Cute Girls Bake for the Holidays! :)

 Tis the time of the year, where you see cookies cookies and more cookies on counter tops of kitchens everywhere!  I'm not much of a cookie baker, my sister is...she actually does those fancy sugar cookies, decorated for small and large events, her talent is off the charts!

I was drawn to the Cute Girls Stamps line by Scrappy Boy Stamps quite some time ago, I even took advantage of the ridiculously HUGE savings/sale this last week for "Better Than Black Friday", which is now the  "Black Friday" sale...both HUGE savings on such a fun stamp line from a company that is above and beyond for customer service and the "fun factor".  I'm sure if you peruse this blog of mine, you will see MANY examples of Scrappy Boy stamps ...  fun fun fun.

A couple of weeks ago, Craft Roulette parameters just fell into place using one of the Cute Girls...the timing of the holidays, the sale, and my mood... all the stars aligned to give this result!

This card was the result of the following parameters for episode #241 of Craft Roulette:

1. Z-fold card:  (This may be my very first ever z-fold...after 25ish years of card making.  So easy and so fun...there may be one or two in there from the past...may be my Hansel and Gretel card could qualify...I will make more.  The key to it:  USE DOUBLE SIDED DESIGNER PAPER!!!  I did and am now on a trend with it, based on my #242 episode Craft Roulette entry... (previous blog post)
2. Scarecrow Colors:  My inspiration for these colors was found from the Scarecrow of the Wizard of Oz.  Brownish/kraft/hunter greenish/burgundy vibe here...  Once thinking about the Wiz, I started thinking of yellow brick roads and such...out comes the glittery gold paper and glitter red embossing powder...  see how one inspiration can lead to the next?!
3. Baking Element:  Cute Girls Cute Girls Cute Girls!  I have the cooking set, and love love love it!!!  Cute Girls Cooking from Scrappy Boy...  Most of the cute girls have 5 different girl images per set...  (I say 1 for myself and each of my 4 sisters!)  Although I'm not a cookie baker...this is me.  I'm pretending the dough on the front is actually cinnamon rolls.  lol  (to know me is to know me)
4. Crinkle Inkle Random:  This technique, I have hoped wouldn't pop up.  Why oh why did I think that!?  It was fun!  You crinkle a piece of paper (or crinkle anything actually)...ink it up...and texture your paper up!  If you look close...you will see it all over my kraft paper.  fun fun fun!!!  I even Crinkle Inkled my Creative Companion page!  Creative Companion, where I journal every Craft Roulette entry!

 I added a little extras from a retired Stamping Up! (ornaments)  stamp (never inked up!!!) and I used a couple of the fun little stamps found in a previous Stamp Advent Calendar from Unity Stamps .  I didn't get one this year, I wish I had, it was fun the year that I did...with 25 cute stamps, that I have found I've used quite a bit over the years.  Very versatile and handy!  

 So, tonight is Craft Roulette night!  I'm not sure I'll participate this week or not, I have a lot on my plate for the next few weeks, and sleep might win over extra creative time.  We are in for the home stretch in my chocolate business, and I have several hundred gift baskets shipping over the course of a couple of weeks...  We will see how smooth that goes!

Hope you all had a GREAT Thanksgiving!!!!

 

Fun Farm Day

 This week's Craft Roulette took me to the 100 Acre Woods where sis and I spent an Autumn Day on the farm creating memories...  We pretended like we were running not running, like we were going to fall off a haystack (we were safe), made a zucchini scarecrow, and posed on the tractor, taking pictures all the way.  (I actually have scrapbook this memory).  I almost forgot I was working on Craft Roulette with this one, it was so fun recollecting the precious moments we spent exploring on the farm.  I knew I wanted to use this stamp when the parameter "fence" popped up!

If I think it through, I may have been able to get exactly 2 cards per piece of 12x12 double sided designer paper including enough for the 1-1/4" belly band.  I'm spent awhile doing math, and decided enough of that...so, although each 12x12 piece of paper will make 2 cards, there may only be enough "trim" for 1 belly band.  The kraft version was my original choice, but if it were my preference, I'd go with the matching citrus greenish one.  I'm overthinking this!  lol!

I used for supplies:  

• 1.  Ancient double sided designer paper from my stash of hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of pieces of precious paper.  I say USE THEM UP... there is ALWAYS more to be found around craftland if you run out....
• Ribbon:  Pretty sure I bought this from one of my ribbon suppliers I use in our chocolate biz...I've had it too, forever....it kind of looked like you'd see this on a farm
• Stamps:  Making Memories With Pooh Bear  from Unity Stamps .  Unity has to be one of my top favorite companies out there.  The quality of their stamps are above and beyond, and the artists / images are very cool.  I found them a few years ago, and find they are a "go to" for me for Craft Roulette!  I have a couple "go to's" if I had to pick 1 "go to", I'd probably pick Unity, as I have a very versatile collection of their stamps, they are easy to color and fussy cut too.  If I need something quick with a very cool image and sentiment, Unity definitely has all that!

 Craft Roulette Parameters:

• 1.  Gate fold Card
• Product Aisle Colors
• Fence Element
• Crumpled Paper Random

 I'm pretty sure I missed a Craft Roulette Entry a week or so ago, I'll add that in a day or 2...  

Trudi

Family Choir

 Today I'm sharing a fun new stamp set from Kindred Stamps named  Family Choir .  I created 3 different projects, great to send to music enthusiasts, or a friend or family member who is starting a new venture! 

 

My first project using the Kindred Stamps Card Box Die Set took me to the mountain tops, where fresh air, wildflowers and blue skies can bring on the whimsical feeling of twirling and singing and enjoying life!  This card folds flat and fits in an A2 envelope, although I will most likely mail it in a small padded bubblelope.  This bright, cheery card is being sent to a friend who is going through some tough life stuff,  I hope it brings a smile to her face, as it did mine while I created it.  These are remarkably quick and easy to put together, I'm sure I'll be using this card box die many times in the future.

 

For this collection I used the Tree Scene Craft Die , one I have used MANY MANY MANY times over the last few years.  In a later post on a later day, I'll share some of the projects I've created using this die.  It is at my fingertips at all times, especially this time of year for winter and holiday scenes, so many reasons to  have this die! 

 

 

 

 

For my second project, I decided to ink blend and stencil, both of which is a fairly new skill I'm working on.  I used the Kindred Stamps  Forest Stencil  and 2 different green shades of Distress Oxides ink to give the trees a bit of visual interest and depth.  I'm finding stenciling a bit addicting, and it's an easy quick way to get a scene background for card projects.  Distress Oxides are fun, although I didn't do it on this project, you can gently sprinkle water on the inked pages and achieve a splatters look, like snow or rain.  

My last project, was actually inspired by my first...  I have been hesitant to do any kind of pop up card, but after doing my card box card, and seeing they really aren't difficult, but actually pretty easy to do....I thought I'd give it a bold try for a bigger card.  I've always thought they looked complicated.   My Mom has purchased fancy pop up cards online for friends and aunts over the years, and I KNOW they love them....so, after 25ish years of serious paper crafting ... I designed my first "pop up" card.  Yep, I will be doing more.... I can think of many people who I'd love to send some happy mail to this holiday, so be on the lookout for more "pop ups".  And ... I will say it now...  NEVER SAY NEVER ... 

Along with the new Family Choir set I used the Stitched Alpha Die Set .  It's nice to have an alphabet die set close by for quick and efficient use when creating cards!  I cut and scored the "steps" in 1" increments, fiddling around with the folds to get the "steps"  I did watch a YouTube tutorial, it's pretty easy to understand.  I will say, I used a very thick card stock, it stands up nice and tall, the folds might have been a bit easier with a thinner grain, but, I anchored this shut with a bow, so it's a fun surprise to open!  I left the front fairly simple, with the patterned paper used on the paper pieced clothes!  

You can find this stamp set and other new releases available on Friday, November 22, just in time to have for the holidays!  The release goes live 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time.  There are other new fun sets to be on the lookout for too, be sure to follow the Kindred Stamps November 2024 Release Event  this week, you won't want to miss out~!

Lastly, if you do choose to purchase this set, Family Choir, or any of the supplies I used, or even other new releases, you can find easy access:  Kindred Stamps through my affiliate link.  It is of no extra costs to you, but sends a little my way, and I thank those who have helped support my paper passion, past, present and future!!!

As I close this post for the day ...  Remember ... SING!  

You ALWAYS have SOMETHING to SING about!!!!!!!!!

Blast From the Past Thursday?

 Sounds good to me!  So many projects have never made it to the big screen here on my blog...and as I'm trying to put life into this blog, I thought I'd pop a former creation on here every now and then.  Maybe on Thursdays?  I have and still continue to learn.  I'm not from the generation of technology, so this is all self taught .. I remember the days in our chocolate biz when our brochures were without pictures, just very good descriptions... we must be good writers, because we managed to ship nationwide back then, and still do.  Enter the 21st century, we don't even mail a brochure through the pony express system, just a click of a button, and wowla!!!  brochure done.  We write  it ourselves, I suspect if we invested in a professional photographer, we would benefit...but hey, we made it this far ...  starting our 39th year!  So....  Here you go...  a creation from the past, and a little bit of chocolate too!  

Scrapbooking....it's what started this crazy obsession of mine....  

I made this, around 2008ish / 2009 part of a gift for a sister of mine.

And as promised...some Christmas chocolate!  A chocolate lump of coal!!!!  This is and remains to be one of our best selling holiday items!  It's kind of a tradition now for many of our chocolate customers to pop one of these in their kiddo's stockings.  Many a corporate client has given these out during the holidays, we even have sold in very high quantities to a coal company!  

 

Chocolate Lump of Coal  (don't worry, we don't require those minimums...this is for our distributors)

Adams Place Country Gourmet, Inc.   (one of 2 Facebook pages, long story)

Adams Place Country Gourmet, Inc.  (first Facebook page, not sure how the 2nd one happened, lol)

It truly is a long story how we ended up with 2 different Facebook pages.  I can't figure out how to merge, so we attempt to maintain them both.  We are working on a new website, another work in progress thing.  (The first is through our association we belong to...it's informational...we do respond to e-mails:  adamspl@aol.com  Adams Place Country Gourmet, Inc e-mail   Plans were for 2024....looks like 2025 it is!  When it happens, we will be singing from the rooftops about it!  Life does happen to get in the way!  Right now, priority #1 is to get those chocolate orders out asap, lots of company parties, client gifts, and some many customers depend on things getting to them in time!  

Be on the lookout for some VERY! VERY! fun projects for the upcoming  Kindred Stamps release!!!  Event starts next week, release day is:  November 22!  Til then!  :)

Don't Be A Cheerio! It's OK to be a FRUIT LOOP!

 For someone who has always seen their glass of water half full ... except instead of water, mine is filled with Ginger Ale or maybe even something like Sprite ... or favorite color is Aquamarine, and who has a favorite onion?  Well, mine happens to be Green Onions... everybody should have a favorite onion.

 

 

This card was created inspired by Craft Roulette, but, after I got the ball rolling, I started to digest the statement, and wondered to myself, how are people going to interpret this?  Am I suggesting people be flat out all on an island by themselves off the wall?  Am I suggesting people snub the norms and go against the grain on purpose?  Is it like the trout swimming upstream with a purpose, or is this targeting personalities of difference?  And just what exactly qualifies for difference?  I chose to think of the inner child and the components of what makes ME.... and decided to not overthink how people will interpret this.  

Simply Put....

I DREAM IN COLOR, I see things through a prism or kaleidoscope, so it seems...and it makes me me.  I will never apologize for that... some call it right brain, (odd I had someone call it left brain once)...Type Z personality, and honestly not afraid to go out in public in things like crocs and sweats.  (Not always, I'm not 100% there...but, when in need to...go for it.)  It all makes sense to me... love who you are... and if all else hits the fan (lets hope that doesn't happen)  EAT MORE FRUIT LOOPS!  hahahaha

If you read through this very BIZARRE post....  (yes, it was meant to be..after all, I'm not a Cheerio)...and want the deets.... You can find this very fun set and MORE (inside sentiment is all MINE, however, you will need your computer and printer for that...hahahaha) from a this very very fun company:

Stamp Used:   CeReally  From:  The Sassy Club

Really cool die set used:  Card Basics Die  From:  Kindred Stamps

Regular Ole Paper Sack From a Local Grocery Store:   Yokes Fresh Market

 So go eat your favorite onion today!  (Green Onions are $ .98/bunch) 

 Wear 2 different colored socks!