Behind Mytutorlist.com

Boxing Day Promotions - One Day Only

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 08:51:00 +0000

For one day only in my shop on Boxing Day...

Buy one ACEO, get one FREE!
Buy two robots, get one FREE!

Just check out one ACEO or two robots, and write which ACEO print or robot you would like for free in the message to seller. The free robot will be made from a print, so you can choose from both current robots and sold ones.

Happy Boxing Day shopping! If you have some promotions going on in your shops, feel free to leave information on them in the comments :)

The Ad Directory - Promote Your Advertising Services

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 05:27:00 +0000

Do you offer advertising on your blog or website? Then this new service is for you.

This blog now offers an ad directory service for ad providers. You can list your website on this blog, and I will be happy to direct them to you. The Ad Directory (links only) is shown on my side banner under the Sponsor section. The Ad Directory (links plus description) is shown on this post, which links from The Ad Directory button.

The Ad Directory is an annual service with a membership fee of $12. So it's only $1 per month! The purpose is to help you promote your advertising service. All members are required to show The Ad Directory button on their website so that we can help each other.

If you have any questions or feedback, please email me at bluepandemonium@hotmail.com
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The following websites offer advertising space:

Behind Mytutorlist.com - a blog featuring tutorials on gardening, arts and crafts, and more. Other topics include life, fish, finding meaningful work, and running an Etsy shop.
Mytutorlist.com - a tutoring classifieds website. You can find tutors, jobs, and resources.

________________________________________________________________

Please feel free to place this button on your website.

125x83 pixels

160x100 pixels

________________________________________________________________

Add your website to The Ad Directory

Send an email to bluepandemonium@hotmail.com Tell me your site name, the link address, and give me a short 1-2 line description for this post.
Note: The link must go directly to a page that provides information on your advertising service. It cannot link to an Etsy store.
Add The Ad Directory button to your website. This is required for all Ad Directory members. The code for the button is available in the section above. Let me know if you need a different button size.
Send $12 via Paypal to bluepandemonium@hotmail.com or use the Paypal checkout button below.

Merry Christmas Dear Readers

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 07:05:00 +0000

Dear Sweet Readers,

Thank you for a wonderful 2009! You have been a blessing to me. I have looked forward eagerly to writing new tutorials to share with you, and in showing you all the fun things I have been up to and making. Your comments and emails have cheered me, encouraged me, and warmed my heart.

This year has been challenging for me - I was laid off from my job, I moved to a new house for the first time in my life, and I've done a lot of soul searching. In the process, I learned a lot about myself, my family, and what was the most important to me.

I have learned that art is crucial to my existence. I am an artist at heart, and any attempts to deny this or bury it are damaging to my well-being. Rather, the deeper that I delve into my arts and crafts, the happier I become and the more whole I feel.

I have learned that my family loves me. They are quirky, have a manifold of flaws, and they are difficult to live with at times. Even so, I have really enjoyed all the time off I have had to move with them and experience life with them. When everyone goes to work, I am left at home with my mother. We have cleaned the house together, and we have spent hours talking over what I should do next and how I feel. She has also told me stories from her life so that I can learn from them, and benefit from her experiences. She is a good mother, and she is a good listener. I feel blessed to have this time to spend with her.

When I was working, I was always too busy to spend time with my family. We grew apart. Now we are growing close again and I am surprised to find that I am happy with this. While I feel like a bum for not having a job, they are wholly supportive of my journey to find a job that I love and feel happy with.

I still have a long way to go, and perhaps this will be a life-long journey, to find what it is that I am made for and designed to do. I think there is purpose for everyone, but I don't know what mine is yet. Time passes by quickly. Months feel like a weekend to me. I often anticipate that Monday that will never come when I will pack my bags and head to the cubicle that I occupied for four and a half years.

Where will I go next? Where will my new "cubicle" be? I have no idea, but I know that 2010 will bring changes to my life that I had never expected. Life changes whether you want it to or not. We have to be ready for it.

I hope that 2010 will be a year of good health, safety, and happiness for you. I hope that you will love your job. If you don't love your job, I hope you will take the steps to change your situation. Don't wait for change to sneak up on you and to catch you by surprise.

I hope that you will find people in your life to love and care for you. I think it's too easy to think that no one loves you. Sometimes, you're the one that's been building the walls and breaking the bonds. Take the time out to spend time with them and to grow some roots. Love blossoms, but it needs help to grow.

I hope that 2010 will bring you good health naturally, but also good health that you gained for yourself. Go on that walk that you need, take that break, and eat better foods. Drink lots of water, and learn to take better care of yourself. You are valuable, lovable, and worthy of a better life.

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you!

May God bless you and your families.

Love,
Marie

Rust Bot

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 08:35:00 +0000

Rust Bot is a simple bot made from old metal. He's rusty and old, but he's still in good working condition. Admittedly, he does require more oil and tune ups than the newer models, but Rust Bot is classic and reliable when you take good care of him.

Rust Bot measures about 4 inches tall. He is now available in the shop!

Roll Bot

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:23:00 +0000

Roll Bot has never liked to move slowly so regular Bot legs just didn't impress him. He asked his Maker to give him a wheel instead so he could speed along the roadways uninhibited and free. Roll Bot is daring and brave. Nothing can slow him down.
Roll Bot is about 6.5 inches tall. He is now available in the shop.

Uncle Bot

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:10:00 +0000

Uncle Bot is an all-round nice guy. He's a bit on the quirky side because he dresses old-school and has nerdy glasses, but he tries really hard to be a good uncle to his nieces and nephews. This often results in embarrassing attempts to dance or tell jokes, but he never fails to deliver a good present on Christmas.
Uncle Bot is approximately 5.5 inches tall. He is now available in the shop!

Origami Ninja Stars - A Ninja Must-Have

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:55:00 +0000

"Every Ninja Needs a NINJA STAR!!! ... now you have yours"

These origami ninja stars are for the little ninjas (and big ninjas) in our lives. If you are secretly a ninja in disguise, then these are for you too.

Each pack includes THREE AWESOME NINJA STARS! (Sorry, my excitement got the better of me there.) They measure about 2.5 inches from point to point.

Caution, these ninja stars may be made from paper, but a truly powerful ninja can poke out eyeballs with them. You have been warned.
If you desire a different colour to accurately represent your inner ninja, just ask. I can also construct more as needed.
There is currently a set of the black and blue ninja stars listed in my shop. They are guaranteed to turn your enemies matching shades!

Make like a ninja and snatch it up before anyone else notices.

Have a happy ninja power day!

Making Fingerless Gloves For Friends - Tutorial included

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:57:00 +0000

I'm poor this year so I have to be creative :P

I successfully traded for many of my Christmas gifts, but one friend asked for fingerless gloves and the Etsy shop that she wanted them from was too busy to respond to me and to work out a transaction. I guess they're not big on trades or discounts, but it would have been nice to get a reply. I would have just purchased them outright if she had said no nicely, but the failure to respond turned me off from that shop.
Time passed by, I asked a couple more times, and nothing firm was worked out.
Finally exasperated, I turned to what I knew to be true - I could make them myself. Yes, this is the bane and gift of all talented crafts people. They secretly know they can make a lot of things themselves so it makes purchasing some items either an attempt at saving time, or an act of self deprecation.
Well, I dug into the old yarn stash. I was lacking in colours, but I picked out two that seemed to work well together and got to work. (My room is a cat's paradise right now!)

I had no tutorial or pattern to work from, but I figured I could wing it. I don't use patterns for any of my crochet dolls after all. As you can see from the photos, my attempt was successful! Yippee! I don't know if they will fit her yet so I have my fingers crossed on that, but it's gratifying to know that it can be done - and easily!
In fact, it was so easy that I started on another pair. I can only show you one side for now as the other one is still in progress.

This time around, I studied a picture of a fingerless glove first so the result was more even and smooth.
In case you're wondering how to make the fluffy one (you'll have to excuse my non-crochet pattern lingo), here's how:

Materials:
1 ball of Baby Boucle yarn (or another yarn of your choice)
5.0 MM crochet needle

Base chain: 20 chains for small arms, more for larger arms. Just chain out 20 and wrap it around your arm to see if it fits, then add or minus chains to make it right for you. Join first chain with slip stitch.

Roll this onto you arm to check that it is the right size for you. If not, undo and add/minus some chains. Write down how many chains you needed for the right size so that you remember it for the other glove side later on.

Beginning section up to wrist: Chain 3, then skip one hole, double crochet (DC) in the next hole. Chain 1, skip one hole, DC. Keep doing (Chain 1, Skip one hole, DC) all the way around until you meet up with the first chain 3. Join with a slip stitch. This is where you begin working in rounds.

Go ahead and put a DC using the open hole created where two DC meet. Chain 1, and put a DC in the next open hole. Repeat Chain 1, DC in open hole all the way until you have the length that you want for your fingerless gloves up to the wrist.

Tip: If you're lazy, you can stop now and call it a Wrist Warmer. No one will know :P

Wrist portion (about 2 rows): You want to make the hand part bigger than the arm portion. So instead of one DC in the holes, do 2 DC. But don't do this regularly all around. Add them as you need them to match your hand size. So do a couple holes with 2 DC, put it up to your hand, and switch back to only 1 DC if you find that it's getting too big too fast. Space out your increases so that it's not noticeable. For me, I only increased it about 2-3 times. Keep putting the glove up to your hand to compare the size and shape as you work. Stop when you get to the base of the thumb.

Thumb portion: You need to make a hole for where your thumb will stick out. This is a little bit tricky so pay close attention. At the thumb part of your glove, you want to stop and make some single chains. This could be 4, 5, or more depending on your thumb size. For best measuring, put the glove on, line it up to the base of your thumb, and wrap the chain around to where it will connect on the other side of the glove. Slip stitch it to the other side once you have the right thumb hole size.

Upper hand portion: From here, you will be working around with (DC, single chain, DC in big hole) like the arm portion. Use the thumb hole as one of the big holes to work in, but make sure not to cover it up by accident. Keep working for about 2 more rounds. Compare it to your hand to see how long you want the finger portion to be. I personally like to purposely add a half row on the side closest to the thumb because my fingers angle down towards my pinkie.

Finishing off: When you are ready to stop, use a single crochet (SC) instead of a DC in the last hole. Then you can join with a slip stitch, cut your yarn (leave a little for weaving in), and pull it through your last loop. Weave the remaining length into your glove so that it doesn't hang out or unravel. Do the same with the beginning piece of yarn hanging out.
Try on the glove to see how well it fits. It should fit perfectly if you compared it frequently to your own hand and arm size.

Let me know if you have any questions.
The one I made for my friend is a little bit trickier. Here's the general idea:

Base chain: Base chain of 20 or more, join with slip stitch. Chain 1, (skip one hole. 2 SC in next hole, Chain 1) repeat up to wrist.

Wrist portion: At wrist portion, add extra SC in holes as needed to make glove wider for your palm size.

Thumb portion: You need to make a hole for where your thumb will stick out. This is a little bit tricky so pay close attention. At the thumb part of your glove, you want to stop and make some single chains. This could be 4, 5, or more depending on your thumb size. For best measuring, put the glove on, line it up to the base of your thumb, and wrap the chain around to where it will connect on the other side of the glove. Slip stitch it to the other side once you have the right thumb hole size.

Upper hand portion: Make thumb hole using single chains as described above, then continue in rounds to build up upper portion of hand. If desired, switch yarn colours for finger portion. On the last row, add extra height for the half closest to the thumb by stopping at about the middle finger section. Slip stitch to angle downwards, then work backwards to the opposite half to give that side an extra row (or 2, if desired) of height. Join with slip stitch at the end, cut yarn and pull through last loop, weave ends into glove to prevent unraveling.

Bottom Design: At bottom of glove, use alternate colour and SC in every loop in one round. Join with slip stitch. (2 SC in one hole, chain 1, skip one hole) repeat until you get to the first SC. Join with slip stitch. Join next colour. (2 SC in one hole, chain 1, skip one hole) repeat until join with first SC. Finish off and weave ends in.
There could possibly be errors in this tutorial since I'm no expert at writing crochet tutorials, so this is meant to give you a general idea. If you're used to crocheting, you'll understand what you're supposed to do.

If you're working through this tutorial and you find an error, let me know and I'll make the necessary changes. If you successfully finish this tutorial and make a fingerless glove - congratulations! Send me a pic and I'll post it here.

Happy Crocheting!

Winner for the Incredible Tiamagic Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:00:00 +0000

For all lovers of dead things, today is a special day. It's time for the winner of the Tiamagic Giveaway to be announced! Hurray!

I know, I know, you've been waiting so long that your neck grew a few inches from craning forwards to see the end, but the wait is well worth it. Well, it's well worth it for ONE person anyways.

Wait for it...

The winner of the Incredible Tiamagic Giveaway Contest is...... BIDDY! Congratulations, Biddy!Biddy's favourite item from Tiamagic's store is the Dead Disco Frog. I have to admit, disco frog is quite the looker. In his previous life, he was probably quite a hit with the ladies.
Biddy is the lucky recipient of a genuine Terrible Turrible Plushie from Tiamagic. That poor, unfortunate Tribble is so cute! Biddy is so lucky!Are you angry that you didn't win? Do you want a dead thing from Tiamagic too? Well, there's no need to be in a huff. Christmas is a-coming and you can ask for your very own dead thing from Tiamagic's shop! And if you don't think you can convince someone to buy it for you, you can gosh-darn get it for yourself!
Do you see that elephant backpack squashing that lovely lady? Well, he can be yours! YOU could be that squashed person too! Heh heh heh! These backpacks, keychains, and plushies are so fun and unique.

Get yours today!

Origami Wreath Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 08:47:00 +0000

Our Christmas tree looked a little barren so I decided to make some ornaments - one for each one of my family members!

They turned out so lovely, and I wanted to share this tutorial with you so you can make some too. They make great presents to send to a loved one, or to tuck into a card. I sent a lot out with my Christmas cards :)
Here's what you'll need:

1. Scrapbook paper cut into 3 x 5 inch sheets
2. Liquid glue with a narrow tip
3. String, ribbon, yarn, or embroidery floss
First, take your paper and fold it in half so that the paper is long and narrow.
Then fold this long paper into half so that it is shorter.
Open up this last fold. It formed a crease in the middle. Now fold down one side using the center crease as a guideline.
Fold down the other side too. Try to match the bottoms so that they are the same length.
Flip your paper over.
Take one bottom corner and fold it up to the bottom of the triangle.
Fold up the other side too in the same way.
Then take both of the bottom pieces and fold them upwards so that you have a big triangle.
Fold this big triangle into half with your bottom pieces in the middle. Now you have a little triangle.
Notice that there are two pointy ends on one side, and pockets on the other side. These pockets are for inserting other pieces of origami.
Fold more origami pieces. Put the loose pointy ends into the pockets of another origami piece to join them together.
Keep adding more to form the wreath shape. Different numbers of origami pieces will make different looking wreaths.
This wreath has 8 separate pieces.
This wreath as 10 separate pieces.
This wreath has 12 separate pieces.

Choose your favourite look and fold the required number of origami pieces. Once you are done joining the pieces together, you need to tighten the wreath and space the parts out evenly. This is a tricky process. It helps to hold down the other pieces while you adjust the exposed part so that the wreath doesn't push apart.

When you're happy with the layout, add a dab of glue between each of the separate pieces to secure the shape.

Tip: Hold one piece at a time with thumb and forefinger and gently slide a finger from your other hand between the pieces to create an open gap. Push gently with your thumb and forefinger to hold the piece propped open while you grab your glue and put a small dot inside. Since the gap is small, this is why I asked for liquid glue with a narrow tip.

If your dot of glue is too big, it will squish out when you press down. Just wipe off excess with some tissue. If your dot of glue is too tiny, it won't hold the wreath. Loop a string through your wreath and tie a knot. Now your origami wreath is ready to enjoy!

A few are available in my shop. Custom colours are also available, just ask.

Happy Crafting!

Christmas Tag Tutorial - Style No. 3

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:47:00 +0000

This tutorial shows you how to make the Christmas tag shown above.
First, start with a basic tag shape using this Christmas Tag Assortment - Basic Tag Shape Tutorial. This particular tag style was created with square cut tag shapes.

Gather the following supplies:

1. Curling ribbon
2. Hole punch
3. Scissor (for curling ribbon)
Punch two holes evenly spaced at the top of your tag. Be careful not to punch them too close to the edge.
Cut a long strip of curling ribbon and thread them through the holes so that the ends come out to the front.
Tie a loose knot. Don't pull it too tight because that will wrinkle the tag.
Take a scissor and curl the ends of the ribbon.
Yay! All done! It looks a bit like a little present itself!
Use a little double sided tape on the back to stick it to your presents.

Other tag styles:
Christmas Tag Style No. 1 - tied on ribbon
Christmas Tag Style No. 2 - hole punched on corner with ribbon tie

Happy Crafting!

Christmas Tag Tutorial - Style No. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:43:00 +0000

This tutorial shows you how to make the Christmas tag shown above. Here's how to do it.
First, start with a basic tag shape using this Christmas Tag Assortment - Basic Tag Shape Tutorial. This particular tag style was created with square cut tag shapes.

Gather the following supplies:

1. Curling ribbon
2. Hole punch
Punch a hole in the top corner. Be careful not to punch it too close to the edges.
Cut out a long strip of curling ribbon and fold it in half.
Thread the folded end of the ribbon through the hole punched tag.
The folded end of the ribbon forms a loop. Take the loose ends of the ribbon and thread them through this loop.
Pull the loose ends through until the ribbon is snugly attached to the tag. Don't pull too tight or it will wrinkle the tag.
Ta da! Now you can write on your tag and tie it to your Christmas present. You can also curl the ends of the ribbon and use double sided tape to stick the tag to your present instead.Here's what it looks like with a different paper and a skinnier cut tag shape. The possibilities are endless!

Other tag styles:
Christmas Tag Style No. 1 - tied on ribbon
Christmas Tag Style No. 3 - 2 hole punched with ribbon tied on

Happy Crafting!

Christmas Tag Tutorial - Style No. 1

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:57:00 +0000

This tutorial shows you how to create the tag shown above. Oooh, pretty huh? Here's how to make it.
First, start with a basic tag shape using this Christmas Tag Assortment - Basic Tag Shape Tutorial. This particular tag style was created with skinnier cut tag shapes.

Now gather the following supplies:

1. Curling ribbon
Cut a long strip of curling ribbon and place the middle of the ribbon into the middle of your open tag.
Close the tag. Wrap the ribbon to the front and tie a small bow.

Tip: Tie a big bow and then pull the ends until you have a small bow. Then tighten the bow so it won't unravel.
Ta da! All done. Isn't it pretty? Now you can write a TO and FROM inside or a thoughtful note.

Use some double sided tape to stick them to your presents.

Other tag styles:
Christmas Tag Style No. 2 - hole punched on corner with ribbon tie
Christmas Tag Style No. 3 - 2 hole punched with ribbon tied on

Happy Crafting!

Christmas Tag Assortment Tutorial - Basic Tag Shape

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:32:00 +0000

Christmas is almost here and I'm starting to wrap my presents. Are you getting ready for the same thing? I thought it might be nice to spruce up the present this year with some pretty handmade tags.

You will need the following supplies:

1. Christmas themed scrapbook paper or cardstock
2. Curling ribbon
3. Scallop edging scissors
4. Regular straight edge scissors
5. Hole punch

First, choose your festive paper. I just picked up a new pack of scrapbooking paper from Zellers called "Holiday Stack" by DCWV and it included this lovely designed sheet. I like that it has some separate design sections because that means more variations in my tags.

(You can see where I chose to fold my paper so that it will have different designs on the front and back.)
Fold a small section of the paper to represent how long you want your cards to be. This strip will be cut up into separate tags.
Use scallop edging scissors to cut out this folded strip of paper so that the bottom of the cards will have scalloped edges.
Here's an example of how it will look once it is cut out.
Now cut up the strip into smaller pieces with a straight edge scissor (or a paper cutter for more precision). You can make them wider or thinner, depending on the design of Christmas tag that you want.
Next, I'll show you some different designs of cards that you can make using this basic tag shape.

Christmas Tag Style No. 1 - tied on ribbon

Christmas Tag Style No. 2 - hole punched on corner with ribbon tie

Christmas Tag Style No. 3 - 2 hole punched with ribbon tied on

The Incredible Giveaway By Tia Magic

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:33:00 +0000

Yippee! It's another giveaway! And in true Blue Pandemonium flavour, this giveaway is one of a kind. You won't find these dead things anywhere else.

Dead things? DEAD things, you ask? Why, yes. Tiamagic is all about the dead animals that you can feel good about wearing because no animals were harmed in the process. Read on...
Tiamagic makes dead backpacks, dead keychains, dead wallets, dead stuffies... all sorts of dead things! She personally captures these creatures from her imagination to ship to your home. Some people ask her, "Why are are your bags dead?"
She tells them, "It would be cruel to strap a living animal to one's back." Tiamagic's backpack straps are reinforced three times. Zippers are all top stitched, and she personally inspects every piece. Tiamagic guarantees 100% total happiness with every purchase! She can also create a custom piece for you.
Tiamagic is giving you the opportunity to win one of her Terrible Turrible plush toys. "It was once a famous tribble, but somebody put arsenic in the tea." It is a very unfortunate Tribble indeed. Perhaps you can give it a better fate in it's afterlife in your home.Here's how to enter this fun giveaway:

1. Go to Tiamagic's Store and pick your favourite dead thing. Come back here and tell me which dead animal you would love to have or give to a friend (1 entry).

2. If you spot a backpack, keychain, stuffed animal, or wallet that you love in Tiamagic's Store, you can purchase it, and get TWO extra entries for EACH purchase in this contest. You must leave a note in message to seller or add a new blog comment here to ensure that your purchase is counted.

3. Follow this blog, and tell me you did so as a separate comment (1 entry).

4. Twitter about this giveaway, and tell me you did so as a separate comment (1 entry).

5. Blog about this giveaway, and tell me you did so as a separate comment (1 entry).

6. Heart Tiamagic's store, and tell me you did so as a separate comment (1 entry).

7. Sign up for Tiamagic's Twitter (http://twitter.com/deadbackpacks) (1 entry.)

8. Become a fan of Tiamagic's Facebook profile (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tiamagics-Dead-Backpacks/213071170849?ref=nf)

9. Add Tiamagic as a friend on MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/tiamagicsdeadbackpacks)
There are so many ways to win! Don't miss out! Terrible Turrible could be yours today!Contest ends December 15, 2009.

Good luck!

Amazing Co-joined Siamese Baby Fish

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:05:00 +0000

We have a GIANT new fish tank and it came with fish. Lots and lots and LOTS of fish. Some odd balls here and there too. Among the odd balls was one particularly strange anomaly. I had to show this to you because I hardly believed it myself and I don't know how long it will last for. It's a co-joined siamese twin baby fish!Amaaaazing! It appears to be joined to it's twin by the stomach. Tummy-to-tummy, one fish looks totally normal while the other fish is tiny and upside down. These little twins zoom around just like all the other fish babies. None of the other fish seem to notice that this one is a little bit different.
The only odd thing is that the big twin seems negligent of the other twin. He kind of scrapes the upside down guy along the ground sometimes.My sister says that the little twin is alive and can wave its fin. It's kind of creepy, but also kind of cool that he's in my tank. I'll show you some other cool finds in this tank later.

What do you think of him?

Goodbye, Zombie Dave

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:34:00 +0000

Today, Zombie Dave is off to terrorize a new home. "Sold!" he cackles now, and imagines all the fresh, tasty brains he can snack on. I hope the people that have adopted Zombie Dave own helmets! They'll want to keep those on - especially at night. He's a sneaky one, that Zombie Dave!Nervous Bot was packaged today too. He hasn't been sold yet, and that makes him nervous. He's standing in his packaging, looking amazingly like he needs to pee... hehehe! Poor guy! I hope someone adopts him soon so he can stop looking so fidgety. But, then again, who am I kidding? He's Nervous Bot! Nothing will make him less nervous!

You can try, though. I've heard he has a soft spot for lemon squares (with extra icing sugar!) and hot tea. He's apparently a sucker for hot biscuits too.

This December and New Years, all purchases will come with a free surprise gift. It's my Christmas present to you. The presents are different for everyone, but they're all good :)

Happy Holiday Shopping!

Sea Babe Jewelry Giveaway WINNER

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 08:17:00 +0000

I think out of all the giveaways so far, the Sea Babe Jewelry has been the most popular. Thank you to everyone that entered! However, there can only be one winner. Who will it be?

I think we're all anxious to find out!
Yes, this lovely Infinity Ring will soon belong to someone very special. So here we go... (drum roll, please!)

The lucky winner of the Sea Babe Jewelry Giveaway is...
... Sarah Lynn! Congratulations, Sarah! Sarah is a fan of the Mother Of All Pearl earring and ring set. With amazing colour like that, it's no wonder she thinks they're drool-worthy! I love the wire work around the ring.
Sad that you didn't win? I know, it sucks. I hate to lose too. You know what? I think it's shopping therapy time :) Did you know that Sea Babe Jewelry is actually really nice in real life?

Kristin and David sent me an Infinity Ring custom-made for me, and I love it. Let me show you just how awesome Sea Babe Jewelry is.
First of all, your package will arrive in a "Rugged Mailer". It's the first time that I have seen such a mailer, but it really is sturdy and it comes with a nifty red strip to open the package easily! I liked that.
Inside the mailer was a nice charcoal grey/black box. When you open it, you can see that Kristin and David put care into their packaging and presentation. They care about their work.

The box is stamped with "Made in Hawaii" so that you know that it's from an exotic and fabulous location. And there's a little silver organza bag waiting for you to open.
How's that for tender loving care? The ring was inside of a little plastic ziplock bag inside of the organza bag. It even comes with a little shell friend. I found that very sweet. It all sits on top of a soft bed of batting, and there's a thank you note from Kristin and David.

Ah, I love it when sellers take care to present their work nicely. It makes the experience so positive and you know that the item is ready for gift giving.

I didn't give this ring away though. Oh no. I put it on right away and I refused to take it off!
I can tell you that it's honestly very pretty, unique, and wearable. It's something you can show your friends and talk about. "This was made in Hawaii!"
Sea Babe Jewelry is a store I would definitely purchase from, and one that I can feel good about recommending to you. I'll be introducing a few other stores that I would recommend to you later on. I've had a lot of good and bad experiences with sellers on Etsy, so I like to tell others when I find a good one.

Sea Babe Jewelry is a good one. Go shopping!Have a great day.

A Handmade Christmas Origami Heart Banner Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:13:00 +0000

Nothing says LOVE like a handmade Christmas! So why not bring some warmth into your home this holiday season with a charming origami heart banner?

You'll need the following supplies:

1. 14 squares of 3.5 x 3.5 inch paper
2. Gold curling ribbon
3. Ink pen
4. Tape
5. Hole puncher
First, fold 14 origami hearts using this tutorial: http://mytutorlist.blogspot.com/2009/01/origami-heart-envelope-tutorial.html
Hole punch both sides of the hearts. Be careful not to get too close to the edges.
Thread 2 inch strips of gold ribbon through the holes to join hearts together. Use thin strips of tape to secure the gold ribbon.
Write one letter on each of the hearts until you spell out MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Remember to use a festive font! I made mine out of tiny berries and holly leaves using a thin ink pen. (Part of the reason I did that was so that I didn't have any unsightly joints where the paper folds over.)

If you make a mistake, just fold an extra heart, snip off the mistake, and reattach it with new loops of gold ribbon. It's easy to fix :)
On the ends, tie on long strips of gold ribbon so that you can tie or tape your banner up. It's very pretty and your guests and family will love it.

This would make a very thoughtful present to the host for a Christmas party, and a very sweet gift to your sweetheart.

Happy Crafting!

An Exciting New Giveaway by Sea Babe Jewelery

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:30:00 +0000

I have a really fabulous giveaway to share with you today. You jewelery aficionados are going to skip a heart beat. Sea Babe Jewelry wants to give YOU one of their spectacular Infinity Rings. You just give them your ring size at the end of the giveaway, and they'll make one just right for you!Sea Babe Jewelry features handcrafted artisan jewelry from the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Their inspiration comes from the beautiful beaches and surroundings that the artists, Kristin and David, call home.

They use 100% recycled gold and silver in their designs... and they can make custom wedding sets and bridal designs (brides take note!)
Kristin and David are currently working with a ton of silver. They just came out with a new "hoop" line with a wide variety of takes on the classic hoop earring. Fun and easy to wear, they go with just about anything! Kristin has been wearing her leaf hoops everyday since David made them for her. Kristin and David just participated in the local elementary school's Christmas craft fair, at Sunset Elementary School. It was really fun and it jump started them into Holiday Season mode even more! They are planning on working hard all season and then gearing up for Valentines Day next.

Interested in winning an Infinity Ring from Sea Babe Jewelry and bringing home a piece of Hawaii? I thought so!Here's how to play:
1. Go to Sea Babe Jewelry's Store and pick your favourite jewelry item. Come back here and tell me which pretty piece of bling is your must-have for right now (1 entry).
2. If you spot a ring, jewel, or necklace that you love in Sea Babe Jewelry's Store, you can purchase it, and get TWO extra entries for EACH purchase in this contest. You must leave a note in message to seller or add a new blog comment here to ensure that your purchase is counted.
3. Follow this blog, and tell me you did so as a separate comment (1 entry).
4. Twitter about this giveaway, and tell me you did so as a separate comment (1 entry).
5. Blog about this giveaway, and tell me you did so as a separate comment (1 entry).
6. Heart Sea Babe Jewelry's store, and tell me you did so as a separate comment (1 entry).
7. Sign up for Sea Babe Jewelry's Twitter (http://twitter.com/seababejewelry) (1 entry.)
Note: It is important to make a new comment for each entry as I use a random number generator for choosing the winner. If you put all your entries into one comment, it will only be counted once!This is one giveaway you don't want to miss out on because Sea Babe Jewelry makes really pretty rings. I know you want to sport one of the lovely Infinity Rings on your pretty hands. Such lovely fingers shouldn't be left unrewarded! :PGo ahead, enter this contest. Your keyboard-happy hands will thank you.

UPDATE!
This contest is now over. Thanks for entering!

Good luck!

Puppy Dogs N Polka Dots Giveaway WINNER

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:04:00 +0000

Hello, everyone! I hope you have having a wonderful day. I personally know that it is a VERY excellent day for somebody SPECIAL. Who is this special somebody? Why, the winner of the Puppy Dogs N Polka Dots Giveaway, of course!

That's right! The contest is over! And thanks to the help of a random number generator, the winner of the Puppy Dogs N Polka Dots Giveaway is...... AdronsCatherine!

Congratulations to AdronsCatherine! You are the lucky winner of a fabulous wristlet keyfob by Puppy Dogs N Polka Dots!AdronsCatherine chose the Giraffe keyfob as her prize of choice. A very nice choice indeed!

Thank you to everyone for entering the Puppy Dogs N Polka Dots giveaway. I had a great time putting this together, and I hope you will join me again for the next giveaway coming asap!

If you didn't win, but you really wish you had, don't fret! You can always head over to Puppy Dogs N Polka Dots' shop and surprise yourself with an early Christmas gift. You don't have to wait for a contest to snap up your favourite wristlet keyfob :) It's waiting there for you right now.And if you'd love to have a giveaway on this blog, just let me know. I love hosting them :)

Have a great day!

Surprised Kitty

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:28:00 +0000

I was feeling rather glum today and my friend sent me this very cute video. It really made my day. Thanks, AF!

Oh, and just a reminder to enter the Puppy Dogs N Polka Dots giveaway, if you haven't done so already. It ends tomorrow!

Good luck!

Happy Birthday To Dad

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:56:00 +0000

Today is my dad's birthday! He was really excited about getting a year older and was getting ready for it yesterday :) I love how he's such a kid sometimes. It really adds a lot of enthusiasm to life.This is the card I whipped up for him today. I used one of my newest ACEOs. This design is very versatile. It comes in rainbow colours, Christmas colours, orange tones, and red tones. I picked the orange one since it's cheerful and he likes orange/gold tones.
Inside are lots of present boxes. I figure my family can add doodles or little messages inside of them when they sign the card.

I hope he has a fantastic birthday. Yay for another happy, healthy year of life!

Tissue Box Drawer Organizer Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:52:00 +0000

This is an easy project that you can do with the kids to help keep their drawers neat and tidy.

You will need the following supplies:
1. Empty tissue box
2. Scissors
3. Tape
First, grab your empty tissue box. Pick a nice, undented one with a design that you particularly like. This would be a good project to help reuse and recycle some of those really nice tissue box designs. I'm sure you've come across some favourites over time.
Take a sharp pair of scissors and cut diagonally towards the corner. Do this for all four corners.
Here is my tissue box with all four corners cut.
Now reach inside the box and tear out the clear plastic pieces. You don't need them and they will get in your way.
Here's my tissue box with all the plastic removed. You can discard the plastic.
Now it's time to grab your tape!
Tape down all four sides. Be generous with your tape and tape it down well.
Once all the sides are taped down, your tissue box drawer organizer is ready to use! That was easy, huh?
They're great for storing felt pens, pencils, doodads, and knickknacks! It's so much better than a big drawer with stuff just randomly thrown in! You can easily find things this way!
You can use empty chocolate boxes and their lids for this same purpose. What a great excuse to go eat more chocolates, huh?

Enjoy!

Hello And Blue Bird Tags

noreply@blogger.com (Mytutorlist.com) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:26:00 +0000

There are some new Blue Bird Tags now available in the shop featuring tiny prints of "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" They are super cute, tied with pale blue embroidery floss, and would make excellent additions to your presents and gifts.
There is also a new ACEO print available titled "Hello" featuring a very sweet Odie mouse on a vivid blue background. He comes with a white border or a black border, your choice.

Both available in my shop.