Cookbookin'(TM)

March Inspiration

2011-03-01T17:19:00.000-08:00

Hi y'all!!! I have a fabulous "new to me" recipe! I just had to share it with y'all as it was such a hit at my kitchen table...and when you have seven peeps around that kitchen table every night, any hit is worth sharing. My BFF and I sat down a couple three weeks ago to work on organizing our recipe books. While we were at it we did a little recipe sharing and this recipe for Mexican Pizza is the first one of hers that I have tried. I am certainly putting the rest of her recipes on my TO-DO very soon list;).

It is rare {actually, quite possibly, never done before} that I scrap a first time recipe but I just knew as soon as this one hit the table. In fact, I wasn't even fast enough to get a photo before the scoopfest began.

The background paper from Cookbookin' is called Check Me Out and it is layered on a sheet of black cardstock. The line is called Gourmet Holiday and can be found here. Flower & leaves at top are fussy cut from Mia Cucina which is also the paper I used for the pennant flags on the banner. I pop dotted some punched cardstock flowers on top of the flags and added little Jenni Bowlin letters. The cool image in the lower right corner is cut from La Dolce Vita. The banner is strung with some Shabby Green Door floss and the ends are tied with some coordinating beads.

Just in case your eyes are getting to be like mine, here is the recipe in, ahem, larger print;):

Ingredients:
8 oz. cooked spaghetti
1 lb. shredded cooked chicken
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can Rotel
1T chili powder
1-1/2C shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend)
1C sour cream

Directions:
Layer cooked spaghetti into bottom of 9x13 dish. Add cooked chicken on top of spaghetti layer. Mix remaining ingredients together and add on top of chicken layer. Sprinkle with additional cheese and bake at 350* for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with a nice green salad and enjoy!

I'd love to hear from you if you try the recipe...and especially if you tweek it!!!

We have a WINNER!

2011-02-06T13:33:00.000-08:00

Congratulations BETTY ANNE! You are the randomly chosen winner of the Holiday Sketch Challenge. Thank you all so very much for entering. Betty Anne, email me your address and Cookbookin' will get your Gourmet Holiday kit out to you right away.

Last Day to Enter~

2011-01-31T08:08:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day for you to enter the Holiday Sketch Challenge! You have until midnight CST.

I wanted to share a very special layout done by a dear friend of mine, Betty Anne. This is her entry for our Holiday Sketch Challenge:

Betty Anne is truly an inspiration to all of us around her and since I can't say things better than she can I am reposting her very own blog post about this layout here on the Cookbookin' blog. Enjoy and be sure to visit Betty Anne's blog for even more!

Our Most Prized Possessions Are Our Family Memories

If your looking for my Let's Scrap Blog Hop Post you can find it here.

Kristie, a friend I met through Let's Scrap, is on the design team of Cookbookin. I joined their blog quite a while ago but hadn't had a chance to make a layout for them yet. Then in December, Cheri O'Neill, from Let's Scrap made a fantastic sketch for them. If you follow my blog you know that I just love Cheri's sketches. So I decided that I would enter their sketch challenge.
Here is Cheri's sketch

and here is my layout

     The lady in the picture is my mother. As far back as I can remember my mother made chocolate candy at Christmas. It was like a very sugary and sweet fudge. After all six children grew up and had children of our own my Mother found that she really couldn't afford to buy gifts for everyone. So each year she would make up batches of her candy and each family would get a little box filled with it. I can't say it was the best candy/fudge I have ever tasted but biting into that sweet treat always brought back fond memories for me.
     My Mother passed away 8 years ago this month. Just before Christmas I got thinking about her and her candy.   I thought that the recipe was long gone and I would never get the chance to ever taste it again. But I started to make some phone calls to my sisters and learned that my youngest sister Cathy actually had my Mothers original recipe. So during our family Christmas get together she brought it down to me. The paper was well worn with add notes on it in different color pen, but it was my Mother's handwriting.
   My Mother was an old fashioned cook and many of her recipes didn't have measurements. Often they would say a pinch of this or a dash of that or even at times a handful of this. In this recipe one of the ingredients was a hunk of butter. How big is a HUNK of butter?? She then had drawn an arrow from the butter down to the bottom of the page and it said - a dessert spoon heaped like an egg. Ohhh so that's a hunk of butter, then in different pen and obviously added later on it said - 2 tablespoons of butter. Geesh she couldn't have said that in the first place. LOL
     I ended up making a batch of the candy a couple of days before Christmas. I made some with the cocoa in it and also some without it. I can't even explain how happy I was when I took that first bite and was whisked back to my childhood and sitting in our old kitchen watching my Mother make it. It was just pure joy.

**************************

Thanks Betty Anne for sharing all of this with us here at Cookbookin'!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T15:49:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a fantastic Holiday season and that you took LOTS of great pictures. I sure did and I am ready to hit the ground scrapping now that vacations are ending and life is returning to normal. I thought I start the year off featuring those layouts that have been submitted thus far for the Holiday Sketch Challenge. Entries are not due until January 31st and the draw is random for a GREAT prize kit so I'd love to see lots more entries. Just click on the sketch that is on the sidebar to get the details.

From Karien, we have THREE gorgeous layouts. Karien is a super talented scrapper that I "met" over at Let's Scrap. Her layouts always have pizazz and flair!

From Mary, we have a beautiful representation of Thanksgiving Traditions. Mary is a fellow design team member with me over at Kitchen Keepsake. Her talent just AMAZES me! We have a crop coming up over there and I can tell you that Mary has some incredible tutorials to share.

From Sandy, we have this amazing bunch of cuteness. Sandy won a recent drawing here at Cookbookin' and has used some of her prize to create her entry this month. That gives Sandy TWO extra chances in the drawing THIS month. Go Sandy!

Thanks girls for entering, I am just amazed at what you all can do!!!

Candy Anyone?

2010-12-10T08:05:00.000-08:00

This is an actual chicken feeder turned candy dish {never used for chickens;)} that I decorated for Christmas this year. I used Cookbookin's line called Sugar and Spice along with a bright gingham ribbon and a couple glittery snowflakes.

I also decorated the "back" so that if the whim hits, I can turn this around and have a bit of a different look.

And just in case you were wondering what my little chicken feeder was wearing last season...here is a shot of that. These papers are from Cookbookin's Cookin' up Memories collection.

Hope this season of joy is truly joyful for you all and that you are ALL working on the Holiday Sketch Challenge...okay, so you don't have to worry about THAT quite yet, remember it is not due until January 31, 2011. NEXT year!!!

November Winner~~~

2010-12-03T10:50:00.000-08:00

The randomly chosen winner for November's Sketch Challenge is KATHY!!! Congrats to you Kathy, email me your address and I'll get your prize right out to you. Thanks again to all who entered!!!

Holiday Sketch Challenge~~~

2010-12-02T11:48:00.000-08:00

Maybe you have noticed, I am posting the sketch challenge this month on the second instead of on the first...there is a reason for this! This month we have a very special sketch from Cheri O'Neill over at Let's Scrap and it is a TWO page sketch! Isn't it FANtastic!?!?!

I loved working with this sketch for my Thanksgiving Menu layout.

Every year I waste time hunting around through my computer looking for my Holiday menus...so I decided to go ahead and make layouts this year for my scrappy cookbook so I could find them more easily. Each year we have a special dish or two but this layout lists all the "Must Haves" for each Thanksgiving at our home.

I used several different Cookbookin' papers for this layout as well as their stickers, some cardstock, and some random trim that I picked up at Michaels for the twig sprigs;).

I just ADORE this little oven sticker from Cookbookin's Harvest Kitchen collection. All the goodies baking away inside it that sweet little oven...

I find it so very important to keep perspective and appreciate what I have at this time of year. That thought was the inspiration for including Cookbookin's beautiful "Count Your Blessings" sticker. I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving and if the busy-busy craziness of the Holiday season starts to get to you, just take a deep breath and count your blessings. It can't hurt...;)

Your challenge this month is to use Cheri's two-page sketch to create a cooking/eating/ food themed layout. This time, just so no one feels any pressure, you have TWO months to complete your project and link it back here in the comment section. {Are you seeing a pattern?} Yes, you may choose to do only one side or the other of the sketch in case you are not a two-page layout person. HOWever, if you do complete a two-page layout, you get two entries into the drawing AND if you use any Cookbookin' product on your layout you get an extra entry that way as well. So, if you do a two-page layout using Cookbookin' product anywhere on your layout you get THREE entries into the random drawing. Good luck and happy scrapping.
And up for grabs is this incredible Gourmet Holiday kit!

Check back tomorrow to see who wins the November prize!!!

November Entries~~~

2010-11-30T14:23:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much to all of you who entered the November Sketch Challenge. Here are the amazing entries qualifying for this month's random drawing!

Alicia's colors and flower folding just knocked my socks off! Of course, anything featuring beignets would get me anyway...but seriously, isn't this just fabulous!!!

Kathy is sharing some comfort food this month. YUMMMMMMY!

Joan has a cute story about this little guy on her blog. Loving those animals!!!

Annie got hers in just under the wire! She flipped the sketch and I just LOVE how it looks this way!

And finally we have one layout featuring Cookbookin' Papers!!! Suzanne gets two entries into the drawing!!!

Good luck in the drawing, and yes, there are still a few more hours to enter. You've got until midnight tonight!

Happy Scrapping~

F~A~M~I~L~Y

2010-11-25T10:10:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

This year, one little word sums up what I am grateful for: Family.

This is a wall hanging that I made a couple months back and I have been waiting for just the right time to share it with you all. I hope this Thanksgiving Day finds you surrounded by the family you love and that perhaps this project inspires you a little too.

I started with an Adornit Family Frame kit and spritzed the edges and the parts that would show with a bit of brown Maya Mist. Then I began covering it with my favorite Sweet Summertime paper, Sunflowers!

I simply used some glue to adhere the paper.

Then I got to work filing, sanding, general distressing...

I was going for an antique look so I added LOTS of inks!

Once I had the backing completed I set to work on the family cutout.

Again I was really going for that antique look so I used some distress ink on all the papers.

I used my trusty no measure, just hold up in the air and see if it fits method for backing the individual letters. For some letters I used photos, for others I used some classic Cookbookin' papers.

Finally, I adhered three photos to the wooden cutouts that hang from the family plaque. I printed all my photos in sepia and even sanded them a bit to give even more "age."

To finish off my project I added a few Sassafras buttons, Prima flowers and checked ribbon.

~~~May you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving~~~

Get dressed!

2010-11-15T08:19:00.000-08:00

Designer Joanne Trinidad Thompson has really outdone herself this time! Just check out this incredible dress form she decorated with Cookbookin's Modern Market collection!

Jo had lots of fun altering this metal dress form. She said it was like playing dress up, but with paper. She pleated strips of paper and wrapped them around the frame. It looks just like material!!! Chenille yarn forms the skirt, some beaded black fringe trims the bottom of the skirt and tied at the waist is some beautiful black satin ribbon.

Jo used the coordinating papers from Modern Market to create these gorgeous handmade flowers.

After forming the flowers she added some black bling accents. Aren't these just magnificent flowers!!!

The Modern Market line uses these bright festive colors that Jo thought would be fun to incorporate into a non-cooking project such as this one. We hope this beautiful project inspires YOU to think outside of the box when using our wonderful papers.

October Winner!!!

2010-11-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

I used an old-fashioned approach to choosing October's random winner...the old names in a pot trick;) My trusty assistant was diligent in his duties even though the pot was just about too heavy for him to hold. Nonetheless, he performed his duties perfectly while I snapped away!

Congratulations SANDY! Email your snail mail address to LotsToScrap at gmail and I'll have your prize shipped right out!

~November Sketch Challenge~

2010-11-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

November? Really??? Already? Time has just been zooming by for me lately. Here we are in November and that means it is time for a new sketch challenge. This month Julie Bonner has designed a fabulous sketch just for us!

AND Cookbookin' is providing yet another wonderful prize kit. This month's PRIZE is the ADORABLE Sugar and Spice Collection:

How about a little DT INSPIRATION to get you off and scrapping?

Joann used a fun theme for her recipe, a crop at her local scrapbook store! These paper's are from Cookbookin's Mom's Diner line.

Jennifer used some Sweet Summertime.

Jennifer's complete supply list:
Paper - Cookbookin'
Buttons - American Crafts, unknown
Twine, Ribbon - Creative Impressions
Felt - Joann's
Alpha Stickers - Basic Grey, October Afternoon
Ink - ClearSnap

And finally, I used the Gourmet Holiday line:

Here is my not so "secret recipe" for super easy Stromboli;)
Just click on the picture to make it BIGGER.

I LOVE Cookbookin's "Market Fresh" brads that I used for my flower centers. Just the perfect little unexpected touch~

My challenge for you is to create your very own layout {or card} based on Julie's sketch. In order to be entered into our drawing your project must have something to do with cooking, a recipe, eating, a restaurant, food, a kitchen...you get the idea! AND ~If you use Cookbookin' product somewhere on your project I will enter you in the random drawing TWICE! Happy Scrapping!

~Happy Halloween and Contest Entries~

2010-10-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!!! This is truly one of my favorite holidays. Chocolate and cute costumes, what could be better than that? Granted, my kids never dress up in anything scary...well, last year my 12 year old was technically a scary tree from the Wizard of Oz but he wasn't scary scary. You know what I mean;) What kind of scary tree hugs the Cowardly Lion?

This year the kids are doing a Toy Story theme and while we have a little break in the Halloween fun I thought I'd take a moment to share a couple more projects with you.

This is one of my prized finds from antique shopping in Gatlinburg this past summer, a milk bottle complete with a milk cap!

I decorated it with some bright orange ribbon, a hat pin (another great find at the antique store), a prima flower and a tag made with Cookbookin' paper and a stamp. I found THE cutest little pumpkin potpourri to fill it with:

Just adorable.

I used the very same stamp (can you tell how much I LOVE this stamp) to make myself a necklace and while I was at it I made my daughter a ghosty necklace. I used lots of Inkssentials goodies: memory frames, memory capsules, and memory glass. I threw in some Tim Holtz metals, some super old confetti and ribbon, some cardstock and more Cookbookin' papers.

~Here is my daughter's necklace~

~And this is mine (imagine I am shaking it for you so you can see the confetti moving;))~

And now, for the October Sketch Challenge Entries!!!

Thank you all for playing along~

From Joan:

From Sandy:

From Roulien:

From Karen:

And from Kathy, just in the nick of time:

Good luck to all the participants. Check back tomorrow to see our NEW November sketch created by Julie Bonner!

Have a happy and SAFE Halloween,

A favorite project...

2010-10-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

We all have favorites among our work...this is one of mine. I LOVE this ATC tray decor and I'm sure more than a few of you have seen this one before;).

I usually like my creations but I LOVE THIS ONE! It was delightful to make and it is super special to me because the buttons that I used for the flower centers...they belonged to my grandmother. I've been missing her so much lately. She died from Breast Cancer so October is always a tough month for me. I wish I could just sit down for one cup of tea with her but since I can't I like to use some of her treasures to surround myself with her presence. Grandma collected buttons. She had what seemed like MILLIONS of them. I remember running my fingers through them as a child, that smell, it is still in the tins of buttons that I have now.

Every once in a while I take one or two out for a project, like this one. I began this flower by inking it until it had that "antiqued" look and then I placed one of Grandma's wooden buttons in the center.

Then I used this green and cream polka dot button, it has such an old-fashioned country look to it. I sure wish I knew what kind of outfit it came from...there is still a bit of thread on the back of it so I know it fell off of something...

This last button is actually affixed to the flower upside down. I used some green Karen Foster floss for the tie and I curled the floss by wrapping it around a pin. Yes, it is that small!

The papers on this project are all from Cookbookin's Sweet Summertime line. The flowers are mostly Prima, including that gorgeous vine there on the left. The pins are Maya Road, milk caps are Jenni Bowlin, the tray is 7Gypsies and the ticket is Tim Holtz.

Here is how the Tray looks hanging on my kitchen wall:

So tell me about your favorite projects. What are they and what is it that makes them a favorite.

Soda or Pop? Coke or Pepsi ~~~or RC Cola?

2010-10-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

Coke or Pepsi? RC Cola perhaps? And what do you say: soda, cola or pop?

RC is what my husband's family would say. Of course, they owned an RC Cola bottling plant in Oregon for years. I was almost banned from the family the first time I drank a Diet Pepsi in front of them.

I tried to find some old photos of the plant and especially of my DH working there but alas, no luck! What I did find was a cool RC Cola bottle in a local antique store. It was Red and Yellow! I knew I had THE perfect papers to embellish it with at home. I knew it would look fantastic sitting on my mantle with a few country flowers sticking out of it. I knew my husband would LOVE it. My in-laws would love it...SOLD!

So, even though it was a ridiculous price, I snapped it up. When I went to the purchase counter I learned it was 50% off! THRILLING!!! Such a wonderful surprise when that sort of thing happens...

I brought my little treasure home and whipped out my Cookbookin' Sweet Summertime Busy Bees paper (red & yellow ~~~PERFECT) and made some of the fan fold flowers that I learned from the amazingly talented Helen Croft. I stacked a couple of them and glued them onto my bottle. Then I added some cute little polka dot ribbon and a couple Maya Road pins and voila!

LOVE it!

Now if I could just find an old wooden RC Cola bottle crate...

Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Scrapping!

Magnificent Magnets ~and~ How to Make them Yourself!

2010-10-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

While having coffee at a very trendy local coffee place called "The Good Cup," I saw THE cutest display of handmade magnets stuck on an old cheese grater. Of course, I jotted down a quick sketch to take home with me and here is what I came up with:

PERFECT for holding recipes in the kitchen and the grater belonged to my grandmother!!! Oh, I just love this project and making the magnets is a snap.

Supplies:

Glass beads/flat marbles

Circle punch

Magnets

Mod Podge (or whatever glue you have) & hot glue

That's it!

I began my project by punching out several circles from an assortment of Cookbookin' papers. I used a punch size just a tiny bit smaller than my glass pieces.

Then I adhered the paper to the glass with Mod Podge. Fun and simple to paint on with a brush! You do want to rub all the air bubbles out with your fingers so your finished magnet looks nice and clear~

Next, I used hot glue to adhere the magnets. Hot glue has the hold and the speed to get the job done quickly.

There! That's it!!! Simple isn't it!?

There are TONS of tutorials and examples of other glass decoupage magnets on the internet. Some of my favorites are:
HowToDoThings

The Michaels Book of Arts & Crafts, 2003
eHow
and
Casasugar

You can also find them for sale at my trendy little local coffee shop or by a variety of artists on Etsy!

But of course, I prefer to make my own;)

I'm using my magnets to display my grandmother's recipe cards on her antique grater. I just love seeing her handwriting AND knowing that the grater belonged to and was used by her as well.

Don't forget to get link your layout for our sketch challenge, entries will be accepted until MIDNIGHT on October 31st (CST).

Beat the Brownies!

2010-10-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

My banana bread beat the brownies!
Yesterday afternoon, I baked some delicious banana bread. I bake it quite often as it always seems that we have the dreaded brown-spotted bananas sneak up on us. You know what I mean, I know you do! So, yesterday morning I woke up to three "way past ripe" brown-spotted bananas just begging to be saved and baked into some delicious bread. To work I went. This is my favorite, tried and true recipe (straight from the Joy of Cooking):

Banana Bread

Ingredients

1-1/3 cup flour

2/3 cup sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

5-1/2T butter

2 eggs

2 bananas

1/2 cup walnuts

Directions

1. combine dry ingredients

2. blend butter and sugar

3. blend dry ingredients into

butter and sugar mix

4. blend in eggs

5. fold in bananas and walnuts

6. bake 50-60 min at 350 degrees

until done in center

And here is my layout based on the recipe!

I used the brand new "Salute" paper from Cookbookin's Gourmet Holiday line as my background and then I lined the bottom of the page with some "Check Me Out" and I backed my recipe with some "Fleur De Lis." I embellished my layout with some bits from the "La Dolce Vita" die cut sheet. I LOVE the tags on this sheet!!! This layout was such fun to put together! I so enjoy sewing on my layouts these days and I did a bit of that with the ric rack:) and then I added some fun hanging bead trim. I picked it up at Hobby Lobby on a SUPER sale. I think it is really meant for a lampshade but I just love it here!

So, back to those brownies...last evening dh whipped up some brownies (out of a box) and while they were enjoyed this morning everyone asked for more banana bread in their lunches instead of a brownie!!! Now, if that isn't a good morning I don't know what is~

Fresh Picked

2010-10-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

Fresh tomatoes! Who doesn't LOVE them?!?!

Today we have another designer example for this month's sketch challenge. Jennifer used Cookbookin's Indian Corn and Tuscan Stripes papers along with some tomato stamps from the Modern Market "Eat your Veggies" collection. Jennifer used chalk to color in her tomatoes, I think the effect is absolutely perfect. And who can resist a little burlap these days...

Supplies:
Paper, Stamps - Cookbookin'
Ink- Memento, ClearSnap
Chalk- Pebbles Inc.
Burlap & Ribbon

Hope to see YOUR take on the sketch real soon!

~September WINNER~

2010-10-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

And the winner is:
SUZANNE!!!
She submitted this adorable layout for our September Sketch Challenge:

Congratulations!!! Email me your address at LotsToScrap at gmail dot com and I will get your prize right out to you. Thanks very much to everyone who played along. We have a new sketch challenge for October, looking forward to seeing your entries!!!

~October Sketch Challenge~

2010-10-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome OCTOBER!!! I think this IS my favorite month. The kids are settled into school, the weather is cooler, the leaves are changing...I just adore this {very welcome} change of seasons. I snap thousands of photos during Autumn providing me with plenty of scrappy material to work with. I also cook up a storm this time of year. I just love getting back to baking and even more ~I love the wonderful smells that come along! This morning banana bread is in the oven, a favorite of my entire family! When I can cook something that pleases SEVEN people at once...well, I may have to fix up a layout for you...stay tuned for that in an upcoming post;).

Today though I am revealing our new sketch challenge. The talented Cheri O'Neill from Let's Scrap has designed our sketch this month and here it is!

Yes, there will be another fantastic prize up for grabs, a Harvest Kitchen Kit from Cookbookin'!!! Contents may vary a bit but this will give you an idea of the goodness you could win.

And to get your creative juices flowing, here is some inspiration from the design team.

Joanne used the super cute Sugar and Spice collection from Cookbookin'. I just love all the beautiful trims and flowers she used to enhance the pretty papers.

I used the Halloween Goodies collection mixed with a little Harvest Kitchen for my layout.

I love banners, who doesn't these days? I made this one with teeny tiny letters from Jenni Bowlin and an ultra thin piece of floss from Karen Foster.

THEN, I used the adorable Halloween Goodies stamp set to make my circle embellishments. I cannot rave on enough about the QUALITY of these stamps!!!

To play along in our challenge just use Cheri's sketch to inspire your layout or card and link your creation to this post in the comments section. There will be a random draw after the end of the month for the winner of the kit. Can't wait to see what you come up with!!!

The winner of the September Sketch Challenge will be drawn this weekend!!! Good Luck to all who entered~

September Entries

2010-09-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

Take a look at these adorable entries for the September Sketch Challenge:

First up is this yummy layout by Karen. That peanut butter nestled inside that chocolate...

Next up is this FABULOUS recipe for Copper Pennies. If you have never tried this click on the layout for an up close look at Suzanne's recipe. These are worth the trouble. Just ask my dad, he ate just about ALL of mine!!!

Joan submitted this super fun layout, Top Chef! What beautiful work, loving those papers!!!

And finally we have this adorable entry from TenStoryTreehouse. Ahh, gingerbread, just around the corner now!

You still have a couple days to submit your entry based on Helen's lovely sketch!!!

I'll accept projects that are linked here by Thursday the 30th at midnight and then it is on to our October Sketch challenge. Good luck to all who have entered~

Recycle that magnetic business card!

2010-09-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

So, do you have any outdated business card magnets on your fridge? I recently received a new magnetic business card from my children's pediatrician. As I pulled the old one off the door of my fridge I just new I shouldn't toss it in the trash. I took it where I take all the "hhhmmm what could I do with this" stuff...to my scraproom! Here is what I created:

And it only took a few minutes to whip up!

I started with a couple pictures that I had hanging around from another project

I chose the one that fit the best and trimmed it to the exact dimensions of the business card

Then I glued it onto the card

Next, I went through my stash of Cookbookin' papers and cut myself a few scraps with which to embellish my now magnetic photo;)

I added a punched heart and then some buttons and floss and voilå!

Seriously, this project takes about 5 minutes and it saves the environment to boot~

Don't forget about sketch challenge, there are only 7 more days to get your project in. Just leave a comment on the challenge post with a link to your creation to be entered in our drawing for a kit from Cookbookin'!

Cards and Border Punches

2010-09-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

Easel cards are my VERY favorite cards to make. Recently I made a couple using Cookbookin's Halloween Goodies collection.

Yes, there he is again, my happy little ghost friend. I just LOVE him!!! The party block is from the Halloween Carving sheet. It really just says Halloween, I added the PARTY with black letter stickers.

And,

As you can see, I am a big fan of border punches. I especially love Martha Stewart's punch around the page sets. They really jazz up a design. This card uses that formerly elusive loops punch set to enhance a piece of Ghostly Night paper. To use these punches properly you must follow the very specific directions {imagine that, very specific directions from MARTHA!}.
She has this nifty instruction sheet up on her site but basically you just need to have your paper fit one of these square dimensions:
3.25", 5", 6.75", 8.5", 10.25" or 12"
It's that simple!

Halloween Projects~~~

2010-09-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

This "Halloween Goodies" line is just too cute. I must admit to an affinity for smiling ghosts...it goes with my love of happy snowmen;) So...here is a new layout using Cookbookin's "Halloween Goodies" papers:

I found this fabulous new recipe online for ABRACADABRA Hats! Is that just a fun name or what!?! They are super simple to make; just a can of Crescent rolls, some pizza sauce, a dash of herbs, a few pepperoni and YUM!

I also whipped up a quick treat can for the upcoming month of October where our neighborhood has the sweetest tradition of Boo-ing one another. You sneak a bag, box or can of Halloween treats onto your neighbor's porch at night, ring the doorbell and HIDE! The point is to NOT get caught. Then, that neighbor "boos" or "spooks" another neighbor. It goes round and round until everyone has been spooked! {The treats include a little ghost sign to hang on your door to let everyone know you have received a "BOO!"}
So...really hoping none of my neighbor are reading this post because here is my "Spooky Can" for this year.

I simple lined one of those plastic paint cans from Michael's with some of Cookbookin's super cute "Ghostly Night" paper {WHAT a PERFECT name}, then I cut a circle from "BOO-ti-ful Night" to cover the top of the lid and finally I tied lots of colorful ribbons onto the handle.
******
Design team member Joanne made these ADORABLE treat boxes with "BOO-ti-ful Night" paper!

These treat bags can be filled up with candy or money =) They can be given to the kids in school, handed out to friends and family, used as party favors...the ideas go on and on!

Joanne has kindly supplied directions on how to make these little cuties:

Supplies:
Black Cardstock
"BOO-ti-ful Night" paper
1 1/8" circle punch
1 1/2" scallop punch
White gel pen
Lace Trim
Fibers

Cut the designer paper to measure 4x6, add adhesive tape to all four sides (the side of the paper that will not be showing). Adhere the two short sides together and then pinch the bottom sides together, leaving the top open to put the candy in. Once you put the candy in, pinch the top to seal it, going the opposite direction of the bottom. Punch an image of the ghost from the designer paper with the circle punch and punch the black cardstock with the scallop punch. Adhere those two pieces together. Take the white gel pen and jot dots on each of the scallops to add interest. Using a foam dimensional pop dot adhere it to the front of the treat box. Glue the lace trim around the edge of the bottom. Punch a hole at the top point of the treat box and tie your fibers in a knot then you're done!

Hope this inspires you to get scrapping and don't forget to get your entry in for the sketch challenge, projects are due by the 30th.

Be back later this week with a couple Halloween cards:-)

Clothespin Recipe Card Holder Tutorial

2010-09-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

I LOVE to alter things! Just like I love to cook like Sandra Lee on Semi-Homemade Cooking on the Food Network, I love to take something good from the craft store and turn it into something GREAT! Here, I took a plain wooden clothespin and turned it into a fantastic recipe card holder that I use all the time!

We are going to be running lots of tutorials here on the Cookbookin' blog and since I am a very visual person, my tutorials will always come PACKED with lots of step by step photos. Enjoy, and as always if you do a project feel free to share a link in the comments section!

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I began altering my clothespin by spritzing it with some brown Maya Mist. I have also made them using paints and other stains but this is the quickest and the messiest;)

Next up I found some paper that I wanted to cover it with. For this clothespin I chose Cookbookin's Preserving Memories line.

I cut out the cute little truck to use later on a card and then I grabbed my pencil and made myself a little cutting line.

Once I had cut out my papers I used my distressing tool to rough up the edges a bit. I love the distressed look and it goes just perfectly with the Preserving Memories papers.

Once the edges were nice and rough I used a little ink on them. Then I was ready to adhere the paper with some Mod Podge, another fun and messy craft staple at my house!

On this project I decided to paper over the entire side of the clothespin, sometimes I use two papers so the metal spring shows but since I knew I was going to cover that up with embellishments I took the easy road;) And THEN I decided to use a different paper on each side. Of course I decided that AFTER I had glued BOTH sides down. I just consider that part of my creative process. I am always doing and undoing and doing again. ;)

So now I am using some of Cookbookin's Cookin' Up Memories collection. This is one of my FAVORITE papers, Farmhouse Kitchen. I just adore all the little roosters!!! I'm ready to embellish...

To begin this side I tied a bow with my favorite red gingham ribbon and grabbed an old "inked for another project but didn't make the cut" Prima flower. Now, for attaching anything fabric, I like to use Felt Glue:

It just seems to hold the best.

Cute already but not even close to being finished!I wanted to use some of these cute little kitchen chips from Maya Road. I decided to cover them with coordinating papers but since I was going to glue them a bit off center I inked the backs a bit so they would look good from both sides.

I glued the chipboard to some patterned paper, here I chose Sweet Summertime, Sunflower Fields paper. OH!!! By the way, Scrapbook.com has LOTS of Cookbookin' goodies in stock and ready to ship!!!

After the glue dried I carefully cut the excess paper off with a craft knife.

Yes, things were getting pretty messy on my craft desk...

But look how it turned out!

To finish this side I added a few Maya Road Leaf pins, some tiny red ric rack and some itsy bitsy letter stickers. Now on to the OTHER side~

I decided to use different papers on each side so I could flip the clothespin around and have a bit of a different look. For this side I simply gathered some of the same ribbon {since the bow from the other side shows} and then I used one of my favorite dimensional stickers from Cookbookin's Preserving Memories line.

There, all done!

Don't forget about the September sketch challenge, the sketch and link are on the sidebar. You could win this:

Happy Scrapping!

September Sketch Challenge

2010-08-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

It's here! Our first monthly sketch challenge!!! The lovely and talented Helen Croft has provided us with our kick off sketch! Isn't it incredible?!?!?

Your mission is to create your very own layout or card based on this sketch. In order to be entered into our drawing your project must have something to do with cooking, eating, food, a kitchen...you get the idea!

Now, I'm sure you are all wondering about the prize...well, Cookbookin' is offering up a fantastic Halloween Kit!

The winner will be chosen by a random draw. Once your project is complete just leave a comment on this post with a link to your layout and I will put your name in for the drawing.

Now, here is a little inspiration from the design team to get you started.

From Joanne, we have an adorable card using the Chocolate Celebration's line:

On my layout I used some of the gorgeous Halloween Papers that YOU COULD WIN!

I just love all the happy little ghosts and the muted shade of orange on the spots! I found some cardstock that matched just perfectly so I used that to make some flowers and to print my recipe on.

Speaking of the recipe...

Boo Cake {otherwise known as Pumpkin Bread:)))}
Ingredients:
3-1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/4t baking powder
2t baking soda
1-1/2t salt
1t each nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon
1-1/2 Cups packed brown sugar
1 Cup vegetable oil
2 Cups canned pumpkin
4 eggs

Directions:
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Add the sugars and mix well.
Add oil and pumpkin to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. I like to use my electric mixer for this. Add eggs, one at a time and blend in thoroughly. Pour batter into WELL GREASED bundt pan. Bake at 350* for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for five minutes and remove from pan to cool. Top with your choice of icing and enjoy!

I can't wait to see what you come up with for our challenge.
Happy Scrapping and GOOD LUCK!

Happy Half-Birthday!

2010-08-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

In our house we have several birthdays clustered right around the Holidays and it makes for a VERY busy season. My birthday is so close to Christmas that many of my birthday presents have come wrapped in Christmas paper! {Many} years ago as I was trying to figure out what to get my son for his birthday, which is right AFTER Christmas when the stores are all EMPTY. I was really having trouble finding him something he wanted or needed...and I came up with the idea of celebrating his half-birthday which is in the middle of summer! That is how it all began. I started making him {half} a cake for each half birthday and getting him one present for his half-birthday. No party, just the family. I THOUGHT it was a GREAT idea and it WAS until I had four more children. Now we have a birthday, a holiday or a half-birthday every single month of the year!

The last half-birthday was my daughter's. She turned 9 and a half. We usually put in full candles and then squash the half candle down but in this layout I used a number 9 candle and simply stuck a regular candle way down. And yes, this is a whole cake...but we only ate half? ;) After all, there ARE seven of us now!

This layout is made with adorable Cookbookin' chocolate chip paper. I just got these papers in the mail and had to use some right away! I clipped the corners with an old Creative Memories corner punch and then I added one of Cookbookin's new recipe cards but instead of listing the recipe, I told the story of half-birthdays in our house.

Then I made the fan flower, added a bow and some Prima bling.

Do you have any special food related traditions in your house? Leave a comment, We'd love to hear them!

WELCOME and ~Sack Lunch Choices~

2010-08-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the brand spankin' new COOKBOOKIN' blog! My name is Kristie Coleman and I am one of the designers for Cookbookin'. I am just over the moon that Patty asked me to write the blog for them. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!

This is THE place for you to find lots of inspiration for your cooking related projects and pages!!! We will be featuring TONS of layouts, recipes and projects as well as running tutorials and SKETCH challenges. YES! We will be offering lots of wonderful prizes too!!! Be sure to sign up and follow us so you don't miss out on a thing. And, thanks for stopping by!

Today, I would like to share a back to school project with you. I have five children (ages 2 to 13) so school lunches...well, you can just IMAGINE! That 13 year old...well, his lunches were getting a little...ummm...UNhealthy. So I came up with a little lunchbox guide to hang on the pantry door:

I began this project with a plain corkboard and I used a variety of Cookbookin' goodies to decorate my project. I just LOVE Cookbookin's dimensional stickers!

I used some darling little paper sacks that I found at a craft store to mat my lists and then I added some bits of paper, ribbon and buttons to dress them up a bit.

Each morning all the kids need to look at the lists and make their lunchbox choices accordingly.

So far, everyone is doing a great job except the 13 year old...had to take an extra salty out of his lunchbox this morning...but the girls are doing GREAT~

All ready for school!

Be sure to check back later this week, I'll have a fun tutorial for you!