Inky Paws Challenge #20 - SKETCH Challenge

Its time for the Inky Paws Challenge, this time the inspiration is a sketch and I get to play with my (kinda) new Newton's Nook Design stamps. This sketch is so versatile that it took me a while to decide on exactly what I wanted to make!

I finally stuck with a shaker card using the Love Grows stamp set, and this is what I came up with.


Let's get the easy details out of the way first, the twine is from Impress Cards and Crafts, I also got the golden floral tape from there. The thin golden and pink floral tape is from My Mind's Eye. The sentiment is from the Simply Sentiments from Netwon's Nook Designs, stamped with Pink to Red Ombre Ink from Hero Arts. The paper used for the shaker part is also from My Mind's Eye.


For the flowers and leaves on the outside, and the smaller flower and hearts in the shaker, I stamped them using versamark watercolor ink, then embossed with some golden embossing powder. Using a sponge dauber, I colored the flowers and hearts with my hero arts pink to red ombre ink pad. Then followed a lot of fussy cutting :)

For the shaker window, I used my paper trimmer to cut two 2.5 inch squares, one for the back and cut a 2 inch circle out of the second one. It was a little tricky and not a neat as using a die cutting machine, but its okay :) I used some acetate and foam tape to create the window. Because the "filler" is just paper, I didn't need to double up the tape.

I'm off to do some actual work, see you all tomorrow :)

 Happy Crafting!
Farhana   

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#craftingnotcoding: Sequins and Glitter Card

Can it be summer already. I can't wait to be done with school! I made this quick and cute card while taking a break yesterday and thought that I would write up a quick post to share it.


This card is super easy, especially with these flower and leaf sequins from Impress Cards and Crafts. I used some versamark watercolor ink to stamp the stem from a Martha Stewart stamp set and then covered with green glitter. Using some multi media matte I stuck the flowers directly on to the card base (a tweezer comes in handy). I set it aside and let it dry of a bit, then stamped the sentiment from Newton's Nook Designs using memento ink.


This card is an easy one to create for Mother's day, but as I am making a set of Mother's day cards this weekend and needed a birthday card, I used a birthday sentiment :) 


 Happy Crafting!
Farhana   

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Chevron and Polka Dot Birthday Banner

It is Friday yet? Well we all know that I am the queen of procrastinating, so obviously I am not studying for my midterm tomorrow and instead over here on the blog. Kidding! I am probably still in my PJ's jumping from slide to slide right now, but I didn't want you to miss me, so i wrote up this super short post and scheduled it :)

FYI : I am about 6 weeks away from summer break!! I am so looking forward to some down time with my family, friends and lots of time in the kitchen and craft-room (by craft-room I mean moving all my craft stuff to the front of the TV).


I made this banner for a friend's husband a while ago (I never blog on time!), she really liked my Eid Banner and wanted me to recreate it using a combination of chevron and polka dot paper. I think it turned out cute, except that the silver glitter paper doesn't photograph well.

Here's what you need :


- chevron paper
- polka dot paper
- glitter paper
- matching ribbon
- adhesive of choice (I like using tacky glue for the letters and double sided tape for the rest of it)

How much paper do you need? What dies? Head over to my Eid Banner post and find out :)

 Happy Crafting!
Farhana   

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The Simplest Chocolate Layer Cake

Yay to not taking a month to post a dessert recipe! Its really sad how little time I get to spend in the kitchen these days, and what ever time I do get I end up spending cooking/meal prepping for the week. Well more like the next 7 days ahead. Till June, there is no separation between weekends and weekdays, there is only HW due tomorrow and not due tomorrow days. Its all about coding and presentations. But the fact that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel makes it a tad bit easier.


After a really rough week, I had got to spend a ton of time in the kitchen, and I managed to bake a cake. A layer cake for that matter. One of my favorite baking blogger's is Erica Sweet Tooth and she uses 6 inch pans, ALOT. That's when I thought to myself, what if I do the same, that why we won't have cake to last us month and I'll get practice with my layer cakes.


I also thought of naming this cake, the triple chocolate cake, but then decided to go with layer, cause when do I ever bake a layer cake! Yep triple! There is dark cocoa powder in the cake, nutella filling and whipped cream flavored with instant chocolate pudding.


So learnt something new when I went home for spring break this year, you can sweeten/flavor plain whipped cream using instant pudding. So of course I came back with a few packs. Try it with your local brand, it probably won't be that different and let me know! Life is all about experiments, right?


The Simplest Chocolate Layer Cake
Adapted from an odd family recipe. 
Ingredients
For the cake 
3 eggs, separated
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder (I use Hersey's)
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup oil
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence

For the frosting
1 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp instant chocolate pudding

Nutella, melted in the microwave for 7-12 secs

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350*F and grease two 6 inch round pans.
  2. Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl, until stiff. Transfer to a separate bowl and set aside.
  3. Mix the cocoa powder and water until the mixture is smooth.
  4. Beat the egg yolk and the sugar (you can use the same mixture bowl as the egg white, no need to wash it), until the mixture is a pale yellow and light and fluffy.
  5. Add in the oil and vanilla extract and continue mixing.
  6. Add in the dry ingredients and beat until just combined.
  7. Using a rubber spatula fold in the beaten egg whites into batter. Fold until the mixture is just combined. Over folding will deflate the air, and the cake will not rise as much. 
  8. Split the batter into the two pans and bake for 20-25 mins until a cake tester (or toothpick) comes out clean.
  9. While the cakes cool on a wire rack, beat the whipped cream with the instant chocolate pudding powder in a chilled bowl.
  10. To assemble the cake, fill the center with Nutella and then using a spatula cover the entire cake with whipped cream. Add sprinkles if you like.

Enjoy!
Farhana

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Blogger View: Pretty Pink Posh

Time for another round of BloggerView, this time I got to learn a little bit more about Paulina, the blogger behind Pretty Pink Posh. I cannot remember which social media platform I first came across her, but now I cannot imagine card making without her expertise! And if you have been following my blog, then you might have noticed that I have been taking part in a card challenge over at Sparkle and Shine where Paulina is a sponsor.

In addition to blogging Paulina has a sequin and die online store. I cannot wait till I get my Big Shot, as I have all her dies on my wish list. Oh, summer please come quicker! just about 7 more weeks!!

Now time to get to know Paulina a little better.

1. How long have you been blogging?
I've been blogging for off and on since 2008. 

2. What made you start blogging?
I started blogging as a way to participate in card challenges and write down random thoughts.

3. Do you remember your first blog post, if so what was it?
Yes, funny enough, it was about my favorite Starbucks drink at the time! 


4. Do you blog full time or is it a hobby?
Blogging isn't my full-time job, per se. I started blogging casually and then it turned into something I did more regularly and slowly, as my following grew, I turned it into a job and from that, launched my business. It's the typical one thing led to another scenario... (though it took many years to get there). 

5. Who is your favorite blogger?
I can't say I have a favorite blogger. So many of my friends are bloggers, so it would be like picking a favorite friend. 

6. What is your favorite social media?
Instagram and Facebook are my favorite social media platforms. I love how visual Instagram is,but I like the community that Facebook brings. 

7. What is your favorite crafting tool?
Oh, that's a hard one. I would say it's my Big Shot machine. 

8. What is your favorite season or holiday to blog about?
I really love blogging about Christmas and everything surrounding it. Whether it be the cards, the shopping, or random encounters that happened during that season- it's all special. 

9. Something that you can't live with out?
My phone

10. Any words for new and aspiring bloggers?
Keep blogging, even when you feel like no one reads your posts. It took years before I gained any sort of "following" and I still have a ways to go before I reach my dream following. Perseverance and determination is key.

Here are just a few of my favorite cards from Paulina. Be sure to check out her blog and youtube channel!


1. Love the layered stamping on this card. (details here)
2. I want this stamp set, like NOW. And a few copics :D (details here)
3. This card is prefect for graduation! Aren't the monster so cute! (details here)
4. Layering sequins like this is so much fun, kind of therapeutic too. (details here)
5.  As soon as I get my hands on some dies, I am making this one. (details here)
6. Just when you thought her cards were amazing, she starts party planning! (details here)

Enjoy!
Farhana

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Paper Mania {March}

I posted about a month ago while on spring break about Paper Mania, and last month I was on track with my "homework" done before I left for spring break. This time I procrastinated, like I do all the time.


This month's supplies were "monochromatic" and the challenge was "this is what _____ looks like". I was so hard to choose which papers to use as backgrounds and which ones to cut up. After a lot of staring this is what I came up with.


I just loved the print on this side of the page and didn't want to over crowd it. I used on of the rub ons from the kit to complete the challenge, and I embossed the rest of the text using a Fiskars Alphabet Stamps. Lastly I added some of the embellishments that came with the kit.


I put little more effort into the second page with some paper punching and collage prints.


This layout started with using my border frame punch from Martha Stewart as an edge punch to create the border. I used the journal card that came with the kit for the sentiment.


This kit has helped me to (re)start scrapbooking, and I decided to work my way backwards, so I used pictures from our most recent "mini" trip to the tulips festival and Anacortes. (details on this will come soon!!) I used Picasa to create the collages and printed at Walgreens, its so lovely to have one so close!

I'm so looking forward to tomorrow's meeting and kit. Follow along to see what I'll be creating next month :)

 Happy Crafting!
Farhana   

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Sparkle and Shine : Challenge 4

Finally I have a few days to breathe. Just submitted slides for a paper presentation last night, and guess I have the presentation today. But at least no coding due, right now. Don't get me wrong there is a lot of coding to be done, still hoping for the day that my app starts to look like an app. And I have to get started on studying for my midterm. But before I get to all that, let me share my entry to the Sparkle and Shine challenge. This challenge was a sketch.


I initially made a flowery shaker card to enter into this challenge, but then I thought that I have been making too many flower cards and challenged myself to make something a little more masculine/boyish.


As I was trying to make this card masculine, I thought sequins were a tab bit girly, esp all the colors I have, but added some "sparkle and shine" using rhinestones and silly eyes embellies from Pretty Pink Posh. I used matching scrap papers left over from a banner, and the little monsters are from the monster mash stamp set from Lawn Fawn. (shout out to Laurie at Ben Franklin Crafts and Frames for special ordering them for me :D, I love the customer service that I get there!). 


I stamped the monsters onto some water color paper using black stazon ink. Then I colored them in using distress markers and a water brush pen. After they dried, I fussy cut them, added the silly eye embellies and sequins using multi medium matte and rhinestones, then stuck them onto the card stock using foam tape. The little banner that I added was created by sticking washi tape onto some scrap paper and punching out using my ek success pennant punch. Then stuck them on using some glue. Lastly, I added the layers onto the card base using my ATG and added a sentiment from the same stamp set as the monster stamps.


 Happy Crafting!
Farhana   

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#craftingnotcoding: Roses for Mothers Day Card

Can you feel summer in the air? I know it only spring, and I still have 50ish days till I can fully enjoy summer and all that it has to offer, but the weather is just teasing me to drop everything and just sit outside. Its really lovely to come home when there is still light outside, be able to go for walks without a huge jacket and best of all I can have the heat off and the doors/windows open!


Spring means that Mother's Day is around the corner and the perfect excuse for me to make card! This one is using Love Grows from Newton's Nook Designs and Neon Inks from Hero Arts.


To make this card, I first embossed multiple roses and leaves on a scrap piece of white paper using versamark ink and white embossing powder and a heat gun. Then using a sponge dauber slowly blend in the neon ink on to the flowers and the leafs. Once they are all colored in, fussy cut and set aside and prep the card base that they will go on. For the card base use a sponge dauber to blend in a blue background, and then stamp the sentiment using any darker shade of blue that you might have, I used Bahama Blue from Memento Inks. Lastly add/layer the cut flowers and leaves on to the card base. I used both my ATG gun and some foam tape


All that is left to do is sign it and mail it!

(Sidenote : if anyone wants this card or something similar, perhaps with a different sentiment, please let me know, I'll be glad to make one for you :) )

 Happy Crafting!
Farhana   

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The Fruit Pizza {and a Book Review}

Been a while since I posted a recipe. Seeing as this started off as a baking blog, one would expect their to be some desserts showing up once in a while. But as I mentioned in many a posts before, its been rough with all the school work. We even had to cancel our mini road trip this past weekend cause someone didn't start their HW on time!


I don't know about you, but here in the NW I think that spring is here to stay. Not that I hate winter or anything, but spring means that summer is around the corner, and I am so excited for this summer! What your favorite thing about the warmer days? For me its all the fresh fruit! I love desserts with fresh fruits on them, not so much in them though! I made a Berry Tart last year, and cannot wait to recreate that with some different fruits.


In the meanwhile, I finally (successfully) made fruit pizza! Its so easy, I really don't know why it took me so long to figure it out! I really love the fact that you can play around with the fruits change up the looks. I see a seahawks/sounders themed one coming soon!


I like this as much as my husband doesn't. Let's say I'll be working on a chocolate version too! Already have a few recipes bookmarked! Saying it again, waiting for summer and a ton of free time to bake and craft!


Shout out to my friend, Ling Ling for coming over and taking some awesome pictures and her cute daughter Ellie for being my assistant.


Now let's go back get back to the recipe. Thanks to Dorothy from Crazy for Crust's new book, Dessert Mashups I now have a go to "pizza base". Unfortunately her frosting or "pizza sauce" was a little to sweet for me, so I got the frosting recipe from Skinny Taste, my go to for "healthier" options! Dessert Mashups is such a fun book with where you can find recipes that include a few of your favorites recipe in one dessert! (Follow along as I see my self sharing more recipes from this book!)


I baked up this goodness on Bangladeshi New Years, Pohela Boishakh and stuck with strawberries and kiwis as I wanted a green and red theme. I just never posted the recipe on time, so how about I just remind you next year!


The Fruit Pizza
Recipe Adapted from Dessert Mashups and Skinny Taste

Ingredients
for Pizza base
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cream of tartar
2 cups all purpose flour

for Frosting
8 oz cream cheese (full fat)
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract

lemon curd (I use Trader Joe's)
thinly sliced fruits of choice (strawberries, kiwis, blackberries, blueberries, bananas, mango, oranges)

Method
For Pizza base
1. Preheat oven to 350*F and spray a 12 inch round pizza pan with baking spray.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together, until the mixture is a pale yellow color. Then add in the egg and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
3. Add in the dry ingredients, and continue beating until just combined.
4. Pour the batter onto the prepared pan, the batter will be soft, so greasing your hands will help to spread the batter onto the pan.
5. Bake for 11-13 mins, until the edges start to slightly brown.
6. Let the cookie/pizza cool completely while you prepare the frosting.

For the Frosting
1. Beat together all the ingredients until well combined and fluffy.
2. If the mixture is too think, you can thin it down using a few drops of milk (any fat content)

To Assemble
1. Using a spatula, spread a thin layer of lemon curd on to the cookie/pizza.
2. Next, spread all the frosting onto the cookie, spreading evenly all over.
3. Decorate with sliced/chopped fruit.

Enjoy!
Farhana

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#craftingnotcoding: Simple Flower Card

Simple is the word I am forced to live by these days. I have little free time, as a result there are almost no recipes on what is supposed to be a baking blog, so the little crafting that I am managing to do has to be super simple. Simple crafting lets me take a break, and also not spend to much time setting up and cleaning up after crafting. Hence the lack of scrapbooking these days too. I just ordered two new sets of scrapbook paper, but am yet to sort out the pictures. 53 days till summer, when I can craft to my minds content!


Okay, back to the card. This card is a simple white card base with the stamping done directly on to it. I stamped the flower using Memento Tuxedo Black ink three times on the card base, and another three times on scrap card stock. I colored the the center of the flower on the scrap paper with a white ranger embossing pen, and heat embossed with some golden emboss powder. I colored both set of flowers with regular markers. After fussy cutting the flowers on the scrap paper, and stuck them on the cards, with foam tape. The sentiment is from Newton's Nook Design stamped with Memento Tangelo ink.


 Happy Crafting!
Farhana   

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Throwback Thursday 6.0 : Basketball Cupcakes, Baseball Cookies and Football Cakepops

Schedules are not my strong suite right now. Even without procrastinating I don't have enough hours in a day to get things done. I'm currently working on my capstone project, a paper presentation and a programming assignment, and there is a book report that I should be doing, but haven't even gotten past the first page. Oh yeah, seeing as I am graduating, I am supposed to be looking for a job too. Yes, this is what life looks like 8 weeks before graduation.


Enough complaining, let's throw it back now. Way back to when I didn't have a job or go to school and spent most of the time in my kitchen experimenting. These goodies were made for my brother in law's 16th birthday. Both baking goodies and making cards for boys is my weakness. I am all about butterflies and flowers.


So after I could not come up with a very creative idea, I decided to go with a sports theme. And then I went a tab bit over bored with the goodies.


The cupcakes are decorated with orange frosting piped with black frosting. I went with store bought black frosting as my homemade attempts resulted in either grey or a dirty purple color.


The cake pop were made with the extra cupcakes crumbled with leftover frosting, coated with chocolate candy melts and piped with white candy melts.


Lastly the cookies are circle shortbread cookies, topped with white royal icing and piped with some icing tinted with red gel icing.

Hope these inspire you to make your own goodies! And hopefully I will have time to recreate them and take better pictures this summer!

Enjoy!
Farhana
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#craftingnotcoding: The Crafty Card Class [March 2015]

Apologies about the delay in posting the card from the March Crafty Card Club. Between an enjoyable spring break away and catching up with everything after getting back, I didn't get a chance to sit down and make my cards, till now.


This month had such a variety of cards, and it was really fun to put together! Let's start with the details.

1. The PACMAN card
This was probably made with the Paper Chase theme in mind. The theme was games and Ben Franklin went with PACMAN in particular.


This card has a plain white card base with a pacman theme scrapbook paper (similar : here) layered on top, a circle cut and marked with a sharpie to create the pacman, the pac-dots created using clear rhinestones, and lastly a sentiment added using a sticker.

2. The Girly card
Can you go wrong with black and gold! And this type of note cards are really easy to make in a rush.


For this card you need, what I like to "sentiments scrapbook paper" (found here), cut it up and stick it on some black folded cardstock. Finally add some bling using metal rhinestones. Done :)

3. The Cereal card
This card is very similar to the one above, where you get the sentiment from scrapbook paper. This one would be a lovely note card for someone that loves cereal


Besides the scrapbook paper sentiment, this card has a few layers of plain and embossed card stock along with some twine. The kraft cardbase adds a perfect final touch.

4. The Easter card
This card idea would probably have been useful a few weeks ago, but how about I just remind you when next year comes along! I have recently been in love with doilies (follow along for more cards to come with doilies!) and using the paper "hay" to create the "nest" was a ton of fun, a little tricky though.


The kraft card stock is layered with a pink polka dot vellum sheet and a white doilie. Then the paper hay is wrapped in a ring and stuck on to the doilie (I used a combination of tacky glue and ATG). The eggs are die cuts and a ribbon matching the vellum sheet is added for a perfect finishing touch.

5. The Thanks card
(yes I'm missing a "S") This card was my favorite from this months kit. I just love the accordion folds in it with the rosettes! So fun!


A longer piece of kraft paper is folded down, and layered with matching paper. The letters are die cut from felt, and the leaves are also die cuts. The rosettes are made using this new tool from ek success (found here)

Hope you enjoyed this months cards, if you want try it out for your self, call up Ben Franklin and sign up for April's class! Or walk in and get the kit after :)


 Happy Crafting!
Farhana   

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Inky Paws Challenge #19 - Use Watercolor

I spend a lot of time on Instagram and that is when I came across Newton's Nook Designs and immediately fell in love with stamps. Once I headed over to their blog, I found out that they have a card challenge too! So, I had to play along!


As I have not received my stamps yet, I decided to try use their "digital stamps".


This challenge was to use watercolor, and I have no idea how to water color with printed designs, so I did a watercolor background using distress markers  on water color paper instead.


I just colored the printed stamp using markers, adding some sequins for the center. What's a card without dimension, so i fussy cut the lady bug and raised it with some foam tape. The sentiment is from flutter by from lawn fawn.


If your looking for me, I'll be my the mailbox waiting for the stamps :)

 Happy Crafting!
Farhana   

Don't forget, caring is sharing!