Spring Into Easter Decorations

On Palm Sunday we met friends of ours at a popluar little eatery in downtown.  It's really neat with exposed brick walls and really small too!  I'm glad we had enough people in our party to make a reservation, each of the girls started out with a Snowball Waffle.  While not exactly the healthiest of starts to the day, it sure was a big treat, and yes that order above is bigger than her head!

After a big meal everyone came back to our house for play time and an egg hunt while our meals settled.  I dressed up our table with fresh flowers, my robin egg blue tablecloth, and the Easter egg plates, bunny napkin holders, and bunny candle holders I got a few years ago at William Sonoma.  I love using all my cute stuff!

I dressed up the girls table too, with a pretty free spring subway art printable from eighteen25.  It's meant to be a larger size, and didn't quite resize to the Toslby 6X4 frame I wanted to use.  To remedy that, I used an adorable kit from Jady Day Studios: Spring Into Easter, to decorate the bottom.  The rag wreath from my friend Holly was the perfect finishing touch to the girl's table centerpiece.

I used the same digital kit to make a few more decorations for the girls.  Each one got a name banner tied to their chair and a personalized paper treat basket.  I created my own template for the name banners and used Kelleigh Ratzlaff's Easter Basket Template for their treats.  I also made little favors for the adults and added candy wraps to each.  My friend Margaret made the cute little bird's nest desserts out of ramen noodles, chocolate, and a little oil.  We also enjoyed a fresh fruit tart from Whole Foods. 

Shared at Blue Cricket Designs, Seven Thirty Three, Sew Much Ado, Sugar and Dots, Lollipops  and my own linky party A Crafty Soiree. Have you joined us lately, c'mon we'd love to have you!



Giveaway: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 on Blu-ray Combo Pack

This giveaway is now closed, thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations to...Ticia, comment #30, who siad, "I follow via GFC."

From celebrated director David Yates, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 brings back the highly-acclaimed cast including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson as well as Academy Award® Nominee Ralph Fiennes, Academy Award® Nominee Helena Bonham Carter, Academy Award® Nominee Imelda Staunton, Alan Rickman, and Michael Gambon. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 also introduces Golden Globe® Winner Bill Nighy as Rufus Scrimgeour.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, featuring a hi-definition, a standard definition, and a digital copy of the film, for $35.99 and on Single Disc DVD in widescreen format for $28.98 SRP. Also released on the same day, April 15th, Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsTM - Part 1 will be available to buy through DIGITAL DOWNLOAD from digital movie retailers and select game consoles.

I am really excited to get a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, it's one of the few only recent movie I made a point of seeing opening weekend.  I love J.K. Rowlings series, both in book and movie form.  I'm eagerly antcipating the last installment, although I'll be sad it's over!

Along with the newly released Blu-Ray Combo Pack, I also wanted to let you know about an exciting new global online adventure celebrating Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ - Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ - Part 2.  On Harry Potter: The Quest, registered users can play games, watch videos and have all new Harry Potter experiences to earn points as a global community. As the global community reaches a predetermined point level each week, they will earn exciting rewards such as exclusive never-before-seen content from all the Harry Potter movies and more. Registration for Harry Potter: The Quest is FREE!

Registered participants in Harry Potter: The Quest are eligible to receive monthly prizes such as Noble Collection Harry Potter merchandise, tickets to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort, Blu-rays, DVDs, Games and more. In addition, there will be two Grand Prize sweepstake opportunities for registrants of Harry Potter: The Quest. The first sweepstake opportunity is a chance to win tickets for two to attend the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 in London this July. The second sweepstake opportunity will be announced later in the year.

 For more information about Harry Potter: The Quest visit: http://www.harrypotterthequest.com/

Giveaway!

One reader will win a copy of  "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1" on Blu-ray Combo Pack!

To Enter:

Leave me a comment on this post, I'd love to know your favorite character from Harry Potter or your favorite part of the series.

Extra Entries: Leave an additional comment for each method of entry below

• Join Harry Potter: The Quest, leave your Quest Name in your comment.
• Follow my blog on Google Friends Connect.
• Leave a comment on another non-giveaway post.
• Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway, using @KTnestingspot in your tweet.
• Like my blog on Facebook, leave your FB profile name in your comment.
• Subscribe to my blog by email, will be verified.

This giveaway is open to US residents now through April 26 at midnight EST, winner chosen by random.org, notified by email, and have 48 hours to respond. 

Disclosure: A complimentary copy of the giveaway prize has been provided to both me and the winner.  Press materials were provided and utilized in this post.  Experiences and opinions related within this post are personal and unbiased.

Carnival Release: Hybrid Frame Project & Freebie Brag Book Page

For just 24 hours you can enter to win a copy of this kit!!!  Head over to Adori Graphics...but HURRY!

It's release time again at Adorible Digital Designs, and the new kit Carnival is full of wonderful elements like two banners, buttons, flowers, ribbon & string, bead scatter, tickets, and my personal favorite - several shapes and frames using the vintage looking book page.  There's also a complete alphabet and beautifully patterned paper with coordinating solids.  It's great for all those trips to the fairs, amusement parks, and the circus.  Here are just some of the goodies below:

I used it to try out a new way of decoupaging my favorite inexpensive wooden frames, that I pick up for just a dollar and are great for achieving many different looks.  This time instead of a layering scrapbook paper and embellishments, I created the whole thing digitally.  Then it was just print and decoupage onto my frame.

It's a great way to use your digital kits to create customized party favors or gifts for your friends and family.  Instead of "Memories" you could add each receipient's name or the place the photo was taken.  You'll only need to make minor text adjustments for each person so making several at one time is quick and easy.

If you'd like to do a similar project I have some helpful suggestions:

1. Measure, measure, measure!!!  I had to print my design out three times to get spacing correctly.
2. After printing out your image, trim and hold over your frame with the photo backing removed, by a light source to check for spacing.
3. Wait until your paper is completely dry before attempting decoupage with a wet adhesive, I like Mod Podge, to avoid the image running. 
4. Apply only a THIN layer of Mod Podge to the frame before carefully laying down your paper.
5. Quickly smooth out any air bubbles or wrinkles, you can use your fingers, brayer, and even an old plastic credit or gift card.
6. Use sandpaper to smooth your edges and give the project a distressed, aged look.
7. Upgrade your paper to premium presntation paper or ultra premium presentation paper, I found slightly thicker paper easier to use for this application.  It's also good to have onhand for printing out card designs that do not have to be then mounted on something else for stability.

A Limited Time FREEBIE!

It would be hard to share the image I used for the frame because it's sized pretty specifically for the ones I use that I'm not sure everyone has access to.  So I modified the design and created a brag book freebie for you! Image is also linked.  (Link Expired)  Please respect Adorible Digital Designs term's of use and enjoy for your own personal use only

You can visit each member of the Adorible Digital Designs Team and get a Brag Book Page at each stop.  These will only be available for free, for a limited time, so make sure you hop on by and snag each one!  Links will work for one week!  

If you're following along the train, you should've come from Amanda & Millie Designs and your next stop is Larissa at Life, Scrap, Bake.  If you get lost, head to Louise's site for the full schedule. Don't forget to also join us at the new digi scrap forum Digiscrap Nation!

Update 4/25: I hope you enjoyed participating in the blog train. For anyone who come on board a little late and missed the freebies, you can purchase the items in store from today.  Make sure you get your freebies next time by joining our blog train from 9th May...remember, the freebies will only be up for one week before being added to the store, so be quick!

Before you go, I also want to share a layout I did, using those frames I mentioned at the start of the post.  Carnival has more vintage, shabby chic, eclectic look than my normal style and I had so much fun using it!  I've even taken some of the elements in my layout to create a cluster that will be available for purchase in a set along with clusters the other Design Team members made.  A preview of the cluster pack  is below, it's also being released today at Adorible Digital Designs.

If you've never worked with clusters before they are a great time savers!  You get a layered look without all the work, it's easy to add your photos and quickly make up a page, with most of the design work done for you!

Shared At: Craft-O-Maniac, Making the World Cuter, Sew Can Do, Keeping It Simple, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Embellishing Life, Skip to My Lou, and my own linky party A Crafty Soiree.  Have you joined us lately, c'mon we'd love to have you!

Disclaimer: As a member of the Adorible Digital Designs Team, I receive access to kits in return for making promotional items.