Technique Album Cover Page

A few weeks ago I presented the first of twelve techniques that will be introduced over the course of the year and the idea of the 6x6 technique album.  Below is the cover page to my technique album.  I downloaded the Rehotalko font from the web and used my Silhouette to weld the individual letters together.  As you can see further below I experimented with several font  types.

St. Patrick's Day - 3D Stamping Swap

Butterfly Tag

Technique Class #1 - 3D Stamping

This year I'm participating in a monthly technique class hosted by my friend Jen.  Each month we make two cards, one to display in our 6x6 technique album and one to give away.  Included in the class is a 6x6 instruction sheet which will sit opposite from each card in the album.

I'm also trying out a new photo technique using props (buttons) and a background.  The inspiration came from a webinar given by Nichol Magouirk and Lain Ehmann on how to take better project photos.

Dog Get Well Card

Valentine's Day Card Swap

Fabric Knotted Necklace in Green

Here's another knotted necklace in green tones. 

Fabric Knotted Necklace in Red

This necklace was custom made by Takako Hill in Southwest Virginia.  There are two separate strands that make up each necklace and each strand has a lobster claw clasp.  The necklaces come in a variety of lengths and patterns.

420 Chocolate Chip Cookies

21 cups of sugar, 14 eggs, 4 2/3 cups of brown sugar, 4 2/3 cups of granulated sugar, 7 teaspoons of baking soda, 7 teaspoons of salt, 7 teaspoons of vanilla, 7 cups of butter, 7 bags of chocolate chips....and 4 hours of labor.

Still Repurposing

This was a Laphroaig whiskey container that I covered in Stampin' Up! Newsprint designer series paper.  I used what was left of my burlap ribbon and fastened it with an antique brad.  It's the perfect size for a bottle of wine.

Repurpose

This was an Amazon Kindle user manual that I repurposed into an accordion style minibook.  The original idea came from Noell Hyman at Paperclipping.com.  I used scraps of burlap ribbon to create the flower and sticky canvas to reinforce the seams.  The Stampin' Up! paper is called Everyday Enchantment.

Mailing

Christmas Card Options

Happy Thanksgiving!

DIY - Paper Bag from Newspaper

I saw this on Pinterest and decided to make my own.  I used the dimensions as specified in the instructions for the smaller bag.  I then added eyelets to hold the handle and a snowflake punch detail on both sides.  

Here is a larger bag that I made using a half sheet of newspaper, triple ply, and I added grommets to hold the ribbon.  

In retrospect I should have stamped the newspaper before assembling the bag to give it some extra style and interest.  Overall I think it's a cute idea but handling newspaper can be messy and I'm not sure it would hold up to anything heavy.  Here are the instructions.

Online Extravaganza

Best Buds - 12x12 Scrapbook Page

Christmas Card Preview

This year's card won't have any moving parts or do any tricks...just clean and simple.  Quite a departure from previous years.  I decided to stay with non traditional colors but I haven't quite figured out the final design.

Christmas Twist

This month's card swap challenge was to make a holiday card using colors typically not associated with the holidays (i.e., no reds or greens).  Easier said than done.

Fly Away - 12x12 Scrapbook Page

Halloween Treat Cup Card

St. Andrew’s Abbey Pumpkin Bread Recipe

St. Andrew’s Abbey Pumpkin Bread Recipe

4 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ cups vegetable oil

6 unbeaten eggs

2 ¼ teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg

3 teaspoons baking soda

3 cups pumpkin puree, or 2 (15 oz.) cans

5 cups all purpose flour

1 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Grease five small loaf pans with cooking spray or butter.

3. In a large mixer, cream the sugar and oil together. Next add the 6 eggs, one at a time, mixing. Finally, add the rest of the ingredients and stir until incorporated. Pour batter into the five small loaf pans.

4. 4.Bake about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until top browns and cracks. Test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool on wire racks.

Optional: Add black walnuts and golden raisins to the mix if desired.

VisitWrightwood.com

Pumpkin Treat Cup Card

Hobby or Business? Why It Matters.

Hobby or Business?  Why It Matters.

Millions of Americans have hobbies such as sewing, woodworking, fishing, gardening, stamp and coin collecting, but when that hobby starts to turn a profit, it might just be considered a business by the IRS.

Definition of a Hobby vs a Business

The IRS defines a hobby as an activity that is not pursued for profit. A business, on the other hand, is an activity that is carried out with the reasonable expectation of earning a profit.

The tax considerations are different for each activity so it's important for taxpayers to determine whether an activity is engaged in for profit as a business or is just a hobby for personal enjoyment.

Of course, you must report and pay tax on income from almost all sources, including hobbies. But when it comes to deductions such as expenses and losses, the two activities differ in their tax implications.

Is Your Hobby Actually a Business?

Click here to read more (www.starbuckwalsh.com).

Octoberfest

On our way home from Bakersfield we stopped at the Murray Family Farms off of State Route 58.  These pumpkins caught my eye and I couldn't resist taking a photo with my Droid.