Christmas in July - Monday Motivational

Do you hear Jingle Bells and Silent Night yet?  Well, it's only five months until Christmas!!  We thought it was only right that we celebrate Christmas in July since today is the 25th, and so much of the country is sweltering, and could use a dose of cool, refreshing snowflakes!!

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Welcome to Betty Bee's Buzz Monday Motivational - Christmas in July!

Today I'm going to show you how to make a snowflake out of window tags. Judy Ford

I used my Tags, Bags, Boxes, and More Cartridge on my Cricut Expression.

The cut is set at 2 1/4" you'll need 8 window tags for each snowflake.

I cut a snowflake from each of my "winter" cartridges:

Winter Woodland and Joys of the Season

for the center embellishment, with crystal brads from SU.

I cut my vellum into 4 1/2 x 3 3/4 (6 from an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet).

I folded a pinch fold into the center by folding the vellum in half in both directions.

The tag windows are placed in these axis to start.

First, layer to form the base cross.

Your tags will stick out beyond the edge of the vellum - that's ok!

I used my adhesive only on the top of the tag at this point.

The next layers are at right angles to the first layers.

You can start to see the "points" and with this tag the "inner" snowflake as wellOnce you have all 8 tags in place. Flip over and glue down the points to the vellum. Then you get to cut out the points to make your snowflake.

Ta dah!!! Flakes!!!

Add your inner snowflakes and brad.

I highlighted my flake with glitter glue to make it sparkle like snow.

A Stampin' Up! tag maker (lg and small) will make the window tags as well.

There will not be the inner snowflake as the tag shoulders are different!

Add it to your card base, and add ribbon embellishment to finish.

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Merry Christmas in July! Now you give it a try and see what your flake looks like!!!

Remember even God makes each one look different.

Link your flake project back up with us here at Betty Bee's Buzz on Wednesday.

Buzz, Brag and Bee Happy

Happy Friday, and welcome to Buzz, Brag, and Bee Happy!  This is the place for sharing what's happening in our hive, what's the BUZZ in the BIZZ, and what we're buzzing with happiness about!  It's always something SWEET here at BettyBee's Buzz!
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Happy travels to all of our friends who are preparing to head off to CHA, and getting everything ready for the big Craft and Hobby Association showcase next week!!!  There are lots of great sneak peeks out there!
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Be sure to check out what Kathy at Paper Phenomenon has created now!  This paper engineering genius has done it again!  She has designed another fabulous project, and has more in the works.   Watch for very exciting things coming with WonderWorks Crops!!!
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Hello friends! HoneyBee Judy Ford checking in here for

this week's Buzz, Brag and Bee Happy!

Judy Ford

This has been a busy week for me. I've been joining in on all sorts of swaps over at the Cricut web site. The usual ones, card fronts and cards, but also paperdoll swap and paperclip swap! For the paperclip swap I was able to use some of those leftover inchies and twinchies that were so popular several years ago. My clip for October is too cute. I made blood shot eyeballs! and December's is a magnetic clothespin with a reindeer head that I made from My Community footprint and hand prints. The foot is the head, the hands the antlers, some red glitter for the nose, some wiggly eyes and a peppermint ribbon bow from Betty's Bow Maker completes the cutest little reindeer that can hold notes on my fridge or masterpieces from my grandson Jackson... The garden is also starting to produce!!! Can anyone say Zucchini explosion!!!!! Right now I'm baking zucchini bread and muffins made with Splenda. I have some to saute with yellow squash and onions for supper! Anyone have any other good recipes you'd like to share, or come grab some for yourself!!!! Anyway, how are things in your area of the blogosphere? What are you doing special? Link back and share with all us HoneyBees!!!

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Betty Brett

I hope you will forgive a bit of family news on my part of today's post.  It is what I am happy about.  As you know, we are traveling, and the picture below is the main reason for our trip. 

This is our granddaughter, Paisley, and she is wearing an heirloom outfit which is handed down to the girls in our family for their Blessings in our church.  Sunday was this special occasion. 

Part of our travels included a day at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, and this is the view from inside the magnificent chapel there.  Breath taking!

This is a scenic spot in the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, and the background looks like a painting... but it's real!  Such amazing country!

And, I have crafted a bit :)  This is a "textures" project I did this week, and there is a video on YouTube, and on my blog showcasing a LOT of different texturizing techniques.  I invite you to pop over and check it out.

We are off toward Utah in a couple of days, then more sightseeing after that... we feel quite blessed to be able to travel around our beautiful country, and not have a specific schedule to keep.  I'll check in again soon!

Happy crafting!

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Now it's your turn to link here anything you'd like to brag about!  Tell us what's happening in your hive!

What have you created that you'd like to share? 

and the HoneyBees

Honeybee Showcase Heavy Metal

Welcome to Honeybee Showcase Wednesday July 13, 2011.

Our Queen Bee took time away from her vacation to do Monday's Motivational Heavy Metal!!!

Here is my card version. I used aluminum foil adhered to cardstock and put thru my Cuttlebug embossing folder.

I call this card "Parts left over???"Seems to happen alot at the Ford house when we do a "project"! Judy Ford

This is my stab at foil tape from the local hardware store...
I used my SU embossing folder - great impressions but....I must have squished it too hard...
some of the gooo from the tape oozed out and stuck to my embossing folder...
a little Goo Be Gone cleared it up..... and don't use your MS punch on this heavy sticky tape either....
oh my what a mess... thank goodness for Goo Be Gone, ruler and Cricut pick...

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I made this beautiful butterfly at Stampfest.  It was so easy and fun.  We stamped the butterfly on cardstock with VersaMark then used the sticky embossing power.  After we used the heat gun we sprinkled it with glitter.  Next you glue it onto a soda can. ( I picked Pepsi of course. ) you cut out the butterfly and shape the wings to however you would like.  The last step is to glue a pin onto the back with Super Glue.  I love these and you can do them is so many colors.

 

Huggles, Wanda

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Now you give your heavy metal a try and link up back here to show us your hard work.
thanks for joining us at Betty Bee's Buzz!!!

and the HoneyBees

Monday Motivational ~ Heavy Metal!

Welcome to our Monday Motivational tutorial.  Sorry it is posting a bit late.  I am out of town, and posting from a remote location.  I am excited to bring you a fun project that is easy, versatile, and useful.  I want to thank Monica Weaver from Add A Little Dazzle for her inspiration.

My project is metal covered hand sanitizers!  These are embossed and specially colored. Imagine what themes you could fix these for!!  Watch for the one in the last photo :) Bwahahahah!!



Betty Brett



Start with small hand sanitizers.  I got mine from the dollar store, three in a box.  The metal tape I used is called Aluminum or Flashing Tape (and it's the same I used for my red, white and blue insulated cup video a couple of weeks ago).  It comes from your local home improvement store in a nice BIG roll for about $8.00.

Now, here's the part I learned the REALLY hard way!  The only coloring medium that works on this project is a paint!  Wanna know how I know???  I've tried everything else :)  How does a Copics instructor FORGET that hand sanitizer is a solvent for Copics?  They color this tape beautifully, BUT when you use hand sanitizer, it takes the color off, and onto your hands!  (Same with any alcohol based marker!)  The same would happen with any water based ink... therefore, after lots of experimentation, I have discovered that Elmer's paint markers work very well for this project! They come in lots of plain and pearlized colors.

After coloring the tape, place it in your favorite embossing folder, and run through the embossing machine.

Then use a sanding block to remove the color from the raised image!  The silver really pops!! This is fast and easy.

I remove the labels from the bottles, then peel the backing from the tape, revealing the very sticky adhesive.

 Carefully wrap around the bottle, and you have a great project!  This one would make a great gift for a guy,or "potion" at Halloween!! I hope you will be making something from metal tape, a soda can, metal sheets, or some other "Heavy Metal" with us this week! Happy creating ~