Method:
1. Begin by typing up or writing down a simple list of possible subjects and page ideas.
2. Label the hanging files by subject/ideas.
3. Drop your photos and memorabilia into the appropriate folder/s.
4. Toss in index cards with scribbled notes and ideas.
5. Mark anything’s missing with a brightly colored sticky note. (Tip: Adhere the sticky note to the inside of that file.)
6. Shuffle the folders to put them in a pleasing order. (Tip: Although many of us learned to scrapbook in chronological order, sometimes Kiki does her albums out of order by theme.)
7. Go through the folders again and revise your original typed list. By now you should have a great handle on what’s there and what’s missing.
8. Share the list with your family or customer, noting what’s missing or what you need. Most of the time, someone will dig up the missing photos, even if they’d previously been declared “lost forever.”
Kiki Lowenstein’s Flipflop Album
This fun project was inspired by a pair of flipflops! It’s easy, it’s cheap, and it’s very, very summery.
Supplies:
Two sheets of fun foam (you can buy this from any hobby supply store)*
Several sheets of patterned paper to go with your fun foam color
Flesh toned paper
Pink or red solid paper to be your “nail polish”
Packing tape
Craft knife
Scissors
Hole punch
A large silk flower
Faux gems
E-6000 glue and other glues
Two binder rings (preferably in a color that coordinated with your fun foam
Various embellishments
Method:
1. Trace a flipflop to use as your pattern. (Tip: If your flipflop is too big, make a photocopy and size it down.) Cut two flipflops. One will be the back and one will be the front of your album.
2. Trace your foot. Size down to your flipflop. Cut out of flesh colored paper. (Tip: Be sure to mark where your toes go.) Press a piece of packing tape over your pink or red solid paper.
3. Now cut the paper into “toenails” and adhere to your “toes.” (Tip: The packing tape makes the nails look shiny!)
4. Adhere your flesh colored “foot to one of the flipflops (cut from fun foam)
5. Cut two thin strips of fun foam (make these ¼ wide by 11 inches long). These will be your “thong,” the straps that hold the flipflop on. (Tip: E-6000 will glue anything down!)
6. Using a real flipflop as your guide, make three slices in the fun foam (one between the “big toe” and next toes, and one on each side of your arch). Tuck the straps in the slices and glue down.
7. Adhere the faux gem to the fake flower and add to flipflop.
8. Create additional pages out of patterned paper.
9. Use hole punch to make holes and bind with rings.
Kiki Lowenstein’s Covered Cans—Zentangle Inspired Art
Kraft paper looks so different after it’s been painted with Mod Podge. It’s great for this project because of its strength.
Supplies:
Brown Kraft paper
Black Sakura marker
Empty and clean can
Pliers
Tacky white glue
Mod Podge
Foam brush
Pencil
Eraser
Scissors
Method:
1. Using the pliers, squeeze down the edge around the opening of your can. You are basically going to fold the cut edge flat, so that can’t cut someone’s hand.
2. With pencil mark your Kraft paper to the size needed to cover your can. Allow enough extra at the top of the can so that the Kraft paper can be tucked inside the can. This further protects you from getting cut.
3. Draw Zentangle patterns on your Kraft paper with your marker. For patterns, go to www.tanglepattern.com Fill the space as indicated by your pencil marks
4. Using tacky white glue, adhere Kraft paper onto can. Tuck excess around mouth of can down into the can to further cover the raw, sharp edge.
5. Trim with scissors.
6. Paint outside of can liberally with Mod Podge
Kiki Lowenstein’s Ideas for Using Duct Tape on Pages
Anywhere that you want silver on a page, you can use duct tape! Of course, now that there’s Duck Tape in various colors, you can use it on your pages. Is it archival safe? We doubt it! Just remember to duplicate your photos if you are worried. A page protector will keep the duct tape from touching other photos on other pages.
Here are a few of Kiki’s best ideas:
1. Make a silvery moon – Cut a circle or crescent shape out of sturdy cardstock and cover it with duct tape.
2. Colorize letters – Cover die cut letters with duct tape or Duck Tape.
3. Add a border – Use a craft knife to cut a border out of tape. (Tip: Adhere your tape to a piece of waxed paper and then cut it into the shape you want. When you are done, remove the wax paper backing and adhere the tape to the page.)
~Recipes~
Pamela Hargraves’ Dad's Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients:
1 C. white sugar
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. peanut butter (if you spray your measuring cup with Pam first, the peanut butter will come out easier)
1 C. butter
1 Tsp. vanilla
2 eggs (well beaten)
3 C. flour
1/2 Tsp. salt
2 Tsp. baking soda
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar.
3. Add peanut butter, eggs and vanilla.
4. Beat well and add dry ingredients.
5. Drop by spoonful and flatten with fork.
6. Bake about 8 minutes or until golden brown.
Cara Mia Delgatto’s Healthy Toasted Ravioli
Sure, you can fry these, but Cara Mia’s recipe is much healthier! Try this treat with a variety of sauces for a change of pace. They make a great appetizer.
Ingredients:
1 package (16 oz.) frozen beef ravioli
¼ C. reduced fat Italian salad dressing
¾ C. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
½ C. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 bottle low fat spaghetti sauce
Pam or cooking spray
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook the ravioli according to the directions on the package.
3. Drain and cool for 10 minutes. (Be careful to separate the little pillows so you don’t wind up with one BIG ravioli.)
4. Mix the cheese and bread crumbs together. Put the mixture on a plate. Dip the ravioli into the Italian salad dressing, then into the bread crumb/cheese mixture to coat.
5. Place the ravioli on a non-stick baking pan. Give a light spray of Pam. Bake at for 4 minutes, turn them over, give them a mist of Pam, and bake for 4 more minutes or until brown.
6. Serve with spaghetti sauce for dipping.
Vicki Nellis’s Hearty Lasagna
Ingredients:
½ of a 1lb. box of lasagna noodles, uncooked
2 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes, cut up and undrained
1 (12 oz.) can tomato paste
2 Tsp. sugar
2 Tsp. salt
1 ½ Tsp. basil leaves, fresh
1 Tsp. crushed red pepper
2 (16 oz.) containers ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 T. parsley flakes, dried
1 Tsp. salt
4 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 C. grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Prepare lasagna noodles as per package directions and drain.
3. Combine
sausage, onion, and garlic in a large skillet. Cook until brown, stirring occasionally. Drain.
4. Stir in next six ingredients (tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt, basil, and red pepper).
5. Bring sauce to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
6. In medium bowl, blend ricotta, egg, parsley, and salt.
7. Spread a thin layer of sauce in a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.
8. Layer one-third each of these: lasagna, sauce, ricotta mixture, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses.
9. Repeat layers.
10. Cover and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Dish will be hot and bubbly.
11. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Vicki Nellis’s Oatmeal Carmelitas
Ingredients for crust:
2 C. all purpose or unbleached flour
2 C. quick-cooking rolled oats
1 ½ C. brown sugar, firmly packed
1 Tsp. baking soda
½ Tsp. salt
1 ¼ C. margarine or butter, softened
Ingredients for filling:
1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ C. chopped walnuts
1 C. caramel ice cream topping
3 T. flour
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13 x 9 inch pan.
2. Spoon flour into measuring cup (lightly, do not pack).
3. In large bowl, combine all crust ingredients at low speed on mixer until crumbly.
4. Press half of crumb mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Reserve the rest.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
6. While still warm, sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts over baked crust.
7. Combine caramel topping and 3 T. flour. Drizzle over chocolate chips and nuts.
8. Sprinkle reserved crust mixture over all.
9. Bake an additional 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Cool. Refrigerate 1-2 hours before cutting into bars.
Paper, Scissors, Death
(Book #1/Agatha Award Finalist)
Every scrapbook tells a story. Memories of friends, family…and murder? Mousy housewife Kiki Lowenstein has two great loves: scrapbooking and her young daughter, Anya. But her happy family album is ruined when her husband, George, is found naked and dead in a hotel room. As Kiki tracks down George's murderer, she discovers his sordid secret life. Supported by her loyal friends, along with a little help from Detective Chad Detweiler, can Kiki cut her husband’s killer out of the picture and design a new life for herself and Anya?
http://tinyurl.com/oo26sgk
Cut, Crop, Die
(Book # 2)
All it took was one scone. When the hot-tempered (and widely hated) hobbyist Yvonne Gaynor eats a tainted pastry at Kiki's scrapbooking crop party, it triggers an allergy that leads to Yvonne's death. Soon, the scrapbooking community pins her murder on Kiki and her friends. Despite help from the handsome yet annoyingly coy Detective Detweiler, Kiki has her work cut out for her in solving the crime.
http://tinyurl.com/oecmjsy
Ink, Red, Dead
(Book #3/Revised October 2013)
Her plans to hold an offsite scrapbooking event get trashed when Kiki discovers that the hostess, Marla Lever, is a hoarder with a human corpse in her freezer. Although Marla clearly has bats in her belfry as well as a house full of cats, Kiki is the one who gets the cold shoulder from the angry members of Marla’s family. Meanwhile Detweiler struggles with an ice cold case. Could the resolution put a chill on their relationship?
http://tinyurl.com/mzpxy5h
Photo, Snap, Shoot
(Book #4)
Old money and tradition are the hallmarks of the St. Louis prep school that Kiki Lowenstein's daughter Anya attends. But the elite academy is stamped with scandal when Anya finds the dead body of teacher Sissy Gilchrist in its elegant theatre. Even worse, Anya might have seen the killer. Fearing her daughter is in danger, Kiki sifts through the school community's many shocking secrets to pin down the murderer, while doing all she can to avoid starring in her own memorial album.
http://tinyurl.com/pkm4377
Make, Take, Murder
(Book #5)
Dumpster diving for her lost paycheck is definitely the low point of Kiki Lowenstein's day—that is, until she finds a severed leg thrown in with the trash. Who'd toss a body part in the garbage outside the scrapbook crafts store where Kiki works? Kiki soon discovers that the leg belonged to a customer named Cindy Gambrowski. Combing through Cindy's scrapbook projects for hidden clues, Kiki tries to find the killer. Was it a crime of marital malice, or did someone else beat Cindy's husband to the punch?
http://tinyurl.com/pcx2vku
Ready, Scrap, Shoot
(Book #6)
With bills piling up and a brassy new partner at her scrapbooking shop, the last thing Kiki Lowenstein needs is a surprise visit from her browbeating mother. But when shots fired into the crowd narrowly miss Kiki at her daughter’s May Day pageant, it’s another mother – St. Louis’s wealthiest matriarch – who winds up dead.With help from friends in high and low places, including hunky beau Chad Detweiler, Kiki finds herself facing a grave ultimatum: catch the killer or be cropped out of her own family album.
http://tinyurl.com/o6475es
Picture, Perfect, Corpse
(Book #7)
Police detective Chad Detweiler is overjoyed to learn he’s having baby with Kiki Lowenstein. But when his estranged wife, Brenda, is found shot to death with bullets from his revolver, the proud papa-to-be finds himself up a creek without a lawyer. Determined to keep her head above water, Kiki can’t stop herself from wondering if the man she loves is tangled up in murder.
http://tinyurl.com/p36nluc
Group, Photo, Grave
(Book #8/ October 2013)
With Kiki’s help, her motherin-law Sheila’s wedding should have been picture perfect, but the discovery of a corpse in the catering tent ruined the happy photo opp. Instead of a bridal portrait, Sheila winds up in a mug shot. A pregnant Kiki does her best to pay amateur sleuth all by herself, while Detweiler attends to family matters in California. Will Sheila really be forced to trade her bridal gown for an orange prison jumpsuit? Or will Kiki zoom in on the real killer?
Killer, Paper, Cut
(Book #9/ October 2013)
Kiki feels like she’s been stabbed in the heart when her friend and co-worker Laurel Wilkins suffers a nearly fatal knife wound at a Halloween charity crop. Meanwhile, her best friend Mert continues to cut Kiki dead. And Laurel’s mysterious background renders her more of a paper doll than a real person. Determined not to be spooked, Kiki won’t rest until she tracks down Laurel’s assailant. But does she stand a ghost of a chance?
Kiki Lowenstein Short Stories
Kiki Lowenstein and the Secret Santa
A Kiki Short Story
When a grumpy customer needs a “miracle,” Kiki provides it…with surprising results. Not exactly a mystery, but still lots of fun!
Comes with Projects-Kiki’s Twelve Days of Christmas, Kiki’s Suggestions for Journaling for Christmas. Recipes-Rebekkah’s Pomegranate and Yogurt Salad
http://tinyurl.com/onqzfb3
Kiki Lowenstein and the White Elephant
A Kiki Short Story
A desperately broke Kiki Lowenstein comes up with a great idea for a January White Sale complete with a White Elephant Swap. But the swap does more than get rid of unwanted items, it brings to light a crime that’s decades old!
Comes with Recipes-Rebekkah’s Breakfast Casserole, Kiki’s Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole. Projects-Kiki’s Pachyderm, Kiki’s New Year’s Project: A Scrap-tivating (Mostly Recycled) Album
http://tinyurl.com/qgroudg
Kiki Lowenstein and the Empty Heart
A Kiki Short Story
When Kiki Lowenstein signs up to do a good deed, she gets more than she bargained for. The intrepid scrapbooker quickly learns the backstory of one of the community’s most beloved
women, Miriam Lieberman. And when Mrs. Lieberman dies, Kiki is compelled to go to extremes to prove the power of a mended heart!
Comes with Projects-Kiki Lowenstein’s Valentine Day Celebration-Décor-“Love is in the Air” and “Chain Gang.” Activities-“You’ve Got Mail,” “Kisses and Hugs,” and “Heart Album.” Kiki Lowenstein’s Valentine’s Day Patterns-“Who Loves You?” ”Love and Hearts,” and “Broken Heart.” Recipes-Grace’s Strawberry and Spinach Salad and Sandi Beja’s Buckeye Candy.
http://tinyurl.com/obfnsa9
Kiki Lowenstein and the Lucky Charm
A Kiki Short Story
A visit from Kiki’s Aunt Penney coincides with the store’s St. Patrick’s Day crop. Of course, no crop would ever go off without a hitch at Time in a Bottle!
Comes with Projects-Kiki Lowenstein’s Lucky Charm, Kiki Lowenstein’s St. Patrick’s Day String for Tangling, and Kiki Lowenstein’s St. Patrick’s Day Album in the Round. Recipes-Pistachio Cake, Stir-Fried Cabbage, and Artichoke Dip.
http://tinyurl.com/paxvsbf
Kiki Lowenstein and the Purple Passion
A Kiki Short Story
When a customer’s daughter is wrongly accused of sending indecent photos to students in her private school, Kiki agrees to help discover what really happened—and make the people behind the crime pay!
Comes with A Potent Purple Menu-Sally’s Tranquilizer, Patricia’s Grape Salad, Kiki Lowenstein’s Purple Passion Chicken, Sonja’s Mother’s Rotkraut, Rebecca’s Purple Cow Shakes, Sherry’s Berry Crumble and Lee’s Corn Casserole. Projects-Kiki Lowenstein’s Sunshine Album, Kiki Lowenstein’s Umbrella String and Kiki Lowenstein’s Recycled Plastic Sun Embellishment.
Group, Photo, Grave (A Kiki Lowenstein Mystery) Page 29
