Set of Cards

I made a set of cards with one single sheet of designer paper.  The design is by graphic45 - Couture Collection - Gorgeous - I agree it is a beautiful floral paper. Rich colors and a dramatic black background.  This paper measures 12x12 inches. Cutting 4 inch strips I ended up with 6 pieces for A2 cards. With the direction of the design all the cards were created in the portrait orientation.

Next I selected card bases for these cards.  With the colors in the paper there was lots to choose from.  Finally, I chose Old Olive, Lost Lagoon, and Dusty Durango.

For card 1 I cut the layer down from the top and flipped the piece to show off the blue striped backside. I then added a strip of orange card stock across the split.

I added a Decorative Label greeting mounted with 3D foam tape. A white quarter sheet insert finished the card.

For card 2 I did the same layout but put the stripes on the bottom this time.  I laid a length of So Saffron ribbon across the split.

The base this time is Lost Lagoon.

I layered silk flowers in warm tones and a small gold sequin onto a tiny black brad to create the floral accent which I mounted on the bottom left hand side.  The brad was pushed through the designer paper keeping all layers together.

This layer was then adhered to the card front with double sided tape.

A white quarter sheet insert was added.

This is card 3.

Here I split the layer top to bottom instead of side to side. Once split I flipped the small piece and taped back the designer paper so I could handle it as a full piece.

I added a length of Apricot Appeal grosgrain ribbon over the split and taped the ends to the back.

I added a Dusty Durango butterfly accent on the bottom right side.  The butterfly was cut with the Sizzix Winged Beauties thin dies.  I used my steel plate to ensure all the tiny spaces were well cut. I wrapped black thread around the body of the butterfly and left the ends to be the antennae.  Adhered with double sided tape.

Quarter sheet insert completed the card.

Card 4 has an Old Olive card base.  

The designer paper was left at 4.00 x 5.25 inches.  

I wrapped a length of Baja Breeze ribbon across the middle and taped the ends to the back.  

I added a Artisan Label greeting with black letters which was adhered with 3 D foam tape over top of the ribbon on the right hand side.

A quarter sheet white insert completed the card.

Card 5 is similar to card three.

This time the ribbon is So Saffron which is wrapped over the designer paper top to the bottom with the ends taped to the back of the layer.

I added some Candy Dots to the left of the ribbon in pink tones to coordinate with the large flower near the bottom of the card.

A white quarter sheet insert on the inside.

Card 6 repeats the lay out of the DSP split with the striped paper on the bottom.  

A length of wide Tango Tangerine ribbon across the split with ends taped to the back.

I found 2 tiny turquoise blue buttons in my stash.  They are adhered to the ribbon with Bling Zots.

A white insert on the inside.

This makes a nice set of card with enough variety to be interesting.  Versatile in that some have greetings and others are left blank to used for any occasion.

Happy with this set which will given as a gift.

Harvesting and Preserving

My sister and I had a conversation about chutney. She had received some yummy plum chutney from a friend and we decided to get together and see what we could make.  After some research on the web I decided on an Apricot Ginger Raisin Chutney and she decided on a Black Currant Chutney.  This is my chutney in the pot while it cooked down.   Once the right consistency and flavor we put it into jars and processed in hot water bath for 15 minutes.  

I am enjoying mine with cheese and crackers on these hot days of +30C temperatures.  I chose to put cranberries and dark raisins in mine instead of golden raisins.  I think I will go with golden raisins next time so it gives it more of a warm look and cut back on them as well.  I loved the taste before processing but I am finding it a bit too sweet and not enough punch from the cider vinegar eating it a few weeks after processing.  I am appreciating putting away my own food rather than depending on stores for over sweet and over processed condiments.  With the abundance of fruit at this time of year it is ideal to put some summer in a jar for winter.

With no more access to Mom's great raspberry patch I was wondering if I would get some this year.  A friend with raspberries was going away for the weekend at the end of June and I could have the one day of picking the raspberries if I watered the plants and garden.  I was is in!  With a great hose that reaches everything watering was no big deal.

I picked less than a gallon but I had my fill of eating them fresh and I made Raspberry Bavarian which was one of my favorite things my Mom made.  I have posted the recipe before in this post.  I got 8 servings by doubling the recipe and I have enjoyed it as a treat for at least week.  Perfect!

On July 24th my sister and I visited our favorite Saskatoon u-pick farm for our yearly picking. We picked later in the day around 4:30 pm.  Some trees were completely ripe and the picking was great!


I picked 3 gallons. After cleaning I froze 5 bags of  fruit which will taste great on my breakfast during the winter months.  I also brought some home fresh to eat for the week.  Yummy in my tummy.



Sharing with Share Your Cup #301 hosted my Jann at Daily Cup with Mrs. Olson.

R2G Card Kits - 6 Blocks DSP

I started with a Stampin Up Green Galore card for the left one.  I used the Rainbow Sherbert DSP and cut it into 1.25" squares with my rotary cutter as it gives me more control.  I sorted out the squares into those with no Apricot Appeal and placed those on the green card and placed the others on the apricot card (right).  The greeting was color printed to match the elements then I flagged the right hand end and added buttons to the card front.  You will see that the kit offers different orientation of cards.

R2G Card Kits - Five Petal on DSP

I started with Stampin Up Apricot Appeal card stock.  I added a SU Top Note die in SU Rose Red DSP.  Once the Top Note was adhered I wrapped Apricot Appeal ribbon across the bottom part of the card ensuring that the placement of my flower.  I taped the ends of the ribbon to the inside of the card.  I then layered the large SU 5 Petal flower and the smaller one and placed them over the ribbon.  I made hole through the flowers, ribbon, top note and card front.  I placed the tiny gold brad through and spread the prongs on the inside of the card.  The sentiment was color printed to match the card and punched with the SU Modern Label punch.  It is mounted to the card front with 3D foam tape. This kit includes Rose Red, Certainly Celery, Close to Cocoa, and Almost Amethyst.

Card Club - October - Sunflower

Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers and with these colors was a good choice for a fall card.  Yes, it's still fall as no snow is currently on the ground.  I cut the sunflower in 2 colors of yellow scrapbook paper with the SB Sunflower die.  I selected a piece of DP for the background.  I punched a SU scallop circle in dark brown and added a color printed greeting in the centre. The scallop is adhered with 3D foam tape.  I added a apricot colored twill tape ribbon below the flower around the DP background.  I made these kits with 2 different DP backgrounds and adjusted the colors of the ribbon and card accordingly.  

Card - Sympathy

I made this card for a friend who had a family member pass away this week.
I started with parchment card stock.  I found some complimentary strips of designer paper which I cut to length and glued them to the card front.  I then found and combined a couple of pieces of blue card stock which I embossed with the Cuttlebug Stylized Flowers folder.  I added an apricot gross grain ribbon across the join. I mounted a color printed sentiment which I distressed with Apricot Appeal. This accent was then mounted to the card front with 3D foam tape.

Gift Card Holders

I made these Gift Card Holders for the gift card prizes we are giving away today in a Valentine Surprise fund raising event we are having today!

I started with brown base cut with the Sizzix Jumbo Crescent die.  I placed the fold in the card just inside the flat end of the die.

Top:  I found a scrap piece of designer paper and added a border punch in blue on the right hand side. I added 2 silk flowers in coordinating colors and adhered them with a coordinating blue flower brad.  I then added an apricot gross grain just below the border punch.  This was then glued to the front for the large tag.  I used the same ribbon to hold it closed once I had used Zots to hold the gift card in place inside.

Bottom:  I found a scrap of designer paper and trimmed it leaving an interesting central element.  I added black wavy cutter borders on each edge.  I then added 3 square brads in the upper left hand corner.  Rounded the right hand corners with a punch. Added a length of black gross grain ribbon to hold it closed once I had used Zots to hold the gift card in place inside.