The Shadows Will Fall Behind You

Happy Independence Day!! If you've visited me in July you know that this is one of my favorite holidays for oh so many reasons.

This is the first year I will not see our awesome neighborhood 4th of July parade, but I have an important obligation today.

I am the official photographer for the Fiedler-Boeselt Chili Wars.

These chili wars are really an embarrassing and scandalous tale of cheating, judge bribing, and just flat out fraud. The trophy has been passed from one undeserving cook to another, eluding the REAL winners.

And I think you know who the REAL winners are. Or should be. The intrigue rivals a good Downton Abbey episode, except hotter, and with Fritos.


So this holiday weekend, we are hoping that a sense of patriotism and the overwhelmingly positive influence of the American way will guide our judges to the CORRECT decision. If not, we have lured them to an undisclosed location with no exit and they will be at our mercy. So there's that.

America is, after all, the story of the power of optimism. We will let those dark, dark, chili shadows fall behind us on this sacred day and move forward to victory!

Today is ALSO the Mix-Ability challenge at Splitcoast and it's called "I Love a Parade" - oh the irony of my first parade-free 4th! But what she wanted us to do is show something that appears multiple times. I chose balloons, which I made with my Dots & Stripes stencil, sponge daubers and Real Red, Smoky Slate and Tempting Turquoise ink. After I sponged the balloons, I stamped through the stencil with the background from Calling All Heroes and White Craft Ink. Then, I drew the strings using a really light touch and a pencil. I had tried this using a black marker and it was too heavy - I wanted the strings to be very light and the little mechanical pencil was perfect. BTW, I HATE normal pencils - they freak me out for some reason - I only like colored pencils - but I do own about 30 of these and I love them when I HAVE to use a pencil.

Then I added a greeting I thought was perfect for today - from the Ray of Sunshine set.

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Speaking of rays of sunshine - I have a ray of sunshine for you! If you are one of my demonstrator friends, you might like a tool I built for me and my downline - it's a link generator! It will save you that step of adding &dbwsdemoid=XXXXX to all your product links (and risking a typo - ask me how I know) so that they go right to your store. 

See the tab at the top that says Link Generator? Click that and see what it's all about! Once you find the product you want, click Ctrl+C when you're on the cell with the link in it and BOOM. :)

This is a no-strings attached free gift from your favorite spreadsheet nerd - enjoy! :)

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Now - on to the important work of the day - BE GONE CHILI SHADOWS - GET THEE BEHIND US!! God Bless America!!

Loveyameanitbye.

My Stifled City Girl

I went to college in New York. Upstate, but we'd sneak down to Manhattan every now and then when we'd deprived ourselves of Ben & Jerry's for a week or two and saved up the $19 it took to get one of those crazy People's Express flights.

I know big cities aren't for everyone. Most of the time, they're not even for me. But every now and then I do miss Gotham. One of the greatest things about New York is that it is possible to be by yourself for days on end in huge crowds of people. It's sort of like the internet that way - you get all of the excitement and weirdness of this big sea of humanity, but without ever having to talk to anyone.

And the water in New York is acceptable too for this water-averse human. It seems sort of civilized and tamed down there at the lower end. I love that feeling you get when your view opens up to the Statue of Liberty and you feel like you've walked to the edge of the earth. SO MUCH STUFF and then nothing.

So when I FINALLY got to bust out Calling all Heroes, I knew what MUST be done. Is this not the cutest??

The first card I made with this set was super graphic and cute (can't show you until convention) in the style of the set, but the card I made with my heart was a little different. :)

I outright stole this technique from my sister. We were in an India Ink painting class this month and she was making all these cool landscapes by folding up the bottom of her paper onto her wet painting to get a reflection. She got some amazing results and I know I had to try it with this beautiful little cityscape.

First, I scored the watercolor paper. Oh - and I could not get this to work with cold press watercolor paper. No matter how much water, ink etc. I tried, it wouldn't transfer. So I ended up using hot press Fabriano. I even tried it with regular cardstock and no dice.

Next, I masked off above the fold with Post-It masking tape. Then I inked up my stamp in Tempting Turquoise. Using a sponge dauber, I dabbed Blackberry Bliss all over the stamp randomly. Then I sprayed the bottom half of the paper with water, stamped the image on top and folded the stamped image down into the water and burnished it. When I opened the card, this is what I saw.

 

 

Well almost - I went back in with an aquapainter and added some Daffodil Delight. 

Cool, eh? Easier than some other reflection techniques too.

If you want to get this set, you better hurry - it's a while supplies last set.

 

Hope all you city people like it as much as I do. :)

Loveyameanitbye.

Enjoying The Fiddly Bits

Normally, I do not enjoy making boxes, cards with funky folds, etc. I much prefer that blank canvas of a pure white FLAT piece of paper. My mind works in that size & dimension best.

However, I have been lured to the dark side by those adorable pop-up card boxes. I had my class today and that is what we made - and I have never had so much fun making something with a bunch of little fiddly bits. I was SQUEEing when I was putting the flingy things on there - and I had to squee quietly because it was late at night and I was the only one awake.

This thing is EASY and fun. I can't believe (even though I've made two now) that the darn thing folds flat and goes into an envelope - seriously - FLAT. Crazy, man. Just crazy.

The tutorial is for a larger box than mine, but I used the alternate measurement below the main tutorial for one that fits in an A2 envelope. There are two versions that will fit in an A2 - one like mine, and a cute squatty one. The butterflies are from Best of Butterflies with the butterfly punch, and the bird punch for the leaves. The greeting is from Hi There, with the small scallop punch. The base of the box is Basic Black and I used Back to Black DSP - some of the girls alternated the patterns on their boxes and those were ADORABLE.

We had a ball making these together. Love starting my weekend crafting with my ladies.

Loveyameanitbye.

Round and Round

So I admit that I have serious shiny squirrel syndrome.

But I'd also like to point out that the world GIVES ME shiny squirrel syndrome.

Today was the perfect example.

I wanted to make my awesome Thai coconut curry soup. So I load up my grocery list with the ingredients and head to Whole Foods.

Once inside, I get distracted. There are some awesome avocados, a wine tasting, new cold brew coffee I've never seen and the CHEESE people! All the cheese! So even though I have my Grocery IQ app to keep me focused on the list, I still forgot the ONE THING I really needed for what I was going to cook tonight - rice noodles.

I get home and unpack and realize my error. No way do I have time to go to the store after all the distractions, so I thought I'd spend five minutes searching the pantry because I had a vague memory of owning some rice noodles and I thought I'd get lucky.

So I start searching the pantry. And here's what happened. First - I find three containers of arborio rice that are each 1/3 full. I combine those and throw away the extra containers. Second - I discover we have 80 metric tons of quinoa  - I consolidate that. Then - I find a bag of sugar that I can put into our sugar container. And rice that I can put into our rice container.

Finally, I see something that looks like a rice noodle box, but there's a box of lasagna noodles in the way - I grab it, and unfortunately, the box is open, and as I'm moving it, lasagna noodles are shooting into my face and then down into every crack and crevice of the pantry.

So then I have to clean all that up and before you know it, 45 minutes have vanished without a trace!

The good news is, I did find the rice noodles, but I was way too worn out to wash all the veggies and then make the soup, so I ended up having a tuna melt.

SQUIRREL! 

Today I'm hosting the Mix-Ability challenge on Splitcoast, and I decided to stick with the chasing my tail theme and call it "Round and Round." The challenge is to use this fun painted circles tutorial with ink /and acrylic paint for an abstract background. I chose the Typeset paper for my background, and then I used an aquapainter and Tempting Turquoise, Strawberry Slush and Daffodil Delight reinkers to paint loose circles. The last step is to take a paper towel roll dipped in black paint and use that as a stamp to give a little definition. Fun eh? I finished it off with the Work of Art stamp set.

If you play along, please use keyword MIX73.

And to reward you for visiting me today, here's the soup recipe (modified slightly from this recipe), which I will now make today, barring getting an unexpected face full of lasagne noodles. I'm making it without the chicken.

Thai Coconut Curry Soup

Ingredients

Two 14 oz (398 mL) cans of premium coconut milk

1 heaping tablespoon (15 mL) of Thai curry paste

Roots of 1 bunch of cilantro, rinsed well

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced (or leave out)

2 cups (500 mL) of chicken broth

2 TBS Ponzu or hoisin

Lemongrass paste  - this is by Gourmet Garden - usually with the fresh herbs.

Zest and juice of 2 limes

A small knob of frozen ginger

One 8 oz (225 g) package of rice noodles

Leaves of 1 bunch of cilantro, rinsed well

2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced

A sprinkle or two of salt or soy sauce

Directions

1. Scoop the thick coconut cream from the top of just one of the cans into a large stockpot set over a medium-high heat. Melt the cream, add the curry paste and stir for a few minutes until they begin to sizzle.

2. Add the cilantro roots and chicken and sauté until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the coconut juice from the first can and all the contents of the second can along with the chicken broth, lemon grass paste, and lime zest and juice. Grate the frozen ginger into the broth with a Microplane grater or standard box grater. Simmer for 20 minutes or so.

4. Add the rice noodles, gently pushing them beneath the surface of the broth. Turn off the heat and let stand until the noodles soften, about 5 minutes. Rice noodles don’t need to simmer like pasta to cook; they simply need to rehydrate in the hot liquid.

5. Stir in most of the cilantro leaves. Taste and season with a touch more salt (or soy sauce) as needed. Ladle into large bowls and garnish with the green onions and remaining cilantro leaves.

FYI - I am lowering the capacity on the Love What You Have class for the retreat because of a supply limitation, so if you have not signed up yet, I'd do so this week.

LoveyameanitSQUIRREL.

Polarizing Craft Supplies

I was watching a Laura Bassen tutorial the other day and she mentioned how polarizing glitter can be - my words, not hers.

She said it's one of those things that people either love or hate.

Sort of like Miracle Whip.

I have concluded that glitter is the Miracle Whip of the papercrafting industry.

Now, I think Miracle Whip is the work of the devil, but I LOVE glitter.

I am sad for the people who hate it. I try to buy their share of glitter whenever I can to keep them from experiencing any unpleasantness. I'm selfless like that.

One of my most favorite glittery cards I've ever made has lain dormant in my draft posts since last summer's Dare to Get Dirty challenge and I'm so ashamed I never let it shine its little light out in the world. So I present to you - UBER GLITTERY DAHLIA!

My camera, the soul sucking beast that it is, makes my glitter look boring straight on, as you can see below.

Coastal Cabana and Daffodil Delight are pretty together, eh? That's the Chevron background stamp.

Where do you fall on the glitter divide? For or against?

And I guess, while we're at it - what is your opinion on Miracle Whip?

(steps away while the internet explodes)

Loveyameanitbye.

Are You Smarter Than a Jackrabbit?

I was driving home the other day and saw something that never ceases to amaze me.

We are now in the full on throes of summer where it's hotter than the surface of the sun. (Which I love, by the way.) Texans sort of reverse hibernate in the summer. You only see us out in the environment early in the morning, after sundown or in cars or buildings. Only crazy people hang out outside in the afternoon.

So I saw a crazy person.

Not JUST outside when it was 8,000 degrees. Not just JOGGING at 3 in the afternoon when it was 8,000 degrees. But outside, SHIRTLESS and jogging at 3 in the afternoon when it was 8,000 degrees. I could feel his organ failure and the melanoma from inside my car.

Dear people of earth - the closer you are to the equator, the meaner the sun is. And don't exert yourself when it's 8,000 degrees. I highly recommend a trip to the Mojave. You will marvel at the complete lack of living things in the desert. UNTIL THE SUN GOES DOWN.

If you aren't smarter than a lizard or a jackrabbit, I can't really offer you any help. I want to, but I think you're past it. You have damaged your brain with your hot jogging.

So on that note, I decided to take inspiration from the VSN Challenges at Splitcoast. The challenge I used was the campfire challenge.

I colored this in a backyard happy hour session and first masked off my watercolor paper with artist tape. then I watercolored the rest and removed the mask. I love making those little scenes.

The flower is from Bloom With Hope and greeting is from the new Hi There set which I'm stamping all over everything.

 I'm packing up the boxes for the retreat - are you coming? There's a lot of crafty goodness about to get shipped to Salt Lake :)

Loveyameanitbye.

Feeling Crabby?

I saw this little crab from Sea Street at the Catalog Premiere and nearly died from the cuteness!

This was one of those moments where that little voice (hear this in Tom Selleck's voice) told me not to buy a stamp set for one image, and a moment later, I smacked that voice in the MOUTH!!

Today's Mix-Ability challenge is all about SAND. It is summer, after all, and our hostess Tiffany does live on the coast.

Luckily, I am in posession of the new Dazzling Diamonds glimmer paper  - WHAT? Yes, Dazzling Diamonds glimmer paper.

And I am an American, and I have every right to spray that paper with a mixture of alcohol and Baked Brown Sugar for a mixed media challenge.

And I have a right to put a crab on it.

No way can anyone be crabby looking at that little dude. We'll be making this card at my class tomorrow if you're coming!

Zentangling Mania!

In preparation for the retreat, I've been zentangling like crazy! Our master zentangler, Melanie, will be showing you the real deal and some of her incredible tangle patterns, but me - the little baby zentangler, I decided to do it in a safe place - namely a stamp.

I know you've been seeing Blended Bloom all beautifully done up with Blendabilities, but how about THESE apples?

It's a perfect tangle canvas isn't it? I love how graphic and crisp it is - the petals are the PERFECT size.

I just so happened to do the weekly tutorial yesterday on Splitcoast, so here's my video for you - I really hope you try it and then come for an advanced lesson in July!

Loveyameanitbye.

Firefly Alert!!

It's my turn to host this month's Challenge Chicks challenge and I decided it would be based on another blast from my past - catching fireflies.

I remember magical twilights catching fireflies in a jar with my Aunt Julia (a redhead, lucky woman - where did THOSE genes go?) in Maryland.

Fireflies are one of those natural wonders that make you think anything is possible when you are little. If a bug can fly around with a light on its hiney, why CAN'T you dig a hole in your yard that goes to China? And why do you get in huge trouble when you try? (Ask me how I know).

They really are magical.

Sadly, thanks to Scott's Weed & Feed and other commonly used landscape poisons, fireflies are mostly gone from Central Texas. If you get far enough away from Home Depot infested lawns, you can still see them in the country, but gone are the days where our yards light up in the evening with these enchanting creatures. If I could find a way (other than blogging about it) to shut down Scott's, I most certainly would. These products also kill birds, fish, and I'm quite sure, us. (End of rant.)

Luckily, I live in a neighborhood where most people understand these products are a terrible idea. And the other day - out in the hill country, Texas Parks & Wildlife reported a firefly sighting! I hope I'll see them again someday.

So today's card is an homage to my lovely red-headed aunt and those magical little beasts, in the abstract. I'm using some sneaky peekies from the catalog, which goes live tomorrow - SQUEE! :) I'm so excited about that that MY butt might light up!! :)

Photo Credit: Leave No Trace: In Search of Fireflies

If you play along with the challenge this month, be sure and use the keyword CHXJUN14 when uploading to Splitcoast so we can find you!

Loveyameanitbye.

Remembrances of Glues Past...

I think kids had more free time when I was little.

I was contemplating today's Mix-Ability challenge yesterday and since the challenge is to design with glue, I had a pleasant flashback to elementary school and the beginning of my love affair with glue.

I know that Elmer's Paste is too pedestrian a subject to conjure up Marcel Proust with, but the fact of the matter is that the smell of that paste can instantly transport me back to Sul Ross Elementary. That yummy, pepperminty scent, and the delightful, soft texture of it. I have zero memories of the projects we made with the paste, but I vividly remember the paste. I thought it was SO amazing learning you could STICK things to things. Sometimes when I pass the school supply aisle I'm tempted to buy it just for nostalgia's sake.

I remember in later grades graduating to "real" Elmer's glue. The white glue that I love to this day. It also has a strangely pleasant, if not edible smell.

I remember - please tell me I'm not the only one - discovering that if you got it all over your hand, you could peel it off in one big sheet, and how, for some reason, that was endlessly entertaining. I also remember doing this a LOT in school. We must have had some nice quiet time back then where we were not being badgered, if I can remember a lot of times where I had the luxury of putting glue on my fingers and letting it dry. I'm glad we did. When I started reading Nancy Drew, I noticed what perfect fingerprints it made, which might have led to my obsession with forensic science.

Now, I don't go a day without using glue - are there people who don't? People who have an old bottle of glue, unloved and dry in a drawer? I should set up an outreach. An evangelical organization to reveal the wonders of glue to people whose sad souls are glueless.

So Birgit's challenge spoke to the kid in me. I took my grown-up glue - Tombow Mono Multi - and just wrote "hi" on a piece of watercolor paper. (I orginially tried this with glossy cardstock and alcohol ink and I didn't like it.) I waited for it to dry (thank you Breaking Bad, for being there for me in moments like this) and then sprayed the paper with water and dropped Tempting Turquoise, Orchid Opulence and Green Galore re-inkers on it. Then I let that dry overnight and cleaned the ink off the glue with a Q-tip®. The background was made with the Stylish Stripes embossing folder and added some sequins.

Other than that, I've been busy making samples for the Unwind Retreat - you are going to love it! We are also giving away one of our helper aprons to a lucky winner - a zentangle apron, of course - handmade by the incredibly talented Melanie Hopes, the zentangle and sewing BOSS. :)

See you soon! :)

Dirty Pioneers

You know how everyone is always going on and on about people who paved the way for us in one way or another?

Like the people who settled the American West, the suffragettes, blah, blah, blah.

I'm not saying those things aren't awesome, but there's a group of humans who were MUCH tougher than anyone who got through the Donner Pass on an admittedly tough trip, or over the Continental Divide in a wagon with no coffee.

I'm talking about the squillions of generations of people who never got to take a shower. I call them the Dirty Pioneers.

When I reflect on what sort of mental fortitude it must have taken to lurch around one's cave, or even survive in a castle in a corset, a dress and possibly a very stinky wig without being able to take a MINIMUM of one hot shower a day, I realize that I could not have survived that.

I would have definitely started drinking laudanum by age four under those circumstances. Give me a tough hike, a snowstorm and a cannibal any day as long as there's a shower waiting for me.

Also, it's reason number 38 squillion I'm not in the military.


Speaking of water, I've been practicing watercolor for a project we're doing at the retreat. Thanks to a nifty tip from +Jennifer McGuire, I found something that improves the process immensely. My cup of brush water was always a pain. For one thing, I have frequently taken a drink from it by mistake. That's fun. But also, it gets dirty so quickly and I find myself stopping often to change it out, which really disrupts the flow of my work. She uses a little craft locker that has lids on the wells, so that kids/pets don't bump it and spill it. I don't really need the lids, so I just bought some cheap ice cube trays and labeled the sides with each of my color names with a Sharpie:

Cool & simple! After I use a color, I swish it in that color water, and then in the well with clean water in it - it's awesome and saves so much time and headache. And I have yet to drink out of the ice cube tray :).

During one of my backyard coloring sessions, I played with Bloom With Hope and the no-line technique with my Koi watercolor set.  The background was made with drywall tape.

Mel said she wanted this one, so it's in the mail!

Go forth and enjoy some hot running water, some cold running water, or some pretty colored water in an ice cube tray and be glad you weren't a Dirty Pioneer!

Loveyameanitbye.