Liz's Club Stamp Cards posted in the Club Scrap Rap for October

http://www.clubscrapcommunity.com/index.php?option=com_flippingbook&view=book&id=10

Go to page 23 on the link and see better resolution images.  Thanks for looking!

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Happy Thursday, everyone.  As promised...the cookie recipe with added notes for complete success.


Cream together: 1c. butter (2 sticks or 8oz)
                           2/3c. sugar


Beat in:              1 egg
                          1 tsp. vanilla
                          1/2 tsp. salt
                          2  1/2c. sifted flour
( I don't sift and most flours are presifted these days anyway)

Mix until all ingredients are well blended.
Create a ball, cover with plastic wrap and
Chill dough 3-4 hours before rolling.
NB. If you chill too long, like I did, you discover that it is like rolling hardening concrete. Just allow to warm at room temp.

Preheat oven to 350
Roll out a portion between 2 pieces of parchment paper to about 1/4 in thick.
NB. If you are AR, get out your calipers and measure the thickness exactly!
Cut  with those cookie cutters that you haven't seen in years
Continue with the remainder of the dough
Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and don't crowd ( clean up is a breeze- I hate cleaning cookie sheets)


Bake for 8-10 minutes or until barely golden. My oven was more like 12-14 min
NB.The underside should have a slightly golden color unless you are like Dorothy and Christine; they love uncooked cookie dough! 
Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire racks
Cookies can be frosted ( I bought premade) or eaten just plain.

As the Competition winners will tell you, be creative and most of all have fun!

Georgia O'Keeffe Awards announced

The  Cactus Cookie Design Competition, part of the Georgia O'Keeffe Awards series, ended at 2:30pm on October 17 2011.  It was impossible to choose a single entry to crown overall winner .  The eight finalists impressed the judges with their unique and creative cactus renditions.  I present to you their artwork with a few O'Keeffe quotes to inspire. Congratulations everyone.

"Making your unknown known is the important thing"

Susanne
AZ=FUN
AZ Outstanding Advertizing Slogan
Award

"When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment"

Meena
Blooming Desert Within You
Award

"I don't see why we even think of what others think of what we do- no matter who they are.  Isn't it enough just to express yourself?"

Christine
O'Keeffe  Award- Cell Biology as Art

Nantha
Winner-  Minimalist-style award
"Slits in nothingness are NOT very easy to paint"

"I found I could say things with colors that I couldn't say in any other way...things that I had no words for"

Alisa
O'Keeffe Blossoms in Spring Award
(media- sculpted carrots)

"Where I was born and how I have lived is unimportant.  It is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest"

Elena
Saguaro Skeleton in Relief Award

"I have things in my head that are not like what anyone has taught me"

Liora
O'Keeffe Anime Multimedia Award
(icing, sprinkles, apple and residual Nutella)

Michael
Saguaro in Motion Award
(note cactus is moving off the plate- see the spikes left behind?)

"I feel there is something unexplored about women that only a woman can explore"

cactus sugar cookies

I had so much fun making these today.  Dorothy gave me this cactus cookie cutter and another shaped like the state of Zonie.  The choco sprinkles remind me of the cactus pricklies.

Shopping for supplies in my craft room

Go to Michaels?  Why?  Just shop in your craft room, Liz. These oldie but goodie SU stamps were just the thing to practice my Copic marker blending.  Jenni, I know you love this set as much as I do. And don't you just love the bead accent, Miz? I also needed an excuse to use a new piercing tool I got from Archiver's in Appleton this past August when attending the August Club Scrap Retreat.  The zigzag was sewn with black floss.  See Sandra, I'm trying to make sure we use some of that fun booty we purchased.

mt vernon punch embroidery

We visited Mt Vernon with NorCal Dad on Columbus Day and I couldn't resist buying a punchneedle embroidery kit from the gristmill/distillery shop.  I finished this 3x3 cutie in just a few hours.  I love the folk art look.  The title of this piece is called Mount Vernon Hog Island Sheep.  I'll have to research Hog Island and post some interesting tidbits.

Welcome to my blog

Good morning everyone. HOWDY! This is my first post on my first blog. Oh and btw, let me make this clear from day one.  Spelling is not my strong suit. OK, phew...out of the way.  I tried hard to keep a cold at bay all week but yesterday the cold won.  Somehow I feel that taking decongestants only prolongs the inevitable. Right. So today I feel 'more betta' like I used to say when I lived in NY.
This past week, CS asked me to design their Club Stamp 15 card Greetings-to-Go for October.  This is the third time I have been given the opportunity to demonstrate my creativity through their wonderful products.  I really love the challenge of beginning with a set of papers, stamps and embellishments with no preset ideas.  I let the ingredients lead the way.  Once the card set is posted on the Club Scrap site, I will post them here.
If I have time when I get home from work, I will post a cute little punch needlepoint I finished. See you all later!