How Neat Is THAT?!? -- The Interactive Blog Hop... It's a Bird, it's a Birdhouse, it's a.... SURPRISE!! :)

***For Laura's Guest Designer spot and Box Card Challenge, please CLICK HERE!!***

Welcome to the "How Neat Is That?!?" Blog Hop!!

Welcome to the Interactive Hop where things either move, are hidden, pop out, slide, surprise, or who knows what else....  Our fabulous host Monica has assembled an AWESOME list of crafty ladies who are sure to leave you saying, "Hey! How neat is THAT?!?" at each stop along the way!!  Hopefully you will come away with some wonderful  and creative new ideas on how to make your cards, layouts or minis more interactive...

In addition to some really cool projects, you'll find some Blog Candy scattered here and there as well!!  Additionally, Scraps2treasure is having an overall grand prize and these are the simple rules:

• Become a follower of each blog, and....
• Leave a comment at every stop (yep, that's really it!!)

If you've hopped along from Celeste then you are in the right place!! If you are just joining me from your dashboard, or reading this via email, please be sure to CLICK HERE to start at the beginning with Monica's blog (because the beginning is the BEST place to START!!)...

Sooooooo...  Who's ready to see what I created for you today???  Let me tell you -- I am SO excited about this!!  Yes, it is picture heavy, but I really hope you find it to be worth the extra pictures...  :)

Who doesn't love a birdhouse, right???  Yes, this birdhouse is made completely of paper (enhanced with some ribbon and a few of my handmade stick pins)...  

The 'shingled' roof is covered with hexagon shaped pieces inked on all edges...  There's a "door" (filled with Spanish Moss) and a perch (a piece of a bamboo skewer)...

 I hand wrote the sentiment and punched the labels and leaves with two Stampin' Up! punches...  The cardstock and decorative paper is all from Stampin' Up! as well...

So...  What makes it interactive???  Let me show you by removing the "lid"....

Need to see a little more???  Perhaps the lid all the way removed???  :)

 Well, hello, little birdie!! :)  Are you nestled all snug in your new little home???  Look what happens next...

The base of the birdhouse opens into an Explosion Box!!  Perfect for adding photos of your favorite birds...  Or bird lovers!! :)

My little birdie is a hand-carved and hand-painted little beauty, and she's nestled atop some Spanish Moss and decorative twigs...

There's room to add up to 24 photos in this Explosion Box...  The decorative accents are attached to the cotton thread, not the decorative paper, so it's quick and easy to slide photos or memorabilia right behind the accents and thread!! :)

Embellishments were added to each layer of 'pages' in the box and the outside lid...  Handmade stick pins, circle flowers, punched birdies, and the "Home Tweet Home" tag...

Instead of placing a bird at the center, you could also use the explosion box for a gift card or small piece of jewelry....

I absolutely LOVE making what I call "Transformer" Explosion Boxes...  It's so exciting to see someone's face when they open one of these for the first time.  I'm constantly trying to think of new ways to design the tops of my explosion boxes...  While a basic explosion box can be completed in under an hour, this one required many extra hours to design the bird house top.  Without a pattern to follow, part of the fun for me is the challenge to pull it all together with some visual thinking.  If you would like to see two of my other "Transformer" boxes, you can see them HERE and HERE...  If you would like to have a printable copy/tutorial of my 'basic' explosion box, you can find that by clicking HERE...  If you decide to make one (a basic one OR a 'transformer' one, I'd LOVE to see it -- so be sure to come on back and leave me a link so I can check it out!!)

I'd like to give Monica a HUGE thank you for including me in this SUPER NEAT Blog Hop!!  I'd also like to thank my mom for inspiring the birdhouse idea and all of my wonderful friends and followers who are helping to make this such a FABULOUS hop!!  Now....   Before I send you off to your next stop on the hop...  What's a hop without some CANDY???  I have a *special surprise* to send out to one fabulous winner!! :) 

To be eligible for my blog candy:

• Please become a follower of my blog and leave me a comment answering this FUN question: "If you were a bird, what kind of bird would you be?"!!

For additional entries for the candy:

• You may 'like' my Facebook page (click HERE)...
• Subscribe via Email by entering your email in the box above (be sure to confirm your subscription). 
• Leave a comment on one of my other 'transformer' explosion boxes posts (you can find them HERE and HERE)  

Please leave an additional comment for each 'extra' entry you complete....  If you leave your email address (please leave it in SAFE scrapbookingwithamy at gmail dot com form), I will be happy to contact you if you are the winner; otherwise, you will need to check back after Wednesday, August 3rd to see if you are a winner.  No captcha here, so commenting is quick and easy!! :)

***CLICK HERE TO LEAVE A COMMENT***

Thank you so much for checking out my project...  I hope you think it's as NEAT as I do!! :)   Now hop on over to Yolie's blog and remember to visit all the stops, become a follower at each blog, and leave a comment at each stop along the way in order to be eligible for Monica's GRAND PRIZE Blog Candy!!

Here's the Hop line-up, in case you get lost or want to re-visit anyone (please note that the following links will take you directly to each participants post!!):

Monica at Scraps 2 Treasures

Lori at Scrappin' My Stress Away DAY 1
Lori at Scrappin' My Stress Away DAY 2

Patty at Patty's Crafty Spot

Celeste at Touched By a Butterfly

Amy :) at Love To Crop!

Yolie at Just Yolie, Just Create

Brynn at Flair and Frills

Dawn at Dawn's Designs That Delight

Lori at Saving My...

Jennifer at Crafty Card Gallery

Kristen at Hunee B Creations

Stephanie at Always Crafting

Until next time,