Christmas in July

I am enjoying a class right now through My Creative Classroom.  It's called "Nifty Gifty" and is hosted by the talented Jennifer Priest.  She is sharing several great ideas with us for holiday gift-giving.  So far, I've made a body scrub in a jar gift and a cute recipe mini album.  I love that the album is shaped like an apron and the front flips over to act as a base so it will stand upright while reading the recipes tucked inside while baking. 

Jennifer had lots of ideas for cookie and baking mixes in canning jars, but I wanted to find something non-food related.  After researching some ideas, I settled on this awesome sugar body scrub.  I found the recipe on the C&H sugar company's website HERE.  They have a few variations and even provide printable downloads for tags that you can use.  I used small jars, made simple tags, and tied a ribbon around the rim.  I will package them with a cute little teaspoon, since you have to stir the scrub before each use.

I think a cool thing about taking a class is how one idea can lead to so many more, and you're able to put your own spin on your project to make it yours.  This week, with Jennifer's inspiring ideas, I'm working on a hanging chipboard banner and a cute little note pad holder.  I'll post those as soon as I complete them, too.

I really love working on Christmas ideas in the summer!  I'm excited that I won't have to be scrambling around as much for gift ideas amidst all the hussle and bussle of the holiday.  I'll be able to focus more on celebrating Christmas and really enjoy the preparations leading up to Christ's coming.  Yeah!

There's Just Something About Homemade!

 My Pink Stamper is having a Design Team Call and, well, I decided to jump in and try to get in on some of that fun over there on her blog.  She and her team are always posting awesome ideas and tutorials to get the most out of your Cricut and she's got the cutest coordinating sets of stamps!  Her challenge for the call was to use green, turquoise, orange, and brown on a layout, card, or other project made with one of your favorite Cricut cartridges. 

I had these super cute photos of H. in her hand-knit sweater and matching hat from Auntie Kitty that I thought these colors would enhance.  My papers are mostly from SEI (I think the line is "Dill Blossom") with some cardstock from DCWV.  
To construct my layout, I chose 4 photos and blocked them together in a rectangle, framing them with the orange cardstock.  The marquee shape is cut from Storybook at 5.25 (give or take as I also widened the shape on my Gypsy).  Those cute knitting balls are from Country Life (don't you love when you find unexpected things in your cartridges!).  I cut them at size 4.  The letters in my page title are from Storybook as is the little owl.  That little owl in Storybook is soorly underused.  He's a cutie and just two layers, so he's super quick, too!  Give him a big "Hoot!" and use him on your next layout or card.  Both the title and the owl were cut at 1.75.  I lightly inked most edges with coordinating inks using my trusty make-up sponges.   Overall, I'm lovin' this layout!  It's another "something special" in H.'s life that has been recorded and that makes me one happy mama.  If it also lands me a spot on Miss Robyn's Design Team, well, "Hoot!  Hoot!" I'd be super happy!

Another Great Stack Sketch from DCWV

Using stacks to scrapbook is the best!  I think it makes pages come together so quickly, since all your coordinating is done for you.  Here's the July sketch from Erin at the DCWV blog.

And here's my layout:

I used The Green Stack for this layout of Hannah, Daddy, and her new play set that we put together in the backyard in March.  It was fun to watch Hannah "help" daddy by handing him the screws and then have lots of fun trying everything out!  I thought the Green Stack lent that perfect outdoorsy, playful feel.  I cut the letters for the title with the Nate's ABCs font and shadow.  The velvet rickrack ribbon is from Making Memories.

Chistmas Card Making Tutorial

Wouldn't you love to have your Christmas cards done in July?  I'm almost there!  Here's 3 beautiful - and super easy - cards that I designed and am sharing with you.  If you'd like a free tutorial and supporting pdf files, let me know!  I'll be happy to share!

A 12 Gun Salute and Two Adorable Layouts

 My hubby's birthday was yesterday and I made him a "21 Gun Salute" card.  The rifles are from the Stand and Salute cartridge (I used the border feature which links 3 rifles).  The star is also from that cartridge, but the number 21 is the circle feature on the Designer's Calendar cartridge.  I think he liked it!

Ever since Vacation Bible School a few weeks ago, I've had this layout in mind.  We've been listening to the cd of songs before and since then in the car and have heard the songs more at church each Sunday.  I love the words from the one slower song on the cd: "I Have a Maker."  I took this shot of H. in her swimming pool a couple of weeks ago and knew it would be great as a single large photo for this layout.  I photoshopped it a bit for the lighting effects and printed it out at home.  Then I typed up the words (yes, I have them memorized - did I mention we listen to this cd a lot??), and printed those out as well.  I pray that H. always knows her Maker and knows how He purposefully made her and wants her to always stay close to Him.  I know I am so grateful that He made her for us and gave her to us to raise.

I also made this layout with one photo (I know, craziness:)).  It's a photo I took with my phone camera just after we got out of the store where we bought H. a new Barbie - she picked out Princess Aurora.  It was a reward for doing such a good job with potty training.  She's been so great at it and we are very proud of her for transitioning to "big girl pants" so quickly.  She had gotten lots of stickers on her "potty chart" and so we

decided a larger reward was earned.  The cute papers are from a stack I bought at Hobby Lobby, made by the Paper Studio.  A huge milestone for our little girl safe and documented.  Ahh...priceless.

DCWV Stack-a-holic Template Challenge

Love my stacks from DCWV!  The DCWV blog hosts a monthly stack-a-holic template challenge - see the original sketch here.  I used my Black Currant stack to create this layout featuring my cute girl (of course) in her Christmas dress.  I really loved this dress - so shimmery and purple with those snowy winter puffs - and H. looked adorable in it.  She loved it, too! 

Even thought the stack is not a Christmas-themed stack, I think the papers really complement the photos - being all shimmery and purple!  I like the contrasting bold and soft patterns and the grey and black paired with the purple.  I hand cut the larger and smaller flowers from the sheets, as well as the triangles for the banners.  The title is a layered image from the Christmas Cricut cartridge.

Old Hunters, Sleeping Babies, and a Bit of Baby Love

I've got 3 very different projects to share with you today - 2 layouts and a quick door hanger.  The first layout is made with American Crafts new "Campy Trails" line.  These papers are CUTE!  The colors are wonderful and the patterns are so much fun.  I really like the wood grain and the cute critters.  We do not camp often, but these papers are great for all kinds of activities.  My family has a long tradition of hunting.  I came across this old photo of my husband's grandfather with a really nice buck.  The "Campy Trails" papers really played on the outdoors theme.  For this layout, I actually cut one 12x12 sheet, flipped it, and sewed it back together.  I love double sided papers!  The circle pattern and dark brown is from another single sheet.  I cut the title with my Cricut (Designer's Calendar Font).  The photo "frame"  was made with a Stampin' Up corner punch.  I didn't have a round journaling block stamp, but wanted to repeat the circle shape, so I made my own using a masking technique.  First I cut a circle from a scrap of paper.  I positioned the cut-out sheet where I wanted my journaling block to go and used a rectangle stamp (SU) to stamp my journaling lines.  With this technique, it's easy to get the lines perfectly in a circle (or whatever shape you'd like).    Super easy!  I added a few of the coordinating fabric brads from AC to complete the layout.

I had one more sheet of Campy Trails double sided paper and decided to go in a completely different direction just to show you that these papers aren't just for camping and outdoors photos.  I really liked the green and blue shades and the star pattern on the blue side gave me an idea.  I had a few chipboard stars lying in my stash, so I covered two with the green and blue patterns.  I adhered them together with glue dots, punches a hole in each star tip, and inserted a wire hanger.  I covered the wire with little bits of ribbon and also used more of the fabric brads.  I cut the "Nap Time" sentiment with the Baby Steps Cricut cartridge.  It turned out pretty cute - a nice little something to hang on the door of baby's room so everyone knows when the baby is sleeping.   

The last layout I'm sharing with you was made with papers from Cosmo Cricket.  I actually cut apart the colored circles from one sheet of patterned paper to create a grid on the base layer.  Before adhering all my pieces, I used distressing ink and a make-up sponge, as well as a grid-type rolly stamp for more distressing.  Some of the pieces are from a bunch of older CC pieces I had in a box and some are from the newer "Odds and Ends" line.  I love these sweet pics of my daughter and her baby dolls.  If you want to see these layouts and project in person, stop by the store where I got my papers: Scrapdoodles.  While you're there, check out the American Crafts and Cosmo Cricket lines - they will make you say, "Yummy!"