First Birthday

September 15th was my Grandson, Carter's First Birthday. I created these digital pages using a kit from the Sweet Shoppe

Enjoy!

Black Widow

Saturday morning, while I was working in the garage, I pulled out the table saw and found this beauty! It was a dark corner so I had a hard time getting close so I could focus on her to get a good picture. After her final photo.. she was scooped up and taken out to the road, only to die a horrible death from a shoe! I'm entering her in Roger's Creative Photography Contest



Karma... Remember that beauty is relative....

Restless

After I gathered all of my painting stuff yesterday and got all of my chores done. My handyman came out to the garage and said he was restless. He wanted to go for a drive. It was about 10 AM. We got in the truck and hit the road. We went to Fruitland, about 45 minutes East of Boise. This is God's Country; a land full of lush fertile fields and orchards. We drove to the farmers market and filled the truck with lots of treasures. Tomatoes, Chilies, Corn, Cauliflower, White eggplant (I'm going to give this a try), apples, onions, plums, tomatillo's, cabbage, etc... We drove the back roads home and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. Although unplanned, I decided to buy everything I needed for salsa.. I just needed to stop and get some jars. I think the whole area is reaping the harvest and preserving. By the seventh store I finally found some jars to purchase. Wally World told me they weren't getting any more in for the season. Freddy said the same. Winco said they were getting them in daily but were selling out by 6AM each day. (they wouldn't save me any for a Sunday morning purchase) so I bought them from the big A. store. They were spendy but I figured I better buy them. It would cost me the difference to drive back into town the next day to buy them at a lower price. That is if they even had any in stock.
Handyman roasted the chilies, whipped out the food processor and chopped all the onions, tomatillos' cilantro, etc while I blanched, peeled and chopped the tomatoes. I cooked the mix, bottled it and did a hot water bath. 24 pint jars and about that many tomatoes left. I need to go buy more chilies and will probably make another batch Monday. I think I'll try drying some of them , also. edited to add: Recipe Below...



On our way we followed a few trucks filled to the brim with onions, fresh from the fields. As they would turn a corner some of the onions would roll off and onto the side of the road. We stopped and picked up a few but decided it wasn't worth the danger because of all the traffic.


My Handyman roasted the chilies outside on the big grill.


Tomatillos cleaned up after the leathery husks were peeled off.





Zesty Salsa
(makes approx 6 pints)

10 C Chopped peeled tomatoes
5 C Chopped seeded various chili peppers
2 1/2 C Chopped Tomatillo's
5 C Chopped Onions
1 1/4 C Cider vinegar
3 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 C Finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 T Canning Salt
1 T Ground pepper
1 T Hot pepper sauce (optional)
1 t Cumin

In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil over med- high heat. Cook until slightly thickened . About 15 - 20 minutes.

Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band on to fingertip-tight.

Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process jars for 15 minutes. Remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes and remove jars, cool and store.

Tips.... If you don't mind heat, you can leave the seeds and veins in the chilies.

When I made my salsa, I used Anaheim, Hungarian wax and jalapeno's. I roasted my chilies. This makes it alot easier to peel them. WARNING!! Be sure and wear vinyl gloves. The chili oils will get on your fingers and they will burn for days if you dont.


Life is good!!

Enjoy!

In the Mood

Guess what I'm in the mood for? I've been thinking about this for a couple of weeks. This morning I cleared off my table and started digging out a few things and have started my planning. Once I get started there is no turning back and this will consume all of my extra time. I'll get out my stamps and paper and still create a few things... but this is what I really desire at the moment.

Karma.. put effort into your life...

My pirate name is:

Red Ethel Cash

Passion is a big part of your life, which makes sense for a pirate. You're musical, and you've got a certain style if not flair. You'll do just fine. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.

The Shack

Mackenzie Allen Philip's youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later, in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.

In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant, THE SHACK wrestles with the timeless question: Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain? The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book.

Enjoy!

A muse Calendar

I noticed several blogs posting calendars so I investigated a little further. A Muse rubber stamps is offer downloadable 16 month calendars. 100% of the proceeds goes to the Leukemia and Lymphoma foundation. Minimum donation is $4 and you can choose the size of calendar you want. Visit them HERE.

I cut 6x6 chipboard and covered with paper. I cut 41/2 x 41/2 CS and covered with paper. Stamped and attached the calendar then attached to the 6x6 pieces with binder rings. I did several techniques, Stamp kissing, 2nd generation, embossing, 3D, watercolor etc.. I didn't add ribbon or too much bling because I didn't want to make it too bulky.

Products used are: CTMH, Whipper Snapper, Our Daily Bread, Clear Stamps, Twinkling H20's, Stickles. Paper is X7100B - Perfect Day. Colors are Sorbet, Tulip, Juniper and Creme Brulee

Karma.. be a nice person...

Violets

Once upon a time, there were three little violets. They longed to venture out of their dark dull and lonely cubicle. They wanted to grow and be beautiful. They wanted someone to notice them and give them some tender loving care. Their owner tried everything. Special food, water, loving words, even pretty little purple pots. They just shriveled up and looked pale and sickly. Their owner felt bad. She decided to take drastic measures. She bundled them up in the dead of winter, hoping not to put them in shock. She took them on a new adventure to their new home in a window seat. They get warmth from filtered sunlight every day. It took a few months for them to get comfortable in their new home but they soon grew to love their new sunny spot. They now show their appreciation for the love their owner gives them. Edited to add: I've decided to enter the third photo in Rogers Photo contest. Check it out HERE.

Karma.. be inclusive and and accepting; not judgemental and critical....

Secret Sister

Ash has a secret sister, Audrey, for Bible study. She asked me to make her a digital scrap page for her for their swap... These were taken at the BSU game last weekend.

Karma... make spirits bright.....

59 Days

59 Days! Thats how long its been since we've had rain here in the Treasure Valley! We've been about 10 degree's above normal. Saturday morning a cold front came in. Thunder and lightning! I love it!!! Our power went out for about 4 hours during the morning hours. Another storm came through about 4:30 pm. Here are a few photo's I was able to snap. Some area's had hail.

We just had thunder, lightning and rain!

Back yard facing North

Back yard facing East

Back yard facing West

Front yard facing South East

Front yard facing South West

South West

I love Mother Nature!

Karma... Wake up happy!.....

Happy Birdie!

Isn't this the cutest little bird from Whipper Snapper?? He is another stamp designed by Anna Wight. Check out her blog. She shows lots of card and photography creations and tells great stories about her farm animals from Texas!



Papers - My Minds Eye, CTMH Hollyhock, Sweet Leaf. Lime Ribbon. Stamp - Blooming Expressions. Twinkling H20's. CTMH Pin.

karma... every time a thought arises.. throw it away...

Enjoy!

Fonts

Do you like fonts for Scrapping or any other creative project you are making? I had Allie create my font last year. She can do yours for you, too . You can also download the fonts she's created for others. You just click on each one and save under windows then fonts. Check mine out. Its the Michelle in Yellow! Find it HERE

Big Thanks

Another Thank You card to send out! I made this one awhile back but have never posted it.



I used CTMH Rough and Tumble Z7079B, Dimensional Elements - Z1044, Z381 and Window Charms X820.

Karma.. create your own merit.....

Enjoy!

Age is only a Number!

Today is my friend Carol's birthday! She's one of my colorful and crazy friends! We're going to Casa Mexico for lunch.. Have a fabulous day!!!





I created this card with my new clear set by Inkadinkado - Humorous birthdays!
I used Chocolate cardstock and papers from SU - Afternoon Tea. The cute little lizzard is colored with twinkling H20's. I used three sized of nestabilities and my piercing tool.

Karma... toast marshmallows with some kids.....

Enjoy!

Wedding Sneak

Here is a sneak peek at a picture from my son's Wedding 9/5/08. Jenn has more posted here.

Friends

Friends are like flowers, they always bloom in color..

Boy! Isn't this true.. I know all of my friends are very colorful! In more than one way!

Originals: Background Blocks


This is a stamp I purchased from Whipper Snapper designed by Anna Wight.
I stamped with Black stazon and watercolored with a variety of CTMH Ink pads. The card base and rectangle nestability shape is Outdoor denim, The background paper is My Minds Eye and the sentiment is from stamp set: Blooming Expressions.

Enjoy!

RAK's

I recently joined a group at Splitcoaststampers. Its the RAK group. Random Acts of Kindness.
I received 2 cards in the mail Monday.

This one is from Nancy (Crooked River)



This one is from Vicki (luvs2stamp2)



Thanks!

Karma...put a treasure in someone's pocket...