No need to adjust your calendars it is December - the LAST day of December but my layout is of 4th of July - what can I say I scrap what needs scrappin! And submissions are actually calling for 4th of July stuff - that's how far in advance they are planning the mags and such!

This layout is of my oldest son Kaden on the first 4th of July he could really be a part of! He was born July 1st and we came home July 3rd so his first 4th was pretty low key! Lots of fun stuff going on with this layout! Some stamping too! The layered fun embellishment with the star is stamped using a CTMH set as is the date stamp! It was stamp of the month back in MAY and I love it!!!! What a cool little custom date embellishment I was able to make! And then the journaling is on Unity's big long journaling block which I just stamped right on the paper! Ilove that thing!!!! I inked up the edes of the patterned paper and added some punched out stars for details! Here is a close up of the title.

I used some old red Making Memories alpha stickers and added details to them by dotting all around the edges and adding some brackets from the same paper pack as my patterned paper. It is Carolee's Adornit set that I won back this summer! TFL! I have more scrappy goodness coming your way soon - who knows what holiday it will be!

Here are pics from this year's Christmas! No order or rhyme or reason to them just my faves! I had a bugger of a time getting them to upload to blogger for some reason! GRRRR!

My sweet Baby Blake - this was him after mommy was trying to get a cute pic of him in a Santa hat - which totally didn't work! He hates hats! But this is precious and a pretty good trade off!

My silly oldest child - I can see the layout now - Have a cool Yule!

Me opening my custom stamp pad holder - so glad hubby actually got a pic of me for once!

My boys in front of the tree! Aren't they cute?

Blake and cousin (something like 2nd cousin once removed but you get the idea) Taylor - they are 3 weeks apart! She is my cousins baby girl! We HAVE to get them together more - they live less than an hour from us!

Mommy and Blake Christmas morning - after a very long sleepless night - apparently Blake wanted to stay up and wait for Santa! Silly boy doesn't he know Santa won't come unless you are ASLEEP?!?!? Even if it is on the couch after the 5th time getting mommy/daddy out of bed! Man I should have retouched that photo!

Family Christmas Photo 2008! Not too bad - using the timer on my camera! And of course I learn about the backlight setting AFTER this pic! Next year!

My sweet baby boy and my sweet Grammie - his great grandma - my dad's mom - the matriarch of our family! There are now 5 generations living! She has 4 children, 9 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild - not counting the inlaws!

Here are my fave pics from Christmas this year....coming soon to a layout near you!

This is a lightning fast post as I have been shopping all day! But I just HAD to participate
in Blog Hop again this month! I think I am addicted! I had so much fun last month!
This months challenge was to Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle! In other words GO GREEN!
I recieved my secret pal gift, at school, wrapped in this beautiful KRAFT and Ripe Avacado Paper - at least that's what I saw when I got it! So I knew I wanted to use this paper for my card. I figured I would get some ribbon on SOME gift that would go perfectly but alas I didn't! Oh well, I just used PTI's luscious double stitched Ripe Avacado ribbon!
What do you think? It's a simple card but I like it! I cut out a top note panel using Very Vanilla CS. I stamped the limb from Out on a Limb in Dark Chocolate then added Ripe Avacado leaves. I filled in some leaves using the single stamp - I just love that about the branch sets! the little extra leaves/flowers. I then used my slot punch at the bottom to put my ribbon through, tied a simple knot - idea I got from my blogger buddie Sarah! It the top corner I stamped both Celebrate and Life in Dark Chocolate, I thought this would make a good birthday card or cheer you up card! Thanks for looking!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and you are with the people you love!

Here is a layout I did a while back but haven't shared with anyone yet! I was pondering doing something and ended up not so I want to share it now! It's of Kaden's 1st official movie in a movie theater!
He is a movie nut just like his momma! We went to see Over the Hedge - super cute if you haven't seen it! Yes this was over 2 years ago -see how behind in my scrapping I am!

I used a sketch from the Got Sketch? FREE mini class I signed up for! I didn't get to participate much but the sketches were great - all of hers are! I just wish she would do more! She's kinda gotten into selling them instead which I get she wants to make money. But I will just used her old ones, or page maps! I started with an orange American Crafts CS base along with some AC polka dot patterned paper. Then for the light blue layer I stamped on 3 sections of it with Distressed Dots from Unity Stamp Company and left the 3rd blank to journal! That's one of the things I LOVE about using stamps to scrap!!!! Making your own patterned paper that works for you and your layout! I also used Row of Circles from Flirty Flowers to make custom embellishments. I stamped them and cut them out adding buttons!!! So fun! I used this super neat stamp that I got at Michaels during the after Thanksgiving sale for the little calendar, it is a larger stamp but I only wanted this part so I cut it out and popped it up after circling the month and writing the date. Thanks for looking! I hope to be sharing LOTS of layouts with you over the holidays as some friends and I have challenged each other to complete 12 layouts over the 2 week break! Watch and see how I do! I already finished one to share with you tomorrow!

I am extremely pleased with how it turned out! Hopefully I will have time to do this weeks as well and on time even!!!

It's Friday! That means Hip Hop Hangover!
I did NOT get to play at all yesterday just chat! :( I was too busy working on Christmas stuff! BUT school was canceled today due to ICE! Nothing like last year as we still have power YAY, but no school! So this morning I was able to play and create something. I used yesterday's distress challenge! I love distressing things!!! I also needed a break from Christmasey stuff and came up with this

I don't usually leave things to the last minute completely! Yes I am usually finishing things up at the last minute but not starting from scratch! So last night when I finished the reindeer food I still had to come up with a gift for Kaden's pre-school teacher Miss Jane! I try not to re-gift - my crazy family has this grab bag thing where we all bring our junk and play a game of trading it! So that's where most of my unwanted gifts go. So I had to create something! Then it came to me! Lauren Meader's MyTime Templates! The stocking one would be perfect!!!! So my creation began! It was soooooooooooo easy and worked really well other than It didn't want to stand up so much - might have been the amount of candy in it! Or maybe I should have but the box part lower for a lower center of gravity?!? Regardless it turned out super cute!
I printed the stocking page on some Basic Grey patterened paper - the collection I got at Mikes on Thanksgiving. I printed the other page the heel, toe, cuff and hanger on a green piece from the same collection. I cut out all the pieces and sponged the edges with some Tim Holtz distress ink. I also stamped JANE on the cuff using PTI's Trajan alphabet and made a little tag using PTI's Borders and Corners OVAL and sentiment from Believe. I wrote from Kaden on it. I added a poinsettia flower to adhere the hanger piece. It's from Making Memories - I really like it I need more! Filled it with YUMMY candy and there you go! SOOOO easy! Thanks Lauren!!!

I haven't blogged for 5 days!!!!!!!!! I have been busy creating just not blogging!

We got a BIG snow yesterday and they are calling for ice tomorrow!!!!
I hope for Kaden's sake they are wrong because.....
tomorrow is his Pre-School Christmas party,
and I stayed up WAY late tonight making his little goodies and his teacher's gift
and wrapping his exchange present!
Oh and working on another project - but it's not done yet!
And I still have tons to do!
So I could kinda use the snow day tomorrow.
Here is what I made for Kaden to take and give to his classmates at Pre-School.

Reindeer Food

When I asked Kaden if he would like to help me make these and explained it all to him he said but Mommy, Santa said the reindeer eat Magic CORN!!!!! Remember the interview with Santa? Apparently this came up during that.
I quickly told him that's what makes them FLY but they like this too!!!
He seemed skeptical but gave in when I told him I would let him pick colors and help me stamp them!
So we started by stamping the deer from Deer Friends (SU hostess set) in choc chip.
And he helped (hand over hand pushing it down ;)
Then he decided the reindeer's eyes needed to be colored. I asked what color and he said "pretty green like yours mommy" - awe don't ya just love them when they say things like that!
So we made the eyes gree and then punched them out removing the words.
We then punched out green circles and scalloped circles and he helped me layer them.
We then added red stickles to the nose ~ he thought those were sooooooooo cool!
And then we had to leave the room so they could dry!!!!

Hee hee hee! Today is my third card from my efforts for this week's Unity Addicts challenge. We were to CASE one of three Design Team members and I just couldn't chose one so I CASED all 3~ Today is Maren.

I really like these 3 little trees Trinity Trio it's called. I got it in a Unity image swap I did! Well actually I think I got 3 of it which is good cause I used two on this! The bottom image I punched out and colored the trunks. I then colored the triangles on the second set cut them out and popped them up. Used my marvy punches and layered them. Cuttlebug background on the chocolate piece -snowflakes. The paper is MORE from my Mike's Basic Grey Christmas pack. Also added a little bling to the tree! The ribbon is from Taylored expressions , it matches better IRL!

Well that's all for today, tomorrow I am going to go stamp with a new friend that I met online through Hip Hop, she lives in the same town as me!!!! I am so excited!!!!

.........do you know where your stamps are? Unity stamps that is!

Today is Hip Hop! If you have NO idea what I am talking about please go RIGHT now and check it out in the Unity forum on SCS HERE.

I posted yesterday that I created 3 cards for the Unity Addicts challenge and here is the second in alphabetical order of my CASEings - Jimmi Mayo.
This one is pretty darn close to Jimmi's only my image is straight! Hee hee I have issues with crookedness, even when intentional! This is more of the Mike's Basic Grey Christmas Paper. I am really liking it! Snowflakes were punched using my Martha Stewart snowflake punch. Thanks for looking don't forget to check out hip hop and come back tomorrow for Hip Hop Hangover!

Well I definitely am a Unity Addict,

but this is the first time I have had time to finish a card for the weekly challenge!!!!
And not only did I finish one, I finished 3 but there's a reason for that!
Today's challenge was a Featured Stamper Challenge, featuring Jennifer Buck, Jimmi Mayo and Maren. Well you only get one tonight, then one tomorrow and one for HHH!
I am going in alphabetic order by first name to show no biased (lol) as ALL three of these ladies ROCK!
So up first we have Jennifer Buck!
I cased a card she did for a stamp simply challenge! Simple cards are sometimes the hardest to pull off! I added a bit more to mine!
I used Unity's Jesus is the Reason stamp and paper from my Michaels Basic Grey Exculsive pack that I got on Thanksgiving. I also used my new Martha Stewart border punch!
Check out the Unity Addicts Challenge HERE

And I actually finished my card today!
I got this new tree stamp at Hobby Lobby but you can get it from Creative Play Stamps -
I thought it would look so good embossed and I think it does - what do you think?!?!
When I saw today's Twilight Tuesday Challenge on Tonya's blog
I knew I had to use my new stamp!

I decided to use the Paper Craft Planet Sketch of the week.
So I stamped the tree in Versamark then Pure Poppy ink and then stamped it 3 times in order to be able to emboss it! That is my new favorite tip/trick! I embossed it with CTMH's clear detail EP. I did this three times then cut them out. Any Cullen Christmas tree would HAVE to have BLING on it baby so I added some rhinestones. I created the sentiment in the silver hardware using my Just Rite Stamper! Added some red and white striped ribbon with just a hint of silver. I seem to use the colors Red, Black and Silver
a lot when creating Twilight projects!

pah rum pa pum pum! I love the Little Drummer Boy!

I will admit, I actually like the tagging things! I think they are fun!

I know call me crazy! And this go around I was tagged by the
FABULOUS Brooke Lien!
She is one of the Unity girls and is truly so incredible sweet that even
through a computer you want to be her sister!
I really hope that someday I get to meet her in person!
The tag is to post 7 random things and the 4th picture int he 4th file on my computer!
7 things
1. I am adopted!
2. I wore my pajamas to work today (and I don't work at home).
3. I know how to rock climb and used to all the time!
4. I don't know how to drive a stick and everyone has given up trying to teach me!
5. I LOVE THE COLOR PURPLE!
6. I am a very picky eater! I have issues with food! I don't like too many foods mixed together. I like hot food hot and cold food cold. ie I can NOT eat cold pizza EW! I have food texture issues I hate squishy food like peas and bananas!
7. My lucky number is 4! I love the number 4 again odd I know!
And now for the 4th picture in the 4th file of my pics
It is a close up of one of my scrap layouts to show the inking I did on the chipboard letters!
And now to tag some peeps! How about...
JODES
LIZ
EMILY
SAMANTHA
VIVI
REBECCA
LOUISE

Have you experienced Hip Hop yet??????
No?
Well you simply MUST check out The Unity Stamp Company Blog
and join us next week in the Unity Hip Hop Forum on SCS!
Every week they have challenges, chit chat and best of all FREE Unity! And then of course Friday is Hip Hop Hangover - cause you stayed up to late chattin! So this is my first time participating in HHH, I hope it's good enough -those Unity girls are some WAY talented ladies let me tell ya! This was for one of the challenges yesterday to use GOLD! I don't have a problem with god so I enjoyed this one! My wedding rings and most other "important" jewelry is gold.
And I had new Unity goodies to use! I placed an order last Friday - FAB black friday specials and it made here YESTERDAY less than a week! How is that for super fast shipping?!?!
Here is my card! It has alot going on!
First off - have you been visiting Tim Holtz's blog this week???? The 12 Tags of Christmas? Well on day 2, Tuesday, he showed this technique of swirling alcohol inks and the metalic mixatives together to make a swirly background for his tag. Since I actually had those things I thought I would try it! I wanted GOLD but didn't have it so I used Pearl and Red - it is pretty and I had fun trying would have been better with GOLD and another shade of red to add more depth. So that is the red base and the big red scalloped circle under the sentiment. I then went with this weeks sketch challenge on SCS for my layout! The patterned paper is Basic Grey's Wassil, the yellow looking paper behind it is PTI's gold which looks better in person, this whole photo is pretty bad but it was dark here and I wanted to post so that's what you get! I stamped the sentiment Jesus is the REason for the Season in versamark then embossed it using CTMH's gold EP. I punched that out with my purple marvy scalloped oval punch. I had punced out a red scalloped circle from my base piece with the Purple marvy punch. I inked both of them and the patterned paper pieces and base all with gold encore ink and heat set it! I added some gold brads to the sentiment as well. It needed something so I added a strip of green velvet ribbon I found at wal-mart!!!! Turned out nicely! It also wound up qualifying for the other hip hop challenge Shout Out - to create a card with the sentiment or words being the focus! Thanks for looking and join me next week for hip hop! It's so fun!