Laura Childs Gossamer Ghost Giveaway

Happy November! I hope you all had an absolutely fabulous Elsaween...err.... Halloween. I thought it would be fun to kick of November with a fantastic giveaway! j

Laura Childs is one of my favorite authors! She writes mystery series that are super fun to read, including the Carmela Bertrand Scrapbooking Mysteries! Carmela owns a scrapbook store right in the hub of New Orleans called Memory Mine. She and her best friend Marla, along with other area friends, celebrate the art and history of New Orleans, but often find themselves right in the middle of some pretty crazy things. And by crazy, I pretty much mean dead people. Yup. Murders. Carmela is known for her 'tendency' to look into these things a bit deeper, which can get her into a bit of trouble with her boyfriend, a local police officer! She and her best friend, and fellow local shop owner, Ava, are at it again in Gossamer Ghost. They find a local shop owner dead, and begin to investigate. Of course, it's Halloween in New Orleans, so it can be tricky to sort through the zombies and the genuine murderers!

Carmela's adventures are always a blast to read! Also, included in each book are scrapbooking and paper crafting tips and ideas AND recipes that are mentioned in the book! BONUS!

I have one hard cover copy of Gossamer Ghost to give away to one lucky reader! This giveaway is open to those in the U.S. only due to shipping costs. The giveaway begins 3 November 2014 and will close 9 November 2014. All opinions in this post are my own. Thank you to Nally Studios for providing this opportunity. Please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.

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True. Story.

Hello, friends! It's Wednesday and that means that we have a new Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge for you! This week is ANYTHING GOES week! Yup. Because we love you like that. The Design Team is using Memory Box products this week (which are AWESOME), so if you have some, show them off! You don't have to use them to enter, though. I pulled out my September card kit along with this super cute Memory Box desk lamp die for my card this week!



Yes, this did take a bit of time due to the endless, errr...I mean, super fun fussy cutting. Yes, it was worth it. I just want to pull up a cozy chair beneath this shelf and read a good book!!! YAY! I love how the October Afternoon Public Library patterned paper made such a fabulous wallpaper look! LOVE IT! I also super love the little clock from the To Thine Own Self stamp set in September kit! Just. Love.



So. How'd ya like to win a $50 Shopping Spree at Simon Says Stamp? You WOULD? I'm shocked, really, I am! (No. I'm not.) For reals, though. WELL, all you have to do is create a NEW card and link it up to the challenge blog! No back linking is allowed, so please use new work. You can enter up to FIVE, count 'em, FIVE times, folks! Show us what you've got!

You can find links to the products I used on my card below. Those links, along with the links in this post (and the Simon link on my sidebar), are affiliate links, so if you order, I SO appreciate you using them! 

Have a Happy!

Simon Says Stamp September Card Kit To Thine Own Self Simon Says Stamp Clear Stamps *October Afternoon 8 x 8 PUBLIC LIBRARY Paper Pad PP-1047 *DCWV Cardstock 6 x 6 FOILED Paper Stack Printed Matstack MS-019-00050 *My Mind's Eye JUST SPLENDID Wood Dots Record It! REC124 *Memory Box DESK LAMP POPPY STAMPS Craft DIE 890 *VersaFine TOFFEE Ink Pad Pigment Tsukineko *VersaFine ONYX BLACK Ink Pad Pigment My Favorite Things Hybrid Bundle 1 *Simon Says Stamp Premium Dye INK PADS Set SPRING RAINBOW INKSPRB421 with BONUS! *Neenah Classic Crest 80 LB SMOOTH CLASSIC CREAM Paper Pack 25 Sheets *Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# DARK CHOCOLATE DC7 *Tim Holtz Tonic CRAFT KNIFE Tool Blade Retractable w Spares *Fiskars Compact STAMPING PRESS Stamp Entire Project at Once! 02958 *Tombow Adhesive Craft Stamp DISPENSER & REFILL Dot Pattern Runner 62143 Permanent *3M Scotch DOUBLE-SIDED FOAM TAPE Permanent *EK Success HONEY BEE Non-Stick Scissors EKCB06

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Martha Stewart. Love Her. Hate her. It's such a Struggle, really.

Okay, so I'm the first to admit that I'm simply NOT a Martha fan. (Martha, sorry if you are reading this...since I know you frequent my blog and all...since you know I exist and all...ye..ah...so anyway....) She's always annoyed the crap out of me with all of her "you MUST use the VERY BEST of everything...aka: you MUST be a multi-millionaire to craft, cook, OR decorate anything ever. Then there was the whole jail thing, which certainly didn't help any. HOWEVER, that all being said...I am unwillingly EXTREMELY attracted to her products! Seriously, folks! It sort of creeps me out. I don't like it, but what's a girl to do?

I LOVE her craft punches! They are simply awesome! I really WANT one of her screw punches, but they are ridiculously expensive, so I've never taken that plunge. I really like her labels and her stickers, and her stinking magazines, even! I now subscribe to BOTH MS Living AND Body and Soul! Yikes! What am I DOING??? At least I got those subs for free so I'm not feeding the monster or anything...which brings me to my point for today, anyway!

The Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Crafts

Yes. It is a pretty book. No. I did not purchase the book. BUT...I did pick it up at the library last night. I picked it up, added it to my stack of books that I was getting and told my husband that I was curious since there was no way I was going to buy the book EVER.

Well, crud.

I like it.

A lot.

I haven't, obviously, done any of the projects yet, as I just picked it up last night, but I did page through it and there are LOTS that I would really love to do! Now, granted...being a Martha publication some of them require supplies that you can only get at 'specialty' stores if you happen to have an arm, a leg, and perhaps an eye to spare...or maybe your first born...you know how that goes...but there are other projects in there that are totally normal and reasonable and look REALLY STINKING CUTE! Now I want to make them.

Honestly, this book looks awesome and is so worth owning. I will try to get a project or two from it done so I can share them with you, but in the meantime, run to your library and check it out!

I also picked up a book to help me learn to knit. Now all I need is yarn. And needles. And some other stuff. LOL! OH, and I got Death Swatch by Laura Childs because I simply CAN'T wait until it comes out in paperback and I MUST read it now! I love her books!!!

So, what are your opinions on Martha? Do you love her? Hater her? Emulate her? Boycott her? I'm curious. Am I alone in my struggle?