January 26, 2021

Let the Sparkle Continue!

 If you're looking for a way to add some sparkle to the next treat or host gift you give, look no further.

I cased (copied and shared) this idea from Rhonda Wade, such fun!

A dear friend invited me for dinner and I wanted to take a special treat. I mixed together some homemade caramels, an acetate card box, some silver and gold wrappers, ribbon and embellishments. The real spakle in the box? Fairy lights! As I tucked my caramels in the box I threaded a strand of fairy lights into the box. I used a 4" wide piece of dsp to wrap the box and finished it with white ribbon, silver sequinned ribbon, silver and gold braid. Before leaving my car to enter my friend's home, I turned on the fairy lights.

Other sweets to add to the box would be Dove or Merci chocolates, mini Hershey bars or other sweets that don't exceed 5/8" in height. Think Valentine's Day!

You can find the fairy lights here. If you'd like to make the caramels, they're really quite easy.

Homemade Caramels

1/2 lb butter with salt (2 sticks)

2 1/2 C light brown sugar

1 C light corn syrup

1 C sweetened condensed milk

Combine ingredients in an 8 cup bowl, cover with parchment paper.

Microwave on 100% for 5 minutes, stir well with a wire whisk. (watch closely for boil over, just open microwave to stop cooking, let it settle down and continue cooking again.)

Microwave another 5 minutes, stir well.

Microwave another 5 minutes, stir well.

(Place a plate under the bowl to catch any boil over, and return it to bowl.)

After microwaving is done, stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Line a 10 x 15 cookie sheet/jelly roll tin with parchment paper, having paper up all 4 sides of the pan.

Pour the hot caramel mixture into pan and let cool completely.

When cool, lift parchment with caramel out of the pan, cut into bite size pieces. To cut caramels, use a pizza knife or a sharp chef's knife. Spray with Pam to make it even easier.

I made this in a 1000 watt microwave; you may have to lengthen cooking time 1-2 minutes in other microwaves.

If you like a sweet/salty taste, after caramel is cool, sprinkle sea salt on top of it.

I cut into 1/2" x 1" logs and wrapped it in papers from the candy making area at Hobby Lobby. I bought 2 packages of 48 wrappers each; I could have used 3. You can also cut your own waxed paper.

Enjoy!







January 19, 2021

Winter Sparkle

I've stepped out of my home to some beautiful January Wisconsin mornings. These sites were the inspiration for my holiday thank you notes this year. 




It's a bit difficult to see the embossed layer of "snow".




Wink of Stella to the rescue! 




The layered bit of red in the tag comes from an envelope/card I received many years ago. It has a velvety texture; I just couldn't throw it away!

When looking out my craft room window, this image is a common site - including the cardinal!

Happy stamping!