BACK TO SCHOOL BLOG HOP DAY #2

Welcome to the BACK TO SCHOOL BLOG HOP, DAY #2 
(SCROLL DOWN FOR DAY#1 PROJECTS)
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! For those of you that hopped along yesterday, one of our fellow participants was having quite the time posting their projects... GREAT NEWS! April is now up and running so be sure to go back and check out what awesome projects she has in
store for you from DAY#1 as well as Day #2! 


Now, onto my projects....I realize we were supposed to have one new project per day but these two projects were supposed to be for Day 1 and Day 2 so I decided to combine them so you get more projects and ideas to look at.... So we are at 5 projects and there is STILL TWO MORE DAYS!!! Hopefully, you will see that the projects are worth your while :) Both of these were made for teachers that my youngest has. At the beginning of the year I try to give a gift card or at least donate items to the class for all of my son's teachers. I realize the economy is not doing that great and clearly budgets aren't allowing for any extras so hopefully this helps out a little. I feel very fortunate to be able to do a little something to show our appreciation.  For both projects, the supplies that were used were some of my scraps, stamps & ribbon stash,   glaze pen, stampin' up! notebook punch edge die, star die, label maker (old fashioned kind), and various texture plates using my sizzix embossing templates and machine :) 


Below is a tag with an envelope that I made to hold a gift card with the Becky Higgins school expansion pack papers. I plan to use a glue dot on the back of the gift card & stick it to the tag.

Below is a card I made to put a gift card in. DCWV School paper pad was used as well as the items listed above. My favorite item used on this was a post it note piece of paper from a pad I got from the $1 bin at Target (GOSH I LOVE THAT STORE!) I bought a while ago and thought it was quite fitting for this project. It is the lined paper that says notes on
the bottom of it and I then stamped For you to the top.

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 (WINNING 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 today's question-If you could change one thing about your school career, what would you do?

I would have actually changed two things... First, I would have gotten better grades and second I would have finished college. I, as many, didn't think school was going to be that important. Unfortunately, I didn't find my passion until much later on in life (almost 30) so had I figured out that I enjoyed art, designing, etc.. I may have taken college classes a little more seriously and had a plan.. Now.. I have a plan.. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER! LOL
For an EXTRA chance to win, place my button on your blog 
& 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 that one lucky winner will receive which includes a Cuttlebug embossing folder, two Tim Holtz embossing 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

Zoe's " Friendship" Blog Hop

(If you are here for the LULP, please click HERE :D)
Welcome to Zoe's "Friendship" Blog Hop you are in store for a lot of great projects, prizes and fun!
If you have come from Alina's page 
you are in the right place! If you have gotten to my page and would like to start at the beginning of the blog hop, please start with our lovely hostess Zoe so that you can join in on ALL of the fun!
Well for starters-I am SOOOO excited! I have been asked (along with 15 wonderfully talented ladies) to join Zoe's "Friendship" blog hop! This is my first blog hop so I am excited and a bit nervous :) If you are not familiar with a blog hop and how it works, here is some info to get you on your way to join in on the fun:

You start at the first blog (click on Zoe's listed above)  looking at the amazing friendship project(s) on her blog. You then click on the follow button (whichever platform suits you best or ALL OF THEM!) so that you are able to continue to check out her wonderful projects in the future.  Next, please comment on the projects because we all LOVE feedback! You will then go to the next in line doing the same and repeat-That's it! If you aren't sure where you are or where you need to be, I have a list below with all of our participants to help you out :)                                                                                                                    The BEST PART is you can win a prize just for leaving comments and following my blog right in the comfort of your own home and chair!  NOW HOW DO YOU GO WRONG WITH THAT??!!
Now I know I love to win prizes so of course I LOVE GIVING AWAY PRIZES and one lucky blog candy winner will win the really cute acrylic stamp set "Little Star" pictured below from FANCY PANTS!

This is a close up of the images

Now, to win you need to be a follower of my blog and comment on my project-THAT'S IT! The blog candy winner will be announced on Tuesday by 10:00 AM  Pacific Time :) Good luck everyone!  I am going to have one of my sons pick a number (between 1 and the total number of people  that left a comment by 11:59 PM 6/27)  and that will decide the winner!  That way my boys get to be included in the fun!   Now, more fun - my project! The theme is friendship so I created a card using bright colors because they make me smile just like my friends! I used two Technique Tuesday stamp sets for my card. I used "All About Me" (friends) & "Loving Words" by Ali Edwards (thank you & for being in my life.) I used Bo Bunny  paper the Popsicle Collection,) red paper (my stash,)  yellow pom-pon ribbon (Michael's,) orange rhinestone  bling (Queen & Co.,) Stampin' Up! Bigz Sizzix die "Top Note," Versamark Ink (Tsukineko,) Stampin' Up!  ticket corner punch, Creative memories corner rounder punch, white glaze pen (Sakura,)  Zing blue glitter finish embossing powder, my heat gun, Beacon 3 in 1 glue and red wire (26 gauge.)
I die cut the blue paper with the top note die and used the white glaze pen to highlight the perforation border around the die cut. I cut a piece of Bo Bunny paper, stamped the sentiments on it with Versamark.  I then used the blue Zing glitter embossing powder, shook off the excess and heat embossed it. I used my ticket punch on the right two corners of the sentiments paper. I cut a piece of red paper, mounted the sentiments piece of paper to it and used my corner rounder on the left two corners and my ticket punch on the right two corners of the red paper. I glued the yellow pom-pon ribbon and affixed the orange rhinestones to the paper. I used the red wire and molded a heart to fit around part of my sentiment. I used a small amount of Beacon 3-in-1 glue (I bought it at the Scrapbook Expo but I think Walmart carries it) and attached the wire heart to the yellow pom-pon ribbon... and there you have it :)

Thank you so much for taking the time to look at my project. I really appreciate it! Don't forget to follow and leave a comment so that you can be eligible for the blog candy stamps from Fancy Pants!
Now onto some more amazing talent - Jenny ! I wonder what wonderful project(s) she has for you today! Be sure to leave her some love <3
If I am fortunate enough to have had you get here by accident, please check out all of our AMAZING ladies projects at the blogs below :) Have a wonderful day and may today and every day take you on   A CREATIVE JOURNEY (Melissa Langford Mueller) :)
Host- Zoe Crafty X - http://craftyx.blogspot.com/ You should have started here :) 

1. Kari Sanchez -  http://purplefuntastickcreations.blogspot.com/
2. Nancy Morin -  http://www.scrappingoutofcontrol.blogspot.com/
3. Erin Nagy - http://www.pagesofpictures.com/
4. Linn Thompson Cloninger - http://www.linnsscrapshack.blogspot.com/
5. Gina Torres - http://californiascrappin-gcinderella21.blogspot.com/
6. Gill McCall - http://creationsbygillm.blogspot.com/  
7. Jackie-http://jackrabbitscrappin.blogspot.com/
8. Freda Thomas - http://scraparama.blogspot.com/
9. Cherie Pemberton - http://www.gracefulcardmakers.blogspot.com/
10. Jamie Lindstrom (Scrapbookingprincesjamie)-http://www.myamusinglife.blogspot.com/
11. Monica Edwards (scrap2treasure) - http://www.scraps2treasure.blogspot.com/
12. Alina Coronado (Addicted to Scrapping) - http://neverstopscrapping.blogspot.com  YOU CAME FROM HERE
13. Melissa Langford Mueller (A Creative Journey) - http://acreativejourneywithmelissa.blogspot.com/   **YOU ARE HERE**
14. Jenny - http://jennyplace26.blogspot.com/THIS IS YOUR NEXT STOP
15. Rhonda - http://craftingwithblue.blogspot.com

Father's Day Golfing Card

Happy Tuesday! With Father's Day right around the corner, I thought I would show you one of the cards that I have made. I originally started to make this for my husband a few weeks ago for Father's Day. I used my Gypsy by Provo Craft (and my Cricut of course) along with the Wild Card cartridge and Paper Dolls for Everyday cartridge. I also used a real golf tee, a red glaze pen, shimmery green card stock, light green and white card stock from my stash. I had (to my surprise) an overwhelming response to it so I ended up putting them up for sale as opposed to sending them out. I almost forgot to keep one for myself! LOL Fortunately, I did keep one so my husband will get one and this is a picture of it :) Hope you have a wonderful day and thank you for coming along with me on A Creative Journey :)

Fishing

With Father's Day on the horizon, I was asked to create a few custom cards. The first one I created was a fishing themed custom card. I used my Cricut to cut the boat from the Going Places Cricut Cartridge and the fishing pole was cut from the Simply Charmed Cricut Cartridge. I used real fishing line for the fishing line (I believe it was 20 gauge.) I used two fish buttons (unfortunately I don't know what company makes them,) paper, wire for the hooks, a blue copic marker (to add blue color to the waves for the water,) a glitter pen for the handle of the fishing pole, cut out cloud shapes and added white glaze lines to highlight the clouds and this is what I got. I hope this inspires you to be crafty today! Have a wonderful weekend!

The Frog Card

It's a crazy busy weekend- my baby boy is GRADUATING from 5th grade and my mom is coming into town for the graduation! My son will be going into middle school.... I can't believe how time has flown! I really wanted to post something so I thought I would post a card that I had made a card for one of my best friends a month or so back.  She calls her hubby her Frog (I think because he REALLY is her prince charming :D) but I had this stamp set (Unfrogettable) which is retired from Stampin' Up! and just HAD to make it for her! 

I had die cut the blue "card" with a Sizzix Bigz XL Die - Album, Accordion #2 (I cut off the piece that you attach to another to make it an accordion album.) I cut the green/cream diamond patterned paper in a square and used a corner rounder. Glued it to the card base. I stamped the frog and the sentiment with black Momento ink. I colored the frog in with glaze pens by Sakura . I cut the frog out with scissors. I punched out a heart and circle. 

I cut a pie piece shape out of the green circle so it would resemble a lily pad. I then scored lines to show the "veins" of the leaf and sanded it to show the "veins" more clearly. I glued the lily pad down, then the heart, then the flower and button. I used pop dots under the top half of the frog to give the frog a 3-d effect, I added some twine and wrapped it around the card front three times and tied a knot. PRESTO!! We have the card :D 

I really enjoyed making this card. I was pleased how it came out and my friend really enjoyed it as well. I hope you enjoy this project and I would love to hear your feed back! 

Have a wonderful day and happy crafting!