Easter in Lavender and Green--The Play Date Cafe' #20

Good evening,  everyone!

What a busy week it's been!  Can't believe I haven't posted since Sunday!  I think we're all busy right now, aren't we?!

Well, it's  time for another Play Date Cafe' Challenge--and this will be my last one as a Design Team member...time for other girls to have all the fun!  I'm also the host for the week, and here are the colors for this weeks challenge:

Lavender, Pea Green, and White...aren't they beautiful together?
Here's what Julie Ranae--the queen of the Play Date Cafe' had to say about this week's blog hop:

'As the Play Date Cafe begins a new season of designers, we also say goodbye to Julie Campbell, who has been on the design team for the past 4 months.To welcome in the new design team, we are having a BLOG HOP!

To see what you can win and to get started from the beginning, you need to start from The Cafe.

If you came here from The Play Date Cafe' blog, you are in the right place.

Here are THREE ways to give you the best chance to win:

1. You must stop at each designer's blog and leave a comment.

There are ONLY 9 total and all you have to do is click on the name!

2. Become a follower of The Play Date Cafe...easy-peasy!

3. Play along with this week's color challenge

All the details on how to play are on the sidebar in The Cafe.

The winner will be chosen by random.org'

Here's the Blog Hop order:

The Play Date Cafe Blog
to
Julie Campbell
to
Lisa Somerville http://www.lisasomerville.com/ ...Lisa will tell you where to go from there!

So there you go...PRIZES and everything!


Here's my card for the challenge:

I found this sweet image online, courtesy of Sugar Moon (my opening image, as well)--love this vintage chick pulling an egg cart full of lovely lilacs...I kept this pretty simple...some pretty printed paper from K & Co. "Charlotte" stack, lace, ribbon, buttons, Dazzling Diamonds, and of course, lots of silvery glitter!

Here's a little close-up shot....

Had fun with this, as well as with all of the Play Date Cafe' challenges!  Thank-you, ladies, for the friendship and all the fun and creativity!


Since I'm a Vintage Chic, and just made a vintage chick card, I thought I'd share a few more vintage chicks with you...

...here's a beautiful postcard I purchased at an antiques' shop a few years ago...love these sweet chickies dancing around the Easter Egg tree!  I really enjoy the metallic gold backgrounds on some of these postcards.  This one dates from 1910...such a beautiful time for postcards, I think... Hope you can do something pretty with it!

And now some little sweeties from 1997...my own three little chickies during an Easter party at our Uncle and Aunt's home in Southern California...Oh, man!  I can't believe how time flies!

Chelsea, Sarah and baby Annie posing before changing their clothes and hustling around the little farm in search of eggs...

...such loving girls...and the best part?  They still are! 

Thanks for sharing some early Easter fun with me tonight!  I'll be back very soon with something new...

Sweet dreams!

Mellow Yellow...Play Date Cafe' 19 and Sour Cream Banana Bundt Cake

Good evening, everyone!

Hope it's been a great day--still raining here--was just hailing wildly a few minutes ago!  I love days like this when I don't have to go anywhere except drive my kids to and from school...I can stay nice & cozy inside...just the way I like it!

I've got lots to share with you--no short post tonight!  The color challenge this week for The Play Date Cafe' is Deep Yellow, Pale Yellow & White, which led me toward an all creamy yellow day of cardmaking...I really enjoyed it!

First of all, here's the challenge for PDCC...

These colors are so soothing and spring-like...so much fun to play with!  Here's my take on the challenge:

I love this sweet image I found online...unfortunately, I can't remember where I got it--sorry!  I didn't keep track of things as well in the beginning--now I do!    I used some retired SU! So Saffron dp, lace, ribbon, a big vintage shell button, gold glitter, and a touch of Dazzling Diamonds on her flowers...that's it!

Next, in keeping with my mellow yellow mood, I made this card...a bit more summery here...am I wishing, or what?!

Another image I lost track of where I got it...again, apologies if it was yours...and thank-you!  I used the same retired SU! dp for this, just a different print.  I'm enjoying using what I already have laying around on my table, if it works...don't worry--I'm cleaning off my table tonight to get ready for tomorrow--new stuff!

Lots of Dazzling Diamonds on the sunflowers & leaves, and I surrounded her with mica flakes.  Around that, I edged the image with Cinnamon Stickles.    Finished it off with some beautiful brown crocheted lace, ribbon and my favorite brown & cream gingham ribbon.

Last card--are you still with me?  I really love this image--another one I found online from a lovely blog--Art-e-ology.  She does beautiful things with Photoshop and vintage images! 

Isn't this an adorable collage image?  Love the soft colors...The polka-dotted yellow paper is from a gorgeous new paper collection from K&Company called "Cut N' Paste", which I found at Michael's.  The yellow rose is one that I cut out from one of the pages in the pack--beautiful! 

Some wide, beautifully detailed lace, ribbon, creamy crochetetd lace...

...Dazzling Diamonds on the parts of the image I wanted to highlight, mica flakes all around.  You can't really tell here, but I did something really fun with the mica flakes today--I had an idea to put some in a ziplock baggy, then I sprayed in some Gold and Lemon Zest Glimmer Mist and mooshed it around--it dyed it perfectly!  I let it dry for a bit and used it around the image...in person, it looks beautifully creamy yellow & dazzling!

Last of all, in keeping with our creamy yellow theme for the day...how about the most delicious bundt cake I've ever tasted in my whole entire life?  Sound good?  Well, here you go!

The icing doesn't look as good as it did before I added the edible glitter to the top.  I love to sprinkle it on pretty things, but it kind of soaked in and looked funny...oh, well!  It still sparkled! 

It was my husband's birthday on Saturday, and all he asked for was a bundt cake...so I searched around for a good recipe, and found it in my Bundt Classics cookbook that I've had for years...never tried this one before, but he LOVED it--said it was the best he'd ever tasted!  

Here's the recipe:

Sour Cream Banana Cake

1 package yellow cake mix
1 (3.4 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 ripe bananas, cut into pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour a 10 or 12 cup Bundt pan.  If using a 10 cup pan, fill 3/4 full with batter and make 3 to 4 cupcakes with the remaining batter.

In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients.  Mix 2 minutes on medium speed.  Spoon into prepared pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes.  Remove from pan; cool completely on rack.  If desired, drizzle with Vanilla Glaze.

Vanilla Glaze

2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 Tablespoons milk

In medium bowl, mix sugar and butter.  Add vanilla.  Gradually add milk until desired consistency; mix until smooth.  For thinner consistency, add additional milk.

YUM!!!  This cake was dreamy, I tell you!  Try it--you'll LOVE it!

Well, that's it for tonight.  Hope your evening is wonderful and that tomorrow is as well.  I'll be back on Friday with something new.  See you then!

Sweet dreams!

Welcome Spring, A Splash of Aqua for Play Date Cafe' #18...and Glittered Pastel Butter Cookies

Good evening, everyone!

Hope it's been a great day for all of you! It's been a very interesting one here in California....blustery wind & rain all night and into the morning...then this afternoon...sunshine and beauty all around! I'm not going to complain!!!

I have a few things to share with you tonight...first, a little Springtime card for this week's Crafty Secrets' challenge over at Splitcoast. Our host this week is the lovely Marcy, and she challenged us to "Coax Spring Along" in our cards this week...here's my attempt to do so:

I love this sweet little image--this is from Crafty Secrets' "Seasonal" Images & Journal Notes booklet--it certainly says Spring to me!  Can't you just feel the fresh, warm breeze gently blowing her dolly's clothes on the line...aaaahhhhhh, Spring!

I didn't get too fussy with this one...some buttery yellow vintage-style lace, Dazzling Diamonds for a little sparkle, a vintage button is just about it!  I printed up my own sentiment on the computer using one of my favorite vintage fonts--"Apricot".

This is the 18th Play Date Cafe' Challenge this week--my, how time flies!  We sure hope you're enjoying these fun color challenges!  This one is a bit different...Black & White with a splash of Aqua/Turquoise--love it!

  Here's my vintage take on the challenge:

This gorgeous image comes from a beautiful site I found recently,  Shabby Chic Pappirskatter.  Fabulous stuff!  Thanks, Heidi!  I loved the black & white gingham paper with this...a bit of gorgeous aqua lace, some black organza ribbon, paper roses...

...Martha Stewart's "White Gold" fine glitter to frame the little sweetie, a sprinkling of Dazzling Diamonds on her flowers, just for a bit of sparkle, and that's it!

Hope you feel inspired to play along with us this week...head on over to The Play Date Cafe' for more information and to link up your card--can't wait to see what you come up with!

And last, but certainly not least...something sweet...springtime colors you can just *pop* in your mouth!  (If you can pop it in you mouth in just one bite, there's not as many calories, right?!) 

Pastel Butter Cookies

2 sticks butter--no margarine!
6 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
2 cups flour

Confectioner's sugar for dusting
Edible glitter...(everyone's got edible glitter just sitting there handy in their pantry, right?!)
Food coloring
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cream the butter until light & fluffy.  Add the granulated sugar, almond extract and blend well.  Add the flour and mix until smooth and well blended.

I then separated the dough into different bowls and colored each a different pastel color with the food coloring...

Form dough into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheet.  These won't spread, but don't place them TOO close together!  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Let cool slightly on cooling rack, then roll in powdered sugar (into which I added the edible glitter!).  Cool, admire, then devour!  Enjoy!!!

Well, that's it for me tonight--hope you enjoyed a little taste of spring....I can't wait!  I'll be back soon with something new, but until then...

Sweet Dreams!

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!

Secrets...The Play Date Cafe' Challenge #16

Good evening, everyone!

Hope it's been a great day for you all...except for the blizzards, earthquakes in the wrong places & too many rainstorms...!

Just a quick post tonight--been a busy couple of days and I haven't had much creative time--that will be tomorrow!

This week's Play Date Cafe' challenge is hosted by the amazing Julie Ranae, and here are the beautiful colors she chose:

Of course, I was working off an older photo, and my colors are a bit different, but essentially the same...and since our color challenge is very open to interpretation, I'm going to be just fine about it!  Here's my take on this week's challenge:

I love this image from Crafty Secrets' "Girlfriends" Images & Journal Notes booklet--so fun & sassy!  I went a little over the top with my rhinestones & black diamond Stickles, but sometimes you just have to go glitzy, right?! 

Well, that's it for tonight--told you it was a quick one!  I will be back tomorrow, though, with a couple of Valentines to share with you.  Hope you have a wonderful night...off to catch a little pre-recorded "American Idol" with the family before bed...

Sweet Dreams!

Beautiful Birds...The Play Date Cafe' #15

Good evening, everyone!

It's time for another Play Date Cafe' challenge...are you ready?!  This week, our host is the lovely Sandi, who sadly won't be hosting here with us after this week.  Here are the beautiful colors she has chosen for us to play with:

Here's my take on the challenge this week:

I love this soft, beautiful image from Crafty Secrets' "Birds & Blossoms" Creative Scraps--had to pair it with two sweet birds from their "Birds & Botanicals" Images & Journal Notes booklet...

...I just cut them out & popped them up...love the way it looks.  Lots of glitter on the flowers & birds, fine gold glitter to border the main image, some lace & my favorite brown/cream gingham and we're all done!

That's it for me tonight--can't wait to see what you come up with for this week's challenge!  Make sure you head over to The Play Date Cafe' to link up your beautiful work so we can all see it! 

I'll be back tomorrow with something yummy to share, and a couple of fun cards--see you then!

Sweet Dreams!

The Play Date Cafe' Challenge #11--Vintage Picture Day

Good evening, everyone!  Two posts in one day--makes me feel pretty productive!  Can't believe we're up to week #11 with The Play Date Cafe' Challenges--more creative people have played this week than ever before...so exciting! 

Sandi is our host this week, and the colors she came up with are so lovely and refined...black, white, gold and silver...

Here's my take on the challenge:

Sweet little photographer ready to take some vintage photos...got this adorable image from Crafty Secrets' "Girlfriends" Images & Journal Notes booklet. 

So glad I still had some of this wonderful textured gold and silver metallic paper left--can't get it any more!  Had to add lots of lovely silver shavings glitter, black & white gingham ribbon, some great gold metallic ribbon, and these fabulous white vintage buttons from my husband's grandmother's  button stash...(thank-you, Fern!)

...I really love these buttons--they really shimmer--hard to see in the photo, though...

That's it for tonight!  Hope you all can play along with us this week--any style is welcome! 

Sweet dreams!