Nancy Wethington

Book it, Dano . . .

Oh gosh, now I'm really going back in time.  Here's what I really wanted to tell you:  I finished the Christmas album this morning.  It's going to be a class, but a VERY LIMITED class - only 8 people!

JOY Christmas Album

Tuesday, September 15

10:30 am - 4 pm (or there-about, she says with a grin & a wink)

$35 includes the album.

BYO lunch

Distress Inks; White and Black gel pens; Black Zig Writer

+ normal adhesives (wet & dry) and the usual class supplies you normally bring with you.

VERY LIMITED SEATING.

Room for only 8 people.  Sorry, no kits for this one.  Must be present for the class please.

Reservations required by calling

For Keeps Sake Scrapbook

(314) 487-8131

Started on this project . . .

yesterday.  I know it's only July - almost August, but had to get some ideas for a Christmas mini-album.  So started this project yesterday:

 

Traditional post-bound 8x8 album with a cover I just had to alter.

Just started the inside pages.

Lots of innies and outties and chunkies (does that surprise you!)

 

Stay tuned for the final result!

Tomato Basil Pie

There is nothing that screams "summer" more to me than home-grown tomatoes.  And this year's crop is so good - almost as good as I remember as a kid.  My Mom found this recipe some time ago in the Post-Dispatch.  With a small abundance of tomatoes, I thought I'd try this today.

• 

 

• Pastry for 1 (9 inch) single crust pie

• 5 tomatoes

• 1 1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

• 1 c fresh basil leaves chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1/3 c mayonnaise

• 1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

• Salt & ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Fit pastry into 9" pie plate.  Line pastry with foil to prevent burning.  Bake for 5 - 8 minutes.  Remove foil and bake another 5-8 minutes or until crust is set and begins to brown.  Remove from oven and reduce heat to 375 degrees.

In the meantime, slice tomatoes and place on paper towels to drain.

 

Sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella over crust.  Place tomato slices over cheese.  Combine basil and garlic and sprinkle over tomatoes.

Stir together remining ingredients.  Spoon over basil, garlic and tomatoes.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are brown and cheese is bubbly. 

 

Serves 8 (or in our house: 2 ; )

 

Prototype . . .

I've had a photo of this adorable star box for quite a while.  Can't remember where it came from, but I love the idea.  So today, found the instructions and they were waaaaayyyyyy too "math-y" for me.  Talking about protracters and degrees . . . and this to a girl (and I'm using that term loosely) who doesn't use a ruler!

So I'm making my own pattern.  Here's the idea (keep in mind this is a prototype):

an extra large bead on top holds the whole thing together:

 

remove the bead and . . .

 

Off to try to create a useable pattern now.  See ya all later!

Happy Birthday . . .

Mario!

Hope you're having a

fun time at CHA.

Brought to you by . . . today!

Some of the gals in the For Keeps Sake CYI (Create Your Imagination) group exchange circle journals each month.  This month, I had a journal who's subject was "favorite things".  It is an 8x8 journal with page protectors so I wanted to do some "innies and outties".  Here's what I ended up with:

This is the left side layout.  You can see the "shine" from the page protector.

The 2 small tags on the right side are underneath the page protector.

The fold-out on the left is on the outside of the page protector.

 

I used one of the Tim Holtz Ideology hitches to close the mini-book.

 

The book folds out to reveal one stamped panel for each thing I love.

 

 

 

This is the right side layout. 

I slit the page protector so that each tag could be taken in or out of the pocket.

Used Copic Markers to color the houses.

Baaaaddddd news . . .

 

The Ranger order with all our goodies on board did not reach For Keeps Sake today as promised.  So I must cancel tomorrow's class.  I am so sorry, but the truck is somewhere between New Jersey and Missouri.

So, here's what's going to happen:

The tags we were going to do tomorrow would have been tags 4, 5 & 6.  Those tags will be completed August 29.  We will just add a month so here's the schedule:

August 29 @ 10:30 am:  Tags 4, 5 & 6

September 26 @ 10:30 am: Tags 7, 8, 9

October 31 @ 10:30 am: Tags 10, 11, 12

We will be able to finish all tags way before Christmas!  The 2008 tags are even more amazing than the 2007 tags.  Can't wait to share these techniques with you.

See you in August!

Tim Holtz 2008 Christmas Tags

Taught with permission from Tim Holtz LLC.  Thank you Tim!

I can't believe class is tomorrow!  Where did this month go?  We'll work on techniques and such for  the 2008 Christmas tags - Day 4, 5 and 6.  BYO snacks/lunch if you wish, this class may take a while!  As always I'll have the supplies in class, but just in case you don't want to share or wish to use your own, here's what we'll be using:

• Pre-printed sticky back canvas (will be included in your class kit)

• Matte multi-medium (Claudine Hellmuth)

• Paint brush or sponge brush

• Distress Inks: Black Soot; Old Paper; Frayed Burlap; Fired Brick; Walnut Stain; Peeled Paint; Weathered Wood; Faded Jeans; Broken China

• Adirondack Paint Dabbers: Pitch Black; Juniper; Red Pepper; Lettuce; Gold; Snow Cap

• Adirondack Alcohol Inks: Cranberry; Red Pepper; Ginger; Lettuce; Meadow; Stream; Wild Plum

• Adirondack Blending Solution

• Waterbrush or the new Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink pens or very small paint brush (for tiny spaces)

• Glossy Accents

• Distress Stickles: Antique Linen

• Clear Embossing Powder

• Distress Embossing Ink

• Cut 'n' Dry Foam

• Metallic Mixative: Gold

• Glue Dots

• Ink blending tool

• Mini-mister

• Paper Distresser

• Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous stamps: December J1-1244 and Definitions K4-1251; Script P3-1378; Scrollwork P5-1374; Sheet Music V1-1339; Pine Brach G2-1186; Splatter U1-1261      NOTE: you may have these stamps in cling-mount sets.  If so, please BYO acrylic blocks.

• IF you have Tim Holtz Stamp Collections, here's what we'll be using:  Reindeer Flight CMS052 and Holidays Past CMS030

• Tim Holtz washers

• Sanding grip or sand paper

• Embossing Heat Gun

• Tonic/Tim Holtz Scissors

• Crop-a-dile

IMPORTANT: Class supplies should reach For Keeps Sake some time today (Friday) and stamp sets and other class supplies will be available for class purchase at 10 am Saturday with your class discount.

This morning, started working on . . .

some really simple cards needed for August birthdays:

 

Prima flowers.  Wendy Vecchi/Studio 490 stamps.  CI chipboard.

 

Creative Imaginations birthday paper.

 

When in doubt, take a nap . . .

Naps are waaaayyyyyy underrated.  I was in a dilemma this morning over my napkin swap.  Please understand that most mornings I'm up by 4 a.m.  I go to my craft room, make a huge pot of coffee (and it's always strong!) and start working.  Only we know it's not really work, right?  More like playing . . . an adventure.

So usually by noon, I'm tired and hungry.  Ate something, then to the couch for a nap.  Just an hour or so will do.  Woke up and had another idea for my napkin swap.  Here's what I've got now.

 

Liked working with the butterfly on grunge paper much better. 

It gives me some much needed dimension.

The darker butterfly is stamped, embossed and inked.

The lighter butterfly is stamped and inked (no embossing).

So now I just need to make a decision on the color.

By the way, those little Chinese wooden game pieces were sent via an e-bay bid. 

Knew they'd come in handy one day.

 

Stamped the butterfly first on the napkin

and then on grunge paper.  This allowed me to lift the wings

on the grunge paper but still show some butterfly underneath.

The center "body" of the butterfly is a bamboo paper clip.

  

Rested the butterfly on top of the game piece to "ground" the butterfly.

I have no idea what these game pieces say.  Sure hope it's something appropriate!