Celebrating Blog Friendships–Blog Party!

Good Evening All Bloggers!

A big welcome to our  Blog Party.  This is a Blog Hop, with 29 wonderful people blogging on the subject of “Celebrating Blog Friendships”.  You start right here and can follow the links from one blog to another, all the way round the chain, until you will (hopefully) end up at Jo’s blog – Curlyscrapbooker. 

As this is a party, I hope you’ll have some fun on the way, perhaps have a little music, cake, a balloon or two, play a game… whatever our friends have in store for you, I’m sure it will be fun! 

Every party should start with a little bit of a quiet spell, while everyone has their first little drink (!) and warms up a bit; this is the quiet start, but I hope it will soon get lively!  So, pull up a floor cushion, get comfortable, sip your first drink and let’s make a beginning to our evening. 

Firstly, a little bit of history… this time last year, many of those taking part in this evening’s Party were starting out on a new online course, created and organised by the ever-fabulous Shimelle (yay!).  It was, of course, “Blogging For Scrapbookers” and as a result many of us started our first ever blog, or began to use our blogs on a regular basis, to post about our lives, homes, families, scrapping and crafting.  Of course, we also began to read others’ blogs – many of those on a regular basis too.

As always, there was a forum available to all course members, where we could post questions, comments etc and our responses to challenges set by the course.  Shimelle dropped in regularly to give support and help.  We were encourages to introduce ourselves and to “meet” others who were on the course.
All that was a year ago, starting on 2nd November; but for me, and many others, it has continued well beyond that initial month of BFS.  I began to visit other blogs on a regular basis and quickly gathered a list of blogs belonging to other BFS classmates, which I read daily and often responded to with comments.  I started updating my new blog on a regular basis too and was so pleased when someone commented on one of my own posts.

And now? 

Well, last month I realised that I’d had this blog for almost a year.  It got me thinking about the year and how my blog had developed, what sort of posts I’d made, whose blogs I had visited, the enjoyment I had while joining in with the huge Blog World that is Out There.

I mentioned this to Jo, during a bit of a chat we had.  We agreed that we wanted to do something to mark the occasion.  After all, it’s not every day that you have a “Bloggiversary”, is it?  

We chose today as our Official Bloggiversary – or Blog Birthday if you prefer – and a subject of “Celebrating Blog Friendships”, since we both felt that the most significant benefit to both of us, from becoming involved in our blogs, has been the wonderful new friendships we have formed during this past year!

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all Blog Friends who have been with us this past year.  Even if you already had your blog, or if you’ve started it since, we want you to know that we appreciate your friendship, we love having you around and it is a pleasure to know you all!

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On a personal note, I want to tell you how very much I personally value the friendships I have begun this year.   A number of you – and you know who you are – have become regular visitors to my blog.  You read the various rambling waffles that I choose to call “Blog Posts”; you even leave me comments. 
Your encouragement when I have posted a tutorial or pictures of my various layouts, craft projects or bookbinding efforts, has been much appreciated; your appreciation of my efforts to please has cheered me and made me happy. 

It is great to have people laugh with me, when I post something that I have found amusing, to have someone to tell about my adventures – small or big.
 
And, really important to me, I have wholly appreciated the wonderful, supportive, encouraging and friendly comments that you have left for me, when my posts have not been about adventures, crafting or fun, but about sad, lonely, dull, frustrating or unhappy episodes in my day-to-day life.  I have posted about these things and you have supported me every time.  It makes it easier to cope, knowing that other people do care – even though they are people I have never met face to face – even though they may be hundreds, or even thousands of miles away, across oceans and lands I have never seen. 

I LOVE MY BLOG FRIENDS! 

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Okay, that’s the soppy speech-making out of the way guys….

Shall we liven things up, just a bit?  Fancy a few Party Games? 

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Pass the Parcel

(the essential game for any serious British Party-goer! )

In case you have never played this and don’t know the rules: 

There is a large parcel, wrapped in many layers of paper. 

This is passed round a circle of people, while someone plays music (live music is not required, but if someone fancies bringing their guitar to the party, well, hey, we won’t say no!). 

The musician (or controller of the cd player) stops the music – whoever is holding the parcel at this point tears off One Layer of paper.

Often there will be a little prize (sweeties?), or a forfeit in the wrapping.  Any forfeit must be done straight away, then the music starts again and Pass the Parcel continues.

The final layer of paper will always contain a Prize (and maybe a forfeit too, if the party-host is rotten, mean and likes teasing their friends). 

Of course, being a British party game, the person in charge of the music does tend to try and make sure that everyone gets a chance to open a layer of the Parcel.  We do like Fair Play!

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So, how can we play Pass the Parcel by Blog? 
Easy!
Yes, really!
At every blog you visit in the Blog Party, you will get the chance to open a layer of wrapping.  The “Prize” will be a Letter.
?
Okay, bear with me here…

You will get a Letter from the Alphabet.   Each letter, in order, will be one more clue to work out a Phrase that will entitle you to have a try at winning the Final Prize in the middle of the Parcel.
(okay so it’s a bit of a fiddle, but we thought it would be fun).

So, has the music stopped?  Are you holding the Parcel?   If you are, the Letter under the first layer of wrapping is….

“H”!

Umm… I’m getting a bit of Deja-Vue here….

Collect all the letters, keep a note of them in order and when you call at Curlyscrapbooker at the end of the Blog Hop, you will be told what to do next.

Okay? 

Good Luck!

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Pin the Tail on the Donkey

Another good, old-fashioned Party Game!

Ever played this?  No?

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There is a picture of a donkey, usually side-on, but in any case, it must include the part of the donkey where the tail would go (with me? hee hee…).

Each person in turn is blindfolded.  The Person In Charge then spins them round and round, until they are probably dizzy.

They then try to Pin the Tail on the Donkey – ie. they try to attach a “tail” to the donkey’s picture, in the correct place. 

The “Tail” can be a sticker, a bit of string on a push-pin, a paper slip with blu-tac on the back….

If the person attaches the tail in the right place they win a prize – OR  at the end of the game, the person whose “tail” is judged closest to the correct place will be the Winner!  (the second rule is better for older kids – or “grown-ups”!).

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Pin the Tail on the Donkey… by Blog? 

Yup! I know, I get madder and crazier every post, but never mind eh…

Okay… this is really a Giveaway in disguise…

All the best parties have Prizes.  I wanted to give away some prizes at my party, so I have found some goodies to share.

I have five prizes!

Prize Number ONE

Since this is really a Birthday Party, I thought I would share part of a great Prize that I received recently. 

In August, Shimelle held a weekend Inspiration Party, with challenges and ideas posted every hour.  Some were scrapping posts and those in between were photo challenges.   I won the prize for this Photo Challenge.  It included these great little stamps, with a Birthday Theme.

Prize Number TWO

What does Liz do?  Liz makes BOOKS!  So I had to give books as my other prizes.

This is a pair of notebooks, one A6 size (approx 6x4”) and one A7 size (4x3”).  They are tablets of plain white notepaper, which I have covered with pink cardstock and this cute wintery Owl scrap paper.  Each book ties with a pale blue ribbon.

I chose the owls because I know Jo loves owls… go on Jo, have a try to win these!

Prize Number THREE

Teeny Notebooks!  These notebooks are absolutely tiny, weeny and teeny!  You can see from the photo above that they are sooo small!

They are filled with twenty or so sheets of thin notepaper.  The covers are stiff scrapbook papers, by Imaginisce.  The binding is a Japanese-style stab-stitch in red linen thread.

They would be great for a very small handbag, or a wallet.  You could fit one in your pocket and still have room for your door key and a pen.

Or you could make them into scrapbook embellishments – what an interesting way to record your journalling!

Prize Number FOUR

A Christmas Decoration?  Not quite… it’s a mini-book. 

This is a mini scrapbook, with embellished chipboard covers, pages made from coloured cardstock, with Christmas papers and a book ring fastening, decorated with ribbons.

Inside view…

It’s about 3 1/2” diameter and has 10 pages for you to decorate as you choose.  Of course, you could turn it into a real Christmas decoration and hang your completed mini-book on the Tree!

Prize Number FIVE

A pair of pamphlet-style notebooks, measuring approx 6 x 4”.  Each book contains 20 pages (40 sides) of good quality sketch paper (stiffer than notepaper), hand-cut and folded into a single section and hand-stitched with ivory-coloured cotton. 

They are covered with stiff scrapbook paper – one has a design of Christmas trees on a burgundy background, the other has tiny spots in burgundy, olive and aqua, on a white background.  Each book has a wrap-round ribbon which ties on the front cover.  

Ideal for your seasonal planning, Christmas shopping or present lists, journalling notes for JYC, collecting quotes, scribbles, doodles and drawings… anything you fancy!

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How to Pin the Tail on the Blog Donkey? 

Please leave me a Comment!  Simple really!  I would love to know your opinions on Blog Friendships.  Do you feel they are valuable?  Are they “real” friendships, or just something contrived?  Do you feel that you have blog friends who support and encourage you, or do you not really want this sort of interaction with other bloggers?  Everyone has different points of view in life – would you like to share yours? 

* * *

OKAY!  So now we’ve come to the end of this round of party games.   Thank you for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed yourself.   However, it’s not over you know… there is more (much more) to come!

To continue on your way through the Blog Hop, follow the link below, to the Second Party Host’s blog… Jennifer will be happy to welcome you!

http://jennifersjumbles.blogspot.com/

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In case you should become lost at any point, or a link fails to work, here is a complete list of Blog Party participants, in order:

http://www.lizziemade.blogspot.com/  (You Are Here!)
http://jennifersjumbles.blogspot.com/
http://ispeakmelsh.blogspot.com/
http://www.overatourplace.blogspot.com
http://www.creatingpaperdreams.blogspot.com
http://www.gallorganico.blogspot.com
http://libertycottage.blogspot.com/
http://scrapadventure.wordpress.com
http://chattycraftyartypig.blogspot.com
http://mypaperview.blogspot.com
http://www.lifebehindthepurpledoor.com
http://www.clearingthebrambles.blogspot.com
http://www.fromhighinthesky.blogspot.com
http://www.rachelbsworld.blogspot.com
http://www.sunlight-simplicity.blogspot.com
http://journalofcuriousthings.blogspot.com
http://www.enjoytheridetoday.blogspot.com
http://thelinarstudio.typepad.com
http://sharyncarlson.typepad.com/living_artfully
http://paperturtle.blogspot.com
http://www.amysoto.blogspot.com
http://www.snapsandsnippets.blogspot.com
http://www.scrappyjedi.com
http://mayadahan.blogspot.com
http://www.kbwalker.blogs.com
http://www.melissagross.blogspot.com
http://www.xnomads.typepad.com/blog
http://www.debs14.blogspot.com
http://www.curlyscrapbooker.blogspot.com

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Have a Great Time – see you at Jennifer’s in a minute!

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This Blog Post was brought to you by the Letter

and the Number

This was a LizzieMade Production…. Thank You and Good Night!