An Award, a Recipe for Cherry Pops and of course, a FREEBIE!

I hope this week finds you enjoying summer to the fullest.  Its nice to be in full-on vacation mode if you’re able.  I also like to “flip the coin” emotionally, meaning when I feel so happy, so richly blessed I draw my mind to the fact there are many people who are NOT having a good time - indeed there are many hurting and suffering people all around us who we could overlook. 

I ask you today, would you try one small thing today?  Its something you will do for someone else, but trust me, you’ll wind up being blessed yourself through it. 

Choose someone in your life or someone you know who’s going through a tough time or just needs a friend right now and do something nice for them today.  Why not crack out a pen (the real kind with ink in it and everything) and share some kind words with them.  Or phone someone up and say hello. 

 

So I wrote a little letter

To a friend distraught with grief,

And the writing of that letter

Warmed my heart beyond belief.

Though my own heart had it’s sorrow,

Yet I shared another’s load;

Lo, a miracle! that sorrow

Led us to a sunny road.

 

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I’m saying thank you so much for my first donations - it really means a lot to me.  Even small change haha, quarters, nickles, dimes and pennies (while they still make them, anyways) donated via the button on my sidebar do really help with my crafting supplies which causes me to make more FREEBIES for YOU (then I feel compelled to create from the files I make)

 

I’m also thrilled to have been named as a Silhouette Plus Angel at the Silhouette Plus forums.  I take it this means I’m a nice girl who is kind to others and that everyone really appreciates my contributions in the way of .studio files… and it means that I ♥ my Silhouette family so much.  I’ve met the nicest people there and learned a ton.  You should check it SPF out!  Thanks to all of you!

 

I also have to extend a special THANK YOU to Tobias and the team at GE.TT for giving me extra space for storage so I can share my files with you.  GE.TT is a perfect place to share your files, photos etc.  A basic package is FREE and there are no ads or downloads presented to those you share your files with.  A VERY cool feature of GE.TT is that you can actually share files while they are uploading! 

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I’ve added a new pages tab to the top of my blog - RECIPES.  I love to cook up new and healthy dishes and treats and so this will be a nice way to share these with you. 

I’m all about cherries these days - they are in full swing and so I’m making the most of them.  Here’s a fund and refreshing and super simple idea I came up with:

 

CHERRY POPS!

The cherries this year as so big and fat and luscious they inspired me to make my own healthy “pops”   It occurred to me I’m always seeing fruit pops in the grocery store and I’m always very aware of making sure they are made with real fruit and so it hit me that I can make my own. 

 

I took a tall stir stick, though a popsicle stick would work well, or a chopstick even.  Pit the cherries and simply slide them onto the stick.   Lay them flat onto a piece of parchment paper and freeze.  Simple as that!

♥♥♥

Here are some health facts about cherries you might not be aware of:

(via Dr Heidi Rootes)

1. Cherries, known as a “super-fruit”, are packed with antioxidants called anthocyanins which aid in the reduction of heart disease and cancer.
2. Cherries are one of the few food sources that contain melatonin, an antioxidant that helps regulate heart rhythms and the body’s sleep cycles.
3. Cherries are an excellent source of beta carotene (vitamin A). In fact they contain 19 times more beta carotene than blueberries and strawberries.
4. Cherries are rich in vitamins C, E, potassium, magnesium, iron, folate and fiber.
5. Cherries are referred to as “brain food”, aiding in brain health and in the prevention of memory loss.
6. Because cherries contain anthocyanins, they can reduce inflammation and symptoms of arthritis and gout.
7. Eating cherries reduces the risk of diabetes.
8. Cherries are a good source of fiber which is important for digestive health.
9. Cherries are a great snack or dessert choice important for weight-maintenance.
10. Because of their powerful anti-inflammatory benefits, cherries are said to reduce pain and joint soreness for runners and athletes after workouts.

 

And if that’s not deliciousness overload itself to you then you may want to add a swizzle of chocolate syrup or melted chocolate onto your frozen pop and then freeze it a bit more.  Oh my GOSH!  Its so good. 

I’ll be adding this recipe under the RECIPES tab at the top of this blog in the next day or two in a downloadable pdf format. 

 

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And now to wind up, here is my latest card and the fun Word Art cutting file to go with it!

Here’s how I put the cut word art together:

 

I take the inside cut of the word art and I add a coat of glue stick to it. I recommend you make your inside cut a color close to what your glitter will be because you won’t get a perfect coat of glitter )unless you go the route of using sookwang adhesive sheets and glitterritz glitter).  This way if any spots are missed the solid color of the background will help. 

My sister showed me that its good to use a coffee filter to do your glittering on - it allows you to fold it up after and funnel the unused glitter back into its container.  Generously coat your word art.

 

Now here you can employ a couple of my favorite helper items.  I ♥ Tombow mono glue.  It has a teeny tiny flow pen cap which allows you to glue the finest of items.  And I can’t live without my seam ripper.  I use my seam ripper for EVERYTHING.  It helps me hold down delicate things such as this word art, while I add the glue.  It is perfect for prying up delicate items off of my Silhouette mats.  It is PERFECT for nipping the coating off of double sided tape on my cardstock!  

What’s your favourite “go to” tool which was never created specially for a specific job?

 

Now you just glue your top layer of word art onto the bottom!  The color combo is up to you.  I added a gem to top the “i” in Birthday. 

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