Pay it Forward, Blogger Challenge

Happy Sunday All! I hope you all had a blast during my blog's anniversary celebration! Last chance to enter all of the giveaways!

Just in case you haven't had enough fun this week, I stumbled upon this very fun challenge from Juggling Act the other day and thought it would be great to participate -- Pay It Forward, Blogger Challenge.

So...The first three people that comment on this post will get a gift from me within the next month. All you have to do is follow the rules below.

1. Within a month, I will create something unique to share with the first 3 people that comment on this specific post.
2. ...but, in order for your present to arrive, you must play along. Spread the love on YOUR own blog promising to send a little something special to the first three that comment on your post.
3. You get 72 hours (that's 3 days) to re-post this SAME post, or I'll have to move on to the next person.
4. PLEASE, only comment if you are willing to pay it forward.

So, if you are interested, comment away! Please include the following in your comment:

Name
Blog address
E-mail address
Something about you to let me get to know you better! Could be your favorite color, season, food, how many pets or kids you have, what you do for a living, anything! PS - You can leave more than one thing ;)

Giveaway & A Pinteresting Link Party - Week 59

Happy Weekend! I hope you've enjoyed the giveaways and the guests posts this week! Now there's one last giveaway and a chance to get your party on! And then don't forget to link up your projects for this week's Pinteresting Link Party!

First the giveaway, from my real-life, super talented friend Shelby from...

Shelby...Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Shelby, I'm a 27 year old Detroit, MI native. I moved to Chicago in 2008 for a better job and to catch a guys eye. 2 years later I married that wonderful man, and we now have 2 adorable cats (Phil Leap & Dorian Gray). I have been working as a full time Graphic Designer/Art Director since I graduated college, and love growing my freelance business, Graphic Giraffe, where I create art, invitations, design and more!

When did you get started with graphic design?
After studying Theoretical Mathematics for a year in college, I took an extracurricular art class which reignited my love of art and creating things, so I switched my major to Graphic Design, which combined my passion for art and my desire to have a job, haha.

What is your favorite invitation design you offer?
I am a little biased with the design titled "Shelby", since it was the design I created for my own wedding invitations. I also love the design "Fiona". It looks so beautiful when printed on beautiful quality paper, mounted on a red linen cardstock and tied with a twine bow.
  

What is your favorite way to spend the weekend?
I love having relaxing mornings, just sitting on my front porch sipping my coffee. In the evenings, I enjoy spending time with friends. I'm a sucker for Martha Stewart, and hosting parties and get together allows me to show off my Martha skills!  

What's your favorite thing about birthdays?
I love birthdays, my favorite thing about my birthdays are making my husband wine & dine me for the entire week. Everyone should have a birthday week!

Thanks Shelby! All her invitation designs are fabulous! And one super lucky winner gets a set of three 8x10 beautiful kitchen art prints.

You get to choose the graphic, background, and color for your prints. 

Now I know you want to win this, so get to it! You only have until Monday night to enter the giveaway AND link up your projects!


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Guest Post - Tutus & Tea Parties

Happy Friday! I hope you've enjoyed the party on my blog this week -- don't forget to go enter the giveaways from Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. And don't forget to come back tomorrow for the last giveaway of the party!

Well, onto the guest post. My bloggy friend Lauren from Tutus & Tea Parties is here to share this fun project with you...

I am so happy to be here on Here's to Handy Andy! I'm Lauren and if you don't know, I blog over at Tutus & Tea Parties about crafting and parenting...and sometimes crochet projects. I also am the co-host with Here's to Handy Andy for the weekly Pinteresting Party where we link up our post and pin one another's link ups. It's fun! I'd love for you to stop by and say hello. Onto the post...

I'm not the biggest Halloween person, but I do love me some Halloween decorations! Over the years of moving (yes, we've moved 5 times in the past 7 years...don't ask) I've either lost or broken most of my decorations so I figured why not make some?! To go along with my cute little pumpkin candle holders (his smaller, chubbier friend has missing eyeballs so he's not in the photo), I made a candy cane colored rice jar. I think it's pretty cute, and it was cheap and easy to make. Yep, gotta love them cheap & easy projects!

Materials:

• White Rice (I got 2 large boxes at Walmart for under $2 each)
• Food Coloring (you only need red and yellow)
• 2 large zip top bags (one for each color you'll be mixing)
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Cookie Sheet (to dry the rice)
• Mason Jar or Glass Bottle with labels removed
• a kid who likes to shake things (optional)

Process:

I used about half a box for each color only because I am using the leftover rice for a kiddo project which you'll see soon! Otherwise, just use about a cup or two of rice for each color, depending on your jar size.

Pour your desired amount of rice into a bag. Add a splash of rubbing alcohol (I used about 2 TBS for my half a box) and your food coloring. I found that mixing the red & yellow (to make orange, duh) is better done in a bowl and then poured into the rice for even coloring.

 

Grab your kid (or do it yourself) and shake that bag until all the rice is colored. Add more alcohol/food coloring if needed. (It's always fun to sing Shake Senora as you do it...but that might be just me.)

Repeat for yellow. Lay out the rice (separated) onto a cookie sheet and let dry overnight.

 

Layer your rice into the jar and there you have it! Cute, eh? You can even go as far as painting the lid (which I clearly should have done noticing the rusty spots as I look at the photos now).

Enjoy your Candy Corn Jar! 

PS- I love when people blow up my Facebook wall, so do it and share your project...or just say hey!

Giveaway from CherryPinkPrints

Today is the day -- it's my blog's one year anniversary! Make sure you go enter the other giveaways from Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday! We're just going to keep right on celebrating, and today we have a giveaway from...

Amelia...Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hello I'm Amelia and I design and create my own digital art and scrapbooking materials. I'm married and live in London with my hubby and cat. I work full time as a graphic designer in London and spend my evenings working on the shop. 

When did you start making digital scrapbooking materials?
I started making scrapbooking materials a few years ago. For our honeymoon my husband and I went on an American east coast road trip for a month! When i got back i made a scrapbook of our trip. I designed my own banners and scrapbook papers for it and really enjoyed created all the bits. Then, in 2011 I decided to start up my own Etsy shop selling my designs. My style has changed a little over the years and now I'm heavily influenced by vintage ephemera and illustrations.

What is your favorite thing in your shop?
Tricky question! i think it might be my VINTAGE COLLAGE NOTECARDS as this was one of the first collage designs i did and i really love all the illustrations used. I have them printed and framed in my hallway.

What is your favorite way to spend a weekend?
Working in a busy city like London my favorite way to spend a weekend is in the Kent countryside. Its beautiful (even in all the rain!) and the south coast and views of Dover is stunning. I like going for long walks with friends and finishing up in a tea shop for a big piece of cake!

What's your favorite thing about birthdays?
I like to spend my birthday with my family and close friends. just a quiet meal followed by a big bit of cake! (incase you didn't guess, i'm a big fan of cake!) I always get loads of craft based presents which is brilliant as it shows just how well all my friends and family know me!

Thanks Amelia! I love those Vintage Collage Notecards...and pretty much everything else in her shop! And one lucky winner will receive a $20 shop credit!

Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter, you know you want to!

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Giveaway from LadyBugtole & CassElizaDesigns

Hello! I'm so glad you're back today because I have another giveaway for you to enter! Don't forget to enter the giveaways from PoppyDreamz and 2BeesPress while there is still time!

Today we have a giveaway from two shops!

Peggy...When did you start making scrapbooks & jewelry?
I starting doing scrapbooks 3 years ago, the first one was a gift for my daughter and I was hooked.
I've been doing some type of crafts for 30 years, I started doing jewelry about 7 years ago.

What is your favorite thing in your shop?
My favorite thing in my scrapbook shop is the pink rose album in the jewelry shop its the purple collage brooch.

What is your favorite way to spend a weekend?
The my favorite way to spend a weekend is with family and friends up North.

What is your favorite thing about birthdays?
My favorite thing about birthdays,( I don't have them anymore, LOL) but it would be to get together with family and friends.

Thanks Peggy! Up for grabs today is a $15 shop credit to LadyBugtole AND a $15 credit to CassElizaDesign - that's right, TWO winners today!


Ready, set...ENTER!


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Giveaway from 2BeePress

Welcome to day three of my blog's birthday celebration! I hope you've entered the PoppyDreamz giveaway, and I know you loved yesterday's guest post from Emily at 52 Mantels. Well the goodies aren't done -- today we have a giveaway from...

Sarah...Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am a native Oregonian and currently living in Eugene, Oregon but I have lived in Japan and Brooklyn NY- both places full of design and creativity. While in Japan I fell in love with decorative paper and started collecting rolled sheets of paper and sending them home until my parents said, "Enough!" While in NY I studied bookbinding and love pocket journals. 

 When did you start making paper goods?
I have been collecting and creating with paper since I got my first pair of scissors and glue in Kindergarten.

What is your favorite thing in your shop?
I like everything I create and place in my shop, if it isn't a favorite of mine I won't sell it.

What is your favorite way to spend a weekend?
I love spending the weekend carving different stamps and printing on different colors and textures of paper. I also like to go hiking with my husband in the forests and along the beach exploring all the colors and textures in nature.

What is your favorite thing about birthdays?
Another favorite thing of mine is any celebration, be it birthday, anniversary or just because. I love being with friends and family and eating good food -and of course eating the cake that no celebration would be without!

Thanks Sarah! I love all the journals and tags in her shop, and YOU could be the lucky winner of the following items from 2BeePress:

A Deer with Antlers Moleskine journal and four of each of the following gift tags (for a total of 12): 4 Santa Hat, 4 Pine Tree and 4 Santa's Reindeer.

I know you want to win -- now use the Rafflecopter form below to enter! Good luck!

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Guest Post - 52 Mantels

Hey All! Today I am so excited to have Emily from 52 Mantels guest posting today. Her blog is one of my favorites - she has so many great ideas for decorating! 

I'm SO excited that Liz has invited me over to share with you today! I'm Emily from 52 Mantels, a blog about all things home, including weekly mantel makeovers (I'm on mantel 50 now...woohoo!), easy recipes, seasonal crafts and simple DIY projects! 

Today, I thought I'd share a little round up of some of my past Pumpkin Crafts. Don't you love Fall? I sure do! And, I love, love, love decorating with pumpkins! Fast crafts are kinda my thing, and these are no exception. With an 18 month old daughter, I've got to keep my projects quick and easy! 

Scrapbook Paper Pumpkin

Colorful Sock Pumpkins

DIY Pumpkin Picture Holders

Mini Pumpkin Place Card Holders

Monogrammed Pumpkin

I'd be thrilled if you tried out one (or more!) of my fast pumpkin crafts! And, if you do, come tell me about it!

Come see me sometime at 52 Mantels!

Like what you see? Follow 52 Mantels!