BACK TO SCHOOL BLOG HOP DAY #1

Welcome to the BACK TO SCHOOL BLOG HOP, DAY #1
This Blog Hop is FOUR DAYS long with a new project for EACH DAY! Please be sure to check back each day because I know the ladies have worked really hard to create something awesome to share with you! There will be a bunch great projects and FUN with the possibility of winning prizes along the way!! All of the blog hop ladies are new crafty friends and I just know this is going to be an AWESOME HOP! 
A HUGE THANK YOU to Rebekah for organizing this!  
If you have come from Amanda - you are in the right place! If you happened to stop by today and would like to start at the beginning of the blog hop, please start  at our fantastic hostess' Rebekah's blog so that you can join in on ALL OF THE FUN and CREATIVITY! 


Now, onto my projects :) I am sharing three for today-I had things I needed to work on and decided to include them in on the blog hop. The projects I had originally planned on posting today I will be added to another day's line up which means MORE PROJECTS FOR YOU TO SEE =) The projects for today are not complicated or time consuming projects but AMAZING gifts if you want to create something for someone in a relatively inexpensive way-and I am all for inexpensive in cost but not in looks :) A GREAT IDEA for teachers for a welcome back to school gift!!


The first project was a journal I made that I was planning on selling. I love the colors of the Bo Bunny paper line I used and as I was creating it, my youngest son informed me that HE WANTED IT for school... I WAS SO HONORED THAT HE WOULD WANT IT!  I was so excited, I asked him what he wanted me to add to it (of course because I wanted to "create it up a bit") and he said it was perfect the way it was.... Well, it's a bit plain for what I normally do but he is right. For him, it will be perfect and usable...  The letters were cut from my gypsy and I then used crystal effects to add some dimension to the letters. I  pop dotted them added a little string and there you have it! I thought it came out cute but not too labor intensive and it was totally cost effective too!

This is a  card I created for a friend of mine that went from the elementary school my son just graduated from to another local school. It was also made with my gypsy. Not too complicated at all but cute and fun :) This is matted on yellow, black, lined paper from the Bo Bunny line I used, then the card was cut in red with yellow and 

black accents placed on a 4.25 x 5.5 card. 

This is another journal I created to sell. I love the color scheme to this paper. I had some velvet ribbon and decided to add a rose, pearl flourishes and a ribbon accent to this. Once again, this is NOT complicated at all but definitely looks elegant and would make a great gift for a welcome back to school teacher gift or a birthday gift for a friend as well!

Now I KNOW I LOVE TO WIN PRIZES and if you have followed my blog, you already know I have done really well in the past 6 weeks (FIVE TIMES!) so of course I LOVE GIVING AWAY BLOG CANDY TOO!!  One lucky blog candy winner will receive some really cool stuff! Now to win on my blog, you will need to be a follower of my blog, 
comment on ALL FOUR DAYS OF THE  BLOG HOP and answer this question-What is your favorite memory of school and why? My favorite memory of school was my 3rd grade teacher Miss Lind. I just remember her being so wonderful and kind-EXACTLY what one would imagine a teacher SHOULD BE! Fortunately, thanks to Facebook, I have gotten back in contact with her and am so blessed to have her in my life once again.  Just as sweet and kind as she was 30+ years ago! 

For an EXTRA chance to win, place my button on your blog and comment that you did so! It's just that simple :)

The blog candy winner for my blog will be announced on Monday, August 15th by noon PT. EVERYONE is eligible to win-I have been VERY fortunate to win blog candy from two different countries and they were generous enough to allow me to win even though I am in the US- I CERTAINLY want to pay it forward :)  Here is a pic of the blog candy one lucky winner will receive which includes a Cuttlebug embossing folder, two Tim Holtz embossing die folders and two sheets of mini alpha stickers. To save on shipping, I will be taking the Tim Holtz embossing folders out of their packaging.



Now onto APRIL'S AMAZING BLOG so see what great project she has in store for you!
In case you get lost, here is the line up 

Rebekah - http://colorkraft.blogspot.com/

Doreen - http://scrapbookertink.blogspot.com/

Joyce - http://www.beyondscrapin.blogspot.com/

Amanda - http://aremus.blogspot.com/ YOU CAME FROM HERE**

Melissa - http://acreativejourneywithmelissa.blogspot.com/ YOU ARE HERE**

 April - http://aprilmariecole.blogspot.com NEXT STOP**Gina - http://canoncreativegirl.blogspot.com/Be sure to come back every day to check out the amazing projects!
Have a wonderful day and thanks for taking the time to visit me!

And as always, make today and every day

A CREATIVE JOURNEY :) 

With Love & Creativity,

Melissa