Stamping & Scrapping with Jen

Upsy Daisy Card

2012-05-17T12:29:04-04:00

I really need to get more creative with my titles, huh???? Maybe my titles are just CAS (Clean & Simple) like my cards!!!

This one however might be a half-a-step above CAS. Not too much, though, but I think the lack of white space makes it a little bit "above" CAS worthy.

Alas, another retiring stamp set I will miss, Upsy Daisy. I don't know if it's cathartic or not to be pulling out all these sets and using them. It's making me a little sad!!!

To create this "half-a-step-above-a-clean-and-simple" card, I sponged the background with (retiring In Colors) Poppy Parade (bottom) and Blushing Bride (top) and sponged a little Pumpkin Pie in between, then stamped the flower image in Basic Black over the background. Then I punched a part of the image out with my 2-1/2" circle punch and mounted it on Basic Black cardstock.

Tonight is Club Night, so this is one of the cards my clubbers will be making. And it's also on video for my Virtual Clubbers this month! If you are one of my Virtual Clubbers, you will see this demonstrated step-by-step for you! For more info on my Virtual Club, you can click here!

Inspired by Nature

2012-05-14T09:51:37-04:00

Another very cool stamp set that we need to say goodbye to is Inspired by Nature. I really did like this set when it first came out, but sadly, it has been sitting on my shelf for awhile unused. :( I do love that coneflower image in this set though. Isn't is great?

The technique used on this card is Poppin' Pastels - such a great technique!!! It's especially good when you want that muted look and a multi-colored image. Best of all you only need one ink pad - the Versamark pad!!!! All your color comes from the pastels you dab on top of the Versamark.

If you don't own this set yet, time is running out!!! Be sure to get it before it's gone forever!!

Say Goodbye to Extreme Elements

2012-05-10T13:13:49-04:00

I love Extreme Elements because of the great backgrounds you can create with it. This is a card I created after Erin's 6th Birthday when she had a Rock Star themed party. The "Thank You" greeting is from Thank You Kindly, which is also retiring. If you like these sets but don't have them yet, now is your chance!! There are just 21 days left to order all retiring merchandise!!

Best 13.1 So Far!!

2012-05-07T10:34:09-04:00

What a difference 356 days makes!!!

Last May 15, I ran my first half-marathon, and it was anything BUT enjoyable!!! I was proud of myself, and I did it, but it was awful. The weather was gross, I didn't feel good (was suffering from anemia, but didn't know it at the time), and it was basically torture to get through each long and agonizing mile.

So yesterday, I set out to do my second half-marathon- the Long Branch Half. What a difference!!! The weather was ideal - 52 degrees, overcast, and just a tiny bit of wind, but nothing major.

I actually enjoyed the race!! It was fun!! Theresa and I ran the whole thing together, and we passed the miles by chatting, laughing, checking our speeds, high-fiving the little kids who came out to cheer us all on, thanking the adult fans who were there in support of the runners, and making new friends. When you are running for almost 2 hours, all you have is time, so it's a good opportunity to meet new people (hi Kevin!)!!! Plus it makes the race go by that much faster!!

Our hope was to run at a 9:00 minute/mile pace to see how it felt. In our long training runs, we would hold steady between 9:25 and 9:40, but we were hoping for a 9:00 race pace. Our first mile was super fast - I think we were sub 8:30, but it felt good, so we dialed it back a tiny bit, and stayed in the 8:40s for most of the race! It's funny how running is so mental. There are some days I have trouble running 3 miles in less than a 9:15 pace, and here I was running 8:40s for 13.1!! I think once I start out (especially in a race), I can just hold steady wherever I am. So if I started at 9:15, that's probably where I would stay. But thankfully I settled in around 8:45 or so.

None of our miles were above 9:00, and the best part is I felt great - up until about mile 11. Then I had a little light-headedness, and I realized my heart-rate was high. It could have been anemia (although, that really is in check, but sometimes when I push so hard I wonder if it might rear its ugly head again), dehydration (although I took water at every water stop except one, which I tried, but I just couldn't get over fast enough), or something else. T helped talk me through it - I tried to slow my breathing down, which helped a little, but soon we only had a mile & a half to go and I was going to work through it no matter what. Everything else felt GREAT!!!

We even had an incredible kick at the end!! Mile 13 was our fastest mile at 8:33 and the last tenth of a mile after that was pretty much an all-out sprint (okay as much as one can sprint after running 13 miles!!) For our efforts we got this awesome medal that even has me & T on the front of it (you can't really see it in this picture, but there are two little runners on it and I'm positive that it is the two of us!!) :)

So, here are my official results!! Woo Hoo!!! Now I have to get ready for the Superhero Half Marathon in two more weeks!!! And two weeks after that, we'll be in Virgina to run the Wine Country Half! We figured if we were going to train for one, why not do THREE!!!!???

So, here I am on Monday morning, post race; my legs are a little bit sore and my abs hurt (maybe from the kick at the end), but I feel good!! Pretty much what I think I should feel like after pushing yourself farther than you ever thought possible!

To anyone who is just starting out as a runner, or would like to become one, please remember this. I started running (aside from track in high school) three years ago. I could not run 1 mile on a treadmill without stopping & walking a little. It takes time to build up to running a half-marathon. Heck, it takes time to build up to a 5k! That's where I started until Theresa thought it would be fun to run a 10 mile race. Once I wrapped my head around that, I have never looked back. (Okay, that is not really true, I have wanted to quit MANY times, but Theresa never gave me that option!!) So, here are my final words for today: You CAN do anything you put your mind to. The hardest part is making that decision to DO it!!

Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup

2012-05-02T11:20:12-04:00

Over the winter, I started making Butternut Squash Soup. Jeff would take the kids skiing every Sunday afternoon and I would stay home alone and make soup & watch football. I loved my Sundays!!! One day I made this and my Potato Leek Soup. I can't really even rememeber where the Butternut Squash recipe originated, but I know the basics of it came from somewhere, but I have altered it enough to call it my own now. It's really yummy and it has a little kick, but I think soon I'm going to explore other ways to make it. Please letme know if you have a recipe for Butternut Squash soup that you think rocks. I woudl love to try it!!

So anyway, here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
2T butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 med carrot, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 small/med potatoes (feel free to experiment with red potatoes or sweet potatoes), diced (do not peel)
1 md butternut squash
32 oz (or more) chicken broth (or use vegetable broth to keep it vegan)
1 leek, sliced (optional)
paprika
chili powder or cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Pierce squash several times with a fork and roast in oven at 400 degrees for one hour. Let cool. Peel, scoop out seeds, and cut into cubes.

Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, garlic, & squash. Saute for 10 minutes. Pour enough chicken broth to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Add sliced leeks and cook for 10 more minutes. Puree vegetables until smooth.

Add remainder of broth (or more for thinner soup). Add paprika, chili powder or cayenne, and salt & pepper to taste. A little spice goes a long way - so add with caution!!

It's so delicious!!! And, best of all it's gluten-free AND dairy/casein-free even though it is so creamy!!!! I hope you enjoy it!!

Fifth Avenue Floral - I Will Miss You!!!

2012-05-01T14:20:38-04:00

Oh, I will miss this set, Fifth Avenue Floral. When it came out a couple years ago it was the first set I had to have and I have used the heck out of it. It must be the simplicity of the set that I was drawn to, but there are really so many things that you can do with it. I have several cards on my site with this set and some on Splitcoast, too. I remember staying up one night playing with this set and creating more & more samples. I don't think there has been a set like that since then.

In addition to the Fifth Avenue Floral set, it also uses the popular Sincere Salutations set, which is also retiring. I made this card for my last Technique Tuesday class. It's the Paper Tole technique. It's probably worthy of a video, so I'll see if I can get that in the works in the next week or so. I have a pretty crazy schedule for the next 2 months, between the kids schedule and school nearing its end (which I can't believe), I'm running 3 half-marathons and have to travel to 2 of them, a baby shower, dance recital, hosting a huge 40th birthday party, and that's all on top of all my stamping events!!! Whew!!!! But becuase of all that, I have my work hourse set in stone for the next 6 weeks, so I should be good!!! (Did you notice how my newsletter went out on time this month?? WooHoo!!!)

If you aren't signed up for my newsletter list, you can do that here!!

Not So Seriously Birthday from the Dogs

2012-04-30T12:49:06-04:00

Here is a sample from one of the sets that I have that is retiring at the end of May. The set Not So Seriously also features a stamp of a lady with a large derriere, and I love her!! I had never used the dogs stamp that came with the set until I made this card, but it is cute, right???

This card is a 4-1/4" x 4-1/4" card and I have decided I really do like that card size. Usually I think squares are hard to work with, but for some reason, I usually find it successful when creating cards. Maybe it's my extreme need for simplicity. Cutting down on the card size cuts down on the amount of space I need to fill!! LOL!

Here is a quick recipe:

Stamps: Not So Seriously
Ink: Jet Black Staz On, Soft Suede
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Whisper White
Accessories: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Basic Gray, and Real Red Markers

The coloring on this card is just straight coloring - no shading or use of the Blender Pens at all. Easy Peasy!!!! Hope you enjoyed it!!!

Retiring Accessories List is Out!

2012-04-26T12:20:00-04:00

And boy is it a doozy!!!!

Be sure to look over this list and make your purchases soon!! Items on this list is while supplies last, so don't wait!!!

This list will be updated every day, so I will keep this post at the top of my blog and update it daily. Please check back often and purchase sooner rather than later!!!

R ETIRED ACCESSORIES LIST (updated 5/17/12)

Retiring List is Out!!

2012-04-16T12:09:43-04:00

Can you believe we are already at the point in the year when the retired list is out?

Okay, well, it is a bit earlier this year than it has been in the past. The year, the new catalog will begin on June 1 (previously it was July 1), so yesterday the retired list was posted. To see a copy of the list, please click here. These stamps can be ordered through May 31, and then they will be gone forever. :(

To place your order for any of the stamps on the list, please click here.

Watch for some projects over the next few weeks that highlight some of the retiring sets!!

Play Ball!!!

2012-04-05T09:57:08-04:00

Today is one of my favorite days in the sporting world. In fact, it might be my MOST favorite day in the sporting world - Opening Day, the official start of baseball! For me, it totally goes along with my favorite things about spring & Easter: hope. And when you are a New York Mets fan, hope is about all you can have. By May, it could be all gone!! But for now, I'll enjoy it and think and hope and pray that maybe...MAYBE this year, I'll still want to watch them after the All-Star Break.

I thought I would share some layouts that I have posted before, but ones that I have done that are baseball related. The first is a trip to Wrigley field to see a Cubs game (I was so exicted that they had gluten-free beer!), and the second is Emily's first year of tee-ball.

If you are heading out to a game today, have a great time! I'll be watching my Mets on TV and watching my fantasy team online!!