Queen Scraps Color Challenge with RAK

Queen Scraps is hosting a color challenge with the winner being chosen randomly from all entries.  Check it out here.  Aren't those gorgeous colors - perfect for all your Fall layouts.  Come on over and play along.

I Won!!!

So many posts in one day...what's a girl to do, I've got lots to share and I've been so busy that I haven't had much computer time this week!

I know it's just a random number generator that chooses the winner but I WON!!!  I'm thrilled.  Leeanne has some pretty amazing kits over at Artful Delight so I can't wait to see what my prize package has in it.  Yeah...more stuff to play with!

Another Sketch Challenge

I've finished up design team assignments for the month so now I get to scrap just for me and play with products that I've had in my stash.  Yesterday I went to a fellow Crop Chocolate addicts house to meet up with a couple of lovely ladies that are addicted to collecting scrap supplies just like I am.  While there I worked on (and acutally completed) a great sketch from over at Pamela's World of Scrap.  She's got a great blog so pop on over and check it out!  Here's her sketch...

And here's my take on it...

The journaling reads "Paul and I had the luxury of a weekend in Georgetown without the kids.  The beauty of the historical architecture truly inspired us to RELAX & ENJOY!"

Have a blessed day!!!

The Scrappiest Sketch #87

Yet another wonderful sketch this week from Liz over at The Scrappiest.  Check it out and play along.  Here's the sketch...

And here's my take on it (as well as a sneak peek at the November Pebbles kit that will be available soon at Queen Scraps.

My House Smells...

...like this yummy stew we had for dinner last night.  Oh my gosh - so my photo doesn't really do it justice but it is so tasty!  We just got our side of beef for the year and my freezer is overflowing with delicious, grass-fed, super-healthy beef and the weather is cooling off...what better conditions to make a hearty stew and yes you do see raisins in that bowl.  They are such a surprising and tasty addition.

So here's the recipe if you're interested.  It's super easy, throw it in the crock pot, let it cook all day while you go about your business and then cook up some egg noodles 10 minutes before dinner and you look like a hero while you're family digs in.

Tangy Beef Stew

1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces.
1 pound boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes (I find that any stew meat works just fine)
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 medium-size carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 large celery stalks, cut into 1-inch slices
1 large beef bouillon cube
2 cups water
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (my boys don't like spicy food so I either omit this or use just a little)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Cooked egg noodles (optional)

Layer onions, beef, ginger, salt, carrots and celery in slow cooker bowl.  Add bouillon cube, water, vinegar and raisins.  Cover and cook on High for 4 hours or low for 6 hours or until beef is very tender.

Remove cover and stir in black pepper.  Using a ladle, remove 3 tablespoons liquid from slow cooker and place in a small bowl.  Whisk in the cornstarch.  Pour the cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker; stir/whisk to combine.  Stir until liquid has thickened.  Serve with noodles, if desired.

Free Spirited Cards...

Here are some super fun and easy cards that I made with papers and embellies that I had leftover from the Queen Scraps Little Yellow Bicycle Free Spirit kit available here in the Queen Scraps store.  So cute and very welcome treats for your recipient.

Sketch Challenge at Artful Delight

Artful Delight is holding it's first sketch challenge over on their blog.  So, I thought I'd take a swing at it along with giving you a sneak peek into the November Queen Scraps kit.  Here's the sketch...

And here's my take on it...

I thought I might have trouble using these Little Pebbles papers on boy layouts but so far...no trouble at all.  Two out of the four layouts I've done are pictures of my boys doing boy things.  Very versatile stuff, keep your eyes open as this kit will be available in early November.

Guest Designer Spot...

Leeanne over at Artful Delight's blog is featuring another card I made using her super cute stamp set that she just released.  I had so much fun working with these stamps - they're adorable for birthday, thank you or just sending someone a little sweetness.  Please check it out and do a little shopping while you're there.

An Unforgettable Event...

Paul and I just returned from Calistoga where we joined with some of the most amazing people to help celebrate my younger brother's birthday.  The setting was incredible and Kathleen, the party coordinator, did such an amazing job at creating the most beautiful setting for the event.  Martha Stewart...eat your heart out!

It was such a treat for us to be a part of this celebration of my brother.  Looking around at all the guests - people from all over the country, people from all walks of life, people whose lives he had touched in such a way and who had touched his life in such a way that we were all connected somehow through the love we all share for him.  I am still feeling so incredibly moved by the whole event and the outpouring of love from family and friends.  So little brother...Happy Birthday once again, to an incredible man...I love you!

I'm So Excited!!!

So I was thrilled and surprised when Leeanne over at Artful Delight asked if I would be a guest designer for a new stamp set they are getting ready to release. Who could say no to that? Of course I did it, had a great time and created some fun cards with the gorgeous stamps that Leeanne sent me. Check out their blog this week as she plans to feature my cards along with showcasing their new stamp set.

A touch of inspiration...

This is my take on this week's sketch over at Sketch Inspiration.  The sketch is by one of my favorite sketchers...Liz Chidester.  You can check out more of her stuff at her blog, The Scrappiest.  She does a weekly sketch and I love them all - so easy to work with.  So my creation - a card instead of a layout - was done as part of a guest designer spot that I have coming up.  Check back on Sunday to see where you can catch more of my work for this project.

How Sweet She is...

This is my friend's darling little girl...I had so much fun getting to know her better and snapping some photos of her.  I used the Queen Scraps October kit - Free Spirit by Little Yellow Bicycle to put together this fun layout that I sent to her to hang in her room.  I hope she loved it...I know I loved the time I got to spend with her.

The cold weather is attempting to settle in around here but I heard a rumor that it's heading back into the 70's by this weekend...we'll see.  After all, it's Colorado and those weather predictions can change rather quickly around here.  Either way, I think I'm ready for the cold.  We took what I believe is our last camping trip this past weekend.  It was chilly but the trees were gorgeous in all their golden splendor and the crisp air felt wonderful.  Are you ready for the cold weather? 

Old World Charm...

I'm a sucker for cool architectural photos and I'm trying desperately to improve my skills in this area.  Back in February my hubby and I took a trip to Georgetown with our new digital SLR camera in tow.  I took tons of photos of the architecture while we were there...they aren't bad, but not nearly as wonderful as I'd like them to be.  All in good time I suppose.  I really think I need to take a photography class because despite my efforts to teach myself via books I've checked out from the library, I'm finding that I am a hands-on type learner and I need to be doing while I'm learning.  Regardless, I scrapped these photos using the Pebbles L'il Miss collection that I got from Crop Chocolate a while back and I love how the colors work with the colors on the buildings.  My inspiration for the layout came from Liz over at The Scrappiest and is based on her Sketch #84.

Enjoy!!!

Beautiful Vegas???

I know many would not consider Las Vegas beautiful, I certainly didn't until my most recent visit there.  It's certainly not the place you'd expect to find a lovely garden in the middle of a hotel.  A friend actually lives there (not by choice but because it's where her husband's job has landed them) and she showed me some of the prettier things that I didn't even realize were there.  This layout highlights the botanical gardens inside the Bellagio Hotel...can you say amazing!  Apparently they change out the plants and larger than life sculptures to go with the seasons.  It was so cool, this little oasis in the midst of all that insanity they call Vegas.  The papers in the Queen Scraps October kit were the perfect colors to bring out the best in my photos.  The line featured in the kit is Little Yellow Bicycle Free Spirit which has lots of peace signs and very retro looking images but when you cut it into strips, all you see is the great color scheme.

I have lots more to share with you from my design team creations this month but for now, this will have to do as my calendar is full and I've got to get moving!