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Commercial Break Thursday- Promote Yourself! Link List

by Suzy on May 17, 2012

And it is Thursday again! The weeks just go by so fast! Commercial Break Thursday is your chance to promote yourself, your blog, or your Etsy shop for free! Link up to the link list below and not only will 14,000+ folks a week see it, but linking up also puts you in the running to be featured the next week!

This week we are featuring Alese from 2 Crafty 4 My Skirt. Alese is a full-time working mom who also makes time in her busy day to create a great crafty blog for us to enjoy. Alese says, “I am one of those people who always thinks “I could make that myself.” That is where a lot of my projects come from. I also like to give gifts that are very personal, so quite often I make them. And in general I just feel good when I can make something, and say “Look how cool that is! I made that!”

Alese also makes some fabulous personalized clocks. You can check them out and order them at http://www.the-moment-in-time.blogspot.com/.

Take a few moments and check out 2 Crafty 4 My Skirt.

Then take another moment and promote yourself!

Please feel free to link up your latest crafty project your blog or your etsy shop. That way we can all get a little self-promotion in. A little bit of advertising and self promotion never hurts. Especially free advertising! Rules are as follows:

1- There are no rules…Link your website, your etsy site, your projects, your latest hairdo. Whatever. It doesn’t have to be crafts. Like, I said- no rules!! Go crazy! This is your chance for self promotion! If you choose to, I have a button on the side that you can add to your blog. But don’t worry, I’m not the button police. The object of the game is to get you and your stuff out there!

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An interview with Jocelyn from ‘Inside BruCrew Life’

by Suzy on May 15, 2012

Welcome to the worldwide blog hop tour, that introduces you to creative people from all corners of the globe.

Every week, our hosts on each continent will introduce you to someone new whose creativity is inspiring! Come take this worldwide tour with us!

You can visit each host below and read about a featured creative person on each continent! All interviews are posted simultaneously around the world, resulting in one big crafting party. And then, add your blog to the Blog Hop party below. You could be featured in the next Around the World Interview! Fame. Notoriety. Pure Awesomeness! It’s all in the touch of a keyboard button…

Jill in Australasia

Suzy in the Americas

DIvya in Asia

Larissa in Australasia

Charlene in the Americas

Today we are welcoming Jocelyn from Inside BruCrew Life. Her blog is chock full of wonderful recipes that she has come up with herself. In fact there is so much chocolate on her site that I had go put on my stretchy pants after I was done picking up the photos for this interview! She does amazing things with candies and chocolates. And it is a good thing we do not live close or the poor thing would have perpetual company sitting on a barstool in her kitchen waiting for crumbs. Not that I’d do that or anything…

My buddy Tom Selleck and his mustache are also fans of good cooking and he has been waiting impatiently for her arrival. We’ve asked her to bring one of her more popular home baked items and she has chosen to bring her Thin Mint Cupcakes.

So in the spirit of competition, Tom has also asked Martha Stewart to come in and bake up something. I was cool with that as there is nothing better for the soul than a little bit of honest competition. And Martha always freshens up the room with cut flowers and potpourri, so it is a win-win situation for me.

But I hadn’t realized that Tom had also invited a judge from Food Network Challenge to decide a winner. So in walks the infamous Hall of Fame Master Sugar Artist, Kerry Vincent and her headband. Kerry is known for her disparaging comments and sour face. But she is an expert in her field and could probably bake circles around anyone here, so I guess we will go with it.

Martha hates to lose, so she immediately donned her sensible shoes, put fresh candles on the table, hauled in a cord of wood and started a fire in the fireplace, hung fresh greenery from the mantel, scoured all the windows within and inch of their lives with ammonia and a bit of citrus and then started baking away. She calls her concoction, Peach and Pistachio Cake with Belle de Brillet and Vanilla Custard.

Well, sure.

While Jocelyn spreads her packages of Thin Mints out on the table and starts on her cake batter, I’m gonna pull up a stool to the counter and interview her while she works. Ummm…I get first dibs on the beaters.

Suzy: So, tell me a little about yourself, your family, your other hobbies …
Jocelyn: I am a SAHM to three great kids and I have been married to my best friend for almost 13 years. My kids are at school all day, so I have plenty of time during the day for baking, card making, scrapbooking, more baking, and making flowers for my etys shop. I also do minimal cleaning and laundry. I sure have gotten used to the quiet time during the day.

Suzy: When and why did you start blogging, and where would you like your blogging to lead?
Jocelyn: I actually started blogging in Oct. 2008. I blogged random family stuff for about a year and a half before finding what I enjoyed blogging about the most. I have been baking since I was about 5 years old, and my blog soon became a fun way for me to share all my crazy baking. My blog has grown so much in the last year and right now I am not sure where it is headed. I just know that I want to continue to share what I love doing.

Suzy: Can you tell us a few things that most folks don’t know about you?
Jocelyn: I am a huge introvert. I think that is why blogging comes so easy for me…no face to face conversations. (they scare me) I love to watch reruns of 90210. I have to eat my bananas green and string free.

Suzy: Since I’m kinda a crafty blog, I have to ask. Are there any particular crafts that you enjoy the most?
Jocelyn: I enjoy card making and scrap booking in some of my spare time. Lately I have been entering some online card challenges…maybe one day I will get brave enough to submit to some magazines too. I also spend some time each day making fabric flowers for my etsy shop, The Trendy Owl. I just love putting together the colors and fabrics for each headband.

Suzy: I know you have a very busy life. I also know first hand how time-consuming a good blog is. How do you schedule it all in?
Jocelyn: You are so right. It can be crazy at times and blogging can take up a lot of time if you aren’t careful. I find that I do most of my blog hopping during the day when no one else is around. Then I try to type up my own blog posts once everyone has headed to bed.

Suzy: Since I’m also kinda a sitcom blog, my buddy Tom wants to know if you have a favorite celebrity. Other than him of course.
Jocelyn: My hubby and I have actually been watching Blue Bloods with Tom lately, but I would have to say my all time favorite sitcom celebrity would have to be Jason Priestly. Now you know why I watch 90210:-)
Suzy: Ummm…Tom, put down that box of Thin Mints and back away slowly. Kay?

Suzy: This blog community is full of wonderful folks. Can you tell me what blogs inspire you?
Jocelyn: There are so many great blogs out there. It is so hard to narrow it down to just a few. Some of my top ones to check out each day is Tidy Mom, Tater Tots and Jello, Cookies and Cups, The Idea Room, and Whipper Berry. There are so many more that I love to check out too, but that might take a while to list them all.

Please take a moment to stop by Jocelyn’s website, Inside Bru Crew Life. Even a non-baker like myself is totally inspired. And also be sure to swing by her Etsy shop, The Trendy Owl, will you will find beautiful flowered headbands and accessories.

Well, apparently we are going to have to separate Kerry Vincent and Martha as they are now participating in a vicious stand-off. Seems that Kerry insulted Martha’s choice of seasonings, so Martha insulted Kerry’s black army boots. Kerry then retaliated by rearranging the table settings and hiding the salad forks. So, of course Martha had to steal Kerry’s headband and put it down the garbage disposal. Which totally set Kerry off and she has been marking points off of Martha’s dish ever since.

Martha is not one to give up easily, so she has added a main dish of Mahogany Broiled Chicken with Smokey Lime Sweet Potatoes and Cilantro Chimichurri and brought in Matthew McConaghey with no shirt on to serve it up.

No really.I just ate seven of Jocelyn’s cupcakes and I don’t even remember doing it.

Kerry appears to have melted into her chair. She has declared the contest null and void as she has forgotten why she is even here.

Tom is disgusted with us all.

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Would you like to be interviewed with Tom, his mustache and me on the Sitcom? Would you like to meet crafty folks from all over the world? Then be sure to link up your blog to the International Blog hop!

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Summer Jewels Quilt Tutorial can now be found at Fave Quilts!

by Suzy on May 15, 2012

I was notified this week that the folks at FaveQuilts.com have decided to feature my Summer Jewels quilting series. Summer Jewels is a four-part series that I created last year that teaches how to use fabric jelly rolls to create a unique lap quilt in a weekend. This pattern was designed for beginners to be able to tackle a quilt project and finish it quickly. A perfect way to begin your quilting experience.

FaveQuilts.com offers hundreds of free patterns from all over the web, the latest in ebooks, reviews and giveaways; all centered around a quilting theme. You can find a link to my project here. Be sure to take a few moments to check out the site while you are there and sign up for the newsletter. It comes directly to your email box and will keep you updated on the latest happenings at FaveQuilts.com.

Interested in more than just quilting? Well FaveQuilts.com offers a large selection of crafty newsletters for you to choose from. Just pick and choose your favorites!

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Are you a seller on Etsy?

Then be sure to check out my four-part series on how to succeed on Etsy! I contacted seven wildly successful Etsy shop owners and asked them some questions on how they became so successful. The tips that they gave me are invaluable and frankly, if you are trying to sell anything on the internet, this series will help you get your ducks in a row and start making some income!

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And don’t miss some of my recent additions to my Etsy Shop!

Quilled Starry Night

Don’t miss an episode! You can subscribe to The Sitcom by Email!

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Monday Etsy Madness- Scarlet Summer!

by Suzy on May 14, 2012

Welcome to Monday Etsy Madness, where we look at the great land of Etsy and talk about some great theme based items! This week we are looking at all things scarlet. The hue of red is bright and happy and exciting. And that is just what I found when I checked out Etsy. Come see what I found!

Scarlet Sling Baby Carrier- Baby Ette- Beth from Fort Wayne, IN
BabyEtte WaterBaby Ring Slings are great for a beach vacation, swimming lessons in the pool, or showers. Sewn from breathable, fast-drying, super soft mesh, this is the perfect fabric for a water ring sling. It is also a good everyday sling for infants when you want a lightweight, breathable way to take your baby with you anywhere. The shoulder is meticulously pleated to conform to your shoulder while the fabric wraps around your back to evenly distribute the weight of your baby. The sides have finished, unpadded rails for the ultimate adjustability from a newborn to a toddler! Your WaterBaby sling is approximately 30″ wide. $48.00

Scarlet Red Ceramic Flower Bowl- Raven Hill Pottery- Melinda from Lecanto, FL

This gorgeous handmade Flower Bowl glazed in Scarlet Red… was made from a slab of B-mix clay…a combination of stoneware and porcelain, and signed on the bottom for authenticity. Then fired to 2165 degrees (cone 5), in my electric kiln. It’s approximately 7″ x 2″. It has a non-toxic, food safe glaze, which is safe for anyone to use…and it’s microwave and dishwasher safe…Although you may want to hand wash it, to keep it looking brand new. $30.00

Scarlet Red Rose Felt Wreath- Handmade Colectibles- Cole from Phoenix, AZ

This beautiful rosette wreath is a must have piece for your home. Perfect colors to bring a romantic feel to the season. This listing is for an 14″ wicker wreath with hand rolled rosettes cut from wool felt. $60.00 This can also be made in a smaller 12″ size for $50.00. Or larger 18″ for $70.00

Scarlet Trails Lampwork Beads- Beads by Clare Scott- Clare from York, UK

A stunning set of deep scarlet handcrafted lampwork glass beads with reactive silver trails. Bead size approx 13mm x 14mm rounded. Hole size approx 2mm. $48.00

Red VW Campervan Card with Magnet- The Mosaic Garden- Norwich, England

A hand-painted mini tile with a red VW campervan design mounted onto a white card. Each card is blank inside for your own message and comes with envelope and is cellophane wrapped. The mini tile measures 2.5cm x 2.5cm and is fired to give a lovely glossy finish. The tile then has a magnet attached to the back and is stuck on the card with removable glue so it is easy to peel off the card in order to keep as a magnet. The card measures approx 10cm x 10cm. $4.00

“Wild Scarlet Poppies ” Limited Edition Giclee Print- Art by Trudi- Trudi from Carlow, Ireland

Size 12 X 16ins (300 X 400mm). Matted in Ivory. Matted Size 16 X 21ins. Each print is titled, numbered, and signed by the artist. Comes with a certificate of authenticity. Limited edition of 50. Giclee prints increase in value in the same way as an original piece. The artist retains copyright. $50.00

Red Lotus Flower Clutch- Upstyle- San Diego, CA

Who can resist this stunning modern style clutch featuring a large ivory lotus flower on a vibrant red background? Great with jeans or a little black dress! This modern style clutch purse is made from beautiful glazed linen fabric in red with ivory lotus flower and warm grey accents. It is fully lined with 100% cream colored silk. Fabric samples available upon request. Dimensions: 10 1/2″ wide, 5 1/2″ high, and 2″ deep. Fully lined 100% silk – cream. Hardware: Nickel Finish Snap Close Purse Frame. $75.00

Red Rose Applique Pillow- Bed Buggs Boutique- Rexburg, ID

Ruby Red Rose Applique on Cream Pillow. 14x 14″ Can be made in Larger Sizes! This Pillow is Stunning! The Perfect touch for any room! Perfect for Baby Girls through Adults! Ruby Red Rose is 3D and made from High Quality Felt. Rose measures about 10″ in diameter and it about 2″ thick. Cream Pillow is made out of 100% Cotton Fabric. Pillow measures 14″x14″ and firmly stuffed with Premium, No Bunch, Polyfil. $30.00

ROSE SOAP 3-Piece Set - Katy Star Soaps- Kathy from Kirkland, WA
Cranberry Fig Scent Rose Shaped Soap; 3 piece set. The rose is a sign of beauty, perfection, romance and love. This listing is for three, cranberry fig scented soaps. Each Rose measures 3 x 3 inches and comes to you packaged in a clear bag tied with a unique ribbon and a tag attached. These soaps make fabulous and unique wedding favors that your guests will be delighted to receive. They are also perfect gifts for bridal showers, baby showers,or a “just b ecause” gift. $10.95

Red Dragon and his Baby Felted Fairy Creatures- Farberova Olga- Olga from Ukraine

This red dragon is a loving father. He is wearing a knitted scarf. Baby dragon sits in the felted egg and in the nest of straw. The toy is crocheted of mohair yarn. His eyes, nostrils are needle felted. The egg is made by wet felting wool. Materials: mohair, acryl, wool, polyester fiber, wire carcass, sea pebbles, beads. Size of a large dragon: 34 см ( 13,4″), little dragon – 6,5 см (2,6″) $100.00

Poppy Red Mosaic Lamp- Michelle Lisa Mosaic- Michelle from Austin, TX

Each starburst is uniquely hand crafted with attention to detail and lighting. The base color of this lamp was created from shades red spectrum glass. The starbursts are created from yellow, white, soft green, soft pink, soft blue and purple van gogh art glass. The lamp has been finished with a stunning deep red grout. Specifications: 11” Tall, 5” Wide 5” Deep. Uses 11w low energy Bulb. $195.00

Red Plaid Fish Pet Bed- Jonah’s Pet Beds- Debbie from Salem, OR
The body fabric is a plaid, decorator fabric, that has a textured pattern to it too. Tans/browns are dominant in the body fabric, but there are stripes of green and red also. The head fabric is reddish with hints of gold/yellow speckles in it. It’s very cool and really compliments the body fabric. For the inside, they’ve used, creamy-colored, sherpa faux fur that makes the bed warm and cozy for your pet. There is a wire in the mouth to hold whatever shape you’d like to give it. The total space the fish could take up is around 23″ by 15″ or so. The height, not counting the fin (outside measurement) is around 13 to 14″. The mouth measures around 8″ or so in diameter..$49.00

Cute, right? Take a few moments and go show these fabulous shops some love!

Don’t miss an episode! You can subscribe to The Sitcom by Email!

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Greased Lightning for cleaning those mysterious spots!

by Suzy on May 13, 2012

I have dogs and I have off-white berber carpet. The two really don’t mix. Luckily for my buddy Faith here, the nice folks at Greased Lightning sent me a sample of their new super strength cleaner.

Greased Lightning® works fast on practically everything in and around the house and offers superior cleaning and stain-fighting in a flash. The super strength formula tackles tough set in stains, but is versatile enough to be used for everyday, not so tough task cleaning. Inside and out, Greased Lightning makes your entire home sparkle.

And it made short work of this mysterious stain that Faith says she knows nothing about.

As the folks at Greased Lightning say, “Greased Lightning® Multi-Purpose Cleaner cleans practically anything. Well, within reason. Big mess around the house? Can do. Unfortunate Facebook posts? Not so much. Wipes out dirt, grease and grime in a flash! As for husbands not quite meeting expectations? We’re working on it!”

Check here for their latest coupon! Greased Lightning is rolling out in grocery retailers nationwide right now – it’s got a great Spring Rain scent, for those that prefer a perfume smell to the “clean” smell of the Super Strength.

Be prepared for that next mysterious spot!

This post was sponsored by Greased Lightning. All opinions were 100% mine.

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2012 Photography Challenge- Streets

May 12, 2012

This week we are looking at streets! And since my husband and I just got back from a trip to Montana, I thought I’d show you what a Montana street looks like. Pretty cool, right? Miles and miles of cow pastures, cows, and empty roads. Some folks might find this rather lonely, but to my [...]

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Feature Friday- Creating Mosaics the easy way!

May 11, 2012

The nice folks at Bondera sent me their latest product to try out. It is a revolutionary tile adhesive called the Bondera TileMatSet. Bondera uses an advanced pressure-sensitive technology that is ideal for tile installation. It is basically similar to double stick tape. You peel off the back layer, press it down, and then peel [...]

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Commercial Break Thursday- Promote Yourself! Link List

May 10, 2012

Welcome to Commercial Break Thursday! This is your chance to promote yourself on my blog and just possibly get a full feature in the future! This week, we are featuring Marie from Scissors and Spoons. Marie’s site is relatively new, but already has some amazing content! Her photography is enough to make you pause and [...]

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An Interview with Malia from ‘Yesterday on Tuesday’

May 8, 2012

Welcome to the worldwide blog hop tour, that introduces you to creative people from all corners of the globe. Every week, our hosts on each continent will introduce you to someone new whose creativity is inspiring! Come take this worldwide tour with us! You can visit each host below and read about a featured creative [...]

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Vintage Tuesday- Let’s Look at 1972!

May 8, 2012

This week, we are digging through my vintage craft magazines and visiting December, 1972. I was still in elementary school. Of course, my daughter asked me if we had cars way back then. Seriously? No, we had horsedrawn buggies. And we had to walk to school uphill both ways in the snow with no shoes, [...]

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