Saturday, August 29, 2009

Banana Bread Recipe

My dork sister, Leona, asked for a banana bread recipe. I have two really good ones to share. The first is one using bisquick. It is more of a bread/cake, but I still make it as a bread. Adding chocolate chips makes it really yummy. The second is a more traditional banana bread and my family loves it.

Banana Bread
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
6 black bananas
2 eggs
6 cups of bisquick
**add more milk as necessary to get it at the right consistency.

mix together and pour into 3-4 bread pans. Bake 350 for 1 hour or until done.


Banana Bread
Ladies Home Journal
October 2008

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas
3 tbsp milk
1/2 cup tsp vanilla

mix together. Pour into loaf pan. Bake 350 for 1 hour.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Blog candy, blog candy!

My new dork sister, Joyce, has blog candy to give away!!!
go here to take a look.

Thanks, Joyce!!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Slide Slider Card


This is my final card using the Hanging Out stamp set by Clear Dollar Stamps. I had this idea that wouldn't it be cool to have a card that just kept on going? Don't we all feel frustrated with the amount of laundry we do daily and weekly? No matter how much we do there is always more. That was the feeling I was trying to get across in this card. I got the idea to make a slider card inside a slider card after seeing a birthday card invitation my BIL's girlfriend showed me. There isn't a tutorial (that I am aware of) so, after looking at the pictures she sent me, I winged it. I am calling it a slide slider card for a lack of a better definition.
I paper pierced most of the clothes. When I got tired of cutting itty bitty clothes out I resorted to markers and just colored the images in.
I used my computer to type the sentiment (although "Hang in there" is part of the stamp set) so that both ends with words would match in typing. The third panel is the wording I added.
I sponged the sky, added a sun and some ribbon. I love, love this card. I hope you enjoy it and make one yourself!!


Here is the second panel pulled out. Notice the care I took to make sure my designer paper lined up and my clothes line lined up!! UGH! Look at all of that laundry!



The final panel pulled out. Doesn't it feel like that sometimes??? You will see there is a mix match of socks. I did that on purpose because some socks just seem to go to heaven and we never find the mate. Peggysue, I made the purple ones on the right hand side with you in mind. They remind me of some of the sock yarn we use.

Stamps: Hanging Out by Clear Dollar Stamps
CS and Paper: Various scraps of patterened paper, green galore, garden green and white
ink: Stazon black, bashful blue
markers: ballet blue, pretty in pink, black, orange, elegant eggplant, mellow moss, yoyo yellow, blue
accessories and embellishments: scalloped punch, circle punch, ribbon, tag punch, computer/printer
coloring medium: markers
special technique: slide slider card, paper piercing, sponging

Well, my followers, with this card I have completed my stay as guest designer with Clear Dollar Stamps. I enjoyed the ride and wish all of you who are competing this month the best of luck. I found this month fun and challenging and if you win I hope you find it the same.
Don't lose heart, I will continue to stamp and post. But maybe, just maybe, some more knitting might find its way back to my blog posts.

Ta Da!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Tri shutter Pansy Card

Here is my final card made with the Pansy set by Clear Dollar Stamps. I thought of the Tri shutter card technique when I was thinking of the last design to make. I wanted to stay away from purple for the colors. I have 12x12 designer pattern paper in Perfect Plum and this technique calls for 12x12 paper. By default I used purple again. This card actually took me two days to make! Egads! I just couldn't get the "T" paper cut right. I finally gave up and went to bed Saturday night. Sunday I got up and easily made the cuts. I went to go take a shower and DS3, whose is 23 months old, scribbled on my paper!! I highly recommend making a template for this part of the card so you don't have to make all the mistakes I made. I used a whole sheet of 12x12 paper to make this card. That is so not right.


A picture of card opened up.


A view from a different angle. Can you see that I outlined the white box with piercing?? I don't have one of those cool hole-y mats from SU, so I used a ruler and a paper piercer.

Stamps: Pansy by Clear Dollar Stamps
CS and paper: 12x12 designer paper in Perfect Plum, white, perfect plum
Ink: Stazon black, perfect plum, old olive
Markers: yo-yo yellow
accessories: primas, pearls, ribbon, brad, flower stickers, paper piercing tool, ruler
Coloring medium: water coloring
Special techniques: Tri shutter card

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Hang in There

Above, a new picture taken outside.

I wish you could see better that the bird on the left is sitting on the branches. The bird is adhered to the top of the card and when flat it looks as if it's feet are resting on the branches. I drew in the branches. I am not sure what kind of birds these are and whether or not they are in a region that has evergreens! But that's the only tree branch I can draw. I sponged the sky with a torn piece of paper, sponge and bashful blue. I paper pierced the clothes and colored in the clothes pins with brown. Oh shoot, I forgot to add glossy accents to the beaks and feet. I better go back and do that!

Stamps: Hanging Out by Clear Dollar Stamps
CS and paper: Certain Celery, white, scrap designer paper from my stash
ink: stazon black, bashful blue
markers: brown, black, barely banana, green
accessories: sponge, torn paper, prima, brad, tag punch by SU!
coloring medium: sponging, watercoloring
special techniques: sponging, paper piercing.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Upright Ballerina

This is my third design using Bee-utiful Ballerina by Clear Dollar Stamps. I decided she needed to be upright this time. I inked her body intentionally staying away from her leg and positioned the block so she would be upright. I used blue stickles on her wings and watercolored behind her with bashful blue. The layout is from my friend, Berly (pronounced Barley). I really liked her layout and CASED it here. The designer paper is all from The Glitter Mat Stack.
Stamps: Bee-utiful Ballerina
CS and paper: The Glitter Mat Stack, white, pretty in pink, regal rose, going grey, creamy caramel, more mustard
ink: stazon black
Markers: yo yo yellow, black, creamy caramel
accessories: prima flower, pearl, ribbon, nestabilities circles and scalloped circles, blue stickles
Coloring medium: watercoloring, markers
special techniques: none

Monday, August 17, 2009

3x3 post it note holder

This is a 3x3 post it note holder. I bought the template and cardboard inserts at Michael's. It in the section of paper making. This is a fun easy project to make and the sky is the limit for decorations. I used the Pansy set from Clear Dollar Stamps (BTW, have you checked out the new website??) and the various embellishments are from here and there, where ever I find them!
Stamps: Pansy by Clear Dollar Stamps
CS and Paper: Designer paper from Garden Party Stack with glitter, white, rose red, bashful blue
Ink: Stazon black, bashful blue, regal rose and rose red
Markers: yo-yo yellow
accessories: metal window, brads, pearl, ribbon, flower, 3x3 post it note pad, nesties circles and circle scallops
coloring medium: watercoloring
special technique: none

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Orange Bee

Here's another example of the stamp set by Clear Dollar Stamps, "Bee-utiful Bee". I wanted to try not using pink. I keep gravitating to pink since she's a ballerina so I forced myself to try a different color. I found the patterned paper in a pack called The 180 Pack. I liked that it had the yellow in it to tie in the bee aspect of the stamp. This layout is no where near what I had in mind! I like it though! I accidentally tore off the girl's antenna when I was scrubbing the stamp. I fudged. I drew it in. Can you tell?

Stamps: Bee-utiful Ballerina by Clear Dollar Stamps
CS and paper: patterned paper by "The 180 Pack", yo-yo yellow, white
ink: Stazon black, only orange, black, yo-yo yellow
markers: only orange, black, yo-yo yellow
accessories: flowers, pearls, scrapper's floss, yellow stickles
coloring medium: markers
special techniques: none

Finishing the basket

Here the false rim is woven in. The false rim is the two rows of round reed which will be covered by the real rim. This allows the rim to sit on something and not be floating in the air.

The spokes that have a weaver in front of it (as you look at it) are cut flush. The ones with a weaver to the outside are trimmed, pointed and tucked to the inside of the basket.


Bad photo. You can see all of the weavers are now tucked to the inside and the false rim is ready to be placed.


The rim is secured with zip ties. As I lash the basket I will cut out the zip ties.


Lashing the basket together.


The weaving is all done and the ends are all tucked.


Here's the basket in the staining the process. I like to use Danish Oil. My favorite color is Fruitwood.


The basket is all done!! It is now drying and airing out. This stain is quite stinky and will give headaches if not in a well ventilated area. I will wait to ship it.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Some day is here

One of my first long lasting hobbies was basket weaving. Oh, I loved it so much! I did my best to weave even after I started popping out my babies. After the second child, about 4 years ago, I realized that it was too difficult to weave. Basket weaving is one of those crafts that you can't stop and start. There are certain parts of the process that once started can not be stopped. I couldn't afford the time to do this anymore. So, I put away my tools and shelved my reed knowing that some day I would weave again.

Today was that some day.

As most of you know I won the August Guest Designer spot for Clear Dollar Stamps. This generated some guests to this blog. One person in particular, Gail, looked through my blog and noticed my baskets way, way in the back. She inquired if I sell them (I do) and proceeded to order one. I was so excited. I had a reason, a purpose to weave again. I found out that the supplier I use still is in business and still had me on file after all of these years.
I ordered my supplies and cut my reeds. Tonight I started weaving and here's a pictorial diary of the process. Enjoy!

The first step was to put in all of the spokes (the vertical reed) in the groove of the base.


Here I anchored the spokes with #2 round reed using a chase weave.


This is the first three weavers (horizontal reeds) in place. Once the third row is in place the basket will hold its shape.


A few more rows woven in and a look at my work space (translation: the kitchen counter)

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

BEE-utiful Ballerina


I am so happy with this card. I had been struggling with making this stamp set work even though it is so darn cute. I think the problem was that I did not have any pink embellishments. Yesterday I stopped at The Memory Bank in Baraboo, Wisconsin and picked up flowers, buttons, paper and ribbon. Wow! What a difference when one has the right materials to create a card. I love how the flower looks like it is pushing the little girl off to the side!! I bought the W I D E ribbon in honor of my Dork Sister and Senior Design Team Member (for CDS), Linda B. I noticed that Linda likes to use fat ribbon. I never seem to make fat ribbon work they way she does. I do think it looks perfect here. I inked the sentiment with marker leaving off the "Bee" letters and instead stamped the bee. There are stickles on both the girl and the bee's wings.

Stamps: Beeutiful Ballerina
CS: glitter white, pretty in pink, white
Ink: stazon black, regal rose (for the sentiment)
Markers: yo-yo yellow, black, pretty in pink, creamy caramel
accessories/embellishments: Flower, ribbon, stickles
Coloring medium: Markers
special technique: none

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Circle of Friends Award

I received this from Lois and now I pass it on to my Mom and Peggysue. It is an award of the people who are the friends in your life. Well, I think Moms automatically get the award. Lately I have been having a lot of fun conversations with my dear dork sister, Peggysue. We even got together last weekend (scroll down and you can see the pictures) to have lunch, buy some yarn and knit together. I am not doing the whole 5 people as you are supposed to because I don't want to use up all of the dork names.

To visit my Mom's blog click HERE
and to visit Peggysue's blog click HERE

Here are the directions:
So now what do you do. Well you need to follow the guidelines bellow:
Cut and paste the award logo and use it on your own blog.
Nominate 5 other bloggers you feel have become a part of your circle of friends.
Link to your nominees within your blog post.
Include these instructions on how to pick up the award in your blog post.
To show your appreciation to the person who gave you the award, link back to their blog.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Pansy

This is my first card using the Pansy set. It looks a little tilted because I put it on my silk scarf. I was trying to add to the silkness of the card because I used the faux silk technique. When I cropped the photo though I lost most of the scarf in the picture. Oh well! This was a fun and super easy technique. If you want to see how to do it go to CDS's blog. There is a tutorial there.

Here's the specs:
Stamps: CDS pansy
Ink: stazon black, old olive, perfect plum, elegant eggplant, yoyo yellow
markers: I used the inks listed above
accessories: pearls, cuttlebug dies, blending pen
coloring medium: watercoloring
special techniques: Faux silk (see CDS's blog for a tutorial)

Thanks for looking!

My first cards as a CDS Guest Designer

These are the pictures I took with my camera. I will swap these out when my neighbor takes a better photo. When I first saw this stamp set, Hanging Out, I immediately thought of christmas stockings hanging on the fire place even though it is a summer themed stamp set. I went through the CDS designer gallery to see if anyone else had the same idea, but I didn't see one like it. Yay for me! I didn't know what I would do to make it look like the stockings were on the fireplace so I sponged in some red and yellow to give the illusion of a fire. The patterned paper and the tree came from Bitty Scrap-Pads "it's Christmas". I stamped each stocking on a different sheet of PP and then pasted them onto the clothes line.

Here's the specs:
Stamp set: Hanging Out by Clear Dollar Stamps
CS and papers: vanilla, patterned paper from Bitty Scrap-Pads, "Its Christmas"
Ink: Yo-Yo Yellow, real red and black
Markers: Creamy caramel (to color in the clothes pins)
accessories and embellishments: tree brads, computer/printer to type, "merry Christmas", ribbon
Coloring medium: markers
Special techniques: stamping on pattern paper


This is my Beautiful Ballerina! I saw a layout in Traci Major's blog that I liked. You can visit her blog here. I left out one element from the layout because it would have covered the background too much.

Stamps: Bee-utiful Ballerina by Clear Dollar Stamps
CS and paper: white, black, barely banana (or so saffron, I can't tell), rose red and the blue one Vikki Jo sent me so I don't know what it is.
Ink: black, bashful blue, barely banana
Markers: rose red, pretty in pink, black, bashful blue, brown
accessories: button brads, stickles, colored pencil (peach), cuttle bug folder and large square scalloped die, ribbon
special techniques: One sheet wonder

Friday, August 7, 2009

Excitment then disappointment

I got home yesterday to see my order from Gratiot Lake Basketry came in. It is the company I use to purchase my basketry supplies. I was disappointed that my CDS didn't show. (I wanna play with my new stamps, WAH!) Well, I decided I can whip up this basket I need to make before my CDS come in the mail. I open the package and I have the wrong reed. Bummer. I am stuck. I was really disappointed because I was looking forward to working on the basket. I called the company and left a message.
Just now (6AM) I got a phone call from GLB and she's going to send me the correct reed at no charge and I get to keep the other one! How cool is that?

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Oh where, Oh where are they?

I come home tonight and wonder if my new CDS stamps are here. Nope, nada, nil, zilch. Bummer. I have some ideas floating around in my head and they want to get out! I also put in my order with my 25% discount. Can't wait to get all of that too!
Well, at least Mr. Brown came with my MK supplies. Gotta look beautiful when I do my stamping!

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Day with Peggysue

These pictures are out of order. This one is supposed to be last. At this point we had fondled the yarn and made our purchases. It was time to sit, relax, knit and repeat!
We met in Janesville, Wisconsin at this cute little yarn shop called Dragonfly yarn shop. You can see the shop here

Here I am trying to decide which yarn I wanted to buy and putting the ones I didn't buy on my wish list.

Peggysue was MUCH faster at choosing a yarn than I was. Here she is in the background while her yarn is being made into a ball. Fancy, expensive yarns come in hanks not balls. Then you have to ball it. If you buy hanks from a LYS (Local yarn shop) they will wind it for free. The shop owner is winding the yarn.

Here I am cuddling the 100% silk yarn. I fell in love with this yarn. I kept going back to it, feeling it and wanting it. I didn't buy it though. Maybe some day when Peggysue wins the lottery. (She told me she'd buy some for me when she buys the lottery. I sure hope she plays the lottery!)


We just walked into the shop. Here PS is looking at the fiber content of the mittens.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Oh My Goodness! Oh My Goodness!

I can't believe it! I am so honored! I have been participating in the guest designer challenge since May of this year and this month I won along side another talented stamper, Rebecca Hayes, from Texas! Congratulations to you, Rebecca!!

Okay, so I spent the day with my Dork Sister, Peggysue, in Janesville, Wisconsin. We met half way between our homes. We had lunch at Applebee's and spent the afternoon at a yarn store. Oooo, did we feel up some nice silk yarn. Mmm, it was deliciously soft. Anyway, I got side tracked. I had asked another Dork Sister, Lori, to call me if she or I won. No call...no call...no call. I called her several times, no answer! I called ANOTHER dork sister who looked on line, but there was no posting.

I finally arrived home about 5:30ish and see that I got an email from Clear Dollar Stamps!! I started skipping through the house, My 22 month old baby follows me in my skipping, my 7 year old and 5 year old give me big hugs. I immediately call Peggysue and Cathi. I didn't call Lori because I didn't know if she won (if I would have checked the "TO:" line in the original email, I could have figured that out! Hey, I didn't get the title of Queen Dork for nothing you know!).

I was so excited I went for a 30 minute bike ride to help get rid of some energy.
I have picked out my 3 stamp sets, Pansy, Bee-utiful Ballerina and Hanging out. Please click on the Clear Dollar Stamps icon on the right to go to the website and see the stamp sets.
I have at least one idea so far and I can't wait to get inky.

Now, what to buy with my discount??