How's your Sketch Challenge coming?

Just a reminder that this months Second Saturday Challenge is a Pagemaps sketch. Hope to see your layouts. The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to the store.

You can see the sketch here.

Recipe For Happiness

Good afternoon, and happy Friday!  I'm a bit late getting my post up today, because we've had some big thunder boomers go through this morning, when that happens, I disconnect all my computers from the power, just to be on the safe side.  They're all plugged in to surge protectors, but I don't completely trust those things.  Anywho, between the storms, I've been cooking up a storm.  I've got 140 hot rolls made, the last of which are in the oven as I type, and this house smells sooooo GOOD!!  We've got a little 25th  anniversary celebration to attend, and I volunteered to make the rolls and punch for the event.  Such a wonderful thing to be celebrating, and I'm sure looking forward to it!  So, that brings me to my project for today.  When thinking about spending 25 years of wedded bliss together, one might think about what it takes to accomplish that, and I ran across this cute little poem one day that was entitled A Recipe For Happiness.  You can click on the picture to get a closer look, and read the poem more clearly.  

  I thought these special, but simple words would make a great addition to kitchen decor, so I decided to scrap this page and frame it.  I used the Recipe Box with Cards 4x6, and the Mixing Bowls Cottage Cutz dies, which are both from the In The Kitchen release at The Scrapping Cottage.  I cut the bowls with scraps of paper to match the accent piece on the page.  I decided I needed a table to set the bowls on, so I cut that from white card stock, and added an eyelet border with a punch.  A little added bonus was the stitched ribbon, which really makes it look real.  The paper is from the Nana's Kitchen collection from DCWV.  For the finishing touch, I added a little spatula brad.  I hope you like this as much as I do.  I think it's going to look really cute in the kitchen!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a wonderful day, a blessed weekend, and happy stamping!

Life is just a bowl of cherries

I love cherries. Love. All kinds - the eating kind, the pie kind, the paper and stamp kind. And these are no exception. Aren't they super cute!? From the Scrapping Cottage In the Kitchen release, I've used several dies and stamps to make this card. I think it looks good enough to eat!

This is the homemade tag with the matching stamp and computer printing all on one message.

I used two different dies, mixing bowl and oven mitt, and cherry stamp on this sweet embellishment.

For a finishing touch, I added a cute little spoon charm to the ribbon. I love charms - they are so .... charming! ;)

Thanks for visiting today. Hope you like my cheery - cherry card! :)

Creme Brulee French Toast and some Kitchen dies

Last week while I was on my scrappy retreat, one of my friends made this yummy recipe for breakfast. I got the recipe and typed it up and used my CottageCutz kitchen dies to make it look cute. I think I'm going to try it out on my family for Father's Day morning.

I used the Measuring Cup, Timer, Measuring Spoons and Bowls. There isn't too much cuter than these Kitchen release dies.

I just love the way the measuring cup looks after you stamp it with the measurements stamp that comes with the die. I shades around the edges with a dauber and some distress ink.

I added some little markings on my bowl with a stylus and some white acrylic paint.

It's so fun having these dies for my recipes, it just makes them come to life!

Have a great day!

Kay

I keep missing your Birthday

 My card for today is kind-a. . joke. . on the fact you never get the tail in the correct spot. I decided on a theme of ""I keep missing your Birthday"" Sorry!.  I seem to be doing that a lot lately. . .missing birthdays. I used two of the dies from the Cottage Cutz Birthday Collection. The Pin the Tail Donkey and the hat off the Birthday Peeker Bear die. I cut several tails and stuck them all over, including the inside.

 This is a work in progress, I took the Cottage Cutz Bowl die and used it to create a strainer. I used a 1/8" hole punch to create the holes in the bowl. I used the vegetables off the Cottage Cutz Cook Pot & Veggies die to fill the strainer. I decided on deep purple for the bowl because it seemed to show the wide color range of the veggies off. . . than all those colors popped on a cream table cloth (Martha Stewart edger punch) The Cottage Cutz Pot & Veggies die has a ton of really good veggies , you can build them up and overlay with a good color mix. I am not sure what I am going to do with it yet. . but will let you know!.

That's it for today. . Thanks Barry

More Cherries in the Kitchen

Hello everyone!  Happy Monday to you!  Today I have made a card using In the Kitchen Clear Stamps and Home Baked Clear Stamps.  I can't get enough of this fantastic release!  It is so versatile.

I used the tiny cherry stamp, again, to stamp the "valance" that was made with the doily border punch by Martha Stewart.  I stamped and colored the pie and oven mitts and cut them out.  A red gingham background and red with white polka dotted ribbon finish this cottage kitchen snippet perfectly.

Don't forget!  The second Scrapping Cottage challenge has been posted by Kay.  I hope to see many of you play along for a chance to win a $25.00 gift certificate.  Have a great day!

Hugs and smiles,
Janice

Cottage Blog Challenge #2

Welcome to the Cottage Blog Challenge #2

As mentioned last month we will have a challenge each month that will be posted on the second Saturday of the month. My challenge for June is a scrapbook challenge using this sketch from pagemaps.com (thanks Becky!)

Here are the rules:

You need to create a new layout 8x8 or larger that has an immediate likeness to the sketch below. You are welcome to rotate it any direction you would like.

You must include at least one CottageCutz die.

Here is my example using the CottageCutz Celebration Cake and Eyelet Edger die.
You will have until Friday, July 8th to enter.
Play along for your chance to win a $25.00 gift certificate to spend at The Scrapping Cottage store. Please use Mr. Linky to link to your project post, not just your blog. I'm excited to see your entries!
Challenge #2

Congratulations to the WINNER of our first Challenge

Good morning everyone.  We had 9 entries to our first challenge.  Thanks so much to all of you.  Random number generator picked #5 Jill Rugg.  Congratulations Jill!  Have fun shopping!  Hope to see you all for Challenge 2, hosted by Kay!  Have a great weekend to you all!

Yum, Yum!!!

Hello, happy Friday, and welcome to The Scrapping Cottage Blog!!  I didn't think I'd ever get here this morning, because my camera is giving me fits, and I couldn't get a good photo of my card for you today to save my soul!  I did finally get one, but it's a bit fuzzy, and I apologize in advance for that.  With that being said, here's what I have for you, and I hope that despite the bad photo, you can see and enjoy the adorableness of the whole thing!

There have been so many wonderful releases from The Scrapping Cottage, and I keep going back and forth between the birthday release and the in the kitchen release.  I can't decide which one I love more, so I guess back and forth I'll KEEP going!!  ;-)   I used the Mouse With Banana Split Cottage Cutz die, and cut this out with white cardstock.  I colored all the pieces with my Copics before assembling them.  The Yum, Yum! sentiment comes from the In The Kitchen clear stamps set.  I stamped it twice, slightly offset, and added the comma and exclamation mark with a marker in the same color as the ink I stamped with. 

Thanks for dropping by for a look today.  Have a wonderful day a blessed weekend, and if you're lucky, some happy scrapping/stamping, too!

   

What's cookin' ?

Have I mentioned how much I love this release? I'm a domestic goddess from the 50s and all these kitchen things are right up my alley! Totally in love. ;) So, from the In The Kitchen release , here is the cute Chef Chicken. Just saying that makes me laugh. A chicken that bakes chocolate chip muffins... LOL! Anyway, it's cute, don't you think. I used it with one of the mixing bowls just cuz those are cute too and I love them. LOL There are so many fun dies in this release. And there are clear stamps this release, as well as dies, and some dies that even come with stamps! Be sure to check them out.

Product list, project #1:
Pattern papers, Basic Grey Offbeat and October Afternoon Modern Homemaker
Bazzill cardstock
Scrapping Cottage dies, mixing bowl and chef chicken
Computer generated message

And this spice rack and measuring spoons are adorable, aren't they! The spoons come with stamps for tablespoon and teaspoon measurements, but also this super cute dash, pinch and smidgeon stamps. So cute! Spice rack comes with stamps for these spices and more. Have I mentioned how much I love this release?! 

Product list, project #2:

Scrapping Cottage spice rack die and stamp set

Scrapping Cottage tablespoons die and stamp set

Bazzill textured cardstock

Tim Holtz Distress inks

Thanks for looking. I'm in love with everything in this release. I hope you find something you can't live without! :)

Mixing up some Peanut Butter Brownies

This 4x4 Retro Mixer w/bowl die is as cute as these Peanut Butter Brownies are good!

I have said it before but I just love these dies!

Here is a close up.

When this post goes live I will be at a scrapbook retreat scrappin' away. This is my favorite part of summer. Hope you get have some fun plans this summer too!

Kay

Cherry Pie Bliss

Good morning Cottage Cutz fans!  There is still time to enter the first Scrapping Cottage Challenge for a chance to win a $25.00 gift certificate to The Scrapping Cottage Store.  We have had some wonderful entries!  You can read all the details here.  Kay will be posting challenge #2 on Saturday, June 11.
Now on to my card for today.  I used the cherry pie slice from the In The Kitchen Clear Stamps and the tiny cherry stamp from the Homemade Tag Clear Stamp.  I also used the Circles With Eyelets die for the cherry pie slices.  
I love to use stamps to create background papers.  For this card I used the tiny cherry stamp from the Homemade Tag Clear Stamp.  If you have been following me for awhile, you know that I love cherries.  I have made many cards with cherries on them and never grow tired of them.  When I lived in Wisconsin we used to go cherry picking.  YUM!!!  I have cherry decor in my kitchen, on plates and towels...... well you get the idea.

I stamped the pie slice three times and colored with Prismacolor colored pencils.  I cut the pie slices out and mounted them on the small circles from the circle eyelet die.  If I had known my final design of the card I probably would have stamped the slice onto the circles, although I do like the added dimension from cutting them out.  If I needed to make a lot of the same card, I think stamping directly to the circle would be the way to go.  The YUM sentiment is from the Kitchen Clear Stamps, and I used some ruffled black gingham ribbon to finish the card.  Thanks so much for having a look!
Hugs and smiles,Janice

More Fun In The Kitchen

Good morning!  Happy Friday to you, and I hope you've got a great weekend planned.  I've have something fun cooked up for you today with the In The Kitchen Release at The Scrapping Cottage.  I'm sure enjoying this release, and my recipe card collection is growing as a result.  I though I would share this wonderful recipe for Gooey Butterscotch Rolls with you.  They are easy to make and SO DELICIOUS.  I hope you  like them as much as we do.  You can click on the picture to see a larger version that's easier to read.

For this 8x8 recipe card, I used the Measuring Cup 3x3 and the Measuring Spoons 4x4 Cottage Cutz dies.  Both of these wonderful dies come with stamps for adding the fine details like the measurements on the cup, and the spoon sizes on the measuring spoons.  What a fabulous idea, and one that allows so much creativity!  I LOVE them!!!!!!  I cut the spoons in silver metallic paper, and did some shading with my Copic markers.  The measuring cup was cut with white card stock, and shaded with Copics, then stamped with red ink.  As a finishing touch for the measuring cup, I cut another one in clear acetate and overlayed it onto the first die cut.  You can't see it in the photo, but it looks shiny.  Just like a real glass measuring cup!!  So cool!!!!

Have a blessed day, and happy scrapping!!!

White or Wheat?

Is there anything that smells better than fresh baked bread?? Well, maybe a few things, but this has got to be one of my favorite smells. I took a class a couple of years ago and learned to make fresh homemade bread from start to finish in an hour, yes really.

I was excited to get this 4x4 Bread die because I knew just what I was going to use it for.

I love that I can use just the bread board, loaf of bread and knife alone or together.

I'm just loving that I'm getting more of my recipes done with these new dies!

Now go bake some bread for dinner tonight :)

Kay

Simple Recipe Book as a Gift

 This week I am using some of the Cottage Cutz Kitchen Collection of dies to make a simple Recipe Book. I use the simple 4" x 6" albums that retail for about $1.99. They come with a removable front and back cover, all you do is slide the old one out. Than replace with your own covers. They have twelve two sided pages. all you need to do is about twelve pages and they will have additional pages to add more recipes.

 On the cover you see I used the Cottage Cutz Apple Pie die. I selected the criss-cross pie top (the die has two pie tops to choose from). As you can see I gave you the Copic color numbers for the colors that I selected to highlight the card stock. At the top of the chart I made tiles of all the colors of card stock that was used.  I tried to stay in the Black/Red/White theme. . the silver/cream and brown of the kitchen utensils worked in well.

 This is one of the two pages that I have shown you today. This page I used the Cottage Cutz Crock with Utensils die. I wanted to stay in the Black/Red/White color group so the crock is red (so I added the heart as a embossed item to the crock, by using the Copic highlights of darker red behind the heart). On each page I ran a black polka dot paper as a pocket. I only attached the black  paper at the outer edge, so there is a slot to slide the recipe card under. All the die cuts and borders are attached to the black. so the card will slide under all the over lapping die cut designs. 

 You can switch the border throughout the book from any of the four sides. This not only adds contrast to the designs, but also allows the book to stack flat because not all the thickness of the card stock designs are on one side of the book. This is always an issue when designing an album. How do I keep the level of the album?. . You alternate the added thickness of embellishments!!! The pages all fit a 3" x 5" index cars (shown here in white).

Think about doing a baby album this way. If you start with 12 TO 24. .  4" X 6" card stock pages and a 4 1/4" X 6" cover & back. Than place the photos or journaling cards under your embellishments. . . You can work on the pages all at once and WHIP those mini albums out . . just in time. . for Christmas gifts.
  Thanks Barry