The winner of my Blog Hop GIVEAWAY is...

..."Willieburg Scrapper" also know as the infamous Michelle!  Congratulations!  I truly appreciate each and every one of you for stopping by during the Paper Issues Blog Hop.  It was lots of fun, and I hope you were inspired with tons of creativity along the way. 

Speaking of Paper Issues, yesterday Cassie introduced the newest theme/challenge:  Tree Hugger!  What does that mean to you?  Someone that loves nature or perhaps someone that is really into recycling and/or repurposing...the interpretation is totally up to you.  Won't you join us in sharing your Tree Hugger creations?  The featured project might just be yours!  :)

Paper Issues Blog Hop!

Today I am participating in my first ever Blog Hop! Yeah! This hop is so exciting as there are so many talented girls on the Paper Issues Team to share and inspire you with their creative greatness! :) If you are joining me from the fantastic Peg Hewitt's blog, then you are right on track. If not, I encourage you to join the hop starting at the beginning with Paper Issues. There are tons of amazing giveaways/RAKS on many of the blogs so be sure to check them all out for your chance to win! Also during the hop, Paper Issues is offering 25% off your purchase at the Paper Shop!

The creation I am sharing with you today is a little congratulatory gift I gave to my sweet niece, Allison for winning 1st place in a huge soccer tournament last week. It was very intense for her and her team; and they came out on top, victorious! To help her always remember such a special time in her life, I decided to create her a fancy little trophy and card.

As you can see, this is not your typical trophy. I am a huge nut for repurposing old junk and giving it new life. Perhaps that is the "tree hugger" side of me. :) One day I was "junking" at an antique shop and came across a big box of old trophies. I decided to start taking some apart and putting together different components to create my own. The whole thing only cost me $3. The initial look was rather yuck with the brass and old wood, but I definitely transformed it!

Here is a quick how-to on the trophy, in case any of you would like to give it a try. :)

1. Unscrew all the pieces of the trophy.

2. Take the plastic part of the trophy and completely cover in spray adhesive.

3. Pour super fine glitter all over it, and watch the beauty transform. (As you can tell, I am a huge sucker for bling!)

4. Spray a fine coat of fixative over the glitter.

5. Paint the wood base.
6. Create the sentiment with stickers and place on the trophy plate.
7. Make a paper medallion and glue to base of the trophy.
8. Screw all the pieces back together, and voila!

I used lots of materials to create both the trophy and matching card...American Crafts: Honor Roll & Class President Papers from the Teen Collection, Black Glitter Thickers, Making Memories, Jenni Bowlin: Chalkboard Alphas, Maya Road: Black Pleated Ribbon, Glitz Design: Love Games Peek A Boo, Daisy Hill: Acrylic Alphas, Other: hot pink fine glitter, old trophy parts, black paint and scallop punches.

Okay, now onto the fun part: the Giveaway! Since Paper Issues is all about "paper" I purchased this fantastic book, "Deocorating with PaperCraft" by Clare Youngs. The book is filled with absolutely fabulous ideas and how-to's for beautiful paper crafts. You will love it. In addition, I am including other things I love...overlays and of course vintage ephemera to include tickets, game boards, & book plates. I will be drawing the lucky winner on Monday, September 19. To increase your chances of winning, there are several ways...

1. Leave a comment.
2. Follow my blog.

3. Follow Paper Issues!

I hope you have enjoyed the hop so far, and that you will visit again soon! Don't forget to stop by Paper Issues and show them some love! Now onto the extremely talented, Leah Crowe!

Magnetic Lunchboxes!

I have some unusal ideas when it comes to my creative endeavors sometimes. Tonight I would like to share these fun tartan plaid lunchboxes I have altered just a bit. :)

Since it is back-to-school time still, what a perfect opportunity to share this kooky idea with you all! Basically I first found a vintage tartan lunchbox and then later found some newer versions from Restoration Hardware. To create, I stamped a big Fancy Pants flourish stamp onto the lid with white Staz-On ink. It really pops wonderfully against the black/red plaid. To create the magnets, I used lots of Basic Grey June Bug goodies. From the paper & layered stickers, to the felties and brads they were the perfect match for the tartan boxes. All the fun doodads on the lunchboxes are totally magnetic, even the bird! Whether sending darling little girls to school with a sweet note inside attached with one of the magnets, to being a lady with some funky flair, these are great for girls of all ages.
Being a mother of 2 boys, I needed something a bit more masculine. My oldest son, Jack needed one when he started kindergarten. As you can see, his is a little beat up now. Originally it just said Jack with the little Paul Frank monkey at the bottom. Now that he is a little older, I trust him with magnets. I turned these 1" buttons into magnets for him to play around with. I am sure it puts a smile on his face when he opens his lunchbox with a note from mom that says, "my mom thinks I'm rad" on it. Don't you? My little guy, Sam started pre-school a few weeks ago and of course wanted one just like his brother's. Naturally, I made him his own without the magnets. Now he looks like the "little" big man on campus like his brother. :)

On another note, don't forget to share your Learning Curves creations over at Paper Issues! The challenge is still open through Friday, the 15th so you still have time. Also, I am sharing these tartan lunchboxes with Punky Scraps "Tartan" Challenge this week. The inspiration photo is punky funky fabulous, so be sure to check it out! Have a great rest of the week!

Thanks for stopping by!
Amy