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.