Thursday Giveaway Link Party --- Add Your Giveaway

We are continuing our weekly link opportunity for you to share your giveaways with our readers.  


The rules are easy:
You must be a follower of our blog.

Add our logo to your blog sidebar.

When you enter the title of your giveaway, please add the end date of your giveaway.

Be sure the url is the direct link to your giveaway blog post.

Family friendly giveaways only.

Handmade Spotlight -- Let Freedom Ring

Let Freedom Ring

   Curated By: thesunnysidebiz

ArtFire.com

Handmade Gifts

Tuesday Tutorial ----- Popcorn Box Journal

Today we have a guest poster, Carmen from Roca and Company.     Carmen made this for a teacher gift but anyone would love to receive this.

Popcorn Box Journal

Not only is this gift delicious, it is also EARTH friendly because instead of throwing away your box of cereal, mac-n-cheese or POPCORN, you turn your box into a one-of-a-kind journal.

For this journal I used a box of popcorn but you can use any box really.


You will need the following:
-1 box of popcorn, or cereal, or granola bars
-31 single sheets of copy paper (8 x 11)
-1 single hole puncher (makes holes one at a time)
-3 small birthday candles (huh? trust me...get the candles)
-clear tape
-3/4 yard of thin ribbon
-a credit card (again, trust me)


First, fold all of the copy paper "hot dog" style (long style) and run your credit card on the fold to make sure you get a nice, smooth, thin crease. Make sure that all your folded sheets look nice and even. Now, get one sheet from your stack and hole punch several evenly spaced holes about 1/4 of an inch from the folded edge. This sheet you will use as a template for the other 30. To give you an idea, I hole punched 22 holes into my template. Now use your template to hole punch the rest of your 30 sheets. Make sure that you line up your folded seams.

Once done, have your significant other massage your hole-punching-hand...you're welcome.
Now carefully cut the box in a manner that gives you a "front" part of the box and a "back" part of the box. 

Gently pull apart all the flaps until you have two flat pieces of cardboard. Lay a folded sheet on top of the front of the box and do the same for the back. This gives you a good idea of how big of a cover to cut out. Use the folded seams of the box to guide you as you cut out the covers. 

Leave about a 3/4 inch ONLY on one side of the front and the back covers. Using a folded paper as your guide, fold or bend the 3/4 inch for each cover. Once the journal is assembled, these folded/bended flaps will nicely fold into each other and give the journal a polished look as seen in the first picture.

Again, use your credit card to smooth out the crease. Use your template to hole punch both covers. 

Now sandwich your back cover, the copy paper and the front cover together making sure to line up the holes you punched out. Count 5 holes up from the bottom and insert a candle right through all the holes. Holes 1 through 4 should be lined up. Now count 5 more holes up from the first candle and insert another candle. Holes 6 through 10 should be lined up. (Sorry for the non pictures here.)


Now you are ready to thread your ribbon. Tape one end of the ribbon to the 3rd birthday candle. You will use the candle as a "needle" to thread your ribbon through the holes of the journal. 

Starting at the bottom, insert the candle through hole 1 and leave double the length of the journal in ribbon. This tail will be woven into the spine of the journal and wind up at the top of the journal. It will serve as a "book" mark. Now go over the spine and around to the back of the journal and insert candle into hole 2; up and through the hole and over the spine and around to the back of the journal and insert candle into hole 3; repeat until you reach the top. Make sure that the ribbon tail is nicely tucked underneath your ribbon threading and that your threading isn't too tight or loose. AND remember to continue moving candles 1 and 2 up to keep your holes lined up.

Once you get to the top, measure and cut another ribbon tail to match the first one. Tie the two tails together into a knot. Now these can be used as book marks. 

And please, please don't forget to give the gift recipent the bags of popcorn that came in the box now turned spiffy journal.

Be sure and stop by and visit Carmen's blog and say hello.   She has more great tutorials on her blog.   
http://rocaandcompany.blogspot.com

Thanks,  Carmen,  for sharing with us today.

Organizing With Reusable or Recycled Containers

Let's get creative and find new uses for empty jars, shoe boxes, food containers and more. Here are some great ideas to get us started.

This one is from organizing.yourway.net. They give us 10 ideas on how to reuse or recycle containers to hold craft supplies.

This idea is simply brilliant! Visit thenshemade.blogspot.com to find out how she made this soup storage container from an empty 12 pack soda box.

Do you have any empty baby food jars? This idea is great. I love how the contents are written on the top of the jar. This would also be great for small craft supplies too. Find out how it was done at frugaldecormom.blogspot.com

This is a really neat idea too... a ribbon dispenser made for TicTac containers. This would be great for those smaller pieces you have lying around. Find out how it's done at instructables.com

Hope this inspires!!
Thanks for joining us,
Deena Davis
www.byyourhands.blogspot.com

Blog Party Sunday -- Share Your Blog

 Today's blog party is all about your blogs.    Do you have a blog you want to share with our readers?  What do you write about on your blog?   Share a post about food, a diy project,  a tutorial,  your family,   your garden, etc.    

The rules are simple:

1. Follow our blog

2. Family friendly blogs only.

The success of this link party depends on the participants so spread the word to your friends, visit the blogs, post about it on your blog, in a forum or on your favorite social networking site, grab the button and put it on your blog or website.

Just click on the Add Your Link button at the end of this post and add your blog post url.

And if you would like to add a link to the party you can grab this button below.

<a href="http://www.byyourhands.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy110/ByYourHands/blogparty.jpg" /></a>

Time Saver Recipes - Grilled Potatoes

This quick and easy way to make potatoes on the grill is sure to be a hit at your next cook-out... or even as a side dish for dinner with the family.

Clean as many potatoes as you'll need, and bake in the microwave, be sure to poke a few holes in each potato with a fork. Bake until they're done, but a little bit firm. Mine usually take 3 to 4 minutes per medium potato.

Once the potatoes are baked, slice lengthwise and butter both the cut and the skin side. Sprinkle the cut side with Seasoned Salt and pepper.

Place skin side down on a hot grill and cook for about a minute or until crispy. Turn and cook the cut side for a minute or two, rotating to make "grill" marks. Serve immediately.

You can serve with added butter or sour cream, although they taste great as is.

You can also grill these potatoes on an indoor electric grill.

Happy Grilling!
Deena Davis
www.byyourhands.blogspot.com

Today's Featured Shop -- Mountain Mama Chic

Today's featured shop is Mountain Mama Chic.

  " Her soaps are made 1 small batch at a time using only the highest quality organic and all natural ingredients, making them great moisturizing cleansers for sensitive skin."

 I am a great fan of handmade soaps.   I found some items in this shop that are new to me.

Solid Perfume

Goat's Milk Whipped Cream Soap

Organic Foaming Hand Wash

Organic Facial Scrub

 Be sure and visit this shop and see all her products.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/mountainmamachic

Thursday Giveaway Link Party --- Add Your Giveaway

We are continuing our weekly link opportunity for you to share your giveaways with our readers.


The rules are easy:
You must be a follower of our blog.

Add our logo to your blog sidebar.

When you enter the title of your giveaway, please add the end date of your giveaway.

Be sure the url is the direct link to your giveaway blog post.

Family friendly giveaways only.

Handmade Spotlight -- In The Good Old Summer Time

In The Good Old Summer Time

Curated By: TomorrowsTrea...

ArtFire.com

Handmade Soap