Thursday, October 17, 2013

BFF Open House Link Party #127

The Answer Is Chocolate

Hard to believe that we're halfway through October already and Halloween is in two weeks. After that I think time will only speed up through the rest of the holiday season. Now that's scarier than anything Halloween related!

Here are a few features from last week's party. 


Halloween's not just for kiddos. More and more I see grown up and sophisticated Halloween decor. Check out these far from silly ideas from This Silly Girl's Life. Gorgeous! 


Fall dinners will be warm and inviting with these cozy ideas from An Extraordinary Day. I'm really loving these sweater pumpkins and felt utensil holders. 


This would make a great hostess gift or just something yummy to have on hand for yourself. Pumpkin Spice Latte brown sugar scrub from Domestic Bliss. You don't even have to be a coffee drinker to love this!


This week's chocolate feature is this wonderful ribbony chocolate bread ( chocolate and bread... dangerous combo) from Twigg Studios

It's also time to announce the winner of my little Breast Cancer Awareness Giveaway. Thanks to all who entered. 


The Winner (via Rafflecopter) Is: 
Betsy! 

Congrats, you have been emailed.










Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Halloween Crafting With Martha Stewart Decoupage: Glitter Finish Stars and Pumpkin

Martha Stewart Halloween Decoupage

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Plaid, Martha Stewart Crafts, and The Blueprint Social. Project ideas and opinions are my own.

I have three words for you: Martha Stewart Decoupage.  It is no secret that I love to decoupage things. The dog runs away when she sees me with decoupage medium in my hand. Martha and Plaid have taken decoupage to a whole ‘nother level with a new line of decoupage formulas that can be used on surfaces such as glass, fabric, paper, metal and wood to create a lustrous finish and are dishwasher safe, machine washable, non-yellowing, dry hard with no tack, and can be used indoors or out.


I was so excited when the wonderful folks from Plaid sent me some of these new goodies to play with, but I was beside myself with the kind of  joy that usually only chocolate brings when I saw that included in my box was GLITTER FINISH DECOUPAGE. 

Martha Stewart Decoupage Supplies

While the glitter finish caught my eye immediately there are some other mind blowing finishes including glow in the dark, matte and gloss. But back to the GLITTER! I had some wood stars in my stash I’d been wanting to play with and an idea was born.

Martha Stewart Decoupage Star

I chose Black Nickel Metallic paint from the paints that came in my box and painted the stars. I went over some sections of the stars with Onyx glitter paint and left others with just the Black Nickel metallic.

Martha Stewart Halloween Supplies

Using some of the decoupage papers that were also included, I cut out pieces to cover some sections of the stars. The papers are a great weight and texture to absorb the decoupage mediums. Since the glitter finish has the glitter mixed in, you just coat your surface, the back of your paper , adhere, and then coat the top of your paper. It works just like other decoupage mediums. Except of course for the fabulous part where it dries all glittery and you’re not covered in glitter! Also with the glitter being part of the medium you get a consistent all over glitter finish without bare spots.

Glitter Stars Closeup

You can do one coat or more depending on what effect you want. I was happy with just one coat. I punched circles from scraps of the paper and using the glitter decoupage glued them into flattened bottlecaps and went over the top with more decoupage medium.

Martha Stewart Glitter Decoupage Stars

Stars and Pumpkin

I was having too much fun to stop. Since the products say they are multi-surface, I decided to see what I could do with a foam pumpkin from the dollar store. Guess what? The paints cover EVERYTHING.

Dollar Tree Pumpkin

No prep, no primer. Just painted the pumpkin with the Black Nickel, let dry and added one more coat. Then I cut some leaf shaped pieces from more of the decoupage paper and added to the pumpkin using the glitter finish decoupage medium.

Martha Stewart Decoupage Drying

You can see that even before the decoupage is dry, the glitter starts to appear!  I didn’t use glitter paint on the pumpkin but just slathered the whole thing with the glitter decoupage.

Martha Stewart Decoupage Pumpkin

Dries to a clear glittery finish.

Black and White Pumpkin

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I am so in love with this. I can’t wait to play with it some more and put it on everything! The full line is available at Michaels.  In the meantime, be sure to check out these links for more inspiration:









Monday, October 14, 2013

Halloween Cards: Quick, Easy, and Stashbusted

Quick Halloween Cards

While I love nothing more than shopping for new goodies each season, sometimes you really need to use what you have. For this year’s Halloween cards I decided to do that and pulled out miscellaneous things from my stash.

Quick Halloween Card Canvas Corp

The cards themselves ( Canvas Corp) were from a pre-made pack. Black and white polka-dot cardstock. Perfect for Halloween! I used a label sticker from a pack I’d picked up along the way somewhere.  For the card shown above, I added a chipboard banner shaped sticker on top of which I put a scrap of a Halloween rub-on. Added a sticker from another leftover package and finished with a leftover orange rhinestone, and scrap of glittered ribbon.

Quick Halloween Cards Stickers

I did the same with the other cards I made, coordinating whatever went together from what I had on hand.
Halloween Cards Fast

Quick Halloween Cards This N That

Thursday, October 10, 2013

BFF Open House Link Party #126

The Answer Is Chocolate

Happy Friday Eve! Hope everyone has had a good week so far. Did you recover from last week's chocolate features? The party was a fun one thanks to all of you! Here are a few inspiring ideas that caught my eye:


I'm sure a Psychologist would have lots to say about my lifelong fascination with seeing images in blobby things like clouds. This DIY inkblot art by Creative Blossoming  definitely caught my eye. What a fun and fresh decor idea. Plus there's no right or wrong either in what you make or what you see! 


These luminaries by the Crafty Lumberjacks are just the right combination of whimsy and spooky don't you think? 


Steph from the The Silly Pearl is as "punny" as I am and has some great Halloween themed printables to share. 


I'm late to the mason jar trend but the ladies from Made From Pinterest have a must try idea. A wreath made from mason lid jars and washi tape! 



This week's chocolate feature is from The Sweet Tooth Life. Double fudge  peanut butter cookies with homemade peanut butter chips! 

So...whatcha been up to this week?  As always, thanks for making The Answer Is Chocolate a part of your week! 





Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Winged Hearts Hammered Metal Necklace Giveaway

Blue Moon Beads Silver Pink and Gold

Being a member of the Blue Moon Beads design team , I am always excited when I receive supplies to play with. The timing was perfect on my most recent goodies which included some pink stone beads. I knew immediately that I wanted to make something in recognition of “Pinktober” being Breast Cancer Awareness month.


I don’t know anyone whose life hasn’t been touched in some way by this disease. Whether as a survivor, family member of a survivor, friend, colleague, neighbor, I really cannot think of anyone I know who hasn’t known someone. This month marks four years since we lost one of our closest friends to this disease and we miss her every day.

Blue Moon Hammered Metals

I did what I always do with a jewelry project. Laid out a bunch of things I might use and just kind of went from there. I knew for sure that in addition to the pink stone beads and silver chain, I wanted to use the gold and silver hammered metal connectors. All supplies used in this project are from Blue Moon Beads and were provided to me as part of the design team.  Project idea is mine.

Blue Moon Winged Pendant

They went perfectly with a gold and silvered “Winged Heart” pendant from my Blue Moon stash.

Blue Moon Metal Chain

I laid out sections of the chain and metal connectors and then wire wrapped some of the pink beads using gold bead caps and silver spacer beads.

Blue Moon Pink

Connected those to the lengths of chain using silver jump rings, and added some to the pendant as shown above, along with a rectangular rhinestone pendant and some lengths of chain.

Blue Moon Metal and Stone

The clasp is really two oversize lobster claw heart clasps. I wanted to tie the idea of hearts and wings together to match the pendant. We think of our friend soaring above us, and we carry her in our hearts.

Winged Heart Necklace

Our sweet friend was one of the most giving people we’ve ever known. So I thought it would be appropriate to give away this necklace in her memory. It just seems right. Here’s how to enter:


Giveaway will run through next Wednesday and the winner announced at next week's BFF Open House. 

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Winner: Oriental Trading Company Gift Card

Thanks to everyone who entered to win the $25 gift card giveaway to Oriental Trading Company that I hosted last week. The Rafflecopter thingy-ma-widget has chosen the winner and she is:


Congrats Lauren! I've emailed you so as soon as I hear back, I'll get your GC on its way. Happy shopping! 

Monday, October 7, 2013

Batty-Licious Halloween Earrings

Bat Charm Earrings

Just a reminder that today is the last day to enter to win my giveaway from Oriental Trading Company. Go here to enter.


I posted last week about some of the items I received from the. Included were some soldered Halloween themed charms. Disclosure: This is a Sponsored Post by Oriental Trading Company. Project Idea and opinions are my own. 

Oriental Trading Company 1

They have an image on one side and text on the other. I thought they’d make fun earrings to wear throughout October. The earrings are  big and bold but not as heavy as they look.

I grabbed some findings and beads from my stash and played around, stringing a fire polished black crystal bead, some metal spacer beads, and the soldered charms on beading wire. Attached to a square pendant piece and adhered a clip earring back with jewelry glue.

Batty Earrings

People may think I’m batty, but I’m loving my batty-licious earrings!

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