A Snowy Monday, Cards From Friends and Risotto

Hi there everyone....hope you are still enjoying this lovely season and last few days of 2015. Yesterday we had a foot of snow fall (12.2 inches). JP got stuck in the snow and the car doors froze up at work, so he did not make it home. I guess lots of people got stuck in snow around this area, at least he was stuck in the building and was warm.

Around the country people were experiencing lots of rain and hail, floods, tornados and earthquakes....My goodness what is going on??? If it is not the ISIS Muslims terrorizing us, the weather is also. I guess this is just a sign of the end times, just as the Bible has said. Better days are coming.

So for tonight's dinner I made a beef stew with green peppers and onions and stuck it in the slow cooker. Along with that was my Blue Apron (here's their site) meal "Spinach, Parmesan & Parsnip Risotto with Crispy Parsnip Chips and Sage" Oh my goodness....was this ever a good dish. Never cooked with a parsnip before and this was really good. Half the parsnip was grated and added to the Arboio Rice, onion, garlic and water. While the rice cooked, the other half of the parsnip was shaved and fried in the oil and browned. After the rice was cooked, spinach, sage and Parmesan cheese was added. I have to say that shaved and fried parsnip was a special touch to this dish. Will most definitely make this again.

Thought I would post the homemade cards that I received this Christmas. The top card is by Shirley. A very intricate card that probably took a long time to make...I always enjoy her cards. She is very artistic in her card making.

This ornament card is by Betty. She always has new ideas rolling around in her head. I enjoy going to her house to see here new creations.

This card was made by Sue. I really like this stamp, very simple yet elegant. Sue makes some nice cards too.

This card is by Tina. I go to her blog everyday to see what she is up to. I always know it is her card....her trademark is the stitching around the squirrel. She does a lot of origami cards, an art I have not yet accomplished.

This card is by Joan.....lot's of work went into this one too. I don't throw these cards out....but most likely these cards will end up in my Hospice card collection for next year. Always recycle.

I didn't take any pictures of all the snow we got yesterday, maybe the next snowfall. After awhile you can have just so many pictures of snow. I was out shoveling a little. The front porch and steps and part of the sidewalk....yep...that was enough for me.

Pretty soon I will be working on Valentine Cards.....can you believe that??? Right now I am reorganizing my stamping area....putting all the Christmas stuff away and cleaning and moving things. Guess that will be my Winter project, going through all the stuff and maybe unloading a few things at the thrift store or save for a garage sale in the summer. Yep....always something to keep me busy.

Well time to close this post for tonight. Keep looking up, better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

Just One of Those Days

Hi there everyone. Hope you had a wonderful Wednesday.

Yeah...it's one of those days, and I know I should post something on my blog...but just can't think of anything interesting to post.

I DID have an Etsy sale the other day and that is always exciting. I love that little rush that comes when I see...."Etsy Transaction" in my emails. Got the package put together and in the mail yesterday.

Today I re-invested the money from the card sale into more supplies to make some really neat cards. A few more die-cuts from Memory Box. I shall be looking forward to getting the die cuts in the mail within the next few days.

I'm still looking for a printer for the computer downstairs. I know what I want now, it's just a matter of waiting to see if the printer goes on sale any time soon.

Neat words above, aren't they?  Sometimes I find myself looking in the past....and so very true, I am bummed out. Wouldn't it be nice to live at peace ALL the time??? Guess that is something to work on.

Don't forget to leave a comment, a "Hi how are you" is just fine. Every comment is important and will be added to the bowl. On February 8th I will pick 4 names and the winners will receive a Valentine's Card from me. It's not much, but I think it is always fun to receive a card in the mail and not just at Christmas time.

Well time to close this blog, have to go downstairs and make some cards and ride my bike for a couple of miles. Soon JP will be home from work...chicken curry soup tonight, gosh it smells good.

Have a great evening and keep looking up!!! Cheers ~ Louise

So Long 2012 ~ Hello 2013

Yeppers........Dashing will be completely out of the question for 2013! Going to enjoy every minute (or so I say)!! Been reading a few blogs today, 1) some wish you a Happy New Year, 2) some list "the 12 most popular", (which I truly love especially when it comes to FOOD) 3) and some just continue on as if it is just another day. Me, I think I will go back to January 1, 2012 and see what my expectations for 2012 were and if I met them........

Did you all make any resolutions for the New Year??? I thought about it, but sometimes they are just too hard to keep. I might just try continuing what I started in 2011.

1. continue on my journey to lose some weight and reverse diabetes.
Still working on that and probably continue on into 2013.

2. paint a room or two this year....been awhile since I painted and redecorated.
Nope, no room painting in 2012.

3. this spring, paint the porch floor.
Nope, no porch painting...thought about it though.

4. get some cards into a few beauty shops.
Nope.

5. get the kitchen ceiling fixed.
Nope.

6. these are long shots.........get a new or used stove and couch.
Got the couch and did look at a used stove, but nope, did not get one.

7. more mini-vacations on Lake Winnebago and a vacation this year.
Nope, no vacation but many mini-vacations on Lake Winnebago.

8. more blogs then last year.
Yes, I did manage that by 22 more blogs........2013? 25 more.

9. learn something new.
Guess I didn't, cause I can't think of anything.

10. lose an old habit, what that is I don't know as yet.
Ha...probably gained some old habits, but lose, Nope!

11. continue on in my personal relationship with Jesus.
Yes!

12. make a new friend.
Not sure I did. Oh wait, I did make a blog friend, does that count???

13. weed through the house, get rid of stuff not used for a couple of years.
Yes!

14. garage sale this summer?
Yes!

Well that is 14 things to work on, there probably are more, but this is a good start. Will have to remember these resolutions are here so I can keep reading them every now and then.
Guess I did not read them enough, cause many were not accomplished. So there you have it, shall I continue my quest for perfection in 2013......kinda' hard to attain perfection, very unattainable to me.

What to expect for 2013???
 I have no idea what to expect. Peace would be a good thing to expect, but with the way this world is going, it's hard to foresee. I find it very hard to understand how people can continue living without a relationship with Jesus Christ and still survive living in this barbaric way of life. Killing and being killed, and sometimes for no reason at all, then to just kill!!! 
A very sad commentary for "modern" man!!! Everyone blames the other guy and sadly does not look into the "mirror of truth" to see one's self-deception. We deceive ourselves daily, thinking we are good, when in reality we all are sinners and fall short of the glory of God. There is a scripture in the Bible that says to this affect. "Whoa to them that say good is evil and evil good..." This is fast becoming very familiar in our society. Very sad, very sad indeed.

Well, guess it is time to close this blog for 2012.....see you all in 2013 Lord willing. So you all keep looking up for your redemption draweth nigh. Cheers ~ Louise
 Hello 2013

New Pieces of Art

Hi there fellow bloggers, how are you all doing today? I am doing fine, been kind of busy of late as I have been working on these pieces of art which I want to also add to my Etsy store, they are as follows: Eiffel Tower Christmas Cards "Joyeux Noel". This stamp caught my eye last week, only because someone from France bought a Christmas card from me......I was so thrilled I had a sale and also that she was my 1st international sale.....so this card is dedicated to "Marinette" Thank you Marinette for your order.

The card was stamped in black ink then I used my copic markers to color in along with my green and red "smooches" gel pen and gold spray mist. Distressed the edges and added "candi" dots on the corners.

This card is a new stamp and folder I bought at a Stamping Rummage Sale. Paid $13.00 for it, at Archivers it is going for $20. There were alot of techniques that went into this card. First it was stamped in black, then colored in with copic markers, then run through the cuttle bug to emboss it. Then I distressed the edges then sponged with white linen distress ink, then sprayed with gold mist, oh and used a gel pen to pop the words, and butterflies. Guess this card should go for about $4.00 cause I used so many different mediums. It is a lovely card though.

I got this idea from an ornament I saw at Shopko and thought, I could make that. Ended up buying the ornament for $6, hopefully I can sell a few to make up the difference. All there is to this is 2.5 circles or scalloped circles folded over, glued and then glued together to form a circle, used speckels to decorate and a strip of cardstock layed across. Calligraphed "Peace" across the strip. Sprayed the ornament with gold spray mist. The following ornament was done the same way only using the word "Love".

"Love"

This card was made back in 2009. Thought I would add it to my Etsy Store and see how it does. The tree can be taken off the card and used as a Christmas tree ornament.

This card was made in 2009 also. Ran the green cardstock through the cuttlebug then colored the trees with sharpie pens, then layered on gold and white cardstock.....very simple.

Well, there you have it, some cards and ornaments I will be adding to my Etsy store, hope you like them, they were all fun to make. Now I have to start working on my cards to send out to friends......a Christmas tree using iris fold strips of ribbon and paper. I think if you go to my Archives you will find a sampling of my Christmas card for 2011 in my first blog for October.

Have a great day and keep looking up for your redemption draweth nigh.

Cheers ~ Louise