To Bee or Not To Bee Blog Hop

Hello everyone!!! :o)

It's been quite a while since I've posted here on my blog. Being a working from home mommy of a toddler is very challenging, but also super fun, so I don't find time to blog often anymore. Well here I am today with some of my friends, bringing you 5th To Bee or Not To Bee Blog Hop. :o)

To Bee or Not To Bee Blog Hop is a special annual blog hop supporting bees (and other pollinators) and celebrating World Bee Day, which is on May 20th. This year we are hopping a bit later and not actually on a World Bee Day, as I couldn't organize it earlier. Last year we paused, as I was new mommy and it was difficult for me to organize a blog hop with a small baby. 

I've invited some of my crafty friends, whom I admire greatly, to hop along with me, and I have some amazing sponsors lined up with gifts to give away to You! :o)

Aim of the hop is to support bees and bees protection, to raise public awareness of the importance of bees and beekeeping and benefits of using apicultural products for our health.

Photo credit: GKV

Bees and other pollinators are very important for ensuring food quality, as well as preserving the entire ecosystem and natural biodiversity. Bees provide a wide range of benefits to humans from pollination of food crops and apicultural products.

Interesting facts...

• "Bees pollinate as many as 170,000 species of plants.
• Without bees, there would not be so many different kinds of fruits and vegetables, or such beautiful colors on the lawn.
• A bee colony is as big as a small town. There are from 30,000 to 60,000 bees in each colony.
• The queen bee is the only one that lays eggs. She lays up to 2,000 eggs per day.
• Out of 20,000 species of bees, only one is widely used for commercial honey production.
• The Carniolan honey bee, Apis mellifera carnica, is an indigenous Slovenian race of bee and the second most widespread bee race in the world.
• Honey bees’ wings strike 11,400 times per minute, thus making their distinctive buzz.
• Honey bees are the only bees that die after they sting. 
• To make one kilogram of honey, the bees have to visit 4 million flowers and fly four times the distance around the world."

Source: http://www.mkgp.gov.si/fileadmin/mkgp.gov.si/pageuploads/podrocja/svetovni_dan_cebel/zgibanka-svet-dan-cebele-ANG.pdf

source: https://www.worldbeeday.org/

source: https://www.worldbeeday.org/

What can we do to protect bees and other pollinators...

• "Care for the environment and avoid harming it.
• Plant a variety of nectar-bearing plants and native species that bloom form spring to autumn to provide food for pollinators.
• Provide a welcoming environment for solitary bees and other pollinators with a feeder hut/shelter.
• Mow lawn less often and when bees are not present (i.e. early morning or late afternoon).
• Seek out local beekeepers and support them by buying bee products.
• Educate our community about the importance of bees and encourage pollinator-friendly campaigns and events."

Source: http://www.mkgp.gov.si/en/world_bee_day_initiative/

source: https://www.worldbeeday.org/

Find out more about World Bee Day, key milestones in the proclamation of World Bee Day, interesting facts about bees, pollinators, apiculture, what each individual can do for bees etc. in a World Bee Day Organization's Interactive brochure about World Bee Day and Brochure Why bees matters - Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, or in some of my previous years blog hop posts (here).

And here is what I created for today's hop: Happy BEE Day Card. :o)

I made this card for my niece Tea who will be turning 12 this month (I can't believe how time flies... she grew in a blink of an eye). :o)

How I made my card...

I stamped a hexagon pattern from Jane's Doodles 'Geometric Patterns' stamp set (the set is discontinued) in watermark technique with VersaMark Ink on a Kraft cardstock paper scrap. I cut the stripe to a preferable size and glued it on a white top folded cardstock paper.

Then I stamped a sentiment from Uniko 'Bee Happy' clear stamp set on a white cardstock paper panel.

I wanted to add some dimension and raise a bit the panel, but I was lazy to glue tiny foam squares (it takes ages... my least favorite part of cardmaking). I cut two rectangles from the white cardstock paper, slightly smaller than the panel, glued them together and glued the panel on top. I glued everything on the card base. Perfect! Done in couple minutes, dimension achieved and no foam used. LOL :o) 

Next up were bees. I used super cute tiny Bee from Purple Onion Designs, Stacey Yacula Studio 'Net, Butterfly and Bee' rubber stamps. So so cute. I stamped the bee on the white cardstock paper twice, fussy cut bees leaving white thin border around them. Then I stamped bees on a watercolor paper and colored them in watercolor technique using Distress Inks. I fussy cut bees, traced edges with a black marker and glued watercolored bees over bees stamped on the cardstock paper. I did this to make images thicker, because the watercolor paper I use is very thin. I've could used thicker watercolor paper, but the image is so tiny it's impossible to fussy cut it nicely when stamped on a thicker watercolor paper that I have.

Lastly, I glued some foam squares on the back of each bee, glued them on the card and my card was finished. :o)

Card measurements: 89 mm x 120 mm (3 1/2" x 4 3/4")

List of supplies:

• Jane's Doodles 'Geometric Patterns' stamp set (discontinued)
• Uniko 'Bee Happy' clear stamp set
• Purple Onion Designs, Stacey Yacula Studio 'Net, Butterfly & Bee' ruber stamps
• white cardstock paper
• Kraft carstock paper
• watercolor paper
• Ranger's Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Tsukineko VersaMark Watermark Stamp Pad
• Tim's Holtz Distress Inks:
• Mustard Seed
• Fossilized Amber
• Tea Dye
• Stabilo Fiber Tip Pen, Black 68/46
• Sakura Quickie Glue Pen
• UHU liquid glue
• 3-D foam squares 5 x 5 x 2 mm
• Fiskars High Precision Personal Paper Trimmer
• bone folder
• rounded acrylic block 
• Tonic Studios Tim Holtz stamp platform
• daVinci fine rounded paint brush 2/0
• scissors
• water
• paper towels

I love how my card turned out!!! :o)

GIVEAWAY

Fantastic artists, designers and companies are supporting the blog hop with incredible generosity.

These are the prizes they have sponsored:

• Gerda Steiner Designs, $16 Gift Code to the online Store
• Jane’s Doodles, $20 Gift Certificate to the online Store
• Lawn Fawn, $25 Gift Certificate to the online Store (1st) 
• Lawn Fawn, $25 Gift Certificate to the online Store (2nd) 
• Newton’s Nook Designs, $25 online Store Credit
• Pretty Pink Posh, $30 Gift Certificate to the online Store
• Uniko, ₤20 e-Gift Certificate to the online Store

Thank you sponsors!! ♥

7 prizes will be given away to 7 winners.

Giveaway is opened Worldwide (+18), except for minors.

For your chance to win, hop along blogs of the participating designers listed in a blog hop list and leave a comment on each blog hop stop (7 blogs).

After commenting, return back to my blog and add your name to Inlinkz at the bottom of this blog post, but prior you do, please read Blog Hop details, terms, giveaway rules and privacy policy which are shared at the bottom of this blog post, below InLinkz.

Giveaway (Inlinkz) opens now, August 20th, 2022, 8:00 PM CEST (UTC +2).

Giveaway (Inlinkz) closes on August 27th, 2022, 11:59 PM CEST (UTC +2).

Winners’ names will be announced on my blog on September 4th, 2022, during the day.

Winners have to confirm prizes by Sunday, September 11th, 2022, 11:59 PM CEST (UTC +2). Unconfirmed prizes will be redrawn. Read more at the bottom of this post below Inlinkz (giveaway terms, rules and privacy notice).

BLOG HOP LIST

Here is the full list of designers participating in today's blog hop.

Blog hop list:

1.  Milka Gubo  (you are here)
2.  Amy Tsuruta (added direct permalink)
3. Beverley Brown (permalink fixed)
4. Larissa Walgemoed 
5. Neha Bhatt
6. Nonni Niskanen
7. Valentina Bizjak (permalink fixed)

Milka Gubo (InLinkz – return after commenting and add your name to InLinkz)

Update, August 20th, 2022, 8:03 PM

Permalinks fixed. Please return here on my blog if permalinks along the hop don't work. I've updated all permalinks that were broken. 

Thanks to all amazing Ladies who have joined me in this hop, for your tremendous help and support. This couldn't be done without you. ♥

SOCIAL MEDIA

Find us on social media: 

#tobeeornottobeebloghop

#savethebees

#worldbeeday

And that would be all from me for today. I hope you'll enjoy the hop. I can't wait to see what my friends have created. :o)

Link to this blog hop post will be added into a right sidebar, until the blog hop ends, ie. giveaway (InLinkz) closes.

Bee happy!!! :o)

Milka

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

GIVEAWAY TERMS, RULES & PRIVACY NOTICE

By entering this giveaway you are confirming that you have read these terms, rules and privacy notice and you accept the same.

These terms, rules and privacy notice are given in line with my Data Protection and Privacy Policy Statement.

All parties joining the hop (designers, sponsors, commentators, giveaway players etc.) are covered by my Data Protection and Privacy Policy Statement.

All commentators on this blog are also covered by Google Privacy Policy.

No data will be used in any other way than to run this To Bee or Not To Bee Blog Hop.

Giveaway is opened Worldwide (+18), except for minors.

To enter the giveaway, you have to hop along blogs of the participating designers and sponsors listed in blog hop list and leave comment on each blog hop stop (7 blogs).

After commenting, return back to this blog and add your name to Inlinkz.

Inlinkz entries are covered by an Inlinkz Privacy Policy.

E-mails are not visible on this blog.

Add links to your blogs or any other profile (NO PROJECTS ARE REQUIRED TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY, JUST COMMENTING).

If any technical difficulty occurs you should contact me.

Only one entry per person!

Double entries will be removed.

Entries who don't leave comment on each blog hop stop will be removed and not entered to the random draw.

PLEASE do not link any disturbing or violent content to this giveaway (Inlinkz). Those will be immediately removed and blocked.

If you entered your name to the Inlinkz and changed your mind, you can remove your entry by yourself, as the Inlinkz provides that option. If any technical difficulty occurs you should contact me and I'll delete your link through my Inlinkz account or contact Inlinkz by yourself.

Inlinkz opens August 20th, 2022, 8:00 PM CEST (UTC +2).

Inlinkz closes August 27th, 2022, 11:59 PM CEST (UTC +2).

I will permanently delete all Inlinkz entries from this posts after the giveaway is closed and winner's names announced here on my blog and all prizes confirmed, latest by October 30th, 2022.

No data will be kept neither shared with any other party.

If you want to delete your entry to Inlinkz earlier (before I permanently delete all entries), you can do it by yourself as the Inlinkz provides that option to anyone or contact me and I'll delete your entry through my Inlinkz account or contact Inlinkzby yourself.

7 prizes will be given away to 7 winners.

Prizes can't be exchanged for money.

Prizes can't be exchanged for other prize.

Winners will be randomly picked using Random.org from all entries to Inlinkz.

Winners' names (they provided) will be announced in winners post here on my blog on September 4th, 2022, during the day.

Winners have to confirm prizes in one week, by Sunday, September 11th, 2022, 11:59 PM CEST (UTC +2).

Unconfirmed prizes will be redrawn (if any) and new winners' names announced on my blog on September 13th, 2022, during the day.

Prizes will be redrawn until all prizes given away.

Please, don't enter the giveaway if you don't want to win a prize. Thank you. 

After winners' names announced here on my blog, winners have to contact me via e-mail to arrange prize delivery details.

Winners can confirm prizes only by contacting me and can't confirm their prizes by contacting sponsor directly.

Winners have to send me confirmation e-mail from the e-mail entered to the Inlinkz.

After the winner of a particular prize contacts me, I will forward sponsor's contact details or gift certificate codes provided by each sponsor itself to the winner.

Winners' names will be permanently deleted from winners post on this blog as soon as all prizes confirmed (or redrawn), as well as correspondence with winners, latest by October 30th, 2022.

Any comment left on winners post which reveal winners' names will be permanently deleted as well, latest by October 30th, 2022.

Winners post will not be deleted from my blog.

No data will be kept neither shared with any other party.