Thursday, October 13, 2011

BFF Open House Link Party#24 and This Week’s BFF: Art Is Beauty!

Hi all and thanks for joining me for another BFF Open House! Last week’s party had the MOST links ever. A big thanks to everyone who links up regularly and to those who came for the first time. And a big thanks to all of those who have recently become followers of The Answer Is Chocolate!

This week I’d like to introduce you to the wonderfully talented Karin from the blog Art Is Beauty. One trip to Karin’s and you’ll see her blog is aptly named. Let’s take a peek:
This gorgeous coffee table started out as a very ordinary Goodwill find:
I love the colors Karin chose and the stencil design down the middle. Some of Karin’s other transformations incorporate our shared appreciation of lovelies found over at  The Graphics Fairy. Like these pillow cases ( another Goodwill find) that are simply mahvelous!
And tis the season to be Spooky:
And you know I kinda have a thing for bottles so these definitely caught my eye!

You’ll find lots of tempting transformations over at Art Is Beauty, so I hope you will go and visit Karin soon.

Now on with the party. Simple. If you made it, link it! Please link to your specific blog post and not your main page and go visit a few links and make some new BFFs!

Upcycled Halloween Gift Bags

PA133215
I needed something for the Altered Halloween Canvases I made and I love gift bags. But I’m trying to reduce, reuse, and recycle so I wanted to use things I already had on hand. Enter some small, fairly plain, grocery bags!
I went to my scrap bin and pulled out some coordinating scraps and made the panel for the front of the bag. Then I went to my Graphics Fairy file because there is always something good there! I had downloaded this owl and decided it was perfect. I added a hat and text using my PrintShop Deluxe program, and printed on kraft cardstock. Trimmed, mounted on a black panel, then on an orange one.
PA133214
Finished off with a jute bow ( just cut several lengths of jute twine and made a bow; hot glued on to the bag) a layered flower from more scraps, and self adhesive rhinestones.
PA133212
Easy peasy!
Linking Up At:
A Little Knick Knack

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Altered Halloween Canvases: Paper and Glitter and Foil Oh My!




Altered Halloween Canvas (12)
I’m having lunch with a couple of girlfriends later this week and always like to take a little something to these. I poked around in my stash and remembered a couple of canvases I bought at Michaels in their then $1 Section. Gathered those and a few other things:
Altered Halloween Canvas
Altered Halloween Canvas (2)
Michaels canvases, Recollections parchment textured paper cut to size, Recollections Die Cut pack:
Recollections Die Cut
Mod Podged the paper onto the canvases and then grabbed some coordinating scraps from my stash and MP’d those on top. While that was drying, I covered a couple of the die cuts with glue ( any clear drying glue works) and covered ( mostly ) with orange glitter. I didn’t want full coverage…wanted some bare spots.
Altered Halloween Canvas (5)
Once my canvases were dry, I applied these adhesive designs ( and threw away the packaging before taking a pic! but I found them at Ben Franklin.)  Just cut the pieces I wanted and applied and then went over them with variegated craft foil.
Altered Halloween Canvas (6)
Altered Halloween Canvas (11)
Once ,my glittered friends were dry, I glued them down to the canvas then went about embellishing with rolled flowers, metal numbers, self adhesive rhinestones and some pom pom ribbon.
Altered Halloween Canvas (8)
Altered Halloween Canvas (10)
Now I need to find some bags to upcycle to put these in !
Linking Up At: 
Photobucket
homework



A Little Knick Knack


Monday, October 10, 2011

BFF Open House Link Party #23: Wrap Up and Features!

This is up a little later than usual. Darn real life and work for interrupting blogging! This was the BEST party ever! The most links ever, and you all are just amazing creative geniuses. Seriously!  OK look for yourselves:
Christine, from Christine and Co, linked up this awesome menswear fabric wreath ( made even more awesome by the fact that her husband found the fabric for her!)
Definitely want to check with the guys in your life before chopping up their clothes (especially if they’re still in them!)  but I just love the look of this!
I have seen so many glamtacular Halloween ideas this year. This gorgeous Witch Hat from Maggie at Midwestern Sewing Girl makes me want to dress up all year long:
And ombre is everywhere! I was at the mall this weekend and it is definitely a sizzling hot trend. Check out this amazing take on ombre from Pike Family  using ombre AND specimen art AND paint chips! Trifecta of awesome:
If you need a little pick me up to continue on this fantastic tour, then stop by Brandy’s blog Gluesticks for some homemade Butterfingers! YUM. You’re going to have to go to learn the secret ingredient!
OK wipe off your fingers because these are too elegant to get chocolate fingerprints on. Black. Velvet. Pumpkins. Oh yeah. From Carolyn, at homework:
These so need to go with Maggie’s hat!
Finally, since October is Halloween month and Breast Cancer Awareness month, why not combine the two? That’s exactly what the aptly named Project Queen did:
Breast Cancer Awareness Pumpkin! Thanks so much everyone for the incredible inspiration. Don’t forget I have a little giveaway to support Breast Cancer research going on through the 16th. Details here. Have a great and creative week and see you all again on Friday! 

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Breast Cancer Awareness, Pizza, and A Giveaway!

Odd combination? Stay with me.
Freschetta Pizza
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I think it’s a rare person these days who hasn’t been touched in some way by this disease. Whether directly, through a family member, or a friend, it seems that all of us know someone who has fought this battle. This month marks the 2nd Anniversary of losing a dear friend who fought valiantly.
I’m part of FRESCHETTA pizza’s blogger connection and am very excited that they are doing their part to support research to find a cure for breast cancer. Between now and October 31st when you purchase specially marked packages of FRESCHETTA pizza, they will donate $1 to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The goal is to raise $50,000 and you can read more about it here: http://www.proudtosupportpink.com/
There’s also a place for people to share their own breast cancer journey or the journey of a friend or family member. In addition to their monetary donation , FRESCHETTA is also donating 50 pink iPod Shuffle players ( especially poignant given the passing of Steve Jobs this week) to four cancer centers around America to be used by breast cancer patients during treatment.
To help get the word out, FRESCHETTA sent me a coupon for a free pizza ( we had the Classic Supreme) which came in handy after an especially hectic day and no clue what was for dinner! They also sent two pair of PROUD TO SUPPORT PINK earphones, one for me to keep and one to share with a friend.
Freschetta Pink
Freschetta Pink Promo
But the best part is that they’re also giving me the opportunity to give one of my readers the same kit.
  • A coupon for a FREE FRESCHETTA pizza of your choice (12 oz or larger)
  • One pair of PROUD TO SUPPORT PINK earphones for you
  • One pair to share with a BFF or family member
You can enter to win as follows (leave a comment for each thing you do) :
  • Be or become a follower of The Answer Is Chocolate blog
  • Share this giveaway on Twitter
  • Share this giveaway on Facebook
The giveaway will run through Sunday October 23. I also designed this printable which is yours for the downloading:
Fight Like A Girl
And ladies, if you’re of an age where mammograms are a part of your life, DON’T put them off! All of us, self exams regularly!
While this is a sponsored giveaway, all opinions expressed are mine.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

BFF Open House Link Party #23 and BFF Kissed By A Frog!

First Friday in October! YOWZA! Halloween, Harvest, and Fall ideas are in abundance in the blogosphere. Can’t wait to see what you’ve all been up to since last Friday!

This week, I’d like to introduce you to Jenni from Kissed By A Frog! Isn’t that a cute blog name? Jenni is one of the sweetest most supportive bloggers around. And creative too! The first project of hers I remember, and which is still one of my faves is this adorable hooded shark towel:
Trust me, this pic doesn’t do it justice. You have to see the whole tutorial to appreciate the detail.
Recently, Jenni’s been busy on a multi-post mega craft room makeover. I have asked her when she’ll be over to do mine! You can see the whole room here but here’s a peek:
And you’ve got to see the most adorable baby shower! Bumble bee themed and so cute! Mmmmmm cupcakes!
Onesie Garland!
How cute is this?

Diaper Wreath! 
Jenni also hosts a weekly link party every Thursday.And she’s got a whole section of her blog devoted to her love of Rustoleum! You will have a fun time visiting Jenni I promise!

OK now for this week’s party! The only rules are, if you made it yourself link it. Please link to your specific post and not your main page and while not a rule rule, won’t you go visit a couple other BFFs?

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Easy SPOOKY Banner…

See, I already had to make one more Halloween decoration. Who am I kidding? Like it will be the last one!
Spooky Garland
I generated the letters using my PrintShop Deluxe program, printed on cream cardstock, cut out and then went around the edges with black ink.
Halloween Banner Letter
Mounted each letter onto glittered gold cardstock and then added these cute squiggle brads (also glittered) from Recollections @ Michaels.
Time to embellish! Remember this glittery stuff I used on my repurposed dress wreath?
I got that out again and embellished each letter:
Elmer's Glue Pen
using this awesome double sided Elmer’s glue pen. I love this thing!
Halloween Garland
Cut out the banner shapes from DCWV’s “Ghosts and Goblins” stack using my Cricut .  I also used it to cut out the circle and sunburst shaped pieces from the scrap cardstock. Inked the edges of the circles ( I was going for a grungy look so I wasn’t especially careful) and then finished off with glittered pumpkins! These are also from Recollections @ Michaels…a package of 12 ( I still have orange and brown) that were 2 packs for $3.
Spooky Garland Focal
Linking Up At:
A Little Knick Knack