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Over the summer, Chris and I took a cooking class at our happy place in Milwaukee.  It's Glorioso's Italian Market.  They are an Italian deli, bakery, and grocery store.  But they do so much more.  We enrolled in a cooking class.  It was so much fun!  We made Beef Involtini with a spring risotto.  For dinner tonight, we made that exact meal again.  And we were pleased it tasted just as good now as when we made it there.  Involtini is basically beef, pounded very thin and rolled up.  Both dishes were very tasty, but we forgot how long they take to prepare.  Next time we will start no later than 4:00 and hopefully eat by 6.  

It's been a while since I made this card.  From the outside, it looks simple, understated card.  But take a look at the inside.

Not quite to simple any more. Right?  Now a look for the side.

Can you see the "W"?  Sorry, I didn't get a better picture of it, but it's there!  It's all about the scoring.  The Rich Razzleberry piece is measured at 1 3/4 x 11 and scored at 2 3/4, 5 1/2 and 8 1/4.  When you adhere the piece, make sure you only adhere the top and bottom pieces.  You want the middle part to stand out.  

The two flower stamps were colored with regular markers and then stamped.  I didn't want the outline to see on these.  

It was fun playing with all the pieces, mixing and matching and just shuffling around.  I had so many squares made that I ended up not using!  The squares were cut from the Stitched Shapes dies.  I kept that part easy.

There are so many possibilities with this style of card.  I can see each square having a different pig in from the This Birthday Piggy stamp set.  Or even better, the Elephant Parade stamp set.  That would be Megan's choice since they are her favorite animal.

Click on the above picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

Product List

 

Wonderful World Bundle (English) [159918]	Honeybee Home Cling Stamp Set (English) [157943]	Rich Razzleberry 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [115316]	Pear Pizzazz 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131201]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]
Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin' Pad [147091]	Many Marvelous Markers [147154]	Stylish Shapes Dies [159183]	Tasteful Labels Dies [152886]	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653]
Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [150673]	Rustic Metallic Adhesive Backed Dots [159082]	Tear & Tape Adhesive [138995]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]	Simply Scored [122334]

 

 

 

What started out as a quiet weekend​, turned into a lot more.  At the last minute, both girls decided to come home.  No complaints from me!  Saturday morning, Alyssa and I went to the Madison Farmer's Markets one last time.  I didn't work, so I took advantage of it.  I'm going to miss getting fresh vegetables once it closes for the winter.  

This card came about because I only had some 3 x 4 pieces of Rustic Harvest stamp set.  The challenge was how to make these work on a card.  And go!

I started out by cutting around the edge of the flowers, sort of making a live edge.  After putting the two DSP pieces together, I was able to configure out a size of the Cajun Craze.  If you CASE this card, your dimensions might change a little, depending upon how the flower DSP is cut.  

The sentiment on the card is from the Soft Seedlings stamp set.  It's embossed in white embossing powder.  You could use the white craft ink pad, but this leaves a much cleaner white look.  

On the Mossy Meadow base, I stamped the "helicopter" image around the outside. I didn't want it too dark, so I stamped off first.  If you have an embossing folder, that might work too.  

No inside pictures were taken, but I used the Sahara Sand ink pad and stamped some helicopters along one side.  

Click on the above picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

Product List

 

Soft Seedlings Cling Stamp Set (English) [159905]	Rustic Harvest 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [159633]	Mossy Meadow 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133676]	Cajun Craze 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [119684]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad [147111]
Versamark Pad [102283]	Basics Embossing Powders [155554]	Heat Tool (Us And Canada) [129053]	Leaf Label & Amber Gem Combo Pack [159969]	Mossy Meadow 3/16" (4.8 Mm) Braided Linen Trim [154298]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]

 

 

 

 

 

I am 50% Italian and I hate to admit that I have never made polenta before.  There you have it.  My confession.  Since I've never made it, we haven't had it much.  Why?  I have no idea!

It's absolutely not hard to make at all.  You just have to keep an eye on it and make sure it's stirred frequently otherwise it will burn.  

Megan had gone to her farmer's market and got me an assortment of fresh mushrooms.  Some that I had never seen before too.  They were super good with the lemon and polenta.  

The recipe calls for 1 cup polenta to 3 cups vegetable broth.  When you mix the two together, you will think, really?  Are the proportions right?  They are.  My first instinct was to add more polenta, and boy, was I glad I stuck to the recipe.

Parmesan Polenta with LemonThyme Wild Mushrooms

Parmesan Polenta:

• 3 cup of vegetable broth
• 1 cup of polenta
• 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan
• salt & pepper

Lemon Thyme Wild Mushrooms:

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of shallots, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups of cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup of shitaki, sliced
• juice from 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme, chopped

1. Add vegetable broth to a medium size saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Slowly stir in polenta with a whisk.
3. Reduce heat and allow polenta to cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently so that the polenta does not stick to sides.
4. In the meantime, heat a medium non-stick saute pan to medium high heat. Add olive oil and sliced shallots. Saute for 3-4 minutes until shallots are translucent.
5. Next add minced garlic clove and saute for 30 seconds.
6. Immediately add in sliced cremini mushrooms with sliced shitaki mushrooms.
7. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Finish off the mushrooms with lemon juice and chopped fresh thyme.
9. Next, to the polenta, add in 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan, salt, and pepper to taste and serve!

There are a few steps to this recipe, but trust me.  It was worth it.  Chris said I could definitely make it again.  He even liked the medley of mushrooms I used.  

If you want to view the original recipe, you can click here:  www.joyfulhealthyeats.com

Sometime, I will make this for the girls.  Alyssa will pick off the mushrooms, but that's ok.  She will like the polenta.  Megan would like this, as long as there aren't toooo many mushrooms.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

 

It's Wednesday, and that. means it Chicago on TV.  The best TV night of the week.  We have also started using YouTube TV.  So far it's not too bad, especially since I can watch tv shows Live.  I especially like to watch GMA in the mornings.  Tonight I'm trying the Library and trying to see if Amazing Race will be "recorded".  Guess I'll see tonight.

I know Soft Seedlings stamp set isn't the most popular in the Mini Catalog, but I really do like it for fall.

This card has a base of Soft Sea Foam and the maple leaf is colored with Pool Party and Crumb Cake.  You can add a touch of Soft Sea Foam in the leaf if you would want a 3rd color in it.  

The daubers took me a while to adjust to using them.  Once you get the hang of them, they can be fun.  For this card, I just inked them with the ink pads and dab, dab, dab on the stamp.  Keep going until you get the amount of coverage you like.  Overlap the colors, just make sure you start with the lightest color first.  

The Soft Sea Foam Seam Binding ribbon is so easy to tie in a bow!  Love it!  

The entire Basic White Stitched Rectangle is adhered with dimensionals.  Normally, I don't pop up such a large surface, but every card needs something popped up.   Ok, maybe almost every card.  That's my rule.  

Click on the above picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

Product List

 

Soft Seedlings Cling Stamp Set (English) [159905]	Pool Party & Soft Sea Foam Cards & Envelopes [159940]	Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [122924]	Splendid Day 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper [159666]	Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [120953]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]
Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [147107]	Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad [147116]	Stitched Rectangles Dies [151820]	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653]	Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [150673]	Fine Sparkle Adhesive Backed Gems [159967]
Soft Sea Foam 3/8" (1 Cm) Seam Binding Ribbon [159680]	Sponge Daubers [133773]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]	Paper Snips [103579]

 

 

 

It was Cranberry Fest this weekend up in Warrens, WI.  My friend and I went on Friday.  It's always fun and interesting to go.  We couldn't pass up the cheesecake on a stick.  At least we didn't have it for breakfast this time.  I didn't buy much.  The one vendor we were looking for wasn't there.  The girls wanted the dryer balls  I found last year.  It surprised me that last year, Megan was excited that I had bought them.  I'll just have to go on line to buy them now.  

I adore the simplicity of this card.  The three trees and a simple DSP pattern is what this card is all about.

For the tree and the outlines, make sure you use the adhesive sheets on the back of the Basic White before they are cut out with the Cut & Emboss machine.  Can you imagine using another form of adhesive on the cut outs?  Not me.

The DSP had a slight accent of gold, so I chose the gold Simply Elegant Trim.  The other choice was silver.  It would have worked with the colors in this card.  I just wrapped the trim around my fingers and used some old washi tape to secure it behind the banner.  

I'll add this one to my stash of Christmas cards for 2022.  How many do you send out?  

Click on the above picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

Product List

 

Spruced Up Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [159694]	Lights Aglow 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper [159535]	Evening Evergreen 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [155574]	Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [122924]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [147107]	Spruced Up Outlines Dies [159700]	Stylish Shapes Dies [159183]
Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653]	Adhesive Sheets [152334]	Simply Elegant Trim [155766]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]

 

 

 

It's back to CHICAGO on Wednesdays!!  Megan and I are both happy they are back.  It's sad watching them without her.  But she Snapchatted me so I know what she's watching.  I didn't doubt she wouldn't be watching.  

Here was the Color Challenge.

Starry Sky 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159263]

Cajun Craze 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [119684]

Crushed Curry 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131199]

Basic Gray 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [121044]

Aren't they great Autumn colors?  It was easy to chose the Soft Seedling stamp set for this challenge.

In order to get the maple leaf the two colors, I used the sponge daubers.  Start with the lighter Crushed Curry and dab where you want that color.  Fill the rest in with the Cajun Craze.  You could easily chose a third color if you want more depth in the leaf.  Maybe a touch of green around the very edges?  

My intention in the beginning was not to off-set the Basic White and Crushed Curry.  Some things just happen.  And for the good.  If you don't care for that, just mat the two together.  They are sized to do exactly that.

Click on the above picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

Product List

 

Soft Seedlings Cling Stamp Set (English) [159905]	Starry Sky 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159263]	Crushed Curry 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131199]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]
Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad [147085]	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad [147087]	Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad [149165]	Sponge Daubers [133773]
Stylish Shapes Dies [159183]	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a busy weekend!  I helped my friend with a rummage sale.  We did pretty good.  I was so very happy to sell Megan's bed from school and a diy dresser that I never did anything with.  Fortunately, the weather was fabulous this weekend!  Usually, for City-Wide Rummage Sale, it's either rainy or super hot.  This time it was just right.

This is one of the pattern paper in the Lights Aglow 6x6 DSP pack.  My first thought was that it would make great little 3x3 cards.  Perfect for sticking in a Christmas gift bag. 

I just cut them down so they would be 2 7/8 x 2 7/8.  Adhered them to the front of a pice of Basic White 3 x 6, scored at 3 inches.  Since there was 4 shapes, it was time to make 4 different cards!

And I said 4 different cards, I meant 4 different ones.  At a glance, here they are.

  

I thought these turned out super cute.  Every card has it's own stamped sentiment and embellishment.  The sentiments are from the new Brightest Glow stamp set.   

Also, two cards have the sentiment popped up with dimensionals.  The other two cards are the opposite by having the Cherry Cobbler outside popped up with dimensionals and the sentiment is adhered to the card base.  

          

          

I had to dig through my retired stash of embellishments to come up with some gold ribbon and pearls.  It was actually fun trying to make 4 different designs.  And these sentiments are the perfect size for these cards.  

Now, about the only thing that is the same on every card is the inside.  It's simple and perfect.  I couldn't use a large sentiment because there wouldn't be enough room to sign it.

Even the envelopes are different.  The retired stamp pad I kept was perfect to use.  Otherwise, embossing with the gold powder would work too.  Sorry the picture isn't very good, but it's hard to photograph just gold on white.  

In the pack of DSP, this pattern is also done in Soft Succulent.  I'm very tempted to do another set with that paper.  They would make a great little present fo someone. Maybe a St. Nick present?  Secret Santa?  

I didn't do a recipe like I normally create for these cards, just listed the basic supplies used. 

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

tams# 74937

Product List

 

Brightest Glow Cling Stamp Set (English) [159542]	Christmas Lights Cling Stamp Set [159538]	Lights Aglow 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper [159535]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]	Whisper White 3" X 3" (7.6 X 7.6 Cm) Envelopes [145829]
Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad [147083]	Stitched Shapes Dies [152323]	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653]	Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [150673]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]

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That's right. Tomorrow only is ONE DAY SALE!

Stamp sets from the Annual Catalog are 15% off!  (excluding Hostess Sets). 

When was the last time you looked at the Annual Catalog?  It's been a while for me. I've been lookin at the new Mini Catalog so much, I kind of forgot about the Annual Catty.  

The list is long, so you can click here to view the entire list.  

Don't forget the September Weekly Deals will also change tomorrow.  And I wish I had a heads up as to what will be on sale.  But, just like you, I have absolutely no idea.  The products have been so random, it's hard to guess what will be next.  

The sale ends midnight mountain time.  I googled it, and believe that it is 1 a.m. central time.  If in doubt, make sure the order gets in before you go to bed.

I'll be placing my club order tomorrow, so I can always do it for you.  Just contact me.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper