Sunday, January 15, 2012

LIM50 - Fly Away

ATTENTION! Did you take a moment to leave me a comment on this post?  In celebration of my 4 year anniversary as a blogger, I'm going to be giving away a nice gift card to one lucky person. I'll be drawing a name on January 31.  Couldn't YOU use a gift card for craft goodies??


Chrissie and Mandi at Less is More have challenged us to create a one layer card with the subject of birds. I think for some, this will be quite simple...but for me...WOW!  I have very few bird stamps!  I've been digging through my stamps for two days, and I couldn't find much to work with!  I finally remembered that I have some birds in my Silhouette program and thought maybe I could print those on a card and work from that.  After I totally messed up the 9th card, I almost called it quits!  I don't think I've had that many goof ups yet!  


I have two printers - an ink jet and a laser printer.  Never use the ink jet printer to print and image and then try to ink it....ask me how I know!  I tried coloring the images with my versamark pen and heat embossing, I tried to ink without embossing...nothing worked! The ink on the images just smears...and if that didn't happen, I managed to get my inky fingers on the white areas of the card! GAAH!!!


I finally tried printing the birds with my laser printer and I was able to get the card done.  This is the first card I tried.  I love the concept, but the bird's wings are smeared and it really looks icky!


I printed the birds with the ink jet printer and heat embossed them (not very well it seems).  Then I masked off a section on the card and used a circle to mask off the moon.  I inked with several shades of distress ink, then removed the moon mask and added just a touch of inking to the moon.  The last step was to add the trees stamped in Memento black.  If it wasn't for the smeared birds...I kinda like the card.  You'd think after 9 tries I would have gotten it right! LOL!


This one is a touch better, although I kind of over-inked the setting sun...but I do love the colors!  The sentiment is from PTI. Birds were printed from my Silhouette program files.


And finally...one of my very few bird stamps...my chickens and roosters!  I believe these are from the Clear Arts Stamps.  I stamped the birds in Memento ink, then colored them with Copics.  The "ground" was made by tapping a brown pen repeatedly across the bottom.  The sentiment was computer generated (after coloring the birds).  What a risk taker I am! I could have totally messed that up and had to redo it!!  Thought I'd send this to a guy friend of ours who has been in the hospital for a few days. It's kinda masculine, don't ya think?

I managed to finish a layout this weekend too.  




Photos of my grandson, Jacob at Christmas. For this layout I used Bella Blvd's Christmas Wishes collection. I used the MS loopy punch on two edges. The rick rack strip is one of the strips on the patterned paper. The cookie monster was an image I found online. I printed him on card stock, cut him out, and adhered him with pop dots. The cookies he's eating are some that I cut out from another photo that I made of just the cookies when I took these photos of Jacob. The embellies "nom...nom...nom..." were computer generated and matted with blue card stock, then adhered with pop dots. The "cookies" part of the title work was cut with the Cameo, colored with Copics, and highlighted with a white signo pen. The "me want" part of the title was cut with Papertrey Ink alpha dies. Journaling was computer generated and cut into strips and added to the bottom of the layout and reads: 


Every year we make cookies and candies for Christmas. This year (2011) Jacob watched everything we did and was always waiting for the first batch to come out of the oven. His eyes lit up with every batch! Our new favorite cookie recipe this year was Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies. 

There wasn't room on the front of the layout, so I added the recipe to the back of the layout, so that whoever ends up with these albums will have the recipe. Here it is in case you'd like to have it, too. These cookies are absolutely delicious!


Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies 


Makes 36 cookies 


2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled) 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 1/2 cups sugar 
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 
1 large egg 
1/4 cup molasses 
Directions 


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a shallow bowl, place 1/2 cup sugar; set aside. 
With an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining cup of sugar until combined. Beat in egg and then molasses until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in dry ingredients, just until a dough forms. 
Pinch off and roll dough into balls, each equal to 1 tablespoon. Roll balls in reserved sugar to coat. 

Whew! I was long winded today! If you made it all the way through...Thank You!  Don't forget to leave a comment on this post so you can be entered in the drawing for a gift card!  Thanks for stopping by!! Your comments are always appreciated!! Until next time....

Hugs!



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36 comments:

Lisa said...

great cards.
lisa

Chrissie said...

Sometimes you just get those kind of mess up days. Colouring printed images can be so problematic and frequently frustrating when things smear!
The finished cards look great... I can't see smears on my monitor and the rooster one is fab!
Thanks so much Susan.
Chrissie
"Less is More"

Deborah Frings said...

Susan - I think you've got this challenge sorted! Both cards with the birds flying over woods are fabulous - love the blue one. And the layout of Jacob is just darling!!! The look on his face is brilliant!

Paula Whittaker said...

wonderful ink an stamp work on your LIM cards

Stamps and Paper said...

Wow absolutely stunning cards....it difficult to say which one is my favourite.....must say the cookies look yummy too


Anne

Julie said...

Well the cookies look good but the cards look even better!
I like all 3. The moon and the sky in the first is stunning and the colour in the second is lovely. My mum would love the chickens in the third! Great bird cards!

Sheila in Cyprus said...

I am pleased that I read your post this morning Susan. I have several bird digi stamps and was thinking of doing the same (printing and inking afterwards). As I only have inkjet printer think its a definate no-go!
Hoever after persevering your cards are stunning. I sky inked with the orangey/red and blue - stunning.
Your creations always amaze me.
Love Sheila x

debby4000 said...

WOW wonderful post Susan love the bird cards and the layout it so cute.
luv
Debby

Tara Cardwell said...

Glad someone else had as much trouble as I did with this challenge - although I have to say your final results are WAY better than mine! I love your scrapbook layout too and may even try the cookie recipe it sounds delicious :-)
Tara x

CraftyTeacher said...

I love the faith, hope, love version of the card! The colours remind me off that old poem about red sky at night, shepherds delight. It links really nicely together and fills me with hope! (and a little jealousy, I have never managed to get moons to look right!)
I also love the chickens! They just made me laugh!

Suze Bain said...

Wow Susan, your patience has been tried with this week's challenge! All three look super, my favourite I think being the chicken one - great sentiment. Cookies look yum, my daughter is very into baking at the moment, we had a delicious pavlova yesterday. xx

Carol Cel said...

only one word for all the cards: Gorgeous!!

TAM said...

Fabulous cards - well worth persevering with your Silhouette images.
Thanks also for the recipe - those cookies sound yummy so must try them sometime.

Judy1223 said...

Susan, despite the troubles you ran into your cards are both FABULOUS! The background inking is so amazing, such serene scenes! Your layout is also adorable...great way to capture the excitement of the cookie-making process!

Unknown said...

I loved the projects you make.
what a challenge to use you printer.
Margreet

Rosemary said...

can always count on you to have more than just one beautiful card, susan!! all three are fantastic! the last one made me chuckle!! (sorry you had such troubles with the printers.)

cnelson said...

What a fantabulous post...fabulous cards...darling lo and scrumptious recipe! !!

Mandi said...

these are absolutly top notch Sussan
Terrific cards, love all the colours

Many thanks
mandi
"Less is More"

Margaret said...

They're all fab Susan!
Margaret x

Faith A at Daffodil Cards said...

FAbulous cards, the 2 bird cards are so atmospheric and I love the Rooster

Sandra H said...

Hi, So stunning are your cards:) Sandra H

Meggymay said...

Fabulous cards, love your layout page as well.
Yvonne x

Sally said...

Hi Susan, I love the orange coloured design with the birds & nice wording. A smashing layout too.
Sally x

Bonnie said...

I don't see any smears and usually the camera will shout them out! I love these cards! The chicken and rooster are really fun too. Looks like you have a real Cookie Monster there. Thanks for the recipe. BTW, I love your watermark. Is that a from a program you have?

Karen M said...

WOW! All your cards are stunning! hugs x x

Sarn said...

Absolutely terrific one layer wonders xxx

Jenny said...

Wow you cards are amazing Susan, the two different scenes are so emotive and believable...love the monster page, his face is priceless :)
Happy 4th blogversary!
Jenny x

Sue said...

Beautiful cards Susan. Well done with persevering - it was worth it. Sue.x

G Peplow said...

Brilliant LIM cards Susan, love the chickens and a great LO with super pics, love his smile, Gay xxx

Lynne said...

Well I can`t see any smears Susan, they are all amazing. Love the roosters.
Lynne xxx

Viv said...

Fab cards and the cookies look good too :O) Viv xx

Fiona said...

Brilliant cards Susan. I can't do anything card related on the computer so I am impressed by your skill, even if it did take nine attempts.

Kathyk said...

Gorgeous selection of bird cards and a fab layout and bonus recipe!

Happy Thursday

Kathyk

Pauline said...

Wonderful cards Susan, the inked skies look gorgeous! And I love the chicken images, and the punny sentiment too!

Julie Howard said...

The chicken card is super cute! But I just had to comment on the top pic on your Cookie LO. His eyes! Too funny!

Betsye Rose said...

Thanks for the tip about printing with the inkjet printer. I haven't tried inking anything I've printed with mine, but I have spritzed things with glimmer mist and smooch, and that seems to turn out fine. Probably because I'm not rubbing the ink from the printer.

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