Winner!!! :)

ScrapnSing!  You made the most cards for my challenge so you win the $10 in Crop Credit!  Here are the GORGEOUS cards that she made:

CONGRATULATIONS! :)

Operation Write Home Blog Hop

Greetings and Salutations!  

(I've always wanted to say that.. :))

Thanks for joining me and the CropChocolate.com Design Team as we start World Cardmaking Day early, and support a fabulous organization, Operation Write Home.  They send thousands of cards to the troops each week, helping them keep in touch with home. 

We decided that it would be fun to do a challenge hop, and see how many cards we could get made for these deserving people.  If you choose not to send your cards off to OWH, don't fret!  There are hundreds of thousands of public servants (teachers, police officers, firefighters, etc.) that would love to receive a card. So, get your paper and glue ready and let's get supporting these amazing people!  

Before I announce my challenge, I'd like for you to familiarize yourself with some of the OWH guidelines.  Their first and foremost priority is the safety of the Troops.  You can find those guidelines here.  Please, please, PLEASE read that before proceeding.  You can also see here what will happen to your cards if you don't follow those guidelines. :)  We want to help, not hinder, this process so please do your part!  

Now that my "follow the rules" speech is over, let's get crafty!

I'm going to make my challenge pretty simple.  

Here is a list of Desired Themes:

Birthday

Love

Thank You

Missing You

These are cards that will be needed during ALL times of the year.  

Here are the ingredients:

an embossed solid paper

at least 2 different printed papers

twine or ribbon or a trim of some sort

(if you have questions whether something you want to use (ie button, etc.) is appropriate, you can check out their gallery here.  I found this VERY helpful!)

Here's the sketch:

Using the sketch and ingredients, I want you to make as many "Desired Theme" cards as you possibly can!  You can rotate the sketch, use as is, or create your own interpretation of it!

Once you've done your card, you will want to link up AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST!  

(for whaever reason, the cards are not showing up on the blog, but they ARE there in the back screen. :))

The person who has the most entries linked by October 8th @ 8am MST time, will win $10 in crop credit.

After your cards are all done and you're ready to mail them off, you'll want to go here to get the closest address to send your cards off to.

Canadian Girls!  Here's the address to send yours to:

Corinne Braun

6-300-108th St

Saskatoon, SK S7N 1P8

Since I'm the first stop on this hop, you're going to want to swing by By Belle/Michele's blog and see what challenge she has in store for you!

Now what are you waiting for?  GET BUSY!!

PS - if you're not a follower, please become one!  I may send a few Unity Stamps to a random follower as well. :)

xoxo Amber :)

winners!!

Thank you SO much to everyone that hopped along with my new Design Team for CropChocolate.com.  We had so many nice comments and felt so loved. :)

So...down to the fun stuff!!

The winner of my trim grab bags goes to:

1. MomCleoJuly 27, 2012 10:02 AM:  this is too cute, I want one! Congrats on 100 posts.

The winner of the {SPECIAL} prize, which I've determined to be one of these letters is:

1. craftgirl007July 29, 2012 12:17 AM

   Congrats on your 100th post and this too cute altered letter. Neysa is going to love it. What a great idea!

   
   

   Ladies, I will message you through CC and get addresses (and your details craftgirl007!) and get these out to you!!  

   
   

   happy scrappin'!

   Amber

{BANNERS} away and my 100th post!

Today begins the first day of the {new} CropChocolate.com blog hop!  Each of my girls are going to have a Banner project to inspire you and get your creative juices flowing!  I am actually the beginning of the hop so you've come to the right place!  

I honestly REALLY struggled with this project.  I thought about doing a banner shaped mini album.  Then I was going to do this, and that - I couldn't settle on something that I liked.  I started looking around at room ideas for my baby's 2nd birthday "big girl" room, and I decided I wanted to make something to go on her door with her new colors.  This is what I came up with.

1.  I started off with a raw-wood "N", some chipboard banners from Maya Road, white paint, So Happy Together by Echo Park, mod podge, Black Soot distress ink, random letter stickers, Black embossing powder, random stamp and embossing ink, and Charcoal Twine from The Twinery.

2.  I started off by painting 5 banner pieces white.  While those dried, I traced the "N" out of the paper, glued down, inked the edges, and mod podged the paper down onto the piece of wood.

3.  After the white paint had dried, I took my Crop-a-Dile Big Bite and punched 2 holes in each banner piece, randomly inked them, and then threaded the black twine through them.  I draped the banner across the "N" until I was happy with where it fell, then tied it off on both ends.  I took the stickers and stuck them down on each banner and then put a light coat of MP over them for extra sticking power.

4.  I wanted more of a black "pop" so I heat embossed 2 flowers onto the "N".

At this point, I wanted to do more to it.  I wanted to add flowers or glitter or something - because that's what I do.  I went against the "norm" and left it alone.  Gotta say - it's one of my favorite projects and I can't wait to get it hung on her door!!  

Now, to the fun stuff. :)

I have this goodie bag of trims for a random drawing for those that eave a comment and follow my blog. :)

Then, I will be drawing for a {SURPRISE} piece of blog candy as a gift to you for my 100th post. :)

I'll draw them both on 7/31. :)

Now, if you're here to play along with the blog hop here's where you need to go next:

Christina

I've seen her projects for this hop (and everything else she does, too!!) and they're SO dang cute!

Once you get to the end, there'll be instructions where to go for the "main" prize.  

The blog hop ends Monday, 7/30 @ 8am MST so make sure you get to steppin' by then!

Happy Hopping!!

Amber

love notes.

I know it's not Valentine's Day, but I found a project that my scrappy friend Karen did for her girls and I've been wanting to do for Neysa for a while now.  

I turned an ordinary box into a patterned paper delight.  The top comes off so that I can put in little thoughts or sayings that remind me of her, or joy down funny things that she says and does.  I want to give this to her at one of her birthdays long down the road.  

You can find the original post here.  Karen has all sorts of awesome tutorials and stuff on her blog, too so check those out!  I also used this for the weekly challenge at CropChocolate.com.

crock pot orange chicken.

Not too bad!  A little sweet for my liking, but I think next time (yes - one I'll make again!!) I'll half the orange juice and add more balsamic vinegar.  

Here is the original recipe.

party in your mouth.

freaking amazing.  

plain yogurt, funfetti cake mix, and cool whip.  My kids are DEVOURING fruit like I've never seen {EVER} before.  This is definitely a keeper!!  

Find the original recipe here.  I halved all ingredients so I could put into a little bowl with a lid in the fridge to be able to munch on. :)  Also, when you cut the fruit, make sure you cut them in pretty good sized chunks.  The dip is heavy so little pieces don't work very well.

chicken enchilada pasta.

I'm kinda getting into trying new recipes.  It also helps that I'm in a Facebook group that challenges you to ACTUALLY TRY something you've pinned weekly. 

Here's my effort for week 1.

I say effort because I was not impressed with the meal.  When I first tasted it, it was ok.  As I kept eating it, it was not.  My husband and son liked it - my 2yr old did not.  Other friends have tried this and have loved it so it definitely comes down to a matter of opinion!  

You can find the entire recipe here @ Chef in Training.

hey there!

ni-nights, Relly.

4th of July - 2011

card swap.

There's always some swap of some sort going on over at CropChocolate.com.  This time was a card swap.  I love card swaps.  I love having a stash of cards ready to go because I am what you call a procrastinator.  I'm usually making something at the last minute so something like this is PERFECT for me!  Here are the 4 that I made:

winner, winner - chicken dinner!

As per Random.org:

and the #25 blog hop candy winner is:

Molossus said...

At it's worst, your craft area is neater than mine, lol!

JUNE 8, 2012 8:38 AM 

please email me at amber@cropchocolate.com with you address so I can get your prize out to you!! (sorry for the caps....not sure why but it won't let me turn them off!!)

**BLOG HOP!** Organize Your Hoarder Room!

Just kidding about the title....for my readers anyways.  My crafty space was indeed a hoarder room, or organized chaos as I call it.  :)  

Here's my space before:

I really do struggle with keeping things neat and tidy.  If it's put away in it's place, I can't ever find it.  If it's left out, I typically know exactly where it's at.  Ask my husband - he can vouch for that! :)  

Here are my after pictures.  

So, I basically have 3 walls in my crafty space.  This desk shares a wall with my sewing stuff.  That is not included in this post. :)  I share my "diecut desk" with my husbands cords for the internet and stereo system, etc.  There's not a ton I can do about it, but when my laptop is under the Cameo, the back mess stays quite hidden. :)

On my other 2 walls are my shelves, another desk and my paper tower.  I have a big window by my desk that I love, and use the sill as storage as well.  

I don't care for my desk.  At all.  But I did find a bright side to it - this little pull out shelfy thing where I keep my big tools like a paper trimmer, score board, etc.  This part of the desk makes me not hate it so much.  

I had one of those big embellishment centers from Making Memories on the wall, but I bought a new shelf and needed to move my paper tower to the other side of the desk so I had to take it down.  Along with taking it down came all of my inks, stickles, etc. with no home to call their own.  So, I went to WalMart and got some stacking storage bins and honestly - I LOVE THEM.  I don't mind having to dig through for what I'm looking for.  My staple items are going to be on the top as I use them (walnut stain...) all of the time.  It works perfectly for me!  

Now, for the fun stuff.

This Blog Hop is being hosted by the Design Team for CropChocolate.  If you've never been to CropChocolate's site, you're totally missing out.  

If you found me in the middle of perusing the internet, WELCOME!!  I am the beginning of the hop, so please - play along! :)

After you're done here, you'll need to hop on over to Paula I's blog.  She'll then send you off to your next stop from there.  

Now for the REALLY fun stuff. :)

Leave a comment, and follow my blog (if you don't already!) for your chance to win this:

On Monday, June 11th I'll draw a random winner and send these goodies off to them! :)  You can't win if you don't play! :)  Now, I'm off to make another disaster.

Enjoy!

baked cauliflower poppers.

I don't love cooking.  It's just not something I've ever enjoyed doing.  Since Pinterest came along, I'm finding lots of EASY things that I've been making and they've been REALLY good!!  We had a little BBQ over Memorial Day weekend and I decided to try this little recipe.  Enjoy!

mother's day gift

accordion album w/envelope case

2 layouts

love

just because

reindeer poop

Cropchocolate.com Challenge #14 - Brown/Blue

Cropchocolate.com Challenge #14 (click the link to play along!):

the man project.

Cropchocolate.com does a weekly challenge on Wednesdays.  This week's challenge was to use manly colors, and something clear.

I used Echo Park's Note to Self, and Snake Tape adhesive as well as a few other odds and ends.  I was VERY happy with how this turned out. :)

card.

2nd "Un-official" Crop Chocolate Blog Hop

Hello ladies!  And maybe some gentlemen, too. 

If you've stumbled onto my blog randomly and want to get in on the action, please start here.  

Today, I've got a great little LO that I did of my daughter and her Grampa enjoying their "o's" for breakfast. 

I used my new Elegant Edges Cricut cart for the cool little loopy border.  I used a sketch from PageMaps.com as well for the inspiration.

Now, for the fun part.  You need to hop on over to Heather's Blog and see what good stuff she's got scrapped up for you. 

Everyone will have until 8am MDT on Tuesday, March 27, 2012 to comment. We have two confirmed giveaways. One is a 12×12 Hello Spring Mini Theme Kit by Echo Park and another is a 12×12 Fourth Of July Mini Theme Kit by Echo Park (generously donated by Echo Park Paper Co. {http://echoparkpaper.com/}). To be eligible to win on the 2nd Unofficial Crop Chocolate Blog Hop, you need to comment on each blog along the hop and be able to receive packages (no post office boxes). It is open worldwide. The winners will be selected via random.org and announced at http://centralnyscrapper.wordpress.com/ on Wednesday, March 28.

Happy Hopping!!

Halloween 2011

new LO's.

I've been busy trying to get Bug's first year all scrapbooked.  Here's what I've been up to the last few days. :)

new challenge blog.

So there's this cute new challenge blog (The Paper Girls Challenge) that I've decided to start playing along with.  

Here's the sketch:

 And here's my LO:

Go check them out and play along! :)

CropChocolate Valentines Day Blog Hop! :)

welcome blog hoppers!!


if you've randomly come across my blog and want to join the hop, please start at Beth's Blog and make your way through!

thanks for joining us in our Valentines Day Blog Hop!  you've just seen some AWESOME cutes on Karen's Blog - isn't she awesome??  

for my project, I had this darling little pink Christmas tree that I didn't get put up in time for Christmas.  being it was pink, I knew I had to Valentines Day it up!

There are 3 parts to this tree, and they are EASY PEASY!!  For all of the decorations (except the ornaments) I used My Mind's Eye 6x6 pad of Love Me.  

For the Tree Topper, I used my Slice and Applique Basics card to cut 2, 4" hearts.  I inked the edges with Walnut Stain distress ink (my go to brown ink!) and then using my sewing machine, I sewed them together leaving about 1/2 in on each side at the bottom in order to place on the tree.  I took Crystal Stickles and put them on the outside as well to add some bling. :)

Next I created the paper garland.  I cut random pieces of the papers in 1(ish) inch increments.  Wrapped into a circle, and stapled.  Just like you did in elementary school.

Lastly, I did the ornaments.  All they are is 3 red, white and pink buttons strung together on some random twine. :)

You could really do this for all different seasons and holidays!  A fun way to add some fun spirit into your home. :)

Now, for the good stuff!

First, leave a comment and follow my blog!!
After you do that, you will now need to go to TheCrop on CropChocolate.com and leave a comment for your chance to win one of 2 monthly kits {your choice!}, sponsored by WeScrap!  They are doing an Online Crop all weekend so check out this link to join in on all of the fun!
We will be drawing for the kit winners on February 1, 2012.