Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Hey all! The Thanksgiving holiday festivities are winding down around here. Ours was actually pretty relaxed and easy-going and it was nice to take a moment and reflect on the many, many blessings in our lives.

Today we had dinner with my husband's family. He remembered to tell me I was to bring a desert as we were walking out the door to go Christmas shopping yesterday afternoon. Gotta love that man. LOL

On such short notice I had to reach for my tried and true Caramel Apple Cheesecake.



It turned out so pretty I had to take a picture! And I thought since I was teasing you with a picture I should give you the recipe. It's a keeper!

1 (21 oz) can apple pie filling
1 (9 inch) graham cracker crust
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup Mrs. Richardson caramel ice cream topping
15 (or so) pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Reserve 3/4 cup of apple pie filling - set aside. Spoon the remaining filling into the crust.
Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs and beat until smooth.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the center is set. Cool to room temperature.

Combine the reserve pie filling and caramel topping in a small saucepan. Heat for about 1 minute. Spoon the mixture over the top, arranging the apple slices around the center.

Lay the pecan halves around the apples. Chop the remaining halves and sprinkle in the center.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. YUM!

Now we're off and running towards Christmas!
Are you ready?
HB

Perfect match

I've had a pack of Andrea Victoria (MME) paper for so long and have never opened it (hangs head in shame). Well.. the other day my friend Bevie and I decided to have a challenge using the Papertrey Ink set we got at CHA (you can't purchase it, we got it for spending big bucks. lol). As I looked through my papers to decide what to use I spied the sheet from the pack that has dandelion poofs all over it.

A match made in heaven.

I stamped the dandelion poofs on vellum with Fresh Snow ink and embossed with white detail powder. Cutting them out of vellum is SO much easier than cutting cardstock! For the center of each poof, I punched circles out of a strip of white cardstock that I ran through my Xyron sticker maker and then dipped in glitter.

As long as I had the set out, I made up a few for the Meals on Wheels program (see post HERE). The paper is also from the Andrea Victoria line.

That's my new thing. Each time I make a card I make a few more for the program until I fill a box and my darling husband delivers it.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

HB

Purple Flowers

A couple weeks ago my friend Bevie told me how to make these pretty little flowers using the Tattered Florals die (Tim Holtz Alterations). I sat down with some purple/periwinkle cardstock and gave them a try. They are so easy!


This past weekend I used them to create these:

I actually made 12 cards, some being duplicates of these. All papers are from an old SU! 6x6 paper pad.

For this one I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder, PTI die, Penny Black sentiment and ribbon from Michaels.

Spellbinders ribbon tag, PTI sentiment and May Arts ribbon.

QuicKutz embossing folder, metallic rub-ons and Spellbinders ribbon tag.

EK Success border punch, Spellbinders ribbon die, PTI sentiment and May Arts ribbon.

Martha Stewart punch and PTI sentiment

It was a fun way of mass producing without getting bored by the same design.

Thanks for stopping by. I'm really glad you did!

HB

Using it up...

Hey everyone! Do you ever stand in your craftroom, look around and say "where in the WORLD did all this stuff come from?" I think I could be in that room a very very long time, stamp and create continually, and never run out of anything but maybe adhesive.

So... when a flyer came across my desk at work one day saying that the local Meals on Wheels program was looking for people/groups to make handcrafted cards to send their clients (the recipients of the daily meals), the proverbial light bulb went off over my head.

I started with this...


and ended with this....



31 cards in one day! That is a record for me! And you can be sure I won't stop there. I have a LOT of stuff to use! And they loved them... wooHOOOO!

Big Hugs!
HB

Celebrate Fall

We have had just a long and glorious fall season in Minnesota this year. I love the crisp mornings and the how warm the sun still is when you stand right in it's rays.

To celebrate my favorite season I created this.

The layout is from the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #89 and the stamp set is Autumn Abundance (Papertrey Ink) as are the buttons. The paper is Memory Box.

I hope you are having a wonderful fall! It's truly a blessing to behold!

HB

Let it Snow...what?

Seriously. I am NOT ready for snow. But after playing with fallish papers all day I decided it was time to use some of the new Mistletoe (Memory Box) papers I bought while in Chicago for CHA.

One of the sheets is filled with adorable little birds, all dressed up for winter with little hats, scarves and caps. I knew one would fit perfectly on a branch of Pine's Falling Leaves set (Papertrey Ink).


The snowflakes and sentiment are from Snowfall (PTI).

The sketch is the 10/16 SFYTT. Lots of ways to use up papers with this sketch! LOL! The sparkles are a combination of Sparkly Fluff and Crafty Sparkles (Our Craft Lounge).

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!
HB

a bouquet of wishes...

I was the lucky winner of some Penny Black stamp sets on the Paper Crafts FB page recently. When they arrived in the mail I was so excited as they are just the most adorable images.

This little girl and her jumbo bouquet was the first image I reached for.

She's colored with Copic markers. Her cheeks are pearlescent chalk (Pebbles Inc) as is the tissue surrounding the flowers. I love the little sparkle that chalk leaves.

The center of each flower is fuzzy (fun flock) and I love the texture it gives.

The flower on the top card is made using PTI flower dies. The yellow layer is PTI felt that I punched little holes around the edge for a doily effect.

The flower on the second card is two Sprites (Prima) held together with a brad covered in fun flock. The peach flower started out life white, but a few spritz of Perfect Peach Glimmer Mist and a smoodge of Rock Candie Stickles and waaaLA! Transformation! :)

I stopped at Archivers last night after getting a haircut and was magically drawn to the new Jillibean Christmas papers. OMG I can't wait to cut into them! (*gasp* I know, I know. It's going to be hard! LOL)

See you soon!

HB

Spooky Treats

Each Halloween I create a little something to put on my team's desks at work for a treat. Nothing too spooky mind you, just a little fun.


This year was easy-peasy (which I need because I make 15 of them!) with the help of Tiny Treats Halloween and the matching Mat Stack 4 die (Papertrey Ink) and a great template from Waltzingmouse. Did you ever see Halloween look so colorful and fun?!?!

I think this one is my favorite - I LOVE the googlie eye!

I'm making a batch of white chocolate popcorn to put in little bags that will go in the treat box, but here's a look at one filled with little candy bars.

To keep the tag on the front stiff, I glued the paper to white cardstock (you could also run it through a Xyron machine, which would be easier, but mine is in a box somewhere. *sigh*), let it dry and then cut the die. The little image is attached to the circle with foam tap, as is the circle attached to the die. The circle is stamped on white cardstock and die cut with a circle Nestability. I masked the strip where "trick or treat" is stamped and then highlighted the rest of it with various inks, and a blending tool (Ranger). This kept the strip white so the words really pop.

Papers were Echo Park, My Minds Eye, and a few misc. scraps left over from past Halloween lines.

Thanks for stopping by!

HB

October = Halloween!

Happy World Card Making Day!
You know, I really celebrate card making every day (every day that I can sit at my table that is) but this day really pushes me into gear for the upcoming holidays.

Today, I am working on Halloween cards and treat boxes. Every year I buy adorable Halloween papers and 'bellies and don't use them up. Then the next year rolls around and companies all have NEW lines that I can't resist, so I don't use up what I didn't use from the year(s) before. *sigh*

This year I am changing that habit!


I bought the Happy Halloween line from Echo Park at Scrapfest and LOVE the colors and patterns. I really like buying the entire line for things like this because everything matches and I don't have to stop the creative process to go dig for something that might work. When I got home with the papers I realized that the new Tiny Treats Halloween set and coordinating Mat Stack 4 die from PTI coordinates perfectly! YEAAA!

So... I'm off and running. Creating Halloween cards - mass producing even! (those who know me know that I don't mass produce. lol)

Here's what I'm working on:


This one uses the little bat sentiment, but I cringed at cutting out all the little bats, so instead I used a Martha Stewart bat punch and the black & white polka dot paper. The bat is two layers and separated by a tiny piece of foam tape.

I just love this little glittery spider! I stamped him once and colored him completely black with a Copic marker. Then stamped him again and colored his face with a black glitter pen and covered his body with Eyeliner Black Sparkly Fluff (Our Craft Lounge). The edge of the circle is covered in Eyeliner Black Crafty Sparkles and is attached to the die cut with foam tape. I *dirtied* up the die cut using Pumice Stone Distress Ink. The glitter ribbon (who doesn't love glittery spider webs!?!?) is from Michael's.

The last in my group uses the same spider and die cut. I changed up the papers, layout and didn't *dirty* it up.

So, there you have it...I have a fun day ahead. I hope you do too!!

If you didn't come here from the blog hop, you can find the list of blogs HERE. What a great source for inspiration!

HAPPY CREATING!

HB

Birthday Tree

A couple weeks ago I was browsing blogs on my google reader and I came across this fabulous sketch. A smart girl would have written down who created it at the same time she scribbled the design on a scrap of paper. Sad to say... I am not that smart girl.



This is just the perfect guy card to me! It's simple, has masculine colors and yet still pops. Through the Trees and Turning a New Leaf papers (both PTI) work so well together.

Thanks for stopping by!
HB

Happy Winter

Hello again -

We visited a new church recently and there was a beautiful scrolled wood frame around the cross over the alter. As I sat listening to the sermon my mind started to wonder back to that beautiful frame. Yes, I know I should have been listening, but I kept thinking of how I could re-create that on a card.

Then the light bulb went off! Embossing folders and Nestabilities!

I embossed a piece of white-core blue cardstock with a snowflake embossing folder. Then I used two sizes of large circle Nesties to create the frame. After it was cut I lightly sanded the top to really let the snowflakes *pop*.

I cut a larger circle of white cardstock, edged it with a glue pen and glitter and then attached the frame with foam tape.

The cute little penguin is from Penguin Fun and the sentiment from Snowy Sayings both from Our Craft Lounge.

I can't wait to try this with other folders. Just think... leaves, polka dots, script, oh my. :-)

Thanks for stopping by!
HB

Find Joy...

That is where I am... finding joy in the every day. Being able to sit down, look at all my wonderful supplies, pick up a stamp that makes me happy in that moment, and create.

The butterfly from Taylored Expressions, Discover Your Wings, was my happiness the other day.

Well, that and my sewing machine. Do you know how long it takes to sew around 9 little squares of paper (Basic Grey)? Ok, not that long. lol The sentiment is Hero Arts.

I hope you are finding joy in this day!
HB

Miss you

Thank you everyone for such a warm welcome back. I really have missed talking to my blogger friends.

As I look through my drawers of stamps that haven't seen the light of day in almost two years I am just giddy with excitement! This little guy (Whipper Snapper Designs) is one of my all time favorites. Don't you just love the way he holds his head? Can't you just hear his heavy *sigh*. LOL.

Time to put my feet up and relax after a long day.
See you next time!
HB

I'm baaaaack!

dust dust dust... sweep sweep...

Helloooooo.... anybody still out there?
Yes, it's me, Carol 'er HB! I'm back! After months and months we finally have our own place and all my wonderful goodies are out of storage. yeaaaaa!

Today, being Labor Day and all, I thought I'd "labor" over my craft table. It was a productive day and I am a happy girl!

Here is a little creation I made using PTI's Warm Happiness and Basic Grey Wisteria 6x6 pad.

The flower is linen fabric (scrap from my patio door curtains) cut with PTI's Beautiful Blooms #2 dies.

If you happen to stumble onto this place, I am so happy to see you!

HB

Eggstra Special...

I tell ya, having a plethora of sketch challenges out in the WWW sure helps spark my creativity when I don't have a lot of time to play at my stamp table.

Today's sketch is from Our Craft Lounge and was from a beautiful card created by Charmaine Ikach.



Here is my "Eggstra Special Easter Wishes" take on the sketch:



If you checked out Charmaine's gorgeous card, you can see that a sketch like this can take on so many faces. Hers was elegant where mine is more of a whimsical take. I used Hippity Hoppity (OCL) along with Dear Lizzy paper (American Crafts).

The bunny is cut out of white cardstock, colored with COO (Cool Gray) and then highlighted with R11 (Pale Cherry Pink) Copic markers. Then came the Sparkly Fluff!
Oh, how I love Sparkly Fluff! It gave his ears and tummy just the right fuzziness! The eggs, grass and carrot are all colored with pale shades of Copic markers and then sparkled up with glitter.

Since I was cutting the bunny out, I didn't want to trim out the curly stems to the carrot, so I pulled the thin wire out of a breadbag tie, colored it with a dark green Copic marker, curled it up and attached to the back of the carrot with a glue dot.

There is a cute little basket in this set that has a partial flower and eggs at the bottom. The card needed that one more thing.... so I cut the flower and eggs off the basket, colored, and sparkled them up and attached them to a little tag (Nestability) that I edged with glitter.

The card itself is 5x5. Each layer has a boost of a sheet of cardstock behind it so they "float" above each other.

This was a super fun sketch and one I will definitely use again. Hey, did you know you can win prizes by playing along in the OCL weekly sketch? Check it out HERE!

I hope you have an eggstra special day!

HB

Bike riding...

A wonderful friend of mine is passionate about riding her bike. It's an indoor bike, so she can ride it every day; and she does! I don't know how she does it... she works all day and then comes home and rides away her day. I stand (or should I say "sit") in awe of her!

I made a springy card to send her to say how proud I am of her diligence.

The adorable bike (don't you LOVE those polka dots!?!) is from Out for a Spin (Our Craft Lounge). I can just see her on it with flowers blowing in the wind as she rides down the street, tooting her little red horn! LOL

I found the paper (American Crafts) at Archivers and snapped it right up as soon as I saw the little bikes on it. They TOTALLY match!

I better get this in the mail! :)
HB

OCL DT Sketch Challenge!

A great sketch AND a prize!?!? Yup, the OCL Design Team has started a Friday sketch challenge! Each Friday head on over to the Our Craft Lounge blog and you'll find an awesome sketch just waiting to get you inspired!

The first sketch (look HERE) is from the fabulous Broni Holcombe! I LOVE it! After not stamping for so long it was the perfect thing to get my mojo rockin!


I used the large flower from Thankful Flourishes (OCL), stamping it 4 times on different shades of pink paper from the My Minds Eye Home collection. I cut each flower out, used my bone folder to curl the edges and then punched a little circle of chipboard to put in between each layer. The back of the paper was white so I used the new Victorian Velvet Distress Ink (Tim Holtz) to color the back with my blending tool. The center is colored with Y23 Copic marker and then drops of Liquid Pearl added. A large pearl (Kaiser) is in the center.

The lattice strip (Martha Stewart punch) is layered over a strip of green from the same paper collection.

So... what about the prize you ask? Check out all the details at the OCL blog!
HB

It's a CAMILICIOUS day!

I know... I haven't posted in like a month! It's been an over-the-TOP crazy life lately. But, what better reason to jump back into bloggin then a special celebration!

Today is CAMI's birthday!

woooHOOOO!

Cami spreads her zest for life and gift of creativity just like fairy dust

so this card was totally fitting for her!

Happy Birthday my dear, sweet, pinkalicious friend!

HB