A Quilting Thanksgiving!

I feel so blessed to have been able to visit my sister and her family this Thanksgiving! We were able to stay two nights and three days. The first day was glorious, and sis & I took Cody for a walk around the neighborhood. Cody totally impressed us when he leading us out of the woods (we were bushwhacking, trying to go through the woods to my sister’s place). It doesn’t sound that impressive, except for the fact that this is the first time Cody has ever bushwhacked, and he led us out exactly the way we went in… Every time I thought we were getting lost, there was another sign that we had been there before, and we landed right on the trail we bushwhacked from!

One of her neighbors had the cutest mailbox.

Thanksgiving day was full of preparation. . . We all left the table full, happy and content. Just the way Thanksgiving is supposed to be!

Today, Arlis & I spent at the Quadra Island Quilting Guild’s meeting. My sister is the secretary, and has got me involved in it too – my only regret is that work keeps me from going to the meetings.  I thoroughly enjoyed the meeting, and the opportunity that we had to work on our quilt square for the upcoming Hands Across the Water event at Powell River, this coming weekend!

I’m closing this post with a series of pictures from the show and tell from the meeting.  I regret that I don’t know everyone well enough to be able to credit them. . . but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying their hard work, and hopefully being inspired yourself!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy! And make sure to check out my blog later on this week! I have a post scheduled for the Card A Day Blog, and will have a post or two relating to my sister & my adventures this week (we plan to go to Port Alberni, and then Powell River for HAW!).

Spicy Rouladen

I was in a hurry to have a dinner prepared the other day… so I decided to make some rouladen, mashed potatoes and sliced carrots for dinner with my pressure cookers.  I’ve found with a pressure cooker, you can make a nice home cooked meal from the beginning to end, in under one hour! If you have two pressure cookers, you can have a meal for a large family done in just a few minutes longer (more food, more prep time).
My post is really about the main focus of this meal, rouladen.  When I worked as a grocery store cashier, I was dismayed to find out that most people bought this cut of meat for stir-fry's. What a waste of a nice cut of meat!
There are traditional fillings to make “beef rolls”, depending upon which region of Europe you come from.  Everyone has their favorite… sometimes it can be as simple as slivered carrots and a piece of pickle, with salt and pepper.  I’ve prepared them in a fry pan, a crockpot, and now because time was tight, a pressure cooker!  I never use a recipe for my filling, as for me, it is a way I can be creative with what is in my larder. 

First, I prepared some of the filling items. 
I fried the following together:

• 1 small onion, finely diced.
• 7 mushrooms, thinly sliced.

After they were nicely browned, I put them aside, and then fried up until almost crisp:

• Approx. 7 slices bacon, chopped up fine.

Next, I spread out the meat strips and coated them with the smallest amount of candied jalapeno syrup, sprinkling with garlic powder, and pickled peppers. The pepper syrup just gave a hint of heat, but loads of flavor to the meat!  I finished the filling for the rolls by covering them with most of the onion/mushroom/bacon bit mix.


I rolled each piece of meat as tightly as I could in jelly roll fashion. I used a toothpick for each roll, to keep it together.

I put the rolls in a covered pan that fits inside my pressure cooker, and put a cup of gravy in the pot with them, and sprinkled the remaining onion/mushroom/bacon mix on top.
I then used a long strip of foil to form a handle for the pot, to put it in or out of the pressure cooker. I put the pot on a rack inside my pressure cooker with approximately 2 cups water, and then started it cooking! I brought the pressure cooker up to pressure and allowed it to cook for 20 minutes.  I could have added another 5 minutes with no problem, as the cooker I used, is a lower pressure one – it cooks at approximately 11 lbs. pressure, vs. the 15 lbs. pressure that my old pressure cooker cooked at.

When the meat was about 1/2 cooked (the 10 minute mark), I started the other pressure cooker up that had cubed potatoes and thickly sliced carrots in it.  (I kept the vegetables separate by using a steam insert between them). They only needed 5 minutes to cook, and I had the potatoes mashed by the time the rouladen was cooked!
Below is my dinner plate, showing the meal I made, and the beef roll sliced.  It is definitely one thing I will cook again! Yummy!


So, next time you see some rouladen in the meat counter shelves, think of what you can stuff them with!
If you think far enough ahead of time, you can do the above preparation, and put them in your crockpot, to cook to perfection on low, while you are at work! An easy dinner, that is so tasty!
Enjoy!

Christmas Card Blog Hop

Welcome to the Card A Day Blog World Card Making Day Christmas Card Blog Hop!  This is the very first blog hop I’ve contributed to, and I am so excited!
I am SO happy you have decided to hop along with us!! Make sure to check out the Christmas Card Blog Hop Challenge at the first post of this blog hop, at the Card a Day Blog!

With every card I do, I try to challenge myself with trying a new technique or item.  Today's card was intended to inspire the magical thoughts you may have when looking at your Christmas tree.  I always take pictures of my favorite ornaments on my Christmas tree, and saw how some "Sookwang" was used at my local scrap-booking store.   I hope you in turn are inspired too!

First, print a favorite picture that is clearly defined (good contrast).  Print it out two or three times, depending upon how you want to "finish" the card. 
Cut a piece of Sookwang to cover the picture, just larger on one side (my photo was 4 x 5 inches, and I cut the Sookwang 4 x 5 1/4 inches).

Apply the Sookwang carefully, to limit the possibility of air bubbles.  I just lifted the edge of one side of the adhesive cover, and aligned it with the edge of the photo... working it out as I pulled the adhesive cover towards the opposite edge.

Firmly rub the Sookwang onto the photo before removing the back adhesive cover.
Take a peek underneath the adhesive cover, it should appear smooth before you remove the adhesive cover.

Sprinkle clear transparent glitter (your choice of highlight)... I used "Glitter Ritz" Cool Highlight.  Rub off the excess glitter onto a scrap piece of paper and return the excess to the glitter container.

Trim the paper to card size, making sure to be careful when trimming along the glittered card front.  Use a bone folder or Scor-Pal to fold the card.
At this point I was not in love with the effect --- lesson learned, the picture has to have better contrast.  The background of the card does not photograph well… it really is stunning in a low light situation!
To improve the card for regular light viewing, I cut out the focal snowman from one of my photo prints.  I adhered it using my tape runner, careful to match it to the snowman on the card.  It just "popped out"! Yippee!
I then cut a bracket shape 1 x 2 inches, with my Friskars shape cutter, and stamped Happy Holidays with a versamark ink and applied white embossing powder to it.  I used some dimensional glue dots to apply the bracket to the card front.  I just love how it looks like the snowman is holding the sentiment!

 

Summary:
Card name: Happy Holidays!
Card base size: 8 x 10
Card base material: White
Card front size: 4 x 5
Card front material: Photo, covered with Sookwang and glitter
Die cut shape(s) 1 x 2 inch bracket, made with Friskars Shape Cutter
Stamp(s) used: “Happy Holidays” (I was considering hand writing “Wishing you…” on the outside and “a Merry Christmas” on the inside).
Ink used: Versamark clear
Embossing materials used: Glitter Ritz Micro Fine
Other details (fonts, programs, etc):      I used CraftArtist to print my card front... it also enabled me to play with layout and ideas I had when arranging the photo on the card.
Comments I really like the way the card looks in a low light condition.

Make sure to see the next blog on the list! Its from Tina Campbell from Tina's Scrap Corner! 

Below is some great information about challenges you can enter! Also about some blog candy I am giving away.

CHRISTMAS CARD BLOG HOP CHALLENGE
A two-day extravaganza of Christmas Cards and prizes.
Each of our designers will be choosing something special for our followers and adding it to the grand prize package. You will receive something from each designer.
To join in the challenge go to Card a Day Blog and enter and see who wins!

MY BLOG CANDY FOR THIS HOP!
Every person who leaves a comment for me by October 2nd (midnight), will be entered into a draw for ,the card posted and 4 additional pieces of Sookwang to make your own creation! If you are a follower, and leave a comment, you will receive two entries into the draw! I will make the draw on Monday, October 3rd, at 5pm Pacific time, and will email the winner to arrange for mailing the prize to them!

The designers from Card a Day Blog  participating in this blog hop are:

• Karin from ScrapperCreations
• Adele Robbetze from nogardscreativecave
• Christine Patton from Creative Genie-ous
• Cindy Foster from Cindy's Creations
• Cindy Pointe from The Creative Pointe
• Janet White from Stamping At The White House
• Kelly George from Sassy Scrapper Studio
• Michelle Hessler from Paperthreads
• Patricia Logan from MDN Creates
• Shelley Bordeleau from Gardens Crafts 'n' More
• Tina Campbell from Tina's Scrap Corner
• Vicki Schram from Paper Squirrel

Thanks for visiting my blog!
Shelley

September 15th, 2011 ~ Giving Thanks ~

Thanks for coming to get some card inspiration! This week’s theme is Giving Thanks.  It is an appropriate theme, with Thanksgiving right around the corner for us Canadians, but also because there is so much to be thankful for.  One of my favorite things is to be able to make a special card to give thanks with. Enjoy the card I made!

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Theme: Giving Thanks
Sketch:

(Oops! if you notice I have the sketch upside down…. don’t worry, its not an error on my part )
Techniques, colors, etc:

• Natural elements…. ribbon… embossing… microwave flower drying.

Card size: 5in. x 7in.

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First, lets assemble some of the items I chose for my card:

1. Cuttlebug with embossing folders
• Floral Fantasy
• Swiss Dots
• Embossing Borders: Just My Type
2. Quilling Paper in soft natural tones
3. Paperbillities “Wine Country” I’m going to use the green’s and cream for the card & card base
4. Microwave Flower Press (I’m so thankful my sister gave it to me for my birthday a few years ago!)
5. Not pictured, but I used Friskars “corrugator”.

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Cut, emboss, and tape as you go…. here’s what I have so far:

All there is left to do is to dry some flowers from my garden to make the “bouquet” , and to insert the sentiment on top (I will hand write or stamp this, as I wasn’t thinking far enough ahead to use the computer to do it )
Now the fun part…. out to the garden!
Here are some of the flowers I picked… small violets and the top bit of a speedwell.

Make sure to trim the back of the flowers if necessary, to help them to lay flat between the layers of paper towel and felt in the microwave flower press.

Microwave in 30 second intervals, checking on how much more you need to dry them.  It really doesn’t take long!  These violets have “dried” in under 3 minutes in my microwave, and your microwave may be even quicker than mine!  Oh, another note, dry similar sized items at one time.  I’m going to try doing the speedwell separately… I have never dried speedwell before, so I hope it works! If you “over dry” you will lose color. It’s a balancing act. If you want to make sure the card will last forever, then opt to use silk or paper flowers instead.
When the flowers are dried, arrange and paste on the cream oval.  Stamp or write your sentiment on the top of the card.


Another thank you for dropping by! Make sure to visit the Card a Day Blog for more inspiration!

Back to the old routine

This past week has marked changes for me at work. I’ve gone from a regular 10am – 6pm shift back to my old routine (shiftwork). There are good and bad sides to this. This week I am working graveyard shift (to some, that may be a bad thing). I’m enjoying being back doing different things… Change is good!
Now the truth of this post… I’m testing the scheduling aspect of posting on Blogspot.com.  I’m involved with posting on Card A Day Blog, and want to be able to schedule my posts for when I’m scheduled to be at work. I think it will work like a charm!
My next post is a thank you card, but after that, on the weekend, I will post some more pictures of things happening where I live
Take care!
Shelley

What a Hoot!

I’m so excited to be a designer for the Card a Day Blog! This is a place to go daily to be inspired for making cards! This is also my first blog entry of my card making craft. Enjoy!
The theme this week is OWLS.  I've got to tell you, that I have never designed anything with owls in it, so I'm right on my creative edge.  I wanted to make a thank you card that reflected that I gave a hoot! Everything in this card except the insert and card base is recycled bits of handcrafted art paper I bought in a baggie from a paper shop I visited. 
I started with a sketch of an owl I wanted to make, and assembled the papers I wanted to use.

Basically, the sketch is a pattern. I layered two colors of paper, black and brown, and started cutting. First the basic shape, then the next inside shape on another set of layered paper, and continue until you have the owl pieces cut. Then simply paste together. Below is what the owls looked like before I pasted them together.

I cut the card base out of a nice heavy burnt orange colored cardstock. The dimensions are 6 inches high by 11 1/4 inch wide.  I used my Score Pal to score it at the 5 1/4 inch mark.  The folded card’s back is 6 inches square, leaving a 3/4 inch space to make my card title.  I basically designed an insert to paste into the inside of the card:

Assemble the card pieces together.

Tape the card insert to the inside of the card, so the phrase shows when the card is closed.

Glue or tape the remaining pieces on the front of the card. Two owls, and lattice, and a flower that was inside a piece of paper.  I also drew the “eyes” irises on the owls as a finishing touch.

Voila!

Enjoy! It really was a hoot making this card too!

What a weekend!

It has been years since I’ve done any amount of canning in “one go”. Well, I managed to put up 60 lbs of peaches, 20 lbs of apricots, 20 lbs of plums, and 60 lbs of tomatoes over the past three days! I was going to take a picture of all of my canning, but I really don’t think the table would hold it all! Things I made:

• Tomato Bouillon (in quarts)
• Crushed Tomatoes (in pints)
• Diced Tomatoes (in pints)
• Bruschetta in a jar (1/2 pints)
• Peach Lemonade Concentrate
• Sliced Peaches
• Hoppin’ Habanero Peach Jam
• Apricots in syrup (won’t do them again… too ripe to do properly)
• Apricot jam
• Strawberry Jam
• Blackberry Jelly
• Pickled onions

Over the next week, I plan to make

• Bread & Butter Peppers (sweet & hot mix)
• Pickled Beets
• Fennel/onion relish
• Harvard Beets
• Cans of Borscht
• Dried peppers (green)

Things I have to start doing soon:
Canning soup for quick lunches!

I’m so glad I’ve got support and ideas from one of the best food preservation groups out there!
Food Preservation Drying Canning And More

I do promise to show you some of the stuff I did this weekend – soon! But until then, I’ve gotta get busy doing something special!!!! I’ll be posting a project in just a couple of days! Stay tuned!