Fiskars Tool Demonstration Card

I created this card today using the tools I came home with from my Fiskars Roundup weekend. I used 10 tools total including my trimmer, UltraShapeXpress, eyelet tool, texture plate, 2 squeeze punches, circle border punch,embossing border punch, stamp press, tear edger, tape runner, and pop dot. The only tool I didn't use was my craft drill. I created this card for my Fiskars Craft Demonstrator training that I am going to hold in January. I plan to hold one training at my home and I hope to hold another at Provo Craft for employees of Roberts Crafts stores.

I am so excited to teach my Demonstrator classes! There are so many fun things that these tools can be used for and I can't wait to learn more. If you live in Utah and are interested in my class in January, please email me before January 5th. You don't have to be a Fiskateer - but heck, who wouldn't want to be. They send you a free pair of Fiskars scissors with your Fiskateer number engraved on them and they are constantly having surveys, challenges, and drawings for cool Fiskars products. Here is the link to Fiskateers if you've never heard of them or are thinking to yourself "A Fiska-what???" http://www.fiskateers.com/

Winter Fun

I put together these pages last night for a contest at Fiskateers.com. They are giving away a Kodak printer. I would love a new printer for photos. I like my HP Officejet but I'm not thrilled with the picture quality. I actually had Costco print up these pictures.

I used the Heidi Grace Frost Blvd. line of papers for this layout. Thanks so much Heidi for the paper packs at the Fiskateer Roundup! Even my hubby loves these papers. When I showed him the page on the right, he said, "That is really cool paper!" I haven't done very many scrapbook pages and I have so much to learn but its fun to put the pages on cute paper instead of just in an album. I used my new Fiskars paper trimmers and border punches for these pages. I realize that I need to really know how to use these tools if I am going to train others how to be demonstrators. TFL!

Chrismas Wall Hanging

I created this wall hanging based on a project done by Holly on FiskarsTV last year. (http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tv/ dated 12/01/2006.)It is really quite simple. I used a Fiskars craft drill to drill a hole in the top and bottom of each CD. I taped the CDs to Cloud9 paper and then trimmed the paper using my Ultra ShapeXpress cutter. I went around each CD twice to make sure I trimmed through the paper (I have a dull blade that I definately need to replace). I then embellished with vinyl stickers, chipboard, gel pens, a tea bag medallion and an iris folded ornament. (I folded the tea bag with a fold shown to me by BobbiLynn from Cicleofcrafters.com) Then I threaded some ribbon through the holes and tied a knot at the bottom of eachCD so they won't slip. It would look great hanging in the middle of the room hanging from the ceiling since the CDs have shiny surfaces.

Happy Birthday to my Hubby!

We celebrated my husbands birthday last week, which meant I had a good excuse to make Chocolate Ugly Cake. This cake is so good! Besides the thousands of calories in each piece, the only bad thing about it is the mess. I used 6 mixing bowls, a double boiler and about 5 smaller bowls to seperate my eggs. I had to clean my beaters numerous times during the process and I was left with a giant mess. It was soooo worth it though! My hubby loves raspberry filling in his chocolate cake. This was the first time we have ever added raspberry pie filling. I put it between the layers of cake and mousse. (This picture shows the last time I made it without the raspberry filling.) It was so yummy! I'm trying to be a good girl and not eat it all but it is way hard.

Here is the recipe. I wish I could take credit for creating something this heavenly but I actually found this recipe in the newspaper years ago.

CHOCOLATE UGLY CAKE

UGLY BATTER:
8 (1-ounce) squares
semi-sweet baking chocolate
6 tablespoons butter
6 egg yolks
4 egg whites
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
FROSTING:
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
2 egg yolks
½ cup sugar (divided use)
2 egg whites
6½ (1-ounce) squares semi sweet baking chocolate
4 tablespoons butter

PREPARE BATTER: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Fit bottoms of two 9-inch springform pans with circles of waxed paper and set aside.

Melt chocolate and butter in top of double boiler over simmering water. Cool. Pour chocolate mixture into large mixing bowl. Place egg yolks in small mixing bowl and whisk lightly. Whisk yolks into chocolate and set aside.

In small bowl of mixer, beat egg whites. As whites begin to stiffen, add salt and sugar and continue beating until whites are stiff and glossy, about 1 to 1/2 minutes. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans and bake in oven 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and cool. (The cake WILL drop. Don't panic! It is supposed to do that.)

PREPARE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE FROSTING: Whip cream and set aside. Place egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in small bowl of mixer and beat until frothy and doubled in volume. Set aside. In large bowl of mixer, beat egg whites. Add 1/4 cup sugar and beat until whites are stiff and glossy. Set aside. Melt chocolate and butter in top of double boiler over simmering water. Stir a bit of hot chocolate into yolks and immediately stir back into chocolate mixture in double boiler. Stir continuously. When mixture begins to thicken, slowly pour hot chocolate over egg whites, folding gently to combine. Cool. Gently fold in whipped cream.

TO FROST CAKE: Spread Chocolate Mousse Frosting overtop of first cake layer. Top with second cake layer. Frost and refrigerate. Makes one 9-inch round flat cake, so rich it will yield 12 to 16 slices. (For variation, spoon several tablespoon of pie filling over cake layers under the frosting.)

Pattern Suggestion?

I just realized that both of the patterns I have shared recently on my blog are hearts. I would like to create a seasonal pattern that I can share with everyone but I would love some suggestions as to what my readers would like to see. If there is a Thanksgiving or Christmas shape that you would just love to do an iris fold card of, please let me know. I will pick one of your suggestions and make up a free pattern to post here.

Here is one idea for Christmas cards. Do a basic circle pattern and top it with a small piece of shiny gold or silver paper that has been trimmed with scalloped scissors to look like an ornament topper. I also used ribbon in place of one of my papers. It has a nice shiny finish (although I have no idea if it is acid free). I cut this circle out with my Fiskars ultra shapeXpress and a circle template. It is much easier and cleaner than cutting freehand. The circle at the bottom edge of the card front was done using an old CD. I didn't think about it then but I could have used my CD as a template with my shapeXpress. Instead I cut it freehand with scissors and I can see that its not perfect. Oh well, live and learn...and make another card the right way this time!!

I would seriously love to hear some suggestions for holiday patterns you would like to see.

Iris Folded Heart Tag

In this video, I demonstrate iris folding a basic heart tag.

Heart Tag Pattern

Here is the pattern to my heart tag that I exchanged at the Fiskateer Roundup. I actually used my Sizzix die for Hearts, Primitive to punch my tags. Enjoy!