You're a Star - REALLY

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Happy Caturday! I learned this week that cats can SMELL your central nervous system! I'm sure dogs can too. But little changes in your hormones and nervous system - they can smell them! It explains a big mystery I've always wondered about. My kitties FREAK OUT and paw my face when I have a laughing fit! They think I'm crying. Which tells me the hormonal changes in laughing and crying must be the same. Fascinating. Makes it hard to watch funny shows though. They literally jump on me and meow and paw my face and are so stressed out. I wonder if it's the smell of tears, because I cry when I laugh. 

My Nobel prize awaits, I'm sure. 

Anyway, I used to tell my dad all my kitties' quirks - he loved those stories. And so I thought about him when I was making the cards I'll show you on Monday from the Hero Arts kit, because they are all space-themed, and no one knew more about celestial things than my dad. 

Here's a little peek. Somehow I made this card extremely hard to photograph. So I have another view you can see below with the cloud detail a little better.

The other thing that made me think of my dad is this Peter Max style background - it's so fun and has a coloring book style that I love and is sort of retro.

I used a foil background, because - you know - SPACE. 

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Here's the better view of the cut/emboss cloud dies.

I'm running around doing all sorts of things this weekend, including painting some cabinets.

Prayers appreciated LOL.

Have a great weekend. I'll see you Monday. 

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VIDEO: Mixed Media Double Shimmer Technique - Splitcoaststampers

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The first tutorial for Falliday Fest was phenomenal! I'm normally busy working on moving the challenge cards, working on the challenge forum, etc. so I don't always have time to do the tutorials DURING the challenge - I usually try them afterwards in the catch-up period, but this one - I had to try it! Also, as you'll hear in the video, it justified me hanging onto some of my very oldest craft supplies! Wait until you hear how old!

The original tutorial is here and it's STUNNING. I looked around to see what I could use aside from trees because I didn't feel like I could approach how beautiful hers was, so I decided - 'tis the season - why not a poinsettia? I used this poinsettia die, and I cut it from Parsley and Ballet Slipper cardstocks. The items you will see in the video are pigment powders and gilding flakes and two-way glue, as well as a little scrubby finishing tool. The background I made with a snowflake cover die and gold gem stickers, and the sentiment is from this set.

If you want to make a bunch of these, I recommend adding the glue to multiples all at once - as you will see in the video - it dries really fast, but I think assembling multiples would be so much easier if they were all coated with glue at the same time. 

Man, I had fun doing this. If you want to try it, it's the inspiration for the MIX-Ability challenge this week too! Just use keyword MIX514 in the gallery or on social media.

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Here's the video:

Did you see the amazing cookie recipe Jen Timko shared with me? If not, you MUST try it. It's SO delicious! Note her instructions!

Here is the recipe.

Loveyameanitbye.

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VIDEO: Drop Shadowing with Layering Die Cuts + Falliday Fest

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It's Falliday Fest time at Splitcoast! We kicked off our two weeks of challenges and tutorials today, so I hope you join us. It's going to be a creative two weeks!

Today, you're getting a sneak peek of the final challenge of the event on the 9th - but there's a twist. And I'm going to torture you by not telling you anything about the challenge - just showing you the card. I'm mean like that! 

Thanksgiving was very quiet, as it's been for a few years. We did a small prime rib roast with a few favorite sides. The best part was - no leftovers! I know that sounds like heresy, but I hate the fridge we bought a few years ago - the configuration is stupid and it doesn't leave a ton of room outside of condiments and staples for leftovers. So if I do have leftovers, they go straight into the freezer. I still have a bit of leftover fried rice, some wings from the weekend and stuff to eat for several days without cooking. 

Speaking of wings, which I LOVE as an upstate NY native - it's basically the only thing I ate in college - I have a recipe for you at the end that is SO VERY GOOD. 

I wanted to show how I like to create drop shadows easily with simple ink blended layering die cuts. This card features my wavy dotted cover plate, these poppy dies and a sentiment from this beachy set.

The background uses Sea Glass ink, and the inks I used for the poppy are: Red Hot, Wild Dandelion, Fresh Asparagus, Licorice and Rocky Slope. I finished with these iridescent rainbow gems.

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Here's the video!

Now I posted the recipe for some BBQ Korean wings at this post, but the real star of that recipe is the Kimchi ranch! This weekend we made classic Buffalo wings (with the extra-hot Franks) and this ranch is SO good with them too! You MUST make it. Now I'm very fish-averse, so I get the vegan kimchi - if you're in Austin, I love the locally made Casper Fermentables vegan kimchi. If not, I also use WildBrine vegan kimchi - so yummy.

It's super easy - just blend up the following.

Kimchi Ranch:

• 1/2 cup kimchi

• 1/2 cup Kewpie mayo

• 1/2 cup sour cream I used Kite Hill vegan sour cream

• 1/4 cup tbsp green onion, minced

I hope you have a great week and come join us for our challenges!

Loveyameanitbye.

CURRENT COUPON CODES
20% off anything at Glassboard Studio  - UNDERSTANDBLUE.

10% off anything at OLO MARKER
15% off anything at Marker Universe or any of their other sites - Understandblue15.
10% off at Sweet Sentiment with code UNDERSTANDBLUE
10% off the whole store at A Colorful Life Designs - LydiaFan10
5% off at LBC here with code LYDIA5
Arkon Mounts - 20% off sitewide with code UNDERSTANDBLUE