Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Wee Angie Tag for Magnolia-licious' "W"ednesday Inspiration

Hello Sweet Readers,

I hope "Hump Day" is leading you to an amazing fun filled weekend!

Today is "W"ednesday at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog. Today, we'd like to share some inspiration with you! Maybe we will inspire you to get out your Wee or Wild Rose Studio Stamps and get them inked up and put to use! If you want to see some delicious work, stop by the Magnolia-licious Blog and see what the most creative DT gals have posted for you!

I wanted to do something a little differently this time. Rather than make a card, I chose to make a sweet baby themed tag. Here it is:





Isn't that stamp just precious? She is called Wee Angie #123. You can find her here. Magnolia-licious has a wonderful selection of Magnolia stamps, dies, and papers. There, you can also find a wonderful selection of Wee Stamps, Wild Rose Studio Stamps, Little Darling Stamps, and very soon - Penny Black Stamps! But, don't stop there! Visit the store and see all that Magnolia-licious has available. Diana's prices and customer service are the best!

For my paper, I used Maja Design Sofiero. I think this entire line is lovely. I used an assortment of die cuts to add emphasis. There is some sparkly Frantage around the border of the oval. The wings, stars, and cloud have been accented with Kindyglitz. The tag in the envelope is removable and has a plain back for a special message. I took the Magnolia Box Lacing Chocolate Doohickey Die #81 and curled the tips to add some interest.

Don't forget that if you leave a comment, your name will go into a drawing to win a special surprise from Diana! Each week, Diana selects one random name from those who left comments on the DT blogs. You can't win if you don't join in! LOL



Thank you so much for visiting! I love that you took the time to stop by!

Love to you,

Chris

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Magnolia Tilda Gives You a Salute!

Hello Sweet Readers,

Greetings from a COOL and cloudy section of the Mojave Desert! We have had a little rain, but lots and lots of thunder. As I'm writing this, I can hear it coming closer and closer! I know I've said this before, but I just love hearing the thunder here! It is so different from anywhere I have ever been! It just rolls and rolls and rolls off the canyons' walls. The sky is a deep blue gray. Come on rain! LOL

Today, I have a sweet card to share with you featuring Salute Tilda which you can find by clicking the link. I thought she was just adorable and was the first stamp of this collection I purchased. She reminds me of an old child star named Shirley Temple. LOL!

Here is a photo of my card. I did attach a small real starfish on top of the white one after I took the photo because I thought the white starfish die cut was just blah! By attaching a real one above it, it stands out nicely. I also elevated the anchor die cut so it had more dimension.





I bought this paper from Maja ages ago (when it first came out) and just kept it in my supplies. When the Sea Breeze Stamp Collection came out, I thought I had a perfect match. I added real shells to the beach portion of the background scene. I collected these over the years while on the Oregon Coast. For the sand, I used Fran-tage in Shabby White. I love how my ocean turned out.I added some dimensional texture paste to simulate waves. Tilda has tiny red buttons on her outfit, and there are lots of die cuts to add interest to the card. The banner is elevated on pop dots, too, as is Tilda. I love to layer.

I hope you like my creation. Before I forget (again), I promised if someone left a comment on my Super Mario Card, I would send them a little somethin', somethin'. Well, not that I remembered - duh - the lucky gal is

# 14!

Frances, that is Y-O-U!


Frances, please contact me via the e-mail above, and I'll get your prize right out to you! I give GOOD prizes! LOL Leave a comment on this post and I'll announce another lucky gal on Sept. 10!

Thank you, everyone, for leaving comments for me. I love to read them and know that what I do is appreciated. Thank you! I also want to thank you for stopping by. I know how busy everyone is. I hope you will come back soon!

Love to you,

Chris

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Totally Tilda #79 - Tilda at the Sea or at a BBQ-ends 9/7

613 Avenue Create #34 - Anything Goes - Ends 8/31 (Column 1 - image, sentiment, patterned paper; Column 2 - shaped card, die cut, paper punch, embossing; Column 3 - Fran-tage, Stickles (kindy glitz); Column 4, buttons; Column 5 - twine)

Lovely hAnglar or Sweet Magnolia #76 - Punches or Dies - ends 8/30

A Creative Romance - Masking (I masked the background scene eliminating elements from the original stamp and duplicating others to make one long ocean scene) - ends 8/30

Daring Cardmakers - Just Beachy - ends 8/30

Marvelous Magnolia #41 - Lots of Layers - ends 8/28

Divas by Design - Use Twine - ends 8/27

Fab N Funky Challenges #182 - Stick It - ends 9/3 (Alphas are stickers)

Midweek Magnolias - Shaped Cards - ends 8/28

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Magnolia Splash Tilda Card

Hello Sweet Readers,

I have a quick post to share with you featuring the most adorable Tilda stamp from the 2013 Sea Breeze Collection. For my card, I chose to use Splash Tilda. I think she is just the cutest little thing! I guess it reminds me of our son every summer at the beach in Oregon. You can find her here. I paired her up with an older Magnolia sunset stamp by doing some masking to remove the elements on the background stamp I didn't want to include. I thought both stamps made a great pairing!



I wanted to add some elevation and did so by elevating the clouds and the sentiment tag on pop dots. I also added some texture paste to the "splash" around Tilda's head. There is soe glitter on the ends of the "splash" as well providing some sparkle. Here is a closeup.



Here is a photo of the flower grouping. I filled the corked bottle with teeny tiny shells which I have saved over the years.



The last photo is of the tag. I have soooo much "stuff" that I love when I get to use up things I've had in my supplies for a long time. The alphas were old and added some additional color.



Also used on this card are the following dies available at Magnolia-licious:

Magnolia Doohickey #4 - Leaf and Swirl Die

Magnolia Doohickey #86 - Tilda Envelope Edge

Memory Box Puffy Clouds #98172

I hope you like my creation. I wish you could see the sparkle I created in the splash around Tilda's head.

Thank you so much for stopping by. Thank you for the comments you leave for me. I treasure each and every one. (((hugs)))

Light and Love,

Chris

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Hiding in My Craft Room #111 - Thread/Stitching - ends 8/24

Totally Gorjuss #197 - Using die cuts or punches - ends 8/24

A Creative Romance - Masking - ends 8/30

Crafty Ribbons Challenge #57 - include 3 of something (I have clouds, strings of beads in sentiment, and butterflies showing in stamped image) - ends 8/21

Marvelous Magnolia Challenge #40 - Anything Goes - ends 8/21

Parade Your Crafts#1 - Down By the Sea - ends 8/18

Allsorts Challenge Blog #220 - Use Your Stash - ends 8/25

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Wee Love You Bunches at Magnolia-licious!

Hello Sweet Visitors,

Today is "W-Wednesday" at Magnolia-licious! Today, I chose to showcase Sylvia Zet's Love You Bunches stamp which you can find at the Magnolia-licious store HERE.



My card colors are NAVY BLUE AND GOLD. I know, it looks black and some sort of orangish, but it's not. LOL I love the adorable outfit that the little gal is wearing. I chose to do a bit of paper piecing and have her outfit match the paper. I added some lace, a Doohickey Die border cut and swirl, and a doily. I also chose to add the yellow pearls inside the smaller flowers. You can't see it, but the wings of the bee are covered in glitter to add some sparkle. The centers of the sunflowers are brown, not yellow as they look in the shot. I added a navy blue ribbon and gold heart charm. I find hair to be the most difficult aspect of painting the images. I am REALLY trying to improve my hair coloration.

It's funny, I was just looking back to my early blog posts and found this scrapbook page. I deliberately chose that background paper because it looked psychedelic! LOL Think I identified with the little gal in the stamp image? I think that is why I fell in love with that stamp! Look at the border of my pants and top! That photo was of me in the 60s. Yes, I was barefoot and up a tree! Some things never change! I'm still barefooted most of the time! I'm not into climbing trees anymore. I might break a hip or something! On the right of the scrapbook page are the beaded leather strips I used to wear in my hair.



If you have time, hop on over to the Magnolia-licious Store and check out the new products that Diana is getting in! There are some yummy new products coming very soon and you don't want to miss out!

Thank you for stopping by! I love reading your comments. Thank you for each and every one!

Chris

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Vintage Bridal Couple, Edwin and Tilda, Card

Hello my little chickadees,

Guess what time it is. It's time for a new challenge at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog! This time, we are challenging you to use...

LACE


Remember to stick to the rules. You must use a stamped image available at the Magnolia-licious Store. We would especially love to see you use your Magnolia stamps! You must have lace on your card. Your card must be new and not previously posted on your blog.



For my card, I pushed myself to try a couple of new techniques. First, I decided to do the entire card in sepia tones. I used Walnut Stain Distress Ink for the entire thing! Next, I also tried to improve my ability to use the European technique of minimalist coloring. Everything has been edged in Walnut Stain. How did I do? LOL

The stamp I used is Vintage Bridal Couple #3043 available at Magnolia-licious. I love how the veil looks on Tilda's face, and isn't Edwin adorable?

I added a lacey doily, some paper lace made with a Magnolia Doohickey Die - #82 - Vintage Box Lacing Coffee. This die is back in stock at Magnolia-licious so get it before it is gone again! It is a lovely die to use. I also used a strip of ecru lace along the bottom.

I used a Go Kreate die set for the card shape. I found a Memory Box die that matched the trim on the lace, so I added that as well. Also used were a pair of Nestie dies to create the circles. I also went through my flower supply and pulled what I thought looked nicely. The sentiment is from my stash.

I hope you will leave a comment for me. Diana pulls a winner from the comments left on the DT blogs. It could be YOU! If you're NOT in, you CAN'T win!



Thank you for stopping by. I hope you like my card! Have a wonderful week!

Wishing you light and love,

Chris

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Totally Tilda Challenge Blog #78 - Wedding - ends 8/25

Inky Chicks #10 - Lace - ends 8/17

Craft Room Challenge - Bingo (I went down the far right column (lace, brown, pearls or gems) - ends 8/19

Simon Says Stamp Blog ends 8/18 - Vintage w/Die Cuts

Little Clare's Designs Challenge #35 - Wedding - ends 8/16

Marvelous Magnolia #39 - Wedding, Engagement, Anniversary - ends 8/14

Friday, August 9, 2013

Mushroom Risotto - YUM!

Well, this was a first for me! I decided to make mushroom risotto to go with our Chilean Sea Bass for dinner. I have never made risotto before and definitely WILL again! It turned out deliciously. Take a look at the end result:



Isn't it lovely? The arborio rice didn't break down and turn gummy. It was creamy yet each kernel maintained its shape with just a hint of translucence! It was just slightly "al dente" just like it was supposed to be! One can't forget to put the shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on the top. It was sooo good that I wanted to rub it all over my body! My Darling Husband stood and watched the transformation from start to finish. He was so very proud of me! Heck, I was proud of me! Here are some hints -

1. Don't over stir. Don't be afraid to stir. Be gentle, but no need to pamper the rice. Twice around the pan would be perfect.

2. Add your broth 1/2 cup at a time. ONLY add the broth after you can (think about Moses and the Red Sea here)part the rice by dragging your wooden spoon from one side of the pan to the other through the center of the pan. The rice should STAY in place with no filling in of the gap made by dragging the spoon. With my heat at medium high, it was about ever two minutes until toward the end when I had to lower the heat to medium and add the broth more frequently because the rice was almost done and absorbing the broth quickly.

3. Save your mushroom broth. After the dried mushrooms had cooked and softened, I put a paper towel in the mesh strainer. Then, I poured the Shitake mushroom stock through the paper towel into a bowl so it would collect any undesirable particulates.

4. Prep your veggies anytime before you start the cooking process. You could even do it a day or so ahead of time and bag them in zip bags kept in the fridge until you need them!

Start with the text in red. Next, go to the blue text. Lastly, go to the black text. This is the sequence I used to complete the recipe. It worked out better for me than the way the recipe was originally written.

Mushroom Risotto - serves 6

Ingredients:

2 cups short grain Italian arborio rice *
1 medium yellow onion (I used half of huge white onion)
3 large cloves garlic (I used 4 because 1 was small)
3 tbsp butter, divided (I used 4 and saved 1 for the end when I added the cheese)
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
500 g (1 lb) cremini mushrooms **(I used two generous handfuls of dried shitake & half a package of freshly sliced crimini mushrooms I had in the fridge)
2.5 tsp dried thyme, divided
1 cup white wine *** (I used 1 1/2 C.)
6-8 cups chicken stock ****(we used about 4 cans)
1/4 cup Marsala (I used 1/2 C.)
200 g (1 cup) freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
salt and pepper to taste

* A starchy short grain rice is your best bet for a creamy risotto and the shape should be round or semi-round/oblong. Arborio rice is quite common and easily available in most supermarkets, but just in case there are other alternatives like Vialone or Nona. What you do not want to use is a long grain rice, or a quick cooking/parboiled rice because you won’t be able to achieve the right consistency.

** This recipe works delightfully with regular ol’ button mushrooms in a pinch, but you can also substitute your favorite woody wild mushrooms instead.

*** Not a drinker and you don’t want to use white wine? No problem, you can add the equivalent volume in stock. But…pssst – if you’re averse to cooking with alcohol, you might not be too keen on the Marsala either, and I vote that it stays.

**** To make this dish vegetarian you could use a good quality and flavorful golden vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

Pour the stock into a medium pot and place it over medium heat. As soon as the stock is hot, but not boiling, turn down the heat and leave it to stay warm. Keep it - along with a ladle and measuring cup close to your rice pot

Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Do show a bit of care in this, because if you’re going to go to all the effort of crafting a rich, creamy and delicious risotto, it would be a shame to ruin the texture with big chunks of onion.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and the some of the oil (you will have 1 tbsp of each left) in a large heavy bottomed pot set over medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic for 4-5 minutes until they are soft and translucent, being sure that the heat is low enough for the aromatics to cook without browning or burning. When done, I put them on a paper plate until I needed them.

Add the rice (no need to rinse it first) and two teaspoons of thyme to the pan. Cook the rice in the butter for a couple of minutes until the grains are starting to turn translucent around the edges. If they get a little tan, that’s good - more flavor - think Rice-a-Roni! I made sure the rice grains were all shiny from the oils. Now, return the onion and garlic to the rice and mix.

Pour the white wine (1 C.) into the rice and stir regularly until the liquid is approximately 80% absorbed, which takes 3-4 minutes.

After the wine is mostly absorbed add the stock, one full ladle (about 1/2 cup) at a time. Toward the end, I added a half cup of more wine to the remaining broth. Stir the risotto slowly and regularly as it absorbs the liquids, making sure that it does not stick and the rice cooks evenly. If you are able to “PART” the rice with no running in the space (think parting of the Red Sea), then, it’s time to add your next 1/2 c. of broth. You don’t want to be too aggressive as the rice cooks or you’ll cause damage and end up with a mush of rice rather than individual creamy grains. Just remember to keep a light hand and a keen eye on the rice as it cooks, and if you stir about once or twice per minute that should be fine. **I had the heat up on medium - medium high as I read somewhere that a high temp is good. It worked for me! My stove control panel said 6 1/2 - 7 for the heat.

From the time that you add the rice to your pot it will take about 20-30 minutes for the risotto to cook, which is the perfect time to cook the mushrooms. Chop the mushrooms into a medium dice.

I began the recipe by sauteing my chopped mushrooms in the pan I was going to use for the rice. I only used one pan for the risotto and one pan for the broth. First, I used the pan to saute the mushrooms - set aside. Next, I used the pan to saute the onion and garlic. Set aside. Lastly, I used the pan to saute the rice. and create the risotto. I wanted to make sure I could focus solely on the rice. When the mushrooms were done, I put on a paper plate.

Now back to the regular recipe - Heat the remaining oil and butter in a large pan set over medium heat (1 T. + 1 T). Add the mushrooms and cook them down for 5-7 minutes until they’re soft but still light brown with a bit of pith left in the center. Stir in the remaining half teaspoon of dried thyme.

Pour the Marsala over the mushrooms and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste.

When the mushrooms are cooked through and turn to a rich mahogany brown, the Marsala will have created a thin glaze on the outside. There should still be some liquid left in the pan. If there is no liquid, add a wee splash (no more than 2 tablespoons) of the chicken stock to the pan so that the fungi don’t dry out while the risotto finishes. I put them in a bowl and set them aside. Now, I started sauteing the onion and garlic.


Go to blue section.

When the risotto is finished cooking, it will be slow to absorb any additional liquid. The rice grains should still be granular and discrete, holding their shape with just a hint of chew when you bite through. The texture of the dish should be loose but not runny. Stir in the mushrooms and all of their accumulated juices before adjusting the seasoning with more salt and pepper as you see fit.

To finish the risotto, stir in the freshly grated parmigiano reggiano. I added another T. of butter, too.

Risotto is always best served immediately when it is at it’s rich and creamiest. Although it can take some time and a fair bit of stirring, at the end of the day a fabulous risotto is quite easy to make and even easier to eat. Far, far too easy to eat…..

The Marsala lends a delicate sweetness to the earthy and savory flavors in this dish. Although it stands up well as a side dish for hefty red meats, the rich risotto is hearty enough to eat as a light meal with green salad on the side. Or…no side, with a spoon and straight out of the pot. Just sayin’.

I hope there was some sort of sense to what I wrote. Hopefully, the color coding will help. I just didn't want a kitchen filled with dirty pans. By using a saute pan with a 3" side, I was able to only use that by sequencing what I was doing. I'm sorry if I've confused you.

Have a great weekend and don't be afraid of making risotto. Hopefully, there is a helpful hint or two included in my essay above!

XO,

Chris

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Game On Edwin (Super Mario) Card

Hello Sweet Readers,

Well, the first sign of Fall's coming - yes, I said Fall - is starting, and it's only the beginning of August! I wonder if that means it's going to be an early Fall/Winter? That would be wonderful! We have huge trees in our front yard that drip little pods toward the end of summer. The birds eat the seeds inside the pods. Today, I noticed that those little pods are falling like rain. Here is a photo of the front of the house with the big trees. You can't see the pods falling, but you can see the size of the trees so there are tons of falling seed pods. The nice thing about these gorgeous trees is that they provide shade and perfect roosting for tons and tons of birds! In the evening, it sounds like an aviary outside! Soooooo sweet.




Well, here is my card! I've had this card design bouncing around in my head for quite a while. I finally got it on paper! I think it is adorable! Here are the images:





I had so much fun! I did a bit of detailed paper piecing in order to create the scene using dies, punches, and traceable patterns. You cannot see the dry embossing on the little brown squares, but I had an embossing folder that resembled bricks. So, I put it to good use. There is lots of layering as well as machine stitching. The inside is finished with assorted dies, designer paper, and machine stitching. I used Game On Edwin and colored him after Super Mario. You can find this adorable Game on Edwin at MAGNOLIA-LICIOUS! Here is the link to "Game on Edwin." I elevated him on pop dots. I also chose to elevate that little character with the crown as well as the banner Edwin is holding. The banner is a Magnolia Doohickey Die #7 - Flags. You can find it here.

Diana at Magnolia-licious has the new Sea Breeze stamps in stock. Those that are out of stock have already been reordered, so they will be back really soon!

Also, Diana is also carrying Sylvia Zet's Wee Stamps as well as Wild Rose Studio Stamps. Be sure to check them out as well!

I hope you liked my card. Thank you so much for visiting! Please leave a comment for me if you have the time. I'm thinking that some gal will be the lucky recipient of a surprise from me - so, leave a little love! *smile*

Sending light and love,

Chris

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

1. Cute Card Thursday #281 - Die-ing to Punch - ends 8/14

2. Delightful Challenges - Make it Pop! Ends 8/14

3. Divas by Design - Bingo (gems, die cuts/punches, and buttons [on Edwin's jeans]) - ends 8/13

4. City Crafter's Challenge Blog #171 - Polka Dots - ends 8/12 - polka dots are on pieced images as well as 3 different patterned papers on front of card.

5. Simply Magnolia - Anything Goes - ends 8/10

6. Creative Card Crew #42 - Add a pennant or banner - ends 8/17