Fun Use of the Blah Blah Blah Cut

Okay, it is no secret to those who have read this blog that I am in love with New York City and anything that relates to it. Well, I got an order from a really fun gal in Brooklyn and I was so excited to know that some of my designs were travelling to my very favorite place!

My new friend Meryl was so kind to share with me a picture of what she did with one of the die cuts.

I love it! Very creative use. Thanks for sharing, Meryl!

If you have purchased a die cut from me, I would love to see what you did with it. Send me an email, and I will blog your picture.


I snagged a Boopsie doll this week.


She made some limited edition St. Patrick's Day dollies, and I got one!
Her name is Harlequin. Isn't she adorable?

Happy St. Paddy's Day everyone!

Heading for the Weekend

I did a page this week using one of my die cut designs.

Flowers Lace Paper

Available in my Etsy shop.

This was Lacie's Christmas portrait.

She didn't want to smile!

We got her to in the very last shot.


Guess what I ordered?

I have wanted one for so long. I am very excited about it.

I am going to have a lot of fun snapping pictures everywhere I go!

I also ordered the dummies companion book for it so I can learn all I need to know about its features. If any of you use the Canon Rebel XTi and you have any tips or tricks for me, I would love to hear them. It arrives on Monday!

I've Been Tagged!

Got my first blog award!
Thank you, Heather!

She tagged me on Monday, so I am VERY late getting to my response.
Been a cRaZy week here.

Soooo.....my top 5 addictions....drumroll.....



5. TV Show Top Chef
Go, Fabio!!!


4. CarmexCannot stand my lips feeling dry.


3. Polka Dots
I would put them on everything!


2. Vanilla Coke

Love to have one each and every morning.


1. Anything, and I mean ANYTHING, related to New York City

No surprise there, huh? :)


Time to tag 5 friends. Ok girls....

Dianna
Jessi
Cyn
Wendy
Holly

YOU'RE IT!

For those of you participating in Project 365, you are
gonna need supplies to get all those pictures scrapped.

May I suggest?

My fabulous die cuts would work to make your pages look awesome!
Purchase from my Etsy shop or Lollishop and get a

FREE ALPHABET CIRCLE FRAME

when you mention my blog.

Now for some goodies for me.

Ordered these fabulous scrapping supplies from the always awesome Etsy shop

Elles Studio

I cannot wait to get these goodies in the mail.

I have fun plans for them!

Back to Blogging!

Happy 2009 Everyone!

It has been a couple of weeks since I blogged. We had a good time during the holidays!

Since this was the first year Lacie really got into Christmas, we really got into it with her. She loves the holiday lights and decorations, but she is still a little leery of Santa. She sat on his lap but was kinda nervous doing it.

Present opening was a fun experience! She loved ripping off the paper and getting to the goodies. Most of the time she wanted to play with whatever the gift was, so I had to redirect her to open the next one!

It is wonderful to see the holiday season through a child's eyes. Actually, it is fun to see everything through her eyes. She is such a fun child and she brings us so much joy!

One of my favorite ever artists, Kim (aka stoopidgerl) made this fabulous resin ornament at for me, and I loved it so much I asked her to take a great photo of it for me too! I cannot even say how amazing Kim is, and her art is out of this world. I have gotten several of her prints for my studio, and I want a bunch more. I think my studio is going to be wallpapered with stoopidgerl art by the time it's finished!

Check out this awesome kit from 3 Scrappy Boys kit club!
Can you spot the Scrappy Shack die cut?
It's the circles border! I am so happy to be in TWO of Heather's kits this month.

She does such a great job putting products together.
Below you can see my circles die cut lace paper.
Can't wait to see what the design team does with these!

And now, for a brand new creation!

I just designed this cut. I call it Elegant. So fun and girly!
Available in my Lollishop and my Etsy shop.

Stay tuned for details on the Lollishops Grand Opening Event.
It's going to be so fun!

Lollishop Love

One of the great things about being a vendor on Lollishops is seeing all the things the fabulous ladies are selling. Like Chelsea Ann of Keepsake Cakes.

I *met* Chelsea Ann when we were both approved for Lollishops, and we did a swap. I knew then she was an amazing artist.

This is one of my favorite things from her LolliShop. Isn't it the cutest? It is a treasure box with two compartments, for holding all your precious candy-colored secrets!

To get to her shop, all you have to do is go to Lollishops.com and enter Keepsake Cakes in the search bar. Or you can click her banner above to take you straight there.

I Love NYC

I do. Really really do. I love watching movies and TV shows set in Manhattan, I love looking at pictures and reading about the city, I love the sight of yellow taxi cabs and high rise buildings.....I truly love any and all things NYC.

I have been to the city once, in 2005. I had dreamed about going for a long time and finally got to do it. A friend told me I was silly for dreaming about it when it is right here in our country, and I had the means to go. She was right, so I promptly planned a trip with friends Jan and Jessie, and we went to see the Big Apple.

My step dad told me I would be disappointed, that I had built the city up in my mind for too long. I had glamorized it and made it more than it is. But he was wrong, it was everything I wanted it to be, and more. The trip was one of the highlights of my life. And I hope someday I will go back and visit again.

Tonight I stumbled on some of my pics from the trip, and I thought I would share them.

Jessie and I in Times Square

Jan, me, and Jessie in a cafe in Little Italy. The neighborhood was a bit run down and not at all what I expected.

Shopping on Canal Street

Me and Jan in front of the courthouse. I could not believe I was actually standing in the exact spot I had watched Sam Waterston in so many times in my favorite show, Law & Order!

Jan, Jessie, and me on a pedicab ride through Central Park. The pedicab was our favorite form of transportation in the city, you could really get a cool view of everything from the cab.

Jessie and me on a double decker tour bus. It was so cold up there!

Jessie and me before going in the Empire State Building

Cookie Party Time!

Yep, today is the cookie swap day!
But first.....

Here in good ole north Texas, it is finally starting to get cold enough to feel like the holiday season. It has even been cold enough a few times for us to light a fire in our fireplace! That is my favorite cold weather thing to do. I love the holiday season. Time to start thinking about getting those holiday cards in the mail. I think mine are going to be pink and green this year, I love those colors so much. If you want some unique cards, or even tags, this year, get on over to my Lollishop or my Etsy shop and let me know what you want. I can make you a great looking and one of a kind design!

Do you have a hard to buy scrapper on your Christmas list? I have some great things in my shops just for her or him! Maybe you are the hard to buy person in your family......send them to my shop to get all your stocking goodies.

I can even create something for you in custom phrases or colors, like I did for C for a baby shower this summer. She wanted circles with baby boy words, and certain colors for certain pages she was working on.

Imagine your own ideas in die cuts like these!

Or maybe you have someone on your list who would love a mini scrapbook made just for them. I can use your pictures and create something just right for the occasion!

Some gift ideas for mini books:
Baby's First Year - great for new grandmas and grandpas
A History of Christmases - showcasing pics of your family's holidays through the years
Family Pets - for the person we all know who loves their pets!

Okay, now for cookie time!

Thanks to Scrappy Jessi for hosting this party, and inviting me to play along! This is her second year having the cookie recipe swap, but my first year to join. There are quite a few gals sharing recipes today, and I cannot wait to see what they all have up their sleeve (or apron, as the case is today!)

As for me, I am sharing my childhood favorite......

Rolo Cookies!!!

Yep, they actually have a rolo candy in each one!

Yummy

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
48 unwrapped Rolo candies (9 oz package)
1 tbsp sugar

In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Blend well. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat 2 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, and margarine until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture a little at a time until well blended. Add 1/2 cup nuts, saving the remainder of the nuts fur later use.

At this point I have found it much easier if I set the dough in the refrigerator until it gets completely cool. This will make it easier to work with when forming the cookies.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup nuts with 1 tbsp sugar and mix. Once the dough is cool, take about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball . Now use your dough ball and form it around one piece of Rolo candy. Once you have formed your ball with the candy inside, press one side lightly into your sugar and nut mixture. Place your ball sugar side up on cookie sheet, bake at 375 degrees for 7 - 10 minutes. Leave cookies on the cookie sheet for about 2 minutes, then cool on wire rack.

Enjoy!

Open For Business!

Lollishops is now open for business!

Just a preview of some of the things you will find in my Lollishop.
www.lollishops.com/the-scrappy-shack

Mention my blog in your purchase and get a free gift!

Enjoy your Lollishopping experience.
There are so many fabulous artists there with such amazing things.

Tonight, we made SMORES for the first time.

Mmmm.....they were a hit. Yummy!

Jessi is one of my favorite bloggers, and she is hosting a cookie recipe swap.
Stay tuned, you are really going to like the recipe I share!