Think Spring!! and a Disney Hop WINNER!! :)

Hello, my amazing bloggie-land friends!!  I hope today finds you with the sunshine shining and good things happening!!  :)  I'd like to thank those of you who have taken a few moments to send me an email or note to see how I'm doing these days...  I miss spending time here on my blog, but sometimes you just have to work when the work is available, ya know???  :)  I've always looked forward to January being a month where things slow down a bit so I can catch up on all the things I've put off for months (like cleaning and organizing and crafting!!), but I'm thankful that I've been able to continue working...  Please know that even though I don't get to visit everyone as often as I'd like, I'm still enjoying all the wonderful projects I get to see via email -- Keep up the awesome creativity!!  :)  Okay, okay...  Enough jibber-jabber, right???  :)

Today, I wanted to share a card that I made a while ago, but didn't get to share here on my blog...

The weather has been quite cold here the last several days...  And by cold, I mean BITTER cold...  The kind of cold that makes you run to your car in the parking lot and then WISH that you had an automatic starter so you wouldn't have to sit and shiver while the cold creeps all the way to your bones!!  Brrrrrrr.....  These are the days that I like to start thinking about SPRING!!  I don't know why, but thinking about Spring always seems to make me feel just a little bit warmer (and, no, it's not just because there's a roaring fire just four feet away!!)...  So, in the hopes that my reminder-that-Spring-is-on-its-way card will warm up your day a little too, here it is:

My card is a standard A2 card (4.25"x5.5") and features some "photo boxes" paper from Creative Memories that I've had in my stash for far too long (I believe it's the Simply Beautiful line)... The adorable giraffe digi stamp is courtesy of the very talented Dustin Pike...  The giraffe was colored with Copics and then fussy cut so that I could add him to the blue paper...

I used the "Live the Life you want" stamp from K Andrew Designs (click here for savings from 6%-60% on remaining stamp sets!!)...  The original digi stamp did have the giraffe holding a sign, but it wasn't big enough for my sentiment stamp, so I simply changed the sign by covering up the old one and cutting and adding the giraffe "hands" to the front of the sign with pop dots (the sign is also popped up a bit for dimension)...

Not only does this card make me think of Spring, but it also reminds me that we get to live the life we want to live...  That doesn't mean that we can have all the material things we want "just because" or decide that we don't have to go to work or pay our bills anymore, but we get to decide to be happy with what we have and where we are and what we do...  And day to day, that really is what helps us to feel better and live better!!  My wonderful mom has always maintained a positive "can-do" attitude through every obstacle she's ever faced...  Almost to the point where others never even knew that she was experiencing anything difficult in life.  I find that to be very inspirational, and when I'm having a bad day, I try to remember that I get to decide what kind of day I'm going to have...  Do you have secrets that help get YOU through the tough times?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!!  :)

I hope you've enjoyed my card today...  And I hope I'm able to share more with you in the coming weeks (but if I don't, I hope you know that I'm still thinking about ya and hoping for sunshine in your days!!)...

As promised, I have a WINNER to announce from the Disney-Pixar Blog Hop this past weekend!!  If you didn't get a chance to hop through all of those fabulous posts, there are some great projects that you don't want to miss!!  You can check out all of the links by CLICKING HERE...  And now, without further ado...  Random.org was kind enough to select the 6th comment...

 ...so the WINNER is....  Melissa, who said:

Congrats, Melissa!!  Please email me at scrapbookingwithamy@gmail.com with your address so that I can send your "A dream is a wish your heart makes" sign out to you!!  I hope you enjoy it and it keeps you excited for your next Disney vacation!!  :)

If you'd like to win one of my hand-lettered signs, I have another giveaway going on HERE, and you'll want to keep on checking back for some other GREAT GIVEAWAYS that I have in store!!  :)  Wishing each of you a wonderful day living the life you want...  :)

Until next time,

Decorate To Celebrate Ch#43: Super Bowl/Super Sports Party

**It's time again to decorate your celebrations with a Challenge at Decorate To Celebrate!!**

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!  I know I haven't been posting too much lately, and I've missed my BloggieLand friends like crazy...  So I'm happy to see you here now and hope you'll enjoy what I've got in store...  :)  I even have a little GIVEAWAY to share with you today!!

For the Decorate To Celebrate Challenge #43, we are asking you to create any project to be used as a party decoration (or party supply) for a SUPER BOWL or SPORTS PARTY!!  Let's celebrate EVERYTHING WONDERFUL ABOUT FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, SOCCER, and MORE with your table decorations, party banners, pennants, yard signs, cupcakes, party favors and more!!  :)

In our house, we are DEFINITELY sports fans...  And although we may not have any of "our" teams headed to the Super Bowl this year, we still have BIG PLANS for Super-Sunday...  :)  I hope to share a few more goodies that I have for our upcoming event in the next week or so; but, for now, I have a couple favors to show you...

That cute little sign measures just 1" high and 6" wide...  It's been painted a linen white and distressed with the sander on all the edges...  I then hand-lettered each sign to say "Football spoken here" with a glossy coffee-colored paint...  Normally, these little signs would be stained as well, but I wanted them to match the other items I have planned for the party, so.......  I simply added a brown ribbon tied around the long edge.  These mini signs will make perfect little accents on a shelf, tucked here or there...

The mini treat bag is made from a coffee-colored cardstock...  I love making my own little treat bags because I can always make sure that they are perfectly coordinated with any other items -- I just have to pick the perfect cardstock!!  :)  I filled the simple bag with some football shaped foiled chocolates and then secured it closed with another party favor perfect for the GIRLS at our Super Bowl party -- it's a hair tie!!  I just love the football printed ribbon mixed with the brown and cranberry ribbon...  And even though these hair ties aren't exactly team specific, they might give a hint of who I'll be cheering for this February 3rd when Super Bowl XLVII kicks off...  ;)

I hope you like my party favors so far...  I'd love to hear about what you're planning for the day, so please leave me a comment and let me know!!  AND if you successfully guess any of my favorite teams for any of my favorite sports (trust me, it's not too hard to find out which teams I love right here on my blog in several past posts!!), then I'll randomly draw one comment to WIN one of my "Football spoken here" signs!!  Be sure to comment before January 29th so I have time to send it out before the Super Bowl party...

Now it's YOUR turn!!  Link up your NEW SUPER BOWL or SPORTS THEME PARTY project by clicking here before 11:59pm (EST) on Tuesday, February 5th  to be eligible for YOUR CHANCE to WIN a FOOTBALL themed Mini Album from Rhonda!!

Until next time,

Disney Pixar Blog Hop -- A Bank, A Desk Set, and a DREAM!! :)

Welcome to DAY ONE of the Disney/Pixar Blog Hop!!  I'm so excited to once again be a part of this FABULOUS event hosted by my dear friend, Shawn!!  If you've hopped with our Mickey-tastic group of talented bloggie friends before, then you know that you are in for a MOUSE-erific time packed with great ideas, fun projects, and super prizes!!  If this is your first time hopping through, then I sure am glad you found us!!  Now let's get started on the FUN!!

If you've just happened upon my blog or are reading this via email, be sure to CLICK HERE to START at the BEGINNING of the hop with SHAWN from Crafty Chics!!  She'll be leading off the hop again tomorrow (with a whole NEW crew of fabulous creations), so be sure to stop on by again to see the rest of what everyone has in store....  Now here's what I have to share with you today:

I really wanted to focus on creating something FUN that you could do as a CRAFT with your kiddos...  With a few up-cycled cans, strips of paper, buttons, and a bow, y'all can create a Mickey & Minnie Desk Set as well as a place to save your pennies!!  My cans are three different sizes (a soup can, an olive can, and a large chicken broth can!!) that have all been cleaned and then painted (first with white, then with a semi-gloss black paint)...

Both The-Girl-Child AND The-Boy-Child have always been very good at SAVING their money for special occasions, events, or new things they'd like to buy...  So I thought a cute idea would be to create a BANK perfect for saving all my change for our next Disney trip!!  I added a 4" strip of red cardstock around the center of the can (to look like Mickey's shorts), then added the white iconic buttons...  My can is about 4" wide, so I cut a 5" circle and made 1/2 inch cuts around the edges to fold down around the can before adding a solid black 3/4 inch strip.  Be sure to cut the slot for the change (I always forget this in the first round!!  LOL)...

For my smallest can, I used a 2.5" strip of red and added 1" polka dots (like Minnie's dress)...  My favorite Disney-themed ribbon is this gauzy red one with the little polka dots -- I don't know why, but this ribbon always makes me SMILE :)  It makes the perfect organizer for some of my favorite (Disney colored) markers too!!  I duplicated the strip on the bank (this time cut at 3") for the medium can (and a Mickey-themed pencil holder) and added two slightly smaller white buttons...

Finally, I made an 18" wooden sign with my favorite Disney song quote...  "A dream is a wish your heart makes"...  It's important to remember to not let our dreams stay dreams -- Whatever your heart desires, be sure to take steps toward making that dream come true!!  If you have a dream to take a Disney vacation, then make a plan and make it happen!!  :)

I have a PRIZE for one lucky visitor today -- It's the sign that I've made for this hop!!  I will choose a winner on Thusday via Random.org...  

To be entered in the drawing, be sure to leave a comment on this post telling me what YOUR FAVORITE DISNEY SONG is -- you know, the one that pops into your mind anytime you think of the most magical place on earth!! :)  

If you are the winner and leave your email address, I'll be happy to email you; however, I will also post the winner on Thursday (January 24) right here on my blog...

Okie dokie, Disney fans -- It's time for you to hop on to your next stop: 

Ellen at CardMonkey's Paper Jungle 

(wait til you see her AMAZING project!!)

...And if you get lost along the way, here's a list of the ENTIRE hop (all of the links are updated to take you directly to each post)!!

Day One - January 19th

Shawn

Amy :)  You are HERE now :)

Ellen  Go here NEXT!!

Jamie

Jenny

Kathy

Lori

Madison

Day Two - January 20th

Shawn

Amy C

Bobbi Jo

Jenny

Kathy

Tami

Claire

Kim

Until next time,

Decorate To Celebrate Ch#42: "Anything Goes" -- Girls Night Out!! :)

**It's time again to decorate your celebrations with a Challenge at Decorate To Celebrate!!**

For Challenge #42, we are asking you to create any project to be used as a party decoration (or party supply) for ANY THEMED PARTY!!  Let's celebrate EVERYTHING WONDERFUL ABOUT BIRTHDAYS, ANNIVERSARIES, CELEBRATIONS, AND MORE (any party with any theme!!) with your table decorations, party banners, pennants, yard signs, cupcakes, party favors and more!!  :)

I actually have a LOT of special events coming up in the very near future, so I had a hard time deciding which celebration to share with you today (hmmm...  Imagine ME not knowing which event to share!!  I want to share them ALL!!  I guess you'll need to stay tuned if you don't want to miss any of the fun!!)...  I finally decided that I would share a little sampling of a special "Girls' Night Out" event that I'm planning for The-Girl-Child's birthday next month...  Her favorite color is RAINBOW, but if she has to choose one, then she always picks PURPLE...  So I had her choose the color combination for this year's celebration -- She chose purple (of course), a vivid pink, and a chocolate brown...  Unfortunately, I'm still relying on only a cell phone camera for my pictures, so the colors aren't quite as vivid as they should be in these pictures...    Oh well, I'm very thankful to have a camera on my phone that does a pretty decent job in a pinch :)

I recently picked up one of those EK Success flower punches because I've really wanted to try making more 3D flowers...  This was my first attempt at figuring it out...  Hmmmmmm...  I'm glad I have a little bit of experience with the Tim Holtz pinecone die cut because that was exceptionally helpful in figuring out how to give these flowers a little bit of character ;)

I used a fun, glittery ribbon that we found in the dollar bin at JoAnn's for the center of each flower -- Once I figured out the trick of bending, folding, and rolling the petals, these flowers came together pretty quickly...  I'm thinking about making a bouquet of them as the centerpiece for the celebration.  I imagine too that The-Girl-Child will want to save a few of these flowers to use on headbands or hairpins...  As long as it doesn't rain, I think they'll make fabulous hair "pretties"!!  :)

And that's the start of the birthday celebration ideas!!  I'm excited to come up with some more uses for these pretty flowers...  I'd love to hear YOUR ideas too!!  :)

Now it's YOUR turn to show us YOUR party decorations, supplies, treat bags, and more for a party of ANY THEME -- Whether you're planning a birthday, baby shower, wedding, or other special celebration, we want to see your creativity!!  Link up your NEW "ANYTHING GOES" ANY THEME PARTY project by CLICKING HERE before 11:59pm (EST) on Tuesday, January 22nd to be eligible for YOUR CHANCE to WIN one of my FAVORITE prizes -- A Mini Album from Rhonda!!  Please take a look at our Challenge Rules (HERE) before submitting your project. :)

Until next time,