BFF Open House Link Party #211

Welcome to another party here at The Answer Is Chocolate. Happy Father's Day weekend and I hope everyone celebrating has a wonderful weekend. 

Here are some features from last week's party I think you'll enjoy!

Check out this idea from Much More Creative...both the finished project and the technique are wonderful! The idea is perfect for Father's Day and the technique used to create it is limitless in possibilities. 

I do not have a green thumb ( Martha and I part ways in the garden) but succulents seem like something even I might not kill. This centerpiece from Upstate Ramblings is perfect for a Summer table. 

Mich in LA is a creative genius and upcycler. Not only does she use mystery findings in her gorgeous jewelry creations ( and then makes you guess what they are and they're NEVER what you think) but she's figure out a way to upcycle ..... into jewelry holders. Oh you thought I was going to tell you? 

Having just eaten my way through I mean visited Disneyland, I somehow missed dining at The Big Thunder Mountain Ranch Barbecue where they serve this take on S'Mores. Want. Now. Get the inside scoop from The Disney Chef.

OK now onto this week's party! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party #192

Happy Friday Eve all even though I'm a little pouty since College Boy will leave tomorrow to go back and finish up his last semester of college! It's been a great visit and hard to believe he'll graduate this year! 

Lots of great shares at last week's party. Here are just a few: 

Let's start off with this faux patina monogram from A Creative Princess. Love the combination of paint and distress inks. 

How about this gorgeous metal stamped bracelet from Pitter and Glink? Perfect Valentine's gift. 

Plastic water bottles. I know we're supposed to hate them but they are a necessary evil in my life and I'll bet I'm not alone. I try to minimize and re-use and Mich in LA has a great way to keep track of yours on the go with this gorgeous beaded strap holder! 

The name of this week's chocolate feature from Her Organized Chaos speaks for itself doesn't it? 

Now on to this week's party! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party #188

Hi all, welcome to another party here at The Answer Is Chocolate. The countdown to Hanukkah and Christmas continues . Hope those of you dealing with Northeast storms are holding up. We here in the PNW are bracing for a doozy of a windstorm tonight so hoping the power stays on! 

Here are some features from last week's party! 

I love paper. I love roses. I love paper roses...you get the picture. So does Kelly at The Moon and Me who made these gorgeous rolled paper rose trees. So pretty. 

These vintagely delicious Altered Readers Digest Books from Artsy VaVa would go perfectly with Kelly's trees. 

The always genius Mich in LA has a fantastic idea using vintage brooches. You'll have to visit her blog for the secret ingredient she used for the background of these fun ornaments. 

This week's chocolate feature looks good enough to eat but is not edible...Chocolate candles! How cute are these? Cost is even better. Head over to The Pin Junkie to find out more. 

Now on to this week's party! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party #167

Happy Friday Eve all. Hope you're having a great week. Another fun party last week and here are a few  highlights!

Who doesn't love an Anthropologie knockoff? Love these tassel key chains that Kim from Made In A Day shared. They could also be adapted to make a fun pendant or earrings. 

Artsy VaVa shared another fabulous furniture transformation. Love this chippy milk  paint finish she did to highlight the needlepoint seat. 

Transformations aren't just for furniture. Mich in LA is back with another great jewelry makeover you need to check out!

This week's chocolate feature is a classic combination of chocolate and peanut  butter. Some of you  of a certain age may recall the "you got chocolate in my peanut butter / you got peanut butter in my chocolate" commercials. Who cares who got what in what. Eat these Reeses Cupcakes from Sarah at Saralynnssweets! 

Now, on to this week's party!

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party #165

Happy Friday Eve and Fourth of July Weekend! Hope everyone's had a great week and soccer fans are recovered from the nail biting USA-Belgium World Cup game.  I didn't set out to have all jewelry features ( well except for this week's chocolate feature) but think you'll agree they're pretty cool. 

Let's start with this ingenious creation from Mich in LA, the creative genius who can turn anything, and I do mean ANYTHING , into a gorgeous piece of jewelry. This is no exception. You'll have to check out her blog for the deets. 

Via Life With The Crust Cut Off, comes this wonderful bracelet idea by Michelle from Michelle Lea Designs. You will never guess how the bracelets are formed!

Another fun bracelet idea comes from an unexpected source: PVC pipe. Check out Do It Yourself Fun Ideas for the how to. 

This week's chocolate feature combines the classic flavors of chocolate and peanut butter. Is that ever a bad thing? 

Visit Some of This and That  for the recipe. 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party #158

Happy Friday Eve everyone! Hope all the Moms had a wonderful Mother's Day. I've been looking forward to Friday all week and still waiting on someone to figure out how to make the weekends last longer. 

SO many great projects from last week's party. Here are a few highlights. 

Andrea from Decorating Cents shared how easy it is to transform a pantry door into a chalkboard. Form , function, and fun. 

The always creative Michelle from Mich in LA has found a brilliant way to display her gorgeous jewelry. Chafing dish legs! Dangit....just gave one to Goodwill! 

Have leftovers ( fabric scraps...not food) ?  Make a lampshade like  Artsy Va Va did with the leftovers from a chair she re-did. 

This week's chocolate feature combines one of my favorite candy bars with brownies. There's no downside here! Krista from Heavingly Savings shared these delicious looking Almond Joy brownies. 

On to this week's party! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

I’ve Been Challenged to A Duel!

Mich in LA slapped my face! Sure she looks all innocent in that pic!

OK she didn’t actually, physically, smack my face…she’s way too cool for that. But she did challenge me! YIKES. Have you seen her creativity and her series on “Guess The Mystery Thing”? I hid under my bed.

When I emerged wearing my big girl pants, I agreed. I can take the public humiliation! That’s why there’s chocolate right?! This was actually the brainchild of another fun blogger, Michele from Michele Made Me ( there’s a theme!) . It’s called “Make It Good”

a two person, recycling craft challenge. The challenge rules can be found here but basically, you are issued a theme and a required element and the rest is up to you! Our theme was Industrial Architecture and the required element was…………bread tags! You know, those plastic square tags that keep your bread bags closed?

After almost giving in to chickening out, I started looking around at images of Industrial Architecture and kept coming back to old abandoned factories. So I found an image in my PrintShop Deluxe program that I thought I’d use. I also looked around my craft room and my eyes landed on an empty container in my stash along with some aluminum tape from the electrical aisle at the HW store.

I covered my bread tags in the aluminum tape because in my head they became “bricks” to go on my “building”.

For the box itself, I covered it first w/ white contact paper and I roughed it up a bit with an emery board to make it more Industrial. I went around the bottom half with some decorative tape I’ve used on other projects.

I applied some of the aluminum tape to a scrap piece of cardboard ( cereal box) and ran that through my Cuttlebug using Tim Holtz’ Texture Fades ( Dot Matrix and Gridlock) embossing folder. Tore pieces of that up and applied to the box.

This is the top of the box with a closeup of the grunged aluminum strip. Covered the top of the box with the aluminum tape. I went around the top edge of the box w/ a K&Co adhesive scrapbook border.

I took the image from my PrintShop program and made it a negative and aged it. Printed it out, covered it with clear packing tape, added photo corners, and adhered to the container.

So there’s my Industrial Architecture Bread Tag Using challenge submission! And now for the scariest part.....I link here to Michelle's project and invite you to go visit.  We’ll now await her, and your judgment! 

I Guessed The Mystery Thing!! Thanks Mich in L.A.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about then you don't follow Mich in L.A. ( and of course you SHOULD!). Michelle is a jewelry maker who lives in L.A. ( Los Angeles L.A. not LA Louisiana) who astounds and confounds me with her ability to take the most ordinary things and transform them into jewelry. She hosts a recurring series on her blog called "Guess The Mystery Thing" where readers are invited to try and figure out what the heck she used to make a piece of jewelry. And I won the last one!!!!

It came in the mail yesterday and I love it. Wanna see?

I got the black one and Mr. Chocolate was w/ me when I opened up the package and he said "that is cool". Compliments from Mr. Chocolate are high praise. When you get them, you done GOOD. Take a bow Mich.

So do you know what it is? No? OK I won't make you guess: Chess pieces! Pawns to be exact. And, Mich has a tute up on how she did this so go check it out: Chess Pawn Pendant Tute

Mich in L.A. 

Thanks again Michelle! I love it!