Caramel Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake

I am not known for my baking abilities- as my husband who has eaten many loaves rock hard bread can tell you- but I made this for my family from back of a pumpkin bread mix box and my MIL actually swooned over it. She's quite a baker so I figured it must be good. My kids all wait peering into the oven when this is in and as soon as it's out, they are clamoring to get a slice. It's good cold for breakfast ( I am eating the one in the picture right now, yum) and out of this world hot out of the oven with whipped cream on top and a glass of cold milk. I made this for my local stamp group and they liked it as well so here's the recipe for everyone who asked:

Caramel Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake

1 pouch Krusteaz Pumpkin spice Quick Bread Mix ( buy at Costco- it is seasonal and not always available)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup butterscotch chips ( a tiny bit more never hurts)
about 1/4 cup caramel topping ( get a good brand)

Preheat oven to 350 deg F. In medium bowl, blend together everything except the caramel topping. Spoon batter into a lightly greased 9 inch round pan. Drizzle caramel topping over batter and swirl with a knife or whatever you have . Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Makes 8 servings.

Enjoy!

Lynda

I want more rainy days like this...

I love the four seasons. The coolness of the air as the leaves change colors to golden orange hues remind me of the passing time and the preciousness of it all. I used to love walking in the rain kicking the water up off the sidewalk and getting soaked when I was a kid. Even now I like the cool drizzly mists that signals the coming of winter here in California.

We couldn't stand being cooped up in the house any more- there is only so much coloring and playing you can do inside- and decided to go for a walk in the pouring rain. All dressed in raingear, high boots and umbrella, the kids still loved kicking up the water after cautiously measuring how high it would come up.

Nothing like going for a long walk in the cool rain to come home to a cup of hot cocoa with little marshmallows floating on top....... "Just like Curious George" Dylan says......

I want more days like this......

Simple cards

This is a simple set I CASED from SCS for a friend- a set of four using pocket sillouette on white CS with 3 lines scored with scor-pal and then pierced with craft mat in 4 colors- celery, regal rose , chocolate, and bashful blue with coordinating ink and ribbon. Lovely little set in time of Christmas gift giving- I love the simplicity of it.

Voting Day Blessing

I can't believe the Holiday Season is upon us already- I' m not even done cutting my cards- but I just can't help looking at my pretty designer papers and the stamps and playing some. Here is real red CS stamped with snow swirled in Craft white with DD paper from I wish simply scrapping kit. Chocolate satin ribbon from SU last year then chocolate chip CS under white. Cardinal Christmas stamped in kiwi then real red marker - then glittered with dazzling diamonds. Sentiment in choc chip. Much more sparkly IRL.

Happy Voting Day!

Snow Swirled Christmas

This was designed by my Stamp and chat friend Annette Wen who just started a blog- check her out and send her some good wishes at: http://www.stampinwithannette.blogspot.com/





















My friend Helen bought this set when it was on sale and wanted some ideas on Christmas Cards.
I could not come up with one in the color scheme she liked so I just played with the cards in colors that I liked and some ideas I found on the blog land-and here are a few for you to peruse-

Base card in real red with Frosty Days DD and olive stamped with versamark with snowflakes, Kiwi ribbon, then red CS again. White CS stamped in Kiwi with tree and sentiment. I used 1/2 inch circle punch to the snowflakes stamped in real red on a separate white CS. Glue the punched snowflakes over flakes on the tree.












This is a very simple card- Take real red base card-then on a whisper silver emboss the tree and sentiment. Place 3 crystal brads as shown- tie kiwi/ vanilla ribbon and voila - all done- could work embossed with gold as well- whatever you prefer.






















This was one I cased from SCS- I just love the color scheme- Kiwi, with eggplant as accent under the whisper white.

Stamp snowflakes in eggplant, not quite navy and kiwi as shown. Hard to see but there is diamond glitter on some parts of the snowflakes- add a crystal brad and tie a kiwi ribbon. Really subtle and again - more sparkly in real life- remember with glitter, sometimes less IS more.

Altered Notebook

I was crazy busy last week at our annual rheumatology conference where 13,000 rheumatologists from around the world descended into town. They have many exhibitors and some of them give out some items with their logo on it. (All of this will change as of Jan 2009 when congress has decided that we doctors are so easily persuaded by all these "gifts" that they won't be able to give out a pen let alone a notepad if it has a produce name on it. ) I'm never one to let a good thing alone though- they were giving out these great sturdy blank notebooks with a plastic cover and hard chipboard base except for the logo.

I saw that the holes were 1/4 inch squares so I pulled a page out and used it as a template and punched the holes, put glue on the back of a designer paper and cut the holes because I wanted to be able to cover others without having to undo the book.

I covered the front and back of the cover logo paper and slipped the ends in and pressed it down with a pencil I slipped into the coils.

This is what the book looked like on the inside cover.

The completed book from the outside. I also covered an RSVP pen with a pice of left over paper I stamped and embossed with pocket silhouette which had a similar image.

Now what to write inside.........

Tell me what you think of it.

Happy November!

Lynda

Jack O' Lanterns

Did you ever try to carve pumpkins with 3 little boys?

They all want the knife!

Dylan wanted a spider man pumpkin and then wanted to give him a lobotomy- I let him carve and destroy the back of the pumpkin.

Kyle decided he wanted to draw a bunch of jack o'lanterns and see which one he liked and make a book- using my post it notes and my eraserboard marker! Do you think it's acid free and archivable? (LOL) Not bad for a just turned 4 year old, eh?

Here's one of the JOL's carved and ready...

Happy Halloween!

Lynda

Halloween school gifts

Halloween is fast coming upon us and my kids always look forward to this time of the year. Costumes.... candy.....jack o Lanterns.... It's kid's dream. I really try to teach my kids about healthy eating and try to discourage candy giving since everyone gets so much of it- I tried the toy and playdoh route although it was not popular at Halloween- I keep trying!

For school I made a little thank you gift for the teachers- a little magnetic notepad I picked up at the local store, with a matching pencil, I placed the bat topper- directions given previously and put it in a halloween bag and tied it with SU's gorgeous ribbon and with a llittle tag. a simple but hopefully useful gift. We have such great teachers at our school- with the budget cuts in the california state, they really are getting shafted and we need to really show our support and write to Arnold and tell him to stop cutting our school budget!




These are 20 pencils and bat toppers for Tyler's class- better for their teeth than candy! - stick the bats on with sticky tape- everything else came undone! The container held some candy from someone I am recycling.

Crimper ice cream cone

Nothing says summer like an ice cream cone and with a crimper the cone is an easy job.

Just put the cardstock in one direction and then run it across in opposite direction to make the waffle pattern.

Take the scallop circle and punch 3 scallops from your favorite flavors- here 2 from chocolate chip and one from pink pirouette.

cut the scallops off the top part of the scallop to make a scoop.

Stamp cupcake wheel in red for subtle background. Tie a ribbon with sentiment from crazy for cupcake dtamped in black around the bottom and apply highlight with a gel pen.

Have fun with your crimper!

Trifold card with Crimped bellyband

Another crimped idea- We made this at my last party for the birthday special- this card is in thanks to one my swap group members- this is the crimper in its more traditional use. Take a real red CS 10 1/2 by 3 1/2 and score at 3 1/2 and 7 to make a trifold. Score the end squares on a diagonal parellel to each other and it will fold into a trifold- attach summer picnic DD paper - 3 1/4 inch square cut on diagonal. Stamp Crazy for cupcakes on a white CS- color with blender pen from lids of inks- old olive, pumpkin and bashful blue then red marker for the cherry- add dazzling diamonds-glitter for the cupcake frosting and crystal effects for the cherry on top. Crimp a 3/4 x 8 1/2 inch orange piece- again alway cut to size after the crimping- attach the cupcake piece with a dimensional after tyiing on a silver cord. Inside has stamped on the center panel in white craft ink " hope yourday is sweetest ever" on the left and balloon on the right side. Emboss with clear EP and heat set.