Thinking of You

5 cards using the Stampin’ Up! Sprinkles of Life stamp set and the Tree Builder punch

Today is the first time I’m hosting a challenge as a designer for the Use Your Stuff Challenge Blog. The challenge this week is to use your favorite punches. Please join us here. #UYS219

For the card above, I used the Owl Builder punch for the little heart. Everything else is made with the Stampin’ Up Sprinkles of Life stamp set and the Tree Builder punch. The colors are Daffodil Delight, Watermelon Wonder and Bermuda Bay. This card was cased from Mary Fish. I still don’t have all my #imbringingbirthdaysback cards made. A bunch of cards are going out this week, so please be patient if you’re waiting for yours. 🙂

Cherry on Top Designer Washi Tape helped make this card quick and easy.This card was cased from Chris Slogar. I think Chris’s card was what convinced me I had to have this set and punch. It makes such a happy scene.

I made this card to fit in a business size envelope 9 1/2 x 4. I needed lots of room to get both baby bundles hanging from tree branches. Design assistant Abby, wondered why the baby boy twin card wasn’t blue? That’s a very good question! Super Man’s friend (Dad of the twin baby boys) works at Iowa State and is a huge Cyclone fan, so I needed to use Iowa State colors. Congrats on the sweet baby boys! Super Man and I are excited to come up to Ames and babysit the twins! I found several baby bundle cards on Pinterest, but this is the first twin baby bundle card.

I used Silver Glimmer Paper to make the clouds with the silver lining. The envelope is lined with Fancy Foil Designer Vellum.

I entered this card in the Crafting From The Heart Challenge blog-Anything Goes

I used the Sunday Stamps Challenge to do the layout for this card. #SSC124. This one is Abby’s favorite! I also entered this card in the Craft Your Passion Challenge– Anything Goes.

Well, do you have a favorite from the five cards I made using Sprinkles of Life and the Tree Builder Punch? Please leave a comment at the top of this post. I love hearing from you!

It was beautiful in Iowa this weekend. Abby and Keegan took advantage of the summer like weather by having a squirt gun fight on the trampoline, followed by a water fight with dueling garden hoses. I love it that my kids are good friends and have a lot of fun together. I hope all four of them stay close their entire lives.

Do you see all the hostas coming up under the trampoline? I grow them there and then move them where I want them in the yard. I really like the hostas under the trampoline. It used to be just a dirt patch. To the right of the trampoline is where Abby has her pumpkin patch each year.

Super Man and I got lots of yard work done this weekend. Keegan helped him rebuild the mailbox planter box and they installed my new wind catcher from Costco.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Blessings,

Beth 🙂

Paper Pumpkin Alternative Ideas from my class this week

We had a great time Thursday night at my Paper Pumpkin class! Whether they followed my sample cards or did their own thing, everyone made beautiful cards. Thanks for coming Jane, Joleen and Diane. I hope you come back again soon.

April 10 is the last day to opt in to get the April Paper Pumpkin kit. It’s a regular kit with an additional stamp set. You get two stamp sets instead of one. This is a great time to try Paper Pumpkin.

It’s only $19.95 plus tax. Sign up for Paper Pumpkin and you get to come to the Paper Pumpkin class at my house for free. Please let me know and I’ll get you signed up. The first two people that sign up to get a 3 month subscription from me can pick a past Paper Pumpkin kit from my stash.

I’ve been meaning to show you the bunny cake Abby made for Easter this year. My Grandma Olson made bunny cakes every year. When she could no longer make them, I started making them. About six years ago, Abby took over the job of Bunny cake maker. Every year the bunny is a different color with a slightly different look. The grass is always green with all the green M&M’s laying in the grass. I started doing this so the kids could pick M&M’s out of the grass while waiting for dessert without picking them off of the bunny. 🙂

One last thing to show you from Easter. I made two of our dear family friends Easter baskets and filled them with delicious chocolate eggs from Costco.

Molly has made a full recovery and was able to go to our Therapy Dog visit on Friday. Molly loves everyone she visits at Memory Care and Assisted Living, but this wonderful lady is especially good with Molly! (I had to crop her face out of the picture for her privacy, but I wanted you to see the big smile on her face.) I tell her she’s a dog whisperer. When we first arrive Molly gets a little anxious, so if possible we visit the dog whisperer first. She gets Molly all calmed down and then does a good job with her other visits. Most of the residents are very excited to pet and hold our dogs. Many tell us stories about their favorite dogs and other stories from their childhood. For some of the residents, they talk more while they pet the dogs than they do all week. Have you every considered training your dog to be a therapy dog? Here’s the link to Therapy Dog International. When we were leaving Memory Care yesterday, we ran into a family that was crying as they were talking to the director about moving their family member into Memory Care. Our dogs gave the family lots of love and they told us our pups were exactly what they needed at that moment and they were glad their parent would be getting therapy dog visits. There are several dogs who visit the facility we go to.

Last night Super Man took me on a date to El Patio for Mexican (if you are ever in Des Moines you need to go there) and then to Sister Act at the DesMoines Playhouse. What a fun evening. I love my husband!

Blessings,

Beth 🙂

Wildflower Fields and Protein Ball Recipe

I am on the Design Team at Use Your Stuff Challenge Blog and this week’s challenge is Inspired by a Quote. Make sure you visit Use Your Stuff Challenge Blog to submit a project to this week’s challenge. I love this quote from Isaiah. We studied Isaiah in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) a couple years ago. Next fall we are studying the book of John. BSF is available all over the world. If you’re interested, you should check the BSF website and see if there’s a class near you.

I used the PalsPaperArts sketch challenge to do the lay out of my card.

You can peek inside the card to see I added a strip of the DSP to dress it up.

I used a coordinating stamp from Flowering Fields to make the envelope cute. Flowering Fields is one of the SAB sets which are free with every $50 order until March 31.

Abby made a quadruple batch of protein balls (think healthy cookie dough balls) to take on our Colorado vacation. Well, the protein balls were gone before we got across Nebraska. We brought ingredients with us to make a double batch after we arrived in Colorado and those lasted a couple hours. I thought you might like the recipe since they are so popular at my house. The recipe came from my very good friend, Janene Pollack.

Chocolate Protein Balls

1 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. peanut butter ( I use Trader Joe’s 50% less salt peanuts and smash them in my VitaMix. I don’t add any oil, just

smashed peanuts. I keep my homemade peanut butter in a glass jar on the counter and it’s usually

gone within a week. My kids like it better than store bought peanut butter.)

1/3 c. honey

1/4 c chopped dark chocolate

2 T. flax seeds

2 T. chia seeds

1 T chocolate protein powder or to taste

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl until evenly mixed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 min. scoop chilled mixture into balls. Keep in refrigerator until serving.

Please let me know if you have any question or comments. You can leave comments at the very beginning of this blog post.

Blessings,

Beth 🙂

Card Details:

Paper- Wildflower Fields DSP, Calypso Coral, Hello Honey, Whisper White

Stamp Sets- Rose Wonder, Flowering Fields (envelope)

Ink- Calypso Coral

Accessories- Squares Collection Framelits, Candy Dots- Brights

Thinking of You

5 cards using the Stampin’ Up! Sprinkles of Life stamp set and the Tree Builder punch

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Paper Pumpkin Alternative Ideas from my class this week

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Wildflower Fields and Protein Ball Recipe

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