Fruit Salsa - Yum!

Here is a recipe for delicious fruit salsa and cinnamon sugar chips! You can modify with other types of fruit (kiwi, plums etc). The original recipe I found for this had more sugar in it, but sugar draws out the fruit juice so I cut back the sugar a bit and used sugar free preserves. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1lb strawberries
2 apples
1-2 cups frozen peaches
6oz raspberries
3 tablespoons strawberry preserves
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
10 inch flour tortillas
Sugar/cinnamon mixture
Butter flavored cooking spray (can't believe its not butter)


1. Chop strawberries, raspberries, and frozen peaches (no need to thaw).
2. Add the strawberry preserves and brown sugar. Chop and add the apples last (to prevent browning).
3. Let the mixture sit in the fridge for about 15 mins.

4. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Fill tupperware with mixture of sugar and cinnamon.
6. Coat both sides of the tortillas with the butter spray and cut them into wedges.
7. Dip the wedges into the sugar/cinnamon mixture to coat both sides.
8. Bake a single layer of the tortillas for 10 minutes. (repeat for extra wedges)

-Kris

Decorative Tile Coasters

I've been wanting a set of coasters for several months now (after purchasing coffee and end tables made partly out of wood). As I searched, I never found a set that I really liked, that matched my living room or that I thought were worth the price tag. So my conclusion...to make my own. This was a little trial and error for me, since this was the first time I had ever used mod podge. I think the overall product turned out well though.

Supplies:

Cheap ceramic tiles (apx 16-17 cents at Lowes or Home Depot)

Scrapbook paper (design of your choice)

Some type of footing to go underneath tile (foam, felt or cork)

Acrylic Spray

Mod Podge

Foam Brush

Scissors or Paper cutter

Ruler

-First measure the width of the tile. Take that measurement and reduce it by 1/4 inch. Use that measurement to cut the squares from the scrapbook paper.

-As you can see, there is a glue stick in the picture...it's not recommended...lol. I originally used the glue stick so that it would be easier to center the squares on top of the tiles. Once I started applying the mod podge problems occurred since the paper was not solidly glued down to the tile.

-So what I ended up doing is applying 1 layer of mod podge on top of the tile (do this one tile at a time as the mod podge dries fast). Apply the scrapbook paper square on top of the tile and center (fast). Squeeze out any air bubbles under the paper. Repeat this step on each additional tile until all tiles are complete.

-Next apply 1 layer of mod podge at a time as directed on bottle (every 15-20 mins or till dry). I did 4 layers, but I was pretty generous with the amount I used per layer. Do as many layers as you feel is needed. Make sure you are doing this on top of plastic or some type of non-paper surface, as to not glue that to your tile accidentally.

-I let the tiles then dry over night. The next day I took the tiles out on the porch (well ventilated area) and sprayed the tiles with a layer of acrylic spray (follow directions on can) to provide a waterproof surface.

-Finally I affixed the little foot protectors on to the bottom of the tiles (to protect the tiles from scratching my furniture).

Side Note: If you live in a house with curious pets as I do, it's recommended to keep a pair of tweezers around during the mod podge process. This way you can remove any stray pet hairs that may try to glue themselves to your coasters.

-Susan

Decorated Jumbo Clothespins

I thought it would be fun to decorate some jumbo clothespins to hold pictures/recipe cards. I ordered them here since I couldn't find them at Michael's.

Supplies:

• Clothespin
• Scrapbook paper
• Paint
• Mod Podge/Sponge
• Glue stick
• Embellishments

First I painted the clothespin dark brown and used the glue stick to apply the scrapbook paper. I used the sponge applicator to gently sponge paint the edges to camouflage my uneven cutting (straight lines and I do not get along!). I put two coats of mod podge over the clothespin to seal the paper and then added my embellishments. The smaller clothespin at the end I decided to use as a photo holder :)

-Kris

Cheese Ball Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 packages cream cheese
• 1 small package corned beef (2 oz)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon mayo
• 1 small bunch of green onions
• Mustard to taste

Soften cream cheese. Finely chop green onions and corned beef. Mix Worcestershire sauce, mayo, onions, and corned beef in with the cream cheese. Add mustard to taste (if desired). I served this w/ socialbles :)


-Kris

Cupcake Shaped Card

Here is a Birthday card I made for a card swap I recently went to at a friends house. It was my first card and a lot of fun to make! I have the cut file if anyone wishes to use it.

Supplies:

• Scrapbook paper
• Cardstock
• Stamp/ink
• Glue
• Glue dots
• Ribbon
• Cricut (I think the blade was at 5 and pressure high)

To create this card you should glue the scrapbook paper to the card stock for the base/back of the card before you cut it out on the Cricut. Next you want to cut out the cupcake topper and apply it with glue dots to give it a raised appearance. I used a glue stick to apply the ribbon to the card, and then used a stronger glue to stick the ribbon on top. Lastly, I stamped "Happy Birthday" on the inside. I got the paper and stamp from Michael's and the ribbon is from Hobby Lobby.

-Kris

Reverse Glass Etching

I thought I would give reverse glass etching a try with the new hurricane glasses I got from the glass outlet store in Lancaster.

Supplies:

• Glass
• Etching cream
• Sponge applicator/brush
• Contact paper
• Cricut (settings blade: 4/pressure: high)

You can adjust the pressure on your Cricut to medium or low if you only want the sticky part of the contact paper to cut. I preferred to cut the backing as well since I was testing the size against the glass. After you apply the contact paper, simply brush on the etching cream and let it sit for about 15 minutes. You can test a small portion to see if your glass took to the etching. Rinse under water with a paper towel and pat it dry.


-Kris

Recipe Box

Here is the recipe box I made at girls craft night a little while back. It's a pretty easy craft for beginners and doesn't require the Cricut machine.


Supplies:

• Wooden recipe box from Michael's
• Scrapbook paper
• Paint
• Sponge applicators
• Stamps/ink
• Embellishments
• Mod Podge

To create this box I first painted the edges and the back dark brown. Then I traced the sections of the recipe box on the back of the scrapbook paper and cut them out. I went back and trimmed them smaller so that the painted edges of the box would show. Next, I used mod podge to apply and seal the scrapbook paper onto the box. After it was dry, I used stamps to write "RECIPES" at the top. You can use whatever embellishments you wish to decorate and personalize your box :)

-Kris

Cricut Made Onesies

One of my very first projects with my Cricut Expression was a set of onesies for my friends Josh and Jenn who were expecting their first baby. Josh plays in a band hence the "rock theme". The Cricut makes it easy to design cute and inexpensive gifts :) The animal onesies were made with fabric and wonderunder. The rock onesies were made with freezer paper and fabric paint.


Fabric Instructions:

• Set the Cricut to speed-med/pressure-high/blade-5
• Put iron on cotton setting
• Iron wonderunder to the backside of the fabric
• Cut out your design
• Remove wonderunder
• Iron on design

Tips: You may need to adjust your Cricut settings depending on the type of fabric you use and the detail of the design you are cutting. I found that the less detail in the design, the less chance that the fabric will fray during cutting.

Fabric Paint Instructions:

• Set Cricut to speed-med/pressure-med/blade-4
• Put iron on cotton setting
• Place freezer paper dull side down onto mat
• Cut design
• Iron freezer paper shiny side down onto onesie
• Fill in with fabric paint
• When dry, remove stencil

Tips: If you have issues flipping your image in SCAL or Design Studio I found that the shiny side of the freezer paper will stick to the mat if it's a new mat. I had to do that with the guitar pick and WNTP designs and they came out just fine.

Happy Cricuting :)

-Kris