Friday, February 19, 2010

Pink Roses, Vintage Violets for Velda...and the Icing on the Cake!

Good evening, everyone!

Hope it's been a great day for you all!  We're in for some storms here in California...it's been brewing and hovering for hours...but nothing yet!

I've got a few things for you tonight.  Over at Splitcoast in the Crafty Secrets' forum, Pammyjo is hosting this week's challenge..."Primarily Pink".  We were to use pink as the predominating color in our card.  Easy peasy!

Here's my card for the challenge:


This sweet image is from Crafty Secrets' "Childhood" Images & Journal Notes booklet...I just love using these for inspiration!  The beautiful background rose paper is from their "Radiant" paper pack. 

The big, fat gorgeous rose I cut out is from DCWV's brand new & fabulous "Vintage Collage" stack--just found it at Michaels the other day--run over and get it quick!!!  Also, check out this wonderful lace frame I also got at Michaels--just perfect for a sweet little vintage image!



Yesterday was my dear Grandmother Velda's birthday.  She's been gone now for nine years...hard to believe.  I always think of her on her birthday and remember so many lovely times together.  She taught me so much, as I've mentioned on earlier posts, and I think of her almost every day as I'm doing small, simple tasks around the house that she taught me how to do...



Grammie, as we called her, loved violets.  She remembered her grandmother always giving her violets on her birthdays, often in pretty little baskets...once she remembered being presented with a beautiful cut crystal basket that held her birthday violets.  I was fortunate to get a crystal basket of hers when she died...I always wonder if it was the same one she received from her grandmother when she was a girl...

Well, in honor of Grammie's birthday, I made this card...


...the image I used is Velda herself, as a little girl.  This has always been one of my very favorite old family photos...she looks like a little cherub!  I found some beautiful vintage violet images online, and used them to embellish her card. The color is a little off here...looks better in person, of course!


Every year on every birthday card, Grammie would sign her name and put "X's and O's" underneath her name--an "XO" for each year.  The last card I received from her was my 38th, and even though her handwriting was getting very shaky, there were, indeed, 38 "XOXOXOXOXO...'s" on my card.  Such a sweet tradition and an even sweeter memory for me.


The "X" & "O" stamps are from Crafty Secrets' new "Message on a Bottle" stamp set.  Lots of silver shavings glitter, Dazzling Diamonds on the violets, buttons in shades of violet, some lace & ribbon, and that's a wrap!

Here's another photo of the beautiful Velda on her wedding day in 1937...




Grammie had a favorite homemade frosting she would whip up to dazzle a cake--whether for a birthday, or a cake just for fun after school for the kids.  My Mom said they loved this frosting so much, it was often their request for their birthday cakes. 

Velda got this recipe from her mother, Estella, who got it from her mother, Sarah...wonder where it started....?  I made it tonight in her honor, and it was delicious! 




Just a regular chocolate cake mix will do, unless you want to get all fancy!  The frosting is glossy, and thick and smooth...perfect!  Here's the recipe:

Velda's Quick Never-Fail White Icing

1 egg white
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Put egg whites, salt, sugar and cream of tartar in mixing bowl, and mix together lightly.  Add the boiling water and beat with hand mixer on fastest speed until thick, glossy, and it forms peaks.  While mixing, keep turning the bowl and scraping the sides.  Add vanilla and mix in gently.

Spread on cake, making peaks with spreader.  If desired, melt a bit of semi-sweet chocolate and drizzle it on the frosting...YUM!  Enjoy!


Well, that's it for tonight...hope you have a wonderful night & a great weekend...and make something delicious!

Sweet Dreams...

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

For the Love of Kewpies...& Play Date Cafe' #17


"Do good deeds in a funny way.  The world needs to laugh, or at least smile more than it does."
                                                                                      --Rose O'Neill

Good evening, everyone!

How are you all tonight?  Hope it's not snowing too much back east....hate to tell you, but I got really warm today while trimming my rose bushes today...sorry!  I'm a couple of weeks slow in getting it done, and today was perfect!  I love my roses...we'll talk more about "roses" in just a minute...

...but first, The Play Date Cafe' is in it's 17th week, and here are the fabulous colors we get to play with:




...loved the colors this week!  Our host this week is the lovely  Julie Ranae of Julie's Open Window... 

Here's my take on the challenge:


 
This is one of my favorite Kewpie images from Crafty Secrets' "Homemade" Images & Journal Notes booklet--love these pesky little things!


A simple card tonight...some lace, gingham ribbon, old buttons, and some lovely silver glitter!



I just adore Kewpies--just about my favorite images in the vintage world--and thank heavens there's lots of them to be found!  They were the brainchild of the wonderful self-taught artist, Rose O'Neill.




She was born in Pennsylvania in 1874.  Her father, loving her childhood sketches, declared that she would be an artist, and did all he could to encourage her talents.  She drew her first Kewpie around 1909...and the rest is history!



 I love each and every image, book, and doll I've every seen...wish I could collect them all!  Thank-you, Rose!  Here's a couple of dolls my mother bought me for my birthday this year--


...aren't they adorable? How could you not love these faces?!  Thanks, Mom!

Here are a few Kewpie cards I've made this year--before I started my blog--using Crafty Secrets' stamps. 




Cute Kewpie Birthday...



Music Lessons...




These are all from the "Kewpies" stamp set...




...and the adorable "Fishing Buds" set...



Aren't they sweet?!

Here's another card I made this morning...



I was in a springtime mood today, and these colors felt just right!  Loved playing with "Flower Soft" for the kewpie's garland. 




Well, that's it for tonight...hope you enjoyed my visit to Kewpie Land...I did!  Have a wonderful night, and I'll probably be back tomorrow night with something new.

Sweet Dreams!

Monday, February 15, 2010

Crafty Secrets DT Challenge...Adding Color

Good morning, everyone!  Hope you're all having a wonderful three-day weekend (here in the States, anyway!)

Last month at CHA, Sandy Redburn asked me to join the Crafty Secrets Design Team, which I'm very excited about!  Crafty Secrets--as you well know if you visit me much, is just my favorite company, and I've always loved using their products in my work.  And such a wonderful group of talented women to be able to work with!  I'm looking forward to all the up-coming challenges!

Well, here's this month's challenge...the fabulously talented Vicki Chrisman, our DT leader, has challenged us to ADD COLOR to our clear stamps in our projects.

I decided to focus on two of my favorite new stamp sets--"Mermaids" and "Message on a Bottle"...here's my first--


I love this sweet little mermaid!  I first layered a piece of white cardstock with various sea-colors of Glimmer Mist, covering it all with "Iridescent Gold".

 I colored the image with watercolor pencils--my favorite method.  I love the ability to blend and play with color with the pencils...


...added a bit of "Worn Lipstick" Distressed Stickles to her tail & rubbed it around with my finger--love getting my hands inky--makes me feel like I'm a happy little kindergartner again!

I framed the image with Martha Stewart's "White Gold" fine glitter--SOOOO sparkly!  Added some beautiful turquoise lace that reminds me of ocean waves, some ribbon, and real old vintage mother-of-pearl buttons...that's about it!

Here's my second project...


I just loved this wonderful vintage-style bottle stamp from the moment I saw it at CHA--so many things you can do with this! 

I love paper-piecing for color in my projects...can't tell you why I enjoy cutting out little things...I just do!  I think it makes the bottle look very rich & deep. 

I stamped the label on white cardstock, covered it with Gold Glimmer Mist, then sponged with Vintage Photo ink.  I used the tag stamp from the wonderful new "Price Tags" set, and took the "Your Heart's Desire" stamp from the "Lucky Wishes" stamp set.


Then, lots of gold glitter, some crystal rhinestones, lace & ribbon...that's it!

Please visit the other DT members blogs to see their wonderful projects--they're all so very talented and will inspire you with what they've done this month...

Vicki Chrisman

Pam Hooten

Heidi Blankenship

Marisa Grosson

Linda Duke

Michele Kovack

Melissa Phillips

Michelle Van Etten

Flo from France

That's it for today!  I'm off to enjoy my family being home with me...got some projects lined up & "The Lightning Thief" to see (very excited!)...

See you soon!