What's YOUR Brew? ~ March Duel ~

   Hello Darling Peeps...
It is STILL the 15th and am blogging in the nick of time, even though I had my main card ready earlier in the day (but I decided to also make a second one after supper....therefore a longer delay)
This month Kadie (Diva's hostess) and I (for the Dazzlers) were at the helm for the Duel and decided to go with either a coffee /or tea theme hence we name it  ' What's YOUR Brew? '
  
This is what I sent to the Dazzlers : "My new partner Kadie and I got our heads together and decided it was time to put YOU through an 'arduous task' in asking what's your favorite brew of all. Are you a tea person or a coffee person? (or, are you perhaps both?)  Any particular kind of tea or coffee you prefer?  Tell us all about your brew of choice, and let's have fun dueling" ♥

  


  I put together a few different images and sentiments for my kits, including real coffee beans (the same ones I freshly grind daily for my espresso or cappuccino)..lol (Some of you may know that when I create coffee themed card I always use beans somewhere in my cards (my trademark *wink*)

Dazzlers Kits Contents:

Stamped images - 'Coffee and Friend's  w/ sentiment (from Inkadinkado 96576 P) , 'Java Jumpers' /House Mouse (from Stampabilities),'I don't do Mornings' (from Stampabilities) , 'Chamomile Tea'  /House Mouse (from Stampabilities),
* plus a mixture of sentiments* Ink - Images are stamped on Cougar white c/s w/ Memento Tuxedo Black Designer Papers - 'Honeycomb' by Time Spring (Fancy Pants) , 'Madame Mariposa' by Butterfly Collection (Prima) ,'Summer Kincaid Ave' by Scenic Route ,'Tip me Over' by Time Spring (Fancy Pants), Coffee notes by Mead Card Stock - 'Spice Market' by Recollection , dry embossed with 'On The Go' embossing folder (by Tim Holtz) Accessories - Candy Floss in 4 different colors ,Grosgrain pink double sided ribbon , Grosgrain deep red from SU , paper flowers from Recollection , assorted large brads from Basic Grey , large and medium half pearls , (real) coffee beans.

<----- The the inside of my card

I LOVEEE my daily espresso, I literally would have withdrawal symptoms if I could not have my brew, especially right after work...
One thing that REALLY has me so excited is that, after 10 years (if not longer!) I recently regained my sense of smell!! Just.Like.That!
Out.Of.The.Blue! Can you imagine how I truly feel these days? I am in cloud nine for sure! Someone pinch me please!!To me this is NOTHING short of  a miracle...especially after two surgeries that didn't result in curing my anosmia.
A new, forgotten world of bursting aromas and wonderful smells around the house, outdoors in the fresh spring air....EVERYTHING is like new again...as well as the sense of taste...OHHHH the taste of food!!! Hard to describe for sure! A plethora of wonderful flavorfulness burst inside my mouth with the taking of each bite...Truly amazing....I feel I was given this new blessing for a reason....I just hope and pray that it will last!

 Later today, I decided to also make a tea card ... tea is , after all, the main brew I take daily to work with me...I became a tea drinker just a few years back. Hubby makes my tea each working day as he filling my thermos usually with green tea.
My favorite teas are the ones that contain lemon , orange or mint in them...although in the summer I love my refreshing peach tea on ice ♥

 For this card I chose 'Chamolile Tea' image from H/M (Stampabilities) I only used part of the image...I love the sleeping bunny  inside the tea box. ♥
I used the sentiment from another stamped image as it seems perfect for this card.

On the inside of the tea card I kept it simple, using only a strip of leaves d/p (which symbolize tea leaves - at least to me -) along with a small sample from other d/p from the kit.
Et voila'... Both brews have my vote, but a good Espresso coffee is definatley my most favorite brew of them all! ♥

Thanks for stopping by...your opinions and your comments are always welcome... *Blessings to all!*:)

♥ Also would like to share my sweet little Princess special  day ...check her out here :

http://www.paola-sama.blogspot.ca/2015/03/frozen-themed-cake.html

FROZEN themed cake...

 Hello Friends,

this time I don't have a card to show you, instead I am posting the latest birthday cake I made for my youngest grandaughter  who recently turned 7. She asked me to make her a 'Frozen' themed cake. Aside, pulling my own hair...lol...I checked on line for a few ideas and, ultimatley,  proceeded to come out with my own, 

with the hope that it would turn somewhat decent enough to make my lil sweet grandaughter happy.

                         

  I wanted to incorporate some unique snowflakes to Michela's birthday cake, using the biggest snowflakes stamp set I had :
'Snowflake Spot' (an old set from SU, year 2006 ) served this purpose well.
 Then, on I went, experimenting with 'designing' with blue melted chocolate , right on kitchen's waxed paper lined over the previous stamped images...

voila'...slowlyyyyy, slowwwwlyyyy, I managed to somewhat 'design' some yummy snowflakes

  
Not easy to do, for sure...
especially when no previous attempt was ever made to do this, on my part and I don;t have such a steady hand either....lol

In fact, I can almost guarantee this would most likely be my first AND last attempt at this! lol

I also used an oval Spellbinder die to trace around
white fondant. I wanted to use the oval shape, and decorate it with mini candy-balls and place the previously traced # 7 in blue chocolate, in the middle of the white oval, for a good contrast...
Well, that didn't work too well as the #7 cracked...yikes! What to do now ? Plan two - well, of course, I used blue candy-balls in the to form a #7, iced each little ball at a time and put them in place....After all that was done, the white ones still shifted...thus some of them look crooked too...but at this point I really wasn't too concerned....lol

Well, that didn't work too well as the #7 cracked...yikes! What to do now ? Plan two - well, of course, I used blue candy-balls in the to form a #7, iced each little ball at a time and put them in place....After all that was done, the white ones still shifted...thus some of them look crooked too...but at this point I really wasn't too concerned at all....

           Here's the final product...a total labour of love from a 'crazy' nonna!

The most important thing for me was to see my grandaughter sweet face lighting up when she saw her cake for the first time....as well as the other lil girls present, all squealing with delightful joy ;)

                                ♥ Ready.....set....BLOW!!! ♥

 Sponge cake (NOT from a box, all fresh and made from scratch) , 

filling : purple/lavander frosting and mixed berries jam

Both cakes are covered with vanilla fondant (purchased at Michael's)

 I decided to make other treats that the kids would love,especially the birthday girl.
I named these 'Sven's antlers'...and they were a hit  :) They simply are pretzles sticks
dipped in eithr white or blue chocolate and then dazzled with all kind 
of sprinkles and tiny mini snowflakes...(these sticks ARE addictive, soo yummmy!)

 

 These are the 'sparkly' cake pops I also made for Michela's 'Frozen' party....
The cake pop themselves are really easy to make...but to cover them w/ hot dipping
chocolate and decorate them is a nightmare...it took me forevahhh....lol

Lastly, using leftover chocolate cake pops, I turned them into what
I dubbed them as 'Sven's droppings'...lol....hummm definetly...colorful too ;)

                            Our very own sweet 'Princess Elsa', in all her royal glamour :)

Thanks for stopping by   :)

your visit is ALWAYS appreciated!

♥ God Bless!! ♥