Baking Class - Dolce Style

On Wednesday night a friend and I decided to take a Baking Class. There is a cooking school close by that specializes in Italian cuisine. We have taken a class there before - but never a Baking Class. Note.. it was like going back to Italy - everyone in the class was Italian but me :)

We made 7 different treats. Everything from Easy Torrone and Biscotti to Nutella and Amaretto stuffed pockets (yum). The pictures were taken with my cell - so the quality isn't great - but the treats were deliciouso! While not very Italian one of my favs was the Lemon bar. And yes - I did learn something. I learned I need to be more patient - especially when it comes to mixing sugar in with eggs. I am definitely going to make some of these for Christmas.





(PS.. the one shaped like a piece of pizza was made with a Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix. It was easy and tasted like a delicate Italian treat). And yes - we got to wash the treats down with wine.

A Too Cute Treat Box or.... do you remember Lola Wedges?

I know that everyone calls these "Sour Cream" containers - but do you remember Lola's?. Not sure if this was just available in Canada or if they were also in the US or elsewhere. When I was a kid we had these frozen slushy treats called Lolas. Basically it was a frozen flavoured ice treat and they were in the shape of the sour cream container - but bigger. I remember as a kid sitting on the porch with a Lola and sucking the cherry flavour off the ice. If you squeezed up the ice too high some of the juice would spill over the sides. Of course if you sucked off too much of the flavour all you had left was ice. There was an art to eating a Lola. I had these on my desk at work today and was surprised how many guys walked by, picked up the little treats and said .... hey.. .these look like Lolas. I digress.

Yes this is a too cute Sour Cream (or Lola) container. Picture it.... 25 of these made up and hung on the tree for an advent calendar. Of course they would be filled with treats or little notes. They could also be used at dinner plates (instead of a cracker) or better yet.... if you are giving $$$$ for Christmas, put the money in the container, seal it up and hang it on the tree. Pretty neat little gift ideas. And they are super quick to make.



As a side note... one of the guys and I decided to look up Lola on the net today to see if they were still available. We googled Lola under Images and got lots of pictures of "lovely ladies" (tongue in cheek!). I am sure the guys in our IS department were wondering what on earth I was doing.

Nite.

PS... I found the history of Lola... See Below.

Lola was originally made in 1959. Sold only in Southern Ontario and parts of Quebec, Canada, Lola cost a nickel. But in 1982 she disappeared from the scene. After conducting a corporate search for the name and discovering that the product registration had expired, Tony Romanelli and John Daniele formed Lola Beverages Inc. in 1995. Lola is now known as Lola Iceberg. The new partners of Lola Iceberg seized the opportunity to re-establish the trademark name. A pyramid-shaped, frozen, fruity summer sensation available in cherry, grape and orange: Lola provided sweet relief from summertime heat.

So what's the attraction? Kids love Lola because it's sweet and refreshing. But what about all those adults enjoying Lola at home, at work, in the park or at the beach? Lola isn't just a treat. She's a cool blast from the past. She's a link to youthful memories of summers spent with your friends when life was simple and carefree. For aging baby boomers Lola is a nostalgic symbol just like bell bottoms and disco music. One taste of Lola, and you're back in the fun-loving 70s…roller skating with friends, driving a fast car or just chillin'!

A Non-stamped Christmas Card

Before the Big Shot, Cuttlebug, Cricut, etc. etc. etc - there was Big Red - the Sizzix. I bought them all (and sill have them all - I have ISSUES!) I also purchased alphabet sets, shapes, etc. Now that SU has the Big Shot - I am starting to look at all my Sizzix stuff again. I am so happy I didn't get rid of them.

This card is a very simple Christmas Card. I used the Big Shot and my Sizzix alpha die to cut out the letters "JOY". Luckily I also had the Holly die. I used the Versamark and inked up the letters, then used the Heat and Stick Powder and then some Red Cosmo Glitter (the card needed some bling).

I think the card is still missing something. I will have to relook at it. You know - sometimes you just need to step away from a card and come back to it with a fresh eye.



Off to do some reading. The book I have out right now is called "The Choice" by Nicolas Sparks. I had a message from the Library that another book I requested is in so I need to pick it up. I think there are now 12 books that I have on hold - Guess what I am going to be doing a lot of?

A Really Simple Card

If you ever want a quick and easy card - here you go. I needed some Baby Cards but you could do Thank You, Birthday, Thinking of You, Christmas (see tomorrow's post) etc. This is a great way to use up scraps of paper.

I know this is a no-no - but one of the cards is using non-SU paper (my bad!) I have a drawer of partially cut paper and I am trying to use it up.

These are so simple I am almost embarrassed to show them - but here ya'll go.





Told you - SIMPLE.

Top Note Gift Box - Stampin Up!

This is not what I originally had ready to post tonight but you know how I am when I make something too Stinkin Cute - I have to share.

This is a little gift box - perfect for a small gift (you know like Jewellery!), candy, gift certificate, etc. It measures 2.5 x 3.5 x 2(h). The top of the box is made using the Top Note Die. It is scored and folded around the edges. I also "spritzed" some Frost White Shimmer Paint to the top (rubbing alcohol + shimmer paint mixed together and put into a small spritzer bottle = spray shimmer paint). Perfecto!





Note - I am addicted - I just made another one and "have" to show you.




Some good news - I work for an Engineering firm. The Engineers belong to an "Association" (not a Union) and they walked off work September 25th (the day I left for Italy). Today they finally voted on an offer and (for the most part) they voted to come back to work starting tomorrow. I was getting worried - without them, they really didn't need me. A weight lifted for everyone involved. Happy Monday!

Delightful Decorations (yes again!)

What a productive day (or I should say weekend). You know all the extra supplies you cut when you have a workshop or class. Well I finally took those supplies and turned them into cards. What a good feeling. I also started my stash of Christmas Cards. In all there were over 50 cards I made. Most have been shown before so I won't bore you with pictures. There were a few new cards and I will post those over the next few days.

The card du jour really isn't a card but a gift card holder. This was inspired by Dawn HERE





Hope you had a good weekend.

Delightful Decorations - another sample card

I cannot take credit for this card. For those that don't know, "CASE" stands for "Copy and Share Everything". Don't you love a hobby where you can find an idea and copy it. Of course I want to give credit to where I found it. Check out Dacia Smith's blog HERE to see her creation plus loads of other ideas.



Thanks to Laurie and some of the ladies I traveled to Italy with - I am the proud owner of a..... "Library Card". Don't laugh. Some of the ladies I traveled to Italy with were avid readers. It got me to thinking when was the last time I sat down and read a book - it had been a very long time. Then Laurie had been telling me about the local library, how you can go on the net, hold books, check what the current releases are etc. and it can all be done on-line. So I signed up, got myself a Library Card and currently have 7 books on hold. The first one came in on Thursday and I picked it up. Luckily there is a "Satellite" Library around the corner from my house so it is really close. I think with the cold weather coming, the rainy dreary days, it gets everyone into the "nesting" mode. (A nicer way of saying hibernation". Off to read a chapter or two. :)

My Digital Studio - A Christmas Card

I still have a couple of cards to share from Saturday's Delightful Decorations Class BUT.... I just received this in the mail and I have to show you.

This is my first crack at a Card (Christmas of course) using Stampin Up's "My Digital Studio". I only made one card and requested that it be printed at the official printer. No this is not economical for a one-of card. But.... if you were making Invitations, Thank You Cards, Family Christmas Cards, etc.... this would be perfect. You can also use the "My Digital Studio" to make Scrapbooks in various sizes, calendars and many other projects.

Obviously the card from the printer is one-dimensional. It has photo corners, ribbon, a button and a snowflake. But I wanted to umph it up a bit. So I punched out photo corners and popped them up, then added some ribbon, button and brads. I then added Dazzling Diamonds to the Snowflake and there you have it... a card.



This is the side view showing the layers.



I also added some "digital" trim to the inside of the card with a sentiment.



Pretty neat huh! I will definitely be mass producing some in the future. They make it easy for you - there are templates (which this is) or you can create a project from scratch.

I get so excited when something turns out - I just have to share.

Have a good nite.