Ladies Night Out Crafting with Friends making Decorative Tiles

Decorative Tiles by Rita Hutcheson-Cobbs

made with tile squares, napkins and Mod Podge...sweet...

Luggage tag made with bits of paper and die cuts...

Tonight, I had such fun at Ladies Night Out Crafting and having fun! We had dinner, the best loaded bake potato soup I have ever ate and then for dessert GiGi's Cupcakes...OMGosh..heaven...This was held church and there were a number of classes taught from punch art to crochet lace for socks to making aprons. The class I picked was tile art. My new friend Pam mentioned this to me Sunday and so I had to go! It was great to be out with friends and to see so many that I hadn't seen in a while. I will add this to our streaming live shows so that we can make it together...

Can you guess who the two Auburn and the two Alabama will go to? =)

Love, Blessings & {{{Hugs}}},

RHC

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com

Beaded Charms or Charming Beads....

"in the greens" St. Patrick's Day beaded charm

"golden greens" necklaces and earring sets with the "in the greens" St. Patrick's Day beaded charms

When I first discovered paper arts which was just a year ago, I had been beading to pass the time as I cared for my father before his passing. I love beading and the combination of colors. The charm is one of seven that I made on Sunday for a charm swap I am participating in over at thescrapbeach (five of the seven are for the swap). I used beading, finding, charms from my stash and still have the bead combination remaining, so I created three necklaces in different styles along with two sets of earrings. I had so much fun making these. I also divided up the remaining size six beads for goodies for the participants in my group and for the host. Playing it forward I think it is called. Rockin' Awesome sweet...

Love, Blessings, & {{{Hugs}}},

RHC

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com 

((btw, I was watching Laurel DeViney's live show on Sunday afternoon while making the charms when she called out my name as her featured artist of the day in her 31 day challenge...wow...beads went everywhere...it was so funny and rockin' awesome that she picked me!! wow...thanks again, Laurel, I totally love you!))

Fancy Flight Art Journaling

 "fancy flight" by Rita Hutcheson-Cobbs*

I really love love love working from a black painted page out...

Fancy flight for me is soaring to new places of happiness, joy and love. That's where I find my respite and my peace. Rockin' Awesome!

Love, Blessings, and {{{Hugs}}},

RHC

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com

* The white lines featuring elements were taught to me by Tam at www.willowing.ning.com.

Recycling a Coffee Cup Sleeve into Mini Scrapbook Albums...

For each of the three mini albums...

Baby Mini Scrapbook Album

Valentine's Day Mini Scrapbook Album

Vintage Mini Scrapbook Album

...I used 5 coffee cup sleeves or collars from Starbucks, but any brand will do...

Depending on which design you wish to make, think about where you need to cut the coffee cup sleeve...

or leave them in tack, seal the bottom and make tags to insert at the top...

or seal the top and bottom, cut the side and slide the tags out of the side...

Then decide how you want to bind the mini album.

I have made notebooks using these and used the bind-it-all too.

Here I punched two holes (in all the styles I made) and added 2 rings...

This is how I positioned them for the baby mini scrapbook album...

 

For the vintage album, I added a piece at the seems to cover the fold...

it worked very well for all the pages and looked more vintage...

For the Valentine's Day mini, I made the pages on the left tri-fold and left the

corrugated board...I loved the effect...

For the binding I used ribbon instead of rings...

For the baby mini, I cut the sleeves in half and decorated each one...

and used rings for the binding...

I wanted everyone to see that recycling the unexpected gives you more freedom of expression in your creativity. It is amazing and the feeling of the whole process is unexplainable in words. I think here the work speaks for itself. Also, I will be doing a live tutorial on how to make a mini album out of coffee cup sleeves so stay tuned to my twitter page or Facebook for the details. Visit my gallery for more photos of these mini albums...

Love, Blessings, & {{{Hugs}}},

RHC

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com

Tag Creations...what fun!!

"southern dream" tag by Rita Hutcheson-Cobbbs

 I use the dust jacket from a book to make this tag and then scraps from my stash.

I love, love the key from K&Company as well as the handmade hat pin & vintage button.

 "shiny metals" tag by Rita Hutcheson-Cobbs

I covered this tag with a book page, added the chandelier rub-on which is absolutely beautiful

and then some bits and pieces from my stash. Love the Tim Hotlz gears & the simple fish hook.

"the queen of the south" tag by Rita Hutcheson-Cobbs

 Again, I used a portion of the dust jacket from a book that I am altering

and pieces for my stash. I love the crown, it fit perfect here and the wire holding the misc beading element onto the tag. Sweet...

"trusting" tag by Rita Hutcheson-Cobbs

 OMGosh, OMGosh! I love love this tag paper...it is paper I used to distress pieces for my latest mini album! Can you believe it! Glitter/Embossing/Distressing...I just wrapped this tag in it's love!

The day I made this tag, I needed trust in my spirit...this tag was my respite...

"black'n white" tag by Rita Hutcheson-Cobbs

All of this tag is recycled elements from my stash...

the polka dot foundation is from Prima packaing of blink.

the key and keyhole are cut from the meat trays you get at the grocer.

the lace/ribbon/embellishments are from my latest mini album.

the tab, my favorite punch ever, is from a coke can and then I curled the brad, a technique featured on one of my youtube videos.

I am having fun with tags! I just found out from my friend Mitzi that there is a die cut for this tag...

you know what is at the top of my wish list now LOL...

Remember2recycle+reuse+recreate=rockinawesomeness ~ RHC

Love, Blessings & {{{Hugs}}}

as we remember Martin Luther King Jr

and celebrate the difference he made as well as his contributions,

RHC

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com

check out my photo gallery too.

Bigger Fluffier Thighs Fantasy Fulfilled Fudge Recipe

Bigger Fluffier Thighs Fantasy Fulfilled Fudge Recipe

from the kitchen of Rita Hutcheson-Cobbs

 is best ate with real vanilla bean icecream....

Bigger Fluffier Thighs Fantasy Fulfilled Fudge Recipe

from the kitchen of Rita Hutcheson-Cobb

You will need:

6 cups of granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups real butter

1 1/4 evaporated milk

2 lbs of chocolate chips, any flavor

14 oz jar of marshmallow cream

2 teaspoons real vanilla

1. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a boiler, bring sugar, butter & milk to a rolling boil, one that can't be stirred down & boil 5 minutes, timing is important, & continuously stir.

3. Remove from heat & stir in the chocolate chips, marshmallow cream, & vanilla, mixing thoroughly.

4. Immediately pour into dish allowing the fudge to cool completely.

5. Break into pieces and store in refrigerator or in the freezer.

Warnings, this is a super sweet treat...may want to add some ice cream to the dessert...otherwise, enjoy. =) Makes a ton, I promise...lol...this isn't an original recipe & I have used it for 20 years at least, but I do require the "real" butter and the "real" vanilla, both make this recipe the very best fudge ever...

Love, Blessings & {{{Hugs}}},

RHC

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com

CrockPot Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

Crockpot Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

by Rita Hutcheson-Cobbs

1 6-qt CrockPot

6 boneless skinless frozen chicken breasts

2 cups chopped frozen broccoli

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 cup of instant rice

1 cup of water

pepper and salt to taste

1.  Place chicken breasts in the crockpot that has been sprayed with cooking spray (promise, you will always be glad you did this before cooking anything lol).

2.  Cook the chicken for 10 hours on warm.

3.  Remove the chicken, cut in small pieces or shred it and place it back into the crockpot (Don't drain the liquid from the crockpot).

4.  Add broccoli, cream of chicken soup, rice, water and salt/pepper.

5.  Cook 2 hours on warm and serve hot. 

I think it is even better the next day! This will feed 5 people and make 3 lunches for the next day.

Love, Blessings & {{{Hugs}}},

RHC

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com

Reading...

"crystal clear in pink" earrings by Rita Hutcheson-Cobbs

Reading is my passion as much as my faith and my art and my family. Although I love reading most things, Christian Fiction is my favorite themed writings. I am a romantic through and through and believe that love is what brings us to the choices and decisions we make, or at least it should be. Love is what brings us together weaving together our uniqueness, independence, and our differences. Love binds the world and creates hope and peace within our hearts. I challenge you to send a note, make a card or tag and leave it for someone specific but do it anonymously...love shared in secret brings a smile to everyone's face...=) Loving it...

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. ~ John 3:16-18 The Message

Love, Blessings, & {{{Hugs}}},

RHC

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com

Refined & Recycle...

"black heart" charm by Rita Hutcheson-Cobbs

 "black heart" jewelry collection by Rita Hutcheson-Cobbs

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Recycled beads into amazing pieces of jewelry and charms...I love recycling things especially jewelry and beading into something else. These are some of those beads. I created a jewelry set and five charms from one long strand of beads. I took one piece and made eight pieces. Sometimes I feel recycled as each year passes...I grow and develop into a strong better person learning from the decisions I make and the choices I have in front of me. God's Word says that we walk through the fire so that we can be refined and renewed and that victory is ours, it is promised. I like that refined and recycled...=)  When I clean beads, I am constantly amazed what is found underneath the dirt and dust. Sometimes, we need to just clean our hearts and wash our mouths out with soap to find that happy peaceful place in our lives. If you are walking through the fire of cleansing or circumstance, know that there is victory in the end.

"...I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. 

They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 

'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The Lord is our God.' " 

Zech 3:19

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." 

Matthew 11:28

Love, Blessings, & {{{Hugs}}},

RHC

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com

Remember2Recycle+Reuse+Recreate=Rockin'Awesomeness 

Love with a Heart Like His Shadowbox...

"Love with a Heart Like His...Personal Reflections" by Rita Hutcheson-Cobbs

Using an old book, I altered it adding some of my favorite things that I love...

 I added love in the form of family photos, 

metal, clock pieces, key, bird cage, tea pot, vintage blingy button, 

fiber, paper flowers, butterflies, crochet cotton lace, faith, books and beads...

I started to paint the book, but loved the cover tremendously...

I got this book at a thrift store and it was in really great condition...

I left the raw edge of the side pages in the book untouched...

I totally loved the rugged edges of these pages, they look torn...

Last week, I watched ArteDar as she showed many of her altered books

and I was inspired...so I had to create this book. 

My faith is deep and vast for I have walked paths that have led me to trust

Him in all and with all. It was amazing that my first altered book shadowbox would

reflect that and the things I find inspiring and love because of His love for me...

Rockin' Awesome...totally love it...

Watch the video of this book on my Youtube Channel...

Love, Blessings, & {{{Hugs}}},

RHC

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com

Remember2Recreate+Reuse+Recreate=Rockin' Awesomeness!!! =)

Facing the Giants...

"facing the giants" art journaling page by Rita Hutcheson-Cobbs

I know there was a popular movie with the title of Facing the Giants, but for me I think like the creature on my art journaling page, they might be things that are bigger than we are that we cannot see. May we all be facing the point of truth that lives in within us, the truth that we are birds soaring to new heights that if higher than any fear we may have.

Love, Blessings, and {{{Hugs}}},

RHC

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com

Anchor...

I have accepted the ABC Scripture Challenge hosted by Triple The Scraps!

I am so excited about doing this faith walk and picked tags as my way to share each word prompt.

With the first word prompt being Anchor I decided on earth tone colors with a hint of blue water.

The first scripture was Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

The second scripture was from Hebrews 6:18-19a

"God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."

I had so much fun making this tag which housed two additional tags with hidden compartments.

It is my prayer, however, that my faith is never hidden from others and 

that the joy that lives in me wraps others in love and happiness.

I did have the embellishment challenge with this creation...I had not one diecut, sticker, cartridge, etc that had an anchor on it...So I made my own...thought it looked more like the tool for changing tires! LOL

This was a rockin' awesome project...Loving it... Oh btw, the stamps are from Close to My Heart as is the paper. I dry embossed two of the sheets using embossing envelops.The tags are standard shipping tags and #8 shipping tags.

Love, Blessings & {{{Hugs}}},

RHC

www.RitaHutchesonCobbs.com

ABCSCRC11