Back to School Blog Hop

Can you believe that summer is already over? September is here and our Kiddo’s are going back to school! Welcome to our Back to School Blog Hop. This is such a scary and exciting time for the kids and parents. This is our way to say Thank You to the teachers and to share our special memories. Who doesn’t have boxes and boxes of artwork, report cards, pictures, and sweet valentines from our kids, grandchildren, nieces or nephews? I love to look back at them over the years. And if your kids are just starting out, get a huge box; you are going to need it!
We have some very talented ladies who would love to share their beautiful projects with you.
And of course we will have BLOG CANDY!!!
We have a $20 Gift Card up for grabs to Bear Hugs Art & Scraps http://artandscraps.com/
Please stop by their fan page here, https://www.facebook.com/BearHugsPaperPiecing, to show them some love and thank them for this awesome prize!
To be eligible, all you have to do is:
1. Leave a comment on every blog in the hop
2. Go to Bear Hugs fan page, https://www.facebook.com/BearHugsPaperPiecing, hit the LIKE butoon and leave a comment saying you are from the Back to School Hop!
If you would like to start at the beginning of the blog hop, go to Pamela’s Blog http://kraftykatstampstudio.blogspot.com
Here is our line up

1. Pamela ~ http://kraftykatstampstudio.blogspot.com
2. Colleen ~ http://www.cbcscrapbooking.blogspot.com
3. Jennifer ~ http://creativecricutdesigns.blogspot.com
4. Maria ~ http://joyfulstamper.blogspot.com/
5. Jennifer F. ~ http://wunderscreations.blogspot.com/
6. Nancy ~ http://alwaysastorycreationsbynancy.blogspot.com/
7. Gill ~ http://creationsbygilm.blogspot.com/
8. Miriam ~ http://miriamscreations.blogspot.com/
9. CallyAnn - http://callyanncraftycreations.blogspot.com/

For my project today I did a project that I have been procrastinating for a LONG time. My daughter just started 1st grade this year and I had yet to make a thank you card for her absolutely amazing kindergarten teacher. I am so thankful that she could have such a wonderful introduction to school as she did. This makes her excited to continue and she looks forward to going to school! So, here it is:

 

I used a Stampin Up punch and stamp for the sentiment and a stamp of which I do not know the brand of as I stamped it at a friend's house using her supplies. The ribbon I made myself using the Alphabets stamp set from Close to my Heart. The numbers stamped in the background came from the George and Basic Shapes Cricut cartridge which I cut out in foam and then stamped with Staz On ink. I also added a few Stickoptamus stickers (a crayon and a marker) in the corners... I wrote a special note to the teacher and I will have my daughter hand deliver it (well packaged).

Now, we wouldn’t want you to be tardy so climb on the bus and ride on over to CallyAnn's blog.

Whether you will be starting out listening to the” Wheels on the Bus” Nursery Rhyme or at the end of the year listening to “The Graduation March”,  get yourself a big box of tissues, walk your baby out the door and take a deep breath. It’s a long 12 years! Have fun and take lots of pictures!
Thanks for hopping with us!

Double Dog Dare: First Reader

Welcome to I Double Dog Dare You's Second Challenge -- to do a book or lay-out that would and could be a first reader depicting nursery rhymes, See Dick - See Jane - See Spot, or any of your favorite Golden Books. And they were up to the challenge???? They were Double Dog Dared to do where few could meet the next frontier and challenge!!! I can't wait to see all of the imagination soar and rise to the reading occassion!!!

There is a super talented group of ladies that have arisen to this dare and the complete line-up is listed below just in case you get lost along the way. Hate to see you get lost with your reading progress and wouldn't want you to miss a single first reader:

1. Lynne Kirsch - http://slasewcraftiness.blogspot.com/
2. Kimberly Pate - http://scrappingrookie.blogspot.com
3. Anita Cannon   http://www.anitaandbugs.blogspot.com
4. Lisa Peters ~ http://handmadewithlove-lisa.blogspot.com/
5. Miriam Meserve ~ http://miriamscreations.blogspot.com
6. Maria Matter ~ http://JoyfulStamper.blogspot.com
7. Janet Smith ~ http://www.ladyluvbug.blogspot.com/

For my project, I have chosen to do a card of sorts. My two oldest children went to see the Red Sox play at Fenway yesterday with their father.... So, I made a little "reader" for them to take with them. My six year old can read, but my four year old isn't quite there yet. So, I decided to make something they could both "read". My daughter learned in Kindergarten this past year that one way to read is to look at the pictures and tell a story based on what you see. Since Mother Goose nursery rhymes are so well known I used a set of stamps that portray these rhymes to make a little "book"... Here it is:

 

I wish I could tell you what company made these stamps, but my searches did not reveal that information. I got them in a swap. Now, I dare YOU to create something and let me know you did! 

Now, that you have progressed to the next reader, I must send you on your way to Maria's blog.

If you happen to read and graduate all the first readers by leaving comments on each of the stops along the way AND mentioning what your favorite first reader book is - you will be eligible for a surprise package which SHHHHHH no one knows but the teacher!!!!!!

Watermelon Crawl

Welcome to The Watermelon Crawl Blog Hop! Who doesn’t like to bite into a red, ripe, juicy watermelon on a hot summer day? Yum!!!! If you drive down South, you can find people selling them on the side of the road, out of their pick-up trucks. I think these are the best, because they come right out of the garden. You will always find a cute watermelon cut out at a baby shower or wedding shower, we eat them on the 4th of July, and we make sherbet and wine. You will find them in our kitchens; on our walls, curtains and cookie jars. And they are so darn fun to craft with. Today we have some very talented women that want to share their watermelon crafts with you. So come do the Watermelon Crawl with us! You don’t want to miss anything so the beginning of the hop will start at Pamela’s Blog http://kraftykatstampstudio.blogspot.com


We also have some wonderful Blog Hop Candy sponsored by Jennifer Fox. She will be giving away TWO dust covers ~ 1 for a Cricut Expression and 1 for a Silhouette Cameo!
To be eligible, you MUST do the following:
go to everyone’s blog and leave a comment
go to Jennifer’s business page on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/wunderscreations and like the page
leave a comment on her Facebook page indicating which machine cover you want ~ either Cricut or Cameo
Winner will be announced Tuesday, August 21 on the business page.

Here is our line-up in case you get lost:

1. Pamela ~ http://www.kraftykatstampstudio.blogspot.com
2. Colleen ~ http://www.cbcscrapbooking.blogspot.com
3. Jennifer ~ http://wunderscreations.blogspot.com
4. Jenny ~ http://cccjalessi.blogspot.com
5. Pam L - http://mzlavr2.blogspot.com
6. Amber~ http://pixiperfectcreations.blogspot.com
7. Nancy ~ http://alwaysastorycreationsbynancy.blogspot.com
8. Amanda ~ http://cricktncrafts.blogspot.com
9. Shawnee ~http://quiverofangels.blogspot.com
10. Jennifer J. ~ http://creativecricutdesigns.blogspot.com
11. Tina ~ http://tinasscrapcorner.blogspot.com
12. Miriam ~ http://miriamscreations.blogspot.com

If you arrived from Tina's blog, then you are on the right path!

For my project I used a free Watermelon svg that I downloaded from the Lady Wolf blog. If you haven't checked out her blog, head on over, she has lots of great svgs! I apologize for the terrible picture. I left town and forgot to take a good picture before leaving....

In order to make the svg into a card I took the bottom layer, duplicated it, flipped it, and welded it! It's a quick and easy way to make a great shaped card. For the inside of the card I will use the sentiment, "WATER you up to my one in a MELON friend?"

I hope that you enjoyed seeing all the juicy and refreshing projects that were in our hop today!

But remember… to be eligible for the candy you must follow ALL the giveaway rules above.
Thanks for hopping with us and remember…
Have fun y’all, do the watermelon crawl!

What do cows do for entertainment? They go to the moo-vies. Hardy, har, har.

Our "Tell a Joke Blog Hop" will have you laughing all the way through the line up. Each blogger has crafted a great project but also added a laugh. Start with Lorby's World (http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com) and I'm sure you'll be crying from laughing so hard by the time you get through out line up.

Jearise at Lorby's World has a give away so make sure you stop by and become a follower of hers and leave a comment!

For my project I couldn't help by be tickled by this week's freebie from Scrapping with Lisa Designs. It's a hippo! Aside from the obvious platypus, what animal on earth is funnier? I made a card:

Isn't he a cutie? Who can resist this guy? Not me! I am all about animal puns so my sentiment was a lot of fun! Here is the inside:

The paper is from DCWV, the sticker embellishments, including the sentiment, are from K & Company (and a gift from a dear friend).  The hippo is from Scrapping with Lisa Design's and the grass I melded from the pieces of grass in the Hide and Seek file from Scraptastical Kreations.

While I have your attention how about a hippo joke? This is a joke I found on probably at least 20 different websites: "An Indian chief had three wives, each of whom was pregnant. The first gave birth to a boy. The chief was so elated he built her a teepee made of deer hide. A few days later, the second gave birth, also to a boy. The chief was very happy. He built her a teepee made of antelope hide. The third wife gave birth a few days later, but the chief kept the details a secret. He built this one a two story teepee, made out of a hippopotamus hide. The chief then challenged the tribe to guess what had occurred.Many tried, unsuccessfully. Finally, one young brave declared that the third wife had given birth to twin boys."Correct," said the chief. "How did you figure it out?"The warrior answered, "It's elementary. The value of the squaw of the hippopotamus is equal to the sons of the squaws of the other two hides."

source: http://www.jokebuddha.com/Hippopotamus#ixzz23gEZZ5M4

Thank you for stopping by and please continue merrily on to Robin's blog.

In case you get lost, here is the line up:

Jearise - http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com
Lucy - http://love2createitall.com
L. Miriam - http://miriamscreations.blogspot.com
Robin - http://scrapandchat.blogspot.com/
Lisa - http://handmadewithlove-lisa.blogspot.com/
Maria - http://JoyfulStamper.blogspot.com

A Tribut to Dick Clark - American Bandstand Blog Hop

Welcome to our Tribute to Dick Clark, American Band Stand, 50's Style Blog Hop!! Who remembers getting up on Saturday mornings to dance along to the American Bandstand?  The actual American Bandstand show started on August 5, 1957. This is why we decided to bring this hop all the way back to the 50’s. So sit back, shake your booty, do the hula hoop, or have a Coke float and come hop with us. We have some talented women that have joined this hop! If you would like to start at the beginning please go to Pamela's Blog http://kraftykatstampstudio.blogspot.com

And of course we wouldn't forget the CANDY!!! For the Grand Prize, Melissa from Kadoodle Bug Designs is offering a $15 GC to her store!!!!!

To be eligible, all you have to do is:
Stop by her fan page, https://www.facebook.com/kadoodlebugdesigns, LIKE it, if you haven't already, and post a comment saying you are from the hop. Then, visit everyone's blog and leave a comment. If you came from Cathie's blog then you are dancing on the right track.
Here is our line- up:

1. Pamela ~ http://kraftykatstampstudio.blogspot.com
2. Colleen ~ http://www.cbcscrapbooking.blogspot.com
3. Jennifer ~ http://wunderscreations.blogspot.com
4. Tina ~ http://tinasscrapcorner.blogspot.com/
5. Amanda ~ http://cricktncrafts.blogspot.com/
6. Maria ~ http://JoyfulStamper.blogspot.com
7. Jennifer J ~ http://creativecricutdesigns.blogspot.com
8. Tonya ~ http://scrappingfunwithtonya.blogspot.com/
9. Cathie ~http://cathiescafe-scraphappy.blogspot.com/
10. Miriam ~ http://miriamscreations.blogspot.com

Who could help but use the amazing images from the Nifty Fifties Cricut cart for today's hop. I am so glad I was able to find a used copy. So many fun things on that one... So, I choose to use the dancing couple (of course), the record (for the music), and the TV (because American Bandstand was on TV)! I wanted more than one dancing couple, but didn't want to overload the card with couples, so I decided to try my hand at making my own embossing folder. There are tons of videos on YouTube telling you how to do this is you are interested. When I ran it through my Cuttlebug I didn't think that the images stood out enough, so I used silver and gold Colorbox ink to make them stand out more.

I also wanted to make the shoes of the couple shiny, but I didn't have anything specifically for that, I tried Mod Podge and it worked great! I used some pink pearl bling as a focal on the girl's belt. I really don't know what any of the papers are...

For the sentiment I used the Plantain Schoolbook Cricut cart. That is my new favorite cart for sentiment. I LOVE the end cap feature. I used the star end cap for this card. It says, "Let's party like it's 1959" as a takeoff on the song by Prince called Let's Party Like It's 1999. I used a VersaMarker to highlight the edges of the letters and the stars. Then, unfortunately, my husband didn't notice I had set it on the kitchen table before taking it outside and he spilled chili sauce on it.... Ugh...

 

Thanks for hopping and bopping along the jitterbug trail with us today!! We all hope to see you again soon. Don't forget, to win the candy you must stop by all the blogs and give some love!! Dick Clark you will be missed! 

November 30, 1929 - April 18, 2012

Watermelon and Picnic Blog Hop

This is the Watermelon and Picnic blog hop where we have lots of creative things to express our love of summer and picnics and watermelon. Please start at Lorby's World, our hostesses' blog and continue from there.

Jearise in Lorby's World will be giving out a special prize to one special winner just for leaving a comment and becoming a follower of her blog.

So grab your family, friends and neighbors and let's go on a picnic...

I recently got the Create-a-Critter Cricut cart (say that 5 times fast), and I wanted to play with it... I had this image of a scene of different animals having a picnic around a tree... Well, my project took on a life of it's own and this is what I made:

I got as far as the tree, embossed with a swirly folder for the leaves and a leafy folder for the trunk, and a sun made with fun patterned paper from my scrap stash. Aside from the owl, fussy cut from a scrap, there ended up not being any animals on the LO. I added some bling to give the tree some apples, and some ribbon as a flowery field. Patterned paper makes the sky, and a K&Company photo mat and some more scraps for a bird border (oh, guess there are some more animals there). So, this layout is just waiting for that perfect picnic picture (oh, how I love alliteration). I may add a picnic table or some picnic attendees at a later point, but for now I like it just the way it is!

Thank you for joining me on our picnic and I hope you have room for more watermelon at Cicily's picnic.