Pumpkin Chili and Pumpkin Cornbread

I LOVE pumpkin. Like, really, really LOVE it! I've been hoarding the cans that I got late last year because all the stores around here are out! I got these recipes from my friend Kim (thanks Kim!!) and I'm so glad she shared them with me!! The pumpkin in the chili just made it rich and gave a depth of flavor - it didn't taste or look pumpkin-y. I left out the ground beef and added a can of drained and rinsed dark red kidney beans and black beans to give it some protein. I also used the full can of pumpkin (small can) and added more water. We always eat our chili over rice. Something I had never done until a chili cook-off at work. I added sour cream, shredded cheese, green onion and black olives on top.

The chili was good, but the Pumpkin Cornbread was AWESOME!!! It was more like pumpkin cake with cornmeal :) It was moist and sweet and slightly crunchy. I ate some of the pieces straight from the oven while still warm and some I spread on raw honey. Both were wonderful.

Pumpkin Chili

Pumpkin Cornbread

What's wrong with this picture?!?

We went out of town for the weekend and these table and chairs were outside of our hotel room. I thought it would make for a funny picture. It was only about 30* (if that!) and it was very windy. After the picture was taken, I went back inside and changed into warmer clothes so we could go shopping. Dorky stuff like this makes me happy :)

Stay warm!!

Quilting Forever, Housework, Whenever!

This saying made me laugh because I am not a quilter, but I LOVE to clean the house!! These sweet little cherries make me smile. They remind me of a slot machine :) I used my new Tartan Cuttlebug folder - it came in a pack with 5 other folders and I wasn't sure I'd like this one, but I do! I added the faux stitching around the message panel. That's about the extent of my sewing ability - LOL!! I covered the cherries with crystal effects so they're nice and juicy.

I'm off to mop the floors (one of my favorite chores!).

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Quilting Forever
Accessories: Scallop scissors, Cuttlebug - Tartan, grosgrain ribbon, crystal effects, Copic markers
Paper: SU Real Red, Bella Rose, white

Sew the Seeds of Spring

Another card using my Whipper Snapper set "Springtime Quilt" by Anna Wight. I glued 4 squares of paper together and then cut them out with a Spellbinder die (label 1) in my Cuttlebug. Since it was 2 pieces of paper instead of one, it cut it out and embossed it in one step - cool!! I also embossed the background using my new Cuttlebug Folder "Tartan". The main images were colored and cut out. The bird and tree are raised with pop-dots. I 'threaded' the button with a strip of paper - a tip I learned from Anna! I do not sew so this is a perfect solution for me. I also don't like the look of nekkid buttons on my card. I didn't have a leaf that was the right green so I made my own. I cut out a piece of green paper and added veins with a Copic marker. I curled the leaf slightly so it didn't look so flat.

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Springtime Quilt
Accessories: Prima flower, button, Spellbinder die, Cuttlebug, paper piercer, pop-dots, stickles
Paper: SU

Tea Bag holder

I made this tea bag holder with my new Whipper Snapper stamp sets. I knew I wanted to make something with a tea bag when I first saw this tea pot image. I LOVE tea and it just goes with a warm, cozy quilt. The tea pot is cut out and covered with crystal effects to make it shiny like ceramic. I added the zig-zag 'stitching' to the borders - I am not a sewer and do not own a sewing machine, but the card needed something to finish it off. I'm happy with how it turned out!

The ribbon and tea pot image are on a belly band keeping the card closed. It slips off easily so the card can be opened.

I added a 'quilt' to the inside left and the message on the right. This brand of Earl Grey is my favorite!

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Springtime Quilt and Quilting Forever

Accessories: Brads, grosgrain ribbon, Copic markers, crystal effects, tea bag :)

Paper: SU Kraft, night of navy

WHIPPER SNAPPER DECEMBER RELEASE!

2 new Anna Wight cling sets are being released today - Quilting Forever and Springtime Quilt. They each have 12 1-inch size quilting block stamps along with several themed messages. I'm not a quilter or a sewer, but these stamps are really fun to play with! This cuppiecake image is my favorite :)

Check out the other November/December featured designers:

Amy RohlSCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/rohla

Blog: http://inkaboutme.blogspot.com/

Carla MurphySCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/cardsbycarla

Blog: http://cardsbycarla.blogspot.com/

Gabriela DivineSCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/gabydee

Blog: http://gabiwithaneye.blogspot.com/

Randee ElsingSCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/Randee_E

Blog: http://www.mystampingground.blogspot.com/

Anna WightSCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/sweetmissdaisy

Blog: http://sweetmissdaisy.typepad.com/

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Quilting Forever

Accessories: Heart button, paper piercer, nesties, corner rounder, stickles, pop-dots, copics

Paper: SU red riding hood, pink pirouette, chocolate chip, white

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family! It's officially over here in Colorado, but this is the first chance I've had to get online. My dad flew in from Phoenix and we've been busy, busy.

Hope everyone had a very wonderful holiday with loved ones. I'll be back soon to post new cards :)

Ice skating chicken

I'm busy running around at the last minute getting Christmas stuff done. I'm going out later tonight to brave the mall to get 2 gift cards. I refuse to go out tomorrow!! My hubby is already aware of this plan ;)

This is the first card I made with the new Whipper Snapper stamp sets that I got last month. For some reason, that chicken looked like he wanted to skate at night under a full moon. I sponged the moon on the card stock with white craft ink and then embossed it with clear embossing powder. I love how it made 'craters'. I used the Martha Stewart icicle punch and added stickles for some sparkle. The chicken is cut out and raised with pop-dots. I used the reflection technique. I've never tried it before but it was really fun and easy! Poor Mr. Chicken doesn't look too steady on his skates!!

Hope everyone is ready for Christmas - it's almost here!!

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Think Snow

Paper: SU Night of Navy, white, yellow

Accessories: Martha Stewart icicle punch, stickles, snowflake stickers, clear embossing powder, white craft ink

4:00am Post Office Run....and a card

I just got back from the post office. I had a VIP package to mail and it needed to go out ASAP! (I'm such a procrastinator!! *Hi, I'm Jennifer and I like the adrenaline rush of waiting until the last minute because this month isn't stressful enough!*) Luckily, the line was short ;) I could hear people working in the back though. I have a huge crush on the APC - Automated Postal Center. IT ROCKS!!!! It took me all of 5 minutes to park, mail the package and get back in my car. Sweeeeet! Yesterday was the busiest mailing day of the month and I feel like I just cheated all those people who had to wait in line.

Here's another card I made for the new Whipper Snapper release. I followed this tutorial on SCS - very easy and very fun! I used my new Polar White Flower Soft - love it! It really looks like fluffy snow. The snowman and the snowballs are cut out and raised on dimensionals. I figured the front was busy enough so I added the message on the inside.

Stamps: Whipper Snapper - Gardening Snowman and Think Snow

Paper: SU! Night of Navy, white, light blue from Archivers

Accessories: Martha Stewart icicle punch, MS snowflake punch, brad, clear embossing powder, Flower Soft, Navy grosgrain ribbon, Stickles, Copics.

Stubble or Chicken Pox?!

I made this card for my dad's birthday. I thought it would be cute to add 'morning stubble' to the monkey's face, but it looked more like poor monkey had chicken pox! I only added a few spots under his mouth at first and that really didn't look right so I kept adding more. Hopefully my dad thinks it's stubble and not a contagious disease - maybe I'm just over analyzing it. I used Karen Foster snap stamps to add the 'dad' to the green mug. I used my argyle Cuttlebug embossing folder again - I love the way it looks! (Don't tell my hubby, but he just ordered 6 new Cuttlebug folders from HSN for me for Christmas. Wasn't that nice of him? *wink* I love it when he gets me exactly what I want. Here's the link: 6 pack holiday emboss folders)

Stamps: Stampendous - Changito, Stampendous - Happy Birthday, Karen Foster Snap Stamps

Paper: SU! Chocolate chip, buckaroo blue, white, designer paper from Hobby Lobby

Accessories: Brads, Nestabilities (Labels Three), argyle Cuttlebug folder, SU! grosgrain ribbon, Copics, pop-dots