Funky Junk's Sponsor Store

Mad about decorating with poinsettias!

2011-11-30T19:35:00.000-08:00

I've been blessed with a special opportunity. Melissa from The Inspired Room flew an email my way one day and asked if I'd like to be one of the chosen to participate in decorating with poinsettias.

It appears a gal from Canada grew poinsettias for a living and desired bloggers to talk about decorating with them. She emailed Melissa because she's been a fan of hers for a long time.

As it so turned out, Tamara from Davronda Nursieries is nearly my neighbour! A mere 40 minutes from me, I head out her way to visit her poinsettia location and spend some time with her.

Which ended up being a 4 part blog series AND I made a new friend. :)

Tamara sent me home with 2 large and 2 small poinsettias so I could show you what I'd do with them. FUN!

Something I learned VERY quicky is how easy and instant it is to decorate with these fellas. They pack a powerful punch of instant Christmas, no matter where you put them.

I really loved the large white ones in this corner.

Wanna know a secret? They're doing more than looking pretty. They're hiding ugly stereo speakers. :)

I set the pot inside a laundry wicker basket which gave the arrangement a more substantial base, helping to hide what's behind them.

As for the sawhorse... it's just a quirky detail. Which ended up being a nice place for a favorite magazine and throw blanket.

Next up is a little red poinsettia. I dressed it up by placing it in a crate, added some spanish moss to hide the pot, added a few sticks and it turned out pretty cute. I keep moving it... here it's on my kitchen counter...

... and here it's sittin' pretty in the main bath. LOVE the small hit of color.

And I must admit, the red is the PERFECT tone that goes with everything. Nature always does color best. Never fails.

I added a little plastic snow to the windowsill and called it done. Easy! I'm not use to such ease.. I'm use to fiddling a lot more. :)

Want a little more rustic detail for a base? I call this the slouchy bag pot. I used a ready made $1.50 burlap sand bag from the hardware store, rolled it up a bit, and slid it on.

And then there's the BIG red one. Outstandingly gorgeous! Placed in a coke crate was all it needed.

As for the snow, it's fake plastic snow and flour. :) I'll show you my snow tricks soon!

You also got in a sneak peek of the snowy fireplace mantel which will be revealed in it's full glory on Monday! I'm part of the 2011 Virtual Holiday House Walk.

Hey kitten, isn't it pretty down there? Let's show'em!

I also wanted to try the big red one in the stairway, which is where it ended up staying. It was the perfect hit of natural red and gets double exposure... for those upstairs AND down.

This is how I made the upper level. Two free standing boards cut at a 45 degree angle gave me a quick shelf.

I really like the height this little trick offered in an otherwise empty space.

I gotta blame it on the festive poinsettias for getting me really started with my Christmas decorating. I went for an all natural theme this year and these were the PERFECT addition. There is just nothing like the real thing.

Thank-you both, Tamara and Melissa for having me on board! This was loads of fun!

All parts to this series are HERE

Part 1 - an ultimate lunch at Little White House in Langley

Part 2 - a poinsettia greenhouse tour with video

Part 3 - We decorate Tamara's barn store

Part 4 - Mad about decorating with poinsettias! - this entry

Join me over at Tamara's Great Poinsettia Decorating Challenge linkup for a chance to win a fab $50 dinner!

To view the other blogs that are also hosting the poinsettia posts, visit:

Inspired Room

Southern Hospitality

Home Stories A to Z

Centsational Girl
Miss Mustard Seed
Nesting Place
My Blessed Life
Thrifty Decor Chick

House of Smiths

I was compensated to decorate with these poinsettias. And let me tell you, it was a labour of LOVE. My only complaint is that I didn't have MORE. How spoiled we get... :)

The Pleated Poppy Giveaway!

2011-02-24T09:08:00.000-08:00

This giveaway event is now closed. Thank-you for all your wonderful entries!

Winner is:

Lorie from Vintage Country Girl!

Congrats! I'll have Lindsey email you so you two can hook up!

Welcome to my Pleated Poppy review on a

zippered pouch!

If you've been hanging around blogland for awhile, you now know a Pleated Poppy creation when you see it. They are all colourful, fun, useful AND of very high quality.

I was curious about the adorable zippered pouches in particular that Lindsey makes. I've featured them many times before, however have never held one in my own hands. Lindsey sent one right over so I could try it out myself.

I chose this particular one because of the bold colour splashes. How cute! I loved the colourful polka dot ruffle against the black and white flourishes. Funky. :)

However what stood out moreso than the colours was the quality of the product. The fabric is lined so I was pleasantly surprised how heavyweight it felt. And the bottom is squared off so it can actually sit upright if desired, which allows the pouch to hold more too.

The tiniest details enhance the product. The zipper has a little fabric tab so it's super easy to grasp.

As for functionality, the sky's the limit! I've tried it all. It proved to be a perfect stomping ground for my FJI cards.

Do you have any idea how many times I dump my purse having these crazy plastic cards sprawling every which way? Well, they didn't run away on me when they were neatly zipped away in the pouch! This thing holds ALOT.

Even some cold hard change got a ride in a pretty new environment.

Other uses I can come up with: crayons for road trips, kiddie snacks, a small puzzle, makeup...

If you're looking for a sturdy yet pretty hard working little place to store all sorts of things, I can vouch that a zippered pouch can indeed do the job along with looking mighty pretty.

The Pleated Poppy offers alot more than just zippered pouches though... click HERE to see the 'all' page.

Would you like to own a little Pleated Poppy yourself? Today's your lucky day!

Win a $30 Credit

{ for any Pleated Poppy item }

of your choice!

~ How to enter the giveaway ~

1. Visit The Pleated Poppy HERE.

2. Browse through the store, and choose something you like.

3. Come back to comments here and let us know your choice and you're in!

Facebook, blog or twitter about the giveaway, and

comment again for a 2nd entry!

Already own something from Pleated Poppy? Tell us about it and

comment again for a 3rd entry!

Order something during the giveaway week and

comment again for a 4th entry!

Here, let me help with that one. :)

Purchase anything

during the giveaway week and

recieve 15% off!

Use the code JUNK when ordering to receive your discount.

Good luck, friends!

This giveaway event will be open for one week. Winner will be chosen by random.org. Winner must have email activated through their profile or in their comment below in order to win.

Home Goods giveaway!

2010-12-21T23:09:00.000-08:00

This giveaway has officially ended. Thank-you for your wonderful comments!

Congrats, Polly from Make Mine Beautiful!

(name was redrawn as I couldn't reach original winner)

signmakergirl@hotmail.com

One of my very favorite memories as a child on Christmas was running up to the tree first thing in the morning and seeing all that long sparkly tinsel and huge colourful glass lights with those big metal reflectors.

For they held the promise to a very exciting day filled with ....presents. :)

I still remember getting Chrissy, which I still have,

and Tippy Toes.

Oh! And those cute Liddle Kiddles!!

I still have my EasyBake Oven too. :)

It's so fun to think back during those days gone by, isn't it? And now we get to create those types of memories in just a few short days!

Do you have room for one more present and memory?

I have in my hands a Home Goods $50 gift certificate.

And it needs to go to a happy American shopper!

So....

~ Anyone can enter to win! ~

Just promise to send it to your favorite American friend that lives near a Home Goods if you aren't one and you win, ok?

Tell me what you loved most about Christmas when you were a kiddo and you're in!

Winner will be deemed for the Christmas Story SNS, Fri, Dec 31st.

Merry Christmas, and good luck!

Check out my fav things - with some specials attached!

2010-12-02T02:14:00.000-08:00

"Dear Santa,

I totally adore all of the following things.

I've been a good girl too!

So.. how about it? I rust up your sleigh in exchange for a few of my most favorite things below?

Hello? Helloooo.....

oh oh..."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Not everyone is a rust lover, I admit. But did you know I had the potential to fall in love with some non rusty trinkets too?

I recently took a stroll through my sponsor's stores to see what was goin' on. And boy was that fun!

But not only did I find cool stuff.. I found SPECIALS too!

Come on along with me as we walk through Funky Town to window shop a few of my own favorite things!

My favorite thing:

Check out these vintage scissors. The first two remind me of some my mom had. Awww... fond memories. And that 3rd is frankly just wild! How cool would these be nicely framed up for a sewing room? I just love the look of these!

Anything goes Here is loaded with vintage treasures of all types. I LOVE this store! Click the button to check it out! But be warned. Joan's photos make you WANT. IT. ALL.

~ GREAT DEAL ~

Every December order comes with a free gift!

Special Holiday Pricing in effect on some listings.

Mention FUNKY JUNK when you order to receive your free gift!

Check it all out HERE.

My favorite thing:

I love these notebook covers. They are colourful, girlie, and taking notes would just be more fun while on the run! If this notebook cover isn't avail by the time you see this, it wouldn't surprise me. This stuff sells FAST.

All of Lindsey's creations laugh with their vibrant fun colours! Take a peek and see if you can't help but smile. :)

~ GREAT DEAL ~

15% off any Pleated Poppy reg priced stock during December!

code - J U N K

Click HERE to get started.

But RUN. I'm tellin' ya, this stuff doesn't get old.

My favorite thing:

Do you like your whites white but detest that bleach fragrance that always seems to linger? Me too. So when I came across this product, called Nature Bright Laundry Booster & Stain Remover, I was curious.

I've been using it for some time now and can I just say, the bottoms of my sports socks ARE white and they smell like fresh air, not a swimming pool. LOVE this stuff.

And I really do suggest to start with a kit of some sort. They just work so awesome together!

Shakley is all about safe health, cleaning and beauty products. And I've yet to try a product I didn't like.

~ GREAT DEAL ~

Become a member and Bonnie has a special for you!

Mention FUNKY JUNK NEW MEMBER SPECIAL

email Bonnie at DonahueWellness@hotmail.com for details!

click HERE to view product line.

Would you like to become a Funky Junk sponsor? We'd love to have you! Please email me direct at signmakergirl@hotmail.com for all the affordable details. :)

Well, that sure was fun shopping for me!

Do you ever pick up things for yourself while you're shopping for others?
Or can you really walk away from it?
I'm so weak...

2010-12-01T23:36:00.000-08:00

Advertise on Funky Junk!

If you're wishing for more exposure for your business, you've come to the right place! FJI currently accepts sidebar advertising and other options to suit. Loads of interaction with visitors, fun events, and plenty of traffic will be leaving you glad you joined the fray. :)

Our Audience

Those that visit Funky Junk are DIYers from all walks of life. While the majority are women, there are definitely men in the mix as well. The majority here adore working and decorating with reclaimed items. They use crafting and building products, as well as DIY types of tools. They love to make what they desire to have as well as purchase retail.

Those that follow Funky Junk as of January 15 2012:

Blogger Followers - 7580 +

Twitter Followers - 1,735 +

Pageloads for Dec 15 - Jan 15 - 336,000

Traffic grabbers

Saturday Nite Special sample HERE

High traffic events

FJI hosts a very busy weekend link party, called Saturday Nite Special. The party runs from Friday 7pm Pacific to Sunday 11pm Pacific every weekend. Visitors link up their own DIY projects. The party brings in very high traffic with repeat visits.

Frequent posting

New posts go up on a regular basis. Sometimes daily, other times every other day. Miniumum is twice a week but it's generally much more than that. I'm chatty, what can I say. :)

Press and Features

(click pics to visit features)

trash to treasure features

headboard features

Funky Junk not only gets featured often on other blogs and websites, the work is also published!

You can also check out loads of features from THIS LINK.

Regular Contributor

FOLK magazine

Visit my line of projects on JMS HERE.

Testimonial:

Image used for blog sidebar, at the bottom of current blog posts and Facebook mentions during event

Event HERE

My experience working with Donna was A+ all around. She was extremely professional, dedicated, prompt, and eager to work with me on the review post. Donna put a lot of work into her review, asking a lot of questions about me, my products, and helping me work out an Exclusive Promotion for her readers. When I saw photos of the projects she created with my images, I knew she wanted to create a high quality blog review/article for me.

Donna's photography skills are top notch. As a photographer myself, I can't stress enough how important it is to have high quality photos to showcase your products and every single photo Donna took for my review post was excellent quality.

When the review posted, I was amazed and excited not only about the traffic that was being generated, but by the increase in sales that I could directly attribute to FunkyJunk readers because of a discount code. I know I will have traffic and sales in the future as well because of the review post and links that will remain on her blog. An absolute pleasure – hope to partner with Donna and FunkyJunk again some day.

~ Jodi, BuyAlphabetPhotos

~ Media Packages ~

Sidebar advertising

1) sidebar advertising - $60/month

2) sidebar advertising - * 3 months for $150 (prices are subject to change, prebooking will guarantee these rates)

Reviews/Giveaways

Would you like an item reviewed? All I ask is that you send out a sample so I can try it. If I like it, I'll be happy to do a review for you.

3) Review and/or giveaway event - $150 and up - please inquire.
This would be held on The Sponsor Store. (ad free blog)

Click for sample

4) DIY requiring a tutorial project or video - $250 and up - please inquire.
This would be held on The Sponsor Store. (ad free blog)

5) In some cases, I will be willing to trade product for your review or giveaway event if the value warrants the trade fairly and your item works well with my subject matter on the blog - please inquire.

Review / Giveaway info

Reviews/giveaways are Facebooked and tweeted and mentioned several times on the blog until the event is finished.

Reviews/giveaways are grouped together. You may choose also choose to have just one or the other.

All reviews will be truthful, fun and thorough. My readers respect my opinion so I will only offer a live review if I love your product and it's of a subject matter that may interest my viewers.

In general

The higher the value, the better the participation. $60 value or higher is suggested. Please include Canada as a possible win. Worldwide is preferred.

Corporate Sponsors

6) We are open to larger corporate sponsors that offer tools, products and equipment useful for DIY building and crafting as well as working with you in other areas of writing assignments and sponsorship. Please inquire for further info at: signmakergirl@hotmail.com

Click for sample

Some giveaways and reviews may be held on an ad free page, called The Sponsor Store if they don't meet BlogHer regulations.

~ Button Services ~

5) 125 x 125 pixel / 150 x 150 pixel / 260 pixels x 100 pixels - $35

Html coded - $15 (you'll require online storage)

~ How to sign up ~

email signmakergirl@hotmail.com

with ADVERTISE in the subject,

include your specified package ( 1 2 3 4 5 or 6)

please include your website url, a short description on what you offer and non blinking button, in html format if possible.

we will issue you a Pay Pal invoice for payment upon approval

Thank-you for your interest in advertising with FJI! We'd love to have you aboard!

A DIY for pleated shades and a winner for the Simple Fit custom shades!

2010-11-02T21:26:00.000-07:00

Did you know some Redi-Shades can be customized? This is cool...

1. Gather up some of your favorite decorating type supplies...

ideas - fabric, wrapping paper, photos, paint, scrap book supplies, stencils

2. Place where you'd like everything to go...

3. And enjoy your new customized shades!

Isn't this cute?!? The options are endless when you purchase the right shades to be able to do this.

(click HERE to view this INSPIRE area for more ideas!)

Now, the winner is getting treated right. She actually has the option to choose one of the SIMPLE FIT shades. :) I have personally only tried this type and I ADORE them!

What I have

shade style - Cellular

install style - Simple Fit (spring loaded)

with the options of:

snow or cream ( I have snow)

light filter or black out (I have black out and they turn the room BLACK!)

You can read about the Cellular style HERE.

And ordering is easy!

1. Click on the custom shade of your choice.

2. Scroll down until you see...

The steps will guide you through measuring, pricing, and shipping info.

A winner!

So let's pick a winner! What a lucky lucky gal. She will be floored at how easy they go up.

(my video of my own install is HERE)

Drumroll....

Yay! We have

Sambuka over at Dolce Divine!

Oh oh... she's from Quebec Canada! Hey, no worries, she can't win the shades, (as per what the original post stated) but she's going to get a little something else from me. Sambuka, I'll email you and we'll chat. :)

Ok, let's go for an American winner now!

Whoohoo! A loyal follower too! Congrats Gloria from Living on a Dime!

Gals, I'll be swapping some info with you shortly. Congrats!

Dave, thanks for treating my followers right with this cool giveaway!

And.. how about that customizing.. pretty cool. Have you ever done anything special to your own shades?

Simple Fit Giveaway!

2010-10-26T23:34:00.000-07:00

Please note this giveaway event is now closed.

The post provides my review of this product which I 100% endorse!

You will love how these shades install and work!

If you see this symbol, this means I have tried the product and fully endorse it.

The following offers a full review on Simple Fit shades and a video on how I installed the product.

The giveaway event is now closed.

Dear blind bracket:

You will never be my BBF.

Sincerely yours, venetian blind detester.

Window blinds of all types are not new to me. I've had them in many of my previous homes. And four things have ALWAYS stood in my way from liking them.

1. I don't like looking through them all day.

2. They're clunky to scooch up out of the way.

3. They are fiddly to clean.

4. Installing is a royal pain.

In fact, NONE of my windows in my current home even HAVE blinds of any kind, for all of the above reasons. I. JUST. DON'T. LIKE. THEM.

BUT. Our needs required privacy and room darkening features in some rooms. So I was rather stuck. And chose to do nothing because I didn't know WHAT to do.

And then, the clouds parted, the angels sang and Dave from Simple Fit became my super hero!

Ok, you know I jest. That isn't Dave. But that's how this whole story makes me feel with how these custom shades managed to solve my problems.

So, what makes the Simple Fit system so special anyway?

I actually came up with three reasons.

#1. They install FAST.

Know why? They don't have hardware. Isn't that crazy?

Once the shades arrived, they sat in the boxes. I truly wasn't eager to tackle them. And then when I bit the bullet and just did it, I laughed. Because it was so ridiculously easy!!! I kid you not. And I'll show you how it's done in a moment.

2. They really REALLY darken your room!

You have a choice of light filtering or black-out. My son has trouble falling asleep during the long summer nights so I chose the black-out. And oh my GOSH is the room dark! He adores that!

As for me? If they were in my room I'd go the light filtering route. Isn't it nice to have that option?

3. They scooch out of my way!

I sooooo detest looking through traditional blinds. I like privacy by night and window with view by day. Better yet? These go up easily with a one finger touch. How cool is that?

And you know what? I'm gonna show you just how I installed them.

Dave asked if I could videotape my experience installing the shades and you KNOW how foreign that is to me. :) Kidding! Any chance to work with video editing software I consider a scream, so here you are! Flubs and all. :)

And.. the first window in the video is the same window you see in the above pic. The editing program shrinks your window viewing area which I didn't know. Whoops! No worries. You'll see more on window #2.

So, wanna get in on some of this action? I'd bet you do!

Visit the website

When you first get to Simple Fit's website, you land on this page. (visit HERE)

Check out the options

Simple Fit offers you all kinds of different custom shades at different price points with different features. So it pays to read what each type of shade offers. But just know, they all install easily, requiring no hardware, but rather, by means of either peel and stick or spring loaded, which mine had.

Dave was very generous and sent me the higher end cellular shades and their features are:

spring loaded install system
aluminum rails
cordless (excellent for kiddos!)
honeycomb insulating cells made from spun linen
snow or cream
light filtering or black-out

~ The Giveaway ~

And here's where you come in! Dave is offering one of you one Cellular shade so you can also give them a try too! You just wait. You are gonna LOVE these. I'm giddy for ya. :)

Value - $99-$253! (depending on size and type)

Minimum width of 19 inches.

Maximum width of 64 inches.
Maximum length of 72 inches.

How to enter the giveaway:

In comments, tell us what intrigues you most about these shades or why you desire to give them a whirl yourself, and you're in!

Follower or subscriber of the blog Funky Junk? Comment to enter again!

(1 entry for following the BLOG, not Facebook)

Blog, Facebook or tweet about the giveaway, and comment to enter again!

(must ADVERTISE to get this entry)

Follow or 'like' Redi-Shade on Twitter or Facebook and enter again!

(1 entry)

Giveaway event will be open for 1 week and winner will be chosen by random.org.

Email or blog contact must be avail to deem a winner.

Simple Fit is sold in the States but now will also ship to Canada!

I'm super happy with my new shades! They're up, they're pretty and they work!!

Dave, even if you don't wear a cape, you're still a super hero in my book :)

Good luck friends!

Sept 2011 promo - 'like' Simple Fit on Facebook to get a 20% discount!

Please note this giveaway event is now closed.

The post provides my review of this product which I 100% endorse!

You will love how these shades install and work!

The Pleated Poppy winner!

2010-10-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling in a cabbage rose/green apple mood. Yes I am. I am one stylin' note book carrying gal here.

But then, when that spunky mood hits, I want funk! Yeah, this is it.

Wait. But at the end of the day, I want things silent and pretty. Maybe this is it...

Goodness! How does one even CHOOSE?!?

What are these?

These are adorable notebooks and covers by The Pleated Poppy.

Each notebook comes with a composition notebook and is removable to replace the notebook once it's filled. It closes with a button and elastic closure and has a pocket on the inside flap for pens/pencils.

What can it be used for?

Grocery lists, tic tac toe for kids during road travel, decorating details while shopping, sketches when ideas come your way.. you name it!

The winner of The Pleated Poppy giveaway did indeed say she loved the notebooks. Little did she know she'd get to choose one!

Well, now, if it isn't Rachelle from Adventures In Creating!

Congrats Rachelle! Happy shopping to you!

Please email Lindsey at

thepleatedpoppy@gmail.com

with your shipping info and choice!

Man, they're only $26. That's alot of sewing for $26. I'd have to charge $475!
Ok, guess that has something to do with me not being a sewer.
Good thing Lindsey's in charge here.

Wanna buy one?

Or anything else? Now's the time.
Lindsey is offering you 15% off. Just give her the code JUNK and you're good to go!

15% off - code JUNK

Offer good for 1 week.

Thanks for the awesome giveaway for all 3000+ of these lovely followers, Lindsey!

3000 Followers - The Pleated Poppy giveaway!

2010-09-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

This giveaway event is now closed.

Thanks for all your entries! Winner will be announced here in The Sponsor Store by Friday, 7pm Pacific. :)

My friends, I am THRILLED that Lindsey from The Pleated Poppy was totally on the bandwagon for this little celebration!

Why?

Maybe it's because I love...

... these adorable zippered pouches avail to us.

Many other patterns to choose from too! How sweet are those funky material mixes?!?

Or how about a super cute apron? This one's called Chocolate and Pink Marshmallow. Adorned with one of the infamous Pleated Poppy flowers of course!

No. Wait! I think it's because I fell in love with these lovely notebooks. Who wouldn't love to take notes while on the go with one of these cuties in your purse? Good luck choosing which one!!

And then there's the fabric inspired jewelry designs. These petal drop necklaces are the cutest!

Lindsey's wonderful store is LOADED with all kinds of colourful specialties that all wear the pleated poppy flair!

~ The Giveaway! ~

To help us celebrate the event, Lindsey is offering up a generous

~ $25 credit ~

for you to use towards whatever you desire from The Pleated Poppy shop!!!

~ How to enter the giveaway ~

1. Click on The Pleated Poppy's shop.

2. Browse around the store.

3. Come back here in comments and tell me which item you'd choose if you won. That's it!

Want more chances?

Follower/subscriber of Funky Junk? Comment again!

Follower of The Pleated Poppy Blog? Comment again!

Blog, tweet or Facebook the giveaway? Comment again!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Giveaway event will run for 1 week and the winner will be selected by Random.org.

Email must be present in profile or your comment in order to qualify for a win.

Good luck all!

Pssst... wanna get to know The Pleated Poppy just a little more? Scroll down to check out the review I did HERE. You'll love the read. :)

Scentsy WINNER!

2010-09-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

Well friends, someone had to win.

Now, if it were ME winning, this is what I would choose...

Charlemagne Full-Size Scentsy Warmer

Adorned with a silver fleur-de-lis medallion, Charlemagne glows in cream flecks of blue over a brown base coat. Embossed fleur-de-lis designs are repeated on the base and complemented by the embossed scallop design on the dish. High-gloss reactive-glaze finish.

I LOVE this one! Just adore the mixed patterns and embossed design. Sweeeeet!

Mocha Doodle Scentsy Brick

Delicious roasted coffee beans and cocoa balanced with sugar, caramel and heavy cream.

Good GRIEF! I need some coffee. NOW.

But, fortunately for you, I couldn't enter nor win. So...

What did the winner pick anyway? Hmmm... let's see.... which warmer?

Lenox Full-Size Scentsy Warmer

Abstract design meets vintage glamour. Lenox features a high-gloss reactive-glaze finish in neutral tones of cream and taupe over brown and slate to create depth and beauty.

How pretty! I love the tone on tone clay like quality of this one. And the little holes that allow the glow through. Nice choice!

Now... wonder which scent was chosen...

Sugar Cookie Scentsy Bar

Warm, sweet blend of butter, sugar and creamy vanilla.

Gahhhh.... shall we bake?!?

So, let's see who chose these two gems, shall we?

Oh! She's not only lucky, she's cute too!

Congrats, Jessica from Not Just A Mommy After All!

Jessica, please email Lisa at cravescents@gmail.com so she can get your shipping info. Thanks!

Lucky gal gets her home all smelling nice right before the holidays... are you jealous too?

Well, not all is at a loss. Lisa's offer still stands.

Anyone who orders within the month of September is automatically entered into a personal drawing for a gift valued at $100!

Also, Scentsy's new catalog just came out this month and has lots of products to choose from. You can view Lisa's Catalog here.

Thanks again for all entering, and advertising this giveaway. It is much appreciated!
And a special thanks to Lisa for her generosity!

Scentsy Giveaway!

2010-09-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

This giveaway is now closed.

Thank-you so much for all your entries! Winner will be announced in The Sponsor Store, Friday, 7pm, Sept 24 2010.

Anyone out there LOVE fragrant candles!?

Traditional candles are getting some major competition these days with a fabulous product called Scentsy.

The Scentsy system is awesome because it doesn't have a wick, soot or flame. Perfect for those with kids, pets, or those who aren't fans of blackened walls.

Scentsy uses a low watt light bulb to melt their wax inside a warmer, releasing the scent and filling your home with yummy goodness. And even better, their scents are AMAZING with loads to choose from, lasting up to 80 hours!

Like this one called Mochadoodle . . . "Delicious roasted coffee beans and cocoa, balanced with sugar, caramel and heavy cream." Can we say YUM?!? (I'm dieing... are you with me?!?)

~ What's up for grabs? ~

Lisa would love to give one lucky winner a Warmer and a Scent of your choice! {$42 value}.

And I KNOW you're going to have a tough time choosing.

I personally LOVE the Imperial collection. Aren't they pretty? The medallion looks like it's hand stamped.

And the holiday collection is out too! (for a limited time only) Team it up with a Baked Apple Pie scent and you'll be ready for the holidays!

Wait till you see the entire selection. There's truly something for everyone.

~ How to enter the draw ~

Go to Lisa's site HERE,

pick out your warmer and scent,

and comment back here with your choices!

Want more chances?

Become a FAN of Lisa's on Facebook HERE

and leave another comment!

(She posts all her giveaways on there and keeps you up to date with new products promotions)

3. Follower/subscriber of Funky Junk?

Comment again!

4. Blog, tweet or Facebook the giveaway event and.. you got it..

Comment again!

Order something during the run of this contest (1 week) and.. yup..

Comment again!

The draw will be open for 1 week and winner will be chosen by random.org

In addition: Anyone who orders within the month of September is automatically entered into a personal drawing for a gift valued at $100!

Canadians - watch for a BUY CANADA on the website.

Scentsy's new catalog just came out this month and has lots of products to choose from. You can view Lisa's Catalog here.

Contact Lisa if you're interested in having a Scentsy Catalog Party, or would love to be a part of Lisa's Team. If you're interested in purchasing Scentsy, click on a product, then 'select market'.

Happy shopping and good luck!

Lucky ducks. :)

10 lucky Shaklee winners! Congrats!

2010-09-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I was finally getting to some long overdue housecleaning. Ugh... what a mess.

What's been giving me the most grief lately were the hardwood floors believe it or not. You know those weird footprints you can see even after washing? I wasn't able to remove it with anything I had for a long while and my floors always looked dirty.

That's when a light went on. Remember this little group?

Basic H2 by Shaklee is a powerful non toxic highly concentrated cleaner that when diluted to different strengths, can clean nearly anything. And do it well. I'm speaking from some experience here.

So I grabbed the Basic H2 All Purpose this round and sprayed it direct on the floors. (I was prepared to use the stuff full strength if I had to!) And held my breath. I wanted this to work because nothing else had.

And honestly, I would have been VERY disappointed if this didn't work because these products haven't failed me yet. At all.

Guess what.

Flawless shine. Right back to new. Gone were those awful footprints I had been living with all summer! YES!!!! Will we put on socks now when walking across the floors. Of course not! I have H2 on hand so why bother? :)

As time passes, I think I figured out one of the reasons I really love using these products. It's the sprayer thing. The sprayers work that well and it was effortless to kneel down and spray a fine mist over the entire floor surface and simply wipe. It seemed... easier for some reason. Hey, whatever makes me clean gets a thumbs up in my book!

Just goes to show, you can invent your own uses for this stuff. And 10 of you will be fortunate enough to do just that very shortly! And here they are!

~ 10 Winners of the Basic H2 sample ~

Congrats gals! Please email Bonnie direct at

donahuewellness@hotmail.com

so she can get your win shipped to you!

Sigh. I know. I wish I could offer everyone a win. However if you've been curious about trying a non toxic cleaner that works really well, now is the time, because Bonnie has something special all lined up for you!

How to purchase

Visit Bonnie's website to see what's all available HERE.

Then, contact Bonnie at

donahuewellness@hotmail.com,

with the code Funky Junk,

so she can help you through the process on how to join, what to start with, the best deal for your dollar as well as line you up with another special she has for you!

Happy Cleaning to all of you! :)

DIY contest!

2010-09-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

I must have been sleeping at the wheel here! There's a great DIY contest with only 2 more weeks to go!

All summer long One Project Closer has been hosting a weekly DIY before and after contest. You simply submit your before and after pics and story, and the one they choose to feature wins:

~ $50 gift card ~

from Home Depot, Lowes, or Amazon

and

~ $100 towards Habitat for Humanity ~

in your name!

After the end of the summer run, the best entries will be up for public voting for a grand prize winner:

~ $150 gift card ~

from Home Depot, Lowes, or Amazon

To read the full rules for this wonderful event for a good cause, please visit HERE.

Go for it! I have. :)

10 winners for this Shaklee giveaway!

2010-08-25T00:43:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what Shaklee products were like?

I recently tried many of this line in exchange for this review. While it was a very sweet deal indeed, this info is my honest testimony on how I felt about the products.

If you are visiting due to an item showing in the sponsor section on FJI, please scroll down to review that particular product.

This post was also part of a giveaway which is now over. Another one is forthcoming in early 2011, so please stay tuned!

~ ~ ~ ~

Not many giveaways offer 10 winners. TEN!

Thankfully for us, fellow DIY blogger Bonnie from House of Grace, also happens to be a Shaklee distributor. So not only are you going to get a chance to win some products to try (cool!!), you're going to get an up close and personal take on the product. By me. :) Are ya ready?!?

Bonnie graciously sent me these products to try in exchange for an interview.

Now, my first impression was, I hate to clean. Do I even WANT to do this?!? But everyone else seemed to love this product line. But what really got me is not what was in it for me. It was that she offered 10 trials for YOU. SOLD! I was about to clean and love it for a good cause dag nab it!

It's here!

The product arrived with fresh looking beautiful branding, clearly marked, alongside lots of reading material. I admit, it felt abit like Christmas morning. Everything was so cheerful, like sunshine through a window cheerful, that I kinda 'wanted' to try it all out.

What I got

In the package, I received:

Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate (for everything)
Dish Wash Automatic Concentrate (dishwasher)
Hand Dish Wash (for hand washing dishes)
Scour Off Heavy Duty Paste (for ovens and such)
Get Clean Super Microfibre Window Cloth

Setting up

Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate

This unique cleaning system meant for MANY surfaces is done with only ONE cleaner. The Basic H2 is a very concentrated, and powerful cleaner that is safe for all surfaces.The package came with 3 empty squirt bottles, designated for different uses. I was intrigued.

Basic H2 Windows and Mirrors - the least amount of solution
Basic H2 All Purpose Cleaner - 2nd least
Basic H2 Degreaser - the most

Measuring is easy!

This is too funny. After I opened the box of goods, I verbally groaned. I didn't WANT to measure stuff. So I let the box sit. For a LONG time. The box even gathered dust. When I finally dug through my spring-loaded container drawer looking for my measuring devices (like a needle in a haystack), I realized THEN that all the measurements are ON the bottles! Good thinkin', Shaklee!

The required measurements for each different cleaner are written on each spray bottle. You simply add the desired amount of Basic H2 into the designated squirt bottle, dilute with water as per the instructions, and you're ready to go! Sheesh.

Let's start!

Dish Wash(er) Automatic Concentrate

Rating - LOVE

On the left you have a bag of dishwasher powder. I was abit bashful going back to loose granules as I was pretty attached to the tabs I've been getting. I detest GRIT on my dishes. I put in the MINIMUM suggested amount into the dishwasher to test how well it would work.

Result: NO GRIT!

The dishes were squeaky clean and gleamed! Glasses came out flawless as well. And the dishes have a very clean very light floral scent to them. Very nice! And you need so very little to the point of asking yourself, "Is this really enough?!?" It is.

Hand Dish Wash Concentrate

Rating: LOVE
link HERE

We just had popcorn so I had the perfect greasy surface to test the product on. My suds never last through a greasy popcorn bowl and if they do, they diminish shortly after.

Result - spotless!

The grease removed effortlessly like it melted off. And BIG bonus: the water remained nice and sudsy long afterwards. Huh...

I also noticed that when I wiped down my dark counter tops, that the wipe didn't leave a soapy film all over them like my reg brand did. I generally have to wipe the counters AND dry them 3x to get them to shine spotlessly. This required one wipe and one dry. That tells me this stuff indeed cuts through grease VERY well.

Update: January 2011

- I ran out of this liquid gold so I had to resort to my standard schmandard. My countertops immediately greased up when wiping them in comparison. I HATED the old stuff and it's a well known brand.

When this order came, I RAN for the kitchen sink. Honestly, you need so little of this stuff for major suds, the suds last a LONG time and there's no greasy residue left on the counters. I LOVE this product and will never go back to what the store carries.

Donna

Basic H2 Windows and Mirrors

Rating: LOVE

When I mixed up the window/mirror cleaner, I was baffled at how little was to go in. How can THIS clean?!? But it does. And VERY well I might add. The surfaces are left squeaky clean and spotless.

Super Microfibre Window Cloth

Rating: LIKE

And this thing is a big help but takes some getting use to. This little cloth acts like a million little fingers gripping the glass. No lint, just clean sparkling windows and mirrors. This thing is MAGIC.

But I gave it 'only' a LIKE because the fingers grip so well I kept dropping the cloth! :) That's actually a good problem to have. The cloth really does work amazing so just grip it well when using and you'll have the best lookin' windows and mirrors in the valley. You can also flip it around and use the non gripping side so you do have a choice.

I also pushed my luck with the glass topper on the gas stove. I used the Windows and Mirrors formula on this as well and it took everything off except the stuff one really needs to scrape. Understandable! But the end result where it met the glass was PERFECT. No streaks whatsoever.

Basic H2 All Purpose Cleaner

Rating: LOVE

I used this stuff for ANYTHING I came in contact with. But I desired to test it out on a soap scummy sink. The product lifted the scum right off and left the tap set gleaming. And no matter where I used this product, everything came out with the same result.

I did try it in more difficult areas like the tub. I even used the original Basic H2 Concentrate straight to try it. It took several swipes to break through the layers of soap scum. A heavier duty cleanser was really needed for the tub, however using this was a wonderful way to finish off a good clean. It cleans what it's meant for beautifully.

Basic H2 Degreaser

Rating - LOVE

Oh how I loathe cleaning these stove top grates! They always feel greasy and attract dust and pet hair. Yech!

First I washed them in the Hand Dish Wash, then finished up with the Basic H2 Degreaser. They came out better than they ever have. I was delighted! This product does cut through the grease nicely.

Scour Off Heavy Duty Paste

Rating: LOVE!!! x 1000

I was soooo mean to this product! I chose my BBQ turned bird nest and really made this stuff work hard.

Well holey chrome... very little effort was required to bring back the grill. What the...

These were STAINS, not just grease. I couldn't get the marks off the stainless with anything else. The paste brought the stainless back to new condition! Same result with my dishwasher and stove too.

To the left: bird crap and grease. To the right... showroom condition. Oh my word.

Stainless steel selling people, are you hearing me?!? This stuff is the BOMB. Is it even meant for stainless steel? I have no idea. But it works!

I don't know what's in this stuff, but the paste breaks down the grease and stains, making the removal nearly a breeze. I just carefully followed the grain of the stainless. Now I just have to finish everything I've started. LOL

~ Summary ~

I loved the products.

I loved all the products I tried. I wanted to find something wrong with them to prove how truthful I could be for an interview but I just couldn't. Everything worked as it should so there's no reason not to like it. All my old cleaning products are packed away so I'm coasting on all the new goods and my house has never been this clean this easily.

My fav product.

While ALL the products did what they were suppose to do making me enjoy them all, The Scour Off Heavy Duty Paste blew me away. Greasy removal has never been so effortless. I highly recommend to at the very least, TRY this one! It's price efficient too! I'd suggest to get two. I KNOW you will love it. I'll be a lifer for this one for certain.

Very economical.

These products will last you a LONG time because they are so concentrated. You need so very little of the solutions to the point of you'll wonder how they clean properly. But they do and that's all that matters.

Want to learn more?

Bonnie from House Of Grace also shares info on how she uses these products in her own home.

How to clean is HERE.

ALL the uses for Basic H are HERE.

The best kit to start with is HERE.

WHY it's safer to clean naturally is HERE.

An optional good deal!

Shaklee offers you an option. There is a membership you can sign up for. The fee is only $19.95 which gives you a 15% reduction on the goods and pays for itself with the first order. If you sign up for the membership, email Bonnie prior to ordering! She has something else she's going to throw in for you! She is willing to make this step worth your while so please look into it.

There's WAY more stuff than interviewed here

Now, there are more cleaning products (as well as other products) available than what I interviewed. Knowing what I do now, I'd go for the full meal deal and get the proper cleansers and disinfectants as well as the laundry soap etc to just do it right. There are different kits for different budgets too which is really cool. You can also purchase the goods separately.

So if you're into going green with cleaning, health and fitness, there's never been a better time to start!

How to purchase

Visit Bonnie's website to see what's all available HERE.

Then, contact Bonnie, with the code Funky Junk, so she can help you through the process and get you the best deal going, at donahuewellness@hotmail.com

~ The BIG 10 Winner Giveaway! ~

What's up for grabs you ask?

~ 10 samples ~

of the
Basic H2
Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate!

This is the super concentrated product that you dilute down to clean nearly anything. I know you'll be amazed at how squeaky clean it leaves all your surfaces!

How to enter the giveaways:

1. Tell me the cleaning chore you detest most. That's it!

2. Follower/subscriber or become one of Funky Junk - comment again for entry #2!

3. Follower/subscriber or become one of House of Grace - comment again for entry #3!

4. Twitter, blog or Facebook the giveaway - comment again for entry #4!

Draw is open for 1 week. 10 winners will be chosen my random.org

Good luck!!

Are you interested in receiving an interview on your product? At this time, reviews are free for monthly paid sponsors! Or a reasonable fee for this service is charged otherwise. Please contact signmakergirl@hotmail.com for all other advertising packages and reductions available.

HauteLook helps FJI ~ free!

2010-08-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

Would you like to help support FJI for free?

BlogHer has just introduced a new advertising partner called

HauteLook is a designer goods store with slashed prices. Pretty cool!

Each day promises for something new to see, so check out the sidebar ad daily!

How can this help?

By simply registering on HauteLook through my blog, I earn a small commission!

You don't have to buy a thing. Just sign up! For free!

~ How? ~

1. Click on the ad above, that's shown here, or on my blogface at FJI.

2. You will next land in BlogHer. If you don't already, you'll need a BlogHer account I believe. (free again)

3. Click on Today's Big Deal picture. (in this case, the sandals)

4. You'll now be in HauteLook. You may think you've just clicked a purchase button, but you didn't. You can now simply register for free, and you're done!

More nitty gritty info:

If you go through my blog, the ad picks up a special code from FJI that's carried through to your registration. It's the code that will offer FJI a small commission for each register.

It's just a little small thing, but every little bit is so helpful.

If you don't wish to, it's all good! Thanks for reading up on this anyway! Do it on someone else's blog you love that displays this ad and you'll help them instead.

But if you do?!? You rock 'n roll. Thanks so much!!

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty curious what they'll show in that little window. I rather like the idea of owning something designer-ish. That's huge for this junkin' queen. :)

(so far, it doesn't look like Canadians can register but I'll find out and report back when I know more!)

Thanks, friends!

How much can you put into a Bloom Bag?

2010-07-08T19:14:00.000-07:00

What's a Bloom Bag you ask?

A Bloom Bag is a beautiful Pleated Poppy creation. Bursting with huge posies and pretty ruffles, loaded with tons of summer colour punch, this is one pretty cool creation indeed.

Lindsey just did a post over at her place that tells you all about what she puts into her own Bloom Bag.

Oh cool. She dumped it out! I've always wanted to know what others stuff into their bags and purses.

Looks like her Bloom Bag holds other bags too. Such as these cute zippered pouches.

Ahhh... good idea. Kidlet entertainment when on the road no doubt! I can relate to that.

Yeah. And then there IS that real life less fun in the sun stuff we must deal with. But what a neat idea to have a little pouch exclusively for receipts! That's smart thinking.

Sheesh. Even her covered checkbook is adorable. I wanna be a Pleated Poppy when I grow up.

If you've wished to become an owner of a Pleated Poppy original, Lindsey is offering Funky Junk Interior shoppers the chance to do so starting today. At a discount!

Give Lindsey the code JUNK when you put in your order, and she'll wipe 15% off your invoice. There has never been a better time to go PP shopping than right now!

The offer is good until Monday, July 12 midnight. But her stuff does move fast. Her newest necklace creations just sold out. So don't delay too long if there's something in her store you fall in love with.

15% off

Code - JUNK

Offer good til Monday July 12

Go ahead. Make me pleatin' jealous!!!!!!! :P

So, tell me, what does your own handbag look like? Or have you too pathetically denied yourself something pretty for way too long?

A Pleated Poppy winner!

2010-06-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

Someone got really lucky today.

Hmmm... how about a little hint?

The winner claims to like the 'aprons.'

I wonder which one was her fav?

Was it 'Apples and Raspberries?'

I'd bet it was 'the Green Apple.'

Well, it could have been the "Sour Apple..."

Nahhh. Who could resist an apron called 'Chocolate and Pink Marshmallow?'

All only $38.

Are you as hungry as I am?!?

Gorgeous aprons Lindsey!

Well, one lucky gal gets to go shopping with a red hot $30 credit in her hand.

Well Jasey, it looks as if one of those three shots brought you to a win! Congrats!!

And thanks for following both of us!

Lindsey, thanks for your generosity with the giveaway. I'm so glad we were able to do something special for these wonderful gals!

Hey, did you know Lindsey hosts a What I Wore Wednesday link party on her blog?

How fun is this?!? Isn't she cute?!? Go on and check out the party! It's still on.

I can't IMAGINE why I didn't get a special invite. *sniff*

Giveaway by The Pleated Poppy!

2010-06-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

My friends, I am THRILLED to introduce you to Lindsey from The Pleated Poppy! And boy does this gal love to sew. Because if she didn't, we wouldn't have...

... these adorable zippered pouches ($17) avail to us.

9 other patterns to choose from too! How sweet are those funky material mixes?!?

Or how about a super cute apron? ($38) This one's called Sour Apple.

Oooo I love the vertical lines on the fresh green background!

Lindsey does more than sew though. She also crafts. Are ya ready?

You could doll up your do with these adorable chubby button hair clips! ($18) I'd get'tem just for that chubby button name! But honestly, how fun are these little pops of colour?

Lindsey makes other headgear too. This posy headband ($17) is meant to be worn slightly askew on an adorable little bumpkin baby head or to keep a little girl's long hair out of her eyes. And there's only about 20 patterns to choose from.

I've only shown you such a small sampling. Lindsey's sweet online store is LOADED with all kinds of sewing and crafting specialties that all wear the pleated poppy flair!

And then there's the blog. Here's a small snippet of her awesome studio. What a nice neat way to store items you need to see!

~ The Giveaway! ~

I'm really pleased to have The Pleated Poppy jump on board the Funky Junk train! So to help celebrate, Lindsey is offering up a generous

$30 credit

for you to use towards whatever you desire in The Pleated Poppy shop!!!

~ How to enter the giveaway ~

1. Click on the Pleated Poppy's shop.

2. Browse around the store.

3. Come back here in comments and tell me what your favorite item is!

Want 3 more chances?

Follower of Funky Junk? Comment again!

Follower of The Pleated Poppy Blog? Comment again!

Blog, tweet or Facebook the giveaway? Comment again!

Wanna continue the party? Click HERE to head back to SNS. :)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Giveaway event will end Fri June 11 and winner will be selected by Random.org.
Please check back here again next weekend to see who won! :)
Email must be present in profile or your comment in order to qualify for a win.

Good luck all!

Pssst... wanna get to know The Pleated Poppy just a little more? Scroll down to check out the review I did or click HERE. You won't be sorry. :)

Review on The Pleated Poppy

2010-06-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

You will soon find that those advertising on Funky Junk are in for abit of a different experience.

I love to tap in to who's behind the sponsor buttons and share the person responsible for dedicating her time and efforts to her passion. And I was pleasantly surprised when I got to further investigate...

Lindsey, from The Pleated Poppy!

The first thing that caught me was Lindsey's gorgeous branding for her company. As a graphic designer myself, I appreciate beautiful artwork and I think it only enhances what you are portraying. Good professional branding means you mean business. And that's good for business!

Who is she?

In her own words,

"hi ! i'm lindsey cheney. i am married to an incredibly supportive husband and am mom to 3 littles, 6 and under. my days are full of sewing, home schooling, crafting, snuggling, avoiding the laundry, sneaking bites of chocolate, and wondering "is it naptime yet?".

Ok, she's not only cute and has one pretty lookin' company, but she also has a spunky humourous nature that I'd bet everyone naturally gravitates to. I like this girl already. :) And being a mom and a wife and needing naps, I also vote she's just a normal fun lovin' girl that loves to create. We can ALL relate to that. :)

What does she do?
Once you snoop around Lindsey's blog, you'll see she does quite a few things. Among them...

She sews.

And oh my word does she sew well! One thing I've really noticed is her love of mixing bright patterns. Her creations leave you feeling like the sun is shining! Her sewing photos are crisp and easy to love. She sews pretty lady stuff, to baby stuff, to kidlet stuff, and everything in between.

She crafts.

She's got some really creative unique ideas and shows you what to do every step of the way. Excellent tutorials!

She decorates.

And I really love her style. It's elegant, a little coastal, with a big dash of warm and inviting! Isn't this bathroom amazing?!?

And lastly, Lindsey sells.

She sells what she's passionate about and what she's good at. So you know her product is going to be top notch. Her store is LOADED with unique and wonderful ideas for yourself and for gifts suitable for all age groups. So you will never be stumped for an idea on what to buy a difficult-to-buy-for kinda person.

Thanks Lindsey, for helping support FJI, and sharing your wonderful creativity with all of us!

About the Sponsor Store

2010-05-31T22:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to

Funky Junk's Sponsor Store!

This is the place where you'll see lots of activity in the near future!

Giveaway events

Reviews

Sponsor presented tutorials

Sponsor highlights

And much much more!

Coming soon!

Are you interested in advertising or having a review done on your product?

Please contact us at

signmakergirl@hotmail.com

Our advertising page will be up soon.

Thank-you!

Polly's pillow sewing tutorial

2010-04-25T21:05:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Workshop Series brought to you by

Funky Junk Interiors and Mustard Seed Creations!

Today Miss Mustard Seed is discussing photography! I hope you enjoy the few tips I've also left there. But before you head out, check out what's in store in this neck'o the woods. :)

This week at FJI, I have a special treat for you. :)

Please welcome Polly, from Make Mine Beautiful!

Polly is the Workshop Series sponsor for 5 weeks, which means something extra special for you! A giveaway!

Workroom Apron - $48.

Polly is the creator of the original DIY work aprons you've seen around blogland lately. This baby is her current fulltime passion and the quality of these aprons reflect that. There are even a few beautiful styles to choose from!

Farmer's Market Apron - $46.

What this means is, after 5 sessions of random topic workshop posts, Polly is offering a

The Farmer's Market Apron

as a giveaway!

"This apron has two large pockets for toting your necessities, a zippered pocket for storing your valuables, and a business card pocket to have your own cards at the ready or to keep new ones that you collect during your shopping ventures. This style apron is flattering to any shape."

And for the rest of this week only, Polly has a special price for those wishing to purchase!

The Farmer's Market apron and

the Workroom apron

are on for only

$35

from this Wednesday thru Saturday!

There will also be similar discounts on other styles too.

Having an apron of Polly's myself, I will fully give my approval on this item. My first impression of the apron was how high the quality was. Heavy duty fabrics, an easy clip closure, pockets galore, and so comfy you forget it's on, I know you will ADORE this item.

Check Polly's Etsy Shop for the specials.

~ This week's How To segment ~

Pillow Tutorial

Polly is a professional seamstress. For many years, she worked as an interior decorator, creating her own curtains, as well as a tv designer, doing interior/exterior decorating as well as sewing specialties. This week we are so fortunate to have Polly share with us a pillow tutorial . I can't wait to see this one as I have some of Polly's special fabrics begging me to do something with them. Take it away, Polly!

About Polly

Thank you Donna! Well, as Donna said, I've been an Interior Designer for about 16 years. A large portion of my business has been custom soft furnishings that we fabricate in my own professional workroom. I love to sew, and even more than that, I love to teach others to sew.

I've laid that part of my business aside to pursue building a business based on the working needs of women.

I create work aprons for women. Aprons that if you sew or create in any way, will make your time in your work space much more productive.

Pillow Tutorial

Donna was kind enough to ask me to come over and teach her readers how to make an easy decorator pillow. Then I mentioned something about zippers to her, and I think she got a little scared! I'm going to show you how to make this:

(Donna says, "Gulp!!")

You can do it! I know you can. We're going to make one pillow with two different looks. I do this often for my clients because you can get two looks for the price of one.

At the end of this post you'll know how to make fabric cording, insert a zipper, add tassels, apply a trim, and make a pillow. That word "zipper" sounds intimidating, huh?, Don't worry, I'm going to make it pain free for you.

Let's gather some supplies.

Decide on the size pillow you want to make. I've decided on 18" for this project, so I only needed 1/2 yard per fabric.

-1 fabric for the front

-1 fabric for the back

-1 fabric for the cording

-2 tassels

-a zipper

-2 1/4 yards of cotton cord per pillow.

1. Add trim to one side of the pillow

First, lay out your fabric against a straight edge. Mark the lines on your pillow where your trim will go, and then add a tiny bead of glue on that line. Note "tiny".

After the glue dries, sew the trim down on each edge.

When you're finished with that, your fabric should look like this. (I did two pillows)

2. Make the cording.

A little tip about making fabric cording - you so not have to be exact with your cuts because you can trim it in the end. For teaching purposes here, I did measure it though.

Lay your fabric out face down. Take a straight edge and mark your first line. You'll want to have some degree of bias, but if your fabric is fairly flexible, a true bias is not necessary. In this picture, you'll see my bias is very lenient. My cord is 3/8" of an inch, so I'm cutting my fabric at 3".

After you've marked your lines, you're going to stagger them and sew them together. The reason for staggering the lines is so that you can create one continuous strip. This keeps you from having to sew several pieces together.

Once you've sewn your seam, press it out, and then cut along the lines.

Now, put your regular sewing foot (not your cording foot) on your machine, set your stitch width at about 4-5, and sew the fabric around the cord. Do NOT try to sew it too tight against the cord. I'll explain why in a bit, but for now, just sew loosely. Notice my needle placement against the cord.

After you've done that, cut the excess fabric off about 1/4" from the stitch line. Leave a little empty cord.

For those of you with a serger, just wrap the fabric around the cord and zip it through to trim off the excess. Your finished cord should look like this. (I ran mine through the serger which is why my edge looks different from what you'll be making.)

3. Sewing all the parts together

Because this is a reversible pillow, you need to decide which side you'll be using the most, and we'll call that the front.

Sew the cord to the front first

First, let's sew the cord to the front. This is a good tip for beginners. There is no need to pin the pillow together and try to sew the cord into the seam. This way will make sure that your cord is tight and professional looking. No need to pin your cord down too much. Every few inches will be fine. Be sure NOT to pull your cord too tight when sewing it on.

When you sew it to the front side, I'm going to have you sew it at a stitch length of 5, and do NOT ride too close to the cord. You simply want to get the cord attached right now. We'll tighten it up once we put the layers together. Doing it this way will keep you from having to try to cover your first stitch when you're finishing the pillow. Start in the center of the bottom, and leave about 2" of the cord unattached at the beginning.

Nick the corners - lots!

When you get to the corners, put a few little nicks in the cord with your scissors so that you can round the corners perfectly. (A lot of people just put one snip in the corner and turn the fabric, but that creates puckering in the cord.) You'll be surprised how perfect your corner is going to look by doing it this way.

Here's the easy way to join the cord at the end. It's easier to show you the pictures than to describe it, so if you look closely, you'll get it. Stop about an inch an a half short of your beginning.

Tuck the beginning of the cord into the end of the cord, and cut the white cord so that it joins the other. You'll need to take out a few stitches at the end so that you can wrap your fabric around the first part you sewed on.

Hold it down really tight and then sew it all down until it's all attached.

Now, remember that zipper I told you you were going to insert? It goes on this side. Because of that, you'll need to tighten the cord down on this side right now.

Put your zipper foot on the machine now. You'll use it to finish the pillow out. To get it tight, sew to the inside of the first stitch line on the cord. Get it as close to the foot as you can. Notice my needle placement.

4. Zipper time!

Ok ladies, pull out that zipper. Follow my pictures closely to see how to insert the zipper properly. You'll sew it to the front side of your fabric first.

On your back fabric, go ahead and iron the edge over about a half inch and set it aside. Pin only the ends of the zipper, like this:

One the side you turned over, be sure to sew it about 1/8" from the edge.

On the cording side, sew it about the same length from the edge.

This will give you a tight fit on the closure.

Sew both sides of the zipper down. Stop about 1 1/2" short of the ends.

5. Sew the pillow sides together

Tassels down first

It's time to sew it together. Grab your tassels. Before you sew the sides together, you need to sew the tassels down in the corners. Clip a couple of stitches where you sewed down the cord to the top corners. Push the tassel cord UNDER the fabric cord and sew over it.

Now zip the zipper and flip the pillow so that you have the face of each fabric together. Pin the corners down, and put a pin in the center of the sides without the zipper.

You'll sew the corners on the zipper side first. This will set your fabrics straight and give you a guide to go by when sewing the rest of the pillow together.

Start sewing about 2" down from the edge that wraps around to the zipper side.

Now, remember when I had you fold the edge of your back fabric over a half inch? You'll use that as your guide for your stitch line.

Follow these couple of pictures closely.

See where you turn the corner? As you turn it, you'll run right into the fold line. Stitch directly in it. This will make your seam even with the zipper you sewed in.Then, be sure as you sew that the zipper is on the outside of your foot. You can tell by feel.

Finish it off like this:

This locks your zipper into place, Just wait till you see how perfect this will look on the finished side.

When you sew the other end, do the same. You'll need to flip the pillow over and sew it from the other side. As long as you're sewing in that crease line, your zipper will be perfect.

Let's flip that corner right now and take a peek. Notice how the zipper just goes away in to the corner? Notice how smooth that cord is on the turn?

These are little tricks you learn with experience, so I just put you ahead of the beginner's game.

Ok, flip it back over and finish sewing the pillow together.

IMPORTANT: UNZIP your pillow right now. You've got the corners sewn down on that side, so now it's safe to open it.

Alright, remember a few steps back when you were sewing on the cording loosely? Here's where you'll tighten it up, and where you'll thank me for not having you sew it tight the first go around.

Start sewing where you left off sewing the zipper on. Try to get the needle as close as you can to the cord. Do NOT pull your fabric too tight. Your machine has feed dogs on it for a reason. It pulls the fabric through at the rate the machine was designed to pull it. If you tug at it too much, you'll bend your needle.

When you're done, clip the corners like this:

This is the exciting part. Turn your pillow right side out and see what you've created! Pop a pillow insert in it and put it somewhere that you can see it everyday.

Congratulate yourself. I bet it's beautiful! Two looks in one pillow....

I've enjoyed being here today, and I hope I've taught you something you can put to use right away.

If you're interested in learning more about sewing home decor, head over to my blog. I'm starting a new Home Decor Series next week where I'll be teaching how to sew all phases of soft home furnishings. I'll be glad to have you join along!

~ Polly ~

That pillow is a brilliant design! Two for the price of one. I wouldn't have thought of that. Thanks for the tute Polly! The pictures were wonderful. I'll admit, some of the info was abit over my own head, but when you read slowly, each step makes perfect sense. I like how you gave the reasons for each step. A good follow me article to come back to should you want to try this.

How about you?

Are you much of a sewer? I have to admit, my sewing machine is currently upside down inside a pile of junk. Shameful! (sorry Polly!) But it tipped over and when I saw how it landed, it made me laugh, because it was the perfect example of how I've been running away from it. So when Polly came on board for this one, I felt a tweak of hope on the horizon. I totally need encouragement at this point. :)

Perhaps you have some basic sewing tip kind of questions? Fire away, we have a pro in our midst. :)

Next week the topic will be something off your wish list you've been HEAVILY voting on. I think you're gonna love it. It's about fooling nature with paint. So stay tuned. :)

Join the button club! All the sewers are doing it. :)

SNS #16 brings you - The Rusted Chain giveaway event

2010-04-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

This post has been relocated to adhere to Blogher advertising regulations.

Intro

Welcome to Saturday Nite Special #16!

If you're new here, kick off your shoes and join in! The theme is always a DIY themed anything goes, so feel free to post your project, past or present that you're proud of so we can clap along with you!

Party starts at Fri night and ends Sunday 11pm, so you have all weekend to join.

I LOVE to highlight inspiring posts during the event on the sidebar, so make sure you check in several times over the weekend. You may be next. :)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Highlight from SNS #15

To revv this party up, I'm going to show you one highlight from SNS #15 that really caught my eye. (please check the sidebar during an SNS event for many other highlights that will pop up!)

This is an old dresser that A little bit of Sanity revamped into a kitchen island. Look at the lines on this piece! The top is a ready made butcher block piece from Ikea, costing only $39! The entire island cost under $60 to make. I think the idea and end result is absolutely stunning.

If I ever redo a kitchen again, I'll do something along the lines of using a real furniture piece as opposed to stock cabinets for the island. Why try to simulate a piece of furniture when you can have the real thing?!? Well done, Kirsty!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

About the giveaway

We have a really awesome giveaway this weekend. I can barely stand it. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning here because I know you'll love this too. :)

A brand new sponsor to FJI, Beki from The Rusted Chain is generously donating...

... this! No wait... maybe...

... this! Oh no no. Silly me. It must be...

... right! THIS!

Let's back up. Beki, the creator of these gorgeous sterling silver, hand stamped pendants, is offering the winner of this draw a $25.00 credit towards anything they desire from her collection. MANY fall within that credit so I know you will have a hard time choosing. :)

And this one? It's extra special.

"$10 from every "Blessed Necklace" sold will be donated to Compassion, to help with disaster relief in Haiti."

OK, this is a huge reason to purchase one of her pieces regardless of a win or not. Have you supported Haiti yet? If not, here's the perfect way, along with a little gift of thanks. Amazing concept.

Check this out.

"I have a little help creating the items.

But I, alone, am the shipping department.

And the customer service department.
And the order processing department.
What an amazing journey this has been so far.
Keep up the support! It means so much."

So far, Beki's company has been able to donate $2740!!! Bravo, Beki!

Each of Beki's creations are indeed one of a kind. No two are quite alike, as they are all hand stamped onto sterling silver, with some pieces adorned with perfectly imperfect freshwater pearls, hung on a steel ball chain. When visiting the selections, Beki has also written about where her inspiration comes from with each piece. Don't you love a story attached? Precious.

"There is so much meaning in this piece. Love is the name of a friend who just adopted a child from Uganda. (could there be a more perfect name?!) You can read her story here."

http://momentswithlove.blogspot.com/

Beki's ETSY shop.
Beki's BLOG.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

How to enter the giveaway:

1. Visit Beki's Etsy store selection HERE, and choose which item you'd like if you won. (bearing in mind, $25 credit is the win) No DIY entry required for a chance to win!

2. Come back here to the comments and...

- let me know your gift choice if you won (mandatory to win)

- your email if it's not on your profile nor blog (mandatory to win)

And, something new here as a trial run...

Totally optional...

- blog, tweet or facebook about this giveaway to get extra entries!

(comment again for each method of blabbing you did, but keep your comments one after another so you don't have to repeat your contact info and chosen item! I need to find that info)

The winner will be chosen through random.org. The first one chosen that has met the #2 mandatory criteria, wins!

Guys, I gotta tell ya. For one draw last weekend, I drew 7 times until I was able to deem a winner. So, never say never. :)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Blah blah rules for the SNS linkup:

1. Please link up your intended post, NOT your blog. (post, then click on title of your post, cut and paste that url)

2. Please put a link in your post that leads back to the party so others can see what's up! (scroll button on sidebar if you wish)

3. I've allowed 75 characters in the link title area, so go ahead and tell us you blog name AND project description. Go ahead. There's room. :)

*4. This party is geared for *DIY type projects we can all attempt to make ourselves. Items for sale may be linked up IF your entry is posted on your blog and in tutorial style (unless making the item is self explanatory).

Thanks Beki, for your sponsorship this weekend!

Good luck, and happy weekend inspiration to all. :)