"Hopping Through The Holidays" Blog Hop is HERE! Ends 12/4/11! Giveaway Too!

Hi everyone!  I am so excited to be a part of such a wonderful blog hop!  We have loads of holiday inspiration for you!  You should have arrived from Becki's blog.  If you started here, go to Belinda's blog to start at the beginning of the hop. 

I decorated two 8x10 shadow boxes for the holidays.  I went glitter crazy again!!!  LOL!  And, I am lovin' it!  The glitter shimmers in the light - so perfect for the holidays! 

Here is the first shadow box I made.  The holly and joy caption are SVGs by My Scrap Chick.  Also, I used twine from The Twinery.  The paper for both projects is by My Mind's Eye.

 





The second shadow box is glittery too!  I used SVGs by http://freesvgs.blogspot.com/ for this box.  I also used iridescent glitter from Martha Stewart Crafts (the little blue stars), sentiment by Fiskars, and gems by Creative Charms.

If you get lost during the hop, below is the hop line-up.  The next stop on the hop is the very talented Alyssa, also creator of My Thoughts Exactly stamps.  Her stamps are the cutest!!!  

1.  http://beeshiveofdrama.blogspot.com/ - Belinda

2.  http://4goofballs.blogspot.com/ - Julieta

3.  http://cherevansstudio.blogspot.com/ - Cher
4.  http://dare2beecreative.blogspot.com/ -Bee
5.  http://happycardfactory.blogspot.com/ - Becki
6.  http://inlovewithabug.blogspot.com/ -Melanie  **HERE**
7.  http://www.mythoughtsexactly.co/ - Alyssa  **NEXT STOP**
8.  http://queeniesscrapmad.blogspot.com/ - Tracy
9.  http://atuttletime.blogspot.com/ -Angie


Happy hopping and holiday crafting!!!

Mel

Whimsical Wednesday Blog Hop is HERE!!!

Welcome to my blog!  I am so glad you are here for the Whimsical Wednesday blog hop!  There is lots of spooky fun and prizes along the way!  You should have started at the Whimsical Wednesday Blog.  If you started here first, make sure to go to the beginning so you don't miss any of the fun and prizes!  Otherwise you should have arrived from Glora's blog.
I made a spooky home decor item for this hop and I hope you like it - I know I do!!!!  Below are the deets!

I used a paper-mache hat and covered it in spooky fabric, ribbon (including Prairie Bird Boutique crinkle ribbon!), and some sparkly twigs!  The hat illuminates too!  I have a flameless candle inside and you can see the light thru the holes I made in the hat. 



I added cut files from The Digi Bistro!  I design for this company and just love their SVGs!  The word spooky comes from the Halloween Town SVG set.  The bat, label with frame, and the witch's feet come from the Pick Your Poision SVG set.  To embellish the cuts, I used glow-in-the-dark glitter on the word Spooky and the shoe buckles.  Also, I used stickles to enhance the bats and label frame and I added mod podge to the shoes to make them shine!  I hope you have enjoyed my project!!!

Here is a list of our sponsors:

1. Trendy Twine: http://trendytwine.bigcartel.com/ Original Sample Pack
2. Trade Fish Designs: http://tradefishdesigns.com/  'Rest In Peace' Stamp Set
3. Prairie Bird Boutique: http://www.etsy.com/shop/PrairieBirdBoutique one bundle of Shabby Crinkle   Ribbon - you get to choose the bundle.  Love this ribbon!!!

The GRAND PRIZE is from PSA Essentials. It is a stamp package, MSRP is $75.00, and it includes the Stamper Body, A Peal and Stick Stamp Set, one customized stamp, and an Orange/Black Inker.

In order to be eligible for the blog candy you must leave a comment on each blog and then go back to Whimsical Wednesday at the end of the hop and leave a comment.

I HAVE A GIVEAWAY TOO!!!  I am giving away the Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous cling stamp set shown below!  Please leave a comment on this post and I will pick a random winner on Monday!  I would love it if you follow my blog, but it is not required to win. 

The next stop on the hop is Cathryn!

Whimiscal Wednesday Blog Hop is HERE!!! Fab Prizes!!!

Welcome to the Whimsical Wednesday blog hop!!! You should have arrived here from Amber's blog http://my3escrapbooking.blogspot.com/. If you just happened to drop by to say hi please go to the Whimsical Wednesday blog to start at the beginning of the hop. For this hop, we all made banners/wall decor that will be sent to a nursing home. The link to read more about this great cause is posted on the Whimsical Wednesday Blog.

For my project I decided to make a 10x10 shadow box.  My inspiration was the motivational quote I used (word art/digital stamp by Raindrop Echo Designs).  This quote seemed appropriate for all ages including residents at a nursing home.  I enjoyed every minute of making this!!!  When you are making something for a wonderful cause as this, the inspiration just doesn't stop!  I like the end result and I am sure the recipient will too!  I might have to make one for my craft room too!  :)

Other Materials:  Ribbon by American Crafts and Celebrate It; Used Cricut and SCAL to cut flower SVG by Images by Heather M and frame SVG by SVGCuts; Tim Holtz inks and paper distresser,Vintage brad and Gradient Gem stickers by Creative Charms, Glitter by Martha Stewart Crafts; Shadow box frame by Collector's Museum

These our the generous sponsors for our blog hop and what they are giving away for PRIZES!!!

• Patsy from the Prairie Bird Boutique http://www.etsy.com/shop/prairiebirdboutique- Your choice of one bundle of Shabby Crinkle Ribbon
• Babbette from The Kraft Outlet http://www.kraftoutlet.com/store/Default.asp- The Kraft Outlet has generously donated their “Inspiration Play Pack”;  This is a collection of The Kraft Outlet's top selling items valued at over $45. The play pack comes with 10 yards each of the red and brown baker’s twine, an assortment of 50 of the plain and grungy tags, an 8 sheet assortment of their cardstock and text weight papers, an 8 envelope assortment, one sheet of Kraft labels, a set of their vintage dictionary pages, 1 yard of black twill tape and a CD full of 100 graphics and backgrounds.
• In addition the Kraft Outlet is offering 10% off all purchases made during the ENTIRE  month of July. All you need to do is enter the code JULY10 at checkout.
• The grand prize for the blog hop is a Gypsy, donated by Stephanie. In order to qualify for the grand prize you must leave a comment on each of the designers blogs. At the end of the hop please return back to the Whimsical Wednesday Blog to leave a comment saying that you finished the hop and left a comment under all our post. The blog hop will run through Sunday and end at Midnight.

Thank you for joining us for the Whimsical Wednesday blog hop! Your next stop is the very talented Faith-Abigail at http://www.faithabigaildesigns.com/.

Here is the full blog hop line-up in case you get lost along the way:
1. Whimsical Challenge Blog: http://whimsicalwednesdays.blogspot.com/
2. Stephanie: http://www.alwayscrafting.com/
3. Star: http://starspaperpassion.blogspot.com/
4. Jessica: http://chick-n-scrap.blogspot.com/
5. Shelly: http://cardsbyshelly.blogspot.com/
6. Chloe: http://chloeandherclipons.blogspot.com/
7. Amber: http://my3escrapbooking.blogspot.com/
8. Melanie: http://inlovewithabug.blogspot.com/
9. Faith-Abigail: http://www.faithabigaildesigns.com/
10. Cindy: http://cindybcreations.blogspot.com/
11. Joni: http://justcounting.blogspot.com/
12. GiGi: http://thecricutbug.blogspot.com/
13. Amber: http://stayingcrafty.blogspot.com/
14. Carlene: http://misspinkcricut.blogspot.com/
15. Karen: http://kaleidoscopicsparkles.blogspot.com/
16. Glora: http://glorascrafts.blogspot.com/
17. Nanne: http://nannes-creations.blogspot.com/
18. Cathryn: http://inthepinkcathryn.blogspot.com/
19. Whimsical Wednesday: http://whimsicalwednesdays.blogspot.com/

Mel

We Love Our Heroes Blog Hop and Giveaway!

Today is Armed Forces Day!  We are hopping to show our support for this day and to bring awareness to the works of Operation Write Home. You should have arrived from Jazmin's blog.  If you would like to start at the beginning, hop over to Misty’s, so you don’t miss any of the wonderful cards this talented group has created for OWH.

OWH, in addition to card makers making cards for service persons to send home to their families, has what they call ‘Hero Mail.’  These cards can be any size; not just the usual required A2. They also include a personal note to ‘Any Hero.’ We call them heroes, because OWH covers all branches of service. These are passed out to deployed heroes, who might not get much mail, or just passed around to enjoy news from home.  Visit the OWH website to get more information about this charity and to see how you can help.  Here is the OWH website: http://operationwritehome.org.  Thank you to all of our heroes, past, present and those who serve on the home front as well!

For this hop, I chose to make a card for a soldier to send home to their loved ones using materials I don't use often enough.  I got out my heat embosser, white embossing powder, and a stamp to create the background of the paper.  I used a rub on for the sentiment and I used my paper distresser by Tim Holtz to rough up the edges.   I love the organic feel this card has. 

Materials used:
- Paper by Recollections and Bazzill
- Gems by Creative Charms
- Ribbon by American Crafts
- Stamp by Stampin' Up!
- Dove embossing powder by Martha Stewart Crafts
- Rub-on sentiment by Sizzix
- Paper distresser by Tim Holtz

Now for my GIVEAWAY!!!  I am giving away this adorable clear stamp set by Autumn Leaves.  To enter my giveaway, please become a follower (if you are not already) and leave a comment on this post.  I will announce the winner on 5/25/11.


Thanks for hopping with us!  Your next stop on the hop is Jan at http://jans-gonestampin.blogspot.com/.

In case you get lost along the way, the complete hop list is below:

1. Misty...http://deliteful-gifts.blogspot.com
2.Tanya...http://scrappinkymomma.blogspot.com
3. Kristal..http://www.gettingcricky.com
4. Sally...http://sallysbitz.blogspot.com
5. Amy...http://www.lovetocrop.com
6. Anita...http://www.anitaandbugs.blogspot.com
7. Kathie..http://kathleessnippitsncricuts.blogspot.com
8. Rexann..http://ibecircled.blogspot.com
9. Vicki http://melovebonoandscrapbooking.blogspot.com/
10. Jenny http://www.papercutcreations.blogspot.com/
11.  Darlene  www.talesoftayandbay.blogspot.com
12.  JennyB  http://craftydivalounge.blogspot.com/
13. Linda..http://www.lindascreativity.blogspot.com
14. Patti http://www.pattilynncreations.blogspot.com/
15. Jazmin http://www.jazzyscards.blogspot.com/
16. Melanie http://inlovewithabug.blogspot.com/
17. Jan http://jans-gonestampin.blogspot.com/
18. Gina http://californiascrappin-gcinderella21.blogspot.com/
                                                                                                                           

Welcome to the Grad Bash Blog Hop! Plus Giveaway!!!

Welcome to the Grad Bash Blog Hop!!!  In this hop, we are sharing projects for graduation season!  Also, don't miss my giveaway at the end of this post!  You should have arrived here from Yolanda's blog www.craftyscentiments.blogspot.com.  If you are just joining in on the fun and would like to hop along with us, please visit Nadia's blog http://nadiasbeautifulmess.blogspot.com/ to start at the beginning.

My project is a card I made for a friend who graduated from college recently.  This card has no Cricut cuts and took me only a few minutes to put together.  I used purple and white - her school's colors.  The word art is by Elegant Word Art by Bethany. 

I used ribbon, clear star buttons, a little embossing, and purple stickles to embellish this card.  It is hard to see the purple stickles from the pictures, but it is there! 

Now it is time to announce my GIVEAWAY!!!  I am giving away the Printing 101 Cricut Cartridge (brand new in box)!!!  I think this one is retired, so don't miss your chance to get it!  I love the puzzle pieces this cartridge has.

To Enter my Giveaway, please become a follower (if you are not already) and leave a comment on this post.  I will leave this giveaway open for a week.  I will announce the winner on Monday, May 9th.

Thanks for hopping along with us!  The next stop on the hop is Carrie at www.paperglitterstamps.blogspot.com.  I have listed the entire hop line-up below in case you get lost along the way and/or started here.  Enjoy the rest of the hop!!!

Blog Hop List (in order):
Nadia www.nadiasbeautifulmess.blogspot.com
Giselle www.crossmyheartpapercrafts.blogspot.com
Sandra www.365daysofcricut.blogspot.com
Kristy www.craftin-on-my-door.blogspot.com
Jazmin www.jazzyscards.blogspot.com
Alma hwww.almabrooksblog.blogspot.com
Yolonda www.craftyscentiments.blogspot.com
Melanie www.inlovewithabug.blogspot.com  ***YOU ARE HERE***
Carrie www.paperglitterstamps.blogspot.com 
Adri www.macheriecreations.com
Sylvia www.bellascrapbookdesigns.blogspot.com
Amber www.pixiperfectcreations.blogspot.com
Darlene http://www.talesoftayandbay.blogspot.com/
Anita http://www.anitaandbugs.blogspot.com/
                                                                                  
Melanie                                               

Winner of Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop Giveaway!!!!

Congratulations Babe O'Mara, you are the winner of the Creative Charms kit and bottle of purple Stickles!  I will send you an email to get your mailing address.  Thanks to everyone that hopped with us or stopped by because K Andrew (Getting Cricky) sent you!  I appreciate each and every one of you and hope to get to know you all better.  Thanks for your wonderful comments and for becoming followers of my blog.  I love sharing my creations and love to hear from you!

                                                    
                                                                        

Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop and Giveaway!!!

Welcome to the Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop!!!  In this hop, we are sharing some wonderful Easter treats for the upcoming holiday!  I have a treat for you too!!!  Don't miss my giveaway at the end of this post!  You should have arrived here from Damaris' blog www.latinnydoll.blogspot.com.  If you are just joining in on the fun and would like to hop along with us, please visit Nadia's blog http://nadiasbeautifulmess.blogspot.com/ to start at the beginning.

My Easter treat project is these adorable bunny treat boxes which I filled with chocolate eggs.  I made them in white and brown so they look more like the Easter bunny (at least my vision of him), but any color or color combination would be cute.  My nieces and nephews are going to love these!!!  Also, I made a couple carrot-shaped boxes which I filled with jelly beans.  All bunnies need their carrots right!  :)

 

 

To make these treat boxes, I used my Cricut and Sure Cuts A Lot (3rd party software that allows you to cut fonts on your computer and SVG files (similar to Cricut cartridge paper piecings)).  The bunny treat boxes are part of the Animal Boxes and Bags SVG set available for purchase at Lettering Delights.  This set is on sale right now for only $2!!!  You can check out the entire set here.  There are lots of cute animals in this set!  The carrot boxes were a free SVG file by http://stayathomemomcrafts.blogspot.com/ (this SVG file is no longer available, but I believe there are similar boxes available online).

To embellish the bunnies, I added whiskers, brads for the eyes, curled the ears, added flowers and ribbon to the "girl" bunnies, and I made them all fuzzy using flocking powder.  If you are not familiar with flocking powder, it is awesome!  All you do is apply glue all over the area you want fuzzy (I use a glue stick), then spread the flocking powder over the area until it is covered well and press it down with your fingers.  Then shake off the excess powder.  I do all of this within my glitter tray so I can reuse all of the excess powder and it makes clean-up a breeze.

I used Velcro squares to close the boxes so they are easy to open/close and to make the boxes re-useable for future treats and/or keepsakes my nieces and nephews may want to store in them.  Thanks for looking at my project! 

Now it is time to announce my GIVEAWAY!!!  I am giving away a super cute Spring/Easter embellishment kit by Creative Charms along with a bottle of purple Stickles glitter glue!!!  I thought these seemed appropriate for your Easter embellishment needs and I have these myself and love them!!!  I will be sharing a project using these embellishments soon, so stay tuned.

**To Enter my Giveaway** --- Update 4/12:  Giveaway Now CLOSED
1)  You must be a "Follower" - if you are not a follower, please choose to follow me by clicking the "follow" button on my blog sidebar.
2)  Leave a comment on this post
I will announce the winner on Tuesday, April 12th

Thanks for hopping along with us!  The next stop on the hop is Jazmin at http://JazzysCards.blogspot.com/.  I have listed the entire hop line-up below in case you get lost along the way and/or started here.  Have a great weekend and enjoy the rest of the hop!!!

Easter Eggstravaganza Hop Blog List (in order):
Nadia - http://nadiasbeautifulmess.blogspot.com/
Giselle - http://crossmyheartpapercrafts.blogspot.com/
Donna - http://donnasdreamworks.blogspot.com/
Yolonda - http://www.craftyscentiments.blogspot.com/
Jennifer - www.craftycardgallery.blogspot.com
Kim - http://rickettscricuts.blogspot.com/
Damaris - www.latinnydoll.blogspot.com
Melanie - http://inlovewithabug.blogspot.com/ ***YOU ARE HERE***
Jazmin - http://JazzysCards.blogspot.com/
Monica - www.stampindaisies.com
Gabriela - http://www.sheinksalot.blogspot.com/
Kacee - http://youhadmeatscrap.blogspot.com/
Darla - www.stampingunderdoctorsorders.blogspot.com
Amber - http://pixiperfectcreations.blogspot.com/
Sylvia - Www.bellascrapbookdesigns.blogspot.com
Monica F- http://simplycricutting.blogspot.com/
Rebecca - www.creationswithbecka.blogspot.com
Carrie - http://paperglitterstamps.blogspot.com/
Patricia - http://creativediva98.blogspot.com/                     

Melanie