May 2016 Calendar Journal and a Snack

And May 2016 went like this:

The 13th and 14th are very personal feelings days, so I'm keeping them private.

There is only June left in this calendar/planner.  It's about time I went back and finished the cover.

Here is a tasty little snack for you.

CROCK POT RANCH OYSTER CRACKERS

To get the ingredients to my liking, I increased the amount of Ranch Dressing Mix as well as the amount of garlic.  I also added the Worcestershire sauce.  

xxx

Annie

Wisconsin Vacation Altered Postcard

The Sunday Postcard Art challenge this week is to alter a postcard.  

I've had this little postcard for such a long time.  It's a strange size ...not even quite 3.5 X 5.  So I cut a postcard size kraft paper and added my vacationers and a bird to the scene.

I forgot to take a picture of the postcard in it's original state, but I think it's pretty clear that it was just some cows in a pasture.  I haven't played with these two people characters in a long time.  This was a fun filled challenge this week.

And of course we need the card back to tell the rest of the story.

It was tough to decide between this phrase and something about getting a new travel agent.

In reality, Wisconsin is a beautiful state and I love it.

Happy Mail Day!

xxx

Annie

New Recipe Cards

Yummy Favorites

I'm trying only to make recipe cards for favorite dishes and desserts that I make time and again.  And I seldom follow an original recipe exactly as I find it.  There's usually a little too much of this or I don't like that, I'll leave it out, etc.  I think most every cook does that.

This one is so delicious that it's hard for me to want to cook asparagus any other way.  There's never any leftovers with this side dish.

Sometimes I don't pay much attention to the cooking times.  Like on this one, I don't know how long I sauté the asparagus.  I just keep poking it with a fork until I feel it's ready for the next step.  I suppose the times must be pretty close though.

This dessert is so yummy, and it's most yummiest is the next day.  So I make it a day ahead of time.

Look at the fun idea I thought of for making this card work.  I can't believe I even thought of doing it this way.  I'll be making more like this rather than the pieces that just swing out of the way and turn upside down.

The recipe box itself has finally gotten some scrapbook paper on it to cover the craft paper mache color.  Then some Washi Tape on the edges.  What to do on it next hasn't come to me yet.

The cards inside.

Nope, not the easiest filing system for recipes, but since they will only be favorite ones, I don't expect that they will become so many that I won't be able to locate what I want.

I have a little more time than I used to, to do the cooking.  I'm scaring the crap out of myself, but I'm almost starting to like it ...on some days.

I've made stuffed mushrooms twice now looking for a really good ingredient combination.  So far I'm not very impressed.  Have you got one you love?

Happy Cooking!

(Did I really say that?!)

xxx

Annie

Mail Art

I'm hopelessly addicted to creating fun mail!

My daughter's boyfriend put together a very fun mail package for me.  I built a thank you card with an assortment of the items along with other supplies I already own.  He called it The Clocks and Gears package.  The silver foil stuff is something I found that is a 4" roll.  I spray glued it to cardstock then embossed it with a gears embossing folder.  The heart is mounted with foam mounting dots.

The envelope...

I figured out how to do some of that fun calligraphy using double ended ZIG Writers.

Next is a postcard made with Ms. Skellie and highlighted with a white galaxy marker.  

This postcard was a thank you for a gift.  The hearts are die cuts and the butterfly is a punch.

This postcard was awfully fun to make.  I've lately been scouring through some very pretty used postage stamps that my friend sent to me.

This fabric postcard also was terribly fun to make.  Carla waited a good long time for her fabric postcard.  I'm pretty sure she probably gave up on getting one.  I waited purposely so she'd be surprised.  Not really.  It was a while before I had an inspiration for her postcard.

And lastly, I had a new motorcycle stamp to play with so a postcard was made for a couple that we get to ride with now and again to go on great little weekend jaunts.

Happy Mail Day!

from your mail art obsessed friend,

Annie

xxx

Recipe Cards

Every once in a while I manage to talk myself into getting some recipe cards made.  After I finally tweak a recipe to my liking, it's like a week-long convincing to pull the typewriter out and get to it.  The recipes are beginning to stack up.

I always enjoy making them, it's just getting the typing done that gets in the way.  I don't know why.

I've already done most of the recipes that only have a few ingredients.  Now for the recipes that require more than the 4" X 6" space of the card.

Brads seemed like a good idea to keep everything together but to be able to move sections out of the way for prep and cooking.  They are working out very well.

Yes, now I have a new supply of fun brads.  It's always something else we need on hand,  isn't it.  And it MUST be an assortment...not just any old brad will do.  You know what I mean.

AND, you know me, the backs can't be boring!

Sometimes the back is where the food photo ends up too.  I really like the food photo on the front with the rest of the recipe, but if I've made the dish enough, I guess I'm ok with the photo on the back.

These cards are so much better than the mess my recipes are in while they wait their turn to become artsy looking as well as delicious.

I don't like wasting my life with cooking.  But I don't like eating bad food either.  Any opportunity to make the chore "seem" more enjoyable, I'm all for it.  And artsy recipe cards at least make the start of this chore more fun.  I truly wish I enjoyed cooking because I'm actually pretty good at it.

Happy Eating!

xxx

Annie

April 2016 Calendar Journal

April is my birthday month.

I tried to give the month a party feel because that's how I was feeling all month.

I like that my birthday is at the very end.  So much more fun to celebrate the whole entire month.

xxx

Annie

Alphabet Challenge Postcard

Our challenge theme this week for the Sunday Postcard Art challenge blog is ALPHABET.

The first thing that came to mind, of course, is "Now I know my ABCs".  That includes children and learning.  Then I came across a die cut fence I had, then added a couple of die cut flora.

Look at her.....she's so pleased with her own knowledge.  They say she's smart as a whip.

She'll find her way through the postal system by way of this correspondence side.

As always,

Happy Mail Day!

xxx

Annie

The Fortune Teller

Every once in a great while, an eligible bachelor will come along just passing through the tiny town of Nowhere.  This sends the Spinster Sisters into a whirlwind competition for his affections.

After too many years of being unsuccessful in capturing a husband, the sisters finally went to visit the local Fortune Teller to learn exactly when they would find their men.

They now have it in writing.....

"There are no men in your futures."

The theme this week for Sunday Postcard Art is FORTUNE TELLER.  My postcards are all hands on made.  For the last couple of themes I haven't had supplies or ideas to fit the themes to make cards.  This week I'm attempting to come in by way of a backdoor.  This may not qualify.  And that would be ok.  I have a postcard to mail out now.  That's what matters most to me.

Here is the address side of this postcard.

Happy Mail Day!

xxx

Annie

Altered Dictionary - S

At The Craft Barn challenge blog, we illustrate for the letter S this fortnight.

I chose sailboat.  I just recently drew a sailboat for a postcard.  Why not give my simple little pattern, that takes no drawing skills, a little extra life.  So here it lives in my altered dictionary forever more.

It's all made of tracing paper.  We had a twist this time that our illustration has to include a shell.  I had a better plan than what you see, but I couldn't find a shell that would fit the plan.  

Happy sailing!

xxx

Annie

Altered Dictionary - D

The letter this fortnight at The Craft Barn is the letter D.

Oh, so many delightful words to illustrate that begin with the letter D.  But for me, the word to illustrate has to be DELIVERY.  I watch for this guy every single delivery day of the week!...to bring in and to take out.

There is a twist to the challenge this time, and that is to use pink.  The twists always scare me that they might not work into my style.  But, so far, so good.

Now I must go and make more mail.

xxx

Annie