Gifts for $20 in 20 Minutes Blog Hop: Trinket Box Video Tutorial

Glue Dots recently challenged our design team to create handmade gifts for $20 or less that can also be made in about 20 minutes. We took the challenge and are blog-hopping to share the projects with you!

I chose to repurpose a chocolate box my husband gave me for Sweetest Day. With all the chocolate gone, I knew the empty box would be perfect for trinkets and other memorabilia.

Quick Handmade Gift: Trinket Box

I decorated the box using items from my own stash, which technically makes this a free handmade gift. For the purpose of this blog hop, I included the price of each item within my first-ever step-by-step video tutorial. Have a watch:

How did I do for my first video tutorial? I'm thinking this may be a new trend for me and like the results. There's room for improvement, but I'm feeling good about trying something new.

Now, let's get hopping! Check out the rest of the Glue Dots Team:

Glue Dots Blog
You're here--> Danielle
Dawn
Donna
Erin
Grace
Jessica
Joy
Samantha
Smitha

Be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a supply of Glue Dots! A winner will be announced on Friday, November 22nd. Good luck! ~Danielle

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Glue Dots Favorite Things Blog Hop

Are you a scrapbooker, crafter, teacher, parent, home decorator... or just love Glue Dots®? Yes? Then you are in the right place! 

Welcome to the Glue Dots Favorite Things blog hop! You'll be meeting all the talented designers on the Glue Dots Resource Team and also get a chance to win some prizes!

I'm Danielle and have been designing for Glue Dots since 2010, making this my forth term on the team! 

Obviously, I love scrapbooking and crafting with Glue Dots and can never have enough Micro and Mini Glue Dots®... or even the Glue Lines®. I can't pick a favorite!

With so many Glue Dots projects under my belt and the two different blogs I've shared them on (my old and this one), my favorite thing is seeing what projects people like. 

Let's take a look at the fan favorites, my top five Glue Dots tutorials of all time, along with a couple of my recent favorites.

1. Paper Rainbow

2. Toilet Paper Roll Bunnies

3. Upcycled Toy Storage

4. Bloody Scrapbook Layout

5. Googly Eyed Easter Eggs

Honorable Mentions (a couple of my favorites)....

* Coaster Scrapbook

* Repurposed Pie Pan

All of the projects can be tweaked to your liking or for different holidays. Since we're in the fall season, imagine toilet paper roll pumpkins and bats... or use Glue Dots® to add googly eyes to your pumpkins. The ideas are limitless! Want more creativity? Check out the Glue Dots Team:

Dawn

Donna

Erin

Joy

Jessica

Danielle <--You are here!

Smitha

Samantha

Grace

And the... Glue Dots Blog

What's your favorite way to use Glue Dots? Share your thoughts below and don't forget about your chance to win an awesome supply of Glue Dots! You have until 12 p.m. CST on October 30 and a winner will be announced Halloween morning on the Glue Dots Blog. Earn extra entries by liking each team member's Twitter or Facebook pages (my Twitter & Facebook). Enter here: 

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Your Story Matters Blog Hop

Did you hear? Your Story Matters is now available for purchase!

What IS Your Story Matters? Well, it just so happens to be the book I'm published in and includes scrapbook layouts created by the storytellers of ScrapHappy.

Today, we're celebrating the release of Your Story Matters: 25 Memories To Capture Now with a super exciting blog hop where you get a chance to WIN an electronic copy of the book! (If you're just starting out, the blog hop begins at Layout a Day.)

We're giving away THREE copies of the book and all you have to do is answer this question: What story do you feel is critical for every scrapbooker to document?

I answered that question with this eco-friendly scrapbook layout:

"GMA" 12x12 Scrapbook Layout for Your Story Matters

I feel it's important to document the people you miss. It's scrapbook therapy and I blogged more about that here. Since my grandmother was such an influence on my life, I revisited the topic with a photo of her and my firstborn child, as well as a photo of me when I visited my grandmother in Arizona during my childhood. 

The journaling reads: Grandma Wood lived in Arizona while I was growing up and was the only grandparent I truly got to know. We'd spend time together during her annual trips to Ohio & the few times I traveled to Arizona, where she lived. Grandma eventually moved to Pennsylvania at the end of her life & had a chance to meet both of my girls, even though she may not have known who they were. I miss her lively personality & wish my girls could have known her like I did. -Documented July 26, 2012

Supplies: cardstock (DCWV, Jillibean Soup), diecuts (Jillibean Soup), corrugated letters (Jillibean Soup), black floss (Sew Easy), corrugated cardboard scraps, Distrezz-it-All, black ink (StazOn), adhesive (Glue Dots Pop Up & Mini, Recollections tabs), black pen.

Now's your chance to win book full of scrapbook layouts documenting important life stories! Leave a comment by Saturday (1/19/13) and you could be one of three winners chosen from the comments made on all participating blogs. Winners will be announced at Layout a Day on Monday (1/21) and prizes must be claimed by next Wednesday (1/23).

Can't wait? Skip the $7 introductory price, buy Your Story Matters now for only $5 with coupon code HOP and download it immediately! This coupon is good until midnight on 1/21/13 and if you just so happen to be a lucky winner, your money will be refunded - nothing to lose!

Start here--> Lain Ehmann: Layout a Day

Leslie Smith: Out of the Mire

Alison Charlton: Scrapping in Singapore

Heather Dubarry:  noexcusescrapbooking.com

You're here--> Danielle Hunter: EcoScrapbook

Next stop--> Cathy Holiday: Pikes Peak Scrapper

Monica Bradford: Scrap Inspired

Alison Day:  A Day In The Life...or 5!

Paivi Eerola: Peony and Parakeet

Lynnette Nagle: Sassyscrapper

Kelli Panique: Use It Scrapbooking!

Danielle Taylor: Scrapper on the Street

Before you leave, don't forget answer: What story do you feel is critical for every scrapbooker to document?

EcoScrapbook's Earth Day Blog Hop

 
Happy Earth Day! It makes me happy to have you here and thinking about the earth. I've gathered together some of my favorite scrapbookers for this blog hop and we're all excited that you're joining us today.

Let's kick off this Earth Day Blog Hop with a project I made as I was in the process of planning my kitchen renovations. 

Upcycled Travel Notebook

I'll be using this travel notebook during a mini-vacation I'm taking with my daughters and mother-in-law. We're not sure where we're going yet, but I know this will come in handy when it's time to scrapbook our vacation memories.

The cover of the notebook are floor samples I found at a home improvement store. This is what the back of the notebook looks like:

I used a little vintage compass given to me by my husband's grandmother (my MIL's mom).

The inside pages are old maps, cut to fit the floor samples.

To embellish the travel notebook, I also used these other supplies: handmade paper, Smash Pad notecard, Offray ribbon, Jillibean Soup canvas flower, DCWV cardstock, bird diecut, ink, marker, Stickles, Glue Dots©, Pink Paislee twine, edge distresser, Cinch binder and wire.

Hope my project has inspired you to look at things in a different light and figure out how to reuse items as you craft.

Now, for the giveaway...

I've included a few of my favorite things: DCWV Paper Stack (World Traveler), Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type letter stickers, XXL & Mini Glue Dots©, handmade embellishments made using paper scraps and reusable packaging (created by yours truly).

The paper and adhesive are courtesy of DCWV and Glue Dots (a perk from being a Glue Dots Dottess). I must note that the World Traveler Stack is not as eco-friendly as other DCWV stacks such as The Green Stack, but it's from "my stash" and I'm all about using and sharing the supplies I currently own.

Two ways to enter:  

1. Like EcoScrapbook on Facebook or 2. Become a blog follower/subscriber (see blog sidebar) AND leave a comment below for a chance to win the prizes shown above. I will announce the winner later this week!

You're next stop is Inspired Jules...

And if you get lost along the way, here's the list of blogs participating in today's Earth Day Blog Hop.  
Note: Links have been updated to go to actual blog hop posts.

You're here--> Danielle: EcoScrapbook

Next--> Jules: Inspired Jules

Renee: Charms Buttons & Bows

Mariah: Its Fun2Scrap

Stephanie: Scrapworthy Lives

Natalie: Almost Never Clever

S: Snaps & Snippets

Zaira: Hacer Scrapbooks (in Spanish, translation tool available)

Lisa: Recklinghausen Musings

Jody: SpiegelMom Scraps!

Thanks for stopping by! ~Danielle

Calling All Crafters: Link Up Your Toilet Paper Roll Projects for a Chance to Win!

Toilet paper rolls. We all use them. They end up in the recycling bin, or worse, the trash. What else can we do with the cardboard tubes that hold our toilet paper? I've been thinking about that question since the day I started saving empty toilet paper rolls several months ago. (And several years ago, I would've thought this idea was crazy!)

I knew there would come a time when I wanted to round up other crafters and see what kind of projects we can make with toilet paper rolls. That time is now.

Join EcoScrapbook's Toilet Paper Roll Challenge!

I've already made these toilet paper roll crafts:

 Easter Kid's Craft: Toilet Paper Roll Bunnies

Easter Craft Tutorial: Toilet Paper Roll Gift Boxes

DIY: Birdseed Ornaments + Upcycled Tags

Let's see what you can do. Link up your projects below for a chance to win some goodies from my scrapbooking stash.

This prize pack includes EK Success "Endless Summer" Fresh Cuts & Mini "Birthday" Fresh Cuts, Creative Imaginations "Sportz Graffiti" stickers, Karen Foster "Jazz Dance" stickers, Michael's "key" rub-ons, unknown chipboard & diecuts, Pebbles Inc. "Love" wood charms, My Mind's Eye letter rub-ons, Provo Craft chipboard frames, Removable Glue Dots, Poster Glue Dots, Recollections acrylic alphabets, My Mind's Eye "Lush" green ribbons, In The Loop ribbon, Making Memories snaps & eyelets.

How does the Toilet Paper Roll Challenge work?

1. Create a project using a toilet paper roll(s). If you've already made one and blogged about it, you can use that too.

2. Write a blog post featuring your project. Include a link back to this post and the image below:

3. Come back to this post, click on the "add your link" button and fill out the form. Note: By linking up, you give EcoScrapbook permission to feature your project and a link to your blog in possible upcoming posts.

Optional: Visit the linked-up blogs to show your support to other toilet paper roll challengers. Tweet, Facebook, G+ about this challenge. Tell your friends and neighbors....the more, the merrier!

Bonus: Use your toilet paper roll project to participate in my upcoming Earth Day Blog Hop on April 22. After the blog hop, you can link your project to this post and still have a chance to win the prizes shown above. Or you can create two different projects and participate in both - double the fun! Click here for more information about the blog hop or email me (ecoscrapbook at yahoo dot com) with any questions.

The Toilet Paper Roll Challenge is ongoing throughout April and the first week of May. A winner will be chosen in May. Good luck! ~Danielle

Digital scrapbooking with My Memories Suite + a giveaway

We all know that digital scrapbooking is not a new concept and there are many people that can probably digiscrap with their eyes closed. However, I do not fit into that category and consider myself a

digiscrap newbie.

Besides using basic photo editing tools and making photobooks on various sites, I haven't had much experience with digital scrapbook software until My Memories Suite.

My Memories Suite

I excitedly downloaded the digital scrapbooking software (it's not a super-fast download, so clear a little time out of your schedule before you do it) and once it was ready, I opened it up and started to play.

There's an assortment of pre-loaded basic templates and designer templates with plenty of add-ons available at the My Memories site (including free stuff...yay!). I decided to start my first layout with a basic three-photo template and went from there. 

I added in an additional photo, changed the background color, moved the photos around, added a mat and shadows, inserted text and embellishments...well, you get the point. 

I had full control over my scrapbook page:

"Camping" Digital Scrapbook Layout

I know this isn't an incredibly knock-out page, but with a bit of practice, I'll be digiscrapping like the pros!

The next layout I created using the digital scrapbooking software was a designer template. All I really needed to do was add photos and say I'm done. But...that's not me and I

always have to tweak things to my liking. 

So once again, I added the photos, cropped as needed, inserted journaling and a couple embellishments...then when I thought my layout was complete, I said NO, I'll move things around a little bit more. Done. Saved. Check it out:

"Diva" Digital Scrapbook Layout

Just so you know, I haven't done much traditional scrapbooking for about three months and with digital scrapbooking software easily accessible on my laptop, I'm beginning to think that my scrapbooking supplies are going to continue to gather dust while I keep playing with My Memories Suite. 

I haven't printed a single photo this year and as of right now, I don't plan to since 

I'll be digiscrapping all my photos from 2011.

Quite a task for a newbie, but My Memories Suite makes it easy. And now you have a chance to win your very own digital scrapbooking software download!

All you have to do is visit My Memories, browse the site, then come back here and leave a comment with the names your favorite digital paper packs or layouts.

I'll leave the comments open until Sunday and announce the winner on Monday, September 12, 2011. Good luck!

And if you want to skip the giveaway and start scrapbooking today, use coupon code STMMMS67809 (unique code is only good for a $10 discount on My Memories Suite v2 and $10 coupon at the MyMemories.com store - $20 value!).

Until then, learn more about My Memories by visiting their blog or following them on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: This post is part of the My Memories affiliate program.