BFF Open House #2 Wrap Up

Thanks everyone who linked up to my 2nd weekly link party! Despite Blogger’s mid-week hiccup, there were some great projects linked up. Here are just a few highlights :

Carolyn from her blog homework, transformed humble cans into these planters with a gorgeous patina finish.

I love this stunning harlequin paint job and transformation from Tracy at Tracy’s Trinkets and Treasures.

Look at this fun necklace that Kellianne from Tinkeranniebelle made for her aunt for Mother’s Day!

And Jocelyn from InsideBruCrewLife didn’t disappoint with these:

Peanut M&M Cupcakes! YUM!  Please feel free to pick up a “featured” button from my sidebar.

And the BFF who won the “Tag You’re It” set of chocolatey tags…..

is:

Evelene  S! I hope to see you all back again this Friday! Have a great week!

Craft Hope Bracelets

I was cruising along the internet the other day and came across a post that now I can’t remember where (grrrrr I hate it when that happens!) about bracelets for an organization called Craft Hope. If you’re not familiar with them:

Craft Hope is a love inspired project designed to share handmade crafts with those who need them.  It is our hope to combine our love for crafting and desire to help others into a project to make a difference around the world.

Hmmm…love making jewelry….there’s a need for bracelets…for such a good cause…check, check, and check.

The bracelets are being collected to be given out to orphans in Russia and the kids range in age from infants to teens. I found these fun beads at Michaels, along with some stretch cord:

I liked the iridescence of these beads and since I don’t often get to get my girl on, I went with “girly” colors and shapes…hearts, butterflies etc. Also since my nest is about to get emptied, I don’t often get to do “kids” crafts so double the fun.

I had actually never worked with stretch cord before. I know! But oh so easy and very fun and these went super fast. It was a perfect way to pass the time waiting for another project to dry.

So my fellow jewelry makers, if you would like to craft for a cause I can’t think of a better one. And for all of you out there who are talented sewers , Craft Hope has another project: Security Blankets for Tornado Survivors.

BFF Link Party#2: Tag…You’re It

Soooo…..the week kinda got away from me and I didn’t line up a blog to feature on “Blog Feature Friday”. And then Blogger went kerplunk.  But we’re still going to have the 2nd weekly “BFF” link party and guess what? You’re ALL BFFs this week! So since you are, let’s see what you’ve been up to.

Link up everything! Did you re-do a room or an accessory or a piece of furniture? Link it up! Did you make a gift or something fun for yourself? Link it up! Cards, scrapbooking, altered art, jewelry, décor, kids crafts etc. link it up! Recipes? Especially chocolate? Link them up! Just no advertising or Etsy stores please and please link directly to your project and not your main blog page. Easy peasy.
Oh and tag…you’re it! One of you will receive these:

A set of six tags, covered in yummy chocolatey papers with flower, pearl, and rhinestone frosting! Winner will be chosen at random on Monday. To be eligible, leave a comment! That’s it. Party On. You can grab the party button code from my sidebar!

Composition Book Supplies Journal

If you’ve read my blog for more than a minute, you know that I love to roam around Michaels, JoAnn’s and assorted other craft stores looking for nothing in particular and finding goodies. But, I also need to keep track of things I use regularly, and things I need for projects I want to try.  I love technology as much as anyone but sometimes you just need to go old school and have things written down in something you can carry with you. So I made a “Supplies Journal”.

This is hardly a new idea…altering composition books, but I’ll still show you what I did.

Started with your basic composition book…I pick these up around back to school time for next to nothing. Covered the front and back with Recollections “Batiked My Interest” Collection…this paper’s called Coconut. Source: Michaels…4 sheets for $1! I Mod Podged the paper on so it would really stick:

I covered the inside with a coordinating brown and cream paper and used the scraps of both papers for the cover, along with a rub-on of my initial, some Michaels $1 self adhesive metal bits, KandCo self adhesive vellum scrapbook borders, and one of these :

Added some coordinating leftover typewriter alphabet stickers to spell “Supplies” and then punched a hole in the front and back covers so I could thread ribbon to tie the journal together. You don’t have to. I just did. This is also the perfect place for me to keep my coupons when I go after those supplies I need!

Linking Up At: 

Ribbon Bookmarks

Remember I found all kinds of wonderful ribbon on my recent outing to the LA Fashion District? I bought them without knowing exactly what I’d use them for but since when does that stop us creative types? NEVER!
Enter “Country Living” with this idea: Charming Bookmarks

Velvet ribbon. I haz.  Charms…I haz them too but I also have a bunch o beads. Zing. Idea!
You need ribbon ( OK that’s obvious but…)

I cut mine about 10in. You will also need some of these which I found at Michaels:

and a pair of flat nose pliers:

You slide the ribbon clamp onto the end of the ribbon and then clamp it on with your pliers. These ribbon clamps have teeth that sink into your ribbon.

Once the clamps were on, I went to my bead stash and just started playing with different beads and findings. Some on beading wire, others on head pins. Attach to your clamp ends with jump rings.

Linking Up At: 

Blue Cricket Design Show and Tell

I Crafted and I’m Telling. Elmer’s Craft and Tell Party With No Biggie

Kami over at No Biggie was lucky enough to be selected by Elmer’s to host a “Craft and Tell” party where she got to give away craft kits to some of her followers. I was lucky enough to win one of these! Thanks Kami and Elmer’s!

It was like Christmas. This is what arrived!

And Kami is so on top of things because look at her cute notecards! She also had the cutest matchbook cover mint holder.

I mentioned in the post where I shared my Mother’s Day printable that I was woefully behind on Mother’s Day and hadn’t made any cards. Printable+Elmers Craft and Tell to the rescue!

Reduced the printable down to 2x2.5 and printed several on white cardstock. Took one pair of the decorative scissors and trimmed the panels, then mounted on coordinating cardstock. Layered that using a floral print paper from KandCo and another striped paper and embellished with paper flowers, ribbon,  and self adhesive rhinestones.

This is my new best friend:

I love my big ATG tape gun but sometimes you need a little guy for the details. I’ve used other dot runners but this one worked the smoothest! I used it to apply the ribbons and paper flower in the lower right corner of my focal piece. Love it.

These were fast cards to make and the XActo Decorative Edge scissors and the Elmer’s Dot Runner were lifesavers! So thanks again Kami for hosting the giveaway and Elmer’s for sponsoring it!

Speaking of Mother's Day:

Thank you Mr. Chocolate and Chocolate Chip! This is my new camera that I barely know how to use. It's perfect for me...DSLR function and quality without having to know all the whatchamathingy terminology, and the ease of a point and shoot. Squee!!!!

BFF Wrap Up and Blogiversary Giveaway Winner!!

Thanks everyone for your well wishes and linking up such fantastic projects to my first weekly "BFF" link party! The hardest part of hosting a link party is choosing features because I love looking at every link but here goes!

You will not believe the cost of this  fantastic chair makeover by Maggie at Midwestern Sewing Girl:

I just love this family heirloom wreath by Holly over at 504 Main!

And I never, ever find anything on the curbside that could be transformed into something like this great table. You need to see the before and after over at jandjhome:

Those are just a few of the great projects that were linked up but all are worth a visit so I hope you'll check them out!

This week, I was celebrating my one year anniversary of blogging and included a giveaway! The lucky winner is:  Stephanie from the blog Still Waters!

Congrats Stephanie! For those featured, please feel free to grab a button from my sidebar:

And thanks again to everyone for making this such a fun party and celebration. I hope to see you all back this friday for another BFF Link Party!