Recipe Book Add On

A few days I posted a photograph showing a beautiful recipe book idea. This project was for a large workshop so I had to cut paper for multiple recipe books. Once I designed the original, cutting the background and texture paper and cardstock for the workshop was a cinch! Over the next few weeks, I'll add the insert pages. There are 5 all together and I'm sure you'll find them to be not only simple to recreate but very pretty, indeed! Here's the first insert pages:

As a reminder, I used the following Close To My Heart products:

~Z1141 My Creations 3-Ring Binder
~X7114B Bella Paper Pack
~D1367 Bon Appetit Stamp Set
~ D1364 Recipe Box Stamp Set

Stamp pads used include Close To My Heart's Exclusive Inks™ in the following colors: Z2147 Smokey Plum, Z2128 Hollyhock, Z2137 Olive. Don't you just love the grapes and leaves stamp set? It's an all-time classic and one of my favorites.

Everyone should have friends like our dear friends, Guy and Melissa. (This is me with Melissa, not Guy!) We spent a few days with them over the 4th of July. Melissa makes an outrageous Oreo Cookie Cheesecake. I'll share that recipe with you here, especially since today's post features a page from the recipe book.

Melissa's Oreo Cookie Cheesecake

Process in food processor (or smash by hand in a ziploc bag):

2 cups Oreo Cookies, including whites
4 tablespoons butter

Pat with spoon in 9" springform pan.

Beat:
4 - 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons flour

Add: 4 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks. Beat until mixed. Stir in additional crushed Oreo Cookies. Pour in pan. Top with whole Oreo Cookies. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes then reduce oven to 225 degrees and bake additional 50 minutes. When knife inserted in cheesecake comes out clean, turn off oven and let cheesecake sit in over for 15 minutes. Take out after 15 minutes, let cool, then refrigerate. Top with 2 cups sour cream and 1/4 cup sugar.
Notes: Get yourself plenty of Oreos! Two bags should suffice. We ran short of Oreos but I had some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on hand so I chopped those up and threw them in with the Oreos. Yummy!

We're getting excited for the annual fireworks display tomorrow night at the Bishop Airport. Families gather in the early evening for BBQing, playing games, and setting off "legal" fireworks before the big fireworks production sponsored by our volunteer fire department. The awesome show is set to patriotic music is the perfect ending to a great summer day.


Projects celebrating America's July 4th holiday should include Close To My Heart's traditional patriotic colors such as those shown in the swatches on the left. Additionally, several of our scrapbook kits are perfect for your 4th of July photographs. I might suggest the following themes:

Animal Cookies
Back Country
Blue Ribbon
Route 66

All of these themes are available in Level 1 Scrapbook Kits (4 pre-printed pages with 2 sheets of My Stickease), Level 2 Paper Packs (cardstock and patterned paper), and My Stickease. You can see each of the themes in the current Idea Book or view them at my http://www.laurie.myctmh.com/ website. (Pssst...you can place your order there, too!)

Are you prepared to take photographs at your 4th of July celebrations? I hope so! Here are some tips to help you achieve great fireworks photos.

Tip 1: If shooting with a point-and-shoot camera, check to see if there is a 'fireworks' setting. If so, use it!
Tip 2: Watch your backgrounds. Shoot low and into the sky if possible. Watch for errant objects in the background that might distract from the fireworks.
Tip 3: You'll be using a slow shutter speed so if possible, use a tripod.
Tip 4: Shoot verticals and horizontals. Watch to see that your horizons are horizontal!
Tip 5: If your camera has a shutter lag (that annoying time between pressing the shutter button and when the exposure is actually taken), anticipating the action may result in more successful images. Press the shutter just before the fireworks explode.
Tip 6: Switch your flash to OFF.

Now go out and have fun!

If you're looking for a quick and easy gift, one that will deliver something thoughtful and creative, and be a treasure for years to come, why not make a family recipe book?


The following Close To My Heart items were used to create this lovely recipe book:


~Z1141 My Creations 3-Ring Binder
~X7114B Bella Paper Pack
~D1367 Bon Appetit Stamp Set
~ D1364 Recipe Box Stamp Set

Directions:
1. Cut a piece of Bella B&T paper to fit front of binder.
2. Cut a 2nd piece long enough that will cover the back and side of the album and wrap around to the front.
3. On the end that wraps to the front (the pink shown on the left), fold and crease back to the left as shown. Glue in place.
4. Stamp as desired.

The 3-Ring binder has 5 tabbed inserts than can be used as recipe category separators. Cover each insert with any coordinating Bella B&T paper and stamp as desired.

Gift-giving suggestion: Make several recipe books and give as gifts for the holidays.

I'm excited to share the July Constant Campaign with you. You'll want to give a "high five" for the FAVORITE FIVE! Join Close To My Heart as a new consultant anytime between July 1 - 31, 2009 and you'll receive your choice of FIVE additional select products absolutely FREE. Here's a flyer with more details...be sure to check it out. It's a heck of a deal so don't delay! To sign up, visit my MyCTMH website then click on Your Opportunities then "click here" at the bottom of that page. The sign-up process is super easy and quick. As always, don't hesitate to e-mail me with any questions.

FIVE REASONS WHY I LOVE BEING A
CLOSE TO MY HEART CONSULTANT

1. Earning $$ doing something I love!
2. Raising a family while contributing financially.
3. Friends have become customers and customers have become friends.
4. The cruises!
5. Supporting my second love, photography.

Along with a new month comes a new Stamp of the Month. It's a great one, too. But then again, is there ever a month where we don't have a great Stamp of the Month? Remember that each Idea Book includes 4 months of Stamp of the Month specials. You'll always find them on the inside back cover.

I love surprises and although I don't get many sprung on me these days, I know my Deal - A - Day with Close To My Heart will be a fun surprise. I find myself anticipating that excitement each day! Don't get the day pass by without visiting my http://www.laurie.myctmh.com/ website for today's Deal - A - Day offer!

I spent a good part of my weeked working to beautify my lovely yard and I think I succeeded! I can't wait to show you the serene photos of our new backyard pond. From the first shovel's dig to the final plant in the ground around the water's edge, I have photos to remember it each step of the way. I can't wait to make this project a layout or two in my All About My Life scrapbook that I'm doing for me...and just me.

Deal A Day - What a Deal!!

Click on this cute little green image and you'll instantly be transported to my website http://www.laurie.myctmh.com. Details of these daily specials can be found there so check every morning for the day's greatest catch by clicking on Shop Online. E-mail me with any questions and I'll be glad to stop my gardening to help you purchase some scrapbook supplies. See you here soon!

It's Bloggin Time!

By now, hopefully you are seeing a nice blog design that will showcase some of my greatest passions in life... stamping and scrapbooking, photography, and gardening. I plan to share the goings and comings in my daily life as well...hope you'll become a follower and pick up petals of inspiration throughout the months and years to come.