Autumn Greetings-BBTB2 Challenge

Hello my crafty friends, I hope your Monday is off to a wonderful start! It was a beautiful weekend here in Central PA. I can't believe we are in autumn now and boy because of our cool weather we have had all summer, our trees are really turning early. By our usual peak we probably won't have any leaves. Not sure what old man winter will bring, but I'm already dreaming of next spring. lol 

Ok you know if it is Monday then it is time for a new BBTB2 challenge. But first we must say good-bye to our sweet design team sister, Jaren. Jaren had a baby about a month or two ago and has other children to care for, so she must be a mommy and give up her designer hat for now. She also is an amazing cook and has a great food blog. Check it out, there are amazing recipes there. Ok, now onto the challenge at hand.

 Our talented and sweet Michelle gave us the challenge of using a squirrel or a nut on a project. Well I wavered back and forth and finally decided to go with just an acorn. My card is a pinterest inspired by a couple of cards. I used Art Philosophy for my banners, circles and the acorn. I used a tiny punch to punch out my cute teeny tiny leaves. I inked up everything but my card base with distress ink, Walnut Stain. A little twine bow on my acorn and some sequins and I called it done. My banner papers and acorn papers were snippets so I will have to go check to see if I can play at the playground this week. 

I hope you will go check out what awesome inspiration my design team sisters have for  you and then come on and get crafty with us and make a project using a squirrel, nut or both and link up with us! As always thanks so much for stopping by and sitting a spell with me today. Now I'm off to bake pies and mow the grass. My kitchen and mowing duties are never done. lol Crafty hugs, Brenda

Jumping over the pond to play in the Snippets Playground this week where you get to play just by using your snippets!

Halloween Fun!

Hello Cardz TV fans! Are you enjoying the new Cardz TV Gallery Blog??? How fun it is to design for this awesome blog with Mary's amazing stamp sets. How fun for you that you get inspiration everyday (except Sunday) using Mary's stamps right here! Gosh there are so many talented designers so you will have a blast getting inspired. Brenda here from Friends Craftin With Friends, lets get onto the projects for today. 

Ok today I have a home decor/gift project and a card for you. I took an old bottle, might have been a Tastefully Simple bottle, I washed it out and put a pumpkin face on the bottle with vinyl using the Cricut cartridge "Pumpkin Carving". I added googly eyes, some orange chevron washi tap to the top of the neck and the bottom of the bottle. For the cap, I used washi tape around the lid and then on top I punched a circle out of some paper. I used brown/white twine to wrap around the neck and added my sentiment. My sentiment is from a new Cardz TV stamp set called Frankly Frightful. I stamped it on a banner die from MCT called Vintage Stitched Label die. I am thinking of making a few of these in different sized and shaped bottles for a cute decoration for the holidays. Would make a cute gift too!

I made a swing card using a die I got on Amazon. Comes with 11 dies, I just love these dies! I used Stitched Spooky Ghost dies from MCT for my cute ghosts. Some snippets of Halloween card stock for my panels and squares. I used the cute Peachy Keen Basic Paper Doll Assortment faces. So cute aren't they?! My sentiments are from the Frankly Frightful Cardz TV stamp set. 

I hope you come back Monday to see what is in store for you next! See you next time and crafty hugs, Brenda

Sugar Cake Cookies

Hi my crafty friends! It is hump day, can you believe how fast the weeks fly by?! Ok, I know if you are working they probably don't fly by as fast for you or if you are younger, like under 40. lol But my weeks fly by and I find myself wondering where the week went. Ok on to Sugar Cake Cookies, who has had them?  They are very popular here in the Amish country in Central PA just like the whoopie pie is. It is a large cookie but it is like a cake on the inside of it. They are so yummy! If you like just plain sugar cookies, you will love these sugar cakes. Here are some pictures to temp you and then the recipe will follow. This recipe is all over the state, but my recipe came from a little old lady who's name was Millie and she had a stand in our Market house in town. I worked for a deli, so there were times I worked our Market house and got to know Millie. She was such a sweet lady!! I loved her. I always would buy a little baggy of these cookies from her. Well one day our local newspaper did a feature on her and her cookies, cause let me tell you she could never make enough of these cookies to sell, she always sold out of them right away! So she gave her recipes out and you know who jumped on the recipe. Sure I had one, but mine never tasted as good as her's did. Now I'm happy to say they do. Millie has since passed on as this was well over 25 years ago, but her cookies live on in the homes of many here in Central PA. I know that I will never forget Millie.

 Before baking, I only put 6 on a sheet because they need room to spread out.

Sprinkling the sugar on liberally. 

Fresh from the oven.

The bigger the cookie, the better. They are all made huge where ever you find them around here!

Here is what they look like on the inside, and yes, I took a bite and then ate the whole cookie! lol  

Here's the recipe:

Sugar Cakes

from Millie Yinglilng

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 stick of butter

1/3 c. Crisco

1 3/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

Mix these 5 ingredients in your mixer until fluffy.

1 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. baking soda

Mix these two together, making sure to put the buttermilk in a 2 cup container because the baking soda makes the milk froth up. Mix well and set aside.

1/4 tsp. salt

3 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking powder

Mix these dry ingredients together and add to the butter mixture. Once all the dry ingredients are mixed in with the butter mixture add the buttermilk mixture in. Mix well.

I used a large Pampered Chef cookie scoop to scoop my dough on to a splat mat that was placed on cookie sheet. If you don't have a cookie scoop, then place batter on the cookie sheet using a tbsp. Then sprinkle the dough with granulated sugar.

You will place in a preheated oven starting out on the bottom rack. Once the cookies have spread out and raised, you will move them up to the top shelf in your oven, baking until they are lightly brown around the edges. 

Removed from the oven and place cookies on a cooling rack, cooling completely. Now if you have baked them the right way you will be able to stack them into a container. If you haven't, if you stack them in a container they will get sticky and gooey and will stick to one another. They will still stick to one another a little even if you have baked them the right way but nothing like they will if you don't. You can place wax paper between the layers if you would like. Mine never last long enough to bother with the wax paper. lol This makes a nice pile of large cookies, I didn't count how many dozen it made, but I would think around 3 dozen if you are using the large cookie scoop and way more if you are using something smaller. 

Enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed my Sugar Cake Cookies if you give them a try. They really are easy to make, just a little bit time consuming because you have to start them off in off on the bottom rack and then finish baking them on the top rack. 

For those of you who asked about the peach pie, I have the recipe here. And those who have asked about a pie crust tutorial, I will try and make that when I make more pies. My recipe is just an ordinary pie crust recipe but people tell me all the time that my pie dough is the best they've ever tasted. That it is so flaky and perfect. Now when I first met my husband, I had never made pie dough in my life!! Never! But he quickly informed me he wasn't eating store bought pie dough, so I would have to learn how to make it. Wasn't sure I wanted to learn how and considered not seeing my husband, then boyfriend again. But because I was already in love with him, I learned how to make pie crust. lol Now my son's can't stand any other pie dough but mine. I have always heard growing up that you can tell by the feel of the pie dough if it was right or not. Never understood that...until now. You really can tell if your pie dough is right by the feel and that takes experience. Not hard, but it just takes time to learn. 

Ok everyone, thanks again for stopping by and visiting me. You know how you always make my heart sing when you do. Crafty hugs, Brenda

A Voting Favor Please

Hi my crafty friends, I have a favor to ask of you. No it isn't anything that require you giving blood to me or anything like that. lol My friend, Lisa over at A Mermaids Crafts needs some votes on her project. Please click here to go to Lisa's blog post and read all about it. After you have voted you can enter to win a SB die from Lisa!! Thanks so much for voting for her, she is an awesome crafter and I do mean awesome!!! A big thank you and crafty hugs, Brenda

Family

Hello crafty friends! I hope you are having a beautiful Tuesday. This is a scheduled post as you know I am baking away and getting my chores done. Darnell is having another NBUS challenge because she reached 600 followers and I want to join in on the challenge. Wow! I couldn't even imagine having 600 followers. I am very grateful for the followers I do have and trust me when I say I didn't even think I would get this many followers! But I do and how it makes my heart sing. I know not everyone comments and that's ok with me. Just knowing that you all are visiting me warms my heart like you wouldn't believe and then when you do leave me a comment, well I'm on cloud nine. lol There are so many talented people out there, like Darnell, that I'm not sure why ya'll are visiting little ole me! lol So anyway, enough babbling. I made my card using never been used schtuff from  my stash. Yes, I have a lot never been used schtuff. I know, I know, right?! So I am trying to use my schtuff. My card is using schtuff that are stamps and dies from My Creative Time called Family Is Everything. I love her products and order more often than I should, but I just can't help myself. This set is just amazing. I love the dies that are in Emma's own handwriting and it's all about love and family! See, you are going to love this set too and yes, the ink splatters are in this set too, lots of them. I took the "family" die and cut it 3 x's out of white card stock and then once out of a pattern paper.I glued them all together to make it look like a chipboard sentiment. Then the rest I just stamped and attached my die cut on a mat layer, popping it up on the base card. I hope you like my little CAS card! Thanks for stopping by today and visiting me again. Crafty hugs to you all-Brenda

 Showing the thickness of layering 4 die cuts together.

Linking this up over at Darnell's NBUS challenge.

Celebrate the Cricut! BBTB2 Challenge

Hello my crafty friends, I hope you are having a wonderful start to your week. Mine will be busy. Busy baking that is! lol I have zucchini coming out my ears and we've been eating them like mad. I also have lots of peaches to get made into peach pies, apples into apple pies and of course hubby wants sugar cake cookies. So I plan on being busy in the kitchen this week starting today. We're also getting out of town for an extended weekend, so I'm really looking forward to that! And of course I will be taking some of the baking with me. lol We are really lucky that we have such great son's who don't mind holding down the fort for us so we can get away for a bit. I think it will be good for hubby and good for me too. There was a nip to the air all weekend and last night we got down in the 40's! I think fall is here, though I'm not ready for it. lol Ready or not it's here! I hope it is warm next weekend in VA. We were so cheated out of a hot summer, but we did have a nice low temp one. 

Since today is Monday, ya'll know that means it is time for a new challenge over at BBTB2. Our challenge this week is being hosted by our sweet and talented Mayra and she has chosen to celebrate the Cricut meaning that we can use any Cricut cut that we want!!! How cool is that?! Love this challenge, of course I love them all. lol So for my project I used the Cricut Artist cartridge, yes again! lol I love the CTMH cartridges. I used the card feature and cut out another one of those cute scalloped gate fold cards like Joy from Obsessed with Scrapbooking did. I used a cute digi from DeeDee's Digital Delights for the outside of my card-isn't that little chipmunk adorable??? The chipmunk and sentiment is called  Fall Warm Up and it has images and sentiments in this set. For the inside I used a My Creative Time stamp and dies. Some of my circles were cut out on the Cricut and some where cut using Nestiblilites. The leaves on the bottom circle on the outside of the card were stamped using a MayMay Made It new fall stamp set. I used distress inks in Antique Linen and Vintage Photo to distress my circles and sentiment mat on the outside and inside and I used them to do all my stamping, Firebrick Red, Vintage Photo and . 

Thanks so much for stopping by today and visiting with me for a spell. I always enjoy your visits and you always make my day with your sweet comments! Crafty hugs, Brenda

DeeDee's Digital Delights has a challenge going on using this cute digital set so I'm going to enter my card over there.

Calling all fans who love Cardz TV Stamps!!!

Hello my crafty friends. I have some great news for Cardz TV fans who love Cardz TV Stamps, Mary has a new blog called Cardz TV Gallery and she has selected some of us to be Cardz TV Gallery designers! How exciting right?!! It is currently under construction but will be up and running with our first post on Sept. 26th!! I can't wait until you can meet the new Cardz TV Gallery Designers, they will have a new project for you everyday using Cardz TV stamps, how exciting!!! So mark your calendars for September 26th and come see our debut! In the mean time you can follow us at:

http://www.cardztvgallery.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you all there! Crafty hugs, Brenda

Cricut Artist Gate Fold Cards

Hello my crafty friends, happy TGIF to you all. I have been playing a little bit in my crafty room. I had saw a video from Joy over at Obsessed With Scrapbooking make a card using the card base on the Artist cartridge. It was so dang cute, that I had to make some cards with this card base. The only Cricut I use was for the base. The papers are from SU, don't know which packs they came from, I bought a bunch when they were on clearance. The first card I used a die and sentiment stamp from My Creative Time. 

This is the inside of the card. All the cards will look the same only with the matching paper on the inside that was used on the outside. I haven't placed sentiments on the inside yet. Some I may and some I won't. I will let them blank to write in.

The flowers on this one are dies from My Creative Time.

More die flowers and stamps from My Creative Time.

The sentiment on this was is from CardzTV and the coffee cup is from a generic stamp set.

Take A Moment

Please take a moment to pause and remember the victims of 9/11 today. It is a day that changed America. So many lives lost for no good reason. So many lives lost to fight to save the lives of American's trapped in the burning Twin Towers. So many lives lost from fighting to protect our great Nation. It's a day that is burned into everyone's memory, we all know what we were doing and where we where when we got the news. For me it was news that I knew was going to send my son to war. To a war that has lasted for 13 years and no sign of letting up yet. My son has been deployed most of his adult life, with 5 deployments under his belt and with another coming up. My son was only 19 when he left for war. I wasn't ready to let him go but I couldn't control it. I'm very proud of my son, he is the true sense of an American Soldier. So please take the time today to remember all those effected by 9/11. We all were effected in some way or another. Today is chemo day for hubby so we will be sitting and reflecting on the last 13 years as well as that day that changed our lives forever. Remember our soldiers today saying a little prayer for those who are deployed right now and for the ones that will deploy, they so deserve our prayers for fighting to keep our Nation free and safe for us. They give us the ultimate gift when they give their lives, asking nothing in return. I could never, ever do our soldier's job so they have my highest respect and admiration!! God Bless America and God Bless Our Soldiers!!! Thank you and crafty hugs, Brenda

Be Good To Yourself! - BBTB2 Challenge

Hello my crafty friends, I hope you are enjoying a lovely start to your week. As you know if it is Monday then it is time for another BBTB2 challenge. Our sweet and talented Diana (and my twin-lol) has challenged us to use a purse die cut from a Cricut cartridge. So it is all about the purses this week. I know many have purse fetishes but I just try to find one that meets my needs which is hard for me to find. I don't carry a lot in my purse so don't usually need a very big one, but I like lots of spots to place what I do carry. Also with only being 4' 11" a large purse looks pretty silly on me. lol So I don't have many purses but I do love looking at them in the stores. So for my card today I made a changing screen shaped card. For the panels I used two different pattern papers, my purses came from a few different cartridges: Paisley, Forever Young and Everyday Paper Dolls. My dresses and my sentiment came from My Creative Time. I used a SU punch to punch for my  changing screen legs and the Fiscars Threading Water punch for the top screen edge. I didn't cut a lot of the layers to the purses because of cutting them small, but I did use homemade enamel dots and a flower from SU. The purses are supposed to look like they are sitting on a shelf, not sure I quite pulled that off, but that is what it is. lol I was going for a look of a screen in a window display with the dresses hanging from it and the purses sitting on a shelf that is attached to the screen.  I hope you will join us this week and make a Cricut purse project. Need some inspiration?? Look no farther than my BBTB2 design team sisters, they have some wonderful inspiration for you! Thanks for stopping by today, your comments always make me smile and I'm so thankful for you all. Crafty hugs, Brenda

 Close up of the purses and dresses, yeah I'm no dress designer! lol Or purse designer!

Since I used snippets for my purses I'm going to see if I can join in the Pixie Playground Challenge where you are to use snippets on your cards.

I was invited by Leslie over at The Memory Nest to share my project so I've linked up with them. 

Home of the Free...because of the Brave-BBTB2 Challenge

Hello my crafty friends, I hope you are enjoy this Labor Day! I am hosting over at BBTB2 this week and I chose the theme, "stars and stripes" in honor of 9/11 which will be here soon. As most of you know I have a son who is in the military and 9/11 sent him to war putting fear in this mother's heart. He will be deploying yet again next summer to Afghan putting the fear back into my heart. This will be his 6th deployment so you can see why 9/11 is near and dear to my heart, not only because my son was deployed but because so many lives where lost that fateful day. It is something that I still can't make sense of, nor can I make sense of anything these horrible people (can we even call them people?!) still do causing our sons, daughters, husbands and wives to be deployed constantly. Constantly putting their lives at risk, still losing yet more lives each and every day because of 9/11. It is such a bittersweet day for me and always will be. I always want to honor those who lost their lives that day, those who fought to rescue those that day and to our military soldiers who continue to fight everyday for our freedoms. So thank you in advance for joining in on this challenge. Now onto my card. I guess you can tell that I love our soldiers, one in particular. lol So on my card I used the Cricut cartridges Artbooking and George and Basic Shapes. I used the red striped overlay from Artbooking cut it at 4 inches. Then I used my Gypsy and place stars on a rectangle shape at 4 inches tall from George & Basic Shapes and cut it out. I saved my stars for later use as well as a few of the stripes. I also used MCT dies for the "Uncle Sam" hat. My sentiments came from MCT stamps as well. The "because" was a generic word stamp set from Hobby Lobby. I put some stickles on my stars and scattered three sequins on the blue layer. The red dots are tiny seed beads I melted to make my own enamel dots. For the inside I just used a few of the stripes and the stars. I hope you have enjoyed my card for today. Thanks for joining me today and if you play along on this challenge maybe you will give your card to a soldier and thank them for your freedoms. Crafty hugs, Brenda

Entering this card in Craftin Desert Diva's Link it up Linky Party - Anything goes.