More Basic Grey Wisteria

Since I had the Wisteria paper out I decided to create another card following CPS sketch #123. I layered some paper on, sewed around the edges and added some bling, a flower and button.

More Strawberries!

Because we needed to use up the berries, we decided to make a strawberries only crisp(Brittany chose it over muffins). It was yummy!
Here's the recipe:

Strawberry Crisp


1 cup uncooked oatmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
5 cups sliced fresh/frozen strawberries

Mix together oatmeal, flour and brown sugar. Add nuts. Cut in butter or margarine until crumbly. In another bowl, mix strawberries and white sugar together.

Grease an 8-in. square pan. Cover with strawberries. Spread remaining crumb mixture over top. Bake in 350ºF. oven for 45 minutes.

Serve warm or cold with whipped cream or topping.

Basic Grey Wisteria Card

This is my card(click on it for a better view) for the Use It challenge 17 by Joke and Card Patterns sketch 22.



I just found Card Patterns(thanks to Regan!) and this week's sketch by Carla is so adaptable and easy to design with.

At Use It, Joke challenged us to:
1- Use your newest papers - I used Basic Grey's Wisteria papers.
2- There has to be a name on the card - Kelly is the name of one of our nieces.
3- Use at least one button - I used a button with bling too!
4- Use your sewing machine, if you have,or try to stitch, a tiny piece, by hand - I did use my sewing machine and did some handstitching too!

And I popped up the bee on the flower, Ican't create a card without using some foam dots!

Strawberry Picking

On Canada Day Brittany and I went strawberry picking completing one of the items on her summer list.

We picked 6 litres of strawberries.

A closer view of the yummy strawberries.

While the strawberries were small they were tasty and we decided to make a crisp. Brittany selected a Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp recipe from mymarket.ca.

Strawberries and rhubarb ready for the crisp topping.



This recipe puts all the focus on the flavour from the strawberries and rhubarb. It tasted sweet and tangy, the right mix of each fruit.


And here's the recipe.

Serves 8
4 cups (1 L) Ontario Strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
4 cups (1 L) Ontario Rhubarb, washed and sliced into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon
Topping:
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, melted
1 cup (250 mL) each all-purpose flour and large-flake rolled oats (traditional style)
1 cup (250 mL) lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon

In mixing bowl, combine strawberries and rhubarb. Stir in sugar, flour and cinnamon. Spoon into greased 13 x 9-inch (3.5 L) baking dish.

Topping: Combine butter, flour, oats, sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over top. Bake, uncovered in 375 F (190 C) oven 40 to 45 minutes or until fruit is tender.

20 Things Brittany Wants To Do This Summer

Since summer vacation has officially started I had Brittany make a list of things she wants to do this summer(within reason of course).

Here's her list:

[ ] Have lunch out with Mom.
[x] Go to Starbucks for a frappucino.Done!
[ ] Go camping with Dad.
[ ] Go to Grand Bend.
[ ] Go shopping in Buffalo.
[ ] Go to Toronto.
[ ] Go to the movies.
[ ] Go fishing.
[ ] Make homemade pizza.
[x] Go to Chapters. Done! Brittany bought herself 4 great books to read.
[ ] Make applesauce.
[ ] Go to Wonderland.
[ ] Play board games.
[ ] Go to a baseball game.
[x] Make rhubarb/strawberry dessert . Done, we made a crisp!
[ ] Visit Gramma.
[ ] Go to the zoo.
[x] Pick strawberries. Done, on Canada day!
[ ] Go shopping.
[ ] Go to a play in Stratford.

We'll have to continue to track how we do on this list throughout the summer!

Garden Blooms

Blooming in our garden right now.

Lilies



More Lilies



Roses


Lilies



Roses



Grasses



Grasses



More Roses



Lilies



Peonies



Roses



Daisies



Nasturiams



More roses



Hmmm, think I like roses and lilies?

Show and Tell Friday

I've been meaning to participate in Show and Tell Friday hosted by Kelli for a little while now.

I finally had a chance to hang some plates my Mom gave me and I love them. Thanks so much Mom



They are bone china by Royal Albert and called Shakespeare's Flowers. Each has a different name with a Shakespearian quote on the back.

This one is called Meadows with Delight. "This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath,may prove a beauteous flower when we next meet." Romeo and Juliet

Next is Primose Beds. "To his music plants and flowers, Ever sprung: as sun and showers.They had made a lasting spring." Henry VIII

Here's Glorious Morning. " Full many a glorious morning I have seen. Flatter the mountain-tops with sovereign eye. Kissing with golden face the meadows green. Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy." Sonnet

And finally, here is Russet Mantle. " Three beauteous springs to yellow autumn turned. In process of the season I have seen." Sonnet

I hope you enjoyed this little trip in Shakespeare's garden!

Red, White and Blue

Yea!!! Cuttlebug Be Inspired is back! This week the challenge is to use red, white and blue as well as buttons and the swiss dot embossing folder.

And while these colours may inspire many of us to create something around the American flag and July 4th, I decided to use my favourite colour of blue, when combined with red, turquoise.




I layered white embossed cardstock on white then added turquoise and red cardstock that I also embossed and to which I used a border punch. I kicked it up a notch by using my new favourite technique of handstitching. Then finished it up with ribbon, flowers and a button!

I do have to say that I'm pretty impressed with how this one turned out! And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that it was inspired by Hanneke, one of the designers on CC.

Brittany's Trip to Quebec City

A couple of weeks ago Brittany travelled to Quebec City with her grade 8 class.
Here's a few photos from this trip that Brittany selected to share. The description of each photo is based on Brittany's perspective.

These are spires of Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, a catholic church. Brittany says it scares her, the bells sound like a death knell to her.

This is the shoreline across from Quebec City and is the city of Levis.

There is ferry service between both cities across the St.Lawrence.

A guard at the excavation site of Samuel De Champlain's manor.

Brittany doesn't remember what this is but thinks it looks cool!

Finally a view of Quebec City from the ferry near Levis.

Brittany truly enjoyed this trip and the freedom in doing something like this on her own!

Thinking of You

I decided to create a card based on Laura's Sketch 29 over at 2 Sketches 4 You. Its been awhile since I've made a card based on Laura or Kazan's sketches but as usual the sketches are so easy to adapt and their designers are so inspiring.

Here's my card:



I used scraps of Shabby Princess by Bo Bunny then added some bling and ribbon. The sentiment is of course popped up on foam dots. And I still have a few scraps of this paper left so more cards may be on the way!

Yes, I Still Scrapbook Layouts

I created this layout last Friday night. I think it is the last of my Costa Rica pics from our trip last year.

I used My Mind's Eye Bloom and Grow paper line along with Prima letters and flowers. Then I dug into my stitching templates and stitched the flourishes. I really do need to stitch on my layouts and cards more, love the effect!