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Thanks for visiting my blog. As the title suggests, I love to scrapbook, stamp, and sing! I will share cards and scrapbook pages I create, as well as information about my music - Barbershop harmony.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Hero Hostess Summer Picnic Blog Hop

Welcome - it's day 1 of the Hero Hostess Summer Picnic Blog Hop!  When the hostesses hopped in January with new 2013 Hero Arts stamps, we had so much fun we decided to do a summer hop in July.  How time flies - before we knew it, we were planning our virtual picnic!!  Each day this week, at least 4 hostesses will share a project and a recipe!  Today's line-up:

Deborah Nolan

Emily Leiphart

Sarah Moerman

Linda Wetterlin (you are here)

Kathy Racoosin

 If you're following the hop in order, you should have arrived from the fabulous Sarah's blog.  You may have begun the hop at the Hero Arts Blog; if not, be sure to visit there.  If you encounter any broken links, please contact blog@heroarts.com to report it.  Hero Arts will award prizes from randomly drawn comments made on ANY of the stops on the participating blogs (including the Hero Arts Blog) ANY day this week.  The more comments you leave, the better your chance of winning!

 
When I think of a picnic I think of a colorful checked tablecloth and ANTS!  Where there's food, ants follow (despite what our banner says - LOL)!!  So, I created a card with a tablecloth background using a fun new brush stroke image from Hero Arts' new Stamp Your Story line.  Several sets have a brush stroke but I used the clear one in CL696 Notebook Essentials, one of my favorite sets in the new line.  It was super simple to create a full line by stamping from one side, then flipping the stamp and connecting it to the other side.  I cut the ants on my Silhouette SD using Design ID 12134 by Hero Arts.  The sentiment is from CL695 My Words - I just love the variety of words and images in this set (also from Stamp Your Story).  The speech bubble is from CG523 Psst! which has 6 bubbles and 3 sentiments.  The paper for the ants is from Basic Grey - I added some googly craft eyes from Michael's using Glossy Accents and popped them up with foam tape.
 


A Perfect Day for a Picnic!!
 
My recipe came from Dad's sister, my Aunt Jeanette.  Our family loves this salad and it's perfect for a picnic.  When I make this salad, I leave the dressing off - that way people can add as much as they wish and the leftovers stay crisp.
 
Crunch Salad
 Crunchy Salad - Serves 6
Dressing:
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 4 Tablespoons sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Accent (optional - it's a brand of flavor enhancer containing MSG)

Salad:
  • 1 head of iceberg lettuce
  • 6 ounces sliced almonds
  • 4 Tablespoons sesame seeds (I buy the jarred ones in the spice section)
  • 5-6 pieces of bacon
  • 1 cup chow mein noodles (the crunchy ones)
Directions:
  • Combine dressing ingredients in a jar or other shaker, cover and shake vigorously to mix well.   Set aside. 
  • Chop lettuce and place in large bowl.
  • Fry bacon until crumbly, drain well and crumble over the lettuce.
  • Toast the sesame seeds and almonds until golden brown (do them separately as the sesame seeds cook a lot faster than the almonds - I know this from experience!!).  Add both to the lettuce and bacon.
  •  Add chow mein noodles to salad bowl just before serving so they don't get soggy. 
  • Add dressing and toss well just before serving, or leave the dressing off for people to pour onto their own serving and just toss the other ingredients.  Some dieters may prefer a low-cal option so I usually bring along a ranch or fat-free French dressing - both taste yummy with this crunchy creation.
Hope your picnic doesn't have any ants - just hungry guests! In addition to being entered into the Hero Arts drawing, if you leave me a comment (one per visitor please) by midnight PDT on 7/26/13, you will also have a chance to win a Hero Arts limited stock Brush Strokes cling set and a Basic Grey 6x6 Carte Postale paper pad from me. I will do a random draw on 7/27 and post the results. 

Your last stop on today's hop is the amazing Kathy Racoosin's blog.  Kathy always impresses with her coloring skills and I can't wait to see what she's created for our picnic! 


Thanks for hopping with us today and remember to stop by the Hero Arts Blog for more Hostess Hopping tomorrow through Friday.  Have a wonderful day!!

217 comments:

1 – 200 of 217   Newer›   Newest»
judkajudi said...

Linda, your card is the perfect picnic card!! Love how you made the "tablecloth"!! And I will for sure try that recipe ... looks like a great summer salad. I'm having fun at the picnic!

Caroline said...

Love that tablecloth, I'll definitely try that recipe! Grat color combo too! Thanks

Chark said...

Yum on the recipe and cuuuttee on the card!

Barbara said...

What a cute and clever card! Love the background and the ants!!!! Your salad looks delish and I'm definitely going to try it! What a great idea for a summer blog hop with the wonderful recipes as a bonus!

Ann K said...

Great summery picnic card - invite a friend to share a blanket and a basket of goodies. :)

Ann K said...

Cute card - love the ants. Perfect picnic companions???

Renee B. said...

Love those ants!
Hugs, Renee

Vikki H said...

LOL - love those creative ants!

Gunilla/Nilla said...

What a cute card, love the funny ants!

Terri said...

Just want to pick up your card and shake off those cute little ants! And the salad looks delish, thanks for sharing.

stampingandstitching said...

Linda, I love your fun and fabulous card! What a creative way to create the tablecloth and those little ants are so cute! From having eaten your yummy salad many times before, I know just how delicious it is, and I'm looking forward to making and eating it this evening:)

Dana said...

Great picnic cards!! The ants are sooo cute!! Yummy sounding salad!!

CinnamonSally said...

Such a cute card Linda, love your bright tablecloth and the ants!!

Kelly Massman said...

your card is darling and the salad sounds yummy! TFS!

Susan said...

How cleaver to connect the brush stroke stamp, great plaid for so many uses!Thanks for a great idea!

Kathy said...

Awww Linda thanks for making my heart go pitter patter with your send off to me. LOVE your festive card and perfect for the hop... the goggly eyes are the perfect addition. I'm going to have to give this recipe a try. So happy to be hopping with you, Hugs, Kathy

Leesa B said...

Such a cute ant card!!! You are so sweet to share your wonderful salad recipe!

Cindy C. said...

Your card is so cute Linda!! Yes I could see those little 'friends' joining in a picnic invited or not! LOL Thanks for sharing a lovely recipe and the photo!! :P

Leesa B said...

Thank you for the beautiful card tutorial!! Your cards are so beautiful!!!Thanks for a chance to win!

Dorothy C. said...

Love the 'tablecloth' and googly eyes on the ants. Thanks for the chance to win a great prize.

margaretart said...

I think I'll come to your picnic!Darling card---great plaid technique!

Annette Allen said...

wow awesome background.. totally love this card..

Marlou McAlees said...

cute card Linda :) thank you for sharing :)

rcwidow (Linda) said...

Fun card! Recipe looks good too!

Craftyfield said...

Clever way to use that brush stroke stamp, the table cloth effect is effective.

Unknown said...

Awesome card and recipe :D

paperpicnic (Jayne) said...

Your card is absolutely delightful! I adore the plaid tablecloth, it looks amazing! The ants are the perfect picnic detail! Thanks for sharing your salad recipe, I will definitely be making this sometime this week! It looks delicious!

Lin said...

Fantastic card for our picnic, Linda, and your salad sounds absolutely wonderful!!

Kailash said...

Love your fun card Linda and that recipe sounds delish, thanks for sharing!!

Pat said...

This really is a picnic card! Great job! :)

joy said...

A plaid tablecloth and ants - perfect images to use for a picnic theme!! Cute card!

Thanks for the recipe - sounds yummy.

Anonymous said...

. . . and the ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah!!!
Delightful summer card :)
Mary, Wausau WI

Pam W Merwin said...

How creative! Love your tablecloth background you created and YES there is no such thing without ants at a picnic - but these are so cute with their googly eyes :)

Libby Hickson said...

What a FUN idea to create a tablecloth from a brush stroke!! Love it!! And your recipe sounds super yummy, too!

Unknown said...

That background paper tablecloth is so cute!

Sue McRae said...

Love how you made your fun plaid design Linda, very creative!

Unknown said...

Fun card!

Karin R said...

Love the use of the brush stamps to make a tablecloth background on your card - how creative and fun!

Kathy (krolski) said...

Your card is perfect for picnics Linda! So fun! Your recipe sounds great too!

cheiron said...

OMG. these ants crack me up! So creative for a picnic card. Love your recipe too. That sounds like a great one to try this week in the heat...

Yolanda said...

perfect picnic card...the salad sounds yummy...

adele holcomb said...

Cute card! I recently got the Notebook Essentials stamp set myself and have been having so much fun with it. I never thought to connect the lines for plaid -- clever!

Wendy said...

Darling card...love the ants!

judy said...

I love how you made the tablecloth on your fun card!

creationsnz said...

what a lovely bold & bright picnic you're having (and your ants). Thanks for the recipe too.

Sally said...

Very clever and fun card.

richardbreaks said...

Great job creating that gingham pattern!

Judy1223 said...

Linda, this is the epitome of picnic cards! Sweet ants, great pattern!

Myra K. said...

Cute card. Makes me want to organize a picnic.

GrammySue's Creations said...

Your card is too cute--love the ants; your salad recipe sounds very good.

Unknown said...

Just love the tablecloth and ants. Perfect picnic card.
I love this salad. Someone made it for a work party and I went back for seconds. Yum.

sharon l-s said...

Yummo on the recipe. Great udea about leaving the dressing off (just in case there are leftovers). The card is really cute with the plaid background. tfs the card and recipe.

Deb Walker Deb Stamps Life, LLC said...

I really enjoyed seeing how you put your own stamp on those brushstrokes Linda--and you know me and google eyes! Great fun!

Teresa W. said...

Adorable card! Very creative plaid background pattern. Your salad looks delicious. Thanks for the recipe.

Ava said...

Linda, what would a picnic be without ants?! What a cool idea. And the crunchy salad sounds delicious. I like a lot of crunch and will definitely try it.

Brenda said...

I just love your background Linda, beautiful! Thanks for sharing this recipe, I adore salads with almonds in it!

Cathy A said...

Love those wiggly eyes!

Barb Ghig said...

I really love this adorable card! The plaid background is fabulous with you CAS design...so cute!

Auror Willow said...

Adorable!

Kim M said...

What a super cute card! Love those ants! Thanks for the chance to win too! :-)

Ann Marie said...

Great picnic "tablecloth"!

Robin Cooper said...

Great picnic card!

rommelsmom4 said...

Such a BOLD and cute picnic card. Thanks for sharing.

Jingle said...

This is totally fun!

jcappetta said...

What a fun card-so cute!

donna mikasa said...

I'm in LOVE with your plaid background, and who can resist goggly eyed ants? Thanks for sharing a yummy recipe, too. I love SALADS!

CathyL said...

Love the plaid tablecloth!

Efrat said...

Fun summary picnic card. Love the cute ants.

Barb said...

Your salad looks awesome, Linda - so perfect for summer! And your card is so fun! Love how you created the tablecloth, and those big ants are a riot!

Verna Angerhofer said...

That is such a darling card from the checkered tablecloth to the trail of ants. Of course, that means a picnic. And, your salad sounds yummy!

Maeghan M. said...

LOVE the tablecloth pattern! TFS!!!

Judy Tuck said...

Your card is too cute! Thanks too for the yummy recipe!

Melinda Ferraz said...

Love the background, and those ants are so cute!!

keeleykats said...

Cute card! Thanks for the recipe!

Shirl said...

Such a fun tablecloth effect! Love it!

DanielleMW said...

Those ants are much cuter than the real ones. ;) The recipe is very, very good - my family makes it, too. Thanks for sharing!

Katie Ann Brooks said...

cute! Love the eyes! Yummo too!

Mrs_Mac said...

Love the checked table cloth it makes the card. Going to try the salad as well.

Suzanne C said...

Yummy Yummy! That salad looks delicious! The card with the gingham print and the ants is the perfect summer card! Super cute!

slang said...

The card is adorable and the recipe soounds wonderful. I think I will try both!

ivy said...

Hi Linda!! What a cute card! Love how you made the Background w/ the brush stroke stamp!

Cindi said...

The background stamping is so cool!

Unknown said...

I love your card - a true depiction of the essence of a real picnic: ANTS! And this salad is making my mouth water!

cghundley said...

Fun card! The
wiggly eyes are
too cute!
Carla from Utah

Alexia Misso said...

Love your card and definitely have to try your recipe! Thanks!

Sue D said...

Very cute picnic card--love how you made the table cloth.
slrdowney at hotmail dot com

Tracey said...

Fantastic card!!

tammy b said...

OMG those googly eyes are killin' me!

Janet M said...

I love salads in the summer, so light. I love the googly eyes on the ants.

Emily Leiphart said...

This is so creative, Linda! I love how you used those paint swipes to create a tablecloth for the adorable ants!!

SandiL said...

Love the giant ants and the cool plaid pattern you created in behind. TFS

Cheryl said...

Love your tablecloth and the ants! I will make the recipe too, it sounds great!

Jen W. said...

Your checked table cloth is brilliant! Love how you created it and thanks for the yummy recipe!

Miriam Prantner said...

Act, so fun! I love the ants and the googley eyes! Love how you created the picnic cloth!

Virginia L. said...

Pure creativeness! I love the ants and background, Linda! Excellent card for the hop!

Kathy Rosecrans said...

Cute card and great sounding salad!

Unknown said...

I love how you made that tablecloth...absolute genius! No wonder you were chosen for royalty! Congrats and thanks for the inspiration.

Robin said...

So cute. The only bugs I like are paper ones and these are so sweet!

brenlubrant said...

I love your fun and cleaver card. The little ants are just cute.

Sarah J Moerman said...

Adorable card! Love the parade of ants!

pcm said...

those ants are adorable!

Ohana in Bend said...

very cute card, and i love the salad!

RedGem said...

I love the tablecloth background and the ants so sooo cute! Tks for the recipe will have to try this real soon.

TenSGal said...

Love the tablecloth background and those ants are tooooo cute!

Such a wonderful card!!! And thanks for the recipe...looks yummy!

Susan

ValByDesign, Valerie said...

That card is soooo cute!!!

Greta said...

Oh you made me laugh, Linda! Darling card!

stamplover2011 said...

Great job making the bg, and love your ants!

Katherine Dent said...

Cute card even the ants. Thanks for sharing the recipe, soons delicious.

Unknown said...

Oh my!! I absolutely LOVE your card!! I love how you used the brush stroke to make a checkered background!! And those ants are too stinking cute!! Thanks for sharing!!

Katie said...

Love how you used the stamp...the ants look well-fed. Sounds like a good salad.

the doghouse said...

great card...

Francesca said...

These ants are sooo real. They look like those in my porch in the summer! :) Just love it!

Karen L K said...

Oh no more ants.. Very cute card. I love how you created that tablecloth! Cute with the ants going across. Your salad sounds good. Thanks for also offering up your own prize, very nice of you.

Unknown said...

The ants on your card are so much cuter than real ones at a picnic. I have made a salad similar to this one and it has always been a favourite in our family circle.

Pam said...

Awesome picnic card! Acc such cute ants!

Karen said...

The way you created the "tablecloth" was very clever, and your ants are too cute! That recipe sounds great! Thanks for sharing it and your cute card ideas.

Arlene said...

These kinds of ants are ok :) great card and fun too.

Salad sounds yummy.

Anonymous said...

Awesome! Thanks you for sharing tips to create this kinda BG :)

Love ants as far as they are on cards only :D

Thanks for the chance to win.


Vithya

marking said...

What a cute card! The recipe looks yummy.

Pam said...

Those ants are awfully cute and the background paper is perfect for a picnic. Oh and thanks for the recipe can't wait to try it out.

Unknown said...

great idea for the background.

Kathy Mc said...

What a perfect picnic-style card with ants, googlie eyes & plaid tablecloth! Your salad sounds yummy, Linda, and am eager to give it a try. What a fun blog hop!

cm said...

Delightful picnic card paired with a delightful summer salad! The ants on plaid: cute!! Almonds in a salad is my idea of awesome! TFS!!
c

Deborah Montgomery said...

Love the card...and the recipe! I am now in the mood for a picnic! Thanks for sharing :)

Anonymous said...

Gotta love those ants marching across the tablecloth looking for something sweet to eat. Cute!

Sherry in MI

Janis said...

Yummy....salad AND blog candy!!!!
<3 J

Diana said...

Cute card and definitely want to give your Crunchy Salad a try.

Dawn T said...

such a fun card Linda. Love your ants running across the cloth. Your salad looks yummy

Aileen said...

That card is so cute, love it. Salad is very close to one we already eat here so will have to try it.

Unknown said...

This card is simply wonderful! Love it! the sald looks yummy, too! :)

Anonymous said...

Love, love, love the checkered tablecloth effect you made with the stamp. Great colors, too.

Стокли said...

A picnic wouldn't be a picnic without ants)

LauraEva said...

These are ants I would not mind--so cute!! Great job--and thanks for the recipe!

Pam from Maine said...

Like the bold background---reminds me of a picnic tablecloth and the ants are a perfect touch!

Janet said...

Super adorable card and looks like a great recipe! Thanks~God bless~

cissi said...

Don't like ants but I like your card!

LauraJane:) said...

Your ants are FUN!
GREAT tablecloth bg!

Stacy Kay Brais said...

Fun card!!

Cheryl H said...

Love the ants!!!

Anonymous said...

such a cute card, thanks for sharing, and the recipe sounds great too!
linda patti tpatti@windstream.net

Candy Meyers said...

Your little ants are so cute. This is a darling card.
Candy Meyers

Anonymous said...

Love your stamped background, just perfect to mimic the picnic cloth. The ants are so cute

Karen Buchanan said...

The ants are too fun! Love the eyes!

Crafty Auntie said...

Great idea for making the tablecloth. Super-cute! Makes me want to play some more with my Brush Strokes Stamps!!

Shelley said...

Perfect!

Jenn Biederman said...

Super adorable, Linda! I love the ants with that background!!!! I can't wait to see you tonight! :) Hugs!

Betty Sue said...

Great summer picnic card! Love the ants!

shirley-bee said...

Wow, fabulous! I love the tablecloth!

Janet D. said...

Those pesky ants! Love your card. I make a salad similar to yours and I can't make enough of it for everyone! I will have to try your version. Thanks

Unknown said...

Your card is so cute.
Thanks for the chance to win.
Have a super day!

Dana D. said...

Terrific card. Your crunchy salad sounds so good, I'm going to have to try this for sure.

Patricia said...

Love the plaid tablecloth! Really cute card! Thanks for the recipe too!

Lauren said...

Such clever use of the brushstrokes stamp! Love it.

The Hare Hutch said...

Cute card, those ants are so cute.

Unknown said...

Such a cute card! :)
Thanks for sharing!

Maureen Chandler said...

Very cool card - and my grandchildren would love the ants! Thanks too for the recipe - what a great salad!

Angel said...

What a fun picnic card. Your brush stroke table cloth is nifty and the googly eyed ants are adorable.

Helen G. said...

This is one cute picnic card, Linda! So sweet

Colleen said...

Great card, I love how you put it all together! Thanks for sharing it.

Kris in Alaska said...

Ha! I knew there'd be ants somewhere at a picnic! Fun card!

Kris in Alaska
funamom at yahoo dot com

Diana N. said...

Wonderful card for summer. Cute ants for a picnic.

karenelr said...

Oh how I love your card!!! I adore what you did with the ants too--the hole punches to the ant bodies add so much! Thanks for the chance to win some fabulous goodies! I can't wait to make that Crunchy Salad too!!

Loly Borda said...

Lovely! Love your tablecloth, and those ants are so cute!

Laura Norris said...

Those ants are too cute!! Great picnic blanket plaid too!

Ferretti said...

I love the idea you did to make the table cloth very cleaver, and the ants eyes are hilarious!!! Thanks
Oh the salad looks yummy too.

Nichol said...

the ants on the table cloth are so cute

Marty said...

Great picnic card. Your recipe sounds good, too!

rhoffer said...

How fun--loved the detail on the ants!

Vicki Dutcher said...

LOL - the ants are too fun~

Lori Hefner said...

Such a fun card!! Cutest little ants I've ever seen.lol Your salad sounds sooo good! Thanks for sharing:)

D- said...

What a cute card. Love these googly eyes. TFS.
D~
http://designsbydragonfly.blogspot.com
dmcardmaker (@AOL)

mtscrapgal said...

Love the ants and their googly eyes. So cute. Thanks

Alison said...

Your salad sounds mega-delicious - love the texture and crunch!

Too cute picnic cloth - not so sure about the ants in large scale though! :lol:

Raven said...

Oh my, those ants are cute!

Barbara said...

Well at least the ants look friendly...still do not want them at the party!

Mary-Anne V said...

Very cute card ...love how you created the checked picnic blanket.

Valerie said...

Love the ants and bright colors.

Renee V said...

What an awesome job on the tablecloth! So creative!!!

Mclay said...

How clever to use the brush stroke stamp for the table cloth! Love the card! Love Hero Arts, too!

TLady said...

LOOOOOOOOVE those BIG BLACK ANTS!!!!!!!:) TOO CUTE!!!!!!! PERFECT LITTLE GUESTS FOR A PICNIC!!!!;) (On paper ONLY!) :)

Wanda said...

Wow, this card clearly states "picnic" thanks for the inspiration. Love the cute ants. I have eaten your salad a few times before and loved it. Lost the recipe over time, but, now, thanks to you I have it again.

loulou said...

Totally cute card. Love how you created your own gingham background with the brush stroke stamp.

Madeline Rains said...

I love that tablecloth. so clever!

Phi said...

I love a crunchy salad. Thanks for the recipe. And I love that stamped table cloth on your card. So innovative.

Daria Z. said...

Linda, I LOVE your tablecloth. What a great way to stretch your stamps!

jintyoo7 said...

Brilliant plaid - well done, so clever! Will definitely try your recipe too, sounds delish!!!

Denise Bryant said...

Fun picnic card... love the card! And the salad looks great!

brenda said...

I love your card, it's so cute and such a clever use of the brushstroke stamp!

Memories by Manda said...

I like how you used the brushstrokes to make the background. The googly eyes are cute on the ants.

Thalia said...

Cute card! Great idea and a yummy recipe. Thanks for sharing

Trinh said...

Your card is so cute, Linda, and definitely screams picnic! The salad sounds great; will have to put that on my list to try.

Unknown said...

What a cute fun card and your salad looks amazing! :)

Anna Ekman said...

Such a cute card!

Unknown said...

This is one time when I can say I like ants! Cute card!

SD pooja said...

The bg looks fab and the ants ..cute !

Heatheranne Whitman said...

What a fun card! I love the ants - google eyes and all. Too fun. Great looking recipe! I must give it a try. Thank you for sharing and for the chance to win. :-)

hilltophaven@gmail.com

Lisa's Creative Niche said...

yay for googly eyes!!! Love the background!

Tona said...

What a fun card!

Renuka said...

ooh.. I love the background.. it looks beautiful. TFS!

Anonymous said...

Even more ants are coming our way. Do not know if i should continue the hop.
Love your card.
Margriet

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