Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July to everyone!!!  We are so thankful for our country and all that has fought for our freedom.
May God Bless America!!!!

A Birthday Card for a Special Friend

Marcia and I met at the pool in Florida 3 years ago when we each rented a condo in Fort Myers.  We became fast friends and it is because of her that we bought our Villa in Pine Ridge.  Marcia and Tom also bought a Condo in Pine Ridge at the same time.  They have since sold it and also bought a Villa.  She is a very special friend and I feel like I have known her all my life.

I used the Belleek Inspired Technique on the Embossing Die (which cuts and embosses at the same time).  If you are not familiar with it, you can read about it at Kittie Kraft's by clicking here!  She is a beautiful designer and explains this very well.

The flower is another one I made from the Foamiran foam.  That stuff is so fun to work with, but I need to order more.
I get my foam from here!.

If you want to see a beautiful flower made with the foam, check out Selma's latest post here!  It looks like she picked it fresh from the garden.  Selma is going to give me lessons. :)

I cute the top off of a red cup and placed it over the flower and put it inside a clear pouch to ship it.  I hope it arrives in good shape.  I thought that was a good way to protect it, so we will see once Marcia receives it.

I hope you enjoy the birthday card.

Pineapple Fluff with Pretzels

This recipe is a huge hit every time I serve it and it is so easy.  The difference is you add the crushed pretzels just before you serve it, not as a crust. So yummy and easy.

PINEAPPLE FLUFF WITH PRETZELS

Ingredients
•1 cup coarsely crushed pretzels
•1/2 cup butter -- melted
•1/2 cup sugar -- divided

•1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese softened
1/2 cup sugar
•1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple BE SURE TO DRAIN - I use Pineapple in its own juice not in heavy syrup -- drained
•1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping thawed

Directions
•In a small bowl, combine the pretzels, butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. 

 • Bake pretzel mixture at 400° for 7 minutes. Cool. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until creamy. Fold in pineapple and whipped topping; chill until serving. Just before serving, break pretzel mixture into small pieces; stir into pineapple mixture. Yield: 6 servings 

Foamiran Flower Card

Friends of ours had a death in their family.  She is a card maker, so I wanted to do something special for a card to send to them.  I just love working with this foam.  I love watching how it curves and changes when I put it on the iron.    I am experimenting with another die and hopefully it will be ready to show you soon.  I have lots of birthdays in June and July, plus some specialty cards that have to be made.  My gardens need my attention too.  And, I need to be packing things in my house.  Just not enough hours in the day.  Do you experience this too?

After I got this card put together, it was crooked.  I was so disgusted with myself.  So, I reached for my fabulous UN-DO and much to  my dismay, my bottle had tipped over and was empty.  I couldn't believe it.  I just can't craft without it.  I have 4 bottles I think in Florida and thought I had more here....but I don't.

If you haven't used this stuff, it is fantastic.  

The embossing folder I used is a Marianne and has been discontinued.

Standing Butterfly Card

I made this butterfly card for my granddaughter, Lisa who turned 13 this week.  She loves pink and always wants a pink card.  I think she will love her card.

The butterfly lays flat to mail.

The butterfly stands up.

This is a side view of the card.  Directions are below.

First I placed the Memory  Box Butterfly 98583 Delia die a little above the folded card stock and cut it out so there are two connected pieces.  Then I embossed it using a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder called Kassie.  Next I cut another single butterfly with the same die and embossed it with the same folder.  A decorative Delia butterfly was die cut.

I scored the fold as deep as I could, then the butterfly that is laying down was scored with the ridge up to prop up the standing butterfly.  The single embossed butterfly was glued to the half of butterfly allowing it to stand above the double cut butterfly.  The decorative cut butterfly was attached to that butterfly.  Then a row of  rhinestones were glued to the middle of the top butterfly.

Strawberry Pie

My Mom and I created this Strawberry Pie recipe and it is yummy.

 PIE SHELL 
1 ½ cup flour 
2 T Sugar
½ tsp salt 
½ cup oil 
2 T milk 
Preheat oven to 425.  Mix all ingredients together with a fork and press into a 9 inch pie pan.  Bake for 10 minutes or slightly brown.    Cool.

 FILLING:
 1 Cup sugar 
1 Cup water 
2 ½ T cornstarch 
2 T White Corn Syrup  
1/3 cup strawberry jello 
1 quart fresh strawberries 
Red food coloring if desired
Boil Sugar, water, cornstarch, corn syrup together until thick.  Remove from heat and add jello.  Stir and cool.  Fold in strawberries.

Cream 1 package cream cheese with 1/2  cup sugar.  Add 2 T of cool whip.  Spread on bottom of cooled pie crust.

Add strawberry mixture on top of cream cheese and refrigerate until ready to eat. 
Enjoy

Graduation cards

I couldn't believe that I didn't have any graduation stamps or dies in my stash, but if I do they must be in Florida.  At least I didn't find them.  So, I had to be creative with the cards I made for 2 different graduation parties.
I think they turned out cute.  I kept them very simple as June is a month of lots of birthdays for me which means lots of cards.

 This is for my cousins daughter, Emily.  School colors are black, orange and white. She is a very classy young lady and I think she will love it.

                                                     This is the inside of the cards.

                                           For our friends son's graduation.

As you can see, they are very simple and I made do with what I had to work with.

Birthday box for Benaiah

Our Great Grandson Benaiah's birthday is this week.  He will be in kindergarten next fall.  He has the sweetest personality and talks non-stop. He loves to play Uno and wins a lot.  We had such a good time with him (and his family) when they visited us in Florida.  What a joy it was.
I asked him the other day what he like and he said "Darth Vader".  Now being a mother of only one daughter many years ago, I had no idea who or what that was.  Thank goodness for the Internet as I looked it up and printed off the graphics.  I made this cute box for him.

I love making this box and I have a tutorial that you can see by clicking here!  The are so many different things you can do with the box, but since this is a 6 year old boy I didn't make it too complicated or elaborate.  A great thing about the box is it folds completely flat to mail.

Boys cards are the hardest for me to make, but this one went fast and it helps when they give you a theme to work with.    Please click on the pictures to enlarge them so you can see it better.

My first Foamiran Flower

I don't know if you have discovered the newest trend in Europe....Foamiran Flowers.
These Flowers are made with ultra thin foam and look so real.  I made my first one yesterday.
How fun!  There is definitely a learning curve and I have a long ways to go, but it truly is a joy to make something that looks so real.  There are lots of videos on YouTube showing how to do it.
If you  have any questions, please leave me a comment.  It is good to be back in my craft room in Indiana.

Birthday card

 I spent one afternoon organizing and labeling the few card making supplies that I have with me.  I sure do miss all the supplies I have in Indiana though.

Now that I have things somewhat organized it did make things easier to be creative. 

This card was made for one of my card making friends.  The focal dies are from Maryann and the corner dies are by Cheery Lynn.  The stamp is by B-Line Designs.

  

Cards I have made this year.

I am sorry that I have been missing this year.  I dont have a crafting place right now, so it is hard to be motivated.
Below are the 3 cards I have made.

 I made this card for our daughter, Lori. Wasn't she a cute baby?

 This card was made for our Great Grandson Bleydn.

This card was made for our Great Grandson Daitin.

Both boys are very involved in sports.

Many Christmas Blessings

Merry Christmas from Jon and Joan.
We are spending the winter in Florida again.  My crafting time is limited and hard to do as I do not have a room for my stuff "yet".  Hopefully some day, but not yet.

I hope each of you enjoyed Christmas and praised God for the birth of His Son.

May 2017 be a great year for you.
Hugs to you all.  I miss hearing from you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

As we celebrate this Thanksgiving I want you all to know how thankful I am for all of you!  You have truly been a blessing to me.  Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.  May God bless you richly.

Birthday Card for Beckon

Beckon 7 years old

My Great Grandson, Beckon's birthday is next week, so I made his card using Karen Burnstin's Birthday Die and Graphic 45 Sports paper.  The cake pops up.  I added the sport strip on the bottom with the curve cut out using a Spellbinders border die.  I think Beckon's will love it.

Birthday Card for Beckon

My Great Grandson, Beckon's birthday is next week, so I made his card using Karen Burnstin's Birthday Die and Graphic 45 Sports paper.  The cake pops up.  I added the sport strip on the bottom with the curve cut out using a Spellbinders border die.  I think Beckon's will love it.

CHRISTMAS TREE CARD

I saw a card with this technique on Pinterest and it really intrigued me.  She used this embossing folder from Stamping Up.  I just had to have this embossing folder to try this technique.  When I first saw it, I wondered how in the world she got the stamped image behind the birch trees.  Well, you stamp the embossing folder first and then run it through the your machine.  
I still need some practice and more stamps that will work, but I wanted to share with you the idea.  Isn't it fun.  This could be a quick Christmas card if you have a lot to make.  The birds are from a Martha Stewart punch, the large trees are Impression Obsession and the tree scene in the background is from Memory Box.  Would love to hear your thoughts on this technique.

BIG SALE

 We are having a HOUSEHOLD SALE this Friday and Saturday from 9 to 4. It is amazing how much we have collected over the years. Items will be priced to sell. Our address is 25790 Stanton Road, North Liberty. Email me for a phone number if you want to call.

Vintage Dishes, Christmas and other Holiday items, Craft supplies left over from my business such as stamps, dies, punches, paper, crafting bags, tools and much more.

Camp Days at Grandma and Grandpa's!

Yesterday we had all 16 of our grandchildren and great grandchildren here for a Grandpa and Grandma Camp day. We had singing, flannel graph Bible stories, games, crafts, and of course lots of good food. What a fun day it was. The kids are already asking if we can do it again next year.

Whiskers anxiously awaiting for the gang to arrive.  He was "dog tired" last night.

My friend Sherry  and my daughter Lori leading the kids in songs.  They love singing and really got into it.

I am using a flannel graph board to tell them the story of Daniel.  They are having a snack while they listen.

Flannel Graph Story of Daniel

Jon sitting up the first game.  He purchased big washers for them to throw into the bulls eye.  We divided them into 2 teams...Red and Blue.  They loved this game and love the competition between teams.


Playing the game.  I hate that I  didn't capture them jumping up and down when someone hit the bulls eye.


Branch (the youngest Great Grandson) doing is picture frame with Grandma.




Caleb and Bleydn working on their frames.



Anna, Benaiah, Bleydn and Lisa working on their frames.



Lily (the oldest Great Granddaughter), Esther and Caleb finishing their frames.



Frames the kids did for one craft.

More of the frames.


Puff Paint that I made using flour, salt, soda and water.  They loved this and were very creative.


The little guys playing the potato game.  So fun.


The older kids playing the potato game.  What a hoot.




Eating lunch.  A favorite thing to do.


Eating ice cream before going home.


I made this treat for the kids yesterday. They love Rice Krispy treats and Watermelon, so it was perfect for them. Taco salad, hot dogs, veggie cups, Doritos, Cheese It's, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Ice Cream with Sprinkles and Chocolate Syrup were also on the menu for the day.