My top five favorite moments of 2010.

It's a new year tomorrow, so I'm doing a recap - but no projects.  Just fun moments.  Happy New Year.

1. My feature on Design*Sponge.  Oh my goodness, what an honor.  I love Design*Sponge and I think that Grace Bonney (editor and creator) is the cat's pajamas.  It's one of the few blogs I get a daily e-mail for.  If you didn't see me on there, the project was my key portrait before and after.  I also fancy this particular feature because I got accused by several commenters of destroying antique keys, even though I said in my post that it was a broken piece of *fake* key art I got from Hobby Lobby.  The power of reading is strong, my friends.  I love Design*Sponge - I don't love snarky commenters.

2. Crafterminds formed.  Crafterminds is my bloggy support group consisting of Beckie from Infarrantly Creative, Heather from Dollar Store Crafts and Jen from Tatertots and Jello.  We are craft bloggers trying to help crafter bloggers, and we recently held our first Twitter chat.  It went so well that we are holding them every Monday.  These girls are a great support to me, and I'm so thankful for them!

3. Brave Girls Camp.  I went in July with my mom and had a great time.  What a supportive group of women!  I'm sorry for all those ladies who had to be around my mom and I, to a certain extent.  We banter a lot, but it's loving.  I have to say "Maa-hm!!" a lot to keep her in line.  Funny trip moment: my mom had a c-pap machine, and we shared a bed. I made her say "Luke, I am your father" with the mask on.

 4.  Nellie's wig.  Nellie got chosen to wear the red wig for Halloween, and this picture is hilarious.  It makes me laugh when I see it, and I hope it does the same for you.  She's a trooper.  A trooper that gets a lot of treats.

 5.  Meeting all of you. Whether virtually or in real life, it's been a pleasure.  I'm so thankful for all of you.  Writing and creating every day is so personally fulfilling, and your support allows me to do that.  You don't know how much you mean to me.  Good things for you in 2011.

Ring in the new year with some subway art in a sparkle frame.

Prepare yourself for the fastest tutorial in the universe, truly.  I wanted something a little crafty for New Year's, and it turns out that crafty ideas aren't that easy to find for the first day of the year.  I was also running short on time, so it had to be quick.  All of the sudden, a Craft Gossip e-mail newsletter pops into the ol' inbox, and so did this cute (and free) printable by Custom Printables.  How very crafty-meant-to-be. Here's how it's done.

Winter wonderlanterns.

I really love winter decorations.  I know most of you are rolling your eyes at me when I say I like snow, but I do.  I especially love stomping in the snow wearing galoshes.  I haven't done that in a long time!  Gonna need some galoshes, first I guess.  Something like this would be perfect.  And now I'm totally off topic.  I do that a lot.

Michele from Michele Made Me came up with a great way to create your own winter lanterns, and you only need a few supplies besides Mod Podge.  These look so fancy and expensive that I couldn't believe the guts of the project are wrapping paper and tissue paper.  She's good.  Real good.  Visit her tutorial for these winter wonderlanterns here.

Ruffled coasters are sure to delight.

My friend Jen from Tatertots and Jello recently had a super-talented guest poster - Madeline from Buttons and Bangles.  The suprising part is not the cute ruffled coasters that she came up with, but the fact that she is TWELVE.  When I was 12?  Don't ask.  I think I still liked Care Bears or something.  Actually, it was probably G.I. Joe.  I was a tomboy. 

Anyhoo, this guest post is Madeline's first ever, and she completely knocked it out of the park.  Visit the tutorial here, then say hi to Maddy at her blog here.

Upcycled train case.

I saw this train case by Nicole at Home for Hire and did a double-take - what is that wonderful patchwork?  With those wonderful papers?  The girl has a good eye, not just for color for but how patterns go together.  I would be more than happy to take this to the airport and swing it around, which would probably end up with me getting jumped by TSA and body cavity searched . .  but hey, with my cute train case?  It would totally be worth it.  See the blog entry with detail shots here.

Every Day's a Holiday book review and giveaway.

If you haven't visited Heidi Kennedy's blog My Paper Crane then you are missing out.  The blog is named after her first project ever, a paper crane - and she has kicked some big time crafting butt since then.  Can I say "butt" in my blog?  Ha!  Being that we're about to start a new year, I thought it would be a perfect time to review Heidi's book, Every Day's a Holiday: Year-Round Crafting with Kids.  It's published by Chronicle Books, and there is literally a project for every occasion, including some of the lesser known ones.  Who knew there was a Watermelon Day?  Every Day's a Holiday is a great read, and I can't believe how many awesome crafts that Heidi came up with for children.  As far as I'm concerned, sometimes coming up with kids' craft ideas is no easy feat.  Here are my five favorite things about this book.

Merry Christmas.

I hope you have a wonderful day with family, friends, pets and whomever else is important in your life.  I'll be watching the Star Wars marathon like I've done since I was young - it's on Spike, so check it out.

Merry Christmas and much love!

Make your own state ornaments.

I live in Georgia, but I will always consider myself a proud Washingtonian.  I like things with the state of Washington on them like drinking glasses and t-shirts.  Is that dorky?  Anyhoo, I love these ornaments by Vanessa (and co.) at Silly Eagle Books.  Vanessa has a complete handle on fun and educational Mod Podge projects for children, and this is no exception.  You can also learn the state captials in the process if you really want a challenge.  Come on - you know you don't know them all!  Visit the tutorial for these ornaments (and see more pictures) here.

Using Mod Podge to make glass clings.

I really think you are going to like this post.  I'm not just fancying myself, I really do.  It was a fun to use Mod Podge for something other than gluing down - I actually made glass clings that you can put on any vase or in any window.  The supplies are so minimal, I had everything laying around the house.  Can you say budget crafting at its finest?  I hope you'll make many and stick them all over everything.  I highly recommend it.  Here's how they are made.

Hoot n' andy rocking horses.

I'm bringing a little bit of punk rock charm to Mod Podge Rocks with these rocking horses by Hoot n' Andy.  Fun.  Different.  And their Facebook page describes the site perfectly - classic toys meet rock n' roll (let me add, high quality too!). It just goes to show that standard rocking horses don't have to be boring; you can dress them up with some funky painting and Podge.  When I have a child, I would really love to get him or her the Tattooed rocking horse.  I also fancy the Skelepony.  To enjoy Hoot n' Andy designs yourself, visit their blog here and their Etsy store here.

Handmade paper twist wreath you can enjoy all year.

Twisting paper can make an awesome wreath.  Who knew?  Apparently Emily from WhipperBerry did.  While this wreath is Christmas themed and you probably don't have the time to make it before the big day, you can customize it to match your decor for any time of year.  I'm so in awe of this process, which I typically am when someone thinks of something fab that is so simple.  Visit the awesome ladies of WhipperBerry and see this tutorial here.

Project of the Week #123 - The bicycle.

By now you know that I'm a total sucker for projects using fabric and Mod Podge, so when I saw this bicycle by Jenean Morrison for the 2010 Quilt Market, I almost fainted.  Jenean completely rocked the Podge with this one, and you must visit to see the care she took covering the various parts.  She also cut out some additional elements from the fabric and spread them about.  I'll stop talking; please admire her work here.

PS - My crafty blogger group Crafterminds is having a Twitter chat this afternoon at 4pm EST.  If you've never done one before, they are a blast (and you learn a lot).  Go here for the details.

Paper Blossoms book review and giveaway.

This latest book review is not actually much of one - just because this "book" is actually a collection of beautiful bouquets for your table.  Paper Blossoms by Ray Marshall is a 2010 release from Chronicle Books, and it's just the kind of bright boost that we all need right now.  It's cold where I am, and I bet it's cold where you are too.  Wouldn't this be so nice on your coffee table?

I think it would make a great gift, so I'm giving a copy away.  There are several paper bouquets included, and I know one of them with improve your day.  Here are the rules.

1. Comment on THIS blog entry. Why would you like to win this book?
2. Only one entry per person.
3. Contest will close this Wednesday, December 22nd at midnight (EST).
4. PLEASE leave your e-mail address if it's not attached in Blogger - I need some way to reach you.

Full contest disclosure is here.
Winner of the Pier One giveaway was Melanie.
Winners of last week's Hot Glue Gun Helpers giveaway were Kori, Liesl, Jan, Katie and Jenny Bolech.

Baby blue bird box.

I'm going to be doing a lot of crafting while I'm off of work several days in the next few weeks - how about you?  With all the time at home, I'm looking for some different types of projects . . . and then I found this blue bird box from Lindy at Cottage Hill.  It looks like you have to be a painting expert to accomplish this, but that's the part I love - you don't.  That bird is actually a graphic from The Graphics Fairy.  And that's where the Mod Podge comes in.  Visit the full tutorial here.

Handmade doily cone tree.

I'm not even close to finished crafting with paper doilies.  It could be because I have so many, but it's also because they are cute and easy to Mod Podge.  I always love the results I get with them, and my doily tree is no exception.  It reminds me of Whoville, which is really where I want to live, especially during the holidays.  This tree is easy to create, so you could definitely bust one out this weekend.  You can also do a winter version that stays past Christmas.  Here's how I made mine.

I'm brown baggin' it with Dimensional Magic.

For this week's Sizzix blog hop post I decide to go "au naturel" with a brown bag.  I got mine for about $.30 from Michaels, and I really think it makes the perfect gift holder.  Combine it with Eileen Hull's Treat Bag Toppers and a little Cosmo Cricket embellishment action . . . and of course some Dimensional Magic . . . and you have a presentation fit for someone who likes the forest.  That would be me.  I think this gift bag is appropriate for a birthday, don't you?  Here's how I did it.

Pottery Barn knockoff ornaments.

Do you love knock-offs?  Because you say "I can do that myself?" and it costs less?  I do.  I really like this Pottery Barn knock-off ornament by Adrianna from Crafterhours.  She's done several versions, and I love this one the best . . . but there are so many more fun ornies on her site.  If you can believe it, she used tissue paper and a printer (besides the Podge).  All I have to say is genius.  Visit the entire tutorial and more pictures here.

PS - I only condone knock-offs for personal use.  No re-selling and always give credit.  You'll get good crafter points.

Last minute Christmas gift.

Okay, so I can't help it - I have to talk about my canvas from The Canvas People one more time.  It's so awesome and I ordered a bunch for friends and family.  If you need a last minute gift idea, check this out.  You can get a free canvas ($55 off) and just pay shipping.  I added some Brushstroke Mod Podge to mine for texture and I love it!  Yep - I ordered ALL of my Christmas presents off of the internet this time.  Not lazy.  Just practical.

Here's what my friend Jen from Tatertots and Jello did with her canvas, and I thought it was so pretty!  Okay, I'm done raving.  Go get your free canvas from the Canvas People right here.

Handmade buttons that bust your stash.

I happen to be a fan of several things in this handmade button post by Michele of Michele Made Me.  First off, there's the obvious - she uses Mod Podge to seal the buttons.  Secondly, the buttons themselves.  I'm an absolute button addict.  Finally, Michele used items from her stash and didn't spend one penny to make these. That's a crafty 10-4, good buddy.  Over and out.

Michele's tutorial is very thorough and I think when you read it you'll get some great ideas.  I'm not even afraid to use power tools because she makes it look easy.  My favorite picture is the one I call "sanding in skirt."  Visit here to see what I'm talking about and to learn how to make your own buttons.

PS - Here's a sneak peek of an ornament I did for the Fave Crafts blog.  Visit the entire tutorial here. If you comment, you can win a prize from Santa's sleigh.

Project of the Week #122 - ImagineNations globes.

This isn't so much a project as much as it is a really amazing Mod Podge find alert - you have to visit the ImagineNations site and you have to go now.  The site sells handmade globes made by Wendy with Mod Podge and other recycled materials . . . and they are amazing.  I love the "Where the Wild Things Are" one above, but I truly love them all.  If you are feeling truly ambitious, you can make your own version; or if you are feeling truly generous, buy me one for Christmas.  Kidding.  Sort of.  So visit the site here, and then go to the blog here to see an interesting video entitled "How Globes are Made."

Introducing Hot Glue Gun Helpers with a giveaway.

I'm so pleased to announce a new product that many of you (all of you!) will be interested in - Hot Glue Gun Helpers by Cathie and Steve!  If you have ever used a hot glue gun, then you may have gotten burned.  You may have ruined a work surface.  You may have flung a sequin across the room trying to get it into the hot glue without losing a finger.  With Hot Glue Gun Helpers, those problems are out the door.  I love it!

If you want to learn all the details about the Hot Glue Gun Helpers and how they work, visit the main page here.  I promise you are going to want one.  And guess what?  Cathie and Steve are having a giveaway too!  I recommend signing up here and then heading over there to increase your chances.  I'm giving away FIVE, and the rules are below.  If you can't wait for a giveaway, visit the Hot Glue Gun Helpers Etsy shop to purchase yours (discount on multiple purchases).  I promise it will be one of the best craft purchases you'll ever make!  Here's how to win.

1. Comment on THIS blog entry. Say anything you'd like to!
2. Only one entry per person. Five winners will be selected.
3. Contest will close this coming Wednesday, December 15th at midnight (EST).
4. PLEASE leave your e-mail address if it's not attached in Blogger - I need some way to reach you. 

Winner of last week's giveaway was Mirja.

Gorgeous handmade holiday wands.

I actually had the pleasure of meeting Kecia of Lemocholy's Flight of Fancy in person at a CHA show awhile back - and she is as wonderfully funky and creative in real life as she portrays on her blog.  Kecia has great ideas; whimsical things that I would never think of . . . like a container full of decorative wands.  All Mod Podged.  And I LOVE them.  Her lovely display has a holiday touch but isn't over the top red and green.  You could actually keep it for winter after the tree came down.  Check it out yourself right here - and if you live in the northeast, Kecia teaches classes sometimes.  See the schedule at her blog.

Lifestyle: Leah the orange.

Leah the Orange (from The Chronicles of Orange) is so fabulous that I had to do a lifestyle post about her.  Who doesn't love a girl who has dyed her hair blue?  Our time together is long overdue - so here you go.   You're going to love her.  She's a great blog to follow.

WOO HOO! This is Leah the Orange, coming LIVE atcha from Mod Podge Rocks! Thanks so much to Amy for having me as her guest today - I'm thrilled to be here, and I've been having some SERIOUS fun with my Podge lately in preparation for the holidays. I'll share that with you in a moment, but FIRST, a little bit about my crafty life (if you aren't terribly interested, just fast forward to the PICS!)...

I'm relatively new to the papercrafting world, but I've fallen head over heels in love with PAPER and manipulating it has become my most favoritest thing in the world (next to cotton candy ice cream). I'm mostly a cardie, but I think if I had a printer that produced some good photos, I'd definitely be more into the scrapbooking thang, too (it's on my wish list for 2011, so watch out!).

Pier One shopping trip with a giveaway.

This post brought to you by Pier 1 Imports. All opinions are 100% mine.

So this past Sunday I went on a holiday gift shopping trip to Pier 1 - more specifically, the Pier 1 on Jimmy Carter Blvd in Norcross, Georgia.  The Pier 1 managed by Claude.  Yes, sometimes when stores aren't busy I introduce myself to the managers.  Is that weird?  Claude was very kind and showed me around her cute little store, where everyone was so nice.  I wish all my shopping experiences could be this great.

I had a fantastic time shopping for holiday gifts, and I wanted to share my with you.  I thought you might be interested, especially since I purchased some goodies to give away to one of you, my wonderful blog readers.  I owe you a lot, and you'll never know how thankful I am for you.  Come with me on my trip and then find out how to win what I bought!

French fruit wall art.

I am so lucky to have been able to participate in Crafting with the Stars a few months ago with Amanda of Crafts by Amanda.  I was part of the contest as the "star," but I'm going to have to disagree with that - Amanda was completely the star out of the two of us.  She did some amazing projects, and this French fruit wall art was one of them.  She got her idea from the Land of Nod (the theme was brand inspired knock-offs), but if you want to know the truth, I prefer hers to the inspiration that cost many times more.  Visit her complete tutorial here.

Gift box christmas tree.

If I can take a trip to Whoville in my daily life, I will.  This gift box Christmas tree makes me feel like I'm there.  Short of Cindi Lou Who and Max with the antler tied to his head, of course.  This cute tree was done by Kristyn of Lil' Luna, and she didn't pay anything for it.  She had of the supplies laying around her house.  I'm completely motivated to look through my large plastic holiday bin to see what goodies I have that can be made into something wonderful.  For Kristyn's entire tutorial - go here.

What a little spray paint can do - a gift card holder.

Lookie what I made with spray paint and an Altoids tin!  It's a gift card holder for that special or not-so-special someone in your life.  All I mean is it can be an impersonal gift.  I mean, they are still special, but . . . you know.

This is just a a preview; you'll have to go over to Your Holiday Style to see the project tutorial.  My project was chosen by Krylon to featured on the front page of Your Holiday Style - one of their sites dedicated to sharing cool spray painted holiday projects.  Click below to be taken directly to my project.

Project of the Week #121 - Buffet remix.

If Mod Podge Command Central weren't just a one-bedroom apartment, I swear to you that I would have a buffet.  Just like this one revamped by Lora at Saucie.  She got it for $25, and I luh-uh-uhve what she did with it - the colors, the paper . . . everything.  Unfortunately I can't have one because right now size and craft storage constraints would make this beautiful buffet into storage.  And that just wouldn't be right.  One day I will have a buffet that will actually store buffet-type things.  I know it!  In the meantime, enjoy Lora's (with before pictures) right here.

Oh, and don't forget to visit me at Infarrantly Creative today for her fantastic budget gift series called Pennywise Presents.  I'm glittering it up and not using Mod Podge - oh dear.  Come over to Beckie's blog and call me out.  Heh heh.

Amy Butler's Style Stitches book review and giveaway.

I was absolutely thrilled to receive a copy of Amy Butler's Style Stitches from Chronicle Books for review and giveaway.  Amy Butler is definitely the Martha Stewart of the fabric world, and it's hard to find someone who doesn't know who she is.  It's even harder to find someone who doesn't like her style.  I not only love her fabric, but I love her patterns, especially her bags.  She goes big most of the time, which I can totally appreciate.  Do you understand how much stuff I have to carry?  Probably, because most of you probably act as a pack mule on a daily basis like I do.  If you love bags as I do, then you are going to love Style Stitches.  Here are my five favorite things about this book.

Twitter chat on craft blogging tomorrow.

I belong to a craft bloggers' group called Crafterminds - it's sort of like the Marvel Squad.  We support each other but also strive to support other crafty bloggers as well.  Our first event is a Twitter chat on craft blogging, and it should be a blast.  It's going to be tomorrow (Monday the 6th) at 1pm PST/4pm EST.  Go here for all the details -including details on how to participate/follow a Twitter chat.  I promise you great fun or you money back!

Handmade animal puzzle blocks are a great gift for children.

Sometimes simplicity makes the most beautiful gifts.  That is certainly true with these puzzle blocks from Melissa at Chasing Cheerios.  I really love the fact that the blocks aren't painted, and the animals are created using bold papers.  I love all the lines, polka dots and stripes - and Melissa's animal shapes are precious.  Check out the full blog entry here.

We can win a haul from Chronicle Books.

Hi friends and loyal Mod Podgers!  I'm trying to win something together with one of you.  Chronicle Books is hosting a "Celebrate the Haul-idays" contest.  I list my wish list books from Chronicle here, and then you leave a comment.  If we are selected, both you and I will win what's on the list.

View this whole post to see my favorites, and then leave a comment at the bottom so that we can win together.  How fun would that be?

A dessert stand for a holiday party.

I actually did this plate-and-candlestick dessert stand last year, but I wanted to share it again because I really like it.  Vintage holiday-ish colors are my fav, and I think the blue and silver work in that regard - yet I could use this for a party all year round.  I assembled this dessert stand for only $1.  I had everything else on hand.  I would love to do a series of these in coordinating patterns so that the party table I don't have looks cool.  One day I will have a party table, and this will be on it!  Here's how I made it.

Another Mod Podge e-book for your viewing pleasure.

Not so very long ago I gave you the link to the Quick & Easy Decoupage e-book I did with Fave Crafts.  Holli, Debbie and I did so many projects for that first book that it was actually broken into two, and here's the second edition.  It's a free download, so don't be scared.  Go here to get your copy.  Can you guess which projects on the cover are mine?

Pop-up Noel thank you card.

What exactly is a pop-up Noel thank you card?  It's something quite special if you have a holiday birthday.  You can celebrate the season AND thank a loved one for doing something great for you.  I call it a "twofer."  But that isn't the greatest thing about this card.  The most fun part is what's inside when you open it, and that is the Sizzix part of this project.  Karen Burniston, who I like to call the queen of pop-ups, gave us a card holder for this challenge.  You'll just have to read the entire post to see what I'm talking about.  It's wild and crazy pop-up fun!

Dollar Tree flair for crafts contest.

Are you a big fan of Dollar Tree like I am?  I browse my local DT on a regular basis and always find something great - and I don't mean just surfaces for Mod Podging.  A co-worker and I were recently on party patrol for the office, and we decorated for $25 thanks to Dollar Tree.  Awesome, huh?

Dollar Tree is hosting a "Flair for Crafts" contest that I think you should enter.  It's pretty simple.  Create a Christmas craft for less than $20, and then tell all of your friends and family to vote for you.  You could win big prizes, and then we'll all be jealous.  But seriously, I would love it if a Mod Podger would win.  A lot.

Visit here for the full contest details and to submit.  Don't forget to visit my friend Heather at Dollar Store Crafts on a regular basis as well; as you can tell by the name, budget crafting is totally her thang.

Haunukkah starts tonight with eggshells.

I am proud to say that I have followed Sara from Creative Jewish Mom since the beginning.  She's very talented; I see her featured everywhere.  Which doesn't surprise me at all, because in the last year she's really raised the bar on her crafting and inspires me constantly.  I'm sharing her eggshell mosaic garland with you today because tonight (at sundown), Hanukkah begins.  Sara combines eggshells with watercolor-washed paper, and I totally agree with her - it has an artsy feel.  Visit Sara's complete tutorial right here, and then make one of these garlands in your favorite color palette.