Category Archives: Family Matters

What goes on in our corner of the world…people we love, things we do, recipes we like.

Ruby Red Grapefruit Jelly

Posted on December 27, 2012 | 17 comments

Last Saturday afternoon, in between last-minute card mailing, shopping and wrapping, my husband helped me make a double batch of Ruby Red Grapefruit Jelly with the annual box of Ruby Red’s we purchase from the FFA (Future Farmers of America).

I know it’s not a card, but this will be a treasured recipe for years to come. It was easy, looked beautiful in the jars, and it tastes wonderful. I wanted to share.

We gave almost all of our jars away to friends and family, so I’ll be making one more batch that will have to tide me over until next year’s box arrives.

Three cups sounds like a lot of fresh-squeezed juice, but I got that from 4 grapefruit, so definitely not too hard or time-consuming.

Happy New Year!

17 Comments

Posted in Family Matters, Photography, Random Stuff

JiFFy Girls…sweet, Sugar Nellie

Posted on July 27, 2009 | 25 comments

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I’m supposed to be doing 20 other things this morning, but it’s time to post my Just For Fun card in collaboration with my JiFFy friends: Alli Miles (a bit later today), Carole Burrage, Julie Campbell and Michele Boyer. (Sweet Kim is taking the month off, but she’ll be back!)

Each month someone secretly picks patterned paper while another gal picks the image. Then we see what everyone comes up with. It was my turn to pick the image, and I’ve had Daisy for several months, just sitting here waiting for some love.  I was delighted with Michele sent us Pink Lemonade from Basic Grey. They worked so well together.

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Daisy is colored with Copics (specific colors at the bottome) and adorned with Tiny Twinkles from Taylored Expressions on her laurel wreath. I used my machine stitching to set the paper and a cuttlebug & button flower accent. I paper pieced her shirt from a small snipped of the polka dot paper.

This may be one of my favorite stamped images of all time.   I have plans to meet Karen, the owner of Sugar Nellie this week in Orlando. Meeting people I work with for the first time face to face is one of my favorite things about CHA.

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As for that swim meet I was off to on Friday – here’s a shining moment from my weekend.  This was the 50 meter breaststroke where my sweet little daughter set a new personal best.

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Here’s the finish. Love that girl!

See you from Orlando!

  • Stamps: Daisy – Sugar Nellie (tip: I use the search box on the right side of the screen when I’m looking specifically for this stamp – there are several images in the series)
  • Cardstock: Pure Luxury Sand & Ivory in card base and layering weights!  – Gina K Designs
  • Ink: Memento Brown – Tsukineko
  • Accs: Copic Markers (BG72, BG75, Y15, RV25, R39, R59, E00, W00, YG03, YG05, E11, E15, blender), Tiny Twinkles – Taylored Expressions, button and cuttlebug flower

25 Comments

Posted in Copics, Family Matters, Sugar Nellie

Home from CHA

Posted on January 29, 2009 | 30 comments

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Debbie Olson, Jenn Balcer, Taylor VanBruggen, me,  Jami Sibley and Sharon Harnist 

Five or six years ago, if you would have told me that I’d be traveling around the country and meeting up with my internet friends, I would have told you that you were crazy. I remember thinking ‘who in their right mind  flies off and meets up with strangers‘.  Now, it just doesn’t seem that ‘wild and crazy’ anymore. I love these girls. I admire them for their talents and for creating jobs for themselves in a field we all love.  They are wonderful women.

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Since I’m so wild and crazy, I took my sweet hubby to Disneyland and the SCS Cupcake Reception. Such excitement! I think he’s been pretty understanding the last few years… and I think finally gets me…  Jenn says he’s a keeper because he endured all of the giggling, hugging and squealing. Of course, I knew he was a keeper all along. sap…sap…

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And then there’s Jenn and Daven. I love working with these guys. They are the best, and with that…the sap stops here.

30 Comments

Posted in Family Matters

A wii little post…

Posted on December 25, 2008 | 4 comments

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… to you wish you a Merry Christmas!

What a bunch of fun we’ve had today playing with the kids and learning the ins and outs of our new wii, playing Pitch with my parents and grandma, feasting on a wonderful dinner. It’s been a wonderful day!  Where ever this post finds you, I hope that your Christmas was happy, your fellowship was sweet and your heart was warmed with the Christmas Truth.

 See you soon!

 

4 Comments

Posted in Altered & 3D Items, Family Matters

Sketch Challenge Wednesday

Posted on December 3, 2008 | 16 comments

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I’ve been in love with Anna‘s snowflakes just like the rest of blog-land.  So I got the Spellbinders Snowflakes die and some of that cut glass glitter and went to town. I grabbed the Splitcoaststampers sketch from Roxie this morning and here’s where I ended up.

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  • Stamps: Primitive Christmas – Rummage Bin (Cornish Heritage Farms)
  • Cardstock: Basic Grey  Fruitcake & Crabapple Dark (Prism)
  • Ink: Espresso Adirondack (Ranger)
  • Accs: Snowflake Die (Spellbinders), button (foof-a-la), Diamond Dust glitter, pearls (KaiserCraft)

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This made my week! Here’s my darling daughter at her school program last night. It was a Rock and Roll Review put on by the 3rd grade class. It was fabulous. She sure was proud of that poodle skirt – thanks, grandma!

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Here she is doing ‘the stroll’. 🙂 I’ve got a full plate today, so I’m gonna stroll myself. Have a great day!

16 Comments

Posted in Family Matters, Rummage Bin, Splitcoast Challenges

In a Jam…

Posted on October 21, 2008 | 12 comments

LOL! If you’re traveling here via Sharon‘s blog – I’m literally ‘in a jam’ and will finish up my post in just a few minutes. So, check back soon for a jammin’ good time and Copic Marker giveaway. 🙂

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Here’s a picture from Silver Dollar City to tide you over. This is my crazy husband and my oldest DD. They are the thrill seekers! LOL We spent another 3 days in Branson, MO.  We love that place, so much that this was our 3rd trip there this year. This picture was from June, but it’s always the same story…how many roller coasters can these two ride? When you ask my littlest DD what her favorite part of the weekend was….it was pretending that grandma’s hair brush was a cell phone while she was sitting on a bench waiting for these two! Don’t you wish all kids were so easily entertained?

12 Comments

Posted in Family Matters

WSC51: Happy Everything

Posted on June 6, 2008 | 19 comments

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We have a wedding this weekend, and we’re all pretty excited about it, well the girls and I are pretty excited about it. Wes doesn’t get excited about much except for Disney World! I used Lizzie Anne’s Say it in Script and Beate’s sketch to put together a pretty fast card. The paper is Lily Kate by Basic Grey, the ribbon is sheer blue from one of TexasJodyLynn’s awesome bulk buys. The border punch was just stitched on my machine with no thread.

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The flower from Lizzie Anne’s Jolies Fleurs is colored with Copics and highlighted with a Spica Glitter pen. I used Nestabilities to cut the panel. You can see lots of inspiration if you visit Beate Johns, Cambria Turnbow, Charmaine Ikach, Jenn Balcer, Laurie Schmidlin, Mary Jo Albright and Sharon Harnist.

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And just because I haven’t made you look at my cute kids in a while (and their grandma reads this blog!) 😉 Here is a shot from our first swim meet of the summer taken last night.

19 Comments

Posted in Copics, Family Matters, Lizzie Anne Designs, Splitcoast Challenges

First Fire – Elvis Winner

Posted on April 28, 2008 | 2 comments

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Last spring we built a fire pit at the back of our property. It was the best thing we have done for a long time. We enjoy going back there at least once a week to roast marshmellows or a hot dog. Lots of times it’s just the 4 of us and there’s no phone or computer. We really do enjoy being together. 🙂 Sometimes we are fortunate to share the hour or so with friends or family. This was our first fire of the spring Saturday night, and it was good!

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And to the Elvis winners. Stampin_Melissa and Dr. Fine – send me an email, and we’ll get your favorite Elvis stamp out to you! Thanks to everyone who participated. I’ve got lots of stuff stashed around here, and I’ll try another blog giveaway soon. This was fun!

2 Comments

Posted in Family Matters

Rummage Bin & Dutiful Wife

Posted on March 10, 2008 | 8 comments

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What does any sane person do when they’ve laid awake for almost an hour at 2:00 a.m.? They get up and stamp. There is a new Rummage Bin release this week, and Lesley has blown me away with these stamps. This one is called Little People. The little girl resembles someone we are close to in our family, and I can’t wait to make something just for her. For now, you can oogle my mid-night card. The sentiment (also from the Rummage Bin says “to love with all your heart”. You can see other fabulous samples on the blogs of the CHF team: Alli, Lesley (Rummage Bin Artist), Lisa Silver, Lisa Strahl, Kristine and Sherrie. 

Continue reading →

8 Comments

Posted in Cornish Heritage Farms, Family Matters, Ranger Products

Family Ties

Posted on March 2, 2008 | 21 comments

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It’s a very special family weekend here at our house. We are celebrating my parent’s 40th Anniversary today! And a sweet new baby girl for my brother & SIL! I can’t even talk about it….I’d get all sappy on you, and some of you don’t like that…LOL. So, I’ll leave this here for you to look at while we spend some quality family time today. I don’t know what took me so long to use this Pretty Pattern backgrounder. I love the scale of the pattern…perfect for cards. 

  • Stamps: Pretty Pattern Backgrounder, Silhouette Blooms II (Kim Hughes Collection) – Cornish Heritage Farms

  • Cardstock: Ivory and Herbal Garden Light – Prism

  • Ink: Juniper Mist and Espresso Adirondack Dye, Blue China Distress – Ranger

  • Accs: Faux Pearls – Mark Richards, Ivory Ribbon – May Arts and Button – Paper Studio

 

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Here’s our sweet Leap Day baby!

 

 

21 Comments

Posted in Cornish Heritage Farms, Family Matters