Jingle Swap 2009 - Sign Up today!

Well, I decided to do it! I think it will be tons of fun! So, let's SWAP! Here are the guidelines:

* Sign ups begin today, November 6, 2009 and will close on Friday November 13th.

* When you sign up, you will (within a couple of days) receive an email questionnaire to fill out.

* Please answer the questions and return it to me via email asap.

* You will receive the name of your partner, along with their email address and answers to the questions so that you can begin to get to know one another. (This is not a secret swap - I think it's more fun to get to know your partner a bit!)

* You MUST have the ability to take photos of your gifts and post them to a flickr account. (Flickr is free, so if you don't already have an account, it's super easy!)

* Packages MUST be mailed NO LATER THAN Wednesday, December 18th. If you cannot make this deadline, please do not sign up. If you have no intention of sending gifts, please do not sign up. I DO NOT TOLERATE FLAKERS. Period. Just say'n. The point of these swaps is to have a great time and get to know someone, so please only sign up if you intend to make this a great experience for your partner!

Okay...now for the fun part:

Each person will send 10, individually wrapped gifts.

At least 2 of these gifts should be handmade items, although, you can feel free to do more than two if you like. ANY kind of handmade is fine - knitters, crochet folks, paper crafters, painters, wood crafters, beaders, jewlry makers, sewers, quilters....ALL are welcome! Use whatever talent you have! Please put your heart into whatever you make and be sure it is something you are proud to give.

Spending Limit is around $20 prior to shipping. You don't have to go nuts, but PLEASE do not send junk. Junk makes people sad. I don't like it when people are sad. Think creatively and be kind and generous. It is, after all, Christmas.

I will keep in constant communication with the entire group. I will also be playing, so one of you will swap with ME!!! (Sorry to that person! HA! KIDDING!)

I have hosted over 100 swaps, so I am quite familiar with the process! LOL! If you have any questions feel free to email me at jinglesells at gmail dot com! I'm happy to answer them!

The goal of this swap is to HAVE FUN! Let's make it awesome!!!! Thanks!

Please sign up in the comments below. Be sure to leave an email address so I can contact you. And thanks for being my awesome, amazing, incredible, totally cool blog friends! I am excited to celebrate with all of you!

A Measure of Another Time {Vintage Thingies Thursday}

For Vintage Thingies Thursday Posts Check out Colorado Lady!

I will be honest. I don't have a lot to say about my VTT post today. I just love it. It's that simple. It's not a fancy thing, it's not rare or hard to find. It's just a little something that makes me very happy. I have it sitting on my 'white' collection scrapbooking supply shelf. It has trinkets and such in front of it and on top of it. It is just there to look cute. It does that job quite well, actually. Just say'n.



Just a simple wooden tape measure. Well, I guess it's not really a 'tape' measure, seeing as it isn't made out of a 'tape-like' material. So, what does that make it, exactly? A Measuring stick? A folded wooden measuring stick. Yup. I think that works. Do you agree?

Please don't forget to enter the two giveaways I have going right now! Today is the last day to enter the Postcard giveaway! And if you enter that one you get an extra entry in the Pink Together giveaway! Check them both out!

GIVEAWAY! * Pink Together Gift Basket *

Remember in this post where I talked to you guys about the awesome site called Pink Together?

Remember how I told you that I would soon have a giveaway to go with that post?

This, my friends, is that giveaway!



The folks at Pink Together and My BlogSpark kindly sent me this wonderful collection of products from the Susan G. Komen foundation store, ShopKomen.com. For every product purchased at ShopKomen 25% of the purchase price benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure in the fight against breast cancer. That seems like a good reason to shop, if you ask me!

The Inspiring Hope gift basket includes a sleeved travel mug, a running ribbon charm bracelet, a pink leather strap keychain, a pink cinch bag, and a set of inspirational note cards. Everything is very nice and a great reminder and encouragement, as each item holds the Susan G. Komen logo.

One JustJingle reader will win the Inspiring Hope gift basket! You could use the items yourself, give the collection to someone you love struggling with breast cancer, or give the individual items out, as well! It is really a wonderful gift!

To enter you must do the first entry. All others are optional extra entries and REQUIRE an additional comment in order to be counted.

1. (REQUIRED) Visit PinkTogether and tell me what you liked about the site. Feel free to take a moment to leave a word of encouragement while you are there!

2. (Optional) Follow my blog and post a comment letting me know you follow.

3. Blog about this giveaway including a link to my blog. Post a link to your blog post in the comments. (2 entries - comment 2 times)

4. Enter my Postcard giveaway before the end of day on Thursday. Leave a comment letting me know you entered.

5. Follow me on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway. Include @JustJingle in your tweet and link back to this post. Leave a comment with your Twitter name.

You do not have to be a blogger to win, but you do have to leave contact information. If you enter your email while commenting it will not be visible, however, it will allow me to contact you if you win. The winner has 48 hours to contact once announced. This giveaway will end on Wednesday, November 11.

Disclosure: MyBlogSpark and Pink Together provided me with the Inspirational Hope gift basket in return for offering this information and giveaway on my blog.

You Can Call Me Spike {Wordless Wednesday}

Grrrrrr.....
(Yes, those are fangs. Yes, it was Halloween. No, he doesn't wear them daily. Yet.)

For More Wordless Wednesday Posts Check out Here, Here, and Here!
Be Sure To Enter my Pink Together Giveaway!

Prom? - My Sketchy Thursdays layout - And Stuff.

I did it. For real. Not even joking. I made....



....wait for it.....




.....a layout.

Yup! That's right, folks! Today's feature is none other than a REAL LIVE Jingle-made scrapbook page! It's not a card (as she has been so wont to create as of late...), it's not an ATC (as she as also been wont to create as of late...), and folks, this here is not even an altered project of any kind (as she has ALSO been wont to create as of late...), no folks, today we have the real thing! A Genuine Scrapbook Page!!!

*Screaming Cheers from all around!!!* YAY!!! * More CHEERS * WOOO-HOOOO!!!!* You can totally hear them. I know you can.

Okay...enough with the fanfare. Well, actually, we can never have quite enough fanfare around here, but I should probably move on just in case you are starting to run away now.

So, above, you see the sketch for this week from Sketchy Thursdays. I made my own in a couple of ways....

For starters, I chose to work with two larger 4x6 photos rather than 3 smaller photos. Also, I ...

....wait for it once again...

...wanted to include journaling. *GASP!* I know...that never happens! Let's chalk it up to a good day, huh? So, anyway, I wanted to include journaling, so I used some of the space at the bottom of the page for that. Finally, instead of using two layered sheets for my background, I chose to do one die cut page and give it that same umph with a single layer.

"Jingle, um.....I was just kinda wonderin' why there's a GOAT on your page about your sister and her boyfriend???"

Yes, I can hear you asking. Trust me on this one. It's appropriate for there to be a goat on this page. It's hilarious and random just like my crazy sister who grabs a vase of flowers and does a 'Prom Picture' pose when all I want is a few decent shots of her and the bf!
So.
She got a goat.

That, and, well, quite frankly, I don't see why you don't use goats regularly on your pages. Are you actively discriminating against goats? Hmph! So there!

I loved the little triple accent action going on in the sketch down in the bottom left corner. Loved it so much that I did it there AND in the top right. I need balance in my life. It keeps me sane. Well, almost, anyway.

And finally, the title. Ah, yes. *sigh* The title in the best ever Thickers made by American Crafts. Seriously. These puffy thickers are my all time favorite. It took me FOREVER to get my hands on some and now I have two packs (I know...I need more, but you know how that is....) and I love them. Seriously, if I could get these in every possible color available, I totally would because I love them THAT much. They make me happy!

So....the moral of this story is to head on over to Sketchy Thursday and participate! Why? Because it's fun, that's why! The other moral of this story is that you should leave a comment. Why? Because it keeps me from talking to myself all day about the reasons why the nice people who visit my blog each day aren't leaving me comments. (Actually, tons of you have been lately, and I totally LOVE THAT, so thank you from the bottomest most depths of my heart!)

AND....just a little fun today....Have you ever been to Dubai? I haven't. I would love to go, though! Well, a wonderful bloggy friend of mine happens to live there and is having a fun little contest on her blog! Go play along!!! (Just don't win because I want to win! Hee-Hee!)

P.S. I have a fun giveaway coming along VERY soon! (maybe today!)
P.P.S. I have another fun giveaway going on RIGHT NOW!!! You should enter. All the cool kids are doing it.

Scherenschnitte. It's cool. Trust me.

***Don't forget to enter my current Giveaway!***

So, I found the coolest blog EVER! (At least for this week...you know how fickle I tend to be with these things...)

It's called

Scherenschnitte

Yeah, so I had no idea what it meant, either. No worries. I took care of that for you, just 'cause I like ya and stuff. Here is what the great almighty Wikipedia has to say:

Scherenschnitte (shear-n-SNIT- a), which means "scissor cuts" in German, is the art papercutting design. The art work often has symmetry within the design, and common forms include silhouettes, valentines, and love letters. The art tradition was founded in Switzerland and Germany in the 1500's, and was brought to Colonial America in the 1700s by immigrants who settled primarily in Pennsylvania.

Isn't that the most fabulous word EVER?! Seriously. It's pretty great. And, like I said before, the blog is amazing! TONS of fabulous cutting designs that Cindy kindly allows you to download and use!

So...that is EXACTLY what I did!

I found a design that had a critter (*SHOCK!* I know...it's pretty surprising...oh.....wait.....) and printed it up on four different sheets of the fabulous Earth Love from Cosmo Cricket. And then I grabbed my kraft knife (I went with the one with the sharpest blade on it and the most comfortable grip, since I knew it would take a bit to do this one.) and went to town! I cut out the image in the four patterns and then pieced together the parts to create my scene. To complete the card, I placed the black panel on the card form, misted it with Glimmer Mist to add some shimmer (it makes it more magical that way and we like things to look magical around here...), mounted the cut image on foam dots and then placed it on the panel, added the fabric ribbon in that fabulous green houndstooth pattern and then finished it off with a simple label sticker sentiment.

This was SO much fun to create! I will totally be back for more cutting patterns! I am in love! What do you think? I hope you had a wonderful Halloween Weekend! It's time to start thinking Thanksgiving!!!!!

Save the Tatas!!!

As you probably already know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I have two friends who were recently diagnosed with this life changing cancer. I can also say that I am proud to be related to a strong survivor of breast cancer. This is not a little thing. It's huge. But, together, as women, we can make a difference.

Please join me in visiting Pink Together today to make a connection with other women with a passion for this cause. If you have a story, as so many do, please, take the time to share that story. In talking about Breast Cancer we are able to encourage those who are fighting right now, we are able to get the word out and remind those who have not been diagnosed to FEEL YOUR BOOBIES! Do regular self checks, have your annual exams, and, if you are at the appropriate age - get those suckers SQUISHED! Together, we can fight this. And, together, we can work towards a cure.

I will have a giveaway in the next couple of weeks from My Blog Spark and Pink Together, however, I wanted to post today because IN ADDITION to the $2 Million that General Mills is already donating to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, they will ALSO donate $1 each time a comment of encouragement is posted, a virtual flower bouquet is sent, or a story is shared on PinkTogether.com through October 31st (that's today, folks!). So please, head on over to Pink Together and just be there. Be a part of something great! Thanks, guys! And Don't forget: