A Christmas Story layout

I am proud to bring to you a little Christmas in July. I had scrapbookers block with this layout. I had difficulty choosing papers, titles and who knows what else BUT I am so pleased that once I got my creative juices flowing I was able to make some good choices and get it done.

I have to give you the story behind the photos. Every year since my youngest daughter was born 9 weeks premature we have been invited to Christmas, Easter and Halloween events just for the NICU babies at the hospital where she was born. In December 2010 was our 1st Christmas event and we quickly found out that my youngest daughter does not like Santa Claus. As soon as we put her down on his lap she began to cry, we began to laugh, we encouraged our oldest daughter to hold her sisters hand to comfort her and as you can see in the last photo it worked. To this day we still do not have a picture of her smiling on Santa's lap and she will be 5 this November.

I used these items to create my layout:

• Christmas Cheer Cricut cartridge - part of the title "Christmas"
• Calligraphy Collection Cricut cartridge - part of the title " A Story"
• Doodlecharms Cricut cartridge - Rudolph and Santa
• Simply Charmed Cricut cartridge - peppermint candies
• Pattern Paper from Recollections Bright and Joy Paper Pad
• Better Not Pout embellishment from Recollections Bright and Joy Paper Pad
• ribbon
• Red corners and star from DCWV The Christmas Speciality sitcker stack
• Red, green and iridescent stickles
• Glossy Accents - Rudolph's nose
• Google eyes
• Foam squares 

I am entering this layout in the following challenges and linky parties:

• Little Scrap Pieces - Linky Party
• Craft Your Passion Challenge #223 - Christmas in July
• Die Cuttin Divas Challenge #175 - Christmas in July
• Paper Take Weekly - Its a Jolly Holiday
• DL ART - Thankful Thursday - July Linky
• My Sheri Crafts Challenge #138 - Christmas with lots of Layers
• The Corrosive Challenge #204 - Christmas in July
• Craftin Desert Divas - Linky Party #36 - Christmas in July

Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my A Christmas Story layout.

Hello Kitty Happy Birthday Easel card

Today I bring you a sweet little Hello Kitty Happy Birthday Easel card. To my pleasant surprise I had everything in my stash.

I used these items to create my card:

• Hello Kitty Greetings Cricut cartridge
• Hello Kitty pattern paper
• Hot pink, black and white cardstock
• Hot pink stickles
• black brads
• 1 rhinestone
• foam squares

Here are just a couple more angles:

I am entering my card in the following challenges and linky parties:

• Shopping Our Stash - SOS #160 - Can't Put it Down or Away - I can't put my Cricut away
• Paper Take Weekly - Buttons - Bows - Bling - Bows and Bling (rhinestone and stickles)
• CardzTV Challenge #5 - Create a Child's Birthday Card using Brads, Buttons, or Bows
• DL ART - Thankful Thursday July Linky

Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my Hello Kitty Happy Birthday Easel card.

Red, White and Blue Thank You card

This morning I give you a little red, white and blue thank you card. I created this card for one of my neighbors. Before the weather got extremely too hot in AZ to be outside, my neighbor helped teach my 4 year old daughter how to ride a bike without training wheels. He had first taught his own daughter how to ride without training wheels. So when she got the hang of it he had asked my daughter if she wanted to learn and of course she said yes. He had wedged a pole into the back of the bike so that he could hold on and help the rider gain their balance while riding and then when everyone was comfortable he would let go. My daughter picked it up fairly quickly and has been training wheel free all summer. And not only did he help teach her how to ride a bike without training wheels he gave my daughter his daughter's old bike (my daughter's bike was a little small). The 2 girls have become the best of friends and I'm sure once the temps get cooler again they will be riding all day.

I used these items to create my card:

• Campin' Critters Cricut cartridge
• red, white, blue, black, and tan cardstock 
• craft paper
• red gingham pattern paper
• red, white, and blue brads
• silver star brads - on the bike
• white gel pen
• clear Thank You stamp

Oh there is one little thing I haven't told you about this card yet...Pull the tab on the side and the little raccoon bike rider slides across the card to reveal a little message.

I am entering my Red, White and Blue Thank You card in the following challenges:

• Cardz TV Challenge #4 - Red, White and Blue Thank You Card
• Craftin Desert Divas - Link it up Summer Linky
• Shopping Our Stash - SOS #160 - Can't Put it Down or Away - this would be for sure my Cricut
• DL ART - Thankful Thursday Challenge #136 - Thank You
• Stuck on U Sketches - July 11 - Die Cut Challenge - Going Somewhere

This card was so much to fun to make and I just love that little raccoon bike rider. Thank you for stopping by and checking it out.

Yummy 4th of July Desserts

 Me and my girls spent the 4th of July at my Mom's house swimming and eating good food. I decided to make some desserts for our little gathering.

The first dessert was for after lunch. It was a red, white and blue Jello cup. I made 2 packages of the blue Jello and separated it equally into 6 cups and let it harden into Jello overnight. Just before serving I topped the Jello cups off with Reddi Wip and a strawberry. It was the perfect light and cool afternoon dessert.

The second dessert was for after dinner. It was Betty Crocker Supreme Triple Chocolate Chunk brownies topped with patriotic marshmallow stars. I made these on Friday just a couple hours before leaving the house. I kept them wrapped until I was ready to serve. I then added the patriotic marshmallow stars and served them. These were very simple and oh so delicious.

I am entering my Yummy 4th of July Desserts in the Decorate to Celebrate Challenge #78 - Fourth of July or Birthday Challenge

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my Yummy 4th of July Desserts.