DIY Valentine Candy Box Tutorial

It's finally up - my tutorial for making a box for giving handmade Valentine chocolates!

The decorated box can also be reused as decorative storage, so it's like two gifts in one!

Check out the tutorial!

Win Tinkerbell stickers and more!

Every day in February I am adding various craft supplies to a big box, and at the end of the month, one winner will snag the whole lot!

Today we have... Tinkerbell stickers!

Two booklets containing over 800 stickers perfect for princess birthday party invitations and many other girlie applications.

Want to see what else is in the box?

Want to know how to enter to win?

Distracted!

Okay, I know I said I was going to post that candy box tutorial today. I got partway through working on it when I took a little surfing break and came across an adorable Blogger template with two cats on it. Which got me thinking, I should be a totally huge dork and start a blog about my cats!

And so, somehow, the rest of my evening has kind of funneled its way into the project. I still have a couple of things I want to add and tweak as far as the layout and images go, but it's up and running: The Adventures of Merlin & Abracadabra!

They are always doing amusing and adorable things, so this will be a place to collect all of my cute photos and videos of them, plus some cats that belong to friends and family making guest appearances. If you are a cat lover, check it out, and bookmark/follow/subscribe for lots of cuteness yet to come!

Free Fashion Crochet Patterns

Since I recently learned how to read crochet patterns, I have been bookmarking dozens of free patterns for various projects, including quite a few really spiffy wearable items. I thought you all might enjoy them as well, so I am sharing some of my favorites!


I came across this cute crocheted bracelet pattern at The Purl Bee. They are incredibly simple to make and would be a great way to use up odds and ends of scrap yarn.


I've been working on unraveling a cashmere sweater I bought at The Salvation Army for $2. It is yielding a large amount of deep purple, finger-weight yarn, which I think would look amazing used for this lace fingerless gloves crochet pattern from Crochet Insider. Hmmm...


Finally, I am in love with this Mary Jane crocheted slipper pattern I found at a blog called The Little House by the Sea. It's been a REALLY cold winter and my toes have been quite chilly, so I think I might jump on making a pair of these soon for around the house!

Show me your favorite wearable crochet patterns!

Win these skull and dice beads, plus much, much more!

Every day this month, I am adding more craft supplies to a huge box, which one lucky reader will win!

Today we have... skull and dice beads!

They are all plastic beads, with a assortment of pony-size skull beads and diagonally drilled dice beads in two size and three colors. Just imagine the things you could do with them!

Want to see what else is in the box?

Want to know how to enter to win?

Make Your Own Chocolates for Valentine's Day

This Valentine's Day, give your sweetie an extra-sweet gift by making your own box of Valentine's Day chocolates!

Today I posted the first of a two-part article on just this topic. Today's post is a collection of delicious chocolate candy recipes. Tomorrow, I am posting a tutorial for making your own box to put them in for gift-giving!

Check it out, an while you are there, take a look around and subscribe to stay up-to-date. Then come back here and enter my huge blog giveaway for a chance to win a giant box full of free craft supplies!

Win 9 yards of fabric, plus much more!

I'm giving away a huge box full of craft supplies! Every day this month I am adding more craft supplies to a big box, and at the end of the month it will be shipped off to one lucky reader.

Today's addition to the box? Tulle!

Into the box goes just over nine yards of gorgeous royal purple tulle. Perfect for making cute tu-tus for little ballerinas and much more!

Want to see what else is in the box? Click here!

Want to know how to enter? Click here!

Please help a family in need!

Last week, 52-year old Julie Miller lost her life in a tragic car accident.

This area currently has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, and Julie had recently lost her job when the restaurant she worked at closed down, and her family doesn't have enough money to cover the funeral expenses.

My best friend LeAnn is a close friend of Julie's, and she is helping to organize a silent auction fundraiser to benefit the family. She asked me if I could donate some handmade items to sell, so I am putting together a few things for auction.

So far, I am donating the mirror and picture frame I made for today's tutorial on my Examiner arts & crafts column:


As well as some assorted Amigurumi animals that I will continue working on until I have 4 or 5 of them to give:


In an effort to gather more items for auction, I am asking you, my loyal and wonderful readers, for help. If you have any handmade items you would like to donate for the silent auction, they would be greatly appreciated. There is no donation too small, as every little bit helps!

The auction will take place February 21, 2010, so I need items before then. You can send them to me at:

Rhonda Rowley
1209 25th Street
Manistee, MI 49660

Thank you in advance for your help and generosity!

Dollar Store Craft Tutorial: Make a Funky Picture Frame or Mirror

These beautiful pieces actually came to be as a favor. Last week, my best friend LeAnn lost a friend of her family in a tragic car accident. The family doesn't have money to pay for the funeral, so LeAnn and her dad are organizing a silent auction fundraiser. LeAnn asked me if I could make something to donate and auction off, and of course I said yes.

My goal was to create items that would fetch a nice price at auction while spending as little money as possible. I bought a picture frame, a mirror, and two different bags of flat glass stones from the Dollar Tree near my house, grabbed a couple of old magazines and my bottle of Mod Podge, and got to work. I'm really happy with the results, and I will let you know how much they go for when they are auctioned off!

Click here to see the tutorial.

While you are there, take a look around, subscribe to stay up to date, then come back to enter my HUGE blog giveaway! Click here for more details!

Macrame, anyone? (Win free craft supplies!)

Every day in February I am adding more craft supplies to the swiftly growing box that I am giving away! That's right, free craft supplies!

Today I am putting multi-color hemp twine into the box! One roll is rainbow colored, and the other is in pink, purple, and light blue. They are partial rolls, having been each used for one project, but there is plenty left for you to play with!

Click here to see what else is in the box!

Click here to learn how to enter to win!