Single Moms

For years I have faced up-hill struggles as a single mom. Each day there is a new barrier, a new battle to fight. I have to prove that I am not the stereotype that a few unfortunate single moms have set on the rest of us. The fact that I have been a mom since I was 18 does not help matters. No matter my IQ, college credit, or skills I have been judged by my circumstances. I think that some people truly believe that I chose to be a single mom, or that it is somehow, my fault. I really wish they would think about that more clearly. The ones who work hard every day are not the villains, they are the heroes. It is to that thought that I thought I would mess around with all those job description posts that have been making their way all over the internet. Here for your enjoyment is one on Single Moms.

And if you're a single mom, girl you rock and don't ever forget it!

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SaMiE's SURPRISE Linky PARTY #2!

SaMiE's SURPRISE Linky Party #2 - 2/26/12

Everybody loves a Linky PARTY!

But I think the element of surprise makes it THAT much better!

I like to change things up, but for this linky party ANYTHING GOES!

<a href="http://samiedesigns.blogspot.com/p/samies-surprise-linky-parties.html"> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnxTgbpLbNEDp37p748i3sPPByCUBjiTmwQRYYWLfXtLGijpxoKpIpDOtJRP6PLWt-fnrJoZMeRDvde0uQT7oSiqKuBh4YCqyRzbuP3m2VfEn5QSi1obvnvUvKBpvr0LUXAeR91or1bA_/s1600/surprise.jpg"></a>

The only rule for this party is.... follow me. Somewhere. Anywhere. Everywhere. SaMiE designs is my dream, and for being new it is doing well, but I would love to see it go further and really get its footing! After you follow, make sure to leave a comment letting me know where you followed me and of course link back to your site in your comments!

AND HAVE FUN! NOW POST AWAY!

Running my First Webinar

One part of SaMiE Designs has always been to start my own consulting business. Specifically for Social Media, but since beginning the Blogger Sister program I have gotten more questions about blogging. I love sharing what I know, little or great, to others. 

I am hosting my first Webinar today entitled,

"Spreading the Word: Posts, Contests, and Linky Parties"


on Sunday, Feb. 26th at 7:00 MST

To join in on this Webinar please click here to register. It's a FREE webinar, I just like to know who is on the other side of the computer. 

Please leave comments below. Thanks for being there for my first time hosting a real webinar!

Paper Flowers

Hey SaMiE Designs Fans! My sister, Kris, who lives across the country from me recently posted pictures of this craft on her facebook page. I commented that I would love, if she were willing, for her to write a guest post about the craft.
 (P.S. If you are interested in guest posting, please send me an email at campbells.jacksonhole@gmail.com)


She responded that she would be glad to. (Even re-doing the craft so she could take step by step instructions for your viewing pleasure!) So I'm going to hand it over to my Sister now. Don't forget to show her some comment love!

This paper flower design is fun and so thrifty! All you really need are a few pieces of paper and some glue.  I  got the idea from a little video I saw on yahoo called Valentine's Day Paper Flowers. Since we were decorating our work for the holiday I decided to make a few for our kitchen table.  

The first set of paper flowers we made.

They turned out so cute and were so easy to do I couldn't wait to share this project with the kids.   Here is a little step by step on how we made a "Bunch of Flowers."

Step 1, part. 1

1)  Get a few pieces of paper:  (I've used several types: construction paper, scrap book paper, even a paper gift bag with a funky design worked great.)  Cut out four to six equal sized squares.  Here's Amber (age 7) excited to make flowers for her teacher.

Step 2, part. 2

2)   Take one of your squares and fold the bottom up to make a triangle.  (if it's a little uneven you can trim it up)

Step 2: Folding the square into a triangle

 3) Take each bottom corner of the Triangle and fold up to the middle tip, you should end up with a Kite or Diamond shape.  

Step 3: Folding the Triangle Into a Kite

4)  Take each "kite flap" and fold in half length wise. You'll end up with this Flat Flower.

Step 4: The Flat Flower.

5)  I have no idea how to explain in writing how to do this next part so bare with me (or see above link to the yahoo video).   Take each of your Flat Flower "petals", there will be a little pocket, place your finger in the pocket and gently pull towards yourself and flatten back out, exposing the crease and doubling the size of the petal. 

Step 5: Little tricky, keep practicing & you'll get it in no time!

6) Fold the tips of your petals down to make a flush line.

Step 6: These folded flaps eventually become the center of your finished flower

7) Fold your petals back inwards towards the center.

Step 7: Folding your petals back

8)  Time to get your glue! (I've used tape...wouldn't recommend it) Glue Gun worked best, However depending on the age of the maker and/or availability, glue stick works just fine and dries a little faster than say white glue (however with a glue stick I ended up having to use a little tape as back up). It's your call what works best for you and your family.  Here we used a glue stick.  So apply your chosen sticky element to one side of the Flat Flower and gently fold in half, the goal is to to leave it open, not creased.

Step 8

9) Repeat four times (or six if you were going for a bigger flower) You'll end up with these. 

Step 9

10) Now it's time to build the real deal! Using your glue attach the pieces at the narrowest point, being careful to leave a little opening in the bottom to slide a pipe cleaner or twig through if you want a stem.

Fun it up!! You can add all kinds of things to make this flower truly Unique.  Pretty Gems, tissue paper, pom pom's, stickers..the sky's the limit.  For these flowers we taped pieces of Starburst candy in the middle for that extra bit of fun.  

Happy Creating!

Here's the one made out of the gift bag.

(since the paper was a little slick the glue stick wouldn't work, we had to use a glue gun)

Birthday Chronicles: The Perfect Gift For ANY Occasion

Have you noticed the trend on Facebook of people posting the song that was number one the year they were born? (P.S. Mine was "I just called to say I love you." I know you were wondering!)

Why settle for just the song when you can get lots more information about the day you were born, organized into a cute little front page news format that you can print and frame? Too much work? You can pay a little extra and they'll frame it for you!

Sample Birthday Chronicle from BecauseITriedIt.com

I was able to sample the Birthday Chronicle from Because I Tried it and I was quite pleased! Not to mention how incredibly nice they are. I can not fathom the reason for why when I filled out the form I put my first name, my married name, and my maiden in parenthesis.When I received the Chronicle back (Less than the expected 48 hours later) I was excited and then realized the mistake I had made. I hesitated before sending an email explaining that 1. I was an idiot and 2. was it possible for them to re-do the chronicle with my given birth name. I finally bit the bullet and sent the email, knowing full well I was going to look like the village idiot.

She responded back almost immediately and told me should could, and there was no judgement about the mistake! The next day I had a fresh Chronicle in my hands with the updated and correct info! I was so happy I immediately printed it out! (You will need to make sure you have your printer settings at "normal" to print a full-page image)

This is a great website and they have many other personalized products available for purchase. Visit them at www.BecauseITriedIt.com and check out their personalized products.

A few of my other favorites and on my wish-list:
The Class Reunion Almanac
The Easter Bunny Letter
N is for Name

Head on over now and show your support for this awesome product by joining their newsletter, liking them on facebook, following BecauseITriedIt on Twitter, and purchasing one of their awesome products!

Because I Tried It was also so kind as to let SaMiE Designs give away TWO PERSONALIZED BIRTHDAY CHRONICLES!!

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter for your chance to win!


Some notes about this Rafflecopter Giveaway:
*It IS POSSIBLE for the same individual to win both of the FREE Chronicles. It is chosen at random and should someone have that amazing luck, so be it. The more tasks you complete, the more entries you receive.

*There is an abundance of tasks. I don't expect you to complete ALL of them (although if you do, awesome!). The goal is intended to give you more options to earn entries.

*I do verify entries, so please complete the task before pressing Enter. It would stink to miss out because you did not complete the task.

GOOD LUCK!

We'll be back momentarily..

I feel like it would serve me better to be transparent about a few things. So here it is: I am a little overloaded at the moment.At my job in the corporate world there has been...well, let's just say a transition.. that has left me running very tired, stressed, and in need of some quiet time.

I have this feeling that I look like this at the moment:

But let's be honest, shall we? I am a working single mother of four children who is starting her own product line and consulting business. No matter what I do, I'm pretty sure this is me any given day of the week:

I don't know what you might be thinking, so I am just going to pretend I do so that I can answer a few questions I know I would have if I were reading this post.

So are you saying you can't handle your commitments?
We've all thought it, let's be honest. I would like to specify that this is not the case. I am able to commit to my personal and professional endeavors. However, these are extenuating circumstances and I need to direct my attention to for the moment.

What does 'For the Moment' mean?
Well, in my mind when I say that I am thinking two weeks, plus or minus one. I can't give an exact date, but I do mean a short period of time.
 

What does this mean for SaMiE Designs?

Only that I will be doing more of the review and giveaway types of posts for a little bit.. (I know, sacrifices, sacrifices) I only need to take a pause from crafy-type stuff.


So what should I do?
Stick around, my friend. I still will be offering great reviews, awesome giveaways, and when I catch a second, a truly amazing craft post! Show your support by posting, commenting, and sharing!

2012 Sketchbook Tour

About 4 or so months ago I saw a posting through an affiliate association of my work's about a Sketchbook Tour Project. I was immediately attracted to the idea and read all the details. I asked for the Sketchbook project for my 27th Birthday, and my mom was so kind as to fulfill that Birthday request. I received my sketchbook approximately three months ago, knowing I had until January 31, 2012 to mail out the finished copy. Ideas begin floating around about what I could possibly do for the sketchbook. When I originally picked the theme "In Ten Minutes" my intent was that I would do ten minute sketches.

Then I decided I wanted to be more creative and make different pages of things you can do in ten minutes, like read a magazine, etc. Then my mom gave me the idea about a baby being born, a man proposing, with the thought of "huge life changes in 10 minutes."

I thought the idea was great and started thinking of the different pages I could do. At first I wanted to go with really powerful and controversial pieces, but after much thought I realized I didn't need to be so out of the box to get a message across.

In the end I decided to show the difference of things you can do in ten minutes, some are huge and meaningful, and some are otherwise defined as a waste of time. I would call this book "Comments on Society." And as an extra bonus, I would try out different mediums to make it diverse and interesting, for myself and for future viewers.

I started working on it immediately, then life got in the way and I kept saying, I'll do it this weekend, I'll do it tonight. Before I knew it, it was January 25th and I still had quite a few pages to do. I pulled it together and was able to get pretty much everything I wanted to do in the book and EVEN get the book mailed out on time. (For those that know me, this is why I was SO busy suddenly at the end of January!)

I did sign up for the digitized version of my book, seeing as how it will NEVER be returned, but just to be on the safe side I copied it before I sent it off. It's on its way to Brooklyn now, where it will be digitized and then go on the 2012 World Tour.

So here it is. Check it out and Enjoy!

The Front Cover, Done with Markers.

The Inside Cover, which explains the sketchbook and the Mediums used.

The first page, and my mom's suggestion. Done with Charcoal Pencils.

The Last Page I completed, a reminder to myself that I am thankful. Even if it's not November. Done with crayons.

Don't you just love those profile pictures that are made to look like they're "in the moment" when you know they spent forever on them? Done with an acrylic background and photos printed on copy paper.

There are ones that I did very simply. Art doesn't have to be elaborate to make a point. Grandma, if you're reading this... I "tagged" you in this one, lol. Done with colored pencils.

It's important to spend time on yourself. (Okay, I have trouble on this one sometimes) This was the first piece I started working on and it's a Victoria's Secret catalog cut up into pieces. :)

My son, Mr. E, was diagnosed with PDD/NOS (A high-functioning level of Autism) when he was four. He will be turning 9 this summer. I wanted to make a statement for Autism Awareness, and I think this came out pretty good. (Except when the modge-podge picked up pieces.) Done with chalk pastel, photos, and modge podge to protect. And apparently ruin. Imagine the irony.

I really wanted to comment on the whole 15 minutes of fame and the rise of reality superstars. Done with an acrylic background and pen.

I was so tired of hearing these comments about Pinterest, which I do think is awesome. So...... there you go. And I did it with Permanent Markers. It was a very stinky page.

I really had to add on to the last page to further the joke. (And also I was short on time, lol.)

The "About the Artist" page. Super well done, I know. :)

And finally the back cover, where I even continued the theme.

I hoped you enjoyed my sketchbook, now go on over to Art House Co-op and get your own sketchbook today!

February Kidtoon Films Giveaway: Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 2

I am beyond excited (really) to announce that I am able to offer, via Kidtoon Films and Cinedigm Entertainment, a really awesome giveaway! 

In February, Kidtoons is featuring Barbie™ in A Mermaid Tale 2! 

Surf’s up for Barbie™ as she returns as Merliah™, the fun and fashionable surfing champion who’s also a magical mermaid princess!　In this exciting sea-quel™, Merliah™ makes a splash when she heads to Australia for the ultimate surfing competition. When the evil mermaid Eris escapes from her whirlpool with plans to take over the throne of Oceana, Merliah™ and her sea friends dive in to stop her. It’s a fresh new adventure where Merliah™ learns that anything is possible and she really can have the best of both worlds! 

Included in the Prize Pack is a Barbie™ in A Mermaid Tale 2 Doll!

In the movie Barbie™ in A Mermaid Tale 2, these magical Royal Mermaids help Merliah™ save the ocean! Each mermaid princess has a beautifully detailed bodice and exquisite mermaid tail inspired by the oceans from around the world. With bewitching color change features, girls will love playing with them in or out of the water. Ages 3 and older. 

Plus a Barbie™ in A Mermaid Tale 2 Theatrical Poster!

 

One lucky reader will win a Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 2 prize pack of their very own!   Simply fill out the easy Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway ends on February 20th, 2012, at 11:59 pm EST and is open to residents of the US only. Once a winner is drawn via Rafflecoper, I will contact the winner through email. They will then have 48 hours to respond, and if they do not, another winner will be drawn at Random. I do verify that people complete the task assigned to each entry, so make sure you complete them! Good luck!

Rafflecopter Launch Party Giveaway: Win an iPad & a Kindle Fire

Rafflecopter: The new way to do giveaways! I only recently started blogging, but almost immediately I saw the benefits of using Rafflecopter as opposed to using blog comments to do giveaways. A task-oriented entry generator, you can specify what exactly you would like for your fans to do to enter a contest, and assess a point value to each. I remember the first giveaway I saw using Rafflecopter, I immediately went over and created my own account, even though I had no giveaway planned and no true fans. It was so unbelievably simple I recommend Rafflecopter to anyone! 

Here's a little info straight from Rafflecopter themselves : Rafflecopter makes the whole process of running giveaways on your blog really, really easy. Over 80,000 giveaways have been created with Rafflecopter, and if you didn’t know yet, there’s a new version in town! Oh yeah, it’s free. If you haven’t used Rafflecopter, sign up and launch a giveaway in the matter of minutes. 

To make themselves even cooler, Rafflecopter is giving away a 16GB Apple iPad2 and several Kindle Fires. The giveaway starts Monday 1/9 at 12:01 a.m. and lasts for a month. 

Enter NOW and don't forget to mention that you saw this on SaMiEDesigns!