Marshmallows and Wine on the Dock

Just opened the newest mailing from Hy-Vee the local/regional grocery store. There is a recipe for making marshmallows.

Long pause......

WHY?

AND - Who makes their own marshmallows? I want to meet a person who chimes in a conversation with, "I made homemade marshmallows yesterday! They were__________(delicious...heavy enough to use as a door stop..." (Fill in your own story - mine has to do with me sitting across from this crazy Iron Chef wanna-be, holding back snarky remarks, and barely able to contain exaggerated eye-rolling.)

I actually read the recipe - because I was so dumbfounded that there is actually a RECIPE for marshmallows. Words (work), ingredients and tools like these strike fear into my card-making heart:

• Agave Nectar (didn't know agave's have nectar - which makes sense since I have no idea what an agave is...)
• Candy thermometer
• Unflavored Gelatin (mmmm..THAT sounds TASTY!)
• Opaque, thick, yet spreadable (this sounds like that fine line between turning whipping cream from tasty topping to clumpy near-butter)
• Prepared pan (prepared to me means I washed if after I last used it)
• Oiled spatula (40 weight? OILED?) With a note to ADD MORE OIL if needed... (my stomach is starting to hurt)
• Sift....SERIOUSLY!?
• Collapsible pan? What in the world is that and why would I have one? (Oh!!! In case I should ever want to MAKE marshmallows!)
• Oiled knife....(now my stomach hurts AND is churning)
• Perforated cutting wheel (well of COURSE it would be perforated - is there any other kind!?) 

Did I mention it ONLY takes one hour (THAT YOU WILL NEVER GET BACK OR RECOVER FROM) and there are ONLY 9 (yes NINE) steps to creating your very own Homemade Marshmallows.

You may be relieved to know that you can store these gelatinous-agave-corn syruped, (and slightly OILED)  "edible" spongiform clumps for one week in an AIRTIGHT container in the refrigerator. (Imagine the bad dreams you could conjure up if the mallows were allowed to BREATH in the fridge....) Cue the horror music on the Mighty Wurlitzer....

Some items are just SUPPOSED to be bought ready-made! And in the interest of full disclosure. I hate all things marshmallow - even the store bought version.

This same issue talks about spring cleaning...like I would have time for THAT if I were tied up making stupid marshmallows! Maybe my next card post will tell you what I learned in the spring cleaning article...vacuum my walls... Who are these lunatics that write this stuff???? And here I am wasting your time with my marshmallow rant!

After my exhaustive review of how to make marshmallows I managed to squirrel away a bit of time in my Bubble!

These cards are kind of out of the ordinary for me. A sweet lady that my sisters and I are long distance friends with recently lost her husband. She and husband live in the quaint fishing village of Shellman Bluff, GA. It is a picturesque fabulous place on the coast. Miss Evelyn has been posting photos on her Facebook page of morning and evening photos from the dock of their Fish Camp. I've sat on their dock and experienced these serenely beautiful and awe inspiring views. I wanted to do something special for Miss Evelyn so I printed some of her photos to create some cards to mail to her.

I used my color printer and cut watercolor paper to fit into the printer. I must admit my printer was NOT happy about the weight of paper. I then used Stampin' Up Watercolor Wonder. I colored over the existing photo and then used water pens to spread the color for a watercolor look. After they dried I coated three of them with Distress Crackle Paint - Clear Rock Candy. One I coated with Stampin' Up Crystal Effects. So here they are...

Thinking on the Dock

~Base card Cryogen White from Papertemptress

~Die cut "Thinking" (Elizabeth Craft Designs)

~Inside sentiment "Thinking of you"

~Photo watercolor highlighted and topped with a think coat of Distress Crackle Paint - Clear Rock Candy

Challenges and Inspiration

Keep it Simple - watercolor

Country View - nature's glory

Flat Friends - dies/punches

Promise of the Day

~Base card - vanilla card stock

~Layer of BasicGrey Fusion  Pink Flamingo

~Strip of blue from Paper Company Farm House

~Photo printed on watercolor paper - spritzed with water and colored with SU Watercolor Wonders and topped with moderately thick layer of Distress Crackle Paint - Clear Rock Candy

Inspiration | Challenge

Just Us Girls - sketch

View Through the Moss

~Vanilla card stock

~Layer of Daisyd's

~Strip of Daisyd's

~Photo print on watercolor paper - colored with SU Watercolor Wonder - highlighted with Distress Crackle - Clear Rock Candy

Inspiration | Challenge

Just Us Girls - sketch

Southern Girls - dots and spots

Ocean Friends

~Base card periwinkle card stock

~Layer of Paper Company Farm House

~Blue rectangle card stock from Paper Company Farm House  with the word OCEAN - HOW COOL IS THAT???!!! "Ocean" higlighted with Wink of Stella

~Photo of the coast printed on watercolor paper - watercolor highlighted and water penned and topped with thin layer of Distress Crackle Paint - Clear Rock Candy - dotted with fine glitter

Thoughts of dock sitting, peace, wine, gnats, friendship, and sympathy,

Nancy in Iowa