Monday, September 29, 2008

"You could hurt somebody with that!"

Ok so I waited 2 days from when I drowned a few jalapenos in a jar of vodka. Last night I strained the jar, using the method I use when making cordials. Of course, I didn't have to spend hours or even days straining it, since it was only halved jalapenos and a few floating seeds.

As you can see, the once clear vodka already has a greenish tint.


The next step, as per my cordial making process, is to bottle the liquid into a pretty bottle. I like to use my purple funnel.

After bottling, I like to decorate or label the bottle. I do this of course with my fun Stampin' Up! supplies. Here: silver hodgepodge hardware 1 inch circle, with old olive 1/4" ribbon.

And now we have the sampling: Peter and I tried it first. In a rocks glass, heavy on the rocks. Now Peter enjoyed it, but stated that it had a nice kick. I also enjoyed it and noticed the kick also. Now maybe it was the sore on the tip of my tongue from when I bit it the other day, but I definitely noticed the flavor there first. After I swallowed, I noticed the kick in the back of my throat too. While harsh, it was not painful. But then again, I only had a drizzle.

I imagine it would be brilliant with some V-8 juice. Is that all I'd need to make a kickin' Bloody Mary? hmm, I'd have to get some blue cheese stuffed green olives to go with it, maybe I can try that next week.

Since my dad was home when this little experiment was going on, (and cause he always has something to say about my "Jungle Juice"or "Moonshine") I thought: I need to get my dad to drink this! But first I grabbed the camera!

His comment:

"You could hurt somebody with that!"

Saturday, September 27, 2008

60th Birthday beauty

Fixin’s:
Mother’s request for her best friend’s 60th birthday card.
Elegant Eggplant card base
Kraft DSP from the Hostess set Prints Pack
Basic Black, Lavender Lace, and Glossy White Papers
Craft Black Ink with Black Embossing Powder
Elegant Eggplant ink and Ribbon 1/4” Grosgrain
New Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware designer label with same punch
Re-inkers: Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi, and Elegant Eggplant

Wacky Purchase you never thought you could use for crafting:
One baby wipe, minus the baby’s bottom

Stamp Set:
Upsy Daisy

Procedure:
fold the wipe into quarters and drizzle the re-inkers onto the fold.
wipe across the surface of the glossy white paper, being careful not to touch the paper too much.
let dry
Stamp and then gently heat emboss the flowers from Upsy Daisy
I didn’t know how the glossy paper would react to the heat gun, so when I say “gently”, I mean it.
Marvel at how cool your image looks.
Assemble card

Regret:
not having any good colors in re-inkers. Be sorry for the 2 retired colors, but know that you are putting them to use now, so it justifies you having bought them 5 months ago.

Last step:
show off this wonderful card and really admire how you pulled in the Vanilla Hodgepodge hardware piece with the dark image.

Oh and the very last step is to bask in the approval of this card and feel proud when mom tells you that her friend loved the card and passed it around to everyone at her party!

Thanks to:
me. For finally breaking down and getting this set even though I tried to ignore the need for it. Even though I tried to pretend that when I first saw it in August I didn't know I HAD to have it.

I know it is hard to purchase a set that has only one image, but Stampin' Up! wouldn't put out a set that was lacking. Upsy Daisy has 3 really good greetings, but it's that image, that one, single image, that is just to die for! Buy Upsy Daisy, it is more versatile than you think!

Friday, September 26, 2008

Vodka Infusion

So I'm home alone for dinner and instead of cooking up yet another batch of spaghetti and tossing it with some jarred sauce, I opted for something different: like starting with all that ignored stuff in the freezer and basement food storage. I went into the basement to dig up a can of tuna and believe it or not, we didn't have any. But I did find a can of Amy's Vegetarian chili that happens to be Gluten Free (I'm allergic to Wheat).

I put it on the stove, then remember that the reason this can was in the basement was because the chili was really on the bland side, really. I went to my neighbor's house and asked them for one jalapeno from their garden. They gave me 4. I know my DH2b would love them, but he already has the 6 that the neighbors gave us over the last few weeks. SO I cut up one and put half of it into the chili. I also added a salmon burger (God only knows who thought that up) that has been in the freezer for some time.

Next, I cut a hole in the top of a garden tomato, one of 11 in the house, and ladled the chili into it. So that was my dinner. It wasn't great, but I ate. It wasn't great, but I used up some of the mass of food that we have in the house. It wasn't great, but at least it wasn't potato chips and mini Baby Ruths.

Anyway, on with the meat of the post.
While eating, I wondered what I could do with the remaining 3 and a half jalapenos.
Infuse them with vodka of course! I googled and found http://www.infusionsofgrandeur.net/ The Mad Scienticians. They helped me figure out that I wanted to cut the jalapenos in half and shove them into the jar of vodka.

Doing this made me think about my trials making Fruity Cordials. It was never as easy as one slice, you're done! Oh well, I'll wait a few days and try out the vodka. Then, after I go out and buy more vodka, I'll try infusing it with sticks of vanilla and maybe coffee beans. I always complain that when I decide to try a fancy martini at a bar or restaurant, I have to suffer with the non flavored kind because of the grain used to make the lower shelf vodkas that are in those drinks.

You see, since I am intolerant to Gluten (found in wheat, rye, barley, and oats) I can not eat or drink anything made with or near wheat. Vodka is not normally my top choice for drinky-drinks, but when I do want it, I always have to upcharge to Chopin or some of the other spendy ones that are made from potatoes or grapes. The DH2b and I ate at the Cheesecake Factory the other night and I seriously had a martini that (while splendid!) was nearly $12!

I very much look forward to infusing things into vodka, and maybe some other liquids as well. I suppose I can do this in the winter, unlike when I make cordials. The fruit does not react as well when it's cold.

Please join me as I try new liquid creations... it will be mixed in with my paper creations, but you know me... crafty, no matter what the topic!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

2 parties, one weekend

I have 2 card making parties scheduled for one weekend. Saturday October 4th and Sunday the 5th.

Saturday I'll be having a good old fashioned workshop with my friend Tracey as the lovely hostess.

Then On Sunday I'm having a Stampin' Up! Open House for World Card Making Day. I'll post the flier when it gets rewritten (for the 4th time) and after I'm done chattin' with my DH2b.

I'm also fighting a cold here, so I apologize for the slow go!

Friday, September 19, 2008

Spinner Birthday Card

I made a spinner card, finally! I always wanted to try this out and as soon as I saw "wow flowers" in the new catalog I knew this was the card to make. It was exciting to be doing this card.

The card base is Pixie Pink and all the other materials are Tempting Turquoise. I used the word window to make the track for the spinner, and to make the spinner itself I got to use the new Stampin' Up! Big Shot! The Sizzlets die I used was the "sparkle" which co-ordinates nicely with Wow Flowers.

To make a Spinner you need two pennies and some Stampin' Dimensionals. I sandwiched a dimensional between the 2 pennies and then put another one on top of the stack. I put the sparkle on top of the top dimensional and then added some glam with silver chunky glitter.

You'll need to bend the track a bit to fit the penny into it and after you stick down the track to your card, using dimensionals, you will have a fancy spinner card ready to get tilted!

To see step by step instructions, you can look on SplitCoastStampers.com. I'll try to post a link when I'm not in a restricted internet zone.

Here's that link. You can tell from my details above that I altered the instructions from the link. I think these instructions were made before the Word Window Punch was released.

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ee/index.php/resources/tutorials/spinner_card/

enjoy!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

shipment

I got 4 new stamp sets yesterday, and tonight I mounted them while I drank half a bottle of red wine. So then I felt compelled to make a card with a set I was dying for for a VERY long time. So I made a "get well soon" card of sorts for a school co-worker who caught the first bought of first grade cooties from her kiddies already!

I finally got "Loads of Love" and made this diddy. Tempting Turquoise and Kraft papers. TT ribbon with the slot punch. I also added the ticket punch on the corners of the Kraft. I watercolored the truck using the TT ink pad and by using the Water color pencils from Stampin' Up!



I'm gonna toss it into her mailbox tomorrow and then I'm sure I'll feel silly for doing it. She's not like my best friend or anything. But, maybe I'll make her feel a little better and it will all be alright!
.................................

Tonight I also worked on a flier for World Card Making Day. I'm having Writer's Block I think. I'm a bit nervous about it. But I'll work on it a bit more tomorrow then off to the printers! I have to get this flier out if I want any business for the big day (October 5th)

thanks for looking
'night!

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Bridal Shower Card

Very Sparkly




I made this card for my cousin's fiancee for her Bridal Shower tomorrow. I used Close to Cocoa paper with the Sweet Always Designer Paper, and Chocolate Chip Twill ribbon. The heart is from the set Always and I heat embossed it with chocolate chip craft ink and then I used Heat and Stick Powder with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.



You like?

hello

Hey there, just startin out, this will probably take me a few weeks to start posting something really good, but I hope you will hang in there with me.

this will be my house one day.. hopefully soon.


thanks