Christmas in July Blog Hop - Day 2 - HO to the 3rd Power

Welcome to Day 2 of the . . .

Get ready for some great ideas that you can start creating now for Christmas.  Along the way today, you'll find card and gift ideas, a scrapbook layout page or two and even a couple great decorating ideas.

We hope this hop gets you in the holiday spirit a little early this year.

We'd like to say a HUGE THANKS to . . .

Debra is giving away a great prize package that includes: Whisper White and Calypso Coral card stock, Washi Tape trio, Versa Mark Ink Pad, the Mosaic and Large Flowers Punches.

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All you have to do to win this fabulous prize is comment on each of the blogs.  That's it! It really is easy.

Of course, we would love it if you became a follower too.

Comment buttons can be found at the bottom of the post (on most of the blogs).

Please email Debra with your order to receive the proper discount.

Now on with the hop!

You should have arrived here from Charmangne's blog.  If you just happened upon my post and want to start at the beginning of the hop, I posted the line-up further below.

For my project, I decided to make some new holiday tags for my "Creative Blocks" that I've blogged about before.  Here is the set of blocks and the tags that I created to freshen up my blocks for this coming Christmas. 

So let's talk about the blocks first.  These blocks were cut from a standard 2 x 4, with little care about how straight they were or whether there were jagged edges.  There are two each of three sizes.  They were covered in pages of a book using Mod Podge, and once dry I added a double-head bear claw screw.  There is about one-half inch between the two heads, and they're perfect for the tags to hang.  


The tags are swapped out based on season, month, holiday, and each one will usually have a letter spelling out a six (or less) letter word.  My original version was "Family".  My original Christmas version was "Merry". 


But this time, I decided to take a different route using Santa's greeting . . . a little HO to the 3rd power!  Three Santa's . . . Three Ho's w/two letters on one tag!

I normally will hand cut my tags, but I wanted to attempt tags made using my Pretty Pink Posh tag dies, and just altering the sizes.  Since they were stitched dies, it was a little tricky.  But they turned out AWESOME!  It's all about hanging the ends over the cutting plate to extend or shorten your dies.

 

The tags were cut from Neenah Desert Storm cardstock and I used a background stamp with white pigment ink.  The tags were adhered to a black background piece, so they would "pop" off that newsprint background on the blocks. 

A Simon Says Stamp die runs up the left side as a border on each of the tags, and either a snowflake or "HO3" was stamped in the circle/square openings.

A large red snowflake was stamped onto the tags, and then I cut my letters with my ABC die from The Stamps of Life.  Four different ribbons were altered . . . two used on the Santa's and two used on the sentiments.

And the Santa's . . . the big focal point of the tags . . . were created using a stamp from My Favorite Things. They were popped on Action Wobbles and I put some Flower Soft on the rim of the hats.  

A few sequins . . . and done!

Here are a few other blog posts over the last few years on my Creative Blocks.  I seriously have more versions, but I guess I've not photographed and blogged all of them.  I'll have to remedy that in the future. 


Your next stop is Nana's Scrap Spot.  I'm sure she has a fabulously creative project. 

Keep the holiday spirit as you hop along!  Thanks for stopping by . . . I would love it if you would become a follower!

And just in case . . . here is today's hop line-up in case you get lost along the way.

Theresa ~ http://scrapsbygracie.blogspot.com

Card A Day Challenge Blog ~ http://cardadaychallenge.blogspot.com

Ashley ~ http://marinewifesscrappinlife.blogspot.com

Barbara ~ http://barbarab3.blogspot.com

Kim ~ www.katydidcards.com

Robin ~ http://create-a-latte.blogspot.com

La-Vie ~ http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com

Aisha ~ www.londonskyedesigns.net

Charmangne ~ www.sanurascraps.blogspot.com

Debbie ~ www.pawstoscrap.blogspot.com

Nana's Scrap Spot ~ www.nanasscrapspot.com

Sandy ~ http://simplycraftycreationsbysandys.blogspot.com

Holli ~ http://sunflowerHolli.blogspot.com

Audrey ~ www.kricutkreations.blogspot.com

To see all the great projects in yesterday's hop , please start at Theresa's blog.

 

Supplies Used - Tags for Creative Blocks

Cardstock:  Neenah and Bazzill

Stamps:  Jingle All the Way from My Favorite Things; Cover-a-card Distressed Corduroy from Impression Obsession, Cozy Winter Wishes from Lil' Inkers

Dies:  Stitched Duo 1, Stitched Duo 3, and Stitched Banner Due Dies from Pretty Pink Posh; ABC Die from The Stamps of Life, Highlight Frames Craft Die from Simon Says Stamp

Ink:  Stampin' Up and Gansai Tambo Watercolor Paints

Ribbon:  Stampin' Up

Other:  Pretty Pink Posh Sequins, Action Wobbles, Flower Soft