Unconditional love - Tilda with puppy

I just love this background stamp from Magnolia-licious! It's just so much FUN! I used a total of three Magnolia stamps on this card, Tilda with puppy, fence with summer background, and the sun. I stamped Tilda with puppy out three times so I could cut the puppies out and place them around the fence. All of these stamps are available at Magnolia-licious. You should check them out! They have the largest selection of Magnolia stamps in North America. And Diana is now offering free shipping on ANY order, no matter how much you spend! How cool is that?!

The DP is by Wild Asparagus and the cardstock is Bazzill. The stamps are colored in wth my copic markers. Tilda is cut out and popped up from the card, and so are the puppies. I used a light blue chalk ink around the edges of the summer background stamp.

The cloud was cut out with my Cricut Expression machine with the Hello Kitty cartridge. That cute sun was cut out and popped up off the card. I love dimension, and this card has plenty of it!

That's it for today. We're halfway through the week and Friday is now in my sights! Thanks so much for stopping by to see me today, and I sure hope to see you back again soon! HUGS!

What's YOUR indispensable baking tool?...Works For Me Wednesday

Today's Works For Me Wednesday is a backwards edition. This means I get to ask you a question!

What is your indispensable, essential, can't-do-without baking tool?

I thought about this question for quite some time. First, I thought this:

Then, my silicone spatulas...



But when it comes down to it, I would never make cookies without this:
Parchment Paper! I have gone to the grocery store at 10pm sent my husband to the grocery store at 10pm on a parchment run in a cookie making emergency.

So, go ahead and tell me...what's your can't-live-without baking tool?

Be sure to click over to We Are THAT Family for more WFMW (backwards) tips and come back later this week for a yummy giveaway!!! :) YAY!

Pretty Packages

I've mentioned before that I am a complete sucker for packaging, especially when it comes to making wine selections, but it certainly holds true for food items, ok, pretty much all items, as well. Present me with a product that has a lovely package design, and I will likely want to purchase it.

As I said yesterday, Louise Fili's website is full of beautiful work, and what follows are some of my favorite pieces from their packaging portfolio.

Irving Farm

Bella Cucina

El Paso Chile Co.

El Paso Chile Co. for Williams-Sonoma

Thank goodness politicians have families, they makes them so much more interesting.

Ten bucks says Bristol Palin is punching the air and sending thank you flowers to Joe Biden's daughter, right now.

Typophilia

There has been a bit of buzz around the blogosphere regarding the new website for Louise Fili Ltd., a firm specializing in the design of restaurant identity and food packaging, and for very good reason-- the website is chock-full of the creative work of this talented firm.

I fell especially hard for this logo for Rusk Renovations, Inc.; the vintage-feeling ruler and typography completely did me in.


I also am head over heels for what looks to have been an amazing issue of the Italian magazine, Un Sedicesimo. The issue was devoted to the Italian and French script typefaces from Louise Fili and Steven Heller's collections, and it looks like it would provide endless inspiration.

Finally, I adore this image from Louise Fili's sneak peek on Design*Sponge. The vintage tin is gorgeous, and I love that it is used to display some of the matchbooks and business cards from restaurants for which they have designed logos.


Stay tuned for more from this accomplished firm, as tomorrow I will be sharing some of my favorite packaging work from their portfolio.

And it wasn't even Revenge of My Little Pony

It was my big sister's birthday yesterday. Showing impeccable taste, the freshly-turned-seven year old and the four and eleven twelfths year old gave her the box set of Frontline. If you don't know it, it is an Australian comedy that satirised TV current affairs programs and reporting.

And fifteen years after it was made I reckon it remains one of the best pieces of tele on the planet. Especially if you've worked in a newsroom.



If you want to watch the Parts 2 and 3, they're on Youtube along with more Frontline.

Sigh.

I can see there's going to be a lot of time wasted in my day. I shall blame it on my neices.

Bitten By The Bug challenge - bunny from Doodlecharms cartridge

It's Sunday night, and that means it's time to reveal this weeks challenge for Bitten By The Bug! It's Easter time, and in just a couple weeks, that cute little old Peter Cottontail is going to be hidng eggs all over the place! So Regina's challenge this week is to use the bunny cut from the Doodlecharms cartridge. I had fun with this one cause I really do love shaped cards! So I cut the basket (also from the Doodlecharms cart) out at 6" with Making Memories paper and then shadowed it wih the blue cardstock. The eggs were cut out just using some scrap paper, and the grass was cut from the ZooBalloo cartridge. The Expression and all the cartridges are available at Hallmark Scrapbook.

The chocolate bunny (with a bitten ear) and the rest of the cuts are actually glued inside the layers on the inside of the card so that no raw edges are showing anywhere, inside or out. Added a big pink gingham bow with a blue button, along with some pearls (not marked so no idea where they came from) for interest. OH! I wanted the chocolate bunny to look like he had that icing, so I drew his features with pink liquid pearls. I then added two tiny blad pearls by Kaiser to his eyes. This little cutie will be for sale in my etsy shop very soon. (link is on the top right of my blog) That does it for this card. Please be sure and visit Bitten By The Bug to see the rest of the extremely talented design teams projects with this cute bunny! Thanks for stopping by to see me today, and hope I see you back again soon! HUGS!

The early bird slams the tequilla worm.

Yesterday I was working on a job that involved spending the day in an area where there are a whole bunch of bars. What we hadn't bargained on was one of those bars still doing a roaring trade at 8.30 a.m on a Sunday morning.

Drunk people are so much more offensive when you're sober and it's daylight.

Hey Chickie - Happy Spring! Tilda with chicks

Happy Saturday everyone! I finally got a few minutes to be able to craft! YAY! Poor hubby and my daughter had a nasty flu this week, and then my allergies were attacking me big time! But all is better now! I used one of my new Tilda stamps from the Easter Collection that I received from Diana at Magnolia-licious! Thank you Diana! Diana announced the exciting news this week that she is now offering free shipping in the US and Canada on all Magnolia-licious orders! Now how cool is that??!! THANKS DIANA!!

This is #339 Easter Tilda, and I colored her with my Copic markers. (#'s listed below) I really love dimension in my cards, so I cut her out and popped her up off my card. The DP is by Imaginisce and cardstock is Bazzill. The card measures 6" x 6", and the scalloped square base was cut with my Expression machine and the Storybook cartridge which are all available at Hallmark Scrapbook. The little tag was cut with my Cuttlebug machine and a Cuttlebug die, and the circle and scalloped circle were cut with my Nestabilites. Added some doodling and that was it for this one.

Thanks for stopping by to see me today. Be sure and head over to Magnolia-licious to check out the adorable new collection called Chasing Butterflies. They are the cutest set yet, and they're now available for preorder! Diana also has a great value for you with the Chasing Butterflies Bundle where you can save some money, and don't forget about the FREE SHIPPING!! Have a wonderful Saturday and hope to see you back again soon!! HUGS!

Oops! Forgot to list the copics:

Y21, YR24, YR21, E35, E39, YG25, YG67, E000, E02, R20, R35, R46

There's nought queer as folk.

Someone in Mexico Googled 'giraffes in high heels'.

I know this because they ended up here.

It's almost as scary as someone in Australia Googling 'wombat sphincter', but not quite.

People are weird.

Basket Case

Here is another cookie cutter that I bought ages ago and am just getting around to using....an Easter basket!

I wasn't sure about the "grass" when I was decorating them, but now that they are finished, I'm glad I added it.

I like them mixed in with the Easter chicks. :)

To make the basket cookies:

{isn't this cookie "sketch" cool?!?}

• Using a #2 tip, outline the bow in pale yellow (Spectrum Lemon Yellow).
• With a #3 tip, outline the basket in purple (AmeriColor Violet).
• Still using the #3 tip, make the basket handles, pulsing the icing bag as you run it along the cookie to make bumps.
• With a #2 tip, outline the eggs...one each in pink (AmeriColor Soft Pink), blue (Spectrum Sky Blue), and yellow.
• Thin all of the icing with water until it is the consistency of syrup. Cover with a damp dishtowel.
• Before using each color, run a rubber spatula through the icing to break any large bubbles. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.
• Fill in the basket in purple; use a toothpick to guide the icing to the edges.
• Fill in the bow and one egg in yellow.
• Fill in the blue and pink eggs.
• Let dry at least one hour.
• With a #2 tip, add the detailing to the basket.
• With a #2 tip, add the detailing to the bow.
• Using a #1 tip, pipe Easter grass along the edge of the basket in light green (AmeriColor Leaf Green).

Looking for more Easter cookie ideas? Check out these posts:

• Easter Chick Flicks
• Ears or Tails?
• Maura's cookies

Easter Chick Flicks . . .

Easter chick cookie flicks, that is!

I bought this little chick cookie cutter last year and have been waiting months to try it!

They are really simple to make, just outline, fill and coat with sanding sugar the next day. I added a little eye after sanding.

I made up several of these and some Easter baskets for the winner of the We Are THAT Family cookie giveaway....New Momma. I think any "new momma" needs a little hit of sugar, don't you?!?

I'll have more on the Easter basket cookies in a day or two. In the meantime, enjoy the chick flicks...and maybe one of these other Easter-inspired posts:

• Ears or tails?
• Maura's cookies

When you get home this evening, go straight to your dunny and appreciate it....

....cause there's 660 million people in India who don't have the luxury of one. (And that's a conservative estimate, a quick surf around the net has put the number up around 720 million but, hey, whose going to quibble over a mere 80 million?)

Come on India, it doesn't seem like you have a cash flow problem: you have the third largest military force in the world, you invest Herculean amounts of cash into nuclear weapons and sending a rocket to the moon but you won't build dunnies for your people?

According to this morning's paper ( I would put in the link but can't find the article online) the situation has got so bad that families who are looking to marry off their daughters (don't get me started) are only considering men suitable if their assets include a toilet.

Hey India, I hate to state the obvious, but how about sharing the love and start building some loos for your people? At least it would make you stop scrapping with Pakistan for a while.

And on a completely unrelated topic I am going to share with you a photo I found yesterday when I was looking for a photo of Donatella for yesterday's post. It haunted me so much, I thought I should share.

I would say I was sorry for subjecting you to that, but there's not much point as we all know I'd be lying.

Heh.

Let the Rain Fall Down

It's dark and stormy outside and opposed to wishing the weather away, I am wishing for a grander location to enjoy such a downpour. This seaside house in Scotland looks like the perfect place to watch an onslaught of wind and rain.

I can imagine watching the waves crash furiously upon the beach from this window seat, a spot that seems made for daydreaming.


The rest of the Blackett House and Estate doesn't look too shabby either...








Also, while I wouldn't actually want to make use of the dogs for hunting, I am thrilled to see that the house comes equipped with Hunt Kennels-- you know of my love for dogs.

Photos Courtesy of Dixcot Locations

3 Clovers Thursday Challenge

EDIT: A big thanks to Enfys! She let me know that this stamp is an Alota stamp. Just click here. Thanks for your help Enfys!!

It's Thursday and time for another challenge over at Three Clovers Designs! This week, Kerry's challenge is to create a birthday card using purple and glitter to celebrate her birthday on April 1st. Happy early birthday Kerry!! This was fun cause I just never use the color purple. Don't know why cause I really like the softer shades of it, in fact I really love lavender.

Anyway, I had this cute little image in my stash that I got from Dawny P (check out her blog), so I have no idea who it's by. Sorry! The DP is Basic Grey and the cardstock is Bazzill. The stamp is colored with my Copic markers, and I stickled her little coat for the glitter.

Added some wired silk ribbon along with a Prima flower and a Making Memories brad, and that just about completes this card. Please be sure and visit Three Clovers Designs to check out what the rest of the Inspiration Team created for this challenge. And then we'd love it if you'd grab your purple paper and glitter and play along with us!

Thanks for stopping by to see me today and hope to see you back again soon! It's almost Friday!!! HUGS!

One of the beauties of having a small brain is that you remain blissfully ignorant to how ridiculous your theories actually are.

I've been working with food for the last few days (hey, at least it doesn't talk back) and I've developed a new theory.

I've decided vegetables and humans are pretty similar. You cook a vegetable until it's at its nutritional best and that is when its colour the most vibrant it will ever be.

Exhibit A.

Doesn't that look like a colour you might want an item of clothing in?

'Yes I love this dress, but do you have it in just-blanched-broccoli?'

However if you insist on cooking broccoli beyond this point it doesn't cut the mustard any more and it looks as about appetising as its nutritional value.

Exhibit B.

I'm sorry, but only its mother could love that.

And humans are the same when it comes to suntans. I am talking white people here, generally a gentle dust of a tan enhances a person's look. How many times have you heard people talking about someone back from time away, looking good because they have a tan? A little bit of vitamin D is good for us.

Exhibit C.

I mean, what's wrong with that? A man with a tan, and I'd be putting my hand up and saying that his tan enhances his look.

But if, like vegetables, you take it a bridge too far and tan too much, the body bites back, seeks revenge and just makes you look plain old fugly.

Exhibit D.

It's like her body is shrieking, 'Hey Donatella, stop smearing me with the ugly paint oh and, could I have something to eat?'

Or maybe Donatella knows something we don't and just doesn't want anyone to eat her.

Anyway, that's my theory for the week, next I shall start work on Relativity, or has somebody already done that?