Moxie Fab World: Random Fun Challenge

I'm not missing....I've just taken an unintentional extended crafting/blogging break.  I was only planning to slack over the summer, but then life just sucked me in.  I'm sure you can understand the demands on a working Mom who decided she needed a new kitchen...'nuff said.  Plus, I am officially addicted to Pinterest. Don't know what Pinterest is? Trust me, you don't want to know! Seriously, don't look it up or you will be sucked in to your computer and will never get out.  Don't. Go. There. Consider yourself warned.

Even Pinterest couldn't keep me from following along with my favorite crafting blogs, and I came across the Moxie Fab World 365 Cards Week  .  The new Papercraft special issue 365 Cards celebrates a card for every day of the year, including some wacky holidays and silly celebrations. There's a whole week of challenges, just what I needed to get away from Pinterest my crafty mojo kick-started back into gear!

Did you know there is a National Margarita Day?? Me neither! It's February 22, which I think is perfect, because here in Canada that is getting to the end run of a very long winter and I know I could really enjoy a margarita about then (but I could really enjoy a margarita on any given day :)

I just happen to have the perfect card for Moxie Fab World's Random Fun Challenge:

 

I made this card back in January, but I haven't given it to anyone because it`s one of my favorites and it would cost a premium to mail with all those brads...it's sitting on my display shelf in my craftroom just waiting to be entered in a challenge celebrating National Margarita Day! (So if some of my followers recognize this card, please don`t slam me for case-ing myself!)

Winter is just starting here, and this relaxing beach scene along with some Jimmy Buffet on my ipod is just what I need to mentally escape the cold dark winter months ahead. I think I'm just going to keep this card for myself.  Anyone want to join me for a margarita?  I found some great cocktail recipes on Pinterest that I want to try...

Thanks for checking out my blog!

Lorrinda

Recipe:

All product CTMH

Stamps: D1228 Chillin' (sentiment), B1351 You're Sweet (lime)

Inks: Pear, Sky, Sorbet

Paper: cs in Sky, Sorbet, and Colonial White

Pear B&T duo paper from Olivia Level 2 pack

Vellum

Brads: Spring, Summer and Basic Assortments

Opaques in Pearl and Mocha

Liquid Glass

Prisma Glitter

Techniques: masking, brayer and sponge backgrounds, paper tearing, edge distressing 

Tombstone/Pushing Daisies Cake

A quick post today.

My friend and coworker recently celebrated her 50th birthday, and of course I had to make her a cake!

Her first grandbaby was born just 2 days later, so I guess we can say her youth is "officially" pushing daisies now that she is a wise and respected Grandma!  But since she is someone who neither looks nor acts 50 years old, I didn't feel one bit bad poking fun at her with this cake. She was a great sport about it too. 

Here's hoping the next 50 years are as good as the first...Happy Birthday Heidi!

This cake is fondant-free (yucky stuff), all yummy buttercream frosting.  To make the letters, I put the cake in the fridge until the frosting was stiff, then I used my CTMH alphabet stamps to create the letter impressions in the icing, and filled in the color with a small paintbrush and black petal dust mixed with vanilla to make an edible paint. Turned out pretty good!  The daisies are royal icing.

Back to business...

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted anything here! 

Did you miss me? 

I had decided to take some time off this summer because we were crazy busy with summer activities and a complete kitchen reno, but then found that sending the kids back to school did not revive my crafty mojo as I had hoped. 

Our home was a mess after the construction, and as I tried to stay on top of the drywall dust I realized that we just have too much stuff!  I've been busy cleaning out closets and storage boxes, trying to simplify and de-clutter.  Why do I hang on to so much crap? It's starting to look and feel better but I still have more to do.

My new kitchen is almost finished, but still needs some trim and window coverings before I'll have the "after" pictures to share. 

I miss you all!  I have been in my craft room this week, and will soon have some new projects ready for my blog.   For now I have some tasty photos to share!

 My talented daughter did this for Thanksgiving:

Best. Veggie. Tray. EVER! Jenna rocks!!

My hubby did an 18 lb turkey outside in the turkey fryer, and stupid me forgot to take a picture. But I will say that it was awesome!  Sit down supper for 12 was a good way to break in the new kitchen!  Why, oh why, did I not get any photos of Thanksgiving dinner this year!? (Hey gang, if anyone took any photos please email them to me!)

For dessert, I made a 4 layer Pumpkin cake with

whipped cream cheese filling

topped with pecans and drizzled with caramel...

 can you believe there was none left over??!! 

Nothing beats Thanksgiving leftovers, and I made an extra large cake on purpose so now what am I supposed to have for breakfast this week? Huh?

I am so glad that sugar doesn't soak in by osmosis,

because I also made this cake last week:

This one was made for my friend Shirley. 

She has 5 family birthdays in fall, and they were all together at her home last weekend for Thanksgiving. She ordered a fall birthday cake for 5. Notice the 5 little turkeys? 

This one is a 2 layer pumpkin cake with a caramel/pecan filling and all cream cheese frosting. The figures are made of sugar gumpaste.

So, I've had enough sugar for a while. I am suffering from paper and glue withdrawal though, so hope to get my fingers sticky and inky this weekend!

Thanks for not un-following me in my blogging absence,

I will try to get back to posting more regularly now that I've had a break!

Lorrinda

Another one of those "special" birthdays...

I know, every birthday is special as long as we're around to celebrate it.  But some birthdays are just more special than others.  You know, those milestone birthdays...
We recently celebrated my Dad's 65th birthday in style...the entire family spent it together on a Vacation Houseboat on Shuswap Lake in BC.

Since 65 is one of those "special" birthdays, I really wanted to make my Dad a great cake, but it would have been too hard to take it on the 3 day road trip we took just getting to the lake.  So I made him this special card instead:

Some of you may recall seeing others like this that I've made. 

I have made several of these Birthday Year cards books for family members. 

I have a full tutorial with pics for you on THIS POST.

Here are the inside pages,

click the pics to enlarge them if you're interested in reading the text.  Some of these trivia tidbits were really interesting to research:)

Thanks for not un-following me as I have been a very lazy blogger this summer!

Lorrinda

 

Recipe:

(All product CTMH unless noted)

X7137B Lucky Level 2 Paper Pack

Cardstock in Cocoa, Outdoor Denim, Desert Sand

Inks in Cocoa, Outdoor Denim, Desert Sand

Stamps: C1439 Enjoy Life, D1495 You & Me

 Z1387 Wooden buttons

Z1371Blue buttons Assortment

Z280 natural Hemp

Retired Pewter accents medley

Ribbon scraps

Cricut and Plantin' Schoolbook Cartridge

We interrupt this summer break for a candle project

How's everyone enjoying their summer?  Between kitchen renovation and family camping trips my summer has been anything but lazy.  I came back from a long weekend at the lake to find 375 unread posts on my Google Reader! So much crafty inspiration...so little time.

I haven't posted anything crafty for a while, so I thought I'd share my candle project with you.  My Mom is one of 6 girls, and they get together every year for a "Sister's Weekend".  They always bring little gifts for each other, and this year Mom asked me to make something for her to give each of them. 

She loved the candles I made:

These were super easy to make.  I started with inexpensive 3" pillar candles from Ikea. 

The sentiment was done with my printer onto white tissue paper (tape the tissue paper to a sheet of regular office paper so it doesn't bunch up in the printer) Then trim the excess away around each logo, smooth it down onto the candle, cover it with a piece of waxed paper large enough to wrap around the entire candle with enough to grab onto to keep it tight, and carefully heat it with the heat gun until the logo is set into the wax. Then remove the waxed paper...viola! Custom candle.

I wrapped some matching ribbon around the base of each candle, and it it just held on by the brad in the center of the flowers pushed into the candle like a stick pin.

The big one is 5" and has an angel charm on it for their sister Leona who passed away from Breast Cancer 3 years ago. I really miss her. They kept this one burning all weekend while they were together.

This was a fun project. Thanks for visiting my blog, and a special thanks to my followers who have stuck with me while I've been pretty much AWOL this summer.  Summers in Alberta are just too short to spend in a basement craft room, I'll be back to regular posting when the kids are back in school.

Lorrinda