Just Because. . .I felt like making a card!!

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY for all the Aussies out there in blogland. . . .YAY!!!!!!!

I have been putting this card together for nearly a week but when Sherry and I skyped the other day I put it aside and only finished it off tonight so I thought I would put it up here on my blog as I really like how it turned out eventually lol. This card is not for a challenge or anything it was just because I felt like making a card.

I have used SU cardstock, Modern Label punch and Early Expresso ink pad, I Am Roses flowers (totally in love with them), MFT Dies for the dress form and sewing bits and bobs as well as the doily background and stamp set, some jute twine and a Making Memories vintage garment pin. Oh I nearly forgot the most important bit I used OA Thrift Shop paper pad. That is it for now.

In the meantime. . . .

Walk about your day with artistic beauty.

The Gypsy

Clean and Simple Stamping - #174

Another day another challenge people lol. Once again Sherry and I were skyping and we both chose to do this weeks Clean and Simple sketch. Below is my interpretation of that challenge.

This is the sketch we followed. . . .

Okay hopefully I will be back before the end of the week with another project.

In the meantime. . . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Christmas Card Challenges - #7

Well here I am another day another challenge lol. Once again during the same skyping session with my friend and partner in crime and laughter the other day here is another challenge from Christmas Card Challenges - this week being using flourishes on your card. I used my beautiful christmas gift from Sherry which was the WHOLE collection of Holiday Style by October Afternoon and I was going to put it away until next christmas but I promised myself I was going to try and not hoard so much of my stash hehehe. I used my lovely Flourish die my MFT which I absolutely adore as it always looks fabulous no matter what you use it on.

Once again the twine is from my friend Sherry. Cardstock is from Stampin' Up! and the chipboard Santa is also from OA same collection. Okay once that is it from me for now.

In the meantime. . . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #35

I was skyping with my friend Sherry and I decided to do a couple of card challenges while we chatted (4 hours of chatting lol). She told me about CAS-ual Fridays Challenges and what the challenge was for this week so I decided to make a card to meet that challenge and for this week it was a clean and simple card using scallops. Below is the card I entered.

I used October Afternoon Farmhouse collection, the sentiment I typed out myself using an OA Ephemera piece laying it on an A4 piece of paper and putting it through my printer using a typewriter font. The cardstock is by Stampin' Up! The twine is from my friend Sherry and the chipboard house is also OA. The scallops I cut out using an MFT die. Okay that is all for now. . . .

In the meantime. . . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Marion Smith's 31 Day Challenge 2012

It is time for Marion Smith's 2012 - 31 Day challenge. . . YAYYYYY!!!

This year will be a little different from last year in that for each day of January we are to take a photo and create a photographic journal for them. Marion does have downloads to make a beautiful journal with all the inserts etc. but because it is just after Christmas I have no funds to purchase any of them at the moment but maybe I may down the track a bit. I have used Kaisercraft's Sweet Nothings collection and it is very shabby chic. I fell in love with it when I saw someone showing it on You Tube. I have had this collection in my possession for not even two weeks lol and I am cutting into it already why you ask???? Because I made a vow for 2012 that I would use my stash and not lock it away in the hoard vault ROTFLOL. I have a tendency to do just that but not this year! I will be doing videos during the month of my progression but not every day maybe every 2-3 days we'll see.

The first pic is of the front cover and I have not added any embellishments yet until I finish the month as I do not want to knock it around unnecessarily.

The second pic shows the inside of the journal and I have used random envelopes, paper bags and those vintage envelopes that was all the rage last year. I will also be cutting my own envelopes using some of the Sweet Nothings paper but for now I am far too tired so maybe in the morning I will start that but for now I just wanted to post on the blog for the day. I am off to bed but in the meantime. . . .

Walk about your day in beauty

The Gypsy

Spicy Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Penne Pasta

Hi everyone. Well here I am as I promised with my meal from last night and the recipe that I created myself to go with it for those that want to give it a go. . . .

Spicy Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

500gms/1lb Mince/ground steak

1 small Spanish onion chopped

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon Oregano

1/2 teaspoon Thyme

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon Paprika

1 tablespoon fresh Flat Leaf Parsley

1 tablespoon fresh Basil

2 fresh cloves of Garlic finely chopped

salt and pepper

Vegetable oil

1 can of diced tomatoes in their juice

3 tablespoons of tomato paste

1 small Spanish onion chopped

1 clove of Garlic finely chopped

further 1/2 teaspoon Oregano

further 1/2 teaspoon Thyme

1 Beef stock cube

1/3 cup of water

a large handful of fresh Basil finely shredded

Mix minced steak, onion, garlic, egg, oregano, thyme, chilli powder, paprika, fresh basil and parsley together in a bowl and once mixed roll small amounts into individual balls until done, place vegetable oil into pan and heat on stove. Cook all meatballs until almost cooked through, then remove from pan. Drain most of the oil from pan whilst retaining the pan leavings there. Add chopped onion, oregano, thyme and finely chopped garlic to pan and cook until onion is transparent, making sure not to burn the garlic as it will become unpleasant tasting if burnt. Add undrained can of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, crushed beef stock cube and water to pan, stirring lightly to assist in the de-glazing of the pan. Once it comes to a boil turn the heat down and add the meatballs to the pan, at this stage add salt and pepper to taste. Place lid on pan and simmer until sauce thickens and meatballs are cooked right through, usually another 1/2 hour is required.

Serve with Penne pasta and top with finely sliced fresh basil leaves.

Okay until tomorrow that is all I have for now. In the meantime. . . .

Walk about your day with beauty

The Gypsy

WELCOME 2012 With A Few Changes

Hello everyone! Happy New Year for 2012!

Well 2012 for me will bring many changes especially for my blog. I have decided that I am going to change it up some here on the blog as I am quite tired of just doing cards and things. My daughter Courtney will be re-designing my blog in the near future to reflect these changes. So let me share with you what I will be doing. . . .my main love is cooking especially with fresh ingredients and I have not had much of a chance to do that in the past two years as I need to have a double knee replacement. I have finally seen the specialist and after checking out the x-rays he said to me I am surprised you can walk at all judging by these pics. But I have decided that if I want to cook then I will just have to do it and push through the pain or take extra painkillers when I do cook. I have a stool in my kitchen thanks to my scrubby and that helps heaps. So what this means is I will be doing recipes and taking pics of the finished dishes and putting them up on my blog with the recipe included for those that want to try it for themselves. We put a small vegetable garden in this year and in the first pic is our very first crop of cherry tomatoes and there are more ripening as I type this post hehehe. The second pic is of my daughter Ashleigh and grandaughter Sophie with my very first bunch of shallots/spring onions and we were as proud as new parents when we picked them lol.

Second I will be starting my Remains of the Day journal now that it is completed and I can just work in it so there will be posts about that. I want to do a Photo A Day or a week. I will be tossing up as to whether I will do a fav supply of the week as well and then doing scrappy projects but using a main colour and working all my projects on that colour theme. Of course mini albums will be making a regular appearance. I am going to try and do some scrapbook pages as well this year. Some of these offerings will have a Mr Linky attached to it so you can join in with your fav supply or your fav recipe to share etc. So please stick with me and enjoy the ever changing journey of a Gypsy as she walks through her life.

I went to a New Years Eve party last night to my besties house and made Spanish Meatballs (my own recipe) and Garlic Prawns (also my own recipe) but I forgot to take pics so I cannot post the recipes but I will make them again down the road as I have fallen in love with Tapas and my daughter Courtney bought me a variety of traditional tapas dishes and a traditional Paella pan for christmas so look out for all the tapas dishes to come.

In the meantime. . . .

Always walk about your day with absolute beauty!

The Gypsy