Purple Onion Designs

Watercolor Crayons - Part II

Here is another card I did along with the Calla Lilly card below.  I used the same watercolor crayon direct to rubber, spritz and stamp technique.

The stamp is called Flower Cluster and the sentiment is a little freebie I send out with orders.  I used Shabby Shutters Distress Ink on both.  The pearl stick pin is from Boxer Scrapbook.  The patterned background paper is Basic Grey's Queen Ann  but once again from the 6x6 pad.  I am not sure where I picked up the cute green stripe ribbon that is tied around the pin. 

Scratch & Sniff

I wish I could put up a little scratch & sniff for you all.  I just got done making dinner and the house smells wonderful.  I am not normally this proactive fixing dinner but this is an easy one and tastes even better after it has been sitting.

Haina's Surefire Brisket (New York Cookbook by Molly O'Neill with some adaptions by me)

1 first-cut beef brisket (3-4 lbs.)

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1tablespoon peanut or canola oil

3 cups ginger ale

1 packet of Lipton's Onion Soup Mix (or similar brand)

6 potatoes, quartered

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Pour ginger ale into Dutch oven and stir in soup mix. 

3.  Coat both sides of brisket with Paprika.  Heat oil in saute pan till just smoking.  Add brisket and sear on all sides till brown.

4.  Remove brisket from pan and add to Dutch oven.  Cover tightly and cook for 1 hour.

5.  Turn the meat over and cook for an additional hour. 

6.  Add the pototoes and cook for 45 minutes longer.

7.  When brisket is tender, remove to cutting board and allow to cool slightly.  Slice the brisket across the grain, pour the pan juices over the meat along with the potatoes.

Serves 6

This is a great dish for picky kids because the ginger ale makes it sweet.  It has been a family favorite for several years now.  It was such an odd recipe to me for brisket that I had to try it.  Not to mention that the cookbook it came from is pretty awesome.  The recipes come from all famous New York retaurants, eateries, celebrities and cook off award winners.  It was put together by a New York Times food columist.  It also lists all types of info about food in NYC (places to eat, shop, etc.).  You can also make this recipe  in a crock pot.  Just find the correct cooking times for your crock pot. 

Sweet 16

Today's card is one of my normal we are leaving in 15 minutes so I have about 10 to make a card.  I don't know why I do this to myself.  I know way in advance that I need a card but I do it almost every time.  I swear I am going to sit down one day and make a little stack of cards.  No time constraints so I can have a little fun and experiment.  I am not even sure how dark the photo will be because I am quickly snapping it before we leave (and the lighting stinks up here).

This birthday card is for Kasey's 16th birthday.  We are headed over to celebrate with a family dinner.  I have known Kasey's Mom since I was in kindergarten and her dad since High School.  They have remained close friends.  These are some of the friends that we celebrate holidays with.  Kasey was the first "baby" from my group of friends.  The majority of us waited a bit longer.  I can't believe she is 16!  It is going to be a real awakening when she starts driving.

Real quick...birthday hat stamp from the Birthday Doodle Set.  I colored the hat with Copic and Spica Glitter markers.  You can't tell from the photo but the tassel and circles on the hat are done with the glitter markers.  There is also a little chalk shimmer around the edge of the circle using Pebbles Shimmer Chalks.  Scallop circle is the Giga Marvy Punch and the circle is a Zip e' Mate die.  The patterned paper is some old Paper Fever. 

Let's try this again...

I didn't mean to tell you I was going to start blogging and drop the ball.  My big obstacle was my computer.  I was having major issues with my USB ports.  I wasn't able to upload photos from my camera.  I like blogs with photos and especially eye candy.  I had been using the laptop but it just isn't the same.  I like all my stuff and all my stuff together.  I should of just waited on the blog until I got around to ordering a new computer.  My new computer arrived yesterday so here I am.  Let's see if I can get back into the swing of things. 

I really like using solid image flower stamps, coloring directly on the image and stamping.  The Calla Lilly was colored with Lyra watercolor crayons.  The stems were fully colored and then I just colored the outside edges of the flower.  The stamp is misted with water and then stamped on your cardstock.  In this case I used a cold press water color paper.  I like the texture the cold press paper has.  I did use my waterbrush to even out some color in certain spots.  I also added a faint wash around areas of the image as well using the waterbrush.  The edges of the flower and birthday wishes panel were inked with Distress Inks and distressed with a paper distresser.  Heidi Swapp also makes a paper distresser or you can just run your scissors along the edge of the cardstock.  I did the same thing to the  burgandy layers.  You can't tell from the photo but the "birthday wishes" is raised from the card with pop dots.  The background cardstock for the card is Kisa from Basic Grey.  The cardstock is from the Perhaps 6x6 Paper Pad.  I like using the pads for cards because the designs are all scaled down.