Tasty Thursday - NY Cheesecake

Happy Thursday!

Last night I was working on a new blog post.  After about 45 minutes I went to post it.  It came up with an error message.  Wouldn't post to my blog.  Of course, I lost the entire post I worked on.  OMG!   Talk about frustrating! Grrrr.   I just gave up, wanted to throw down my computer, but instead  went to bed.  Blogging can be time consuming, and when an error message appears, that definately doesn't help.

Anyway, I'm hoping this post will go through. I think I will save it as a draft  before I actually publish it.  

Monday I tried a new recipe for NY Cheesecake for my demonstrator meeting.  People seemed to like it.  And of course, I forgot to take a picture.  That's ok because mine didn't turn out like the picture on Pinterest anyway.  I found the recipe on http://www.stlcooks.com.  I followed the directions completely and wow, baking time of 2:15.  My cheesecake turnout out a little more done on top than I would have preferred,  kind of crumbly and not as moist. It didn't cut in clean lines.  If I would try this recipe again, I recommend testing to see if it is done at 2 hours and adjust from there.  I believe it would have been perfect if I would have thought about that ahead of time.

   Doesn't it look scrumptous?  It was a little odd that it didn't have a crust either.  I'm not sure why, but maybe baking that long would make the crust too hard.  Not sure, but a good guess.  The flavor was great.  You could taste just a hint of lemon.  I had some cherry pie filling on the side so people opted to have that if they wanted.  I would totally try this recipe again.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

 

Exclusive Extras

Do you love to craft and make cards?  Scrapbook?  Are you ready for a change?  Do you want to be a part of a great network of demonstrators?  Do you want to purchase products and benefit yourself and not someone else?  Have you thought about becoming a Stampin' Up! demonstrator? 

When is the best time to become a Stampin' Up demonstrator?

NOW IS THE BEST TIME TO JOIN!

Seriously, the best time to join is during Sale-a-Bration.  The extras are fabulous.

First of all, you get to choose $125 of product and only pay $99.  It can be literally anything in the any of the 2 catalogs.  You make your starter kit your own.    

Second, during SAB you can choose ANY ADDITIONAL 2 stamp sets for free.  You can choose from the Annual catalog or the Spring Occasions catalog. 

Being a demonstrator, you also get sneak peaks of the catalogs before everyone else can see it.  We also get to pre-order items so by the time the catalog goes live, you will be ready to show your customers and get them excited in the new products.  

Another bonus is being involved with a great number of other demonstrators.  My upline hosts a monthly meeting that is open to all demonstrators.  It's a great way to meet other demos, share business tips, ask questions, to make and takes, and just have a good time. If you aren't local, the minutes of the meetings are posted on our FB page which is wonderful.  It's the best way to ask questions and brainstorm with others.  If you have a question, ask and I can guarantee someone till know the answer.  

I would love for you to join me on my Stampin' Up! journey.  It is truely the best time to join.  You won't be alone for you will be joining a group full of wonderful and creative ladies.

Need some encouragement or have any other questions, I'm there to help you.  Contact me and we can chat.

Until next time...Stampin' Always

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

 

 

 

Tutti-Frutti Card

 

Happy Sale-a-Bration time!  I wanted to showcase some of the products you can get for FREE!  I think it took me only 15 minutes to create this card.  It's super easy but was really fun to do.

The three white-washed colors are  Daffodil Delight, Berry Burst and Lemon Lime Twist.  Don't they look great together?  I used the Aqua Painter, used some ink from the lid of the ink pad and just colored on watercolor paper.  How easy!  Let it dry a few minutes.  The Happy Birthday is stamped in Early Espresso.  Because the watercolor paper is textured, the flowers under the Happy looked unfinished.  So I took my Lemon Lime Twist and Powder Pink markers and colored in the flowers and leaves.  

Thinking it needed some accessory, I looked through my stash trying to find something besides ribbon.  The Tutti-Frutti Adhesive Backed sequins are PERFECT!  I was excited to finally use them.  Adhesive backed sequins.  How great are those?  Thank you Stampin' Up! for coming up with these.  Love them!  In my eyes, I think all sequins should be adhesive backed.  

The card and envelopes are from the SAB catalog.  They are gorgeous.  The cards are scored and do have a very subtle print on that I love.  The print is not too bold to take away from anything you create.  Here is a closer look of them. Aren't the colors just yummy?  Remeber, they are FREE with a $50 order.

I'm already really liking the stamp set too.  It's called Happy Wishes and is in the SAB catalog too.  It's FREE with a $100 order.  I know that sounds like a lot, but look what you get with this set.  There are just a ton of ways to use this set.  Now, when I get a stamp set that is mostly words, I think I'll be lucky if I use half maybe.  With this one, I think I'll use all of them.  They are just common everyday sentiments.  The font is also very elegant, but definately not hard to read.  

  

That's all I have for now.  Tonight is my demonstator meeting in Watertown.  I belong to a great group of demos that meet monthly, share make and takes, and business tips.  It's a great time to learn from those who have been demos longer than me. I made a cheesecake for tonight.  I've been hungry for one, and this way I get over my craving and I don't have the whole cheesecake in my house which I don't want or need.

Click on the above picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

 

Let the Good Times Roll bundle

Have you been looking at the new Spring Occasions Catalog?  I finally got some time today to stamp with my new sets!  I haven't taken any pictures of the cards, but I will to share them with you.  The Waterfront set is my new favorite.  Even my daughter thought my card was pretty.  

Here is a video on the Let the Good Times Roll bundle.  I have seen the roller coaster in person and it is totally adorable.  Anyone who loves theme parks would go nuts for a card made with this bundle.  Click on the link below the picture to watch the video.  It's from Stampin' Up and is just over 8 minutes long.  Not to terribly long to sit down to watch.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_8OpgIytV0&feature=youtu.be

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  Back to work tomorrow, but a short shift for me then 2 days off!  Yes I'll repeat...2 DAYS OFF!  I haven't had that in quite a while.  More time in my stamp room!

Have a good night everyone!

Until next time...Stampin' Always

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

 

 

Tasty Thursday - Italian Cream Soda

Now this is a drink that we would make for special occasions for our girls.  It's pretty much a club soda with Torani syrup (the syrup used in coffee lattes).  To this day, when we go to my Italian grocery store, my girls still order Italian sodas.  

Now you can't argue with me.  They look super special.  They are also non-alcoholic!  Hard to believe right?  Well try it yourself.

Italian Cream Soda

1/2 cup Club Soda

3 Tablespoon Torani Syrup

1 Tablespoon Half & Half

3-4 ice cubes

whipped cream and chery for the top

Add ice to the glasses.  

Measure out the 1/2 Club Soda and pour into the glasses.  

Measure out the 3 Tabplespoon Torani syrup and pour over the soda.

Add 1-2 Tablespoon Half & Half to the soda/syrup mixture.  Service with whipped cream and cherry on top.  Give it a little stir so the flavors meld together.

Note:  If you don't prefer the cream,  you can leave it off.  We sometimes do that ourselves.  Also, if you want to mix the syrups, go ahead.  We do like our Cherry Limeaids.  

(Recipe found on http://butterwithasideofbread.com)

Until next time...Stampin' Always

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

 

It's Live!

                                  January 3rd and that means it's Sale-A-Bration time! 

                                                                                                                                

This is the best time of year for Stampin' Up!. 

  • For every $50 increment spent, you get free products - stamp sets or now framelits.
  • AND there is no limit to how many products you can get for FREE.  
  • AND you can order from the Annual Catalog, Spring Occasions Catalog, or the clearance rack online.

Can you see that it is a win-win situation?  You just can't lose, the deals are so great.  The rewards during Sale-A-Bration are awesome.  Notice that if you have a party that is over $250, you receive $25 more in Stampin' Rewards.  

See?  There is absolutely no way you can lose during Sale-A-Bration.  Especially you can now order from the new Spring Occasion Catalog.  Good-bye Christmas cards.  Hello Spring cards.  I'm ready to move on to something new.  

So, do you have your wish list ready?  

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

 

 

 

Waterfront Card

Have you noticed this stamp set in the new Holiday Catalog?  I knew it was on the top of my list as soon as I saw it.  It's going to make some great masculine cards.  Maybe tomorrow I'll try playing with the palm trees in this set.  Only to be somewhere palm trees actually live.  

One of my favorite ribbons was the White Organza ribbon.  It was my go to ribbon of all times.  You should have seen me when I saw they came out with the 1/4 inch size!  Yippee!!  Can you can easily tie a bow with it too.  Another reason to like this ribbon.   Here is the color combo for this card.  

                                                    

Don't forget the new catalogs are live tomorrow!  Have you studied the catalogs?  Everytime I look through them, I  see something items I have missed.  Don't forget about Sale-A-Bration.  For every $50 increment spent, you can get some items free!    

Click on the picture for the dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

 

Happy New Year 2018!

Another year has come and gone.  I can't believe that it is now 2018.  It's starting out to be a cold year so far.  Currently it's -1  with a windchill of -14 here in Wisconsin.  Unless the house is on fire, there is no way I'm stepping a foot outside today.  Instead I'm watching the Harry Potter movies.  I've read the books, visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but haven't seen the movies.  I saw the first two last weekend and now HBO is having a marathon of them all.  We are currently waching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (#4).  

January 1st also means that Sale-A-Bration starts in 2 days!  Did you have a chance to look at that's included in Sale-A-Bration?  There's some pretty cool stuff in there! Are you familar with Sale-A-Bration?  Well, it's Stampin' Up's annual sale.  For every $50 (before tax) spent, you can choose a stamp set for FREE.  Yes Free.  And... there is no limit on how many free items you can get.  

Did you happen to notice the slight change Stampin' Up made?  There are some stamp sets OR framelits that you can get free with a $100 order! They had never offered framelits before.  The stamp sets are also a little bit larger than the ones you can earn by spending $50.   

I almost forget to mention the new Occassions Catalog also starts in two days!  The Christmas stamp sets can be put away for another year.  I really like this time of year for stamping.  No holidays necessarily to concentrate on.  There's Valentine's Day, that's it.  My club people said they need sympathy cards so we will do some of those in January.  I chose stamp sets that would be great to use the Stampin' Blends with.  Everyone likes to try new things, so we will give it a try.  

Speaking of new things, have you tried the Embossing Paste?  That is also on my list of new things to try.  I've seen so many great cards using it, that I thought I had to try it. Just wish there was more time in the day to try all these new tools.  Sigh.  I hate it when the job gets in the way of stamping.  Today is just a day to be lazy so I don't have an excuse.  I haven't had a day like today in so long, but it feels great.  Reality will set in again starting tomorrow.  My husband has been on vacation for almost two weeks and has been doing most of the cooking.  Sadly, he goes back tomorrow, so my reprieve will be over.  Maybe tonight I'll get ambitious and go in my stamp room.  

If you happen to need a Sale-A-Bration or new Occassions Catalog, contact me.  I have a few spares that I can send out.

Until next time...Stampin' Always

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper