FLORAL WINDOW BOX & CARD

Here’s a pretty little gift box that let’s the recipient see what their treat is before they open it!  Or wrap your gift in colored tissue paper before putting in the box for a special surprise!  The matching card is sure to impress.  Make the set for Easter or any other special occasion that you’d like! 

This gorgeous project was designed by Kim Score, and her tutorial is now posted at Craft Project Central.  Personally, I love just about every box I see, and I look forward to making this one!

BOXED SET OF CARDS . . . PERFECT GIFT!!!!

This pretty box and matching set of cards is perfect for Spring!  With beautiful bright colors this would make a great Mother’s Day or teacher appreciation gift!  

Heidi King designed this project for Craft Project Central, and her tutorial was posted yesterday.  She did a beautiful job, and you can make this set of cards, too, with your February subscription to CPC.

CANNED LETTUCE

This is something you don't see every day--jars filled with lettuce--but it is the smartest thing I've heard of in quite some time.  I saw this idea on Pinterest a while back and wanted to try it, but I had to wait until the jar attachment came for my vacuum seal machine.  I've been enjoying ready-to-eat salads for about two weeks now.  Basically, once your lettuce is sealed in the jar, it should stay fresh for 5 to 10 days depending, of course, on how fresh the lettuce is when you process it.  And the process is soooooooo easy! 

1.  Wash lettuce.

2.  Cut lettuce to the size that you prefer for salads.

3.  Place lettuce in a salad spinner to dry it.

4.  Fill canning jars with lettuce.

5. Place lid (but not the ring) on the jar, and put the jar attachment (regular or wide-mouth, whichever fits your jar) over it.  The jar attachment should have a hose that connects to a vacuum seal machine that has an accessory port.

6.  Use the vacuum seal machine to remove the air from the jar and seal it.  Put the ring on, and store the jar in the refrigerator.

You'll notice from the photo that the lettuce looks fresh and crisp.  The iceberg lettuce (right front) was placed in the jar just before the photo was taken, but the romaine lettuce (left front) was processed two days prior.  If you'd like to try a delicious salad dressing--one that tastes very similar to Carrabba's house dressing (my absolute favorite-could-eat-every-single-day), mix the following and refrigerate:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I use fresh cheese and grate it myself)

1/4 cup buttermilk

1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced parsley--fresh, of course

1/2 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice

ALTERED BIRDHOUSE & CARD

Are you ready for Spring?  With all the snow some spots are getting, you will love making this pretty project indoors to help you get ready for the warmer weather!  This beautiful altered birdhouse would be a lovely decor piece in any house.  Use it to decorate your desk, use it as a special pencil holder, or just give it away as a lovely gift.

This beautiful ensemble was designed by Monika Davis, and her tutorial can be found at Craft Project Central. 

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

Today's MISM project (a square card . . . surprise, surprise) is one that I really, really like!  It was inspired by a quick and functional card stock band that I placed across the top of a stack of stamped note cards that were boxed and ready to give to someone who "used her powers" to help me with a recent traffic citation.  That band was stamped with "thank you" and didn't have the ribbon but, when I finished wrapping it around the cards, I thought that the design would make a really simple and pretty card.  And it did!!  Stampin' Up! products used to create this card include Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, and Lucky Limeade card stock, Lucky Limeade ruffled ribbon, twine (from the "Boutique Boxes" kit), Tea Lace paper doily, "Blooming with Kindness" and "Spring Sampler" stamp sets, rhinestone jewel, and the following punches:  Scallop Trim Border, 1-3/8" Circle, 1-1/4" Scallop Circle, and 1" Circle.

MDS CHALLENGE: FREEFORM TOOL

A new MDS challenge was posted to the NCSUD demo group, and those who wished to participate were supposed to create a digital project using the freeform tool.  This tool was one of the new features of Stampin' Up!'s MDS2 software, and I had only used it once before to create the wavy text line on the card posted HERE.  For the current challenge, I decided to create a curved line of text which you can see on the orange pumpkin.  If you think you're seeing some dotted Pool Party splatters on the Crumb Cake background, your eyes are not playing tricks on you.  Everything pictured on the card below is 100% digital.

I couldn't leave things alone, though.  I printed the digital design and used it to create the hybrid card shown below.  The photo quality really stinks, but I tried my best to get a decent shot.  I do not know what I have touched to mess up the camera settings!  Anyway, the non-digital products used to complete the hybrid card include:  Pool Party, Riding Hood Red, and Pumpkin Pie card stock, pearl and rhinestone jewels, "Pretty Petites" stamp set, Petite Curly Label punch, and the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch.

DRESSER DRAWER CARD SET

Shame on me!  I totally forgot to post this project on Thursday, but better late than never, right?  This dresser drawer box would look so nice on any desk, and inside are two card sets!  Once the cards are gone, the dresser can be used to store pens, notepads, postage stamps, paper clips, and any other little things you want to store inside.  This would be a wonderful gift to make for any friend or family member.

Christy Fulk designed this great project for Craft Project Central, and her tutorial is available to those who have subscribed this month.  I love how colorful this project is, and I especially like how useful it is--to store the cards and then to store many other things once the cards are gone!  Great job, Christy! 

JULIE'S "FREESTYLE FRIDAYS" CREATION

Yikes!  I'm late with posting today's Freestyle Fridays project.  I sat down to work on this post last night, got distracted, and then forgot.  Sorry, Julie!!!!  I was told that Julie used some old and retired designer paper for her project, and the colors in the paper reminds me of kitchens past.  My mother's kitchen was avocado green, my grandmother's kitchen was (and still is) harvest gold, my sister lived in a house for a couple of years with orange countertops (yes . . . ORANGE!!!!), and I had a kitchen twenty-some years ago that had far too much brown and, to brighten it up, I thought peach was a pretty color.  Granted, the actual colors in Julie's paper may not be any of the colors I mentioned, but the kitchens past popped in my head regardless.  You know, it could be the burst-ish design of the flowers that makes me think of kitchens past because I happen to have my mother's first stand mixer (yes, it's avocado green and looks vintage with it's harsh, squared angles), and it has some burst-ish looking circles on it.  Oh well . . . I'm sure Julie will love that her project today has awakened kitchens past in my head.  LOL!  Let's hop on over to her blog so we can see the whole project and stop thinking about kitchens.  She'll have a mission for me, and I cannot wait to see what it is!  Have a wonderful weekend, and thanks so much for visiting my blog!

ETA:  O.M.G.  I just visited Julie's blog and read that I get to be a Flat Stanley Regina when Julie and Jacoline go to Stampin' Up!'s convention!!!!  How fun!!!!

DRY ERASE BOARD ON CRAFT PROJECT CENTRAL

Make this Dry Erase Board, with the coordinating pen and cup, for a sweet project for a friend, or maybe even make one for yourself! It’s a simple project with some great ‘up-cycling’ ideas using your Stampin’ Up! supplies. And just think of how many ways you can change up the board to fit your needs – a grocery list, kids’ chores… the possibilities are endless!

The tutorial for this project, which was designed by Julie Beltramo, can be found at Craft Project Central.

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

I recently made a box full of cards for my mother, and I couldn't resist using Stampin' Up!'s "By the Tide" stamp set to create this collage.  Most of my collage creations with this stamp set have included a blue and tan/brown color palette, but the Pool Party, Calypso Coral, and Lucky Limeade colors on this card remind me of the colors found in most of the beach condos where I've stayed.  Can you see that the fish has been cut out and adhered to the card with a Stampin' Dimensional?  Other Stampin' Up! products featured on this card include the arrow-shaped Cute Clip, Modern Label punch, "Fabulous Phrases" stamp set, Scallop Edge Border punch, "Cloudy Day" embossing folder.  The edges of the white card stock were distressed with the new Stampin' Distress Tool.