Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Stashbusting September Project #13: Last Project?

Welcome to those stopping in from :



The Two Savvy Sisters

I know tomorrow's  TODAY's the last day but I don't know if I'll finish anything tonight so this may or may not be the last Stashbusting September project. There may also be NO posts on Friday because as soon as I'm done with work, I will be running around Michaels and JoAnns like a Survivor contestant who's just been dropped off at a grocery store.

Just kidding. It hasn't been bad. Mr. Chocolate would say it's because the producers of "Hoarders" have our address and will be here soon. He'll probably hide my car keys on Friday.

In the meantime, I made this for a birthday gift, from my stash:

Chain and findings from Michaels; black onyx beads from Scottsdale Bead Supply
Half, ok 3/4 of the time I'm making jewelry I only have a general idea of what I'm going to use so I lay out what I think I'll use and then take it from there.
Stuff I thought I'd use

I literally just folder the chain in half and attached a jump ring to two links on either end. Attached the toggle clasp with another jump ring.
Bad pic, but cute locket w/ butterfly motif. It opens and is a little mirror 
Attached "Global Nomad" charm, put onyx and silver beads on head pin, made wire wrapped loop and attached all to center links of chain:
This goes with the card I posted last night so being a good stashbuster, I used a recycled box , a scrap piece of brown kraft paper I crumpled up to make it look textured, and scraps from the paper I used in the card which I cut into circles, crumpled up and made into a poppy. Added a paper flower, button and rhinestone:
One way to use scraps is to decorate the envelope to match your card
Linking Up At: 


Beyond The Picket Fence

Lovely and Delicious!

I was cruising through my blog reader this morning, waiting for my morning mocha to jumpstart my brain, and I came across these!
peanut butter chocolOTT cupcakes
at "A Latte with Ott A".

Ott, A, somehow manages to rhyme or incorporate  her name into every post which I totally love, and if you've never visited her blog then let's correct that now OK because she has the recipe for these lovelies posted over there.

She did these to celebrate her 2nd Wedding Anniversary but they are perfect for any occasion don't you think? And they match her current blog design which is all decked out in sunflowers.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

I'm a Bad Blogger, And "Hoo's Birthday" card

Recently two wonderfully kind people, Melissa from Those Northern Skies and Ashley from Life After the Aisle, have surprised me with blog awards. I really appreciate that anyone thinks I'm worthy of these and try to do my best to pass them on timely but boy have I been bad about these!And continuing being a bad blogger ( shame shame shame) I'm going to combine the two. Ssshhh don't tell the blog award people!

Melissa passed on the Ms. Bright Side award to me (thank you!)

 and Ashley gave me the One Lovely Blog award ( thank you too!)
The combined rules are:
1. List the top ten things that make me happy.
2. Share with my favourite bloggers and ask them to do the same.
3. Link the blogs I choose and link the blogs of the people who gave it to me.
4. Accept the award. Post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
5. Pay it forward to 15 other lovely bloggers.


Top 10 Things That Make Me Happy (not in order of importance ) 


1.)    Chocolate ( that was a given right? )
2.)    Family and friends 
3.)    Mexican Food
4.)    Sweater and boot weather! Love clear crisp Fall days
5.)    Finding new blogs with amazing creative people like the ones who gave me this award 
6.)    Random acts of kindness
7.)    Starbucks iced mochas all year long
8.)    Creating
9.)    Stashbusting
10.) The end of Stashbusting :)

In the "paying it forward" part, (also something I really really love and believe in) since I have to limit it to 15 blogs, here goes, but it's hard because I follow so many amazing blogs. And if I happen to pick you and you're a blog that doesn't do awards, no worries...I know several don't and  I won't cry...too much...just kidding...totally understand. 


  1. Get Craftin'
  2. A Little Knick Knack 
  3. Christine & Co
  4. Cindy Adkins Whimsical Musings
  5. Closet Crafter
  6. Envirocraftiness
  7. Langes Fädchen, Faules Mädchen 
  8. Netty's Craftings 
  9. Paisley Passions
  10. Polish The Stars
  11. Rook No. 17
  12. Scrapping With Sherry
  13. Something From Cassie
  14. Southern Scraps
  15. Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures
Oh yes..and a card ( reminder...World Card Making Day is October 2! More here
"Hoo's Birthday Is It"
  • Cricut "Sentimentals" cart for owl tag
  • Judi Kins Mica Gloss (copper) smeared on panel behind owl
  • K&CO scrapbook borders ( copper / teal) 
  • DCWV "Indian Summer" Fall Stack ( from last year...I'm stashbusting!) patterned paper
  • Purple cardstock

Signs Of Things To Come

Stashbusting September is winding down....Day 28 and haven't stepped foot in a Goodwill, Michaels or JoAnn's or my local addiction, The Paper Zone. Friday Friday Friday!

I have decided to try my hand at my first craft fair in November so I've started working on some things for that. Win win 'cause they're from my stash! I am planning on doing a variety of things since I can't seem to stick with making just one thing. So I'll be making some cards, decorative boxes, pillows, decorations, decor items etc. I started with a collection of these little signs that I thought were fun. What do you all think?

The sign w/ the crazy lady says "My Whole Life Is One Of Those Days"
It's A Queen Thing 
The Mumster ( aka my Mommy) sent me a supply of bling for my birthday

Monday, September 27, 2010

And The Fabulous Friday Surprise Giveaway Winner Is.....

Selected from random.org:

Don't ask me to pronounce that! But do visit her blog for some wonderfully innovative Halloween ideas! Congatulations Sourkraut and I will give Terrell your email information so you can select your frame and she can get your mailing address.

Thanks again Terrell for this impromptu and fun giveaway and here's to much success with your new Etsy shop! 

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Stashbusting September Project #12: Quick Banner

But first, it's still not too late ( but almost!) to enter a lovely giveaway sponsored by Terrell @ Frou Frou Decor. Details here.

I'm still gearing up to decorate for Halloween which I'll do next weekend. But I made one more quick thing that is now hanging up in our bedroom. This was SUPER fast so I almost forgot to take pictures.

Designed the word "SPOOKY" in my graphics program :

Forgot to take a pic of the printout, so luckily this was still on my screen
Cut around the circles and cut out backgrounds on my Cricut. You could do this same project with decorative edge scissors or punches. Mounted the letters to the background and went around the edges with green "Stickles" glitter glue:
Glitter glue doesn't show up great but it's an acidy green
 Punched holes, strung on black organza ribbon, and hung it up:
This paper was double sided so you can see the orange reflecting in the mirror which also looks like a drop shadow


Once I get the actual Halloween bins out, I'm going to put the pull apart spider web stuff around it.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Fabulous Friday Surprise!!! Giveaway from Frou Frou Decor !

Happy Friday all. I am so excited because my sweet friend Terrell from Frou Frou Decor , in addition to hosting a wonderfully fun ( and fabulous) Friday link party each week ( which you should totally add to your list of link parties!) has opened an Etsy shop!!! So as if that wasn't enough to make me as happy as if I'd gotten locked in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, she is offering one of my wonderful readers a chance to win a frame from her brand spankin' new Etsy shop! Now how fabulous is that?!


Here are the details:
  • Leave a comment on this post
Seriously, can it be more simple than that? Of course if you want additional chances to win, you can:
  • Become a follower of The Answer Is Chocolate if you aren't already. Leave a comment on this post.
  • Visit Terrell's Etsy shop here, and leave a comment on this post stating which frame you'd choose if you won
  • Become a follower of Frou Frou Decor. Leave a comment on this post.
  • Blog / Facebook / Tweet about this giveaway. Leave a comment (one for each thing you do) on this post.
This giveaway will run through Sunday September 26 and the winner will be selected using random.org on Monday September 27. What are you waiting for? GO!!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Stashbusting September Project#11: Crafting Chicks Inspired Banner

This is more like "Six Degrees of A Project" because it was inspired by my daily visit ( OK make that one of my daily visits!) to One Pretty Thing which led me to The Crafting Chicks to this project Trick or Treat Banner


which led me to the inspiration to make my own. Whew! Still with me?

Since I'm still stash busting (DAY 23 and though they taunt me, I haven't been to visit my friends Michael or JoAnn) I had to use what was on hand ( because that's SUCH a problem!). I adapted Jamie's idea and created the words "TRICK OR TREAT" in my graphics program and pulled some coordinating papers from my stash:
I cut out the letters ( putting a border around the letters helped me cut them out easily) and I cut starbursty thingies to go in back of them using my Cricut. Cut triangles from the polka dot paper and using coordinating scraps, tore pieces to go along the top of each triangle. I mounted the letters to the triangles using foam dots, strung (why does that look weird?) on twine, and tied cream and black ribbon between the letters:
Hard to get a good picture that fits the whole thing in
I haven't done my mantel yet but put this up temporarily to get pics.


Now go on over to The Crafting Chicks because they have the coolest SPOOKY banner up today!

Linking Up At:

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating
A Little Knick Knack






Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Twelve Charming ( I Hope) Bracelets...

"For  the first school fund-raiser, my crazy craft-mom made for me...."
OK I seriously doubt my son will be singing that ( to the tune of the 12 Days of Christmas just in case you don't get the way my brain works). It's back to school night this week and all of the clubs and groups have tables to raise money for various events, causes etc. So I figured charm bracelets might appeal to HS girls?  They're all slightly different and intentionally off center etc.
Mix of silver chain (plate...Tiffany this isn't), fire polished glass and crystal beads, charms,toggle clasps, etc. 

Hopefully they'll sell! 

Linking Up At:

Monday, September 20, 2010

Open House Wrap Up and 300 Follower Giveaway WINNER!!!

Photobucket

Thanks so much to everyone who attended the September Open House Link Party! There were some amazing projects and the most linked up in the three parties I've had. It was so much fun seeing what everyone has been working on and while it's always so hard to highlight any favorites, because truly I love them all, there were a couple of things that especially caught my eye! 

First, from Meg at Mega Spooky is a wonderfully creative use of coffee filters: 

And I am in love with anything and everything black and white so these pumpkins from The Closet Crafter totally caught my eye:
There were some yummy recipes linked up and you should definitely check them out (but not on an empty stomach). Given the name of my blog, it should come as no surprise that these, from Jocelyn at Inside BruCrew Life had me at hello with these "Up In The Stars" (because she used Milky Ways!) cupcakes!
Lastly, ( or else I'd end up listing all of the links all over again!) Shannon from Posh Vinyl and Designs, has me totally wanting to make one of these:

Please feel free to grab a button! ( I'm not the best button maker):

Copy and Paste Code

And now, onto the most fun part of all. The winner of the $25 Silpada Gift Certificate (thank you Cindy!) and my "Stash" prize is commenter #22:   Melissa from those northern skies 


Melissa, I'll give Cindy your email address and she'll work with you directly on the Silpada portion of the giveaway. If you'll email me your address, I'll get the rest in the mail to you! 
I hope you'll all come to next month's Open House which will be held on Friday October 15!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Stashbusting September Project #10: It's A Witch Thing

The "Open House" link party is still going on until midnight Pacific time. I've had so much fun seeing what's been linked up.

After busting open a package of wood plaques for an earlier Stashbusting project, I got an idea for a quick girlfriend gift for some friends I'm seeing this week. I also found I mean I knew I had ( I did!) a package of wood embellishments that I bought after last Halloween for like $1, if that. Forgot to take pics along the way but pretty basic.


  • Wood plaques and cutouts
  • Scrapbook paper scraps
  • Mod Podge
  • Cream acrylic paint
  • Printed sentiment ( again with the Avery clear label paper)
  • Wire
  • Ribbon scraps
Cover plaques w/ scrapbook paper using Mod Podge. Sand edges when dry. Paint / wipe off cream acrylic paint. Edge and stipple  w/ black ink. Adhered sentiment to finished plaque

Painted wood cutouts black and dry brushed w/ cream acrylic. Went over the top of those with some  Stickles iridescent to give a glitter effect (doesn't show up great in photos).  Super glued witch hats onto plaques. Drilled holes on either side and attached wire and to the plaques and then tied ribbon scraps on. 


Oh and let no surface be unblinged....dotted the "i's with gold adhesive rhinestones!

Linking Up At:



 All Thingz Related
 UndertheTableandDreaming