Never Fail RED VELVET fudge

In recent years, red velvet has become one of the most popular cakes, cupcake and flavours to serve for parties and events. I searched for the perfect red velvet fudge recipe, one that did not require me to be an expert or have special tools in my cupboard to get it done right. Luck for me, I am quite adventurous and decided to adapt a popular marshmallow recipe to re-create the cake into a special gifting Christmas treat.

You can find the recipe with the link or by clicking on the image. I have added it to the new friendscookbook, where you too can add recipes and share them with you FB friends.

Cheers and enjoy the sweets!
Viviana
I'll be joining in these linky parties:

Now This BLOG is FABULOUS!

I have been lifting ideas, images and inspiration from this blog for a few months now, so I suppose it's time I gave her props and shared with all of you how fabulous Cathe Holden and her blog Just Something I Made really is.
I have used no less than 6 of her tutorials and ideas in my own household, and that is really amazing since I always thought I has some great things going.
One of my favourites and latest finds deep in her archives is this, which I will share with you because I'm sure she won't mind, and I am using today. I have tons of fabric and leather renmants lying around in piles and in drawers, last night I gathered them up and I am in the process of printing the pdf file for Organizing Fabric Renmants as we speak (I'm multi-tasking!!). It is time to get them rolled up and sorted in my newly acquired giant drawer filing cabinet.

You can get the PDF format labels to print yourself from her tutorial.


Another one of my favourite tutorials was this one,

called Leather Mounting Plaques, using the free pdf file (which you can get from Cathe's blog)
I made a few brooches and it gave me the idea for using some die cuts for a similar look.

I have too many charms and just wasn't sure what to do with some, so this was a perfect way to make unique gifts and items for my Etsy Shop.



For my next project (as soon as I get my sewing machine back) I will be making this!

I happen to have a few placemats in a blue flower print, which I picked up more than 5 years ago for 10cents each at liquidation world. I'm tired of squashed tissue boxes in my mini-van, and using this idea will save me from the frustration of muddy/slushy boot prints on my kleenx next time I go use one. I will eventually post a picture for you all to see the finished product.

Anyhow, if one day you find yourself bored and looking for some wonderful inspiration from a great designer, go visit Cathe at Just Something I Made, you'll find yourself lost in her blog for hours!

Sharing some Images,

I just wanted to share with you all a tiny sampling of some of the vintage images I have collected in the past year. I use them for cards, tags, ATC's and tons of other altered art projects.



I created this card with that image,



These other two I have yet to use, but I love them both.





The images are from several different blogs I follow. The images are free to be used for your projects and altered art to sell, but please don not sell them individually or as part of a group of digital images, that would be rude. If you do use them, let us see a picture of your work too! I will add a post with a bunch of the links to all the blogs and sites I know that have freebies of really gorgeous vintage images. There are tons out there, you just have to spend hours a day looking for them! Also, see my sidebar, there are 4 sites for ideas and for free images whose badges I've added, click on them to be linked to their site!

An Amazing Find At the Queensland Craft Fair!

OK, I'm not a glass connoisseur and I don't normally buy really pricey gifts for family with the exception of my son... but I think I found a treasure with the purchaes I made this weekend at the craft fair. I was there as a vendor for my other business (Sand Magic Creations), but I also wanted to shop a bit, get my handmade Christmas stuff bought up.
I saw this one table, lots of people stopping by it, well lets just say, it was busier than most with how sales are going this year.
Anyhow, long story short, I bought 7 glass bowls for less than $70, and they are gorgeous! I am sure that in a boutique at the mall the small one would probably sell for $30-40 and the larger ones for $60-70, so I think I got a great deal. That's why I love craft fairs!




Ok, the pictures do not do them justice really, because once you get a candle in there they look incredible (I used a tealight for sizing, but could not find a match in the house to light it with!!).




Anyhow, what do you think?? I love how the dark brown melts into the green and also the rainbow effect on the sandblasted one.

I love them all, so now I don't know wether I will part with any of them. So much for getting the Christmas shopping out of the way!

Scrapshotz Fall Crop, very productive!!

This fall, I was lucky enough to get to attend another crop hosted by Scraphshotz, here in Calgary. As these events usually go, I get lots of talking done, tons of ideas, I buy lots of stuff, and make nothing (atleast get nothing finished).

For the first time, I was a woman with a vision and on a mission. I wanted to get a few gifts done for family members and get some CD tins done for sending picture CD's to the 3 grandmas, instead of making albums which cost way too much to ship, everyone likes digital these days.

My friend Crystal signed up too, so she came down from Edmonton for the event.

She was working on getting some tags done for the gifts she is giving to her co-workers, you can tell it's a labour of love, she had about 6083486 of these tiny reindeer to colour! I'm not big into the colouring.....


That's us, early enough to still look perky since the crop went from 11 am until midnight(we stuck it out till the end too). We got pizza for dinner and a second wind long enough to get things accomplished!
That's Crystal, Lizette and Me!



I got 3 CD tins finished, got 4 Hot Cocoa/Tea Tins done too, I squeezed in an alcohol inked acrylic album (for our mini albums collection), and last but not least 3 Christmas cards and 2 wrapped chocolate bars too.
I actually did tons of stamping, and heat embossing, and I did some die cuts too, all with stamps and dies I don't own (borrowed from some of the wonderful ladies attending the crop). I had a great time and came home with a great little door prize, a light Merry go Round light box!!!



As forCrystal and her 60 reindeer, I think she's still there adding stickles to the pile!