Cupid-In-The-Box

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Here's a Valentine "card" that will pop out and grab your heart! 

Made to fit in a party favor tin {you could use any tin you have on hand}, this little sentiment packs a lot of punch!

Kiss & Tell Features {Week 3} & New Party Link

A new party link has been activated! Click the icon or *here* to join in or browse.

Party Pinning Etiquette: please click on the artist's link before pinning so they get the credit. Thanks!

The most viewed link for Week 3 of Kiss & Tell:

Stamped Washer Bracelets from Northshore Days. These matched the necklaces she shared last week.

And check out these amazing projects:

Ever Feel Like This?

I've been curled up hiding away {but not looking so cute} because I've been under the weather since Friday. I'm not good at feeling bad. I always try to fight it. I have a hard time accepting and surrendering...there's always so much to do! 

Floating Fairy Card Tutorial

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Whether for Valentines or other occasions, for cards that will have them floating on sunshine recycle some of the plastic packaging that surrounds us daily. Stick with me to see how this card turns out!


Have you heard about the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" of plastic swirling in our oceans?  


We currently only recycle 7 percent of the plastic produced. 


And we produce enough plastic yearly to be the equivalent weight of the 7 billion people on earth. 


Scandalous!

Kiss & Tell Week 2 Features and New Party Link

A new party link has been activated! Click the icon or *here* to join in or browse.

You're going to see some gorgeous projects in this post that are the work of other artists. Please click on the artist's link before pinning so they get the credit. Thanks!

The most viewed link for Week 2 of Kiss & Tell:

Winter Whites by Terry at Forever Decorating!

Here were some other amazing projects, some of which were featured on my Facebook page or on Pinterest:

Blog Tips Cafe Feature #3 and Party

Click to Enter the Cafe!

The Cafe continues to serve up blogging wisdom 24/7 and here's a tip you'll appreciate: fixing slow loading pages.

Thank you to Gloria at New End Studio, link #18 for sharing some of the reasons {and fixes} for slow-loading pages.  I have been trying to analyze my blog to see how I can improve speed. Please let me know how my pages load for you...I welcome feedback!

Visit me at Home!

There are 20 other tips to peruse at the Blog Tips Cafe and I invite you to share your wisdom or grab a cup of coffee, get comfy in your chair and browse. I've already learned so much and have used the tips I've featured from the party so far. Thanks bloggers!!

Strange Beauty

WARNING! Do not touch or pick these. In their rather alien-looking beauty, they are toxic.

Pin ItOh Honey! See those?!! Pull over, please....

Those words aren't unfamiliar to my sweet hubby. But REALLY. How could I pass by these strangely GORGEOUS things?

Tinfoil Rose Tutorial

You knew another fabulous aluminum foil project was coming, right? 

Great for Mother's Day or Valentine's Day: A thornless Silver Rose.

Blog Tips Cafe Feature #2 and Party

The Cafe is REALLY clicking!!  If you've got a great tip about blogging, this party is getting strong attention and much appreciation. I know I'm learning a lot! Link up *HERE*

Thanks goes to Brandi {link #3} at Don't Disturb This Groove for a tip about how to make sure you get comments and replies on your blog.

Thanks goes to Roslyn {link #14} at Sew Delicious for teaching how to add a Facebook like box to your blog!


There are 17 additional links to a myriad of great tips to unlock your blog's potential. Head over to the Cafe and browse the tips or link up!


If you'd like to share your creative DIY, decorating, arts, crafts, and other projects, join us at Kiss and Tell *HERE*.

If you're new here, come get acquainted by taking a look at my Creative HITS of 2011 here at I Gotta Create!  I'm so glad you stopped by!

Kiss & Tell Week 1 Features and New Link

Click HERE for the new link for Week TWO of the Kiss & Tell party.  I'm so excited to see your creative genius at work!


First:
Want to see some talent? I thought so!


{And when you get all done with the parties and talent scouting, I'd like to invite you into my home! I give a peek inside of the home that my hubby and I built, and I'll share more in future posts.}

Ok...Here are the Round One Features:

Home Tour: Building Our Dream

Hello! Welcome to our home.

    In my profile I mention we live in a home I designed myself. I was sketching room layouts at age 7! {I think I felt crowded in our little house!} So it seriously was a dream-come-true to be able to design our own home. I love our home, and want to share a few of the details with you. 

A Girl And Her Glue Gun

See the CREATIVE HITS of 2011 and Best of 2012 for projects where I used this indispensable tool!

It's probably my Number One tool: The Hot Glue Gun.

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With all the projects and tutorials I've written here, I thought I'd mention this indispensable tool! Mine is a mini --super easy to handle and maneuver with my small hands. You plug it in, wait a few seconds, load it with a solid glue stick, and when you pull the trigger, out flows a lovely bead of glue that bonds like crazy and dries in seconds!

It was incredibly cheep {a couple of bucks}, and so are the glue sticks. Especially when you get them on sale. What's not to LOVE about this cool {hot} tool?

Gluing the petals from Tinfoil ROSE Tutorial!

Oh yah, the burns. I use a low-heat glue gun. That's all I've ever needed, and the safety factor is higher: you get to keep your fingerprints! Don't' get me wrong, it will still burn you. They melt glue at around 250 degrees, after all. But high heat hot glue guns are significantly hotter.

Creative Vision Eye Masks

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Sweet dreams are assured while wearing these lovely eye masks! 

These Valentine gifts for some friends {and myself} were inspired by discussions about visualizing the our life goals and dreams. So, they're great for waking 'dreaming' as well as for...

...getting some good shut-eye!

Blog Tips Party Feature #1

Photo used with permission from Michelle. See her blog for details.

Boy, am I learning A LOT from the Blog Tips & Resolutions Party!  Check out this set of tips Michelle from Faith, Trust & Pixie Dust gave: Blogging 101 How to Get Them to LINGER LONGER.  Aside from treating your guests like royalty {thus the sweet photo!}, she shares 5 additional tips. I had not been aware of the last point on her post and immediately started using it in my posts {although I had to modify it to say: target="_blank"}. Go check out her post and see what I mean!

I started this party because I ran into a few roadblocks as a linky party host. That prompted me to do a Bloggy Tips 101 post. These are the 3 must-do basics to begin to unlock your blog's potential. Then I thought: there is so much wisdom out there, let's share!

So, the party at the "Blog Tips Cafe" will stay open 24/7. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and come link up, browse and learn from one another. There are 14 great tidbits of wisdom so far, ranging from the basics to more advanced.  The Cafe has been hopping with LOTS of clicks. See you there!

*Click Here for the Kiss & Tell Linky Party for YOUR fabulous projects!*

*The Creative HITS of 2011 are HERE*

Kiss & Tell Sneak Features

This beautiful bedroom from The Best of 2011 at Mouse House is just one of the gorgeous projects submitted by a talented array of artists to Kiss & Tell, Round One! The fun is still in progress until a new link goes up Wednesday, January 11th. 

Let's sneak a peek at a few more of the submissions so far...

Resolve to Recycle: Free Gift Tags Download

Did you make a resolution for 2012? 

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Here's mine: I want to help make recycling and upcycling so cool that everyone wants to do it.

In fact, I'd like to make it positively scandalous NOT to recycle, reuse, and repurpose everyday items!

Can't you hear it now?

    "Gasp! Egads, Reginald....we have a non-recycler in our midst!"

"Surely you must be mistaken, Darling..."

Just kidding about the scandalous part...do it because it's cool, it's good for the planet, and it stretches your creativity and imagination!

You've probably seen my projects like the PAPERLESS gift wrapping tutorial...

...or using everyday items like aluminum foil to create fabulous bling. There's so much more on the way in 2012!


So, here's the deal. To get this  R3 ball rolling...

{What's R3? Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose!}

...I've created a gift from me to you:  a free page of 12 printable Gift Tags. 

These gift tags will help explain your zany upcycling antics while revving up the Cool Factor and creating R3 converts.

Let's make the movement go viral, shall we?
Stay tuned for more amazing R3 projects!

Find the "how to" at PAPERLESS Gift Wrap Tutorial. Click Here. 

While you're visiting, check out the Best of 2011 here at I Gotta Create!

Check out my latest linky party and join the fun here at I Gotta Create!  I'll be sharing these free printable tags at:

Monday:  Craftomaniac, Making The World Cuter, Marvelously Messy, Project Queen, The Girl Creative, Debbiedoo's Newbie Party, The Gunny Sack, Alderberry Hill; Tuesday:  Sew Crafty, Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, Uncommon; Wednesday:  Blue Cricket Design, Gingersnap Crafts, It's Overflowing, Nest of Posies, Savvy Southern Style, Someday Crafts, The Trendy Treehouse, Very Merry Vintage Style, What We Wore & Made; Thursday:   Shabby Nest;  Friday:  Finding Fabulous, My Simple Home Life, Romantic Home, Tatertots and Jello, The Shady Porch, Thirty Handmade Days, Faith Trust & Pixie Dust; Saturday:  Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, French Country Cottage, I Can't Stop Crafting, Sew Country Chick; Sunday: Nifty Thrifty Things, Under The Table and Dreaming, My 1929 Charmer

AND with the 2012 1st Project of the Year party.