TBB Friday: Bling out your GUN!

Happy Beautiful Friday, Friends and Followers!

It's that time again for The Buckle Boutique Friday, when I post some of the blingy-est of wonderful projects made possible using the fab supplies of The Buckle Boutique (TBB).  

Here is a nifty way to make YOUR Adhesive Tape Gun (ATG) stand out in a crowd, especially when you take it to a crop and it seems like everyone has an ATG.  Bling it out!

To make this project, I used TBB's versatile "Dazzling Diamonds" rhinestone resin sticker sheets. 

The best way to make a neat version of this would be to use flower dies to cut the flower and the background space, using your Big Shot, Cuttlebug or any other cut/emboss tool. My machines were on the fritz when I cut this, so I did it by hand, with an X-Acto knife. The resin cuts like butter. Then, just assemble your design, peel off the adhesive backing on the rhinestone resin sheets. 

WIN IT!

Want to win a kit to make your own blinged out ATG? Comment on this post and refer a friend to do the same, and your name/e-address will be entered into a drawing to be held in June when I celebrate my 4th YEAR BLOGAVERSARY with a "PAY IT FOUR-WARD! PRIZE". This prize includes the brand new, in package ATG by 3-M, and a sampler pack of Rhinestone Resin Sticker Sheets to design your own cover. To be eligible to win, your comment MUST include your name, your e-mail address, the name of the friend you've referred, and the words "BLING MY ATG". All comments must be received by June 30, 2014 in order to be eligible to win. No purchase required; restrictions apply. 


FYI:  I have the privilege of serving on The Buckle Boutique's Design Team. You can see creations I've made for The Buckle Boutique posted here on my blog, and on TBB's social media sites, on the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month. 

The Buckle Boutique’s Link Listing

The Buckle Boutique’s Website . . . click HERE
The Buckle Boutique Blog . . . . click HERE
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DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

My Blogaversary Approaches -- and some Introspection

Have you seen what I just noticed -- over there in the right hand column?  This picture:

That means in just 100 days, I will have been blogging for 4 years. Four years of bloggy goodness ...

So far that is:

654 posts (that's an average of more than 3 posts per week)

..with 306,203 page views to date (not including your view right now!) ... 6492 comments ... 1,363 followers from ten countries.

I'm thinking about what kind of celebration I should have to celebrate the actual Blogaversary -- definitely a giveaway because we all like presents! -- but what to do in the meantime? 

Well, I think I am going to look at why I blog, what posts have had the most impact, and perhaps evaluate what I should do in the future to improve the blog.

Do you have any ideas for me?  I'd love to hear your comments!

In the meantime, here's the first installment of why I craft -- and blog about it. 

#1 -- I craft to make others feel appreciated in receiving something special/handmade:



What do you do to share your talents in an altruistic way?

Our local hospitals (and senior centers, hospice facilities, nursing homes, etc.) offer volunteer opportunities for "off-site crafters."

Most of these crafters make knitted goods for babies, pillowcases for cancer patients, etc.

I've called and made myself available to make cards for those (adults and children) who are in the hospital for a long time, and perhaps have few visitors.

I'm also making (free or as a fundraiser for the auxiliary) note card sets for the hospital gift carts so those who are hospitalized can keep in touch with friends "on the outside."

This 3-D pop-up box card I have made celebrates the volunteers at our local hospitals. I am sending mine to the office Directors at the three hospitals most local to me, as well as to the senior center, as a thank you during NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK (April 6-13, 2014).

I developed the logo (butterfly tree in the back) and the theme as well.  

FYI, I used CTMH Lollydoodle bulk paper (pink side) for the interior of the box; the rest was from stash. I cut the box card using a template I found on http://extremecards.blogspot.com.  I developed the logo using an image from http://clickartonline.com that I purchased.