Cath Edvalson

Looking for some fun last-minute Mother’s Day projects? Our May/June 2010 issue has just the thing for dear ol’ mom!

We’ve got cards and projects for every style under the sun. Whether you like to design in clean and graphic or fun and cute styles, or if your recipient likes classy and elegant, shabby chic, or vintage styles, Paper Crafts magazine is your one-stop source for endless inspiration.

Check out these stylish projects:

Happy Mom's Day Card by Kim Kesti

Straight from our PC101 column (on p. 29), this clean and graphic card by Go-to Gal Kim Kesti is trendy and fun! Just die-cut a floral shape from fabric and voila! Instant fun!

I Love Mom Card by Windy Robinson

What makes this card by Windy Robinson (on p. 38) so fun and cute is the sweet sentiment treatment, the simple scallop border, the basic patterned background and those darling heart stick pins.

Pink & Yellow Dots Card by Vanessa Menhorn

If you or your mom loves the classy and elegant style, Vanessa Menhorn’s card (found on p. 41) will do just the trick. There’s ribbon, some bling and an elegant stamped image that would capture the stylish heart in any mom!

Vintage Goddess Wall Hanging by Anabelle O'Malley

Are you interested in making your mom something she can hang on her wall? If so, this vintage project by Anabelle O’Malley (found on p. 43) will remind Mom of simpler times—and you—everytime she looks at it.

Mother Charm Card by Sherry Wright

If you’re like me, you’re just now getting started on your paper crafted Mother’s Day projects, so these ideas are handy dandy. But for those of you who are already thinking Father’s Day, the great thing about these projects is that they can be adapted to other occasions such as thank you and birthday.

Speaking of birthdays, today our editor-in-chief, Jennifer Schaerer, is celebrating hers! Leave a comment wishing her a happy day and we’ll all celebrate by offering one random winner a fun prize from my magical prize drawer. Just be sure and leave a comment by midnight (MDT) on Friday, May 7 in order to be eligible to win!

Yours in celebrating moms and Jennifers and Jennifers who are also moms,
Cath

P.S. For a limited-time, you can Renew or Subscribe to Paper Crafts at our special low rate and give a 1-year Gift Subscription for FREE! That’s two subscriptions for the price of one! But hurry…this Mother’s Day Special ends May 9th. Offer valid in the U.S. only.

Cath Edvalson

In the November/December issue of Paper Crafts magazine, we’ve assailed you with inspiring projects you can create for the holidays. There’s an entire section devoted exclusively to holiday cards, a feature that shows projects with cute little Christmas critters on them and two features devoted to the gifting aspect of the holiday season.

While the Gift Trios feature shows you great gift-wrapping inspiration in which the same product was used for a gift container, a tag, and a card; another feature, The Heart of Christmas, shows you fun and unique ways to wrap up the tasty goodies we like to share with friends, family and neighbors during this bake-fest of a season.

I got busy baking myself for the feature’s opener:

Fresh from my oven to the pages of my favorite magazine.

Known as the “bringer of pies” in my circles, I just happened to be baking a birthday pie for my oldest daughter the weekend before the opener needed to be shot…way back in July. So naturally I volunteered to make another “while I was at it” pie. I was asked to cut a heart out of the center of the pie so the meaning of the title could be visually communicated, and while it was super easy to cut the heart out of the center of the crust, placing the heart in the smack-dab middle of the pie turned out to be much more challenging than I knew! Let’s just say that I’m very grateful for the powers of Photoshop, because as far as you know, *wink*, I placed that puppy dead-center, right?

Speaking of challenges, I’m not sure if you’re aware, but our November Gallery Challenge is “centered on” festive treat containers. Inspired by fantastic designs such as these from the feature, we’re hosting a super fun challenge that offers you an opportunity to show off your own festive ways of dressing up food gifts of all types and varieties!

I love the sweet paper crafted stocking Paper Crafts Pro Wendy Johnson has used for this treat container!

It doesn’t matter what your baking, there’s a way to paper craft the container! Here Paper Crafts Pro Susan Neal has fashioned a bread wrap and you could put just about anything in this beautiful container by Sherry Wright!

You have until Monday at midnight (MDT) to upload your creations, and you’ll not only receive a prize and be featured on this blog if you win, but you’ll also be able to scratch those homemade treat containers off your to-do list before Thanksgiving even thinks about putting itself on the table!

Click HERE for all the details you’ll need to get your craft on!

I can’t wait to be inspired by you,
Cath

P.S. We just sent out our Call for Submissions for Card Creations, Volume 8! Interested in submitting to our most popular special issue? Click HERE for all the details!

P. Kelly Smith

Welcome to Freebie Friday! Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the promotion of A Card a Day thus far. Like Jennifer mentioned yesterday, you have until 5:00 p.m. (EST) today to order this fabulous new book and receive free shipping! Why not get a head start on your Christmas shopping!

Speaking of Christmas, it will be here before you know it. I’ve already spotted twinkle lights hanging from several houses in my neighborhood. My philosophy is if you can’t beat them, why not join them? Why not get your holiday cards made and out of the way?

If you need some inspiration for all those cards you intend to send out, A Card a Day has plenty of designs to get you in the ho-ho-ho spirit. The best part of this book…when it’s January and you’re stuck in your house waiting for Valentine’s Day to roll around, this book will keep you company and remind you that every day is the perfect day to create a handmade card.

Click on the image to buy your copy of A Card a Day!

If you’re one of those people who loves to make “Just Because” cards, A Card a Day is laid out just like a calendar – all the major holidays are covered, but there’s also plenty of designs for those days in between when you just want to say “hi” or “thinking of you”. In fact, Wendy Sue Anderson, the mastermind behind this book, designed the lead project for each of the 12 months. What do you think of her Fall Blessings Card? This is the lead card for November.

Fall Blessings Card by Wendy Sue Anderson

Have two birthdays and a thank you card you need to send out in November? These are the card designs for Nov. 1, 2 and 3.

Birthday Wish Ticket by Sherry Wright; Offbeat Birthday by Courtney Kelley; and Newsprint Thank You by Dawn McVey

Are you liking what you see? If so, take advantage of our limited time offer of free shipping when you purchase A Card a Day. Hurry because this special offer is only good through 5:00 p.m. (EST) today. Click HERE to reserve your copy!

Wanna try your luck at winning a free copy of A Card a Day? Leave a comment telling me what time of the day you feel the most creative. Morning? Mid-Afternoon? Night? Very Late Night/Early Morning? I’ll pick three random winners to receive a copy of Paper Crafts latest and greatest book. All comments must be received by midnight (MDT) on Sunday, Nov. 8.

Happy Friday!
Kelly

P.S. It’s time to announce the winners of Maren Benedict’s Photo Cards post! Here they are in no particular order:

1. cjs (Nov. 4, 1:36 p.m.)
2. Shawna (Nov. 4, 2:31 p.m.)
3. Bernice (Nov. 4, 8:23 a.m.)

Congrats, winners! You’ve each won a copy of Paper Crafting with Photos! I’ll be contacting you shortly to get your mailing addresses. Thanks to all who left comments!

P.P.S. For those of you who went to our online store and purchased A Card a Day, you might have noticed that shipping charges were added to your order. Even though it’s showing up on the bill, the backend system recognizes the “free shipping” code that’s been put in place. Rest assured that you won’t be charged for shipping. If any of you have avoided buying A Card a Day because of this issue, I’m happy to report we have extended the free shipping offer through 5:00 p.m. (EST) on Monday, Nov. 9!

P. Kelly Smith

Welcome to Freebie Friday and Paper Crafts latest installment of the trivia game I-Spy! If you’re a fan of cute critters, then you’re going to love today’s giveaway! 

From snails and skunks to mice and monkeys, we’re giving away an entire zoo of animal-themed product. Get ready to play because I’m picking five winners this time!

You must have a copy of our November/December 2009 issue in front of you. All questions will be directly related to this issue and this issue only.

November/December 2009 I-Spy Questions:

1. I spy Jennifer’s Editor’s Note where she starts off singing one of her favorite Christmas carols. What is it?

2. I spy our Paper Crafts Connection column. How does designer Sherry Wright describe her style?

3. I spy Cath’s Moxie Fabs column. What icon does she say is “quintessential Old Country”?

4. I spy our Paper Crafts 101 column. What number is printed on the second technique square by Melissa Phillips? Hint: Look for the card featuring the vintage buttons!

5. I spy our Symbols of the Season feature. According to the vintage book page used in Angie Hagist’s Tis the Season Card, what kind of party was “Anastasia” supposed to go to? A). Pool Party B). Beach Party C). Halloween Party Hint: Look right above the point of the tallest tree?

6. I spy our Gift Trios: A Bag, a Tag, & Card feature. What striped candy is popping out of the bag in Maren Benedict’s Ho! Ho! Ho! Trio?

7. I spy The Heart of Christmas feature. According to the recipe on Wendy Sue Anderson’s Snowballs Gift Bag, how much powdered sugar is needed?

8. I spy our All Creatures Great & Small feature. What item did Kim Hughes trace to get the perfect half circle in her Not a Creature was Stirring Card?

9. I spy our Stamping Royalty feature. One winner hails from the state where bluebonnets are the official flower and armadillos roam the highways. Name the winner who has two cards featured here and calls The Lone Star State her home? Hint: This humble editor also hails from this state – as does her “boyfriend” Matthew McConaughey! 

10. I spy our Get Inspired column. What kind of pie did Susan’s Grandma Ozella make every Thanksgiving?

Five random winners (who answer five or more questions correctly) will win a selection of product we feature in this issue’s Product Parade column. (Just turn to p. 71 for a closer look!) To play, please enter your answers in the comment field below this entry. All comments must be received by midnight (MDT) on Sunday, Oct. 11.

Five lucky people will win an assortment of this cute critter product!

Good luck!
Kelly

P.S. What year did Columbus sail the ocean blue? In honor of Columbus Day next week, we’re hosting a two-day sail-a-bration! Visit our three online stores on Monday, Oct. 12 and Tuesday, Oct. 13 and save 30% off your entire order! Just enter the promo code COLU-1492-1DAY during checkout. This promo code will work in all three of the following stores:

• Scrap & Paper Corner
• Quilter’s Village
• Sewing District

Cath Edvalson

As I sat down to write this post I could swear I heard the song, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” It sure does feel like we’re having a merry little Christmas this week as we celebrate the fact that our beloved, tried-and-true, ultimate resource for paper crafting the holidays, Holiday Cards & More, Volume 4,  is finally on sale. And not a minute too soon, for as we all know, a paper-crafted Christmas takes some time and attention to prepare!

Inspiring your holidays since 2006

I’m here today to give you a sneak peek at the ornament section, and I couldn’t be more thrilled because ornaments are totally my thing. Since the birth of my oldest child 23 years ago, my family has been adding a unique, special ornament to our tree. We choose a Sunday a couple of weeks before Christmas, we load up the car’s CD player with our favorite carols, and we drive up the canyon to Park City where we have breakfast at our favorite joint and shop the quaint snowy streets for the coveted, group-decided-upon, most memorable ornament for that year.

How memorable would it be, however, to create handmade ornaments like these this year? I wouldn’t give up our tradition, of course, but the inclusion of handmade ornaments would be a lovely, heartfelt addition to our tree of memories:

Three Vintage Sign Ornaments by Joanne Allison, p. 157

Jingle Bell Christmas Ornament by Beatriz Jennings and Happy Holiday Co. Star Ornament by Sherry Wright, p. 151

Don’t these conjure images of a Norman Rockwell Christmas? And this is just the tip of the proverbial treetop, if you will, friends. The ornaments section of Holiday Cards & More is chock full of ornaments in every style and color palette you can imagine—something for everyone, as jolly ol’ St. Nick might say.

And because we’re all in the Christmas spirit this week, I’d love to give away the stamp set (below) from Cornish Heritage Farms that was used to create the Three Vintage Sign Ornaments. I’ve got three sets to give away, along with a copy of Holiday Cards & More, Volume 4. Just leave me a comment that tells us one of your family holiday traditions by Friday, August 28 at midnight MDT, and Christmas could come a bit early for you this year, like it has here!

Leave me a comment to win this great stamp set!

Before you go, don’t forget to stop by the Moxie Fab World today! We’re stretching our holiday style in Holiday Cards & More Week with a week’s worth of challenges that you won’t want to miss! I’ve got some g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s classy and elegant sneak peeks for you today!

Looking forward to hearing about your traditions,

 ~Cath

P. Kelly Smith

What an exciting week we’re having! Yesterday we announced the Top 20 in our Gallery Idol competition and today we’re announcing the five winners from our CC7 blog hop last Friday! Is everyone sitting down? Okay, here we go… the five lucky winners are:

1. Lorie (June 28, 8:59 a.m.)

I absolutely love Kim Hughes’ Lily of the Valley card. The colors, stitching and design make it so comforting.

2. Winter (June 27, 8:33 p.m.)

Wow, this is hard to choose! All of them are great, but the one that really caught my eye was Kim Kesti’s apron card! I just really love the fabric! Y’all have picked some great cards for your magazine! Thanks for the inspriation from the blog hop!

3. Isabel Z (June 27, 7:02 a.m.)

This was so much fun hopping from blog to blog and seeing all of the amazing cards–such a talented group of women. It was almost impossible to pick a favorite, but since I have to, I will go with Dawn’s card. I have always admired Dawn McVey’s style. Her card is stunning–the use of color, simplicity, embellishments, layering–beautiful.

4. cheryl f yelverton (June 26, 10:11 p.m.)

My favorite card on the blog hop was Kim Hughes’ sympathy card with the white flowers and the handstitched stem. It was so sweet, yet elegant. Thanks for all the fun and inspiration. ~ms.cheryl

5. itskrista (June 26, 12:54 p.m.)

I have to say Sherry Wright’s card has got to be my favorite. I just loved those colors together. Oh, but I loved Kim Hughes’ too. Such sweet details. Oh my, I loved them all. Such fabulous work! Such inspiration!

Congrats, ladies! You’ve each won a prize package that contains a copy of Card Creations, Volume 7 and an amazing paper collection from Doodlebug Design, Autumn Leaves, Anna Griffin, SEI and Sassafras Lass. I’ll be e-mailing you shortly for your mailing addresses. Until your packages arrive, here’s another look at your winnings!

If you didn’t win here, make sure to head on over to Moxie Fab World to see if you’re one of Cath’s five winners! You’ll also want to check back with our 15 designers to see if you’ve won any of the CC7 issues that are up for grabs!

Happy blog hopping (again!)
Kelly

Welcome to Freebie Friday and the last day of our Card Creations 7 Week celebration! Hopefully you’ve enjoyed your sneak peek of Card Creations, Volume 7 both here and on Moxie Fab World. We’ve had so much fun spotlighting this incredible issue and hope you’ve been sufficiently inspired to go make your own little masterpieces of wonder.

For those of you just joining us today, make sure to read all of our fun posts this week. From talking blossoms and buttons with designer Carla Peicheff to being tickled pink to tying on aprons with Kim Kesti and hitting the jackpot with Susan R. Opel, we’ve had a grand ol’ time! And special thanks go out to all the manufacturers who’ve donated their fabulous product for our daily giveaways! As always, your generosity is much appreciated!

Today I’m going to spotlight a few of my favorite cards from CC7, which is really hard to do since there are so many amazing designs! But this first one has a special place in my heart since it was created by a humble editor whose named rhymes with “jelly” (little inside joke around here!).

Yes, little ol’ me pulled out her scraps and created this card that features one of my favorite Emily Dickinson quotes. I made it for my dear 88-year-old Grandma who lost her sweetheart this last February. Since she has the most beautiful singing voice, I knew SIStv’s Music in the Morning paper would resonate with her and “hopefully” put a smile on her face and in her heart.

P. Kelly Smith's Hope Has Feathers Card from CC7

My next two favorite cards are all about friendship. These are the kinds of cards I would love to give my best gal pals. And, of course, I would be thrilled to be on the receiving end too! I think it’s the punch of orange and the simple use of the word “friend” that works so brilliantly here.

Maren Benedict's Friends Tree Card and Dawn McVey's Friends Card from CC7

And because we’re all friends in this wonderfully connective industry, I’d like you to meet 15 of my friends who just happen to have gorgeous cards in CC7:

• Charlene Austin                                
• Ashley Newell                                  
• Teri Anderson                                   
• Kim Hughes                                        
• Carla Peicheff                                   
• Dawn McVey                                    
• Betsy Veldman                                 
• Kim Kesti                                            
• Alli Miles                                            
• Maren Benedict                              
• Melissa Phillips                                
• Sherry Wright                                   
• Debbie Olsen                                    
• Layle Koncar          
• Beatriz Jennings                             

These talented ladies are also directly related to our big giveaway today! Yes, we’re having another blog hop! Each of these designers will be spotlighting one of the cards they created for CC7. They’ll be talking about products, techniques and anything else their little creative minds desire. Each time you comment on a different blog (one comment per blog, please), your name gets entered to win a free copy of CC7 (there’s 15 up for grabs!) AND one of the ten amazing prize packages we’re giving away here and on Moxie Fab World!

Here on Paper Crafts Connection, we’re giving away five fabulous prize packages! Each prize set contains a collection from Doodlebug Design, Autumn Leaves, Anna Griffin, SEI and Sassafras Lass.

This is ONE prize package! We actually ran out of room on the table, so you can’t see Sassafras Lass' product!

On Moxie Fab World, Cath is also giving away five amazing prize packages! Each of her prize sets contains a collection from Pink Paislee, My Mind’s Eye, Fancy Pants Designs, Imaginisce and KI Memories.

And this is ONE prize package! Imagine these paper crafting morsels spread out on your table!

So it’s time to go visit my friends! Once you’re done with your blog hop, come back here and leave a comment telling me your favorite project from the 15 designers. And then hop on over to Moxie Fab World and tell Cath whose project you thought was the trendiest. To be eligible for the 10 prize packages, our two Paper Crafts blogs should be the last on your tour. All comments must be received by midnight (MST) on Sunday, June 28. The 10 lucky winners will be announced on Tuesday, June 30!

Happy blog hopping!
Kelly

P.S. Since it’s never a dull moment around here, make sure you check back here on Monday when we announce the Top 20 finalists in our Gallery Idol 2009 competition! Get ready for some summer fun!

P.P.S. It’s time to announce the three winners from Kim’s It’s All Right Here post! Here they are in no particular order:

1. Linda (June 24, 9:11 a.m.)
2. Tracy T (June 24, 4:51 a.m.)
3. Emma O (June 24, 12:52 p.m.)

Congrats, winners! In addition to winning a copy of Card Creations, Volume 7, each of you will receive BasicGrey’s Bittersweet collection. I’ll be contacting shortly for your mailing addresses. Thanks to all who left comments!

P. Kelly Smith

Welcome to Magazine Monday and day one of Cards Creations 7 Week! As I mentioned last Friday, we’ve once again teamed up with Cath and her Moxie Fab World blog to celebrate our latest and greatest special issue Card Creations, Volume 7!

On sale tomorrow, this must-have issue features nearly 300 cards for all occasions. What’s even more impressive is over 200 designs are five steps or less, so making fabulous cards just got easier!

Each day this week we’ll be spotlighting cards from this great magazine, as well as giving away some fantastic prizes. As always, make sure you check back with us on Friday for our grand Freebie Friday giveaway. I’d love to spill the beans on what we have in store for you, but then I’d ruin the big surprise! And where’s the fun in that?

Remember between now and Friday, you can buy CC7 for 10% off. Click on the magazine image to reserve your copy today!

Today we’ll be spotlighting the fabulous Carla Peicheff, who has TEN glorious projects in this issue. I first became aware of Carla when she auditioned for our Gallery Idol 2008 competition. She made it all the way to our Top 10 round with her dazzling designs! (Just as a side note, today is the last day we’re accepting submissions for Gallery Idol 2009. Get your birthdays cards in by midnight (MST) and you could be one of our Top 20 contestants!)

So without further ado, let’s get to know Carla Peicheff!

Carla Peicheff

1. What is your favorite occasion or holiday to paper craft and why?  

I have to say that I absolutely love creating baby items…mini albums, cards, handmade gifts, etc. The paper lines that come out for baby items are always so adorable! Usually they feature little baby animals, polka dots, stripes, soft colors, etc. Who could ask for more really?

2. If you were only allowed two items to create a card beside cardstock and adhesive, what would they be?

Blossoms and buttons! I have a passion for blossoms…my blossom container is massive! I honestly have thousands of blossoms (yes, it’s a bit much, but really, you never know when you’ll need that *one* perfect little blossom, right?). And buttons! I always reach for buttons to finish off my blossoms…bright and fun or vintage and faded. I have a special place in my heart for all of them!

Carla Peicheff's Citrus Wish Card from CC7

3. What is your most difficult paper crafting challenge?

Definitely masculine cards! I find it so hard not to throw on lots of bling and blossoms, so keeping things clean and simple with dark, masculine colors isn’t really my style. So I tend to steer clear of masculine cards, but do enjoy creating them here and there.

4. How would you describe your style?

Hmm…I think my style is of the “more is more” school. I love to load up my cards with lots of blossoms, buttons, layered paper, rhinestones, ribbon, etc. But I will also do clean and simple cards. Overall, I think I’m pretty versatile. I’ll do whatever fits the occasion really! And depending on what inspired me, I just let my creativity take me along for the ride.

Carla Peicheff's Kiss Card from CC7

5. When it comes to calls and deadlines, how do you keep yourself organized?

For magazine calls, I will submit to those that “sing to me”, so if a call comes out that I like, I’ll send in a few cards and hope for the best! I’ve been quite busy with card orders and design team work recently so haven’t been submitting, but hope to find some time to do so again very soon!

As for deadlines, I have four kids, so I really need to keep myself on track. I’m a list maker, so I’ll start up a fresh “scrapping to-do” list every Monday and note the due dates so I’m not late.

6. Have you contributed to any design teams in the past or present? If so, which ones?

I love being part of a team, and working on different design teams keeps me creative and trying new things! I have served on several past design teams and as a guest designer. I am currently serving on four design teams:

• I head the design team with a friend at Lil’ Scrappers, which is an amazing Canadian store/kit club/message board.
• I’m also on the ShortCuts design team which sells the best clear and frosted card bases and precut gift card holders.
• I am also on the Bitten by the Bug design team which puts my love for my Cricut Expression to the test!
• And most recently, I made the Card Patterns design team, which is a fabulous card sketch challenge blog!

7. Name three Paper Crafts designers whose styles you like and tell me why they appeal to you.

Oh boy…this is a tough one, but I do know my first and foremost. I absolutely LOVE Melissa Phillips. Her style is so unique and feminine that I can *always* pick her stunning creations out of a magazine!

Two more designers I love are Sherry Wright and Kim Kesti… Sherry’s work is so sophisticated and detailed. She has an amazing eye, and it’s always a treat seeing her work! Fabulous! Kim’s work is clean and crisp! Her bright and fun creations always put a smile on my face!

8. Do you remember what Paper Crafts issue your first project appeared in? How has your style changed since then?

It wasn’t that long ago at all… it was the March/April issue of 2009. So no, I don’t think my style has changed much since then… lol!

9. Do you have any advice/tips for someone who’s never been published or who wants to submit for the first time?

A few tips from my own experience:

• Send in clear, bright and crisp pictures, and always be sure you know your materials.
• Send in your very best work! I’ve never seen a sloppy, slapped together card in any magazine.
• Don’t give up! I can only imagine how many thousands of submissions magazines receive. Just because you may not get picked up right away, it doesn’t mean they don’t like your “style”, or that you’ll never get picked up. It may just not be exactly what they’re looking for in that issue. So stick to it – your time will come!

10. Do you have a blog or online gallery? If so, please provide the URL.

I do have a blog (www.moralia.wordpress.com), which I update almost daily. You’ll find all my work here, along with random ramblings, pictures of my kids, etc. Please stop by and say hello!

So hopefully you’ve enjoyed getting to know Carla Peicheff! Our friends at American Crafts were nice enough to donate three sets of their Romance collection – the collection Carla used to create her Kiss card above. Please leave a comment below and I’ll pick three random winners to receive this awesome prize package, plus a copy of Cards Creations, Volume 7. All comments must be received by midnight (MST) on Tuesday, June 23.

Three lucky winners will receive this prize package valued at more than $100!

Make sure you head on over to Moxie Fab World for Cath’s moxie fab take on CC7! And get ready for Brandy’s post tomorrow on National Pink Day!

Kelly

P.S. It’s time to announce the seven winners from last week’s Freebie Friday – Cards Creations 7 Week! post. Here they are in no particular order:

1. Maria Gurnsey (June 19, 8:37 a.m.)
2. Gail (June 19, 2:32 p.m.)
3. Malia Leuck (June 20, 11:27 a.m.)
4. Karen D (June 20, 5:49 p.m.)
5. Kim M (June 19, 3:35 p.m.)
6. Lynette C (June 20, 1:49 a.m.)
7. Mary D (June 19, 1:17 p.m.)

P.P.S. It’s time to announce the five winners of Jennifer’s 107 Days and Counting! post. Here they are in no particular order:

1. Ellen (June 18, 8:46 a.m.)
2. Kristie Larsen (June 18, 5:05 p.m.)
3. Carol Metully (June 19, 12:31 p.m.)
4. Tina (June 18, 6:17 a.m.)
5. Carol (ScrapMomOf2) (June 18, 8:38 a.m.)

Congrats, winners! I’ll be e-mailing me shortly to discuss your prizes and get your mailing addresses. Thanks to all who left comments!

P. Kelly Smith

Welcome to Freebie Friday and the final day (sigh) of our Cards & Gifts Week celebration! Hopefully you’ve enjoyed your sneak peek of 225 Cards & Gifts both here and on Moxie Fab World. If anything, we hope this fantastic special issue is at the top of your wish list, if not shopping list!

For those of you just joining us today, make sure to read all of our nifty gifty posts this week. From chatting with rising star Maren Benedict to dressing up gift cards, “wrapping” with Kim Kesti, and making wishes with Susan Opel, we’ve had a grand ol’ time! And special thanks go out to all the manufacturers who’ve donated their fabulous product for our daily giveaways! As always, your generosity is much appreciated!

Today I’m going to spotlight the last two chapters of 225 Cards & Gifts – home décor and miscellaneous gifts! If you thought we had shown you every gifty thing you can do with paper, think again! To me, these projects personify the word “gift” and would make a lovely addition in anyone’s home.

Here’s one of my favorite projects from our Heartfelt Gifts of Home Décor section:

Alicia Thelin’s Inspire Frame & Card

And who wouldn’t love to receive this beautiful ensemble from our Gifts from the Heart section?:

Tish Treadaway’s Beautiful Life Journal & Pencil Holder

Are you ready for our unbelievably huge giveaway? I hope you’re sitting down because if you’re not, you soon will be! Today we’re giving you 12 chances to win one of these incredible prizes from our very generous friends at Provo Craft:

Think of all the gifty gifts you could create with The Cricut Expression:

Or all the albums you could creatively concoct with the Your Story Binder/Laminator:      

                              …or how ’bout all the custom-made t-shirts, hand bags, and home decor you could create and give using the Yudu Screen-Printing System?

I wasn’t lying about the prizes, right? They’re HUGE! Since we’re teaming up with Cath today on Moxie Fab World, she’s asked 10 amazing paper craftin’ gals to create a never-seen-before gifty project to get you totally inspired for all your paper crafted gift-giving. Leave a comment on each one of these blogs for a chance to win one of the aforementioned products from Provo Craft:

1. Maren Benedict
2. Kimberly Crawford
3. Beatriz Jennings
4. Kim Kesti
5. Carolyn King
6. Anabelle O’Malley
7. Melissa Phillips
8. Danni Reid
9. Roree Rumph
10. Sherry Wright

Each time you comment on a different blog (one comment per blog, please), your name gets entered to win. You can start by commenting here, then go see the gifty inspiration that is being offered on these 10 blogs, THEN stop by Moxie Fab World and leave a comment there as well.

That’s 12–count ‘em–12 big fat chances to win!

So ready, set, COMMENT! Tell me which of these prizes you would want to win the most and why by midnight (MST) on Sunday, April 26 and that will be your first of 12 chances to make it happen!

The lucky winners will be announced on Tuesday, April 28!

Happy blog hopping!
Kelly

P.S. It’s not too late to participate in the Cards & Gifts Challenge! To play, create a Mother’s Day gift and upload it here. The deadline is midnight (MST) on Monday, April 27. We will choose TWO winners in each category and feature them either here or on the Moxie Fab World blog on Thursday, April 30. And of course, there will be prizes! For more information, click here!

P.P.S. It’s time to announce the five winners from Jennifer’s  Gussy up Your Gift Cards post! Here they are in no particular order:

1. Anita Young (April 21, 9:05 a.m.)
2. Kate (April 21, 7:18 a.m.)
3. Jan (April 21, 10:54 a.m.)
4. Cheryl F Yelverton (April 21, 8:41 p.m.)
5. Btrflywmn (April 23, 11:58 a.m.)

Congrats, winners! In addition to winning a copy of 225 Cards & Gifts, each of you will receive a window tin and a large hinged tin to gussy up your gift cards! I will be e-mailing you shortly for your mailing addresses. Thanks to all who left comments!