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It definitely has turned coler here the past few days.  I had a light sweatshirt on the other day at work and I could have used a heavier one.  The hot and humid weather I don't miss, but what happened to the 70 temperature weather?   Yesterday, I couldn't tell if there was a few snowflakes coming down or what.  It turned out to be sleet.  Snow doesn't sting the face when it comes down. Yikes!

Most people would pop the floral circles up.  I challenged myself to do the opposite.  The circles are adhered to the base while the Mossy Meadow is adhered with dimensionals.

For the circles, I used the retired 1 1/4 inch circle punch.  There might be a circle die that is the same size or close enough you might want to consider.  Use the same punch or die when cutting out the flowers.  I just chose three random flowers that I liked.  

To put together, adhere the Mossy Meadow first.  You can add the flowers by going over the Mossy Meadow or underneath, depending upon where the dimensionals.  I used a tweezers and that helped make it easier.  

We made this card in club.  Some people chose to eliminate the Mossy Meadow circles and use the dimensionals on the floral circles.  That works too!

My inside piece is super simple.  I just had to use that stamp some how.

Click on the above picture for dimensions and instructions.

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

Product List

 

Wonderful World Bundle (English) [159918]	In The Moment Cling Stamp Set (English) [157987]	Starry Sky 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159263]	Mossy Meadow 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133676]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock [159276]	Starry Sky Classic Stampin' Pad [159212]	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad [147111]	1-1/4" (3.2 Cm) Circle Punch [119861]
Gingham Embossing Folder [157627]	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]	Tear & Tape Adhesive [138995]

 

 

So, did anyone find a good deal on Amazon this week?  I found a few small things, but nothing substantial.  I was actually a little disappointed.  Oh well.  It's money that I didn't have to spend.

Ready for a simple and fast recipe for dinner?  Here it is.  It calls for ramen noodles so you know it should be relatively easy.  In my eyes ramen = easy.

The recipe calls for bok choy.  I typically don't buy it.  Also for the fat the recipe only calls for 1 cup and you can only buy it in a large quantity.  I would rather not use it than to use just a little and throw the majority of it away.  

Hoisin Beef Noodles

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup bok choy shredded
• 9 ounce ramen noodles
• 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 3 green onions chopped
• 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 large carrot shredded or sliced thin

• Cook Noodles: Cook the ramen noodles according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

• Cook Beef: Heat the olive oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add the ground beef and spread it out in the pan. Let it cook without touching it for at least 5 minutes or until all the meat juice has evaporated and there's a char on the bottom. Using a spatula flip the charred beef and toss it around.

• Add veggies: Add the onion to the wok and cook for another minute, then add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add the bok choy and carrot and cook for another minute or until the carrot wilts just a bit. Turn off the heat.

• Stir in noodles and sauces: Add the noodles to the wok then add the oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil to the wok and toss until everything is well combined.

• Garnish and serve: Garnish with green onions, sesame seeds and serve.

I know the way the recipe calls to cook the beef is not the typical way.  For a change, I followed the recipe.  The meat had just a little bit of a char on, but wasn't burned.  And trust me, I wouldn't eat it if the meat was burned.  

When cooking the noodles, I wasn't sure to include the seasoning packet.  Because it is so loaded with salt, I chose not to add it, instead I just threw it away.  With all the other ingredients, we didn't miss it. 

If you want to view the original recipe, you can click HERE.   

Until next time...Stampin' Always,

Cheryl, HomeStyle Stamper

 

 

 

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]