BFF Open House Link Party

Happy Friday Eve all! Did the week go by as quickly for you as it did for me? Now if the weekend would just not go by as fast!

Let's see some ideas from last week's party! 

I love a good makeover project so let's start with this tray transformation from A Sprinkle of Joy. You really have to see the before to appreciate the after! 

Here's another great re-purposed project from Much More Creative . Again, you're going to have to see the before :) 

With back to school activity underway, these adorable frames from Dazzle While Frazzled would make a great addition to any teacher's desk and what a nice way to start the year! 

No secret that I love both coffee and chocolate so these Dark Chocolate Espresso Cookies from Jay Tried and True are right up my alley. It's like a mocha in a cookie! 

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

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Book Lover's Day Printable

HAPPY BOOK LOVER'S DAY

I have loved words and books since I can remember. I spoke before I walked , and one of the fondest memories of my childhood ( and my dad, who I lost way too early) was of being propped up in my bed each night with a book, while his voice played on a tape recorder stored beneath my bed reading me the story. 

He worked nights when I was very young and this was his way of tucking me in. 

Growing up, I don't remember going anywhere without a book, and while I have become a less voracious reader of late (thanks internet!) I still read as often as I can. My greatest joy is that I passed on that love of reading to my son who, like me, actually heard the words "No we are not going to the bookstore today" because he'd quickly burned through the last book we'd bought .  No visit home from Grad School is complete w/out a stop ( or several) to Barnes and Noble or the Amazon brick and mortar bookstore we have here. 

No surprise then that my BFF is also a voracious reader. This woman goes through books like I go through craft supplies. Non-stop!  I made this "Book Lover's Day" printable w/ her in mind and using a quote from one of my favorite authors: 

Click on the image to bring to full resolution, Right Click , Save As ( PC users). 

To quote one of my favorite characters, Albus Dumbledore, created by the phenomenal JK Rowling: 

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.”

Sharing At: 

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! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

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! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

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. 

 

 

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! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

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!