So Just Draw and Cook!

I have been posting recipes for you here (after all that scrapping you do, you need to eat!!!) on Wednesdays but today I would like to share an awesome blog- perfect for all you creative types!

Draw and Cook

Digital Images on Fabric

A friend and I were talking about photos on fabric and I came across some ideas. Christmas is coming. I know it's a few months yet but gives us time to make things and shop.

Here are the links to check them out.

http://www.cjenkinscompany.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=whitemiraclefabricsheet&Click=3384&gclid=CLv5idG2lqQCFUcz5wodfS49Hw

This site has some great tips and other great links to check out.

http://www.teas2dine4.com/4printfabric.html

Short tips.

http://www.shortcourses.com/display/display2-14.html

Scrapbook Quilt

http://web.archive.org/web/20001216102800/http://www.hgtv.com/HGTV/project/0,1158,CRHO_project_3716,FF.html

Oh this I just came across from another link and thought it was cute.

"Cats Who Quilt"

http://www.catswhoquilt.com/

http://www.catswhoquilt.com/excerpts1.html

This isn't a digital fabric but thought it was a funny saying if you have a toddler that loves their blanket.

http://www.toddlertoddler.com/todayshalloween_06blankie.htm

Have a Fun day.

Officially Fall

Football has begun, leaves are everywhere, school is in and there is a chill in the night air; it is officially Fall! Although Autumn holds the typical scrapbooking delights--first day of school, kids playing in piles of leaves, Halloween, Pumpkin Farms and Hayrides--there are many other everyday scrapping opportunities you may not know about or have thought of. Here are a few for inspiration!

The month of September celebrates Random Acts of Kindness, Better Breakfast (ah photos of a regular morning ritual!), National Honey month, Baby Safety, Piano, School Success and Women of Achievement month.

Each week has a special theme including Child Injury Prevention, International Housekeepers, National Child Care, National Farm Animals Awareness, National Flower, and National Dog Week. This is the month when Mary Had a Little Lamb was published, Uncle Sam has his birthday, they observe Father's Day in Australia, and the Jewish Faith celebrates Rosh Hashanah.

You will also find rock collecting, Mexican Independance Day, Mayflower Day, Stepfamily Day, Citizenship Day, Apple Dumpling Day, Playdough Day, Great American Pot Pie Day, Good Neighbor Day to name a few.

All of these events can be wonderful jumping off places for fantastic layouts. Lots of food related fun could become a family togetherness layout, or an album of favorite Fall recipes. There is a lot to choose from!

Next weekend I will bring you ideas for October other than Halloween! Have a wonderful weekend.

New Release and special annoucement

Kiki here again with my new release Friday!

Looking for the ultimate pink and green feminine kit? You've found it. Burst into Spring is the new collab from Kiki and siamese studios. Blushing pink papers are adorned with glitter and abalone beads. The soft sage pages balance the gorgeous fairydust trail, butterfly border. But you'll find so much more...sequined strings, soft flora, beautiful charms, glittered vines. Indulge in the 20 patterned and solid papers with the over 50 elements and get scrapping your pretty princess!
And I also have a special announcement! Thanks to everyone who applied! Unfortunately I couldn't take everyone but I'll be having another call in about 3-4 months from now so keep your eyes open.

Please welcome my new team - everyone brings their own talents and great team spirit!

Wait 'til you see what's coming!

Hi everyone! Kiki here! Yes, it's true...I'm back on my blog and back ready to tackle Fall with new designs. So what am I doing releasing a Spring collaboration with siamese studios? Ha! Funny you should ask. I couldn't help but fall in love with this colour palette and of course not everyone in the world is headed into Fall. So here's a little peek for you until tomorrow.

Keep your eye on my blog too because I'll be celebrating my digital design anniversary next week. I'm heading into my 5th year of designing. Wow. I never would have imagined that I'd be designing scrapbooking kits and products, but four years later, I'm still doing it. And I'm still LOVING it. So stay tuned because my rocking team and I are going to have some amazing stuff for you next week!

See you tomorrow!

Currywurst

So last night I was in a scrap chat and someone said their favorite fast food is currywurst. (She lives in Germany.) I had never heard of such a thing! Well it turns out to be a very popular food in Germany with every cook having his own recipe. In honor of (almost) Oktoberfest I am now sharing this currywurst recipe with you:

INGREDIENTS
* 3 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
* 1 pound knockwurst
* 2 tablespoons chili sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 pinch paprika
* Curry powder to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to Broil/Grill.
2. Pour tomato sauce into a large saucepan, then stir in the chili sauce, onion salt, sugar and pepper. Let simmer over medium heat, occasionally stirring; bring to a gentle boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer another 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, broil/grill knockwurst sausage for 3 to 4 minutes each side, or until cooked through. Slice into pieces 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick.
4. Pour tomato sauce mixture over sausage, then sprinkle all with paprika and curry powder and serve. (Serve with bread roll or french fries!)

Source: http://www.squidoo.com/currywurst

Notes

My goal this week is to make some notes for my kids and stick them in their backpacks when they are not looking. So I went looking for some inspiration to see what I could find and wanted to share some links with you. Kiki's kits can be used to make these too.

http://www.gingerbreadnook.com/backpacknotes/

Cute little place.

There is a book called "Lunch Box Letters: Writing Notes of Love and Encouragement to Your Children"

Here is another place for ideas. http://living.weelife.com/2010/08/free-lunch-box-notes-for-downloading.html

More cute ideas http://www.kidprintables.com/lunchboxnotes/

Notes are such a great idea and they make others smile. :)

Have a wonderful day.

By Mary

Is Fall Finally Upon Us?

Although it has been in the 80s in my neck of the woods the last couple days, the leaves have turned and the evenings are chilly. Despite my ever present desire for summer, I must conclude that Fall is upon us. So, in the spirit of accepting the inevitable with grace, I offer this recipe to you:

PUMPKIN ANGEL FOOD CAKE

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
one 16 oz. pkg. angel food cake mix
14 T. whipped topping
additional ground cinnamon (optional)

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger. Prepare cake mix according to pkg. directions.
Fold a fourth of batter into pumpkin mixture; gently fold in remaining batter. Gently spoon into an ungreased 10" tube pan.
Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets.
Bake on lowest oven rack at 350 for 38-44 minutes or until top is golden brown, cake springs back when lightly touched, entire top appears dry.
Immediately invert pan; cool completely, about 1 hour.
Run a knife around side, center tube of pan.
Remove cake to a serving plate.
Garnish each slice with 1 T. whipped topping; sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.

Helping Out.

Well kids are back in school and your caught up with your lo's or CT stuff. Maybe you have some extra time on your hands to make a card or more.

OWH (Operation Write House) can use some help making cards for woman and men to send home to their love ones.

Here are some links to check out to get you going. You can even use Kiki's awesome kits to make some wonderful cards.

http://operationwritehome.org/cards.html

http://www.owhstarsandstamps.org/p/about-owh.html

http://www.owhstarsandstamps.org/

Have a great day!
Mary :)

CT Call ends today!

Just as a reminder, today is the last day to apply to my CT Call. The requirements are simple for the layout team 3 layouts per month, one blog post every other month and participation in the forum. The blog team blogs once a week with regular participation in the forum, and the promo team requires that you promote my products 4 times per month and participate in the forum. In return, you get full access to my products.

Don't miss this chance. I likely won't be doing another call for a while.

To apply for the layout artist team, send me:

• your name
• usernames that you use on forums
• a link to the gallery with your best work
• your current CTs and your monthly requirements
• why you want to be on the team
• what you will bring to the team.

For promotion and blog team applications, send me:

• your name
• usernames
• link to your personal blog
• link to a couple of posts you've done for designers (if applicable)
• describe your writing style
• tell my why you would be the best person to promote my products.

Send it to kikihalbert AT gmail DOT com with CT Call in the subject line. Remember to specify what team you are applying for. Thanks and have a great week!

Super Saturday Stretch and Inspriation

Fall Quote inspiration:

I am terrible when it comes to journaling. Many times I just skip it and put the layout together with a title, if the layout is lucky. Lately I have been secretly journaling under a tag or someplace it won't be seen and yet I want to place something on the page for those who are glancing through the layouts later on. Here are some quotes and poems for the Fall that can be used as journaling.


"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth
seeking the successive autumns."
- George Eliot

We have been seeing this first hand as well as all the Monarch butterflies that go with it.

"The milkweed pods are breaking,
And the bits of silken down
Float off upon the autumn breeze
Across the meadows brown."
- Cecil Cavendish, The Milkweed

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."
- Albert Camus

"Thy bounty shines in autumn unconfined
And spreads a common feast for all that live."
- James Thomson

"No Spring nor Summer Beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one Autumnal face."
- John Donne

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came -
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
~George Cooper, "October's Party"

By all these lovely tokens September days are here, With summer's best of weather And autumn's best of cheer.
Helen Hunt Jackson

My sorrow, when she's here with me, thinks these dark days of autumn rain are beautiful as days can be; she loves the bare, the withered tree; she walks the sodden pasture lane.
Robert Frost

New kit, Grass Stains

Now available at Funky Playground Designs, Grass Stains, the newest Recherché by KH Designs kit.

If you know a tough little guy who is 100% boy, then here's the kit for you! Full of fun patterned papers (circles, stripes and stars), and richly-textured solid papers in colors of blue, red, mustard and green, this kit will have you scrapping every boy you know--big OR little! Embellishments include binder clips, ribbons, flair, labels, word art, stitching, metal screws, a metal gear and more. Grab this kit and scrap all your boys...grass stains and all!

• 15 papers (9 patterned, 6 solid)
• 4 buttons
• 4 paint splatters
• 2 metal arrows
• 3 hinges
• 1 journal pad
• 2 clips
• 3 flair
• 1 puffy star
• 1 gear
• 1 torn journal page
• 1 string
• 5 ribbons
• 1 square frame
• 1 cluster frame
• 1 stitching
• 3 word art
• 6 labels
• 1 metal matte

While the kit may be boyishly fun, you can definitely scrap your little girls too! Here's some inspiration:

cityangel23

melscrap

mizamigo

Enjoy!

Cranberry-Nectarine Salad

Since fall is upon us I thought a little cranberry goodness would be appropriate:

Cranberry-Nectarine Salad

Recipe By : Donna Tanner, Alexander, Arkansas, Southern Living , SEPTEMBER 2008
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time:
Categories :


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 ounces Oriental-flavored ramen noodle soup mix
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup hot water
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
10 ounces gourmet mixed salad greens -- thoroughly washed
3 large nectarines -- peeled and cut in wedges
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Reserve flavor packet from soup mix. Crumble
noodles, and place in a single layer in a shallow pan.

2. Bake at 350° for 5 to 6 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally.
Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 15 minutes).

3. Place cranberries in a small bowl; add 1 cup hot water. Let stand 5
minutes; drain.

4. Whisk together reserved flavor packet, canola oil, and next 4 ingredients
in a large bowl. Add ramen noodles, cranberries, gourmet greens, and next 3
ingredients, tossing gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
----------------------------------------------
Calories: 2433
Calories From Fat: 1216
Total Fat: 139.6g
Cholesterol: 100.9mg
Sodium: 1898mg
Potassium: 769.1mg
Carbohydrates: 289g
Fiber: 23.4g
Sugar: 24.6g
Protein: 26.1g

Sneak Peek - coming Sept. 9th

Hi everyone! Hope you've all had a wonderful summer and are ready for an amazing Fall season. Fall is my favourite time of year; as much as I don't want summer to go, I just cannot get enough of all the rich colours against a bright blue sky and the cooler breezes that accompany the change of leaves.

I'm also really looking forward to having more time to design especially using rich colour palettes. My fave.

I wanted to give you a little look at something coming to my Funkyplayground Designs store on September 9th. My CT have really been begging me to come up with another boy kit, so here it is! Wait until you see the whole thing. It's versatile enough to use for outdoor hiking pictures, pics of little boys, and big boys. I think it's my favourite boy kit I've made so far.

So check back on Thursday to see the complete preview! Have a great week everyone!

Back To School

Last week my children started reg school. It was a very biggg deal because we have homeschooled and this year we needed a break and the oldest really wanted to try it out. Well kids are happy and It was the longest two days of my life. I kept looking at the clock waiting for my 8 year old 6 year old and 5 year old to come home. It was really tough on me but I made it through lol. I read a book to my kids called the Kissing Hand. The next day made hand cookies and a heart to go on top of the hand. the kids loved it. If you don't know this book you can find it at the library or Amazon or other book stores. It's a really sweet book.

The kissing hand cookies I made.

I came across this site that has some fun things you can do with your children with this book.

http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/KissingHandPrintablesandIdeas.htm

Other ideas for back to school.

Here is a cute cupcake idea I saw the other day and would like to share with you.

http://www.amazingmoms.com/htm/back-to-school-cupcakes-recipe-craft.htm

A site with some other fun craft ideas.

http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/backtoschoolcrafts.html

Don't forget GrandParents day is coming up September 12 and I found some sites that have some poems for your cards or scrap pages.

http://grandparents-day.123holiday.net/grandparents_day_poems.html

http://www.scrapbook.com/poems/doc/5544/215.html

http://www.scrapbook.com/poems/doc/10834/215.html

http://www.scrapbook.com/poems/cat/130.html

Oh and here is a cool idea to make a hanging frame as a gift. You can use Kiki's awesome kits to help with this one. Love this idea.

http://www.grandparents.com/gp/content/activitiesandevents/kids-crafts/article/grandparents-day-craft-hanging-frames.html

Hope you liked the sites I found. Have a Fun Day!

To all you mommies that have kids in school for the first time this year. Many ((((Hugs)))).

Smile

Mary :)

It's time for a CT Call! Ends Sept. 12

In case you cannot see the image, here are the details. I'm looking for layout artists, blog team members and promotion team members.

To apply for the layout artist team, send me:

• your name
• usernames that you use on forums
• a link to the gallery with your best work
• your current CTs and your monthly requirements
• why you want to be on the team
• what you will bring to the team.

For promotion and blog team applications, send me:

• your name
• usernames
• link to your personal blog
• link to a couple of posts you've done for designers (if applicable)
• describe your writing style
• tell my why you would be the best person to promote my products.

The call ends September 12th, so get your applications in early to avoid missing the deadline!

Send the email to kikihalbert AT gmail DOT com with CT Call in the subject line.

Here's a yummy little recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker. The brownies make me think fall but the berries remind me of summer- perfect for a Labor Day party!

Brownie ‘n Berries Dessert Pizza Recipe:

* 1 box Betty Crocker Original Supreme Brownie Mix
* Water, Vegetable Oil and egg, according to directions on the box
* 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 cups strawberries, fresh and sliced
* 1 cup fresh blueberries
* 1 cup fresh raspberries
* 1/2 cup apple jelly

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of 12 inch pizza pan with cooking spray. Mix the brownies, according to directions on the box. Spread in pan and Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

In a small bowl, cream together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over brownie base. Arrange berries over cream cheese mixture.

In a microwave safe measuring cup, place apple jelly and heat about 30 seconds or so, just until jelly starts to thin a little, stir until smooth and pour over fruit. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until chilled. Cut into wedges. Store covered in fridge.