Stampin' Mama: A mama that stamps: Bake it, Make it & Take it.....Muffin in a Basket!

I think I just might be the world's worst blogger these past few days. I promise that I'm still around, I haven't fallen off the face of the stamping world, I'm still creating, I haven't passed through the pearly gates of stamping eternity. *wink* Thank you for those of you that emailed to check in on me and make sure I was okay. That was so sweet of you!

It's been insanely busy here lately. I've got a huge list of creative deadlines that have needed attending to, plus I went "over the border" to Montreal on Saturday with a group of my wonderful downline girls for a Stampin' Up Regional event. I was able to meet some of my blog readers at this event and that was a VERY special treat! (Just wanted to wave to Pascelle, Heather, Catherine & Jennifer!) This weekend, my Go Scrap Yourself Retreat will be in full swing and I'm getting goody bags prepped and other odds and ends put together for it. The first and second wave of The Paper Bag Book Trilogy CDs were mailed out last Wednesday and Friday and those that ordered them should be seeing them in their mailboxes, if they haven't already.

I promised you all a new installment of my Bake it, Make it & Take It Feature for last week, but it never got posted. I DID make the muffins I had planned on making, but there were so many things going on that packaging up my yummy muffin never happened and they all got eaten. That was kind of a bummer until I realized I'd just have to make another batch of these beauties. Oh shucks.....more yummy muffins to eat. WhatEVER will we DO?

My mom (Donna, from Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases) has an amazing muffin recipe that she's used for a long time now. I never get tired of eating these. They're light and fluffy and you can create so many varieties with the basic recipe just by adding different extracts and fruits to it.

You can find my mom's recipe here: Blueberry, Strawberry and Apple Cinnamon Muffins

My mom provides a basic muffin recipe, but she also gives you the recipe for making Blueberry, Strawberry and Apple Cinnamon muffins, as well.

The first batch that I made on Thursday ended up being Strawberry Almond. I didn't have any strawberry extract but I usually ALWAYS have Almond extract in the house. I love almond in anything. I put the extract in the muffin batter along with diced strawberries. I also sprinkled sliced almonds on top of the muffins before they went in the oven.

The batch that I made today had strawberries in them, but I had used up the last of my almond extract on Thursday, so I looked in my cupboard to see what else I could use. Another extract that I always have on hand (mostly for frosting) is coconut extract. So, my muffins today ended up being Strawberry Coconut muffins, sprinkled with some raw sugar on top. They were JUST RIGHT! I already have two muffins packaged in little bags to put in the kids' backpacks for school snack tomorrow.

When I was creating this little basket, the song, "A tisket, a tasket," kept going through my mind. Now I can't get that song out of my head!

I started with a basic origami box pattern and made the bottom of the box. Usually, I would make a top to go with it to create the box, but I wanted to do something a little different. This box pattern makes a really cute little basket when you add a handle to it.

I used a piece of Rose Red Prints Designer Series paper cut at 8.5 x 8.5 inches. This was a perfect size to fit a muffin into.

I used the same paper cut at 2 x 8.5 inches for the handle. I put a little bit of adhesive on the ends of the handles and stuck them inside the box to hold them there, then took a 1/8 inch hole punch to punch a hole through the handle and the side of the box. Normally, I would just use a regular brad to hold the handle in place, but GinaK's new Bling & Dazzle Mega Rhinestone brads were just the color I need to coordinate with the paper I was using.

I used the new Framed Flowers set by Carolyn King, along with my Rose Red and Garden Green Stampin' Write Markers (from Stampin' UP) to color directly onto the stamp to get that two color look. I added a touch of glitter to the flowers to jazz them up a bit. The flowers were stamped across some strips of Whisper White cardstock and then trimmed with a pair of scallop edged scissors.

I used my 1 1/4", 1 3/8" and Scalloped Circle punches to create the focal image that I mounted on the handle with pop-dots. I added some silver mini brads and folded ribbon scraps to the right hand side for some extra embellishment.

To get the scalloped edge look on the handle, I used a trick I learned at the Montreal Regional event that I just came back from on Saturday.

We were shown how to take the "guard" off the Corner Rounder punch and then line it up along the edge of paper or cardstock and stamp across it to create a running scalloped edge. I thought this was such an ingenious idea!

I didn't realize it until I finished creating my little basket was that I ended up having 3 scalloped looks to my basket. I have the scalloped edge on the handle created with the corner rounder punch. I have the scalloped circle of the focal image on the handle that I created with the Scalloped circle punch. Then I also have the trim at the bottom edges of the basket that I created with my scalloped edged scissors. Funny how all of that just came together like that.

I added some pink tissue grass that I had left over from all the spring themed workshops I did at the beginning of the month. I placed that in the little basket and then tied up my muffin in a cellophane bag with a length of white grosgrain ribbon (to match the ribbon I used on the focal image). I had to trim the top of the bag down a bit to make sure that it fit inside my basket and under the handle.

These would make great little gifts for teachers or co-workers. Or even to leave on the doorstep of your neighbors house. Or to give as little gifts if your church has an elderly care ministry.

Here's that recipe again so you can try it out: Basic Muffin Recipe

And now it's off to bed for me. I have another big, creative day ahead of me tomorrow!

Happy Creating!

-Stampin' Mama

Comments

Oh now i like this little basket Erika :) and you cooking look yummy! Might have to learn how to make this sweet basket :)

Posted by: SUE | April 01, 2008 at 08:59 AM

WOW, that is all that I can say. After I breifly read that you were showed how to take the guard off the rounder punch, I ran upstairs and popped it off, and took a piece of scrap cardstock that I have in my scrap box, and made the scalloped edges, then Isabelle had to feel them, and said "COOL", that is a WONDERFUL trick, and I am sure gonna be using that from now on!!! THANKS SO MUCH!!! Glad that you are back!

Posted by: Erin | April 01, 2008 at 10:07 AM

That is such a cute project..TFS!

Posted by: kim3timemom | April 01, 2008 at 11:29 AM

Love it! The basket even matches your picture!

Posted by: Gina Wrona | April 01, 2008 at 01:06 PM

Darling!!! Now I will be singing A tisket a tasket a pink and green basket....Thanks girl!! LOL I was starting to wonder where you were!! Glad everything is okie dokie!!
Hugs,

Tina Suzan Frankfort

Posted by: Tina Suzan | April 01, 2008 at 02:36 PM

This is wonderful! So pretty and creative! Thanks for sharing!!! -Samantha

Posted by: Samantha | April 01, 2008 at 08:13 PM

YUM!!! Oh those look soooo good!! I've been sick and I'm so tired of it!! I can't wait to feel good enough to try out these cute muffin boxes!! I LOVE the brads and the BLINGY brads!!!! LOL Hmmmm........all the muffin variations sound good......I'll take an Apple-Cinnamon one first please! Oh yeah.......I gotta go make 'em myself!! :)

Posted by: LuvLee | April 01, 2008 at 11:50 PM