Lil Duckie Arts

Floral District Birthday

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Shauna

Hey there! I’ve got a new stash of pretty things from the beautiful new catalogue! For some reason Lila had her longest nap ever today (an hour and a half), so I got my crafting apron on. I came up with this simple card using the brand new Floral District DSP. Isn’t it great? There are so many different bright patterns.

A recent class used some of these papers and other new items, like dies and the new ink pads.

In other news, our house is seeming a lot more like a home, as we’ve done the majority of our unpacking, and we had a successful housewarming party recently. There are still a few missing items, but I’m sure they’ll turn up eventually. My most recent project (aside from making dinner) was a little potted herb garden. Maybe L will nap enough for some other fun thing to happen soon? And swimming! As of now, we hope to get lots of use out of our pool!

Materials:
Rich Razzleberry and Whisper White cardstock, Floral District DSP
Daffodil Delight Seem Binding, Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin’ Pad, Large Oval Punch, Big Shot with Apothecary Accents Framelits

Posted in Any Occasion, birthday, card | Tagged any occasion, birthday, card | Comments Off

A fun little foodie gift for moms with no time (mug brownie)

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Shauna

Moms.. we don’t seem to have much time to follow through on a recipe, let alone sit down and read one. In comes this great little 3-minute mug brownie recipe that I posted a while back. I decided to package some up for the moms in my prenatal group, so they can give in to a sweet tooth once in a while.

These came with a recipe so they could make more. I totally recommend it! I’ve made a big batch that I dip into regularly.

Tags and labels and such.. oh my! These make great little gifts!

Posted in craft | Tagged craft, food, gift | Comments Off

Breast Cancer Fundraiser – Thanks Card

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Shauna

Hi there,

This sweet card is one that’s helping me raise some money for breast cancer research. I’m running in The Run For the Cure that happens every September in Victoria. It’s just a 5k run, but that’s about as much as I’ll be able to handle. My goal is to jog the whole thing, but we’ll see.

To raise money, a friend and I put on a fundraiser card class.. She’s dubbed it “Cards, Cupcakes, and Cups of Tea.” Cute, right? Everyone made a few cards and enjoyed the calming crafty times with friends.

We more than doubled our fundraising goal. Thanks so much to everyone who came out! I’m looking forward to another fun event.

Materials
Basic Gray, Lucky Limeade, Pretty In Pink, and Whisper White Cardstock; Basic Black and Crumb Cake Ink; Rue Des Fleurs stamps; Pearls; Big Shot, and Perfect Polka Dots Folder

Posted in thank you | Tagged card, thank you | Comments Off

Single Lady Double Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Shauna

Do you remember my 3-minute Mug Brownie? Here’s a fun version for you! I downed it tonight with the help of a lovely glass of local rosé from a little winery across the street from my parents’ farm. Delicious delicious chocolate and peanut butter together again. And so easy to whip up when you feel a craving come on.

Creamy peanut butter, Reese’s Chippits (peanut butter chocolate chips), and lots of fudgy-rich chocolate. Yum in a dish.

Melt the peanut butter a bit, then stir it up. Microwave and you’re done.

3-Minute Single Lady Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie
Adapted from The Family Kitchen

2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp. cocoa
pinch of salt
2 tsp. canola oil
1 tsp. creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp. milk
10 or so peanut butter chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients really well and them to a microwave-safe bowl.
Plop in peanut butter, oil, and milk.
Heat for 15 seconds to make the mixture easier to stir
Stir together, then add the peanut butter chocolate chips and stir until combined.
Microwave for 45 seconds.

Posted in Recipe | Tagged brownie, dessert, peanut butter, Recipe | 1 Comment

Happy Father’s Day

Posted on June 17, 2012 by Shauna

Good memories for dad.

Today was celebrated with all of Nathan’s extended family. They took over our house and we feasted on pulled pork with a spicy slaw… and jello fruit salad! Some of us braved the chilly pool, and others braved N’s game of battle tag (like laser tag). Lila played herself into a sleepy haze.

And one last picture for good measure:

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged fathers day, Lila | Comments Off

Floral Bash

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Shauna

Hey hey,

Happy Wednesday! The sun is out.. I always feel a need to tell you when it’s a sunny day, yet I don’t announce the rainy ones. Maybe I’m an optimist at heart? I’m pretty sure it’s just that I love the sun. It makes me feel so cheerful. Cheerful like this card.. (see that segue? I’m awesome).

I was playing around with my new Floral District paper and made this guy. It’s based on a card I saw in the deep recesses of a website that I can’t even link to because you have to be a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator to have access.. sorry. But you can look at my version instead :-)

This DSP is very tra-la-la summer-ish. All of it. Summer, I’m in love.

Gotta go play in the sun.. cheerio!

Materials:
Floral District DSP, Whisper White and Baja Breeze Cardstock.
Rich Razzleberry, Baja Breeze, Basic Black, and Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin’ Pads;
Rich Razzleberry grosgrain ribbon, Big Shot and Circles #2 Originals die, and Fabulous Florets Stamps.

Posted in card, thank you | Tagged card, Floral District, flowers, thank you | Comments Off

Beautiful Wings Wedding

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Shauna

Heyya!

I went back to playing with layered white on white. It makes me happy, kind of like how clean counters and a full fridge make me happy. I love the clean lines and touch of colour that the Pool Party DSP offers here. Top it off with a little gem and you’re done.

What else is new? The sun is shining, and we’re gearing up to finally use our swimming pool! Since the hot summer season is so short here, we need to take advantage of it as much as possible. Really we only get a few weeks of really decent hot weather, but the pool’s heated, so we’ll be using it when it’s sunny and 20C.

I liked this card so much that I decided to make a little set of them.

And some with a splash of Lucky Limeade. This would make a perfect wedding or retirement card.

Materials:
Whisper White Cardstock, Pool Party Classic Stampin’ Pad, Gems, Big Shot with Beautiful Wings Die and Elegant Lines Folder

Posted in wedding | Tagged butterflies, card, elegant, wedding, white | Comments Off

White Wedding Paper Doily Card

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Shauna

Hello, hello!

We just moved! Into a house! Life is a little bit crazy-town right now, with all the unpacking and baby wrangling going on here. There’s a whole lot to be organized and put away into good spots, rather than the “for now” part of the living room. One exciting part – I have a bigger craft room! We’ve used a great big living room as my craft room, which is nice because it has all kinds of cupboards for storage. I’ll be able to sew in there too.

I recently (before the move) taught a “White is Nice” card class where we used a whole lot of – you guessed it – white! I just love how clean and crisp they are, creating a very elegant look. Pretty, right?

I tell ya though, that Paper Doily die.. man oh man is it ever a lot of work. I spent a good chunk of time popping out all those little holes. It probably won’t make an appearance in a class again unless my students request it. I felt bad for them having to do 3 of these!

Materials
Whisper White and Pool Party Cardstock, Big Shot, Paper Doily and Perfect Polka Dots dies, Versamark ink, White embossing powder, White button (disc), and white baker’s twine.

Posted in wedding | Tagged best wishes, card, elegant, wedding, white | Comments Off

Sewing a Ring Sling

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Shauna

Hi there!

This little peanut has grown a lot since I took that picture, but she’s still just as sweet. She even wrote me a card and gave me a gift for Mother’s Day (with dad’s help, of course). I got a lovely wireless keyboard, so I can more easily hold her squirminess and type at the same time. Or at least, that’s what I dream of. I may be stuck with only using my iPhone for another 10 years.

Anyways, back to the post… I made a ring sling, which is pretty darn handy to tote around a wee one. It bunches up really small and fits into the diaper bag. You can whisk it out to use while grocery shopping, or to put babe to sleep, or for a hike down the road. If you have back issues, you probably don’t want to wear it for long periods of time, but it’s perfect in a pinch, and the little ones do love to be right up against a warm body like that.

To sew this puppy, I got a great tutorial from Stand and Deliver and followed it closely. Basically, I picked a fabric I loved, got a metre and a half or so of it, and went to town. I love the little star stitches along the top.

You can get different sizes of rings from Sling Rings. Mine are the 3” rings, and they worked great!

Now, to learn some ways to wrap it, especially since L’s no longer an infant. 3 months already! For instructions, go here.

Posted in baby, sewing | Tagged baby, ring sling, sewing | Comments Off

Banana Zucchini Flax Muffins

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Shauna

Delicious, delicious muffins. Healthy too. Did I mention that healthy part? Yeah, there’s flax! And zucchini! And banana! All good stuff. No oil, and only skim milk, which you can switch up for almond or light coconut milk if you prefer.

I had to make these muffins during L’s naptime, which I was very lucky to get today. I’d been craving these babies for a few months now. I’ll admit, I had to listen to a bit of screaming as I scooped the last few into the muffin tin and popped them into the oven. The things she deals with, eh?

These muffins are ridiculously moist and delicious. Don’t skip out on the kosher salt. It’s necessary. Finer salts just won’t give it the same kick throughout.

Banana Zucchini Flax Muffins

Makes 12 muffins – about 150 calories each
Source: Adapted slightly from Shutterbean

1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (ok to use frozen grated zucchini if you have leftover)
1/3 cup mashed banana (about 1 large banana)
3/4 cup skim milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray muffin tin with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, ground flaxseed, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, and cinnamon. Mix with a whisk. In a small bowl, lightly whisk together the milk, egg, and vanilla extract.

Stir the mashed banana and zucchini into the flour mixture. Pour in the milk mixture and stir until just mixed. Do not over-stir; lumps are fine.

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for about 25 minutes – until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely, then remove from the tin. Muffins store at room temperature for up to 3 days, and freeze well.

Posted in Recipe | Tagged breakfast, flax, light, muffins, Recipe, snack, zucchini | 2 Comments

Card for a guy

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Shauna

Hi there!

The sun’s out, Lila’s sleeping (possibly only for another 2 minutes), and I was able to get breakfast and shower. This adds up to a very successful morning! So successful that I took on the task of making a card and sharing it with you.

This one’s a little birthday card that I made for Nathan. Don’t spread it around, but he just turned 31.

I really like the circle here. I felt like Nathan needed a little something different – a step away from the regular 4 1/4” x 5 1/2” card. So I folded up the usual card base and ran it through the Big Shot, using the large scalloped circle die, but moving it in a bit so a few scallops were missed (that’s the fold). Add the car, the sentiment, some DSP, and you’re done!

Materials:
Basic Gray and Whisper White cardstock; Island Indigo ink; Basic Gray and Lucky Limeade DSP; Big Shot; 3 1/2” Circle Die; Scallop Circle Die.

Posted in birthday, guys | Tagged birthday, car, card, circles, guys, masculine | Comments Off

Baby Carriage Announcement Card

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Shauna

Hellooooo!

After all this baby stuff, I had to create my own hand-made baby announcements. It just didn’t seem right for me to go the usual route and send one of those cute picture postcard type announcements, since making cards is such a big part of my life. These were not quick and easy to make, especially not in the quantity I needed. There’s a whooooole lotta steps involved, but I’m pretty happy with the end result, especially since they just fit into a standard invitation-sized envelope.

I’ve seen versions of this card all over the internet, such as at Patty’s Stamping Spot. I’m really quite happy with my version, even though it involved so much work. For the buggy handle, I used the little Word Window punch sort of layered on top of itself. It worked out great!

They’re all slightly different, which is fun. I didn’t do the little textured dots on most because my patience simply ran out. That would have taken me another day’s worth of work or more.

On the inside we’ve got our little announcement, a picture, and then a personal note. It was a tight fit, but still worked out.

How’d I use the scallop die to make a card? I cut a piece of cardstock in half to measure 5 1/2” x 8 1/2”, folded it in half, then ran it through the big shot so that the fold was missing a few of the scallops (maybe 4 or 5 of them), so it didn’t get cut there. Then, find the centre point and cut out a little pie slice (about 5 scallops’ worth).

Materials Used:
Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Brushed Silver, Basic Grey Cardstock, and Flirtatious Specialty DSP, as well as some DSP I got on clearance from a few years back.
Scallop Circle Bigz Die, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Word Window, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border, Eyelet Border, 1” circle, and 3/4” circle punches

Hoooooray for baby L!

Posted in baby | Tagged announcement, baby, baby carriage, card | Comments Off

Kite card for baby

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Shauna

It seems like there’s a lot of babies happening. Maybe I’ve just hit that stage of life, similar to lots of weddings happening all at once. The weddings have slowed down a bit now, and the babies have started coming, and of course I have to send cards to the families!

This card is a fun combination of Pool Party and Calypso Coral, along with a great new stamp set in the current Occasions Mini Catalogue.

We’ve got the Send Me Soaring stamp set, where I’ve cut out the diamonds of the kites and popped them up. I also added some glitter to the middle one. The clouds are just done by using my Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions folder then punching out cupcake tops, using the Cupcake Builder Punch. Cool, right?

The welcome Baby stamp is from my very favourite sentiment set – Short & Sweet.

More baby cards to come, I’m sure!

Posted in baby | Tagged baby, card | Comments Off

Flannel and Chenille Burp Cloth Tutorial

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Shauna

I thought I should get back to these amazingly plush and cute burp cloths that I made (with some difficulty, but that doesn’t matter – they’re too cute not to make!). They’re soft fuzzy white chenille on one side, and soft flannel on the other. The flannel helps with absorbency, which is really nice to have in a burp cloth.

You can see the original tutorial at How Does She, where they’ve used designer cotton on one side. Also super cute!

If you have a sewing machine like mine, just be patient. The chenille may have a mind of its own and slip all over the place, but you can always trim up the edges before flipping your project right side out.

My flannel’s from Fabric.com, and the chenille’s from Fabricland. They have other colours and textures if you prefer.

So, how’d I do this? Tutorial for you!

Flannel pieces (I used 9” x 16”).
Chenille pieces (same size as your flannel)
Walking foot on your machine (Not necessary, but may help)

Cut your fabric to size (9” x 16”). It’s nice to make a whole bunch at a time for future gifts (or to pet, because the chenille’s so soft that you’ll want to pet it all day long).

Your chenille will leave nice little pieces of itself all over your table and your clothes! Yay chenille lint!

Pin “right” sides together. Don’t get all tired and forget about this! Fuzzy side of chenille facing pretty side of flannel.

Sew around your rectangle with a 1/2” seam allowance – remember to back-stitch. Leave about a 2” hole at the end so you have space to flip it right side out! Don’t forget! (Yes.. these are all mistakes I’ve made in a sleepy state.. or a just-not-paying-attention-state).

Here we are. I’ve sewn around, leaving a 2-inch gap. Now you can trim any pieces that pulled themself off track. I had to trim about 1/2” from all sides! It’s also helpful to clip the corners (not pictured).

Turn right-side-out through your hole. I didn’t find any need to iron it.

Top stitch all the way around, making sure you catch that hole you left and get it nice and closed. Top stitching lets you avoid hand-stitching it closed, and gives the burp cloth a finished look. It also helps keep the fabric from slipping out of shape.

Admire your work and give it to a friend!

Posted in baby, sewing, tutorial | Tagged baby, burp cloths, sewing, tutorial | Comments Off