A Freebie, a 50% off sale, and a HOSTAGE.

Hiya scrappers! We have a freebie for you! We started with a large color palette to make a full kit...then 86ed some of the colors that didn't mesh well....ended up with some peices...and realized it was a *little* too like another kit we've already done (Berry Sweet). SO...our folly is your gain...and you may help yourself to this freebie! Naturally Cozy

Our friend Egle (FairyMouseMom) is teaching a class Friday night with this freebie! It is at ACOT! ACOT is having a Fall Crop this weekend and Egle is teaching a Digital Scrapping for Beginners class. It's Friday September 22nd at 7:00 p.m. Make sure to check it out!!!

In other scrapping news, we put up a new kit at Elemental Scraps! AND, it's going to be 50% OFF until Sunday! Everything at Elemental Scraps is 50% off until Sunday! (the 24th!) So this you won't want to miss!

How do you like Tab's new detail preview work? This kit has such amazing detail in it...the felt leaves, the papers look like burlap...that we wanted to share it as much as possible.

And, now, for the hostage. Bella Bunny is currently being held hostage....her evil captors (aka Bella Gypsy Designs) are asking that you send in your recipe card layouts for their contest...mentioned in the previous blog post. For more details on Bella Bunny and her plight, please see this thread at DST. Contest submissions are due by Oct 1 to contest@bellagypsydesigns.com

LAST BUT NOT LEAST....I HAVE to share a secret with you. There is this gal I have known for about 7 months who is just an awesome scrapper and all around person. SHE is going to be having some REALLY BIG news soon...I'm watching her blog to see if she has announced it yet...But let me just say that she has been creating some to-die-for freebies over the last couple of months, and if you haven't seem them...you should! Check out Lynn Overend's Blog! OUR SWEET LIFE Now, don't get excited because this freebie I'm about to show you is no doubt expired and you probably can't have it... (LOL mwahhh) but I want to show you how neat her stuff is....and get you to watch for a new freebie she's putting up soon! Her Maui freebie was awesome and so is this Voilet Fields freebie....both of those freebies had paper AND element packs...but blogger is tired of me uploading photos apparently, LOL. So this is all I'll be able to show you ;)

I just had to show you this layout she did, too. She's one of the best scrappers around in my opinion :D Credits for this layout are on Lynn's blog :)

OKAY I have rambled and rambled enough today. I promise more recipes are coming soon...Baby Naomi is doing fine...I'm having 4 weekly appts now so busy busy busy! One high risk OB appt, one ultrasound and 2 NST's...but worth it, eh?

Have a scraptastic day, bloggers!

~Lena

A Huge Contest with Huge Prizes!!!

Ok ladies, so the crisp scent of autumn is in the air! The cooler weather always makes me head for warm & delicious comfort food. That’s where you come in!

Why not share your favourite harvest season recipes in a fun and special way? Bella Gypsy Delights is all about fabulous tried and true family favourite recipes, and of course, beautifully created layouts!Want a collection of delicious harvest recipes in time for the holidays? Come join us!

Choose your favourite harvest season recipe and create a recipe card layout using Bella Gypsy’s new autumn themed kit, Autumn’s Artistry! (The kit is only $5 at ACOT!)Once you’ve created you 4 x 6 layout at 300 dpi, email it to contest@bellagypsydesigns.com with Bella Gypsy Delights in the subject line.Have your layout in by October 1st. All the layouts will be compiled, zipped and uploaded, a link sent to each contributor! The finished product will be a beautifully coordinated set of Harvest Recipe cards great to keep, or give away this holiday season! It’s certainly something to be thankful for this year!

But to those that enter, there will be three huge prizes up for grabs!

First prize: $100 Gift Certificate to Bella Gypsy store!

Second Prize: One month of free downloads (for Bella Gypsy, that's an average of 6-8 kits!)

Third Prize: 3 kits of your choosing!

Judging will be done by a panel of 10 and will be based 75% on overall design and 25% on your recipe!

Layout Guidelines
1. Please create your layouts at 300 dpi and at a print size of 4”x6”.
2. Use Bella Gypsy’s Autumn Artistry to complete this layout, but feel free to add other items as you see fit.
3. Remember to put your name on your card somewhere, so that everyone knows who the fabulous recipe came from!
4. Any questions, please email me at contest@bellagypsydesigns.com, and be sure to mention it’s in regards to the Bella Gypsy Delights recipe swap.
5. Deadline is October 1st, 2006.
6. Most importantly, HAVE FUN!

~Lena

Autumn's Artistry

Today was another crazy day in BellaGypsyLand, so just a quick post...Later we'll tell you about the day...but just lots of appts as usual...me to the chiropractor, a visit for Tristan and Gabriel to the dentist and lots of other fun stuff! We are super busy this evening...so just one thing...our new fall kit!

Autumn's Artistry...we were up SO late making it this morning and then PSP ate my preview. I was so sad :( So I had to go to bed (It was 2!) and deal with it later!

This kit is up exclusively at ACOT! It will normally be $5.50 but for the first 24 hours it's half price! So use this code when checking out: bgd_introprice and get the kit for only $2.75!

The code will no longer work at midnight on Sept 14th!

P.S......I've had a request for some pregnancy pictures...they'll be here soon I promise! :D

~Lena

Our crazy week and a BOGO coupon!

Man, it has been a crazy couple of days...Sorry we haven't been blogging!

We had one scary trip to L&D (My BP was reading serially high), we cleaned out the storage unit, made about a million doctors and dentist appointments and squeezed in TWO trips to Sonic in the last 3 days ;)

The storage unit fiasco...well, what can I say? We went to tidy up a bit and take care of some business and ended up staying for 6 hours getting everything "just so". Needless to say, I'm still nesting. The kids loved it; they played and played! But I am paying for it now...still tired from it!

I think every day for the next two weeks we have some sort of evaluation/dr appt/dentist appt. It's going to be interesting!

Nathan lost his first tooth the other day. He had had 4 pulled last year so some adult teeth would have room but this was the first one really loose. Aunt Tabatha helped him get it out; mommy couldn't do it! LOL

We put up some fall decorations...it's a bit early but here in Ohio it feels very fallish...been in the 60's and sooo pleasant. Today it was rainy...so we baked! Tabatha made Pumpkin Cookies....BUT a disclaimer that they taste more like muffins than the consistency of cookies but they were AWESOME! Here's the recipe and a pic :)

Pumpkin Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinammon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup of brown sugar

1 cup of white sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (farenheit). Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla then stir in the pumpkin puree. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until well blended. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 18-20 minutes for big cookies, or 10-12 for smaller ones in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely

So, finally a recipe! SO SORRY we haven't been posting recipes with the pictures of our yummy suppers...how incredibly rude of me! I've emailed those of you who have asked, and will start posting all old and new recipes here. To start with the old ones...I'll start with the Chicken Stir Fry that I posted a picture of the other day, but mind you how I LOVE shortcuts...so no judging LOL...this is my recipe so alter it away...I have my reasons for doing it this exact way...like laziness on parts of it, and my HBP on parts!

Fried Rice

1 package Uncle Ben's microwaveable brown rice

1 egg

1 small can of peas and carrots

1 tsp lite soy sauce

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Scramble the egg with the olive oil and soy sauce. Microwave rice in pouch following directions for 90 seconds. Drain peas and carrots. Add all items to a skillet and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.

Chicken Stir Fry

1 bag of frozen Bird's Eye Pepper Stir Fry Mix (yellow, red, orange and green peppers with onions)

1 pint of fresh sliced mushrooms

1 bag of fresh bean sprouts

1 can of baby corn

1 can of water chestnuts

8 oz chicken breast tenderloins (I buy a 3 lb bag of Pilgrims Pride and we use it all week)

2 tbsp olive oil

Sautee chicken in olive oil until cooked thoroughly, then cut up into small chunks. I do this right in the skillet with my metal spatula. Add drained chestnuts, drained corn, mushrooms and beansprouts along with bag of frozen veggies. Sautee all ingredients 10 minutes or until desired vegetable tenderness has been acheived. Serve with fried rice and egg rolls (I buy frozen egg rolls). I don't season the stirfry mix because we have picky eaters in this household and I like to add soy sauce to my own. I don't know how many servings this is, but Tabatha and I plus both children who eat solid foods enjoy this plus leftovers :)

Here's some of those fall decorations we put up :) I know I'm a total nutcase for having them up this early...but it makes me happy!

So...I know you're waiting on the coupon... :) We are finishing up a fall kit tonight so make sure to check back...and in the meantime...enjoy this coupon code for any of our kits at A Cherry On Top. When checking out enter in BGDblogBOGO as the promotional code and buy any kit, get a second for absolutely free! :) You could get two bytes, two full kits, or two of our soon retiring $1.00 kits...the possibilities are endless!

Well this post has been like 5 miles long...so I'll big you farewell until tomorrow, scrappers! ~Lena

Sleepy Saturday....

I am tired today! We haven't decided what we are doing today but we need to or I'm going to go take a nap instead! (Then I'll wake up cranky...LOL)

It *LOOKS* like we will make a trip to the store and pick up some crafty stuff. I need to make a few new pillows for the couch and such...Plus we need to pick up a gallon of paint and refresh the living room walls...I think I might be nesting a bit! ;)

This morning we finished a kit that started out as a chat freebie! Did I mention that? We are going to be hosting a chat every Monday night at Elemental Scraps at 9 pm EST. We had a pretty good turnout last week so come visit!

So here is Whimsy Bella Byte! As always, our Bella Bytes are only $3.50! You can find Whimsy at A Cherry On Top!

Don't forget that in September we are retiring more great kits! This month it's more of our seasonal kits from Spring and Summer that will make great additions to your collections! Next month in October we have something extra special planned!

What's for dinner, scrappers? Not sure what's on our menu for tonight, but here's what I made last night: Chinese stir fry with fried rice, red peppers, green peppers, orange peppers, yellow peppers, onions, minced garlic, baby corn, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, chicken and egg rolls!Tab's eating leftovers right now, as a matter of fact! :)

We might be making an outing today to Sonic. Yep, Sonic! I want a Watermelon Slush so badly. I had them almost every day my 3rd trimester with Nathan. Then I lived in TN. But there are only 2 Sonics in Ohio, and the nearest one is over a half hour away. But, I don't care! LOL

That's all from here, scrappers...have a great weekend! :)

Guess what?

We are now selling at Elemental Scraps! We are so very excited to join such a friendly community of scrappers! We are debuting two new kits and would love your feedback! What do you think of London Fog and Quiet Comfort?

Click here to see London Fog up close!

Click here to see Quiet Comfort up close!

So, we are a little worn out from all the creativity LOL but we are going to take the kids to the park tonight because it's so pretty out! I am loving this weather! Hardly any humidity and in the 60s and 70s. Fall is the best! (though this is just a taste and it will surely warm up again)

Since we didn't blog yesterday (long weekend!) I didn't get to tell you what was for supper! Normally Tabatha cooks but I made my yummy stuffed green peppers! This picture doesn't do them justice, I assure you. It's black beans, brown rice, diced tomatoes, diced onions, diced green peppers, green chiles or crushed red peppers topped with shredded cheese and baked in a green pepper. The filling is what the kids eat, I just dish some out for them before I add the chiles or red peppers.

Tonight Tabatha is making enchiladas. My mouth is watering...it's almost done! Can you tell that I'm almost 8 months pregnant? All I want to talk about is food! :)

That's all from BellaGypsyLand, scrappers...we have some scrapping and children cuddling to do tonight..more tomorrow!

~Lena

Are you longing for a freebie? AND we have WINNERS!

The weather has become more mild in Ohio, but I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of summer. I really can't complain because it's in the 60's! right now. We are waiting for fall, though! Can't wait! Here's your freebie for Friday...and then we're going out of town for a few days! :)

Enjoy 4 tags, a ribbon, word art and layered template.

The full sized kit is really one of our favorites. I'm trying to get Tabatha to redo the blog with it. It can be found here: Longing for Fall
Click here to download your freebie! :) Longing for Fall Freebie Add On

Don't forget to leave us a message...we'll continue to do freebies if we find that people really love them...because we obviously love what we do...but don't want to waste time unless we are making people happy...then it's not a waste!

The coupon included in your zip is also good until Labor Day, making the full kit $2.75.

We are headed down to KY this weekend...time for more swimming, lounging in the hot tub...and the boys are getting haircuts! Tabatha's and my stepmom is a hairdresser and will be trimming up the boys...they are getting shabby!

THANK YOU to everyone who helped suggest new pasta names....Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes does really not do that recipe justice! We have selected 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners!

Pomodori Pasta is Tabatha's choice to rename the recipe....So, Crina, check your email to find a $10 gift certificate good for our designs at ACOT!

We also loved Tasty Tomato Pasta, so Petra, check your email to find a $8.00 gift certificate good for our designs!

And, last but not least, we loved Pasta Prima Rojo, so Sharon, check your email to find a $5.00 gift certificate good for our designs!

We are so happy that the recipe finally has a good name! Thanks for all of your great suggestions! :)

~Lena and Tabatha