Elmer's Crafting Challenge GIVEAWAY!

WARNING: This is a very long posting...but so worth reading! If you are short on time, scroll to the bottom to find out how you can win...but be sure to come back later to learn how to make a message board for your child's room that rocks!

I am extremely excited and honoured to share with you a project that I created using Elmer's and X-ACTO products which were sent to me a few weeks ago. They had contacted me through email and asked if I would like to participate in the Elmer's Crafting Challenge. As soon as I heard what the prize was I couldn't refuse!

Elmer's and X-ACTO then sent me a personalized storage box filled with all this craftin' goodness:

The enclosed instructions were as follows:

Use the new Elmer's CraftBond and X-ACTO crafting products within this kit to create a craft that matches the theme of your blog by October 8. It can be anything from a family-oriented scrapbooking page layout to a trendy piece of home decor (if you need a little inspiration picking a project, just let us know)! Elmer's will make a $1,000 donation on behalf of the winning blogger to the national educational-based charity of her choice! Elmer's has multiple recommended charities if you need guidance. Don't forget to share your craft with your readers and have fun giving away the three Elmer's prize packages we promised. Good luck!

So, they had me at "Hello." As many of you know, our six-year old daughter, Ema, was born with an extremely rare skin disorder called Ichthyosis, specifically Congenital Ichthyosiform Erythroderma (CIE). Believe it or not, this just happens to be Ichthyosis Awareness Week (October 3-10, 2010)! Also, our foundation (Foundation for Ichthyosis and Related Skin Types - FIRST) has recently announced Educational Scholarships that will soon be available to affected individuals. Given the fact that my husband and I are both teachers, we both agree that if I should win the Elmer's Crafting Challenge, the prize money will be donated to the Educational Scholarship at FIRST.

My brain started cooking the minute I opened the storage box. My blog as always been called "Only in Hollywoodstock", so I started there. We live in Woodstock, ON, Canada, which just happens to be the Dairy Capital of Canada. Yeah. Not very Hollywoodish, is it? Hollywood, to me, represents glamour and pinash (pinash: has a lot of life to it). Ema, from the moment she was born, has had A LOT of life to her. She sings, dances, and has a dramatic flair that many people notice immediately (not just her dear ol' Ma and Pa). I then thought MAGAZINE COVER - not just any magazine cover..."only in HOLLYWOODSTOCK". Here we go!

Step One: Hang a white sheet to a wall in a well light area and take four seasonal portrait shots of your child. If you have a tripod, great...if not you should try and set your camera on a steady surface for the best shot. WARNING: If you ask your child to pick out the outfits be prepared for a HUGE clean up when they are done. *sigh*

Step Two: You will need to purchase a few extra items for this craft. All items can be found at your local Walmart store. In fact, all of the Elmer's and X-ACTO items that are found in the storage tub above can be found at your local Walmart store. ;0) You may also want to consider purchasing a heat laminator or ask around to see if your friends have one you could borrow. I know a lot of businesses and educational stores offer the service of laminating as well. SUGGESTION: I highly recommend NOT taking your kids with you to Walmart. They know where the toy section is...just like homing pigeons know how to find their way home.

Supplies: Elmer's magnets, Expo dry eraser markers and cleaning brush, Homestay push pins and a Magnetic Dry Erase Combo Board by The Board Dudes (available in various sizes).

Step Three: Using your favourite word processing and/or photo editing program, create a blank magazine cover. I used PrintMaster Gold by Broderbund which a dear friend bought for me when I completed teacher's college. I worked in the same font that I used for the banner on my blog (see Matthew burping above). NOTE: Ema would not want me to point this out but be sure to notice the article entitled, "Fashion Tricks: How to Fix a DIY Hairdo" - someone felt she was done with bangs this past summer. *sigh*

Step Four: Print off the blank magazine cover. Laminate. Once cool, trim the excess plastic allowing 1/4" overhang using your 9" X-ACTO Trimmer along the 8 1/2" sides. Dang. I love how this trimmer cuts. Now I need the 12" version. Did you hear that, Santa?

Step Five: Using your X-ACTO Craft Knife, X-ACTO cutting mat and X-ACTO metal ruler, trim the excess lamination (leaving 1/4" overhang) from the 11" sides of the laminated blank magazine cover.

Step Six: Going back to your computer, drop each of the four seasonal photos into the blank magazine file. Print off all four seasonal covers and, using your X-ACTO 9" Trimmer, cut off the magazine title. Laminate each of the four covers, trimming the extra lamination materials as you did in Step Five.

Step Seven: Using your Elmer's Glue Spots and Elmer's magnets, attach a magnet to the back of each of the four laminated seasonal magazine covers. Aim for the top near the center on the back. HELPFUL HINT: If you want to be sure that you've hit center, use your X-ACTO metal ruler to find the center. I'll never tell. ;0)

Step Eight: Using more of the Elmer's Glue Spots, attach the blank magazine cover to the white board section of the message board. You need the strength of the Glue Spots to make sure that the blank magazine cover stays firmly in place. Trust me...once you stick it down with Elmer's Glue Spots it ain't goin' no where!

Step Nine: Go get a snack. You've been working hard. You deserve it. ;0) Also, make sure you remembered to turn off the laminator. Yeah. Learn from my mistake. You can also tidy up now. A great feature to the X-ACTO 9" Trimmer is that you can slide back the surface and stow away a bunch of stuff. Nice!

Step Ten: Bring in the kid again. Ask him or her if they would like to draw a picture of themselves using dry erase markers. This is why you laminated....ahhhh... Here's Ema's version of herself. Note the remarkably accurate depiction of her shirt. Yeah. Smart like her mom, cute like her dad. ;0)

Step Eleven: Call the entire family into the room where the message board will be hung and have them marvel at your masterful crafting. Don't tell them where you learned how to make this message board. They'll never know and I'll never tell. ;0)

Ema's Final Version:

Mom's Final Version:

Of course as soon as I finished taking the photo above Ema promptly removed the "summer" photo and replaced it with the "fall" photo. "Um, it's fall now, Mom," she informed me. *sigh*

Additional Suggestion: While you are busy creating this work of art for your child you may want to consider a craft that they can be working on at the same time. Our craft room has lots of space for Ema and Matthew to be working on something while I am in a crafting frenzy. This past weekend, while I spent four hours making this board for Ema, Ema joined me by painting this lovely picture for her new room. I purchased the set (paints, canvas, tray and brushes) at Walmart and, you bet, Elmer's makes it! Brilliant!

HOW YOU CAN WIN:

As mentioned above, I have been granted three prize packs from Elmer's and X-ACTO to giveaway on Friday, October 8th, 2010. Each prize pack contains:

X-ACTO:

• 4-pack Decorative Edge Scissors
• Self Healing Mat
• Retractable Craft Knife
• Craft Swivel Knife

Elmer's CraftBond:

• Scrapbooking Tape: Repositionable
• Extra Strength Glue Stick
• Wet & Dry Dual Tip Glue Pen
• Permanent Tape Runner

In order to "be in to win", please leave a comment on this blog posting (not Facebook posting). If you don't have a blog, don't worry. Just log your comment as "Anonymous" but be sure to include your name and city (i.e., Marilyn Groom in London, ON). Local, national and international entries are welcome. Also, if you aren't already a "Follower" of our blog, please sign up today. Spread the word! Let your crafting friends and family know that Ema and I will be randomly selecting three winners as soon as we wake up on Saturday, October 9th, 2010. Good luck!

Final Note: On Monday, October 4th, and Wednesday, October 6th, I will be the guest designer over at the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog. Be sure to drop by and see what else my brain has been cookin' up!