Monday, December 31, 2012

Seasons Givings Blog Hop!













Welcome to the Seasons Givings Blog Hop!  
This hop is going to be a little bit different, in the fact that every single person on the list below, is giving something away.  All you need to do, is go to their blog, and leave a comment.  Really, really easy.  Now grab a cup of coffee, or tea, or maybe some hot chocolate, whatever your favorite is, and start hopping.  

Here is to starting off the year 2013 in a fun way!

I want to share one of my favorite projects from the past year. It is made with some Ruby Rock-It patterned papers, Maya Road stick pins, Prima wood button, EK Success punch, American Craft thickers and beautiful May Art ribbon.




















Thanks for landing on my blog an taking some of your fresh brand new year to spend it with us as we share our love for crafting and giving!
Here is just a small sample of what I will be putting into a box. I will be posting the winner on the 6th of January, so please come by then to see if you were selected.





Don't forget to stop by every blog as each one is doing its own give away!!

Many wishes for a very blessed 2013!
B-

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Celebrating the Holidays with a Hot Cocoa Bar

Hot Cocoa, marshmallows and peppermint sticks!
Putting together a cute place to gather all of the delicious fixings for a memorable mug of warm happiness doesn't take much time, and will make a memorable addition to your holiday decor! Guests and family members alike will love the opportunity to mix that perfect treat, and you have a warm and fuzzy feeling for sharing a simple joy.
Over at the Ruby Rock-It Blog I share the perfect hot cocoa recipe that I found from my favorite chef, Alton Brown, and some jar decorating ideas to put it all together.
















Here is where I thought I could share some of the design logistics for giving it a cohesive look.

The tray was one that I found at a garage sale for $1.00, it is from Wal-Mart and it has had the top painted in a few coats with chalkboard paint and then I just doodled a little and hand wrote the words "hot chocolate bar". I love that it is old and worn looking, and has my personal touch with the very imperfect lettering, it is comfortable and it is my wish that it is inviting. I don't want anyone to feel bad if they spill or smudge, I want them to feel joy as they indulge in a warm cup of happiness.

To make each of the tags I painted both sides of the left over pieces of chipboard from previous projects. After they had dried I ran them through my Sizzix with a tag shaped die cut, hand wrote the ingredient and then tied them onto each of the jars lids. 























The fun of using the chalkboard paint for the tray and labels is that they can all be re-purposed for future displays and holidays. There are so many ways that this little project makes me happy, and I have even made myself a couple more mugs of cocoa than I usually would have consumed this time of year because of the convenience and how inviting it looks.





















I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas! And please come back to visit, I really appreciate you!
B-

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Free Faux Mercury Glass Ornament Tutorial

I love to cruise around on Pinterest and explore, find inspiration and make new friends!
Recently I was inspired by this pin








As soon as I saw this pin and put it in my Winter and Christmas Inspiration Board I knew just how I would be able to make something similar. The next thing I will try is figuring out how to age them so they look like they have been around for 50 years. But I am very pleased with the initial result, and am looking forward to making many more of them in different sizes and shapes.













Start by finding clear glass ornaments, I got mine from Michael's, they were 50% off and they had a few different sizes of the round and also a few unusual shapes. You will also need Adirondack  Silver Mixative, an applicator, and an alcohol based solution. Ranger makes one as does Copic. (I am going to try rubbing alcohol in my next version to see if I can get the cost lower)














Take the top out of the ornament and put some of the alcohol solution inside. It won't matter if you put too much in as it eventually evaporates, it just takes longer for the project to dry on the inside.














Squeeze a few drops of the Silver Mixative inside the ornament as well. Start swirling and rolling the ornament.(be patient when rolling it around to keep it even)















It takes a few minutes for it to dry/evaporate, so just keep swirling and rolling to keep it from settling all in one place. (this is a great in front of your favorite tv show project!)

Prepare the applicator by putting a few drops of the Silver Mixative onto the felt portion.















Then place some of the alcohol solution onto the applicator to loosen up the mixative.















Start dabbing onto the outside of the ornament.















Continue applying the mixative and solution to the applicator as necessary until the entire outside has been covered.














This will leave a beautiful, textured layer on the glass.














The result is glistening, and glamorous, and a project that can be made with older children. I am so pleased with how they look, and I knew that I would want to share that with all my crafty friends, so thanks for dropping by and I hope you have as much fun trying this project as I did!

Happy Holiday Crafting!
B-

Saturday, December 01, 2012

Free Christmas Packaging and Holiday Treat Recipe

Happy December 1st!!!

I am sharing one of our family's very Happy Holiday traditions with my friend Debby Lewis on her blog today! You will have to go over and visit to get the free tutorial for a gift bag and the free recipe for white chocolate, peppermint Chex mix. But trust me you will be glad you did! She is also doing a HUGE give-away at the end of the 12 days!!
Here is a sneak peak at my free gift bag tutorial that uses Ruby Rock-It products...


















And what the white chocolate, peppermint Chex mix looks like...

















It is delish, everyone enjoys it and it is quick to make large batches of so you can make sure to share treats with all of your co-workers, friends, family and your own late night snack ;o)

Happy Crafting!
B-