My first shaker card

This is my first attempt at a shaker card but I can see many more of these in my future.  I love any kind of interactive card and this one is fun!
After watching multiple YouTube videos and looking at many pictures, I jumped in.  The shaker element is separate and then adhered to the card front.  The clear front of the shaker is just the packaging that a die had come in.  I bought a bag of mixed sequins at JoAnn last night and have since ordered a bunch of sequins on eBay.
Also, after watching YouTube, I ordered the We R Memory Keepers Fuse tool from HSN, which is now on clearance.  That's why I know I'll be making more of these!

3x4 Pocket Mini Album

I wanted to make a couple of little pocket albums to take on vacation to visit my mom.  My oldest son hasn't seen her since 2009 and her memory has been getting progressively worse.  I want to fill it before we leave with pictures I take while there. 

I've based my album on the Sizzix Pocket Mini Album die.

Check out this video for basic instructions to put this album together:
https://youtu.be/LAbaNKYtVnY

Here are the measurements for this little album:
You can make this entire album with 4 sheets of 8.5" × 11" paper.
6pcs - 6.5"×4.75" (pockets)
Score @ 3, 6 long side & .75" short side
1pc - 3.25"×10.5" (cover)
Score @ 1.5", 2", 6", & 6.5" on long side
1 pc - 3"×1.5" (back pocket hinge)
Closure of choice, i.e. velcro dots, mini brads, and/or twine

One difference that I made is that I stick the hinge to the back of the cover
and cut the tab off the pocket in the front of the album.

Easel back card template

Here is my version of an easel back card, which I based on the Artistic Impressions easel card die.  The idea is that you decorate the front of the card and there is an attached easel so the recipient can stand it up and enjoy it.  There isn't an inside of the card.  If your cardstock is a nice heavy weight you can get away with just cutting one of these and it will stand up just fine.  Otherwise,  cut two and make one fold from the right and one from the left.  Try to line up the circle punches as closely as you can so they line up when you have the easel out.

Easel back birthday card

I made this card for a friend's birthday this week.  I love the idea of adding an easel to the backs of my cards and actually considered buying and easel die from Artistic Impressions for $30.  Good thing I played around before shelling out the cash for that!  I can make a very similar card to theirs by hand.  I did, however,  receive the Tim Holtz easel die for Christmas, and it is very nice to have.  Now that I know how to make this easel, it's just faster to cut it by hand.  This easel is similar to the Tim Holtz design.
The flower & foliage were made using the Stampin Up Bouquet Bigz L die.  The paper is DCWV Linen Closet.

10 cup thermal coffee maker...for less!

For about $23 you can have a thermal pour over coffee maker.  If you buy the Melitta set, it will cost $31 - $37.  It is important that you buy a wide mouth carafe so that the filter cone will fit perfectly inside the top of the carafe.  I bought my carafe from Walmart.  It looks exactly like the one pictured but it is the Aladdin brand for the same price.  Of course, you can get reusable cloth #4 cone filters from me here!

2L stainless steel wide mouth carafe

Melitta #4 filter cone

Melitta 10 cup thermal coffee maker

Red lentil sausage stew

I absolutely love the Vegan Lentil Soup from the Fresh & Easy markets.  Not being vegan & hoping if I added meat my family might eat it, I had to try it like this.  I started off with what appeared to be a delicious vegan lentil stew recipe here:  The Perfect Vegan Lentil Stew

It looks just like the one at F&E market!  Mine does not.


I basically followed her recipe but added a keilbasa sausage and used red lentils.  It's delicious!  Thank you, Gluten-Free-Vegan-Girl!

Applesauce Apple Pie Jam for Anthony

Today I made this jam for my son, who, upon finishing a jar my friend gave us, declared it his favorite jam.  I called my friend for the recipe but, as usual, went my own route.  It might turn out to come back and bite me in the butt if he doesn't like it.   Rather than start with fresh apples,  this jam starts with store bought applesauce.   Here we go:

Makes 7 half pints

5 cups applesauce
6 tbsp Ball dry pectin
1.5 c white sugar
1.5 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp butter
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/16 tsp ground clove
1/16 tsp ground nutmeg

Prepare jars, lids, and bands as usual for canning.

Once this process starts it moves fast, so do yourself a favor and have everything premeasured and ready to go!

Meanwhile, place applesauce, butter & pectin in a large pot and bring to a full rolling boil.  At this point add the sugars and spices and return to a rolling boil.  Keep it at a boil for one minute.

Remove from heat and immediately ladle into hot, sterilized jars.  Leave 1/4 inch headspace, get rid of large air bubbles, clean the mouth of the jar with a wet towel and place lid and screw on bands (not too tight).  Return to canning pot and process 10 minutes.

CBTL Caffitaly Americano machine

I just bought this beautiful $149  machine from someone on Craigslist last week for $50!  See it sitting next to my Breville espresso machine?  Shhhhh.  I don't want them to start fighting, but I'm really liking the CBTL (Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf) machine right now.  It's so easy to use, easy to clean up, and so convenient.   I've even learned how to reuse the espresso capsules, which bring my cost per drink down from $0.70 to $0.14!  I have also been toying with a DIY version of the milk capsules that Tassimo and Verismo use.  OMG, so easy and also about $0.14 per serving versus the $1.00 that the capsules cost retail.   To make the milk, I dispense a short shot and a long shot of water into my mug (without an espresso capsule in the machine) and add 2 tablespoons of dry milk powder.  I found the Nido brand at my Walmart,  which is dry whole milk rather than some other brands,  which are dry non-fat milk.  Using my Aerolatte frothing wand, I mix it until a nice thick froth forms and the volume appears doubled.  I then insert an espresso capsule into the machine and brew a long shot into the same mug.  Isn't it beautiful?   I still prefer fresh milk but am finding that the dry milk doesn't bother my tummy like fresh.   Lactose intolerant,  you know.

Folded fabric Christmas ornaments

My friend found a YouTube video for these : Folded fabric Christmas ornaments.  Since I'm making several for gifts, I thought I'd simplify the process.  I'm also embroidering the year on them.  I attached a pin to the end of my machine bed which, surprisingly enough, was the perfect place to give me a 7" finished circle as it's 3.5" from my needle.  I only had to adjust my needle position to 4.0.  For topstitching, I place the circle back on the pin once it's been turned right side out and adjusted the needle to the far left at 0.0.  I then turned to my embroidery machine for the addition of the date.  I followed the rest of the instructions on the video.

No Chemex? No probem!

So,  what do you do when you want coffee and don't have a Chemex handy?  You grab a canning funnel, a cloth Chemex filter here, and a thermal carafe.  So good.  So simple.  I just saved you $50 on a Chemex, or $120 on the Keurig 2.0.  Ok.  Not as visually appealing as a Chemex, I admit.  The coffee does stay hot for hours!  Especially if you preheat the carafe.

No carafe?  A Mason jar works!  Put a cozy on it and then the lid to keep the heat in.

I can see the Mason jar coffee maker on a road trip.  I know I won't be traveling with my Chemex.   No more crappy hotel room coffee (you're good as long as you have a way to make hot water).  Pack all your supplies inside the jar and you're good to go!

I admit that a quart of coffee only fills my husband's monster cup and my measly 10 oz cup so I don't need to worry about keeping it hot unless I'm home alone.

Good coffee does NOT require any fancy equipment.  People all over the world make coffee with much less.

Viva Las Arepas

I've been wanting to try Viva Las Arepas ever since reading about it on Yelp but never got a chance until yesterday.  David and I were looking for somewhere different to eat and I suggested this place since it wasn't far from where we were.  It's on the corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Oakey, near the Stratosphere Hotel.

In case you don't know what arepas are, they're kind of like a Venezuelan sandwich.  They also have pork spareribs, chicken, and beef, which I assume are cooked over a wood flame, since the place smells of wood and there are logs stacked in the hallway.  Here's what we ordered:  Garlic Shrimp, Vegetarian, Reina Pepiada (cold chicken salad), Carne Asada, and an order of fried yuca and chicharron.  It was too much food but we couldn't decide what to order.  The tab was $35 for the two of us.

Chemex cozy and reusable cloth Chemex filters!

I love my friend, David!  He's here visiting and I mentioned to him that the only coffee filter I haven't been able to make successfully is a Chemex filter.  Why?  Because I didn't have a Chemex coffee maker to test my prototypes on.  While I was at knit nite last week, David went next door to Cost Plus World Market and bought me one!  It is the CM-8A, 8 cup, 40 oz model.  I have since made 3 types of filters that work very, very well.  One is the square, one is the circle, and the last is another square but it is prefolded and seamed up one side.  I must say that I prefer the unfolded circle and unfolded square.  They work exactly the same way as the Chemex filter in that you have to fold them into quarters, place the 3 layered side against the spout and the single layer opposite.  They are very easy to clean.  I think I'll be offering them for sale in my Etsy shop and on Ebay very soon.

I also wanted to make a cozy for my new Chemex to try and retain some heat in the leftover coffee.  I didn't want to put it on the stove or a warmer.  It was a fun afternoon project to make this fleece cozy and cap.  It gave me an opportunity to dust off my math skills.  I measured the diameter of the top opening at just under 6 inches.  That measurement worked well with the bottom of the carafe as well.  Since the diameter of the circle I needed was 6 inches, I had to calculate the circumference for the pieces that went around those circles.  C=2 X 3.14 (Pi) X 3 (radius), which worked out to just under 19 inches.   The sides of the bottom pieces were 19" X 8" and the sides of the cap were 19" X 3".  I used two layers of fleece and one layer of thermal insulated batting for the body and the cap.  I also used elastic on the bottom to cinch it up.  

I think it turned out so cute but after we all had a cup of coffee there wasn't much left to check out its heat retention abilities.  I may just have to make another set in a Japanese print. 

Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup #2. Feels like I cheated, it's so easy!

Quick Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup

6 cups water
4 tsp chicken bouillion (or more to taste)
1 pkg frozen broccoli florets & stems
1 carrot, julienned
1 stalk celery, diced
1 can Campbell's cheddar cheese soup
1 can Campbell's Chunky Chicken Cheddar Broccoli soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese blend
Pepper to taste
3 tsp butter
4 tsp flour

In a large pot, bring water & bouillion to a boil and add veggies.  Cook until tender.  In separate small pot, create a light roux by melting butter then adding flour and cook a few minutes, stirring constantly, but do not let it darken.  Add 3 cups of the broth from the veggies to the roux and stir until smooth before pouring into large pot.  Add the two cans of soup & pepper.  Using an immersion blender, puree veggies but stop when it reaches desired consistency.  I like mine more pureed than chunky.   Stir in shredded cheese until melted.  Enjoy!

Goodbye, my Sam

I'm beyond heartbroken.  My Samantha passed away last week.  It was very unexpected and sudden.  She was here one day and gone the next.  For that I am very grateful.  I would not have wanted her to suffer.  We still don't know the cause as she slipped away so fast and at that point extensive testing would have caused her undue discomfort.  She was such a sweet and loving girl, who gave us so much joy in her 12 years with us.  I know she felt loved everyday.