Tag Archives: Simple Stories

Simple Stories Baking Spirits Bright Cookbook Cover

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Simple Stories Baking Spirits Bright Cookbook Cover-Kathy Clement-Kathy by Design

Simple Stories Baking Spirits Bright Cookbook Cover and Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipe

Hello, Friends!  I thought I’d pop in today and share how I put together this Simple Stories Baking Spirits Bright Cookbook Cover.  Last year I decided I really needed to update the “made from scratch” cookbook that I’ve been using for the past 30+ years.  Many of the pages were falling out, the spine was crumbling and it was just a general mess.

While I was editing the recipes, I decided I wanted to have 2 separate binders: one for my everyday recipes, and one dedicated strictly to my holiday recipes.  Christmas baking is a very big deal in our family.  When our first son was born, I started a tradition of baking each family member’s favorite cookie at Christmas time.  Not a big deal, as our family consisted of just Dale, Peter and myself.  But then along came Liz…followed quickly by Kimberly and Andrew and finally Joel.  Oh, and my mom moved in with us, too.  So that meant 8 different kinds of Christmas cookies each year.

Then, the kids got married, so their spouses had to have their favorites…and then…the grandchildren…so you get the picture.  I make about 12 different kinds of Christmas cookies every year.  And of course there are the special breads and main dishes and sides that we enjoy at various parties and holiday meals.  See why I  needed a separate cookbook?

Double Duty Kitchen Decor

The cookbook looks super cute displayed in the vintage hutch that sits in the eating area of our kitchen.  The Simple Stories Snap Binder even matches the color of the hutch!  When Sophie and I were decorating for Christmas yesterday, she said, “Nan, you really should decorate the cover of this recipe album and put it in the hutch.”  So I did.

Because this is a “working” binder, I kept the embellishments a little simpler.  No big bows or fancy floral displays on this creation.  Just a few stickers from the paper collection, some cute kitchen embellishments and a simple ribbon border dress the cover up nicely.

Here’s a look at the spine.

TIP: Cut chipboard to fit inside the  metal label frame.  Now you can adhere the cute sticker to the chipboard and dress up the spine.

The ribbon border runs all the way around the base of the album.  And I could not resist adding this sticker to the back cover.

Simple Stories Baking Spirits Bright Cookbook Cover Process Video on YouTube

This isn’t really a tutorial, because I don’t really teach you anything.  But I do invite you to watch me dress up the cookbook cover.  If you’d like to join me, please enjoy this video on my YouTube channel.

 

My Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipe

Since we’re talking Christmas and cookies and all things yummy, I thought I’d share my favorite Christmas cookie recipe with you.

Gingersnaps:  Soft and chewy, old fashioned flavor.  I like to double the spices.

  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup molasses (I like Grandma’s Molasses)
  • 2 1/4 cup Unbleached All Purpose Flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • Coarse sugar like turbinado for rolling
  • Mix shortening, brown sugar, molasses and egg thoroughly in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
  • Heat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Dip tops in granulated sugar. Place balls, sugared sides up, 3 inches apart on cookie sheet.
  • Bake 10 to 12 minutes or just until set but not hard. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

I hope you enjoy!  What’s your favorite Christmas cookie?

You can find a linked supply list below this post.

Thanks for stopping by, friends!

Cheerio,

kathy

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Cozy Days Tea Party in a Box Folio

Simply Stories Cozy Days Tea Party in a Box Folio-RRR-Kathy Clement-Kathy by Design-Photo 01

Simple Stories Cozy Days Tea Party in a Box Folio for Really Reasonable Ribbon

Hello, Friends!  This Simple Stories Cozy Days Tea Party in a Box Folio is all dressed up with ribbon, trims and fall flowers from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  Chipmunk Delicate Stitched Satin and Pink & Brown Twist Seam Binding Ribbon  pair well with Mixed Earth Tone Chrysanthemums and this cute paper collection. (Supplies linked below this post.)

Fall is the perfect time to cozy up with a cuppa and a good book, don’t you agree?  My hubby and I have been enjoying supper on the screened in porch because these autumn evenings are lovely…but fleeting. We’re trying to make the most of them so we enjoy the antics of the frisky squirrels and songbirds along with a tasty meal.  If we happen to sit out there until moonrise…well…that’s a real treat!

That’s what inspired me to create this woodland critter themed tea party in a box folio.  It gives me all the warm and happy feels that come with fall.  I hope you’ll enjoy it, too.

Cute Woodland Critters

Do these darling woodland critters make you smile?  This dapper raccoon is part of a slide and lock mechanism for the double gate fold on this flip page.

The mechanism slides up and down on between the gates, so it’s very fun to open.

More of Mr. Raccoon’s chums are hiding inside the gate…hoping for a bit of tea!

Flips, Flaps & Pockets

The center panel holds the tea party goodies while the side panels have various flip and flap mechanisms that make it fun to open.

And cute woodland creatures can be found frolicking everywhere!

The Box Pocket

And here’s the tea party they’ve all been waiting for!  You’ll find chocolate and a Pumpkin Spice teabag in the little envelope.  And there’s an adorable bookmark to hold your place while you refill your teacup.

Good books, good friends, and lots of time for crafty adventures are what make Autumn such a glorious season.

You’ll find a linked supply list below this post.

Thanks so much for stopping by, friend!

Cheerio,

kathy

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Carta Bella Welcome Fall Shaped Tag Tea Party

Carta Bella-Welcome Fall-Heartfelt Creations Shaped Tag-Reneabouquets-Kathy Clement-Kathy by Design-

Carta Bella Welcome Fall Shaped Tag Tea Party with Reneabouquets & Heartfelt Creations Tag

Hello, Friends!  Would you like to learn how to make this adorable Carta Bella Welcome Fall Shaped Tag Tea Party in a Box?  Well, you’re in luck because that is our Throwback Thursday Tutorial this week.  I woke up wondering what to make with y’all and decided it would be fun to make a tag.  And then I thought, oooh…a tag book.  Next thing I knew I had my Heartfelt Creations Tag Album Dies, Reneabouquets goodies, mixed media supplies and pretty papers all over my desk.  That’s how the process works, my friends.  I just go where the inspiration takes me!

Mixed Media Layered Pumpkin

My favorite element on this tag is this mixed media layered pumpkin.  I started with a plain white Reneabouquets Beautiful Board pumpkin. Here’s how that came together:

  •   First, I layer scraps of  designer papers over the solid pumpkin background.
  • Then I  trim the overhang and ink the edges with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.
  • Next, dab embossing ink randomly over the paper and sprinkle with Seth Apter Ancient Amber Baked Texture.  Heat emboss.
  • Now apply Rusty Hinge and Peeled Paint Distress Oxide Inks directly to the open pumpkin overlay.
  • Sprinkle with Seth Apter Beeswax Baked Texture and heat emboss.
  • Follow the same procedure with the fancy leaves tuck ins, only color with Gathered Twigs and heat emboss with Taos Sunset Baked Enamel.
  • Make a “nest” with Spanish moss and straw, adhere feathers, twine bow and button to the stem and sprinkle liberally with green peppercorns and mustard seeds.
  • Vintage buttons make a great accent on the domed edges.
Magnetic Flap Opening

The cool thing about this Shaped Tag Die is the fact that it can be used as a shaped magnetic closure.  I’ll show you how to do that in the tutorial.  I could not resist adding a little fall dangle charm to the spine.  Cute, right?

Here’s what the mixed media cover looks like when you open that magnetic flap.

And here’s a peek at the inside spread.  This clever die makes a great box pocket, too!

I was pleasantly surprised that I could fit all these goodies into the pocket.

There’s even a little 3  1/4″ x 4 1/4″ note card/tea wallet!  This was a very fun crafty adventure, my friends!

Carta Bella Welcome Fall Shaped Tag Tea Party in a Box Video Tutorial

Would you like to see this sweet little project come together?  Then please enjoy this video tutorial.

 

Fall makes me so happy!

You can find a linked supply list below this post.

Thanks for stopping by, friends!

Cheerio,

kathy

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Simple Stories Little Things Box Pocket Folio Tutorial

Simple Stories Little Things Box Pocket Folio Tutorial for Make & Take Tuesday

Hello, Friends!  I’m a little late getting this Simple Stories Little Things Box Pocket Folio Tutorial out to you for today’s Make & Take Tuesday.  I took a couple of days off over the weekend because I was tired!  It felt good to get caught up on laundry, read a book, go for a drive and relax for a bit.  Even though I’m late getting this out today, I think you will still really enjoy the project.  It’s a darling little box style folio  that’s really easy to make.

Transitioning a Summer Collection into a Fall Project

Simple Stories Little Things Box Folio Kathy Clement

Little Thing is technically a summer collection filled with lemon images, and soft summer colors.  But I didn’t get the collection until summer was nearly over, and even then I didn’t have time to use it…until now.  I needed to find a way to make this summery collection feel appropriate for the current season.

So I focused on the yellow gold, black and red tones, plaid patterns and used just a touch of floral papers.  I think it worked really well.  If you die cut the  shaker frame from yellow gold cardstock, back with strips of black cardstock and accent with the cute black floral teapot, it really sells the changing of the seasons.  Or at least, I think it does.  What do you think?

A Peek Inside: Flip Flap Folio

This is a very easy folio base to create, but easy doesn’t mean boring.  It’s loaded with fun flips and flaps.

There’s even a hidden pocket behind the gatefold closure.

And a fun mini waterfall feature, too!

The Box Pocket

The box pocket is scored into the folio base design so it’s super quick and easy to make: just add the sides!  Then you can fill it up with cute goodies like cookies, a vintage demitasse spoon, ladybug tag, honey stick and a mini folio.

Simple Stories-Little Things-Spellbinders-Eyelet Lace Frame-Shaker Box Folio-Kathy Clement-Kathy by Design-Photo 01

There’s room inside the mini folio to add a Pumpkin Spice tea bag…which also  helps with the seasonal transition!

Simple Stories Little Things Box Pocket Folio Tutorial on YouTube

If you’d like to learn how to create this fun folio base, please enjoy this video over on my YouTube channel.

NOTE:  Embedding the videos into my blog has been using too much disk space and costing me too much money.  So I’ll be linking to my YouTube channel instead of embedding from now on.  Thanks for understanding!

I hope you all enjoy this fun to make folio design!  You can find a linked supply list below this post.

Thanks for stopping by, friends!

Cheerio,

kathy

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Autumn Sunflowers for RRR August 2023 Blog Hop

Simple Stories-Country Harvest-Autumn Sunflowers-Really Reasonable Ribbon-Kathy Clement-Kathy by Design

Autumn Sunflowers for the Really Reasonable Ribbon August 2023 Blog Hop

Hello, Friends!  These Autumn Sunflowers are my inspiration piece for the Really Reasonable Ribbon August 2023 Blog Hop.  You should be coming here full of crafty inspiration after visiting Gloria’s lovely blog.  Our theme this month is Autumn Ribbon...one of my all time favorites!

Turquoise is such a great color for fall projects.  So I dug into my stash of RRR ribbons and trims looking for this Mallard Shimmer Satin.

This color not only coordinates well with the designer papers, but it really makes my handmade sunflowers pop off the page.

Create a quick, easy and stylish ribbon border by layering Autumn Leaves Satin Ribbon over the Mallard Shimmer Satin Ribbon.  I use Scor-Tape to hold everything neatly in place.

Tiny Teal Baker’s Twine Bows dress up a wooden button and the layered sticker charm at the top of the page.

A Peek Inside

Narrow ribbon like the 3/8″ Autumn Leaves Satin makes a great border on the pocket inside this card.

TIP: Create a fun shaped pocket by adding adhesive only to the lower edge of an ephemera bit.  Then you can tuck in a little blank sentiment card.  Photos can be added to the flap feature on the left.

A small tag makes a much bigger impact when you top it with more ribbon and Baker’s Twine bow.  Ribbon really is a magical element !

Autumn weather calls for a warming cup of chai, so I tucked a chai tea bag into the gift card wallet, and dressed up a honey stick for the pocket.  What a great gift!

On With the Hop

Now hop on over and see what paper pretties the amazing Cheryl has in store for you.  Then be sure to finish up the hop over on the RRR Blog.  You can answer Bonnie’s Question of the Month and enter the drawing for a $10 RRR Gift Certificate and a free digital stamp set of your choice.

You can find a linked supply list below this post.

Thanks for hopping, friends!

Cheerio,

kathy

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