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.

Getting a little Punchy Around Here! - Monday Motivational

Hello there! This week's Monday Motivational is "Getting A Little Punchy Around HERE!" .These are a few of my punches on the rack my dh Don built for me!

The rest are in plastic storage boxes! Yep, I'm a punchy junky!! Judy Ford

Today I'm going to show you how to make this medallion using a round punch  and some creative folding, then a bunch of punchy cards!!!

This is called a Dahlia Fold.

Two sided paper or card stock works the best.

I usually cut my paper in appropriate size strips then punch away in front of the TV.

I used 1 3/4" round punch for these medallions.

Now think about paper airplanes like when you were a kid!
Start by folding the circle in half.

The next fold is to bring the two cut edges up to the fold.

Then fold the pie shape in half.

Then open and reverse the folds for half of your airplaneOn a base of your choice make two Xs with your tape runner.

Here I used a 3 1/4 inch blue, that I did double loop punch round the corner...
TIP: punch round the corner - start with the corners!!!

(yep, I only did 3 sides you'll see why on the card)
Then apply 4 of your medallion parts so they're squared off on your base

Then take 4 more and fill in between

the first roundNow that my medallion is complete I added a 3/4" round and some bling!

My bling brad has two seperate arms.

(My Crop-o-dile wouldn't reach the center so I dug out my tried and true hole punch.

It's loud but effective!!!)

With punches you are only limited by your imagination,

or what you can scraplift from your favorite blogsites!

The MS Branch punch is very versatile!!!
Use the negative space for a paper ribbon!
Use your tape runner in a circle and make a wreath Make a solid triangle and you've got a Christmas tree!
The strips I cut into 2"x11" then there's room for an extra punch to pretty up the edge!

Do 1 line across and you have a tree branch to hold your favorite ornament!

TIP: If you are sending cards to soldiers - don't use glitter! It gets on their clothes and bodies and shows up in night vision goggles. Don't put them farther into harm's way!!!

If you use pretty pinks and purples etc.

you can make lovely coral for your under the sea cards!!!

There are the specialty punches

like this Birds on a Wire
when you need a card to drop someone a line...

Punches make good challenges for swarms too!

Here's a card I made at a Betty Bee's Buzz swarm last winter

Betty showed us how to make the punches dimensional!
Then we were challenged to use swarm colors hot pink, black, white

I added the double loop punch paper ribbon and the lacey bottoms!!!
Use your scraps of paper and make paper ribbon with your edge punches.

It can be wide for a bee-utiful ribbon...Medium for an accent ribbon...or 1" and be a delicate ribbon to go with this 1" round punch
to accent your coloring or embellishment!

You can use your punch round the corner punches for buggy boy cards...or bee-utiful girl cards...

Or go loopy for roses and put the square on point like a hanky...

and if you give a hoot...

you can use your scraps with the owl punch from Stampin Up...
I used several different colors then mixed and match
them to come up with some cute owls....
wwwwhhhhhooooooo'd a thought.... hahahahaIf you include your Sizzix and Stampin Up die cuts as punches....

Well.... that's another whole Motivational Monday... maybe to die for.... "groan"
So now you go get punchy!!!!

We'll see you Wednesday for HoneyBee Showcase, and
let us see what you can do...
Then link up with us here at Betty Bee's Buzz!
Happy Punching!!!!

Monday Motivational ~ Chevrons

Happy Monday!  It's time for our weekly Motivational jump start, and we have a hot trend to share with you this week... something we're seeing all around now, and would like to thank MoxieFab Cath Edvalson at PaperCrafts Magazine for her inspiration!  Here is Judy with her take on CHEVRONS!
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I get to do this week's Monday Motivational at Betty Bee's Buzz.

I'm going to show you a card made with Chevrons for Father's Day!

Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a DAD!!

 Judy Ford

By definition a Chevron is an inverted V shaped pattern.

They have occurred as far back as early art including designs on pottery and rock carvings.

Well, I searched by paper stock and could not find one zig zig V shaped design!

I was shocked, but not near as shocked as my dear husband!!!

So I thought....what would Queen Betty do???

Think outside the box - square - angle.... tada

Squares cut on point would make a V..... arrow heads are a V....so, I used my paper cutter and cut this black and white square patterned paper on an angle across the squares.... It needs to be an even pattern to see the chevrons easiest..I got some silver metallic cardstock from my stash for the background. I used a Thrinchie I made for a swap on the Cricut board, and wha la.... a chevron card is born...I made this second card for my son-in-law Joseph. He's married to my oldest daughter Jennifer and is dad to my two grandsons, Brock and Jackson.

I tease him unmercifly about all his hats ~ he owns about a buzzillion ( well maybe 1/2 that).

But, he is a great Dad and wears lots of hats in his family...

dad, husband, bread winner, bowler, race enthusiast just to name a few...

I thought this little dude from Paper Dolls was so cute, so I made lots of hats for him...

Inside the card reads.... I'm the DAD....which way did they go???

So now that you've seen mine... you need to show me yours!!!

Check out your paper stock... remember you can think outside the box too....

ric rack? flying geese in quilting? what else?

Wednesday will be the Honeybee Showcase to show you how

the rest of the hive uses Chevrons!!!

Link up with Betty Bee's Buzz and show us your version.

Geometry never looked so good!!!

Thanks for joining us at Betty Bee's Buzz