ShadowCase Review and {Giveaway}

Here is a great opportunity you don't want to miss this week! Cheryl over at TidyMom (if you don't already follow her blog, you should!) is running a ShadowCase Giveaway for all her readers this week.  Didn't she create a gorgeous piece of artwork with these little keepsakes and photo? If you've been thinking about getting a ShadowCase of your own, this is what Cheryl had to say about her ShadowCase design...

"I had so many ideas  as to how I could use my ShadowCase but I decided on displaying some heirlooms from my parent’s wedding, along with a childhood picture of me and my brother, and a few other family keepsakes. I also used my Silhouette SD to cut out a little vinyl to add the year my parents were married.

It’s fun looking at these items displayed together in such a unique way.  I’m thrilled with how it turned out.  The boxes are high quality and so well built I know they will stand the test of time!  ShadowCase makes it easy to turn your memories into artwork!"

It is so easy to enter the giveaway, and the winner will receive her own ShadowCase Designer Kit ($60).  Hop on over to TidyMom and take a look around.  Good luck to you all!

Candle Makeover

I have had these candles in my family room for several years, and they are showing all the wear and tear from stray footballs knocking them down, dogs trying to eat them, and rambunctious children teetering them over. So I thought they would enjoy an hour in my craft room, getting a new makeover.  

It's so simple, I'll probably do this with every candle in my home!!

Pick your favorite scrapbook paper that you want to decorate with.  I chose a ColorBok paper pack from Walmart for $5.

Cut the paper to the width you prefer, and ink the edges to give it a more finished look.

Glue the paper to the candle with a hot glue gun.

Add any embellishment tag you would like--this one came with the ColorBok Paper Pack. I inked it and threaded a piece of ribbon through the back.

Voila!! In only a few minutes, you have given new life to not only the candles, but to the entire room!

{An Emotional Week} MockingJay and Sweet Tiny Sparrows

This past week has been emotional and stressful for me--hence the absence from blogging as I try to get a grip on myself. Yesterday I sat and read MockingJay by the bedside of a dear friend who is in the battle of her life against cancer.  Young and newly married, she is trying to stay strong for us all. 

I was thrilled to hear that she has been waiting for this 3rd book in the Hunger Games trilogy.  Though her vision is poor, and she can't see right now, I was able to read it aloud so we could both lose ourselves in the life of Katniss Everdeen.  Those few hours have changed my life for the better. What an honor to be near my sweet friend, and what an example she is to me!!

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One of the newest Tiny Sparrow sweethearts--meet Danica!!

I am also honored to be involved with a truly remarkable non-profit organization called the Tiny Sparrow Foundation.  I was contacted by them about a month ago when they asked if I would donate some ShadowCases for a fundraising auction they are having on September 30 in Texas. They are a non-profit organization dedicated to providing lasting memories through the beautiful art of photography to the families with children who are facing life threatening illnesses.  With the help of photographers worldwide, they are able to give a beautiful album that will carry the love, joy and everlasting memory of each individual family.  It is just amazing what this organization does for families and children!! 

A glimpse of one of our new StoryBoards in the French Country Ivory ShadowCase that I sent along for the Fundraising Auction.  Isn't it adorable??

I am soooo excited to participate in the True Rumors Fundraising Auction to be held on Sept. 30.  Several of our ShadowCases will be on display to be auctioned, and all proceeds will go to the Tiny Sparrow Foundation. 

For more information on this amazing foundation, visit Tiny Sparrow on Facebook and meet some of the angel children who have been blessed by the love of Tiny Sparrow and those wonderful people that work hard to make their dreams a reality.  

Giveaway Weekend!! Just Released "MockingJay" by Suzanne Collins

You all know that I love the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins, and you all know that I love my readers!! So as a big thank-you for all your comments and support, I am giving away a brand-new copy of the last book in the trilogy, "MockingJay".  
 Giveaway starts NOW and ends on Sunday, August 29 at 10 pm EST.  Have fun, and good luck to you, my friends!




 

 To enter to win you need to:

(leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Visit my Etsy shop or www.shadowcase.com and tell me which ShadowCase is your favorite. (Click on my sidebar link or "visit our shop")

If you want extra entries you can do any or all of the following:

2. Tell me what you would want to put in a ShadowCase
3.  Give me a suggestion for another color/style of ShadowCase you would like to see in the shop
4. Become a Facebook fan (Just click on my sidebar link)

(I will choose the winner using a random number generator.)

Let the games begin!

Friendly Features: Emily at JanDee Crafts

I love the blogging world because of all the creativity floating around--I look forward to waking up every day, just to see what new and exciting things are being thought up by fantastically inspiring women. (Yes, I know.  Sad, but true!)

So in the spirit of support and love for all of you out there in Blogland, I'm going to be featuring a different creative lady every week.  Let me introduce you to one of my new favorite blogging friends--if you haven't met her yet, jump on over and pay her a visit.  Emily from JanDee Crafts has so much personality, and some really fun ideas on her blog. 

One of my favorites is this Blue Plate Special which works great as an easy gift--Christmas is going to be a breeze this year with all the ideas she's got for gifts!  Emily has a really cute poem to go along with it, too. Find it HERE.  

 I'd love to feature more of you wonderful women and your projects, just drop me an email at janna@shadowcase.com and let me know!  Have a fabulous day!

Mmm-Mmm Monday: Easy Toffee Treat

Hi my friends! Sorry I'm a little late today--just trying to get in those last magical memories of summer before the kiddos go back to school this week!
And now onto the sugar rush....I first had these yummy treats about a decade ago at my sister-in-law's house.  I was thrilled last week when I saw the recipe posted on C.R.A.F.T.  A perfect recipe to do with kiddos, I had to try it!  It is so simple to do, and takes just a few minutes to bake.

Ingredients

4 ounces saltine crackers 1 cup butter 1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup white chocolate chips 1 cup toffee chips

4 ounces saltine crackers

1 cup butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup toffee chips

Melt butter and brown sugar together in saucepan. Bring to boil, then boil for 3 minutes.

Pour butter mixture over saltines that are laid out on cookie sheet. Spread evenly over crackers.

 

Bake at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over crackers and let sit for 5 minutes.  Spread over crackers and swirl a little, just for fun!

Sprinkle toffee pieces over the chocolate.

Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, then break up into pieces.  

I think I gained 5 pounds last week from the chocolate-toffee-buttery-goodness.  Gonna have to run a few extra miles this week to make up for it!

Dressing-up Dry Erase Markers

Hello my friends!  Some of you may know that I am a person obsessed with list-making.  The more hectic my life, the more lists you will find spread all over the house.  Which is why I LOVE, love, LOVE dry-erase boards.  They are one of many ways to make a task list look creative and fun, thus motivating me to actually do the things numbered on the list.  However, I am fed up with the ugly markers that are always attached to the side of my adorable-crafty-dry-erase-board.  So here's my easy solution...

 Dress-Up that Oh-So-Very-Unstylish Marker

Materials Needed:

Dry Erase Markers

Fabric Scraps

Mod Podge

Glue Gun

Cut out a piece of fabric about 3" X 3" around your marker.

Spread some Mod Podge on the fabric and wrap around the marker.

Add another layer of Mod Podge over the top to secure the seam and keep it from fraying.

Add a little bit of ribbon...

A glue gun works well for attaching any embellishments.

Go crazy and dress-up all the dry erase markers in your house!

 

I love the way these turned out, and it's a quick 5-minute project. I'm planning to also do some of these with my kids as teacher gifts this year--wouldn't that be cute??