Cheese & Cilantro Pesto, and Mexican Green Chili Spoon Bread.  Another great class!

Wild About Salmon

Savory Spoon Cooking School was a Delicious Treat

For those of you who know me, I am not a fan of salmon.  Oh...trust me I have tried to like salmon, because it is a healthy food.  Sadly and without much success, I haven't acquired a taste for salmon.  Way too "fishy" for my liking.

In hopes of finding the perfect recipe, I attended the Savory Spoon Cooking School in Ellison Bay, WI.  The class of choice was called, "Wild About Salmon" with visiting chef Mike Mead sharing his culinary expertise.  On the menu was poached, grilled, and fried salmon.  So, what is the secret to making salmon taste good?  (I am a skeptic.)  I soon learned it was not just plain ol' butter, but whipped butter seasoned with sun dried tomatoes or Vermouth or berries or citrus...the list goes on.

Mike Mead doesn't stop with compound butters, he also prepared the Norwegian Farm Raised Salmon with a vodka cream sauce served over homemade pasta.  (Yes, this was my favorite!)  In addition to the pasta dish, members of the cooking class enjoyed grilled salmon fillets on top of a delicious mixed green salad with lemon sauce as the final garnish.  I learned the secret to liking salmon is the ingredients that accompanies the fish.

Attending the Savory Spoon Cooking School was a pleasant and educational experience.  Janice Thomas, the owner, chef, and instructor has a great personality and she is well organized.  It is clever how Janice changes the classroom into a kitchen and finally into a dining area. Mike Mead makes cooking fun, while he shares valuable cooking tips.  Can't wait to dine at the Shoreline Restaurant where Mike is the chef & owner.

Finally I can say, "I like salmon."  Looks like I will be experimenting this summer with adapting the recipes for my high school students, so they can enjoy this healthy fish too.  Thanks Janice and Mike!

I can't wait to attend tomorrow's cooking class, "Southwest Sensation." 

Follow the Nothing Fancy eCookbook tab for recipes. 

Free On-Line Book

Learning to Scrapbook  Click on the link to find more information from Scrapbook.com on how you can receive Jill Davis's book.  What fun to receive scrapbooking lessons each morning for 24 days!  I am interested in Lesson 13 on Journaling...hope there are some helpful suggestions.  What are your favorite scrapbooking tips?  My favorite would be the Cricut Cartridge Storage Ideas that I posted on Saturday, June 12th.  

Nick Kelsh

I

In the book, How to Photograph Your Life by Nick Kelsh provides information on "cropping in to the flower as close as your camera will allow."  Here's my attempt of following Nick's advise.  What do you think?

Graduation Time!

Every year I enjoy creating graduation cards. This year I had many of ideas in mind, but with being a senior class adviser I needed to design a simple card that could be put together in one night. This card was fun to do and very easy. Hope you enjoy!