Patriotism

            Please remember those men and women who keep us free today as you enjoy your holiday

                                                                                AND

                         Please join me on Tuesday and link up as I’m launching Tool Tuesday

               I’m anxious to be able to see what tools you have in the creative side of your life!

Family

Hi, Friends! I thought I’d share a couple of the professional photos our family had recently and how I’ve embellished them with my scrapbook creator…

Here’s the entire family…

(Left to right: Husband Michael, Daughter Megan & her baby Madison and husband Oliver, my son Ben, Suzie Button, son Daniel, and daughter Katie)

This family portrait is a rare event around here, we hadn’t had a family photo since Katie was like 3 years old and she’s 21 now! EEK! I always just did the kids alone, always trying to lose weight, blah, blah, well, now I’m heaviest I’ve ever been and I just don’t care anymore, I want a family photo!

Next you’ll recognize my Miss Madison, my first sweet Granddaughter…

Now you must admit this little face IS “Serious Sweetness”!!!

Next I found a sweet quote, and I think it really added to the feeling of the picture, don’t you?

I have to admit I was quite nervous when this photo was taken! I am just off the camera there, ready to jump if Madison decided to take a swim in the reflection pool! ha!

Well, I could create on my scrapbook creator software all day, but I must stop now and get to work in my job! Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Tool Tuesday Debut!

                                             I’m a tool addict…. I want all the gadgets, all the goodies!
                           Whether it’s sewing, scrapbooking, creating an embroidered gift or a pillow
                                                    to grace my bed, I’m always looking for a new tool to
                                                                                 create with!
                              Sometimes it’s a conventional tool like the basics, scissors (lots of sizes!)
                                                                           thread, stickers, paper and glue
                                                   But more often what really gets me going is seeing a tool in use…
                                               via a video tutorial, a blog, or from a friend or a magazine…
                                                                                        Then I WANT it!
                                        This is a blessing and a curse, because you should see my chaotic craft room!
                                                            I think you’re familiar with what I’m saying…
                                        and I thought we could share our tools and what we’re using them to create!
                                 To begin “Tool Tuesday” I thought I’d share my NEWEST gadget…..
                                                            DRUM ROLL…..


Yes, it’s a Sizzix Big Shot! It is a Mother’s Day gift to myself! Yippee!
What made me want this tool was seeing a blog hop party at Eileen Hulls' Thoughts from my Studio where they used the Sizzix Cake Die…

              And there were creations like this…
                                                               Bonnie Bruns Blog
                                                                   And this…

                                                        Karen Burinston's I am not left-handed
              What I really liked about the features of the Big Shot were that it is universal and can
                                                       use any other brand die-cut, plus there are a lot of 3-D dies to
                        make awesome cards and boxes, etc. which really was exciting to me as when a craft
                                is 3-D, to me it becomes “real” not just a flat object, so it’s like it’s come alive!
                                 What tools do you have and how do you use them and what do you create?
                           Please join me on Tuesdays for “Tool Tuesday” and add your McLinky and join in!
            Here are the rules..
1. Share your tool and your craft and post it.


2. Share anything using any kind of tool that could result in goodies that include, but not exclusive to cooking, knitting, sewing, painting, paper crafts, metal crafts, blah, blah, blah... anything using a tool of some sort.

3. Please don’t link up to promote your blog post or another linky party.
     Also please link to the post for Tool Tuesday, not your blog.

4. Post my cute button on my side bar with a link back to Suzie Button Creations.

                    

Celebrating Pink Saturday!

Yes, we’re having a Party Today and you’re invited! We’re tooting our horns and putting on

                      our special occasion outfits just to celebrate Pink Saturday and our lovely host Beverly

                           because this is our anniversary! Yes, Yes, it is!

                                 Let’s announce our party to all!

                                               Please invite your friends, and I’m inviting some, well, one of my

                                                            FAVORITE party friends!

                                                     Yes, it is! It’s none other than Miss Madison!

                                                       She’s wearing the ruffles and blowing some bubbles to say welcome!

                                  Attention! Attention! All party friends need to wear a Party Hat!

                                                                   Martha Stewart Party Hats

                                            I’ve strung a garland and I’m preparing the punch…

                                                                 Martha Stewart Festive Garland

                                                Well, LOOK, it’s Beverly herself, our lovely host!

                                                        And she’s brought flowers! How sweet!

                                                           Yes, Beverly, those will be lovely on our table!

                                  Well, what is a party without delightful and Yummy party food!

                                      What’s that, you say? Suzie Button, what is on the menu?!

                                                                                                              DIVINE!

                                       Please let our French waiter seat you, my Pink Saturday friend!

                                                                He is a bit flirtatious but you can’t beat a French man!

                                                   Here is your appetizer…

                                                  Martha Stewart Summer Squash with Basil Pistou

                                             Yes, please enjoy yourself!

                                                      Now onto our main course…

                                               Warm Chicken, Mushroom and Spinach Salad

                                                                                Delightful!

                                                 Would you like a side dish also?

                                                                         Tomatoes Gratinee

                                       After such a sumptuous meal, you might like to stretch your legs  a bit…

                                                                          Maestro! Music, please!

                                                      Ah! Such a lovely tune, I think I shall dance!

                                                                        OOHHH! Maybe I’m kicking just a smite too high!

                                                                                                 EEEKKKK!

                             Let’s retire to the gazebo for dessert….

                                  We have a very sweet and summery dessert made especially for you!

                                                                         Layered Caramel Cake

                                   Oh, thank you for noticing my summer decorations!

                                                 Yes, I did make them myself!

                                                               Martha Stewart Star Medallions

                                       We’ve hired entertainment for this special event also…

                                                               How appropriate, a PINK poodle!

                                                            It’s been wonderful having you here!

                                                  Madison and I hope you’ll come back soon!

              Special Love and Thanks to Free Pretty Things for You for the FREE vintage images!

What you create Blog Party!

Hi, Friends! I'm a bit slow getting my post up today, but I don't want to be left out, so I'm scrambling here!
I'm joining in today on Andrea's What you Create Blog Party!
I LOVE to sew and just don't have as much time for it as I used to, plus I love swaps! I thought I'd share an oldie today with you that I made in my very first swap back in 2008 when I first started blogging...
It was a Wizard of Oz swap and I made this for my partner...

My first full length apron ever!

It was a tremendous amount of work, but I was so pleased with how it turned out!

I stitched "Close your eyes and tap your heels together three times and think to yourself, there's no place like home" on the apron ties!

I then wanted to complete the Dorothy ensemble in how I packaged it up...

Swaps are so much fun on both sides, the creating in our craft rooms

and the receiving of a box full of goodies on the other!

I hope to visit you in your craft room as we spread the creations in this blog party!

Embroidery Heaven!

Have you seen the latest DYI video?!! Love the beach towel and washcloth caddy!

I also love the embroidery tape they mentioned in the video and the threads up in the giveaway? Well, to-die-for fantastic if you embroider like I do!

Friendly Bloggers

Don’t you just love the most how friendly and sharing our blogger friends are?!

                                 I DO!

Thanks to my new blogging friend Elaine from At Home with Elaine for sharing where to find the book images at ScrapBlog.com…

                                                                                This I Love!

Digital Fun!

I’m a fan of digital scrapbooking and seem to go in and out of phases where I’ll create a lot with digital and then I get away from it for a bit.

I was looking for some cool freebies out there, and my goodness are there a LOT of wonderfully talented and generous digital image artists out there!

I created this today in the middle of working my everyday job…

           the gorgeous lace background I found for FREE at Wishing on a Starr 

                            and the scrolly detail on the picture at Kelly Jos

                                     Beautiful gorgeous baby picture by Heather C. King Photography

This journey to find digital scrapbooking elements today all began because I found this beautiful blog… A Creative Mint who has amazingly gorgeous photos and drop-dead gorgeous digital frames and this one  really caught my eye…

                                                                                Pretty! Pretty!

  I wanted a digital book like this one for my blogging pictures and so I started googling…

                    I never found one, does anyone out there have any leads for me?

                                               What are your favorite digital sites?

Love at first sight?

                           Oh, well, not quite really at first sight, but DEFINITELY at first Bite!!!

                                         Yes, these Peanut Butter cupcakes are FANTASTIC!

                                                   Here’s the recipe….

Peanut Butter w/ Chocolate Glaze Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

For cupcakes
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter, room temp
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

For chocolate glaze
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

To make cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tin cupcs with paper cupcake liners

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl and set aside

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, peanut butter and brown sugar until smoothly blended and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Mix in egg. Add vanilla and beat for 1 minute or until batter smooth.

On low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing until the flour is incorporated and the batter looks smooth.

Fill each liner with a generous 1/4 cup of batter, to about 1/3 inch below the top of the liner. Bake just until the tops feel firm and are lightly browned and a toothpic inserted in the center comes out clean, about 22 minutes. There will be cracks on the top. Cool cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pan on wire rack.

To make chocolate glaze
In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and butter over low heat until the cream is hot adn the butter has melted. The mixture should form tiny bubbles and measure about 175F on a thermometer; do not let it boil.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the milk chocolate and let it sit in the hot cream for 30 secs to soften. Add the vanilla and whisk the glaze until it is smooth and all the chocolate has melted. (Return the glaze to low heat if necessary to melt the chocolate completely, whisking constantly.) The glaze should be thick enough to hold its shape when spread over the cupcakes. If it is too liquid to spread, let it sit at room temp for 5-15 minutes, depending on the temp of your kitchen.

                             The recipe is from….

                                                         Cupcakes! By Elinor Klivans 

                                                 Really, You must try this recipe! It’s double YUMMY!

Pink Saturday Memories

Hi Friends! I am posting this morning instead of my usual late Friday evening for Pink Saturday

because I had been out late last night to see Little House on the Prairie the Musical here in Dallas

as part of the summer musicals!

It was such fun watching the story unfold of beloved characters from the Little House books that I remember just devouring when I was about 12 years old….

                              There’s “Ma” in her Pink prairie dress!

             I thought the musical was very well written and of course you can still hear the “half pint”

      in the  sweet voice when the wonderful Melissa Gilbert spoke! She has such a distinctive voice

                                        to me that epitomizes who Half Pint was.

                                           Thoroughly enjoyable!

                                                     Please visit Alaina over at Arbor House Lane also on your

                                                                     Pink Saturday visits!

Beep! Beep! Here come the Cowgirls!

Yes, I’m still in just the beginnings of my craftin’ for the Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat coming up in June!

I’m still working on scrapbooking pages for a swap and a little bit of a book to follow suit!

I purchased the CUTEST Cowgirl image on Etsy from Vintage Bella's Shop and used it on the cover of my cowgirl scrapbook….

                                           Isn’t she a doll?!! I used a vintage rhinestone horseshoe for the closure!

I then found the cutest cowgirl truck stamp at Stamp Asylum in Plano, TX thanks to some sweet

help from their girls there and I used it as the end of my album, with a little surprise inside the trunk…

                                                                           BEEP! BEEP!

                                   It again made it onto a page too….

                                            Pull out the card and write down the memories from P.C.!

                                              And just one more page to share today…

                          I’m trying to use elements that aren’t necessarily considered “cowgirl” and

                               integrating them into the overall effect to add some interest to the layout.

                                           Scrappin’ is FUN!

Simple Elegance

Sometimes beauty isn’t complete when you first find it…

       As was the case with this silver lovely I found at

                          Girls Gone Junkin'       

           All the elements were there, the scrolly handle and legs…

            Plus the vintage patina on the silver…

                But the inside had no bottom!

T hat’s ok, it’s a great price and I can fix  her up….

              Now the simple elegance is beginning to shine through!

        Plus she’s just perfect to hold the shimmery flowers

                                           I’ve made….                                                                               Yes, simply elegant!

Vintage book makeover

I was over at My Desert Cottage signing up for her blog “Where I create” party (You need to sign up too if you haven’t already!) and I was going through her tutorials and found a very easy and fun tutorial to turn a vintage book into a Desk Organizer.

I had a vintage book that I actually picked up in Paris when I went for a girl trip at the flea market…

                        It has a gorgeous leather-like cover and I knew it would be perfect for this!

                                       I began folding all the pages, one by one…

                                      And I scrounged through my images and papers to use and to

                                      create a nice vintage appearance to go along with the book…

                                               And before I knew it I was finished…

                                           A little more stamping on a vintage envelope to start off what it

                                                                      can hold now for me….

                                                                          LOVE it!