"Secret" Surprise Mini Album

One of my favorite candies are the boxes of chocolates with fillings . . . you know, the ones you don’t know what it is until you take a bite out of one or poke your finger in the bottom. Not only do I love the chocolate, but I love the “surprise” in the middle. So for my October Design Team project this month on CropChocolate, I decided to do a “Secret Surprise Mini Album” . . . it’s called a “Secret Surprise” because it’s “filling” (it’s pages) are made of a “secret” ingredient . . . toilet paper rolls!! J And because each page has a “surprise” in the middle of it . . . an extra tag for more pictures or journaling. 

On the 1st "Secret" Surprise mini album I did, I used eyelets and binder rings to hold it together. While it worked, I wanted something different. Then one day I was in my LSS and saw a mini album that looked like a hardback book. I talked to one of my friends who works there and mentioned to her what I was doing and how I wanted it to look. Before I knew it she had copied some instructions on how to do that hardback cover. So I give credit for the cover to my LSS.

Here's what the final project looked like:

To see it in more detail and instructions, click on this IG link.

Till the next time I'm up in the night.  Kathy

Pinterest Inspired

Have you ever been to Pinterest?  It is a GREAT place to get inspired or to find ideas, recipes, etc.  And if you haven't, you should.  But be careful, it is VERY addicting. :)

Well, this month for CropChocolate's Focus Group, our assignment was to be "Pinterest Inspired".  So after much debating, I fell in love with a layout using Mischievous by My Mind's Eye.  I knew it would be the perfect layout for some pictures I took of my daughter and nieces & nephew.  Here's the "pin" and what I did:

Supplies

CC Products:

Mischievous paper collection by MME

Mischievous 6x6 paper pad

Amy Tangerine Sketch Journal Collection (used the Thickers included)

Jovial brads by BG

Lush 2 rhinestones (orange)

black/white twine

Season's Greetings brads by EP

buttons by FP (not sure which line since I put all my buttons in 

one jar and I have bought all my buttons from CC)

Walnut Stain distress ink

and Snake Tape. 

NonCC: Heidi Swap Memory File rub-ons; Kaiser Kraft tine type (toffee apple); 

and Glimmer Mists (I mixed "Burnt Red" and "Kandy Korn" to get a burnt orange.

This picture looks a bit dark ...not sure why since I used reg light and my Ott lite - it is brighter IRL.   So what do you think?

Till the next time I'm up in the night.  Kathy

Secret Surprise Mini Album

For October, our Design Team then was "Favorite Candy".  One of my favorite candies are the boxes of chocolates with fillings . . . you know, the ones you don’t know what it is until you take a bite out of one or poke your finger in the bottom.  Not only do I love the chocolate, but I love the “surprise” in the middle.  So for my project this month, I decided to do a “Secret Surprise Mini Album”  . . . it’s called a “Secret Surprise” because it’s “filling” (it’s pages) are made of a “secret” ingredient . . . toilet paper rolls!! J And because each page has a “surprise” in the middle of it . . . an extra tag for more pictures or journaling.  (You will see in my final pictures of my project that there are no pictures in this album . . . that is because I’m going to using this for the Mini Album Swap.)

On the 1st "Secret" Surprise mini album I did, I used eyelets and binder rings to hold it together.  While it worked, I wanted something different.  Thne one day I was in my LSS and saw a mini album that looked like a hardback book. I talked to one of my friends who works there and mentioned to her what I was doing and how I wanted it to look.  Before I knew it she had copied some instructions on how to do that hardback cover.  So I give credit for the cover to my LSS.

So today on The Crop, my "Secret Surprise Mini Album" is up  Here's a sneak peek . . .

To find out more on how to make this album and / or to see it in more detail, go to The Crop on CropChocolate.com.  And while you are there, stop by the past deal page to see what's has been up and you can still get. :)

Till the next time I'm up in the night.  Kathy 

Challenge 34a and 34b

Once again, Crop Chocolate decided to do a twist this week for the weekly challenges.  Instead of one, there were two challenges.

The first challenges  was to make my favorite dessert and post the recipe step-by-step using pictures and words on Instructagram.com and on the CropChocolate.com contest page.  We were to list the product used and a URL where to buy at least one of the items used (Kitchenaid, cookie sheet, etc.) to make it.  Then share on FB or Pin it on Pinterest.

I decided to make a favorite of my daughter's "Nutella Dessert Crescents".  Very simple and very delicious.  Here's the link to the IG to get the instructions:  http://www.instructagram.com/igrams?cat=71#iGram  Here's a picture of what it turned out like:

If you can't get the link to work to go to IG, please post a comment in the replies and I'll get the recipe posted in another post.  Thanks!

The second challenge was to use on the cards from the CC OWH Blog Hop and create another card.  Then post it both on IG and on CC's contest page.  Here's what I came up with:

Supplies

CC products: 

Designer Cardstock - white by Carte Bella

Black Soot distress ink

black/white twine

snake tape

Copic marker

black button from "Oct 31" by Fancy Pants

NonCC: Spica pens (pitch black, gold, pink, clear)

I did a card similar for the OWH blog hop, but used gold and red for Cyclone colors.  Here I used Iowa Hawkeye colors. :)  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  It was so simple, but make a nice card.

Till the next time I'm up in the night.  Kathy

Challenge 33

Last week's challenge on Crop Chocolate came with a twist.  Yes, there still was a crafty element to the challenge, but it was also a contest for $100 Crop Credit and a chance to try something new the owners have in development.

For the challenge, we were to create a project (card, layout, altered item, etc.) using a patterned paper with text and a metal embellishment.  Then came the twist . . . we were to (1) create an account on Instructagram.com; (2) take step-by-step pictures of the project and upload to IG; (3) share on FB, pin on Pinterest, etc.; and (4) answer a couple questions regarding IG.

Oh, and we were able to enter more than once!!!  Boy, I don't know anyone who could NOT use $100  in Crop Credits.   So to work I went . . .

My 1st project is a Christmas Wreath made from 3D stars.  Here's how it turned out:

Supplies:

CC Product

Very Merry Christmas paper collection by Echo Park

Christmas This & That paper by Echo Park (multi-colored dots)

Doodlebug Christmas buttons

Making Memories "Noel" brads & metal stars

Cameo

NonCC: chipboard; hot glue gun; misc. ribbon

Since I still had a bit of time, I decided to do a 2nd project . . . I wanted all the chances I could at that $100 Crop Credit. :)  So I decided to recreate a tag that I did years ago in a make 'n take.  Here's how it turned out:

Supplies:

CC Products

Walnut Stain & Fired Brick distress ink

Stickles

MM mini staples

twine from Jillibean

Snake Tape

Cameo

NonCC: tag; TH Christmas stamp; Star pin; misc. Christmas paper (I know I got from CC, but it was scraps so I had no name for it); and misc. ribbon

So what do you think?  I thought they turned out pretty good.  Too bad I didn't win the $100 Crop Credit . . . BUT I had a lot of fun creating and uploading my projects to Instructagram.com.

Till the next time I'm up in the night.  Kathy

Winners, Winners, Winners . . .

for the past 10 days or so, the Crop Chocolate Design Team hosted an OWH blog hop . . . to encourage others to make cards for our deployed "HEROES".  The response was overwhelming and the cards . . . well, the cards were just outstanding.  So a big "THANK YOU"  to everyone who took time to participate . . . our "HEROES"  will appreciate the efforts of each and every one of you. :)

Now onto the winners of my blog candy and the $20 Crop Credit . . .

{{drum roll}} . . .

The winner of the 1st thing of blog candy is . . .

JeepMama . . . you can see her wonderful creations here.

The winner of the 2nd thing of blog candy is . . .

NinaN . . . you can see her amazing cards here.

And the winner for the $20 Crop Credit for making the most cards is . . .

BethD488 . . . you can see all 76 cards she made here.

Congrats to each of you!!!  Please PM on Crop Chocolate with your name and mailing addy so I can get your goodies in the mail. And Beth, please PM with your email addy so I can get your Crop Credits ordered.

Again, thank you to each and every one of you who participated in such a worthy cause.  And, remember, just because there isn't a blog hop going on, doesn't mean that you can't still make cards for OWH . . . they take any type of cards throughout the year.  For more information, click here.

Till the next time I'm up in the night.  Kathy

OWH Blog Hop Challengs

Even though I've been busy helping my daughter get her Halloween costume sewn, I've also been busy getting some cards done for the OWH blog hop that CropChocolate's Design Team has been hosting from Sept. 28 to Oct. 8.  With the exception for the Christmas cards I made from "Festive" by Authentique for Brenna's and Jenni's Challenges (actually, it was same one I did for my own challenge, but I made several more to enter in their challenges) and for the basic white cardstock I used for Christina's challenge, all of my cards were made with leftovers from "The Good Life" by Echo Park.    I did this since there were two challenges that wanted us to use up one collection or one collections scraps . . . might as well be efficient, right?  It made it easy to mix and match the colors and patterns, plus make several of the same card while changing sentiments.   Here's what I came up with:

Amber's Challenge was to use this sketch:

Here's what I came up with:

Michelle's challenge was to use this sketch:

Here's what I came up with:

I ended up doing several of this card, but changed the sentiment. I only show 2 of the 4 I did.

Brenna's challenge was to " make subtly dimensional cards that are visually and tactile-y interesting, without being lumpy or difficult to ship".  Since one of the cards I made for my own challenge fit these requirements, I  went ahead and made a couple more.  Here's what they look like:

Julies challenge was to use the following sketch that she came up with:

Here's what I came up with:

For both Brittany and Nina's challenges, we were to either use up scraps from one collection or use up an old or new collection.  Since I had just made two cards from "The Good Life" by Echo Park and had plenty of scraps left from it, I decided to continue to use this collection for as many of the challenges as I could so I could complete both Brittany and Nina's challenges.  I ended up with 1 sheet of paper and a handful of little pieces (less than 2"x 12") left.  Here's what I came up with:

Miwa's challenge was to use one of the sketches she came up with:  Here's the two I decided to try:

Here's what I came up with:

Jenni's challenge was to use a paper punch and a stamp.  Once again, one of the cards I did for my own challenge would work with this along with a card I did for another challenge.  Here's what I came up with:

Christina's challenge was to make a card with an unusual fold.  I liked the card Christina did, so I scraplifted it,, but used different stamps.  I ended up doing a total of 11 for this challenge.  Here's what I came up with:

Thanks so much for coming back to check out what I did.  I'm so excited that I now have a total of 74 cards  to send off to OWH . . . that is from OWH Virtual Card Party and from this CC's OWH Blog Hop.  I didn't show all the cards I made, but tried to show the best ones I could get in the pictures. :)

Till the next time I'm up in the night.  Kathy