Totally up to {You}

This week's challenge, challenge 24 over at Crop Chocolate,  is for EVERYONE! This week it's all fun with no rules or guidelines . . . It's a "do whatever you want" challenge. Make something new (layout, card, altered art, etc.) out of 50% or more Crop Chocolate products and enter it for a chance to win crop credit. That's it! Have fun and show us your fantastic creations!"  If you were ever going to enter a challenge this would be the one!!

I am very happy with how my card turned out this week!!  I have about five other ideas for that jar stamp…
Crop Chocolate products used:  MME Stella and Rose Hattie, EP Wintertime, WRMK glitter brad, Distress Ink-Walnut Stain, Jillibean Soup twine.
Non-CC: Inkadinkado, Unity and Paper smooches stamps, Sizzix embossing folder, Staz on ink, Fiskars border punch.

I can’t wait for an occasion to send this cute card to someone special!!

Cute Little Paper Bowl

My first post as a Chocolatier went up at The Crop Friday July 27th...  You can see more details by clicking here but I just wanted to share the finished project... so here is a quick peek.



This is an Ombre paper mache bowl made with mostly products I purchased at Crop Chocolate, isn't it cute?

  

Think of all the things you could put in this cute little container, paper clips, buttons, Q-tips, etc.
Hope you enjoyed my first project, I certainly had FUN making it!

Hop Along with the Chocolatiers

By now you have seen July Ombre’ projects from each of the new Crop Chocolate Chocolatiers (mine actually posts today!!) over on The Crop (if you haven't you have got to check them out!)…weren’t they all great?!? 
We wanted to do something fun to kick-off our term so we put together this happy little blog hop featuring BANNERS. 
You should have gotten here from Jenni's blog but if you just happened by you will want to start over at Amber’s blog and follow this order:

Amber

Christina

Kathy-Clayton528

Brenna

Julie

Nina

Miwa

Brittany

Jenni-Mom2Two

Michele-by belle (you are here)

The Crop

Visit each blog to see some amazing projects and get entered to win the blog candy some of the ladies are offering on their blogs.  Then leave a comment over at The Crop by 8:00 am EST July 30, 2012 to be entered to win a fabulous prize from Crop Chocolate.  The drawing will be Tuesday July 31, 2012 and winner announced over at Crop Chocolate.
I will also be giving away some fantastic blog candy so become a follower of my blog, if you are not already, and leave some love after you check out my project.  I will be announcing the winner of my blog candy August 1, 2012 right here.

Maddie's Park-Scape:
My god-daughter Maddie recently turned 2 and I made her a pretty little banner for her room.



I used a bunch of my favorite items purchased from Crop Chocolate:  Teresa Collins Give Thanks, Bazzil and Echo Park Be Mine cardstock, Slice Cordless cutting machine, Bravissimo and Vintage Findings cartridges, Perfect Pearls-white and silver, Doodlebug brad, MM brad, Distress Ink-Brushed Corduroy, Black Soot and Pumice Stone, Lush rhinestones and brad, MM Paper Reverie pearl gems, Stickles-Crystal, Alcohol Ink-Raspberry, Distress Crackle Paint-Clear Rock Candy and Viper Snaketape.  Other items used:  grunge board, Distress Stain and Ink-Spun Sugar, Twinery twine, Spellbinder Bitty Blossoms, Sissix dies-Spooky Tree and 3D Flowers, Tim Holtz dies-bird, leaf and butterflies, Tim Holtz Distress Marker, ribbon, wooden-spools, dowels, finials and plaque, paint, moss and Gorilla Glue.  I also used a handmade picket fence by UmWow Studio, it was part of an embellishment kit-A Dated Journey.




I hope you enjoyed my project and get inspired by all the other amazing ladies on the design team, I know I do everyday!  Head back over to The Crop and be sure to leave a comment to be eligible for a great prize!!
Here is the blog candy I will be giving away so make sure to get entered to win!!  (I will also be throwing in a little handmade 'sweet surprise' for the person who wins)

Oh and please stop by often to see what we are up to over at The Crop and add Crop Chocolate to your favorites so you get your hands on all of the amazing deals they offer!!  It is my FAVORITE place to shop for scrappy goodness and where I go for inspiration, support and friendship!

Spring Puzzle Swap

Some of the ladies over at Crop Chocolate have gotten together for a swap.  It’s not a typical swap though.  Depending on how many people sign up puzzles are purchased from the dollar store, usually one each for the number of people.  The organizer numbers and labels all of the puzzle and then each person gets the same piece from each puzzle sent to them to decorate and return back to the organizer to get re-distributed so you get back a complete puzzle where each piece is a little piece of art from each participant.
This swap just so happened to work out to be a cluster of three pieces per person that will make a forty-eight piece puzzle in the end.

I did all sixteen pieces the same for this swap.  I really like the end result.  The theme was ‘Artist’s Choice’ and I picked the season of the swap, spring.
Products used:  Recollections Photo Burlap paper for the background, Echo Park Playground-Jump Rope and Rubberball/Splash (purchased at Crop Chocolate), Distress Ink-Walnut Stain (also purchased at CC),  Slice cordless cutting machine (yep, Crop Chocolate), Slice card-Applique Basics, Martha Stewart twine, Jolee’s bling, Fiskars cloud punch, Aileen’s quick dry glue.
When I get my completed puzzle back I will post a photo of it so you can see all the great work that goes into these tiny little pieces.


Winter Puzzle Swap
I did a swap like this late last year that had a Winter theme and when I got the complete puzzle back I framed it to hang in my scrappy space.  Here it is:

You will notice one piece missing…we have since received that missing piece so the puzzles are all complete.  Great work huh?!?
This was my piece, the actual size is about 1”x1”.
Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Chocolatier Blog Hop

Join us this weekend for a blog hop, the first with Crop Chocolate’s new Design Team.  It’s going to be a ‘BANNER’ term!
Here is a tiny little sneak peek of the project I will be sharing.  Head over to THE CROP, we'll be starting Friday July 27th and continuing on through the weekend.  There will be chances at great prizes!!

See you then!!  Don’t miss out on all the fun!!

Challenge 23-Patterns Galore

Its summer, a time of freedom and less restriction. For this week's challenge, use 3 patterned papers any way you want to. Let your creativity shine like that summer sun and layer up those patterned papers on a card, layout, an altered project --whatever your creative heart desires.  Make sure to head over to Crop Chocolate some time this week to check out all the entries.

My design for this card was inspired by a tag Dee Dee over at UmWow Studio did last week.  Please pop over there to see it by clicking on the link.
Crop Chocolate product: Fancy Pants Road Show and Father and Son, Echo Park Apothecary Emporium, Distress Ink-Brushed Corduroy, Distress Stain-Vintage Photo, Slice cordless cutter, Slice cart-Summer, MM button, MM Paper Reverie gems, Stickles-Crystal, Distress Crackle Paint-Clear Rock Candy.
Non CC- Distress Stain-Picket Fence, Paper Smooches stamp, Ranger embossing powder, burlap twine, card base and envelope.

Some great news to share…I was the random winner of last weeks challenge!!  Yipee!!  I won a $10.00 Crop credit, my favorite kind of prize!!  See, so not only do I get inspired by these challenges I have a chance to win a fantastic prize.  A new challenge is posted every Wednesday.  I hope you will be inspired to enter a challenge very soon.

What time is it?

It’s crafty time!! 
Last night I wanted to unwind in my scrappy space but when I sat down to start I couldn’t.  I got nervous and couldn’t help but think I might be in a slump.  What else could I do but walk away and go to bed…
This morning after breakfast I went back to see what would happen…this is what I came up with.

I am happy that it was only a ‘24 hour’ bug!
Some time ago I bought several different kinds of canvases, one happened to be all wood.  I am not sure where the idea came from but I decided I wanted to make a clock.  I even used a power tool…
 
And an acrylic paint dauber and a doily stamp.

From Crop Chocolate I used:  MME Stella and Rose Hazel, MM Paper Reverie Metallique, Bazzil cardstock, Distress Stain-Vintage Photo, Distress Ink-Brushed Corduroy and Broken China, Slice cordless cutter, Slice card Remember This, MM Paper Reverie gems, Stickles-Crystal and WRMK glitter brads.
From my stash I used:  Glossy Crackle Accents, Tim Holtz Tattered Flower Garland die, Xyron create-a-sticker, Mod Podge, Inkadinkado doily stamp, acrylic paint dauber, Ranger sander.
 
This 8”x8” clock can hang on the wall or stand up on a shelf, so many more placement options that way.
I am actually thrilled with how it turned out…now, will I keep it or give it as a gift??  Do you have trouble giving your creations away?? 

Free to Be You and Me

The new term of the Crop Chocolate Focus Group starts this month and our first challenge is: Create a project based off of your favorite book.
Years ago my Aunt Diane, who was also my godmother gave me a book by Marlo Thomas called Free to Be You and Me. It came with a record and I remember playing those songs over and over again singing along every time! I have very fond memories of the stories and songs so when I saw the 35th anniversary edition at my niece McKenna's school book sale I snatched it up and gave it to the girls (my nieces McKenna and Harper) for Easter.

This layout it inspired by that book and all that it means to me. I haven’t done the journaling yet but I will be adding that.
Crop Chocolate products: Slice cordless cutter, Slice cards Vintage Findings, Remember This and Green Thumb, MME Fly a Kite- Wish, Lime Twist Fly a Kite-Spring, Stella and Rose Lovely, Echo Park Playground, Bazzil cardstock, Distress Ink-Aged Mahogany, Liquid Pearls-Baby Blue.
Non-CC products: Tim Holtz type set die, Xyron Create-a-sticker, MS border punch

I hope this book will be as special to the girls as it is to me. If you have a chance and have young kids check it out…

Challenge #22 - Pastels and Bling

Twenty-two weeks of amazing challenges over at Crop Chocolate!  I had trouble getting started on this one, I don’t usually use pastels.  I was inspired by a fellow Chocolatier’s July project.  Christina did an amazing layout showing a dip dye technique.  Once I got an idea and got started I had fun with this card and really like how it turned out…
This weeks challenge was to create a project using the following guidelines:  Pastels combined with dark bold colors and a bit of bling thrown in for good measure.


Crop Chocolate product: MME 29th St Market, Alcohol Ink-Citrus, Raspberry and Purple Stain, Distress Ink-Walnut Stain, Lush rhinestones and brads, MME Tres Joile quote .
Non-CC product: pastel cardstock scraps, Tim Holtz butterfly die, Core'dinations Black Magic, embossing folder, sander.

These pretty little pastel butterflies are dipped in alcohol ink for a pop of color and then inked around the edges for some depth.  I even used some on the inside of the card to carry the design through.  I was surprised how well the alcohol ink stayed to the edge…I will be using this technique again for sure!

Baby Blue Eyes

When I was in California for the 4th of July I got a chance to see my friends Scott and Allison who have an adorable baby boy!!  I snapped a great photo that turned out to be perfect for a canvas that I will send them as a gift.
This is about 6” x 12”.   I inked the canvas, did some masking, sprayed with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist-woven burlap,  matted the photo, tinted the artist paste and gathered the  trinkets and embellishments I wanted to use.  Vintage Scrabble tiles, wooden numbers, cast resin ship and vintage button by Um Wow Studio, Tim Holtz- gears, wing, filmstrip, charm, glass bottle.  From Crop Chocolate I used:  Distress Stain-Vintage Photo and Broken China, Distress Ink-Walnut Stain and Broken China, Echo Park Playground cardstock, Basic Grey Micro Mono alphas, Fancy Pants-Family buttons.  I also used a couple of things from m stash…burlap twine, tiny clothes pin, pins, tiny seashells and some blue paint.


I love the way this turned out but honestly, with that cute little face as the focus, how could I go wrong?!?  What do you think?  Cute huh?!

Tea light holder

I was inspired by Scrappy Canuck’s farewell project for the Crop Chocolate design team.  I originally saw this project on Pinterest but Scrappy Canuck made it so pretty!!

I made this for my Aunt Marilyn as a thank you gift for picking me up at the airport last week at 5:30 in the morning…she also is saving me tuna cans since I DO NOT eat tuna, yuck.
Most of the embellishments on this project are from UmWow Studios embellishment kit A Dated Journey.  The beautiful flowers, pins and bird on a branch die cut are all from the collection.
I also used MME Everyday Flair, a MM Paper Reverie gem, Distress Ink-Shabby Shutters, Broken China, Brushed Corduroy and Fired Brick, Fancy Pants Family buttons all from Crop Chocolate.  Miracle Tape from VLVS.  Hemp twine, Mod Podge and clothes pins from my stash.
 
I have a feeling I will be making more of these in the near future, wouldn’t they be great hostess gifts?!?  I hope you will try making these too!

July Color Challenge

I came across a fabulous company that focuses on one of my favorite crafting items…TWINE.   Timeless Twine hosts a monthly challenge…this month it is a color challenge and featuring the colors Red, White and Aqua.  To see some beautiful colors of some great twine click on the link above.

My entry is a cute little card I made this afternoon with my very first delivery of Timeless Twine.  I used Firecracker, isn’t it lovely?!?  I also used some products purchased from Crop Chocolate, where this month starts my term on their design team.  I am super excited about these next six months!!!  OK, back to this project…Doodlebug card base and envelope, Echo Park Dots and Stripes, Fancy Pants My Family, Basic Grey Micro Mono alphas and Ranger Liquid Pearls-Rouge.  The rest of the products I used were:  Unity stamps, Basic Grey button, Ranger embossing powder, white cardstock and the cutest little button from Serious Scrap.

I hope you will pop over to the Timeless Twine blog to check out the challenge (by clicking on the link above).  Leave some love while you are there, you’ll see some great projects!!  Thanks for stopping by!!