Sunday, May 8, 2011

Spring Cleaning and a Giveaway - CLOSED

(picture is from a year ago - but basically it looks like this at all times)

So I have dedicated this week to spring cleaning.  My studio is such a mess I haven't used it in over a month and the rest of the house has slowly become covered in craft supplies.  I thought it would be the perfect time to do a little cleaning in other aspects of my life as well - including the blog.

***GIVEAWAY - EXTENDED AND UPDATES***
Because Blogger went down for much of Thursday 5/12 and Friday 5/13 I will be extending the giveaway through the weekend.  Additionally if you left a comment on Thursday it was deleted (by Blogger not me!) Luckily I had all the emails saved and I posted each of them again.  

Each person can enter TWO times (please do not leave more than two comments!) To enter leave a comment telling me:

1. What you would like to see more of on the blog.  I have been getting TONS of responses for tutorials so would love to hear more ideas!

2. Leave a second comment asking a question - could be question about me, blogging, crafts, anything - I might turn it into a Q&A post.   

I will be picking TWO winners on Monday and giving each one of my Ephemera Kits. 



GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED


Photobucket

66 comments:

Jenn Smith Sloane said...

Melissa,

I love all of your tutorials that you do. They are so detailed and easy to then be inspired to create our own. I can't wait to see what "treasures" you find when you are cleaning up your scrap room. I'm in the middle of packing mine right now and hating every minute of it.

Mindy said...

Love the tutorials! Good luck with the cleanup. I'm doing some of that myself.

Jessica Rodarte said...

I enjoy your tutorials, as well! I love to see how you package your kits as well. Nothing brings me over like a pretty new kit.

Em said...

I love your Thrifty Thursdays. You could do a Trash to Treasure Tuesday, too :)

Yainea said...

I love your tutorials! You're very creative so each post is great... I can't help a lot, haha

Unknown said...

I love your Thrifty Thursdays. And always love a good tutorial. Thanks for this giveaway. 8>)

Anonymous said...

I just happened among your blog while looking for examples of travel journals at TwoPeas. I love what I see and plan to bookmark. Love trash to treasure, how to use an eclectic mix in projects, particularly mini-albums of every kind. Can't wait to see more.

...a/k/a DJScrappiness... said...

OMGee - that's what my room looked like (and kinda still does...), so I decided to have a 'private' sale for my friends, and friends of friends. It was easier for me to let go of some things knowing they would be going to 'good homes.' I sold a TON of stuff I've been holding on to (I guess that's called HOARDING!) for YEARS and made around $350 in the process! I've already helped myself to a Cuttlebug but I am saving the rest of the $$ to spend at the GASC in Texas in a few weeks...after my trip to JoAnn's today, with my 50% coupon...

I love tutorials of any kind. I am such a 'visual learner' and they help so much. It doesn't matter if they are video, or picture by picture. I also love tips on techniques and short cuts, as well as anything storage-related (my husband says I'm addicted to storage!). I also LOVE looking at other people's crafting areas, so any you want to post of your place would be welcomed!

Thanks for asking for our input. Looking forward to what you come up with for us!!!

Doris

Lyndee @ A Recovering Craft Hoarder said...

I love the "Burst of Creativity" I see everyday on your blog. Some of my favorites have been your Thrifty tutorials. They are so unique and fun and CREATIVE!!! I'd love to see the progress of your room. So often we see the before and afters and it makes us feel like it was done in an hour instead of the days and sometimes weeks and more often then not, months. I would love to see the journey.

Lina Thomlinson said...

I vote for more tutorials, especially ones done with materials currently available in stores so I can copy you. :) Because I saw the great stuff you did with them I tracked down some London bus postcards at Tuesday Morning and ran out to Michaels to pick up some vintage circus goodies because I'd seen them on your blog.

naiwatts said...

I think tutorials are a great idea, as everyone else, but maybe one that's shows how to do a basic layout for beginners. I'm kind of new at this, as you know, and I feel overwhelmed and intimidated by alot of the artsy crafts that many are doing right now. Maybe a before and after would be nice. Like a layout done by a beginner and give advice on how to improve it, whether it be cropping the photos differently or using embellishments more or less and then explain a little on why what does work and why something doesn't. I know you're a good teacher, so I'd like to see you share some more of your expertise.

TheLastOfNine said...

First, I just bought Create: Mini Albums by Scrapbook Trends and saw your "Find Joy Every Day" mini, how exciting to be published in such a great book with so many other talented artists!!! There are so many ideas and love the close-ups.

Second, once you finish cleaning up your studio maybe you can sell items you no longer need or want, remember someone's trash is someone else's treasure.

Speaking of trash to treasure, love the ideas you have on Thrifty Thursdays, keep those tutorials coming. I personally also like mini's and cards, and tags and basically anything you make.

Gloria

Katey said...

i am with you, i am in need of a good clean sweap of the crafting area!

its pretty bad when we have people come over and see it and say..." wow, been busy?"

good luck with it all. start by making piles..thats what i do.

Jasmine said...

You're tutorials are great and I've gotten some awesome ideas from them. I love the idea of a project using found objects, or maybe even a blog post on where you get some of your treasures from to fill your kits up with! I love the ephemera kits you have, but you don't ship to Canada!

Unknown said...

I really like your tutorials...they're very clear and creative. I also like seeing your unique creations! P.S. My craft room's pretty bad too :)

Susan Nichols said...

I can't get enough of the Thrifty Thursdays! How about "Cheap Tuesdays"....ha! Thanks, your blog rocks! Now lets see the after pic of your craft room!

Ei8ht Beach Street said...

I would love to see you do a video on how you create you journals from start to finish. Where does your inspiration come from? Where do you find your materials? What makes you put what where? Stuff like that. I think you would do a wonderful video tutorial.

Jennybean said...

I'd love to see you blog about your process as you reorganize your space! I'm in the middle of reorganizing as well!

Debbie said...

I really like the tutorials you've done and the re-do of those thrify finds. I like to see all those crafting supplies used for other projects to extend their usefulness. Also, maybe examples of crafting tools!

Thanks and good luck with the cleaning!

Unknown said...

When I saw your crafting area, I had to laugh! That is exactly what my bonus room and office look like right now with all my projects in process.

My favorite blog posts consist of tutorials, thrifty crafting, taking trash and making treasures, organizational tips & ideas for crafters, and crafting product reviews.

ArtfullyJune said...

I love a good tutorial, especially one that doesn't require a lot of expensive supplies

Anonymous said...

um..maybe you should make some printable freebie+more tutorials! everybody love freebies !! and other than that..your blogs juz great!

Simpson Home said...

I love your blog. It inspires me to see how you use recycled or up-cycle things to make treasures. I would like to see more examples of what you put into your journals- especially the art journals. The idea intrigues me, but I don't know where to start. Please keep doing the tutorials too. Thanks
Kathy

simpsonshome@gmail.com

Mary C. Nasser said...

Love your blog title and spring cleaning post!

Great meeting you through the Etsy Blog team!
I am a new follower/subscriber of your blog. :)

Best,
Mary C. Nasser
http://www.marycnasser.com/blog.html

Sharry said...

Funny, your studio looks just like mine!

curlyqmosaics said...

Just keep doing what you are doing! Your tutorials, your creations, your ephemera packs...everything is so very inspiring and obviously so...you have tons of followers loving everything that you do!

Allie said...

more tutorials!

HappyScrapper said...

I'm new to your blog but it didn't take long to get hooked! Loving your tutorials and would always be up for more of those...also feel inspired when I see what you've done with your thrifty makeovers...how about "real" thrifty as in found items or things you might already have around your house!

Jasmine said...

Great work, Melissa!...and good luck, with the cleaning- yikes! (I'm one of those annoyingly neat scrappers) I would love to see you do a trash to treasure post. Something that looks like crap when you get it, but then give it that magic touch of your's. Thanks for the chance- best of luck with the room.
Jasmine
A {Little} Dab of Glue

DeeDee Catron said...

I would be super interested in hearing where you get all your vintagy goodness! (if I've missed the posts before, please forgive me!) Where do you find the most success.. flea markets? garage sales? estate sales? thrift stores? or do you buy from specific places that hoard their own vintage products?

Simple Things Sweet Life said...

I love your blog and etsy store. Vintage things, paper, buttons, embellishments are my favorite things to craft with and collect.

I've recently purchased some vintage children's encyclopedias and would love some ideas on what cute things to do with the vintage pictures in it. Would you blog about some ideas for that? Thank you!

I've never won anything in bloggy land... :)

Simple Things Sweet Life said...

PS...for my 2nd entry, my question is, where do you find the many vintage papers that you put in your kits? Vintage books? Garage sales? Flea Markets?

Thank you! Donna

Neha Jain said...

nice tutorials :)

Jasmine said...

Thanks for opening up your shop to us Canadian folk...I appreciate that! For my 2nd entry, Who inspires you to create?

Unknown said...

Love your Thrifty Thursday. Your blog is awesome and the tutorials are great. Would love to see you puting to use some of your "finds" as you purge through your room.

melodymellinger said...

Love the tutorials! Keep them coming!

melodymellinger said...

Getting a new room to create in - any helpful hints??

Jasmine said...

My Question: How much time do you spend on crafting,say,in a day?...and every day? Thanks for the second chance.
Jasmine.

Melissa said...

SimpleThingsSweetLife has left a new comment on your post "Spring Cleaning and a Giveaway":

I love your blog and etsy store. Vintage things, paper, buttons, embellishments are my favorite things to craft with and collect.

I've recently purchased some vintage children's encyclopedias and would love some ideas on what cute things to do with the vintage pictures in it. Would you blog about some ideas for that? Thank you!

I've never won anything in bloggy land... :)

Melissa said...

SimpleThingsSweetLife has left a new comment on your post "Spring Cleaning and a Giveaway":

PS...for my 2nd entry, my question is, where do you find the many vintage papers that you put in your kits? Vintage books? Garage sales? Flea Markets?

Thank you! Donna

Melissa said...

Neha Jain has left a new comment on your post "Spring Cleaning and a Giveaway":

nice tutorials :)

Melissa said...

Jasmine has left a new comment on your post "Spring Cleaning and a Giveaway":

Thanks for opening up your shop to us Canadian folk...I appreciate that! For my 2nd entry, Who inspires you to create?

Melissa said...

KTluv has left a new comment on your post "Spring Cleaning and a Giveaway":

Love your Thrifty Thursday. Your blog is awesome and the tutorials are great. Would love to see you puting to use some of your "finds" as you purge through your room.

Melissa said...

melodymellinger has left a new comment on your post "Spring Cleaning and a Giveaway":

Love the tutorials! Keep them coming!

Melissa said...

melodymellinger has left a new comment on your post "Spring Cleaning and a Giveaway":

Getting a new room to create in - any helpful hints??

Melissa said...

Jasmine has left a new comment on your post "Spring Cleaning and a Giveaway":

My Question: How much time do you spend on crafting,say,in a day?...and every day? Thanks for the second chance.
Jasmine.

Carol Amie said...

I would love some kid-friendly paper crafts or more school themed stuff...end of the year teacher gifts are coming immediately on the heals of teacher appreciation week (at two schools) and my brain is at Zero right now.

kellie from Crafting On A Dime said...

So on the heals of Spring Cleaning I would say more creative ways to organize. Not just buying something in a store but using creativity to store your items.
happy crafting, Kellie

kellie from Crafting On A Dime said...

A for my Question:

If you had one technique and only one technique to choose from to craft what would it be? Ex: Paint, MOD POG, sewing....and so forth I think you get the idea.

Keep up the good work on your spring cleaning project.
Kellie

Anonymous said...

Hmm, I think I would like to see u 'highligt' a certain technique, it could be embossing or making flowers. Sometimes we get so caught up with 'what's hot' we forget where we started.


Lynda in calif

Anonymous said...

Just curious how you started with paper crafting? Also do use your talents in other aspects of your life. Decorate tour everyday stuff, calendar, hair accessories etc

Lynda in ca

Stephanie A said...

I would love to see more of your porjects. You have such wonderful ideas! I especially loved your week of dollar store crafts!

sassygirl4u27 at yahoo dot com

Stephanie A said...

Im curious as to what inspires you? Im envious that you can look at an every day run of the mill item at the dollar store and turn in into something great!

sassygirl4u27 at yahoo dot com

Unknown said...

Mel, :)
I am a huge fan of a tutorial. Yours are among some of the easiest to follow which is key to actually being able to complete the project. Good luck and happy cleaning!
-Antares

Unknown said...

Mel,
What types of things inspire your crafts?
-Antares

My Inspired Reality said...

I love all of your tutorials. I am interested in more tutorials using recycled items:) My question to you: What is the process in developing one of your kits?

katie said...

i love all the little books you make -- like your journals and file folder mini! so cute. :) i'd love to see tutorials on how to create journals/minis out of unusual materials (like file folders). i know you did the starbucks mini, too, so i'm sure you have ideas up your sleeve! ;)

Mindy said...

I'd love to see organization tips, and I'd LOVE to see you do some projects with vintage photos.

katie said...

also, are there items/supplies/trends you don't understand/don't like to work with? everyone has a different style and it's always interesting to me to learn what people don't like. personally, i am not a glitter kind of girl! not a very girly scrapper.

caitlin murpy said...

I have seen a bunch of mirrors/frames/boxes that are made out of folded pieces of newspaper/magazines. I have tried a dozen times to duplicate it... my question is... do you know how to do it? I would love to make a mirror for my sons room, but can't figure it out. And I also LOVE your Thrify Thursdays... I have made a few of them :o)

jan said...

its nice to see that other people can get into a muddle. like everyone else I love to see tutorials, but I would also love to see how to organise scrapping supplies and how to utilise what I already have ( Im a bit of a product junkie/ when money allows )

TeenaBugg38 said...

I am sooo glad I saw this posted on FB cuz I thought I etered but didn't see my comment! I love tutorials and would love more tips on how to creatively use our leftovers :)

cindy said...

I would love more of your tutorials, lots and lots more!

cindy said...

What made you start crafting?

Scrap It Girl, Kimberly said...

I love trash to treasure or anything using recycled products & of course anything you do w/ a vintage flare.. I love mini albums too! Everything you do is great!

Jerri junque said...

I found you through Studio 5. Now I am hooked. I am a stalker ( insert evil laugh)hahahahah