Monthly Archives: August 2012

Fresh Pear Cake and Chickens

Posted on August 30, 2012 by zindorf| 32 Comments

Well I should name this week Pear Week. I’m so excited to have a bunch of pears to use that we grew ourselves. Well the pear trees that we planted two years ago actually grew them, lol.

When I have ripe pears around the first thing that comes to mind is my friend, Lilann Taylor down in Savannah, GA. Lilann makes the most Divine Pear Cake you have ever tasted. But since I have not been successful squeezing the recipe out of Lilann I went on a search and come up with a wonderful Fresh Pear Cake Recipe. Believe me, when you make this everyone wants the recipe. It’s that good.

Fresh Pear Cake

Ingredients:

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable Oil

3 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon backing soda

1 1/2 cups pears – peeled, cored and chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

In a mixing bowl beat eggs on medium speed. Gradually add sugar and oil. Beat thoroughly. Combine flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add to egg mixture and mix well. Stir in pears and vanilla. Spoon into a greased and floured 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes before inverting on a plate.

In a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar and milk, beat until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.

I made two of these cakes today by doubling the recipe. One will go to a meeting with me tonight and the other was wrapped in plastic wrap, tin foil and then put in a 2 gallon freezer bag and froze prior to being iced. Now I have one ready for when company comes on a furture date.

Here is a chick update for you. The girls are really doing great. Getting so big and should be laying in another month.

Funny thing is, when I go to take their picture and they see the camera. This is what happens. . . .they run right over to me and peck at my camera.

Or they do this. . . . turn their little backsides to me.

But on occassion you can get them to pose. Like Red is here.

Or Miss Sophie is here. Sophie is so very hard to take photos of because she is so dark, but sometimes you can catch her just right.

Here is Sophie again out in the sunlight. She turns emerald green when the light shines on those black, black feathers of hers. You can see a bit of that on her wing in this photo.

After they got tired of pecking at the camera they decided to check out the pear scraps that I gave them. Sorry about my big old shadow in the pic, lol.

Here is a picture of what we call the chicken playground. They are truly spoiled!

Now, I am going to go back to ignoring my 50 birthday, which is tomorrow the 31st. Wasn’t I just 21 last year. . . .humm, that could just be my bad memory making me think so. Where does the time go.

Until my next post. . . . .

Hugs,

Get ready for Brayer and Direct to Paper Workshops! I am coming to the following locations, click the location name for more information.

Purcellville, Virginia

Orange, Massachusetts

Scottsdale, Arizona

Sacramento, California (Sold Out)

Staley, North Carolina

St. Petersburg, Florida

Newburge, Indiana

I hope you can make it to one of my workshops in 2012. I have decided not to travel after this year, so be sure to catch one now!

Link to my Stampin’ Up website where you can order all of your must have Stampin’ Up products from me 24-7: http://michellezindorf.stampinup.net

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Posted in Putting Food Up/Recipes, Uncategorized

Pear Thank You – Tutorial #533

Posted on August 28, 2012 by zindorf| 2 Comments

Hey There,

I got out the brand new Stampin’ Up! Perfectly Preserved stamp set from the new Stampin’ Up! Holiday Mini Catalog for today’s tutorial. Thought I would use the pear stamp and add a couple of shadows for some depth. Pears are on my mind since I have a bag of them in my kitchen from our pear tree just waiting on me to do something with them. I hear them telling me to cook them up in a fresh pear cake, lol. Actually, I think that would be my belly telling me that, grin. You can find the tutorial for this card below, enjoy!

Did you know at the top of my blog is a link for all the 533 tutorials I have created? Click here if you would like to view them.

533 Tutorials, whew! Have you had enough? Need more?

Here are a few Stampin’ Up Reminders before I start the project.

The new Stampin’ Up! Holiday Mini catalog is now in effect. I love all of Stampin’ Up’s products, but the new mini catalog just blew me away (CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE HOLIDAY MINI CATALOG). I especially love the coordinating products that you can get as a bundle at a discount. Gotta love a discount, right? Especially for those products to make your holiday gifts and cards.

Don’t miss out on my Customer free stamp set program. Check it out! Along with a handmade thank you card from me for your order you will receive a token for each $50 in product you ordered using me as your demonstrator. After you have collected 10 tokens you will receive a free current stamp set of your choosing, a value of $39 or less. Here is a link to my online shopping page that you can shop at 24/7 (from the comfort of your home, even in your pj’s) and the products will be shipped directly to your door step from Stampin’ Up: CLICK HERE TO SHOP. My free stamp set program will be an on going program.

Want a new annual catalog shipped to you? I will be happy to send you one. The catalog is free, but there is a $5 shipping charge. Note, I will only sell or ship within the United States do to Stampin’ Up! policies. Please contact me at mzindorf@aim.com. Payment can be sent via Paypal or check.

You can join my Stampin’ Up! team and become a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator now for the great new price of $99, CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT. Contact me whether you want to start your own business or just enjoy the 20% discount on products.

Want to purchase one of my original cards or some Stampin’ Up! retired sets CLICK HERE.

Now on with today’s tutorial. . . . . . .

Card Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin’ Up! Perfectly Preserved (item number 126692)

Card Stock: Stampin’ Up! Early Espesso, Whisper White, Lucky Limeade and Core Color Early Espresso

Ink: Stampin’ Up! Daffodil Delight, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Lucky Limeade, Old Olive and Always Artichoke

Accessories: Stampin’ Up! Sponge, Sponge Daubers, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Big Shot Machine, Polka Dots and Fancy Fan Embossing Folders, Sanding Block, Framelits – Label Collection, White Gel Pen, Markers (Early Espresso, Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake and So Saffron), Old Olive Ribbon.

Are you getting inspiration from this blog? One way you can help support it is to order your Stampin’ Up products through me. Click HERE to place an order and have your order delivered directly to your door step from Stampin’ Up!

Cut the main image panel using the second to the smallest Label Framelit and the big shot machine.

Sponged Daffodil Delight at the top of the card stock and Cajun Craze ink at the bottom of the card stock.

Stamped two pears on Whisper White card stock. One in Lucky Limeade and one in Old Olive.

Colored the Old Olive pear in using an Old Olive Marker.

Cut the pears out using paper snips.

Added Shadows, Old Olive marker on the lucky limeade pear and Always Artichoke marker on the Old Olive pear.

Adhered the pears to the main image panel and then stamped the leaves on using Old Olive ink.

Sponged Early Espresso ink around the edges of the card stock.

Added a shadow under the pears using a Crumb Cake marker.

Used Old Olive marker around the heart and Colored over the stem using an Early Espresso marker.

Colored the leaves in using a So Saffron marker.

Added White Gel Pen highlights.

Die cut a Color Core Early Espesso card stock Label using the second to the largest label die and the Big Shot Machine.

Embossed the die cut using the Polka Dots Embossing Folder and the Big Shot Machine and then sanded the dots a bit some the core color would show.

Cut a 4″ x 5.25″ Lucky Limeade Panel and embossed it using the Fancy Fans Embossing Folder and Big Shot Machine.

Added a 8.5″ x 5.5″ Whisper White panel fold in half for the card base, a 4.25″ x 5.5″ Early Espresso panel and Old Olive Polka Dot Ribbon.

Here is the finished card.

May your day be filled with the people you love.

Until my next post. . . . .

Hugs,

Get ready for Brayer and Direct to Paper Workshops! I am coming to the following locations, click the location name for more information.

Purcellville, Virginia

Orange, Massachusetts

Scottsdale, Arizona

Sacramento, California (Sold Out)

Staley, North Carolina

St. Petersburg, Florida

Newburge, Indiana

I hope you can make it to one of my workshops in 2012. I have decided not to travel after this year, so be sure to catch one now!

Link to my Stampin’ Up website where you can order all of your must have Stampin’ Up products from me 24-7: http://michellezindorf.stampinup.net

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Tutorials

Tagged Big Shot Die, card making, Card tutorial, Handmade Greeting card, Michelle Zindorf, Stamped Art, Stampin' Up, Zindorf

Gently Falling Branch – Tutorial #532

Posted on August 24, 2012 by zindorf| 9 Comments

Hey There,

Are you ready for Autumn? I am sooooo ready! I love to craft during the Autumn season. It’s the time of year when all of my favorite colors are splashed all over the landscape. But I will need to wait a few months, but that doesn’t mean I will need to wait for Autumn to get here before I start creating Autumn projects. With that being said, here is a card using the Stampin’ Up! Gently Falling two step stamp set and the very fun color core Early Espresso card stock. This new card stock from Stampin’ Up! is just begging to be sanded, so I obliged, using the new sanding block, grin. Also, I brayered the background in so that it looks like filtered light.

Now the card was so fun to make I decided to make this 12 x 12 scrapbook page using the same techniques I used in the card. The photo is of my son Mitchell with his daughter Hailie Jade. This was taken back in 2003, lol. I’m a bit behind on getting some of my photos scrap booked.

Here are a few Stampin’ Up Reminders before I start the project.

Want to purchase one of my original cards or some Stampin’ Up! retired sets CLICK HERE.

Now on with today’s tutorial. . . . . . .

Card Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin’ Up! Gently Falling

Card Stock: Stampin’ Up! Summer Starfruit, Basic Black, Cajun Craze and Color Core Early Espresso

Ink: Stampin’ Up! Basic Black, Always Artichoke, Lucky Limeade, Cajun Craze and More Mustard

Accessories: Stampin’ Up! Sponge, Sponge Dauber, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Big Shot Machine, Wood Embossing Folder, Sanding Block, Brayer, Crystal Effects

Brayered More Mustard ink at the bottom of a 4.5″ x 6″ piece of Summer Starfruit card stock.

Brayered Cajun Craze ink at the bottom of the card stock not covering the Summer Starfruit ink entirely.

Stamped the solid leaf stamp on Lucky Limeade card stock using the following colors, Lucky Limeade, Always Artichoke and Cajun Craze.

Over stamped the solid images with the fine line stamp using the following colors, Always Artichoke, Basic Black and Cherry Cobbler.

Stamped the solid seed pods on Lucky Limeade card stock using Lucky Limeade ink. We called these seed pods helicopters when I was growing up.

Stamped the fine line image over the solid image using Always Artichoke ink.

Cut all the images out using my Paper Snips.

Tip: When cutting out things with curves move the paper not the scissors. This helps to give you a smoother look to your cutting and it’s much easier too.

Tip: Put a piece of rubber shelf liner under your Big Shot Machine so it doesn’t slide around when in use.

Using the Big Shot Machine and Wood Embossing Folder, embossed a 4.5″ x 6″ piece of Color Core Early Espresso card stock.

Sand the top of the card stock to bring out the inner core color and the design.

Cut a 1″ strip of the card stock and adhere it to the main image panel.

Draw in a limb using an Early Espresso marker.

Adhere the leaves using 3 Stampin’ Dimensionals and a bit of glue at the bottom of the leaf. This will pop the top of the leaf up and have the bottom of the leaf flat on the card stock.

Adhere the seed pods flat on the card stock. Crinkle up the edges of the leaves.

Darken the stems of the leaves and seed pods using the Early Espresso marker. This makes things look a bit more natural.

Sponge Basic Black ink at the bottom and left sides of the card stock.

Add Crystal effects dots on the leaves as dew drops. This goes on milky but dries to a clear. Let dry very well.

Add a couple of very fine twigs using the Early Espresso marker.

Added a 5″ x 6.5″ Cajun Craze panel and a 4.75″ x 6.25″ Basic Black panel.

Here is the finished card measuring 5″ x 6.5″.

May your day be filled with the colors of nature.

Until my next post. . . . .

Hugs,

Get ready for Brayer and Direct to Paper Workshops! I am coming to the following locations, click the location name for more information.

Purcellville, Virginia

Orange, Massachusetts

Scottsdale, Arizona

Sacramento, California (Sold Out)

Staley, North Carolina

St. Petersburg, Florida

Newburge, Indiana

I hope you can make it to one of my workshops in 2012. I have decided not to travel after this year, so be sure to catch one now!

Link to my Stampin’ Up website where you can order all of your must have Stampin’ Up products from me 24-7: http://michellezindorf.stampinup.net

→ 9 Comments

Posted in Tutorials

Tagged Brayer, brayering, card making, Card tutorial, Handmade Greeting card, Michelle Zindorf, rubber stamp art, Stampin' Up, Stamping tutorial, Zindorf

Shaped Christmas Card – Tutorial #531

Posted on August 22, 2012 by zindorf| 5 Comments

Hey There,

I have a tutorial today on how to make a shaped card using a die cut. This card will easily fit into an A-2 envelope (quarter card). My scene was put together using the emboss resist technique. This technique allows you to put your background in over your main image. Hope you hang out and give this card try. It’s fun stepping outside the box and making a different shape than square or rectangle.

Here are a few Stampin’ Up Reminders before I start the project.

Want to purchase one of my original cards or some Stampin’ Up! retired sets CLICK HERE.

Now on with today’s tutorial. . . . . . .

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin’ Up! For the Birds

Card Stock: Stampin’ Up! Whisper White

Ink: Stampin’ Up! Baja Breeze, Island Indig, Real Red and Basic Black

Accessories: Stampin’ Up! Sponges, Sponge Daubers, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Versamark Marker, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Post it Note, Printed Designer Brads, Labels Collection Framelits Die, Big Shot Machine, Real Red Ribbon, Markers (Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Old Olive, Basic Black and Soft Suede).

Love the Framelits.

Die Cut the frame using the second to the largest framelit, Whisper White card stock and the Big Shot Machine. This piece will be the front of my card.

Folded a Whisper White card stock and put the fold just below the edge of the framelit as shown below.

Run it through the big shot machine. This piece of the card base.

Die cut another frame. This time I used the 3rd to the largest Framelit, Whisper White and the Big Shot Machine. This piece is for the main image panel.

Stamped the image using Craft Basic Black ink on the main image panel.

Heat embossed the image using clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Colored the bird in with Pumpkin Pie marker.

Added Real Red marker.

Blended the color together using the Pumpkin Pie marker. Now there is a shadow at the bottom of the bird and it’s wing.

Added Old Olive marker to the hat, scarf and ornament.

Added a thin line to the bottom of the wing and belly using a Soft Suede marker.

Colored the beak in with Basic Black marker.

Colored in the image using a Versamarker. Be sure to stay inside the embossed lines and start with the lightest part and work toward the darker parts. Heat emboss the image using clear embossing powder and a heat gun. Now the whole bird is embossed.

Ripped the sticky part of a post it note and masked the sky of the scene.

Sponged Baja Breeze ink on the unmasked area.

Sponged Island Indigo ink on the top of the unmasked area.

Removed the post it note mask and ripped a hill shape in the post it note. Sponged Baja Breeze ink a the top of the post it note edge.

Removed the mask and sponged Real Red ink around the main image panel edge.

Sponged Baja Breeze ink around the edge of the card front panel.

Added Real Red Ribbon.

Adhered the card front to the card base lining up the die cut edges.

Added brads to the right and left sides of the main image panel.

Adhered the main image panel to the card front using Stampin’ Dimensionals. Here is the finished card.

May your day be filled with love and laughter.

Until my next post. . . . .

Hugs,

Get ready for Brayer and Direct to Paper Workshops! I am coming to the following locations, click the location name for more information.

Purcellville, Virginia

Orange, Massachusetts

Scottsdale, Arizona

Sacramento, California (Sold Out)

Staley, North Carolina

St. Petersburg, Florida

Newburge, Indiana

I hope you can make it to one of my workshops in 2012. I have decided not to travel after this year, so be sure to catch one now!

Link to my Stampin’ Up website where you can order all of your must have Stampin’ Up products from me 24-7: http://michellezindorf.stampinup.net

→ 5 Comments

Posted in Technique Swap Tutorials, Tutorials

Tagged card making, Card tutorial, emboss resist, Handmade Greeting card, Heat embossing, Masking, Michelle Zindorf, rubber stamp art, Stamped Art, Stampin' Up, Zindorf

Happily Ever After – Tutorial #530

Posted on August 20, 2012 by zindorf| 4 Comments

They There,

I have a wedding card tutorial for you today. This is the card that I gave my son, Mitchell and his lovely bride, Jamie on this past Saturday for their wedding.

The wedding was soooooo stunningly beautiful. The ceremony was preformed outdoors by a weeping willow tree with a pond back drop. The weather was perfect. The wedding party was a large one, 6 bridesmaids, Maid of Honor, 6 groomsman, Best Man, 2 Flower Girls, Ring Barrier and Jamie and Mitchell’s English Bulldog, Slug. Also of course, the bride and groom.

I love this picture of Jamie and Mitchell. Too fun!

I don’t have any pictures of the ceremony yet. They had a professional photographer so I left the camera at home and truly enjoyed watching my youngest get married through my teary eyes. Such a happy occasion. Jamie has really been a part of our family for a couple of years now, but now it is official.

Here are a few Stampin’ Up Reminders before I start the project.

Want to purchase one of my original cards or some Stampin’ Up! retired sets CLICK HERE.

Now on with today’s tutorial. . . . . . .

Supplies:

Card Stock: Stampin’ Up! Whisper White, Baja Breeze and Basic Black

Ink: Stampin’ Up! Baja Breeze, Old Olive, Island Indigo and Basic Black

Accessories: Stampin’ Up! Sponges, 1 3/4″ Circle Punch, Brayer, Antique Brads, Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Post it Note, Potpourri Basket Cricut Cartridge, Cricut Imagine Machine.

Punched a 1 3/4″ circle from a the sticky part of a post it note and masked the moon on a 3″ x 4.5″ piece of Whisper White card stock.

Brayered Baja Breeze on the top of the card stock. Also brayered Island Indigo at the top of the card stock (sorry I missed the photo on this).

Sponged Old Olive ink at the bottom of the card stock.

Sponged Basic Black ink at the very bottom of the card stock.

Removed the moon mask and added a bride and groom die cut. The die cut was cut using Potpourri Basket Cricut Cartridge at 2″ with my Cricut Imagine machine from Basic Black card stock.

Added a 5.25″ square panel of Baja Breeze, 5″ square Basic Black panel, 4 7/8″ square Whisper White Panel, 3 1/8″ x 4 5/” Basic Black panel and a 10.5″ x 5.25″ piece of Whisper White folded in half for the card base. Also added White Satin Ribbon and two Antique Brads. Here is the finished card measuring 5.25″ square.

May your day be filled with wonder.

Until my next post. . . . .

Hugs,

Get ready for Brayer and Direct to Paper Workshops! I am coming to the following locations, click the location name for more information.

Purcellville, Virginia

Orange, Massachusetts

Scottsdale, Arizona

Sacramento, California (Sold Out)

Staley, North Carolina

St. Petersburg, Florida

Newburge, Indiana

I hope you can make it to one of my workshops in 2012. I have decided not to travel after this year, so be sure to catch one now!

Link to my Stampin’ Up website where you can order all of your must have Stampin’ Up products from me 24-7: http://michellezindorf.stampinup.net

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Cricut Projects, Tutorials

They Are Married! Woohoo!

Posted on August 19, 2012 by zindorf| 6 Comments

Well they did it! My son, Mitchell is now a husband and I have gained the most wonderful daughter in law every. Jamie, welcome to the family.

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell VanHoose! Cheers to ever lasting love.

Until my next post. . . . . . . .

Hugs,

Get ready for Brayer and Direct to Paper Workshops! I am coming to the following locations, click the location name for more information.

Purcellville, Virginia

Orange, Massachusetts

Scottsdale, Arizona

Sacramento, California (Sold Out)

Staley, North Carolina

St. Petersburg, Florida

Newburge, Indiana

I hope you can make it to one of my workshops in 2012. I have decided not to travel after this year, so be sure to catch one now!

Link to my Stampin’ Up website where you can order all of your must have Stampin’ Up products from me 24-7: http://michellezindorf.stampinup.net

→ 6 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

My Digital Studio 2 is out!

Posted on August 17, 2012 by zindorf| 1 Comment

MY DIGITAL STUDIO 2 IS HERE.. . . . . .

Check out this link to see what the buzz is:

MY DIGITAL STUDIO 2

You can try out My Digital Studio for free. CLICK HERE!

Express yourself and impress your friends when you create projects using MDS 2, My Digital Studio’s digital design software.

With the FREE 30-day trial, you’ll get:
* Full access to the software at NO COST for 30 days
* Full access to design tools to create cards, photobooks, calendars, and more
* Full access to a sample of exclusive artwork from MDS 2+
* The chance to buy additional downloads that you can keep after your trial expires
* Ability to order your projects from our professional print services

Pardon my absence. My youngest son is gettting married this weekend. Lots to do. .. .. . .