SCHULTUTE - A FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL TREAT

To give the little ones a Schultute or Schultuele (sugar bag or sugar cone) on the first day of first grade is a German tradition.  These are typically filled with a few sweets and small treats.  Allison found this on-line knowing I would be as taken with this as she was.  With two of the grands, McLean and Maddison, starting first grade this year - a perfect new project!

I have used 12" paper mache cones, school themed stickers from 7Gypsies, Cosmo Cricket "Circa 1934" patterned paper, red crepe paper, some vintage ric rac and pom pom fringe (luv this stuff!), red Stickles and a bit of washi tape around the very tip.

There are any number of patterns for  cones on the internet if you need a pattern.  I simply laid the cone on the pp, rolled it across the paper while tracing the path with a pencil.  Cut it all out with pinking shears.  I found double-sided tape held the best and was less fussy.  I cut the end of a flat fold package of crepe paper at about 8".  Rolled that up and adhered it about three times around the inside of the cone.  The trims could be anything you imagine and as always do search out your scraps and stash!   Do have fun and let me know if you give this a try!  Post on your blog and I will send folks your way.

MENNEN'S TOILET POWDER - A Vintage Image

Well now that you have had your cod breakfast perhaps a trip to the beach is in order?  If you aren't careful here is "positive relief" for your "prickly heat, chafing and sunburn"!

I've had quite a bit of fun this weekend digging through a box of ads from some "Ladies Home Journals" circa 1910.  Hope you have some fun using them.  Or even just for a laugh!

BEARDSLEY'S CODFISH - A Vintage Image

In keeping with the beach (well ok sea!) theme we are so into at Bella Creations this month!  If you print this out wallet size you will be close to the original size and should get a good clear print.

"SEASIDE MEMORIES"

I often do 8x8 picture/collage boards, usually holiday themed.  Enough room to have fun with the embellishments and small enough to display easily.  I've used all manner of wonderful bits from the Bella Creations "Bella Beach House" embellishment kit on this one i.e. some of the shells, glitter, strawmat, sequins, flower, beads, seahorse punch, fibers and charms.  Both my titles are from Crafty Secrets - another favourite.

HOMES OF THE MOVIE STARS - A VINTAGE IMAGE

It`s been awhile since I put up an image, I think this has a good summer vacation feel!  Remember to right click and save the larger image.

MYSTERY SWAP #2 - THE ALTERED PAPER

Check out the MYSTERY SWAPS Tee is hosting over at THE ALTERED PAPER!  You sign up, are assigned a partner, send your partner a standard envelope full of whatever you can stuff in(!), create a masterpiece with what you receive and then post a picture!  Go on, run over there and sign up!

Here is a picture of what I received (coincidentally Tee sent me a blue theme, I sent her a pink theme);

Here is what I created;

"Lose Your Head"

We are to use 75% of what we receive.  I had the tag, one of the flowers and the blue paper leftover - not that I didn't try to use everything but when you just go for it and don't plan ahead then there are bound to be a couple of failed experiments!  It doesn't show that well but I layered the flowers, ruffled the ribbon for the top, the rosette (which I sprayed and it wasn't the right colour) is the base beneath the beads up in the center.  I took a crazy quilt approach using Liquid Pearls to "embroider" all of the edges together.  I admit to not ever admiring Marie (ok now all of the Marie fans will boycott me!) so it was fun to take a poke at her!  Thanks Tee!!

SUMMER OF COLOUR CHALLENGE - WEEK 9 ORANGE!

Kristin - thank you again for your fabulous Summer of Colour Challenge!  What fun I have had.  I apologize to everyone for not getting around as much last week and hardly at all this week!   I have a whole new set of blogs to follow and be inspired by.  I missed "yellow" and do hope to catch up on that.  While there is a week left of the challenge I am not sure that I will be participating so I want to say thank you to everyone now!  This is the first "real" journal that I have attempted and your feedback has been key to keeping me on track and working on my initial plan of creating backgrounds/pages for my Cuba journal.

This week I've used a small canvass as my focus, I purchased this at a studio in the Callejon de Hamel in Havana.  A project of Salvador Gonzales, sculptor and poet, this  two block area is where Afro-Cuban art, music and dance are given space within the community. This image is a familiar Santeria (the dominant religion) image.  

The background is a piece of Co'ordinations black/orange card stock,  I have sanded around the image to provide a simple frame and in the quiet area above.  The sacred heart is a metal image which I have done using the embossing techniques and supplies from Ten Seconds Studio.  The out most border is Spiced Marmalade Distress Crackle Paint. 

WE HAVE IT GOING ON AT BELLA CREATIONS!

Today is the reveal of the first Bella Creations  Embellishment kit: Bella Beach House!  This is a charming kit packed with amazing good fun!  Lacee's kit has inspired me to finish an 8x8 "On the Boardwalk" mini I started LAST year - I will be sharing those pages with you throughout the month.  Finishing a big project is such a great feeling.

As we have been doing each month there are three main challenges for members to enter.  We have such generous sponsors, you have a chance to win some outstanding prize packages!  These challenges are also revealed today - check them out!   You have until September 5 to upload your challenge entries in the Forum at Bella Creations.

The cover of my mini!  I started this mini at a class taught by Catherine at  Lasting Impression Stamps here in Victoria.

Here I've used some of the crepe paper,net, shells, starfish and sequins from the kit in my embellishments.  The image is a digi stamp from The Digi Doodle Shop who is our sponsor for the Tres Chic Challenge this month.  I've printed the stamp on cream cardstock and then covered that with a piece of organza which I have also printed the stamp on.  I love the soft dreamy look of this.  TIP:  this is an effective way to incorporate stamps when you aren't one to colour!

The Bella Unique Challenge this month features creating and using a tie-dyed flower!  What fun! And don't you love this image?  Of course it is the image for the Bella Muse Challenge (image provided by GeckoGalz)  with the prize packaage provided by Flying Unicorn. Perfect for my mini!  I am still so happy to find so much inspiration.  I have used sand, glitter and crystal beads from the Bella Beach House kit.

So finally after all of that!  Here is the first Bella Creations embellishment kit "Bella Beach House"!

For information on the kit and to place an order email go to the Bella Creations blog  and do check out our great sponsors!  (The links are all on my sidebar)

OLIVIA'S FIRST YEAR - (Three Scrapbook Layouts)

 This spring I picked up the "April Showers" line of pp from Three Bugs in a rug, loved the pastel colours and cheerful prints which I knew would work perfectly for the little ones.  Both of these simple layouts feature sweet pictures of Olivia at one month.

This is just one of those pictures!  Our SIL Spencer with Olivia (almost 7 months) on the beach in Tofino, BC.  The pp is "Lauderdale" from Basic Grey and the layout is a lift out of the Summer issue of "Scrapbooking & Beyond".