Yikes! I Almost Forgot My Own Party!

Which is why I can only manage to do monthly link parties.
So, you are cordially invited to my October Open House link party on Friday October 15. Link up whatever you like....seasonal projects, home dec, DIY, upcycled projects, recipes ( especially chocolate!). Just no advertising or etsy stores pretty please? Look forward to seeing you there!

My Inner Circle Wanted Christmas

Oh you thought I was talking about confidantes or something? No. I'm talking about the inner circle of matboard left over from the book and bottle cap wreath I made! Which, I didn't take a picture of, but it's a circle. Of matboard. You get it.

Since coffee filters come in the bajillion pack, I had some of those left over. So I took a bunch out, crumpled them up ( this is a scientific process...I'm sure there's a physics theory that explains how crumpling increases body and volume because it does) and them folded in half, then in half again, then in half again. Staple to secure each one. If I was a mathematician instead of a physicist ( ha ha ha ha... so not either of those) then I'd know the fraction that comes out to.

Hot glued those around the circle of matboard and then tore a circle of scrap paper to  cover up my staples and then remembered I'd downloaded a cool Santa image from The Graphics Fairy, printed that out cut in a circle and glued to the middle of my whatever this is  I put a ribbon hanger on the back so it's an ornamenty thingy.  Framed it in buttons and added some clear rhinestones which don't glisten the same way in a picture so you'll have to just take my word on it. So what did I end up with?

So now you know what I did with my inner circle. Because I know that was keeping you up nights.

Linking Up At:

Cookies For A Cause

Everyone's aware that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. It's rare these days that we don't know someone who's been affected by breast cancer. Today marks the one year anniversary that we lost one of our best friends to this disease. I can't think of a better way to pay tribute to her than to continue to fight for a cure. It's great to see so many companies doing things to drive awareness and raise money for this cause. One of those is Pepperidge Farm, and through my affiliation with One2One Network, I'm joining in a blogging campaign to spread the word about what they're doing.

When someone posts a personal Milano Moment on Milano's Facebook Page in October, Pepperidge Farm will donate $.50 per Moment up to $50,000 to the Susan G Komen foundation, one of the leading organizations in the fight against breast cancer. What a simple way to raise money for a worthy cause. http://bit.ly/MilanoFacebook

 
And of course, there's always enjoying those Double Chocolate Milanos!

Book Pages and Bottle Caps

This is one of those things Mr. Chocolate asks: "What made you think of that?" to which I respond: "Dunno...just did".

If you can't tell, I kinda have a thing for paper flowers and got the idea that they'd make an easy wreath. I've made a book wreath using the scroll idea , but I thought I'd combine book pages and the flower idea. I didn't have any wreath forms but I had some mat board. I traced a circle using a plate and then cut out a smaller circle from the middle. I wanted it to have a finished look on the back so I wrapped the "form" with grosgrain ribbon:

LOVE Dollar Tree's Grosgrain Ribbon

Tied ribbon to the form to hang the wreath. I made 9 layered paper flowers ( great stress release...cut, crumple, cut, crumple) and then hot glued them around my wreath form. Now you could just stop there and have a perfectly lovely ( I think!) wreath. But I'm a "more is more" kinda gal so I remembered I'd picked up some stickers from the $1 bin at JoAnn's:

which are the perfect size to fit inside bottle caps. Because normal people go around thinking "What fits inside bottle caps?".  So I got out 9 bottle caps, put a sticker inside each, burnished with a dry embossing tool, and glued one bottle cap to the center of each flower:

Linking Up At:
 

 

Box o Cards

OK Blogger about drove me to dive head first into a vat of hot fudge but it appears to be cooperating now. Hot fudge is still an option though.

Here's something I did for a craft fair. Started off thinking I would make packages of notecards (4.5x5.5). then decided to use the scraps on tags, then decided hmmm maybe I'll make a coordinated set. I do things backwards so I'll show the evolution of this backwards too. And the last shall be first:

I love my Mom who gives me craft supplies as presents

I painted the whole thing in taupey/tan acrylic paint and then Mod Podged some scrapbook paper (Paper Pazazz) onto it, finishing it with K&Co scrapbook borders. Sealed the whole thing w/ more MP and then added a vinyl accent piece (one of my $.25 scores from JoAnn's). Finished the box with crumpled paper flowers, a button, and a rhinestone:

Here's what will go inside:

Papers: M&My Big Ideas and K&Co; self adhesive borders K&Co

Linking Up At:

 

I've Lost My Head(er)

and replaced it with one custom designed for me by Rita of Rita's Sweet Shop!

How did this happen you ask? I was lucky to win a giveaway sponsored by Rita over at Meg's blog : A Little Knick Knack.

Rita does custom blog, logo, button design and is a joy to work with! She was responsive, creative, and gets a feel for what you like. I am so excited for my new header because while I liked my old one, it's always special to have something designed just for you isn't it? And...she made me a new button too!

So thank you so much Meg for hosting such a fun giveaway ( Meg has a weekly link party on Fridays called "Everything But The Kitchen Sink" ) and Rita for my new header and button!

Welcome to those stopping in from:

Don't Shoot The Messenger

These things keep appearing in my blog reader and you know the deal. I suffer; you suffer. I mean how am I supposed to look at these and not share them?

Peanut Batty and Chocolate Cupcakes

You can over to Inside Bru Crew Life and give Jocelyn a piece of your mind for this temptation! No cupcakes left though. I got there first :) Oh yeah...there's a Reeses peanut butter cup in the bottom of each!

So I recovered from that only to find these today:

Peanut Butter Surprise Cupcakes w/Nutella Buttercream

from Sourkraut at Langes Fädchen, Faules Mädchen

It's a conspiracy I tell you. They're trying to drive me to the brink with all of this chocolatey peanut buttery goodness and I am NOT going alone!