Spring/Summer Class Schedule!

Sketchapalooza 4
July 13th – August 10th

Back by popular demand! Do you like using sketches when creating layouts for your scrapbooks? Do challenges and prizes motivate you? Are you looking to do some "catching up" in your scrapbooks? Then this is the class for you!You will be provided with tons of brand new original sketches (5 per week!) with examples from our talented designers during this four-week course. This fast paced exciting class is suitable for any level of scrapper (paper or digital) who wants to get a lot of pages done and have a ball doing it!
Cost: $25.00

New Design Team Announcement

Before we get to the big announcement, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank Amy for the amazing job she has done on the design team for the past six months - not only is her work just amazing but she truly is one of the nicest people I know! A big thanks also goes out to our three past guest design team members : Becky, Megan and Stacy. Each brought their own special touch to our classes and it was a privilege to work with each of them. And last but not least, another big thank you to Stacey who is not only very talented but also helps to keep Feeling Scrappy running smoothly and well - she is just a darn good friend!

And now to announce our new team members!

A big congratulations goes to:

Design Team Member

Stacey Curry

Guest Team Members

Lindsey McFarland

Tracy Kosofsky

Lee Currie

We will be updating the Design Team page with brief bios soon, in the mean time I encourage you to check out their blogs. We are very excited to have the chance to work with these extremely talented ladies!

Oatmeal pancakes!

Most mornings, we have something quick and easy such as cereal or a bagel with cream cheese. But sometimes my son makes a special request for pancakes. Sure, we make the boxed kind that you just add water to...but if you have a little extra time, these are a yummy treat!

Oatmeal Pancakes
(I've lost the source of this recipe!!)

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
2/3 cup quick rolled oats
2/3 cup flour
2 TBS brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp cooking oil
1/4 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, heat milk until hot. Remove from heat. Stir in oats and let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a small bowl, stir together egg, oil and vanilla. Add the egg mixture and oats/milk all at once to the flour mixture and stir until combined (don't over mix it).
4. For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup of the batter onto a hot, lightly greased skillet. Cook over medium heat about 4 minutes or until pancakes are golden brown, flipping them once they have bubbly surfaces and the edges are dry.


These are pretty good plain, in my opinion, but top with the syrup or topping of your choice and enjoy! (My kids usually will eat them plain or with fruit.)
*This recipe makes about 8 pancakes.

Last Chance

Feeling Scrappy's design team call comes to an end Friday, March 27, 2009. If you have been considering this - now is the time. As long as we have your applications by the time we get up on Saturday you will be considered (and I like to sleep in on Saturdays :wink:) You only need to create one new layout - the rest can be previously completed layouts. You can read all the detailed information at the link below. Good Luck!!

Details Here!

Glimmer Mist

If you haven't tried using Glimmer Mist, you're missing out! Although, I have to admit that when I bought my first bottle, it mostly sat unused for a very long time. Now, it's my favorite way to dress up chipboard and even ghost shapes! It's a bit messy, but worth it!

My tips:

1. Place the object you want to use on a large scrap paper or even inside a box. I usually set it on a piece of paper right inside the trash can by my craft desk.

2. Shake it really, really well. Look at the bottom of the bottle to make sure that all of the glimmer has been combined with the color.

3. Spray lightly holding it at least a few inches away. You can always add more but you can't undo what you add.

4. Move the object to a safe area to dry completely. With regular old chipboard, it only takes a couple of minutes. If you are using it with Grungeboard or a ghost shape, it takes a while longer to absorb and dry. You also might need another coat with the Grungeboard. I have also occasionally found that I needed to blot some of the extra mist off of the object (especially with ghost shapes!).

Have fun with it!!! Try experimenting spraying different things. (I think I need to go pick up some more colors-I only have four! LOL)

Brownie in a Mug

According to my kids, there is something special about eating a warm brownie out of a mug that is so much better then cutting a square from the pan. They love it and it is quick and easy to make on a cold, rainy afternoon.

Brownie in a Mug

4 Tbsp of flour
4 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa
a dash of salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp water
1/4 tsp vanilla
Chocolate chips (optional)
Whip cream (optional)

Mix together dry ingredients in a large coffee mug. Add oil, water and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Mix in a few chocolate chips if desired. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes. Cool a couple of minutes, add whip cream and enjoy! (This is also great with a small scoop of ice cream and some hot fudge!!)

I make myself a lower calorie version by using splenda instead of sugar, sugar-free pudding or yogurt instead of oil. YUM!

Spring garden planning

Without a doubt, my favorite part of spring is the opportunity to bring my outdoor spaces to life with lots of beautiful color! There is something so rejuvenating and rewarding about planting flowers and tending to them as they grow. I like to plan my planting out so my trips to the nursery are the most productive possible. The two sites below are terrific for researching the different flower varieties that will work with the light, heat, and moisture of your space.

If you have limited space to plant flowers directly in the ground, I urge you to give container gardening a whirl! For the scrapbooker in each of us, planning and creating a pot of coordinating flowers and foliage is a lot like creating a beautiful scrapbook page. Try it and see for yourself!

http://simplybeautifulgardens.com/default.aspx
http://provenwinners.com/ce_main.cfm?pwMainPage

Happy planting!

Spring cleaning...naturally!

As the weather warms, many of you are probably like me and start thinking about spring cleaning. In the last year or so, I have been trying out a few homemade recipes for cleaning solutions. Not only are these supplies very inexpensive to make, they are also much safer for your family since they contain none of the toxic chemicals you find in most store-bought products. My magic ingredient that I have started using for just about every task at hand? Vinegar!

This website includes some great tips and recipes for many different cleaning solutions. Have fun trying them out, and happy spring cleaning!

http://www.treehuggingfamily.com/25-safe-non-toxic-homemade-cleaning-supplies/

Use up some stickers!

If you are anything like me, you have loads of stickers that you just don't use anymore. I suggest you pull some of those stickers out to make a few spring cards. You can use the stickers as it or spice them up a bit with stickles, glitter and pen work.

On this card I added some dimension by layering two stickers on top of one another using pop dots in between and added a strip of ribbon between two lace stickers to add some texture.

Reminder: Our Design Team call is in full swing! The deadline to get your applications in is March 27th. Check out the details here: Design Team Call We encourage everyone to give it a go :) Happy Friday!

Feel the warmth!

Is anyone else looking forward to warmer days as much as I am? I look forward to lots of days playing outside this spring and summer! We actually went outside for a little while today to play and didn't freeze! Hooray!

To get into the spirit, here are a few warmer weather layouts by the design team.

A layout by me:



A layout by Amy:



A layout by Jayne:


I hope you have a wonderful day!!

Braised Chicken with Fire-Roasted Tomatoes

So what's a girl to do when she knows she wants to cook a Sunday meal for her family, but time is of the essence? I faced this conundrum yesterday afternoon. We (ahem, my hubby) had been working hard building our new herb garden yesterday afternoon, and we didn't wrap up until about an hour before suppertime. I wanted something good, but fast. With a quick scan of my pantry, I remembered this amazing recipe from Relish Magazine last January. The ingredients are super simple, but the subtle touch of orange zest in the sauce makes the flavor of this dish downright exotic! I served this over brown rice alongside a salad with a honey-balsamic vinaigrette and a nice baguette. Enjoy!

Braised Chicken with Fire-Roasted Tomatoes

1 (14½-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (I used Hunts brand)

¾ cup canned lower-sodium chicken broth

1½ tablespoons tomato paste

1½ teaspoons grated orange rind

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1⁄8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons seasoned dry breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

½ green bell pepper, cut into thin strips (I substituted an orange bell pepper)

1 onion, vertically sliced

1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms

¾ cup shredded provolone or mozzarella cheese

1. Combine tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, orange rind, salt and pepper in a large bowl; set aside.

2. Lightly coat chicken with breadcrumbs. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

3. Heat remaining oil in skillet. Add green pepper, onion and mushrooms; saute 7 to 12 minutes, or until mushroom liquid evaporates and vegetables are tender.

4. Return chicken and any juices to pan; spoon vegetables over top. Add tomato mixture. Cover, bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until chicken is done, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and cook until cheese melts, about 1 minute.

Shamrock Shakes

At our house, St. Patrick's day means Shamrock Shakes for the kids after school! My kids have never actually had a McDonald's Shamrock Shake - we make our own (Just vanilla milk shakes with green food coloring, whip cream and green sprinkles) but they look forward to them every year. I did a little search on google for Shamrock Shakes and you would not believe the amount of information available! One thing I wanted to share today is this old commercial from 1980 for Shamrock Shakes and it sure brought back memories for me. Enjoy!

Shamrock Shake Commercial from 1980

4 Photo Sketch

We have been busy creating layouts in the Sketchapalooza 3 class. We all love using sketches as a starting point for our layouts so we thought we would share a sketch with your from our last class along with a few sample layouts. Hope you feel inspired to scrap this weekend!

Amy Bell's layout:

Jayne Jones' layout:

Stacy Killion's layout:

Design Team Call!

Feeling Scrappy has an opening for one designer and three guest designers on our Design Team! We are seeking creative and fun scrapbookers who have the ability to inspire and motivate others with their work. No previous design team experience is required and we encourage all styles of scrappers to apply!

The Design Team member will be for a six-month term (April 2009-September 2009) and the Guest Designers will each serve a different two-month term (April/May 2009, June/July 2008 and August/September 2009).


Design Team Members and Guests will be expected to do the following during their term:
1.) Design approx 4-5 layouts per month (based on classes) to be used as examples.
2.) Promote Feeling Scrappy whenever possible and create a link on your blog or website if applicable.
3.) Participate on a scheduled basis on the blog - working to make it a fun and inspiring place to read. (This includes posting and assisting with contests, crops and challenges.)
4.) Help with class development and be active during classes providing support and encouragement to students.

For your commitment you will receive:
Regular DT member - recognition as a Design Team Member, a scrap supply kit every other month and free classes during your term.
Guest DT members – recognition as a Guest DT Member, a free class during your term and ½ off the next class if you choose to take advantage of it.

We will accept applications for the Design Team call from Thursday, March 12, 2009 until Friday, March 27, 2009. We will announce the new team members here on the blog on Monday, March 30, 2009.

*Regular Design Team members limited to US addresses only please due to shipping costs unless you are willing to work under an adjusted mailing schedule (e-mail us for details.) Guest Design Team may be located anywhere.

How to apply:
Send the following to feelingscrappydesignteam@yahoo.com

1.) Your basic information: name, address, phone number and e-mail.
2.) Five 12x12 scrapbook layouts (at least one of which should be a new layout not posted anywhere on the web) and one altered project of your choice.
3.) A link to your blog and/or image hosting site (if applicable)
4.) A short bio about yourself that includes the answers to the following questions:
How long have you been scrapping?
Are you active on any message board and if so which ones?(Please include user name.)
Why do you want to be on a design team?
Are you on any other design teams? If so, why do you want to be on more than one?
How would you be able to promote Feeling Scrappy classes?
How much time per day or week can you devote to Feeling Scrappy?
What do you feel you could bring to the Design Team at Feeling Scrappy?
Would you be willing to serve as either a regular DT member or as a guest DT member?
If you would be interested in serving as a Guest DT, are there any months between April and September 2009 that would not work for you?

We encourage everyone to apply and we look forward to getting to know you! If you have specific questions e-mail us at feelingscrappydesignteam@yahoo.com
Good Luck!

A scrapper you should know!

Our featured scrapper this week...

Kari Ann Sweeney

Many of you might know already know Kari Ann through her time as a DT member with Feeling Scrappy last year. I know I find her work to be such a source of inspiration, and I'm sure many of you feel the same! She does such a beautiful job taking the simplest of elements and making them shine in dynamic and completely innovative ways. She is also one of the most genuinely thoughtful people I know, never failing to remember a birthday or anniversary or just about any date you can possibly think of. This girl is a gem!

To learn more about Kari and to see samples of her work, read on, and then be sure to check out her blog!

How and when did you first start scrapbooking?

I started scrapbooking in high school but put together my first real book in 1995 after I returned from studying abroad for a year in Japan. I look at it now and realize I should re-do it because nothing in it is archival safe. The scrapbooking bug really bit when I started dating my husband and we had our kids.

What is the most important aspect to scrapbooking to you?

I really try to keep the focus on the photo and the story behind it. I'm a big stickler for journaling. Handwritten if possible. I think it's important that that piece of me is on the page for my family and children to look at when I'm gone.

What are your favorite pages to work on?

Everyday moment pages. Those little snippets of your regular life that you want to commit to paper. I always think of Ferris Bueller- "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once and ahile you could miss it" I see scrapbooking as a way to 'pause' it.

What if anything do you find hard to scrap?

Holiday and event pages.

What kind of camera do you use? Do you love it or hate it?

I have a Canon Rebel XTi and I LOVE it. I love the SLR feature and it takes some amazing. I also have a Sony Cyber-Shot that I carry in my purse. It's a great little camera.

What do you enjoy most about scrapbooking?

I love the feeling I get knowing that I'm putting memories to paper. On a selfish side I get really excited when a page turns out well. It makes me feel so good inside. Scrapbooking has truly turned into an escape for me. A good escape.

Tell us a little about your family.

I've been married to Nick for 5 years. He runs his own Graphic Design/Website business from our house. This allows him to watch our youngest daughter, Scout who is 18 month old. Our oldest daughter, Bennet is 3 years old. Both my girls are just happy, crazy, go-go-go kids. I work outside the home as a Project Manager in the Office Furniture industry.

Tell us about the things outside of scrapbooking that you enjoy.

I love to travel. I have been dreaming of a 4 day weekend in NYC with DH. I also LOVE movies and TV. I'm a bit of an entertainment trivia geek.

Tell us something about yourself that your Feeling Scrappy friends do not know.
My name was supposed to be Tessa. I was a big baby, 9 lbs. 15 oz. My mom was afraid I'd grow up to be a little chubby and everyone would call me Two Ton Tessa. So they named me Kari Ann. When I asked her why they spelled it 'Kari' she couldn't remember. I guess I should just be lucky I have a name at all :)

Two of Kari's favorite pages...

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

Hot Chicken Salad

While not exactly diet friendly, this is wonderful comfort food! My husband’s grandma, “Grams” would make this for us every time we came over for lunch. It continues to be a family favorite and reminds us of her every time we make it.

Hot Chicken Salad
From Grams (Thelma Foster)

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped up
1 cup diced celery
2 TBS minced onion
4 TBS mayo
2 TBS lemon juice
2 cans cream of chicken soup
Crushed potato chips
Toasted sliced almonds

Directions:
1. Mix together the mayo, lemon juice and soup and set aside.
2. Sprinkle some of the crushed potato chips on the bottom of a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.
3. Add the celery on top of the chips, then the diced chicken and the onions. Pour the soup mixture over all of it.
4. Sprinkle some more crushed potato chips and sliced almonds on top.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.
Enjoy!!

Here's a layout I made for our Kitchen Keepsakes album:

Mosaic Maker

Just a wanted to share this really fun website that makes your photos into mosaics.
Mosaic Maker
Hope you are having a great weekend!!

Scrapping by number!

It can sometimes be difficult to come up with fresh ideas and ways to scrap everyday topics. How about incorporating numbers into a page to help tell the story? All of the following samples do just that! The options here really are endless: birthdays, anniversaries, school themes, etc.

If you have any number-themed pages or if you decide to create one, we'd love to see your lovely creations in the comment section!

My example

Jayne's example

Stacey's example

Featured layout

We are only in the first week of Sketchapalooza and the excitement in class is high! We've seen lots of wonderful layouts already. Here's one by Lindsey McFarland that I would like to highlight and share with you today! Lindsey uploaded this to the class gallery using the first sketch (by Amy!).

She also has a new scrappy blog you should check out if you get a chance! http://www.papercreationsbylindsey.blogspot.com/

Quick Cauliflower Soup

It is a cold and snowy day here so I thought I would share a good cold weather soup with you. It is really easy to make and I serve it with crusty bread and a nice salad. Enjoy!

Quick Cauliflower Soup

2 Tbs butter
1 small onion (chopped)
2 ribs of celery including leaves (chopped)
3 cups chicken stock or broth
1 small head cauliflower (cooked)
1 cup cream or milk
salt and pepper to taste

Cook your cauliflower until tender (I steam mine.) Heat the butter and saute the onion and celery until tender but not brown. Add the chicken stock, cauliflower and seasonings and simmer for about 20 minutes. I puree in the blender since my family prefers a smooth consistency but the original recipe says to mash the cauliflower a bit with a fork. Add milk and heat through. Serve.

Not the prettiest soup but it is yummy :)