celebrating july 4th

July 4th greetings to you all... This holiday is a big event in our neighborhood. In fact, we celebrate with a block party. In year's past we have had quite the time of it including an array of fireworks. Those have been banned this summer, due to the high fire alert... but that will not stop us from gathering and celebrating.

We invite the neighbors and friends from across town to meet in front of 8958 Kingston Heath for the evening. This started about seven years ago with just a few neighbors. Every year it gains more attention and every year we can't wait to make it happen.

Everyone brings food! We set up tables and tables and tables of food... last year it even included the most clever snack contest judged by the kiddos. That was a hoot!

My oldest daughter is hostess to a decorated bike parade. She had them lined up last year by age and size and they put on quite the show for us. She is already organizing this year's.

And of course there are flags and decorations everywhere... and if you know me, that includes inside and out.

Last year we even added a few minutes to make sure we gave proper observance to the holiday that this is... and that is the birthday of the greatest nation on earth. Thanks for letting me share a little of what goes on in our neighborhood. Here is to hoping you have family and friends together on Wednesday and enjoy a beautiful time of celebrating.

sunshine mini

 Hello there! Jamie here loving the papers and elements that are part of the July2012 Work In Progress kit. This kit lends itself so perfect to a mini album celebrating the sunshine in your life.
I wanted to share my take on the idea. But warning...this is a photo heavy post...
To start I used some craft plastic as my cover. The kit comes with a 4x6 acrylic sheet that is perfect for this too.  An AmyTangering Flourette was added to the cover along with the die cut cloud an butterfly. I used the gorgeous "you are my sunshine" mini poster as the secondary cover.

 This book is full of some new to me techniques I have been playing with lately. And I wanted to share them with you. The inside cover is covered with some cardstock from my stash. I sewed in another mini poster along with the date with the JilliBean Soup letters. The 4x6 journal card from Simple stories made for a perfect title page. The little 'sunshine' that this mini is about is the baby.

 The die cute frames called my name and told me to fill them with confetti and frame them up. So that is what I did with the bird frame. I used more of my stashed craft plastic to encase some confetti.
The next page is a glassine bag, also from my stash, but embellished with letter stickers and pattern paper from the kit. It will house little this and thats from our summer adventures around town.

On this page

Sunshine Mini

 Hello there! Jamie here loving the papers and elements that are part of the July2012 Work In Progress kit. This kit lends itself so perfect to a mini album celebrating the sunshine in your life.
I wanted to share my take on the idea. But warning...this is a photo heavy post...
To start I used some craft plastic as my cover. The kit comes with a 4x6 acrylic sheet that is perfect for this too.  An AmyTangering Flourette was added to the cover along with the die cut cloud and butterfly. I used the gorgeous "you are my sunshine" mini poster as the secondary cover.

 This book is full of some new to me techniques I have been playing with lately. And I wanted to share them with you. The inside cover is covered with some cardstock from my stash. I sewed in another mini poster along with the date with the JilliBean Soup letters. The 4x6 journal card from Simple stories made for a perfect title page. The little 'sunshine' that this mini is about is that almost two year old baby of mine, Sawyer.

 The die cute frames called my name and told me to fill them with confetti and frame them up. So that is what I did with the bird frame. I used more of my stashed craft plastic to encase some confetti.
The next page is a glassine bag, also from my stash, but embellished with letter stickers and pattern paper from the kit. It will house little this and thats from our summer adventures around town.

So much of this book is made up of simply layering pattern paper to make homes for photos and journal spots. Here I added a coin envelope from an earlier WIP kit. I trimmed the frame from the EP Sweet Polaroid paper to make a place for journaling. I just love the envelope to house little what nots or additional journaling.

More paper layering. I love the negative that a die cut creates. I used a negative heart piece and sewed on pattern paper and can tuck a tag in behind the heart.
The book paper envelope was a little idea I picked up from Maggie Holmes.

More photos. More layering. And a chevron tag I found at a boutique that is home to a tag that will be the journaling piece for this little cowboys story.

The 4x6 Simple Stories journaling tags are adorable. They are found here in the mini about every other page. They hardly even need any extra embellishment. They can stand alone so perfectly.
The shipping tags on the opposite page are held together by a piece of pattern paper on the other side.  Just adhere the tags to the paper and then trim around and punch holes in the tag. And don't you just adore that camera die cut?

You can see the pattern paper placement on this side of the tags.
One of the scalloped die cuts was used here for a journaling spot. It was misted and punched and added right into the book. I like how the pattern paper peeks out from under the butterfly negative.

More Simple Stories 4x6 journaling card with only a label and letter stickers.

Like I said, those little die cut frames were begging me for some confetti. I made a pocket from a glassine bag and sewed it around the edges. It's just a simple little embellie that makes me smile.

Here is the other side. See the washi tape...that is covering up where I accidently cut the pocket after all was sewn. Well, I was not going to waste it...so washi came to save the day.

Grabbed that bingo card from a previous kit as I loved the sentiment and really wanted to punch a heart in the die cut heart and make my own embellishment from it.

Are you still with me? You have almost made it to the end.
 Made a little framed pocket on the left side to hold a journaling tag. I used adhesive on only the three sides leaving the top open. The tag can now slip in and out. This book is full of many interactive aspects that I love so much. The possiblities are endless.

As I get to the end of the mini, there are not photos in place yet. But summer is not over and there will be plenty to add as we go along. I like the feeling that this is an open book and I can continue to fill it in.

Last page for now. Thank you so much for sharing this book with me. If you have any questions about it I would love to answer them.

Photo Garland

I've made several of these photo garlands in the past week, and they've been quite fun!

Started off with Home Depot formica samples as my base.  Then I positioned my 4x6 photo where I wanted it, and glued it to the front of the tile...

I sanded the photo down on the edge of the formica, causing it to tear from the tile.  Perfectly fit photo on the tile sample every time...

Like I said, I made a bunch.

Next, I placed them out and arranged them the way I liked.  Using my Crop-a-Dile, I put holes into the tiles.  And then I hung my creations!!

Enjoy your weekend!

July 4th Freebies

This one is from The Crafting Chicks and can be downloaded here.

Found this one at Landee See here.  Too cute!

And this one is from Tip Junkie and can be found here, along with 20 July 4th Printables.  Too fun!!

Enjoy your day!

Project Life--Week 22

Haven't posted any Project Life layouts lately, so I thought I'd share one today...

I've been finding my iPhone to be incredibly handy these days.  I don't know what I did before that invention, that's for sure.  Way convenient, and super creative.  Most of the other elements I used have been included in past WIP Kits.  I blurred out a photo of a personal letter from my daughter to her favorite teacher (last week of school), per her request.

Enjoy your day!

Public Service Request...

Today, a simple request to all my photographer friends out there...

SHARE YOUR WORK. 

When you're around town, and you snap a photo of your public library, or your city's water tower, or the local high school, SHARE IT.

Now, I know, because you're here and a reader of this blog, that you have a giving heart.  I'm sure you're the kind of person that shares photos of family and friends all the time.  Today, I just ask that you expand that gift and share with your local service workers.  Share your photography with a fire station, a school, the mayor's office, city council, the police station, library or safety town.  Perhaps frame it and present it to them, or send a it to the local newspaper for publication.  These days, many of us are busy and don't have the time to volunteer in our communities.  This is something you can do from the comfort of your own computer, and it doesn't cost that much to share your appreciation for your local service workers.  Just food for thought...

Enjoy your day!