cookie time

Jack has the snack for "P" day tomorrow at preschool, and since I'll take any excuse to make cookies we made Pink, Purple, and (wait for it)... Plain. 

I love these sugar cookies! They might or might not make angels weep with happiness. (It's the almond extract.) Mmmm!

TAMMY'S SUGAR COOKIES

½ c butter
½ c shortening
1 c powdered sugar
½ c baker’s sugar or regular sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract

Cream butter, shortening, and sugars together until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, and almond extract, mix until just blended.

Mix together:
3 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Add to wet mixture and mix until smooth. Chill. Roll to about ¼” thick and cut out shapes, or roll into 1.5" balls and flatten slightly. Bake at 350º for 9 minutes (less time for smaller/thinner cookies).

P.S. They are not going to look done after 9 minutes, and you can bake them for a bit longer, but by the time they look done, they'll be too done. At least in my book. 

sunshine necklace

Sneak peek of a necklace I made for the April-May issue of Simply Handmade. Full instructions in the magazine, out late March. (Beads are Fire Mountain Gems)

photo envelopes

CD envelopes I made for my sister and her friends to hold pictures of a "friends" photo shoot we did. They're easy and fun to make:

1. Stamp a white label sticker with a background stamp using pink ink. Peel off and wrap around a vellum envelope, leaving about 3/4 on the front. (The back? Whatever.)
2. Add a letter sticker and glue a punched heart next to it. Cut a  block of cardstock to go inside the envelope so you don't see the CD through the vellum. Done!

Cute girls.
dotted background stamp = American Crafts // white stickers = Avery // letter stickers = The Girls' Paperie // heart punch, pink ink = Stampin' Up! // vellum envelopes, cardstock = Artco