To my winners of my blog candy...

Everything is in the mail. All packages should be received by the 25th. If you receive it by the 25th, please let me know.

Thanks again ladies! Hope you enjoy your goodies!

<3
Michele

Mid-week blahs

Hi ladies! Sorry about the delay in getting your blog candy out to you but don't fret! Since we have had a bit of delay getting them mailed, I'm including some additional yumminess for you to enjoy. I sure hope you like it!!

Since we had the blog hop, I have decided to clear out a few spaces in my craft room so the items on the floor can have a new home. With this idea, I believe it's time to have a "craft room sale". Over the next few days, I will be posting items that are going up for sale. Let me know if you want to buy them and for how much and it's yours! If there is something you would like to have but don't see it in the pics, let me know and I'll get it to you.

Let the fun begin!!!

Michele

And the winners from the blog hop are.....

.......................drumroll please......................

 

DeeDee

 

CrazyAnniesStitchin

 

mememeow

Scrappinmom2two

By Belle

Congrats ladies! I have sent you all messages requesting your addresses. 

Thanks for all of the wonderful comments!!!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Michele

Craft Room/Organizational Ideas Blog Hop (Crop Chocolate Design Team Farewell)

Thanks for coming to my blog!!! 

This blog hop is to celebrate this past year of being part of an extraordinary group of talented ladies. If you are joining this hop and this is the first site you have come to, slow down sweetie! You need to start at the beginning!! Go to Amber's blog site here and follow the list of blogs from there. Here is the order you will be going in...

Amber 

Paula I.-cricutica

Paula M.-JeepMama

Beth D.-bethd488

Jamie-LMissCrafter

Michele - Craft-a-holic Queen THAT'S ME!!!

Corrie-corriew 

DeeDee-D2

Jenn-Moon

Karen-ScrappyCanuck 
The Crop

Make sure you comment on each and every one of the blogs (and FOLLOW the ladies, too) because you may find that there is lots of blog candy out there waiting to be given away. 

Ok....let's get down to business!

Our design team decided to do a little something fun for our last activity as a design team and we chose.... A BLOG HOP!!! Yes....we know how much you all LOVE blog hops and secretly, I love them too...just don't spread it around, okay??? ::wink wink::  Anyways, after much deliberation, we decided an organizational tips/crafty area hop would be fun. I know when I have looked at pictures of other's spaces, it's helped me find ideas for storage and make my room easy to work in. 

So, without further ado, I present my craft room!

 

This is "Craft Central" where I do all of my work. I have two desks that have been put together to form an "L" shaped area, of which one side has an organizer where I can store those items I "always have to have nearby". 

 On top of the organizer is a little shelf I made to add a little more height AND to give me another place to put little things that I need nearby like nail clippers, my glasses, etc.

 I love the idea of having ribbon handy. If you notice, I use ribbon on almost all of my projects. It's a staple I must have around. Curtain rods work wonderfully as an organizing "tool" for ribbon as well as storing embellies by brand. Also, I found these cute little baskets at a dollar store last fall and just "had to have them". I realized I have A LOT of ribbon and not enough space for it all. So, I found some hooks and screwed them into the wall above my desk, filled my baskets with ribbon, used the "holes" in the baskets for the ribbon to pull through and hung them on the hooks. Talk about being HANDY!!!

 

This is the "supply" side of my room. I love to collect all kinds of baskets and use them for storage if possible. Don't be afraid to be creative in the types of containers you use to store your crafty goodies. There's no Right or Wrong!!

 If I have one suggestion for you all, it is....watch for craft stores that are closing! It's a sad thing to watch businesses close up shop but that is when you will SCORE BIG on storage items! I have a thing for paper and needed space for it all. One of our local scrapbook chains closed up the last of their stores a few months ago so I just HAD to go check out the deals. While I was there, I noticed they were selling their 12-slot 12x12 paper racks for $20 each. YES....$20 each! Couldn't pass that one up for a minute so I bought 4 of them. :) Seriously is the BEST INVESTMENT I have EVER made!

Ahhhh....This last year has gone by so quickly! I can't believe that it was this time last year that I was trying out for the design team for CropChocolate.com and hoping to be one of the lucky ones to be chosen. A year later, I DO count myself as one of the luckiest women on the planet. Not only did I have the opportunity to work with Jon and McCall (CropChocolate's owners) and Amber  (our design team leader and the buyer for CropChocolate) but I now have 10 wonderful friends who will all have a very special place in my heart! Each and everyone of them are so talented and inspire anyone who has the chance to work with them and see their creations. I love them all so much and will miss working with them all.

Now that I have gotten all mushy on you.....guess what??? After the blog hop is over, I will be drawing a name...maybe even two names....and will be sending off some special goodies for coming by. Don't forget to leave a comment so you can have a chance to win!!!

Now it's time for you to move on to Corrie's blog. Have lots of fun and don't forget to come by from time to time to see what's new on my blog!!! <3 <3 <3

CrAfTy FuNnEsS

Just wanted to spend some time sharing some fun things I have made over the last few weeks.

One of the challenges for National Scrapbook Day from CropChocolate and Oh My Crafts was to make something with an "accordian" feature included. Oh My Crafts merged with CropChocolate.com so everything about the projects has a "wedding" theme. I figured I would stick with the theme and make something that would be fun to give as a gift.

One of the things I loved about doing this project was making a "diamond ring". I made it from craft wire, a 3-D glue dot and crystal gems. I think it turned out so nice!

 

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Another challenge we were given was to make something out of a kiss shaped piece of wood. This is for the chance to win a Silhouette Cameo which I would LOVE to have!!! Anyways, I spent a few days thinking about what I wanted to do. My goal was to make it look like a delicious, gooey piece of chocolate in a classic looking package. Although I had a few oopsies, I think it turned out fantastic!!! Man, I sure hope I win!!! LOL!!!

I really wanted some form of a tag on it so I went searching through all of my goodies and couldn't believe what I found! A little, round sticker that says "Simply Irresistible". TA DA!!! Perfect!!!!!!

  

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Ten to fifteen years ago, I went on a clipart "mission". Any clipart that I could find that was cute and fun, I had to have! So, a friend of mine had given me some of her discs that had a GRUNDLE of pics on them and I went nuts!

Although I'm not really outdoorsy, I love outdoorsy pics. Moose are some of my favorite animals to create around. 

I'm trying out some new techniques (to me) and tried my hand at blending. CC's focus groups was asked to do some fussy cutting on our next challenge for June. Me?? Fussy Cutting?? Yeah, right! After totally destroying my first project, I remembered my stash of moose clipart. I broke it out and went to town. Blending....fussy cutting....and VIOLA!

Yeah...it's not the best but I love him!!!

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Last project to be posted today is one that was going to be for the NSD challenge using Making Memories Bravissimo line. After finishing this project, I decided not to enter it. There is something about it that really stirred something in me. Something was telling me to give it to a sweet friend of mine for her birthday. So, once everything was dry, I wrapped it up gently, placed it in a gift bag and gave it to her the next day. Her reaction just about made me cry! I knew deep down inside she would love it!!!

This is a dress form that I painted. The dress is made from tissue paper with a layer of scrapbook paper as an outer part of the skirt. It really was fun to make and I'm so happy my friend liked it!!!

Ok, it's late and I need sleep. Talk to you all later!!!

Michele <3