Learning Something New . . . Works for Me Wednesday

I did not make this cake:


You see, decorating cakes is not my forte.  Exhibit A and B.

But, you're never too old to learn, right? RIGHT?!?

Have you heard of MyCakeSchool.com?  It is a beautiful site filled with videos and tutorials all about making gorgeous cakes.

Melissa, the owner of My Cake School, is a natural teacher. Watching her videos makes me think, "Hey, I can DO that!"  It's like having a personal instructor right in your very own kitchen.  (Even though, I think I'd trade my kitchen for hers.) 

For $30 a year, members have access to 100's of videos (don't take my word for it; here's a list).  Learn everything from a basic crumb coat to gumpaste to buttercream flowers.

The video on scrollwork alone opened up a world of possibilities!
 
(And I can't wait to learn to make a pretty ruffle cake. I've been thinking about Amanda's ruffle cake since December!)

Guess what?  Melissa is offering TWO Bake at 350 readers year-long memberships!  Yay!  Come learn along with me! 

To enter: 

giveaway closed! Congrats to Rachel & Chelsea!!!

• Leave a comment with a technique you would really like to learn (here's a list with some ideas)

Let's make some pretty cakes together! Works for me!

Gluten-Free Pan Fried Catfish

Golden pan fried catfish fillet with crisp baby greens and brown rice.

One of the juicy, inspiring gifts of an empty nest is the big sky freedom to pull up roots and wander. And Darling, have we been wandering. We are gypsies. Moving six times since selling our family home back on Cape Cod five years ago, each time moving south, migrating west. Each time selling off more books, discarding the outworn. Until we reached the sea again.

After years of oceanic dreaming I finally call the beach my home.

I wake to the rhythmic crash of the waves. I open windows and fill the rooms with sea glass sunlight and salt air. My pillows and bedding smell like surf.

I can breathe here. I can paint here. I can cup my hands and carve the space to imagine new things.


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Papertake Weekly - Sketch Week

Hi everyone! I hope you were lucky enough to enjoy a 3 day weekend and that you had nice weather for the unofficial start of summer. It was actually snowing here on Saturday night, believe it or not! YUCK! We've had a very cool spring this year and I'm ready for some warmer weather! I just know that summer is going to hit hard when it finally gets here.  With it being Tuesday, that means it's time for a new challenge from Papertake Weekly! This week is sketch week! I love sketch week! Dawny is the sketch Queen!!  Since it's the last Tuesday in the month, that means we're being sponsored by the awesome Simon Says Stamp!!

For my card today, I used #377 Traveling Tilda (isn't she just the cutest little thing???) from the Bon Voyage collection at Magnolia-licious, along with #525 Spring Fence. I don't see the full size available right now, but you can get it in the mini version!! I changed it from a spring fence to a summer fence by just covering up the daffodils with some tiny flowers. They are colored with Copic markers, and Tilda is fussy cut and popped up for dimension. These yummy papers are from Raspberry Road and they're double matted with Bazzill card stock.   The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and  I also added some Kaiser flat backed pearls. That lucious bow is made with May Arts Silk Ribbon from Stamp and Create.

So that's it for my card today! Sure hope you pop over to Papertake Weekly and check out all the amazing creations from the rest of the design team! Then we'd love it if you'd grab your paper and glue and join us in the challenge! Thanks so much for stopping by to see me today and hope to see you back again soon! Hugs!!

Birthday Cake Card for BBTB2

Happy Monday and happy Memorial Day to those in the USA.  You may have arrived here from fabulous Theresa's blog if you are following the monthly Bitten by the Bug 2 blog hop.  If you are just dropping by, continue on the blog hop when you leave my blog - after you enter the BLOG CANDY giveaway.  This week's challenge cut at Bitten by the Bug 2 is  the birthday cake from the Celebrations cartridge.  I love this birthday cake - it is one of my favorite cake cuts.  And even though there are newer birthday cartridges, I still love this "go to" original Cricut birthday cartridge!

I designed my card in Cricut Design Studio, welding two of the cake shadow cuts to create the base card and cut the card in aqua Bazzill cardstock.  I used the Hide Select Contour feature and removed the cut space inside the tray legs on the the shadow, creating a solid, one piece shadow cut.  Using Imaginisce B-day Bash line I cut a base layer in chocolate birthday candle cardstock.  I build the rest of the cake on the chocoate birthday candle layer.

The top layers of the cake was created in three layers: back layer in lime green Core'dination cardstock, main cake layer in Imaginisce B-day Bash cardstock, and gold tray layer cut in metallic cardstock.  After affixing the three laters together I tied a length of red Imaginisce ribbon around the cake and added the Happy Birthday phase (cut from the Batman cartridge) to the front of the cake.  I then used pop dots and attached the cake to the base card.

I cut the background cake layer in smooth white cardstock and affixed it inside the card and added another Happy Birthday cut.  This is the perfect surface the shape on which to write a personal birthday message.
To finish the front of the card I added two of the three candles from the cake cut.  I also added an Imaginisce cardstock embellishment birthday cake to the top of the cricut cake - turning my cake into a four tiered cake!!  The cake was then blinged out with various sizes of gems.

Did I mention BLOG CANDY and blog hop???  Thanks to the AMAZING CUSTOM CROPS I have wonderful blog candy to offer you!  How about a $20 gift voucher for shopping at Custom Crops???  I would love that so I bet you would too!  All you have to do to be entered into the random drawing for the blog candy is

1. Be a follower of this blog, and

2. Leave a comment under this post.  

I will be posting the winner on Thursday.

When you finish the blog hop you may want to hop by Custom Crops and check out all of their new in stock items.  You may also be interested in their DVD, Cricut for Beginners, a wonderful DVD which teaches you to use all of the features on your Cricut.

Now that you have enjoyed (??) my blog post, you have become a blog follower, left your comment below and taken note of the Custom Crops it is time to continue on to the next stop on the blog hop.  You are off to see the lovely Penny of PenniAnnie's. Enjoy the rest of the blog hop and if you have not already done so, please drop by Bitten by the Bug 2 look at all of the design team projects.

For a great friend featuring a fun hAnglar image and a WINNER!!!

Happy Sunday everyone!  Sure hope you're having a fabulous weekend! It's been chilly and rainy here all weekend, so I've taken advantage by getting some crafting done.  Todays card features an adorable hAnglar image colored with Copic markers. 

The cardstock is Bazzill and the DP's are from Kay Miller Designs and Raspberry Road. I think I've put everything on this card except the kitchen sink! LOL! I used a doily cut with a die from Cheery Lynn Designs, the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts spritzed with Glimmer Mist,

The ticket is a stamp and die from Whimsy that I got from Bunny Zoe's Crafts, the banner was cut using my Cricut Expression using my Gypsy and Celebrations cartridge, and the little hearts on the banner are a byproduct of a Martha Stewart heart border punch edged in chalk ink. The pin was made using some beads from Michael's, and the ribbon is May Arts silk ribbon from Stamp and Create colored with a Copic marker to match.

I am entering this into the following challenges:
Lovely hAnglar only- dots
Just Magnolia and hAnglar & stAnglar Challenge Blog - Friends

And I have FINALLY drawn a winner for the Magnolia-licious blog hop! And the winner is......

And #8 is.................

Congrats Riet! Please send me your information so I can get your box of goodies out to you! Thanks to everyone that played!!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Hugs!

DIY Coke Icee

I don't know about you, but when I was a kid, there was only one flavor of Icee for me: the Coke Icee.  No cherry...and don't even get me started on the Blue Raspberry flavor.  It was Coke Icee or nothin'.

So, when I saw this recipe in the little booklet that came with my new ice cream maker, I had to try it.

You'll need: 4 cans of cold Coke and an ice cream maker.

Pour the cold Coke into the frozen bowl and process for about 20 minutes.

Have your glasses and straws ready.

Ta-da!  That's it!

Now, I think they might add a little something else to Icees, because it tastes close, but not exactly like the real thing.  But hey, Icees at home? I'll take it! 

{The little recipe booklet says you can make this with any soda, as long as it's not made with artificial sweeteners.}

So, if you're having people over for Memorial Day (or any day for that matter), give it a try.  I think I'm going to try Ginger Ale Icees next!

Peggy Loves Vintage "what's cookin'?"

Hey everyone! I'm sooooo glad it's Friday! And a 3 day weekend in the States as well! WOOHOO!!  The weather isn't going to be very nice (they're even talking snow for Sunday morning), so I'm planning on staying inside and getting some crafting done. My card today features another adorable vintage image from Peggy Loves Vintage.  All her images are so great for making a fabulous card quickly!  I printed her on Bazzill cardstock and cut her out from the background.  She's popped up from a circle Nestie. The DP's are from Nitwit Collections.

I paired her up with a sentiment from The Cutting Cafe set called What's Cooking. I love using Regina's sentiements with Peggy's images. For the horizontal panel, I used a Martha Stewart border punch, and then edged the vertical panel with some beautiful lace from Bunny Zoe's Crafts. That big beautiful bow was made with May Arts Silk ribbon from Stamp and Create, and the charm is from my stash, so I have no idea where I got it from

A slightly angled pic to help show some of the dimension of the card. Plus it gives you a little glimpse of the inside which is decorated to complement the card front. So that's it for my card today. Please visit Peggy Loves Vintage to see the thousands and thousands of vintage images that Peggy has available. Don't forget to visit her blog and sign up to follow her. She loves to give away free images! Thanks so much for visiting me today and hope to see you back again soon! Hugs!!

Graduation Layout for Shelby's Scrapbook

Today I have a quick layout to share with you.  These are the final two pages in Shelby's scrapbook, which will be filled in later with photos from her graduation.  Shelby's school colors are royal blue and white, but as anyone who tries to purchase graduation cardstock knows, most of the scrapping products are black and white, gray and white, or silver and white.  I had a few pieces of graduation paper and cardstock leftover from Ian's senior year scrapbook so I shared with Michelle. 

To the basic gray, black and white graduation colors we added royal blue and white embellishments.  We used two cartridges to cut the Cricut elements on these two pages - Calligraphy for the phrase "Graduation 2011" and Everyday Paper Dolls for the graduation cap.  Both Happy Graduation and grad caps appear on a number of other cartridges, I simply chose these two because I like them.  But if you do not have either of these cartridges do not worry, similar cuts can be found on several other cartridges.

I added floral swirl die cuts to each page - cutting in half a large flower to use half on each page.  The die cut is one that I have had for a while - the last of a series of die cut flowers I purchased a few years ago at Convention.

I added a few rub-ons to the pages - See the "So happy" embellishment above and the phrase "Celebrate You" on the last photo.  I also created a layered blue and white flower to add a bit of girliness to the page!!

Here is a final look a the two pages.  Click on the photos to see them larger.

I will be back tomorrow with one more graduation project to share.  I hope you have a great Friday!

Quinoa Taco Salad

Quinoa taco salad- light, fresh, fabulous.

Looking for a fresh idea for a summer picnic or backyard get-together? This cool and breezy quinoa taco salad might be just what you're craving. Laced with lime juice and sea salt, the combo of fluffy quinoa and ripe avocado, spiked with red onion and sunny sweet pepper, served on a crisp bed of romaine lettuce, is a light and healthy twist on the salsa drenched bean and cheese heavy taco salads so ubiquitous years ago. It's a total win for gluten-free vegans and vegetarians. And let's face it.

Quinoa is much more hip than canned re-fried beans.

The inspiration for a quinoa taco salad was sparked over on the Gluten-Free Goddess Facebook page. Reader (and long distance friend) Patsy commented on a thread about Memorial Day picnic salads, mentioning her current fave, quinoa taco salad. We all perked up. 

Quinoa? As a taco salad? Brilliant. 

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Piano Recital Layout with Quarter Note

I had such a nice time yesterday.  Michelle came over and we worked on her daughter Shelby's scrapbook.  Michelle was very close to being finished with the scrapbook, just six pages to go, which is great since she has to present the book to Shelby on Thursday night (as in - TOMORROW)!  Shelby attends a private school and the parents were asked to present their students a scrap/memory book at graduation.  I was able to help Michelle a great deal, as she was not really a scrapper.  The good news?  Well other than Shelby's book is finished - Michelle is a scrapper convert!!  She is purchasing a Cricut Expression, wants a Gypsy, and is planning to attend the CK Scrapbooking convention that Kathy, Suzanne, Pat and I attend each August!!  Whoo-hoo!!

I wanted to share this layout of Shelby's first piano recital (which also includes a photo of Shelby at her last piano recital!).  This was the first time I had used the Quarter Note cartridge.  I asked for this cartridge for a couple of years before it became a reality.  Ironically, I no longer needed it as much as I had when I was scrapping years of Marching Band photos!  But as I had begged for the music/band cartridge, I HAD to purchase the cartridge.

Quarter Note does NOT disappoint. In addition to a music note alphabet (see the welded letters below) there are a lot of music words, instruments, and symbols.  I am very happy with the cartridge, I only wish I had more opportunity to use the music cuts!

I will try to remember to photograph the other two layouts we made yesterday when I see Michelle to put the finishing touches on the book.  I am very proud of the work she has done on Shelby's book and very excited that she has embraced my favorite hobby!!!

Triple Chocolate Muffins

 

Muffins = legally sanctioned cake for breakfast.  

{Please don't tell the First Lady.}

These Triple Chocolate Muffins may not be the most gorgeous, but, oh baby....warm from the oven with two kinds of melty chocolate chips?   They are pure decadence.

The day I made them, I ate one for breakfast, one for a mid-morning snack, 1.5 for lunch and one mid-afternoon.  {Muumuus will be all the rage this summer, right?}

Triple Chocolate Muffins

1/2 c. (1 stick) salted butter
1 and 3/4 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
2/3 c. dutch-process cocoa (such as Hershey's Special Dark)
1 and 1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. instant espresso powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 c. bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 c. milk
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. white vinegar

Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cups. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 425.

Melt the butter; set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla and vinegar until blended. Stir in the cooled, melted butter.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.  Stir with a rubber spatula, just until blended.

Spoon into the prepared muffin liners...the cups will be very full. {Be sure to lick the spoon...this batter is SO yummy!}

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the muffins bounce back when pressed with a finger.  Cool on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes.


Remove from the pan and let them cool just a bit longer.  Serve warm.

Confession: I have one small white plate. Once we started, kiddo would.not.stop.eating to let me take a picture of the melty insides of his on the pretty white plate.  Note to self: buy more white plates.