Thursday, August 3, 2017

BFF Open House Link Party


Happy Friday Eve once again! Sent my "baby" back to grad school this week to get ready for what will be his first year in the classroom as a TA working w/ undergrads. I am so thankful that we have a son who is off on his own as we raised him to be, but who also loves to come home and spend time with us!

Let's take a look at some of the great ideas shared at last week's party. 


I love books and reading and always have, so it's no surprise that I would also love book crafts and decor featuring books. Simply September shared some great ideas about incorporating books and book pages into decor. Love! 


The ladies from Lolly Jane shared a guest post from Pocket Full of Paint that I think is just stunning and looks like something you find in a pricey boutique. Check out this beautiful leather hanging. Not too early to start thinking of handmade gifts! 


Speaking of handmade gift ideas, Artsy VaVa shared a great one. A DIY Dried Flower Phone Case! How cool is this? 



Finally, while I'm featuring these adorable chocolate cupcakes from Nightchayde, you have to see the ADORABLE Woodland Shower these came from. Everything , from the invites, to the food, to the decor is too cute! 

OK let's see what you've been up to this week! 
   
   




Thursday, July 27, 2017

BFF Open House Link Party


It's (almost) FRINALLY, FRIDAY! Woot. Welcome to another party here at The Answer Is Chocolate. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your creations. Here are some of the fun-tastic ideas from last week's party . 


Let's start with this upcycled sugar mold from Repurpose and Upcycle. Sometimes just a simple change makes a huge impact. I think that's the case with the grain sack paint stripes she added. LOVE! 


You don't have to be a watercolor artist to achieve a watercolor look like Lynda from Lynda Creates did with this card. Perfect for so many occasions and so pretty! 


This is probably my weakest skill as a blogger and I am on a never ending quest to improve at it. Thankfully Somewhat Simple shared some excellent tips from which we can all learn! 


These Double Chocolate Peanut Butter  Protein cookies look fabulous don't they? But do they look like they are healthy ( because c'mon COOKIES)? Well they are , so I can't wait to look for the chocolate protein powder that's in them! Get the details from Brooklyn Farm Girl

Now let's see what you've been up to this week! 

   
   







Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Flights of Angels Card


I usually don't name my cards, but this one is an exception. My son learned that one of the members of his PhD program and his wife recently lost a baby. It was a heartbreaking story and not mine to tell,  but my son asked if I would make a card for him to give to the grieving couple. Of course I would! 

I was going through my Silhouette image library and found this winged heart which struck me as perfect. And when I decided on it, a quote from Hamlet came to mind which became the name of this card. 

"Now cracks a noble heart. Good night sweet prince; And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!"
In this case I was thinking of the parents hearts cracking, and it would be "sweet princess" but you get the gist.

I decided to use a monochromatic palette of white, cream and silver so went to my paper stash and pulled out coordinating papers.

Supplies:

  • Star Dreams Crystal Cardstock  ( base card, 5x7)
  • Cream Glitter Paper ( Recollections, Michaels)
  • Silver Paper (Recollections, Michaels)
  • Pearl Foil Paper ( SEI White Elegance)
  • Wing Charms
  • Ribbon
  • Silver Washi Tape


Cut and score card (5x7). Cut panels from glitter, silver and foiled pearl papers ( 4.75x6.75, 3.5x5.25, 3.25x5) and layer as shown. I added the silver washi tape to two corners of the pearl and silver layer before adhering to the glitter panel.

I cut two of the heart images from the glitter cardstock using  my Cameo and layered with foam dots then attached to the center of the card w/ more foam dots.


I glued two wing charms to the center of the heart as shown and then tied some vintage ribbon together, trimmed and glued to the center. 

No card can possibly heal what the parents are going through but I hope it ( and the words I know my son will write inside) will help ease their pain in some small way. 




 

 

Thursday, July 20, 2017

BFF Open House Link Party


Happy Friday Eve all. Hope everyone's had a wonderful week. I've been on vacation and spending it with my Mom and son which is an incredible blessing. Time flies by so quickly and opportunities like like this are to be treasured. 

Let's see some of the great ideas shared at last week's party. 


Let's start with these Beer Bottle Tiki Torches from Craft Beering. You could use any fun bottles for these and imagination is the only limit!


Artsy VaVa is back with another fabulous transformation this time with a church pew into a gorgeous bench!


I haven't tried my hand at soapmaking but I do have a bunch of lavender on hand so this Oatmeal Lavender Handmade Soap from 3Winks Design looks like a perfect project to try. 


Finally, love both the name and ingredients in this Can't Wait Microwave Lava Cake from Culinary Envy

Now, let's see what everyone's been up to this week! 

   
   

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Game of Thrones Sword Makeover



WINTER IS HERE! Well it is if you're a Game of Thrones fan like me. I wanted to have a little fun with the premiere tonight so I grabbed a bottle of Wine from Cost Plus to share with PhD boy since he's home and the other GOT fan in the house. That was going to be our prop for the show until he started going through some boxes of stuff from childhood and found a sword he'd gotten at a Disney on Ice show. 


As soon as he showed it to me, I knew I wanted to do something GOT with it. It was either going to be epic or a craft fail! I am pleased to say I think it turned out on the epic side!



Since I wasn't sure which way it was going to go , I didn't take a lot of pictures as I was doing it. I painted the blade with Martha Stewart Sterling Silver, and the hilt with MS Black. Then I went over the center of the blade with MS Metallic Gold and Gold Glitter, and dry brushed the hilt with the silver. 


I had this knob in my stash and glued it to the top of the hilt.  I finished off the sword with some self adhesive rhinestones. I added a clear monogram sticker to the round part of the hilt. It was a pretty fast project!


I've always had a thing for ravens and had this mug (don't worry...not filling it up with the wine!) that I'd picked up at an art fair so it was a perfect prop to include since ravens are a huge part of  GOT. 

Just a little fun and a great way to transform something from my son's childhood into something we both enjoy now! Since all great swords have a name, we have named this one Truth Teller since PhD boy and Mr. Chocolate regularly tell me I can be rather blunt. 

Valar Morgulis! 



Thursday, July 13, 2017

BFF Open House Link Party


Woot. Happy Friday Eve. I'm ready for the weekend, how about you? Let's face it, I'm never NOT ready for the weekend!

Here are some ideas ( maybe even weekend projects? ) from last week's party. 


See the curtains in the background? Want to know what they're made from? Only the most versatile thing ever...fabric dropcloths from the HW store! Check out how Lindsey from Repurpose and Upcycle freshened up her living room with these. 


Who doesn't love a great thrift store transformation? This vintage sign from Vintage Paint and More is  one .  You have to check out  the before and Cathy did such a beautiful job on the after. 


This gorgeous DIY outdoor solar light looks like it came from a high end home store. Victoria from Dazzle While Frazzled ( whose blog name I love!) has a great tutorial. 


Anyone else want some of these like I do? They're called Martha Washington Candies and they are a combination of coconut, pecans, and other yummy ingredients. Thank you Marilyn from Marilyn's Treats for sharing! 

Now let's see what you've been up to this week. Party On! 

   
   





Thursday, July 6, 2017

BFF Open House Link Party


TGIF-eve even though it was a short week. Hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th. 

Here are a few ideas from last week's party to peruse while everyone shares what they've been working on this week. 


I've always been drawn to rocking horses. The older, the better. Absolutely love the way Laura from Junque Cottage made-over this one!


Laura's rocking horse would look great on one of the stenciled floor projects shared by the ladies from Lolly Jane don't you think? 


As a cardmaker myself, I can't imagine making a more special card than that of your child's Wedding card. This is the one made by Linda from Paper Seedlings for her daughter's wedding. GORGEOUS! 

Now, on to this week's party!