Christmas in July Blog Hop

Welcome to the CHRISTMAS IN JULY blog hop, hosted by the Cookin' Up Creations Master Chef Challenge Team! The temperatures outside may say summer, but it's cool in here!! We hope our projects and craft ideas will help you get a head start on your holiday crafting. If you have been following the hop route, then you should have come from (person before you)'s blog. If not, and you would like to follow along the complete blog hop itinerary, please start at the Cookin' Up Creations Blog so you won't miss any of the fantastic projects and inspiration the "chefs" have cooked up for you.  And be sure to join us for the Christmas in July Crop this weekend for some awesome challenges and Christmassy (Is that a word??) inspiration!

Welcome everyone!  If you are following our little Blog Hop schedule, you should have come from Barb's Blog and then should continue onto Jan's Blog.  Just click their names!  Today, I have an amazingly cute little project to share with you that allows you to add some scrappy decor to your living area and use up those scraps!

Now, I started today's project by creating a Christmas layout.  I love this Echo Park Line (as I do most of their lines) and I scrapped last year's Christmas pictures of the kids putting the star on the tree.  Now we do this every year.  Both kids take turns putting on the topper and we take their pictures.  We no longer have to lift them up though.  They can do it all on their own.  So I started with an older Page Maps sketch and added some papers and embellishments from the Echo Park papers.  I did a little stitching and voila!

 Now of course, as with most layouts, I had some scraps left over and if you know me at all, you know that I love to use my scraps.  So I decided to create a quick little paper tree!

It was so easy to do!  First, to create this project, I needed 3 small spools, a small foam or paper mache cone, hot glue, twine, ribbon, and of course, scraps.  I also used my Cricut machine to cut the tags.  I used the "Preserves" star fruit tag.  I cut 11 - 2 inch tags of each color, 14 - 1 1/2 inch tags of each color, and 16 - 1 1/4 inch tags of each color.

First, I tied three spools together with some twine:

Then I hot glued the base of the cone to the spools.  Next I curled one end of each tag around a pencil.  I did several at a time. 

I started with the 2 inch and went about a third of the way up the spool hot gluing and slightly overlapping each tag.  Then I started with the 1 1/2 inch tags and did the same.  I finished with the small 1 1/4 inch tags.

Finally, I added a bow to the top!  These would be so cute on a mantel or in a window for Christmas decorations!

Now I would love to give you a chance to win a Christmas Prize!  If you aren't a follower here, then pretty please, become one.  Leave a comment and for every person that leaves a comment (even if you are already a follower), I will put your name in a drawing for a set of pretty Christmas Washi Tape.  I will announce the winner at the end of the Blog Hop.

 Thanks for joining us and don't forget to continue on to the next blog - Life in the Slow Lane to check out Jan's inspiration!

Christmas in July Blog Hop and Crop

Tomorrow we at Cookin' Up Creations will begin a Christmas in July Blog Hop to help you get motivated and start thinking about your Christmas cards and projects this holiday season.  We will begin with the blog hop starting at CUC Blog and share some amazing projects and inspiration, and even some possible prizes (hint hint) tomorrow.  Then we will have a Christmas in July Crop this weekend where we will post some challenges, games, and again provide some projects and inspiration during this HOT, HOT, HOT, did I say HOT month.  Again there will be some prizes to win!  So stop by tomorrow in your Blog Hop journey, drop a comment or two, and get yourself ready for the crop this weekend.  Share with your friends too!  We shall have a ball!  A snowball that is!

Summer Sketches Part Two

One of the things that I shared with you this year was a group of amazing summer sketches for a Show and Tell Saturday.  I said that I would like to try each of them this summer and share the results with you.  I managed to get three done this week and thought that I would post so you could check them out!

The first sketch:

And my take (which I couldn't resist adding the pinata banner to!):

The second sketch:

And my take - I made my own stencil for this and I will show you how later this week!:

And the third and last sketch for today from Nuts About Sketches:

And my last layout to share today (I added an extra photo here - couldn't resist):

I hope you like the first reveal of my Summer Sketch collection!

Announcement!!!

I am thrilled to announce that I will once again be joining the Cookin' Up Creations Challenge Team for the July-December term. 

Last year, the Good Lord intervened, and made it apparent that I should take some time off from creating.  It revolved around a pay cut for teacher's at work and how that was going to cut into my hobby funds.  Little did I know that within 2 short months, my mother would be diagnosed with two inoperable brain tumors and would pass.  My world was turned upside down and every moment of spare time would be spent with her, family, and friends.  Little else mattered in my world.  It took me a while to begin to recover and with a few set backs, I am back creating and scrapbooking.

I am not one to scrapbook or even take pictures of myself but my first job for CUC was to create a layout about love.  I know that I want my children to remember some of the positive things about me when they are older and I am gone and I want to make sure that there are decent photos to remember  (My daughter is a One Direction fan and of course couldn't resist this pose) so here is a layout about things I love:

Now I am pleased to be with this amazing and inspiring group of ladies once again.  Please join us for the month of July for a Nursery Rhyme themed array of Blue Plate Specials!   August also proves to be a barrel of fun!!!

Buttons, Buttons, Who's Got the Buttons - Show and Tell Saturday

I couldn't resist sharing with you some amazing button projects that I have found on the web lately.  I absolutely love using buttons as embellishments on my scrapbooking layouts.  In fact, as usual, I have a tad bit of a hoarding problem when it comes to buttons.  Shhhhh . . . don't tell - otherwise my daddy will quit buying me more.  He finds tons of buttons at garage sales - gotta love him!  Check out these ideas for all of you who may have a teeny tiny hoarding problem too!

1.  Button Art - I love this button tree by Monica Furlow.  So inspiring!

2.  Look at this cute little Hot Air Balloon canvas from SugarBabe at SweetShoppeDesigns.com

3.  Don't have a button in the color you would like???  Dye a white one to make the right color!!!  This is a great tutorial!

4.  I love the rainbow look for this card using banners and buttons from WPlus9 Design Studio!

5.  And finally - you must check out the button art ideas at Tay's Rocha's blog - INSPIRING!!!!

So on your Fourth of July holiday - run your fingers through your button box and Play!  Man I miss teaching kindergarten!

Altered Canvas + a few extra layouts!

I just wanted to share my first Altered Canvas.  It was really easy to do, I included a photo of my kids of course, and it is really shimmery thanks to Tattered Angels!

I also wanted to share a few layouts that I recently created inspired by the folks over at Cookin' Up Creations and Nuts About Sketches.

Show and Share Saturday Printables

What is it about the end of the school year that makes you automatically think about the beginning of the next school year?  Curse my teacher thoughts!  Anywho . . . today I thought that I might share a few adorable printables.  They are perfect for recording school and afterschool thoughts but many would work for any situation!

1.  The first comes from Silverbox Creative Studio to record your child's thoughts after a big day!

2.  The second is a set of really cute tags from Craft Gossip.

3.  And I just love this memory card from Tip Junkie.

4.  How about these adorable printable journaling cards from Creativity Prompts?  I love the graph paper background!!

5.  And finally - check out this cute Memory Printable to record all school memories for each grade from Confessions of a Homeschool Blogger.

And now hopefully, I will take a bit of time this summer to relax before thinking about school again!  Don't hold your breath!  Happy Saturday!