Vacation Fun and a CONTEST!

I'm a fan of--

*Cheap. Yeah, I like saving money.

*Green. The best "green" strategy of all? Use what you have first.

* Color. Now that I live part-time in Florida, my wardrobe is much brighter.

* Recycling. Before you toss it, what can you do with it?

* Cute. I need a dose of it daily.

This page satisfies all my "fan" yearnings.

CHEAP The flowers came from a set of cheap drink charms I bought at the dollar store.

GREEN  Most of the paper on this page is old. The dots are from K & Co., and I plan to use up the rest of the page in small pieces because this adorable pattern is a bit overwhelming otherwise.

COLOR  There's a lot of it here! You could make a similar background paper to the K & Co. dotted pattern by using a circle punch on a bunch of your paper scraps, couldn't you? Hmmm.

RECYCLING The round circle is paper glued to and tucked around the cardboard circular top of a spool of ribbon. I just peeled the top off the spool, and voila!

CUTE My sister Meg drew this flamingo. He'd be the perfect accent for any vacation page. You can upload the file and print it out by going to my YouPublish library.

While you're there, be sure to check out the excerpt from Make, Take, Murder, the latest Kiki Lowenstein Mystery. It's available now through Amazon
CONTEST

The fabulous "VACATION" and the cute sunglasses on this page came from a K & Company Adhesive Chipboard pack.

You can win your own pack. Here's how:

1. Invite a friend to become a follower of this blog. Or become a follower yourself.

2. Leave me a comment telling me your friend's name or yours.

3. Do this before May 12 at midnight.

The first FIVE commenters to do so will win a package with 12 cool embellishments.

DEADLINE: May 12 at midnight.

Announcing Book #3 in the Series--

It's now available for pre-order from Amazon. Go to http://tinyurl.com/ylors6d

Photo, Snap, Shot will be released in May in time for National Scrapbooking Month. Stay tuned for more details, as I am busy planning a "Kiki Lowenstein World Tour."

Contest on Spotted Canary

Contest on Spotted Canary

It's up! You'll want to learn all about the new Spotted Canary Contest. You could win naming rights for a character in Book #3 of the Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery Series.

Go to...http://tinyurl.com/lyru9n

And while you're there, check out what a super site this is for crafters. You'll find everything you need to put FUN back into your hobby world. Here's the site: http://www.spottedcanary.com

Why visit a craft site?

This isn't just any craft site. Most of them have a LOT of promotional information for their products and very little information with projects. However, Spotted Canary is a unique design, reflecting a different philosophy. It's goal is to be a world of information, of like-hearts gathering, for crafters. Yes, there are ways to find products, but that's not the PRIMARY goals.

In the months ahead, we'll be doing more and more activities with Spotted Canary, such as posting on their blog and adding articles. Additionally, they've agreed to help us in supplying prizes, and supplies for the many public appearances we make to promote Kiki Lowenstein.

So get involved now and watch us both grow!

News and Appearances

MINNEAPOLIS VISIT--Sept. 18-20, 2009

Joanna will be appearing at Scrapfest at Mall of America in Minneapolis to sign copies of PAPER, SCISSORS, DEATH (Book #1) and CUT, CROP & DIE (Book #2). Be sure to stop by the Archivers store at Mall of America, and visit me on Friday (September 18) from 9am to 1pm, and Saturday (September 19) from 9am to 1pm, on Sunday (September 20) from 11am to 3pm.On Friday night at 6pm, she’ll stop by Uncle Edgar’s Mystery Bookstore in Minneapolis to sign books. In the evening on Saturday, she'll stop at a crop at Scrapbooks Too, 10518 France Ave S, Bloomington, Minnesota.

ONLINE AT SPOTTED CANARY--Sept. 17, 2009, and every Monday for six consecutive weeks.

Join Joanna every Monday at 8am EST, starting on September 21, at www.spottedcanary.com in "The Cat That Ate the Canary" Forum. She'll be dispensing clues that may win you prizes or a chance at IMMORTALITY. Yes, you could win the chance to be a character in Book #3 of the Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery Series.

FREDRICK, MD--Oct. 3, 2009

On October 3, Joanna will visit "In the Streets" at the Frederick, Maryland city-wide festival--details will be in our blog, but she's planning to team up with Queenie D, who runs Queenie D's Book Club Blog. There will be prizes!

INDIANAPOLIS, IN--Oct. 15-18, 2009

Meet the Killer Hobbies Blog Sisters at Bouchercon, October 15-18 in Indianapolis IN. (Go to http://www.bouchercon2009.com/ for registration details.) On Thursday, Oct. 15 at 9am, Joanna Campbell Slan will moderate a panel featuring Margaret Grace and Betty Hechtman from our blog http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com ! Then join us and learn the crafts we love so much: Visit the Bouchercon Craft Room on Thurs./Oct. 15 from 10:30am to 11:25am, Monica Ferris will teach "How to Make a Cross Stitched Bookmark"; 1:30pm to 2:25 p.m. Margaret Grace will teach "How to Make Miniature Flowers"; 3pm to 3:55pm Betty Hechtman will teach "How to Make a Crocheted Molly Pink Dishcloth." On Sat./ Oct.17, Joanna Campbell Slan will teach "How to Make a Scrapbook Page." Join us on Sunday, October 18 for the Book Bazaar--Joanna will be giving away copies of one of her Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mysteries.

Queenie D's Review of Cut, Crop & Die

It's not often you get reviewed by royalty. Queenie D gives her take on Cut, Crop & Die here http://www.book-club-queen.com/cut.html

Here's an interview we did together: http://www.book-club-queen.com/cut.html I must admit, I shared a lot more about my characters with Queenie than I have in the past. I'm curious to hear what my fans think about my future plans.

After we corresponded by email, I learned she and I are almost neighbors! So I'm planning to visit with her and her friends at the "In the Streets" celebration in Frederick MD on September 26. Stay tuned for details.

On Thursday at 8 a.m. EST, check out the forum at http://www.spottedcanary.com/ I'll be announcing details of a new contest where the winner gets to name a character in Book #4 of the Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-n-Craft Mystery series.

I'm heading out this Thursday for Scrapfest at Mall of America, Minneapolis. I'll be signing up at the Archivers store on Thursday, Sept. 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m, on Friday, Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m, and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. I'll also be stopping in at Scrapbooks Too for the evening crop Saturday night, as well as dropping by Uncle Edgar's to sign books. For details, visit http://www.booktour.com/ and put in my name.

Meanwhile, I'll try to get my Fall 2009 newsletter out to all of you. Be sure to sign up at my website http://www.joannaslan.com/

Have a great fall!

Robert Redford Casserole sent by Sue Ellen Harrell

Jone’s Chocolate Delight
(Or Robert Redford or Better than Sex )
1 stick of melted butter
1 ¼ c. flour
1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
1 9 oz. container of Cool Whip
2 pkgs. of chocolate instant pudding
3 c. milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees; blend together butter and flour with a fork, mix in nuts and spread evenly in 9 X 13 pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.
Blend cream cheese and powdered sugar and ½ of Cool Whip. Spread on cooled crust. Chill in refrigerator.

Prepare two packages of instant pudding; reducing milk to 3 cups. Spread on top of cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate ½ hour. Top with remaining Cool Whip and sprinkle with nuts, if desired.

Applesauce Casserole by Karne Skocik

Applesauce Casserole

25 oz. jar applesauce
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup biscuit baking mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine, softened
In a medium bowl, combine applesauce, brown sugar and cinnamon. Spoon into a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray. In a small bowl, blend together baking mix, sugar and margarine until crumbly; sprinkle over applesauce mixture. Bake, uncovered, for one hour at 350 degrees. Stir before serving. Serves 8-10.
Mmmmm. Tastes great hot or cold.