Handmade Spotlight -- Christmas In July Sales

Check out this great selection of cool summer items. You can view this entire treasury 

by Clicking Here, or you can click on each item to see it in greater detail.

Search CIJ or Christmas In July to find all the great specials this month on Etsy.

20% OFF CIJ SALE Cream Sha... EmmelynsMommy $5.6	CIJ 10% Off Hello Is It Tea ... OwlandBrew $11	Hand Stitched, Spring, Summe... valleyprimitiv... $22.95
CIJ 10 % OFF Birthstone brac... hazaricreation... $14.4	Laundry Bag, Ruffled, Cottag... HandmadeByBett... $40	CIJ Sale Rosemary Mint Soap,... SummerfieldSoa... $5
Mister Monkey Business - Str... TwistedKnicker... $20	CIJ FREE SHIPPING Sweet Baby... SunflowerRagWo... $75	CIJ ON SALE God Bless Americ... shopch2 $58.5
Gingerbread ornament, Christ... loisling $4	Primitive Flying Raggedy Ang... shweetpotatodo... $25	Lg. 22-1/2" Hand Stitch... JennysToleShed $75
HAND QUILTED, Strip Pieced, ... NoJumbledDucks $25.5	Santa Soft Sculpture Doll - ... MROriginals $44.99	CIJ, Witch Puzzle, Boo Sign,... barbsheartstro... $13
Primitive Let it Snow Mitten... VintageTrimmin... $9

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NEEDLES-N-PINS STITCHERIES: Preparing For Guests

Summer is the season for inviting friends over for barbeques and parties. Of course then there are the "friends" that call and say "thought we would stop by to visit, we will be there in 20 minutes"!  That gives us a cringing feeling of oh my gosh.....I need to clean the house!!! Don't fret....here are some tips for that quick cleaning and organizing.

CLEANING:

Most people don't mind clutter, but not the grime and dirt. Wipe off surfaces in your kitchen and bathrooms as that is where most of your guest will be. If you have dirty dishes in the sink just put them in the dishwasher or if you don't have a dishwasher put them in the oven. And if you have carpet just a quick vacuum in the high traffic areas will work.

HIDE CLUTTER:

A little clutter is ok, but if you are like me I don't like lots of clutter. To take care of some of the clutter just work on the "clutter collection sites". You know the ones.....junk mail on the table, shoes in the entry way, etc. Get a large laundry basket and put all these "clutter piles" in it and hide the basket in a closet. That way they will be all in one spot and you will have less to deal with later.

FINISHING TOUCHES:

Nice smelling scents always makes your home feel much better. I use candles in the winter, but summertime just doesn't seem like the time to have candles out so here are a few other ones. You can put a drop of lemon-scented oil on light blubs before you turn them on. You can also tuck scented fabric softener sheets under couch cushions or inside throw pillows.


This should help you speed through getting ready for those last minutes guest that love to appear at your door in "just a few minutes". :)

 Colleen:)

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries

Needles-n-Pins Stitcheries Blog

Jacquie's Up-Cycle Nation: Shabby Chic Shelf

I love the look of a seasonal shelf and nothing says summer better than shabby chic pastels! It's the perfect mix of colorful memory and rustic ease.

 

Meandering through Goodwill last week I stumbled across an outdated shelf made of solid wood with simple lines.  At $3, the price is right for an up-cycled trash to shabby chic treasure! 

The supply list is short with the usual suspects. 

*Paint *Paintbrush  *Garbage bag drop cloth  *screwdriver 

*150 grit sandpaper *damp cloth

Set out plastic garbage bag as a work surface.

Using a screwdriver, remove any existing knobs.  These knobs are perfect for reusing so I set them aside for the finishing steps.

Sand the entire surface, front, back, and underneath.  Surfaces that have a coat of varnish can still resist paint so it's a good practice to sand with the grain and again against the grain.  This will give the new paint a firm grip.

Wipe away all sanding residue with a damp cloth.  Be sure to wipe inside drawers and pockets just to be sure any cobwebs aren't left behind.

Apply paint.  The first layer always looks weak in coverage.  Let this first layer dry completely before adding more paint.

A note about good paint:

 I can be found frequenting the oops paint section at both Lowe's and Home Depot for cast off colors at a great price.  These stores also offer small sample sized containers for as little as $2.49 if a specific color is desired.  Getting paint and primer in one cuts the workload in half.  This particular color was a sample marked down to 50 cents.

Once the second layer of paint is dry, lightly sand, and wipe residue.

 Shabby chic distressing is added by sanding the edges until the wood shows through.

Reattach the drawer pulls and wallah!  The shelf is now ready for beachy decor!

Add some pretty "prop" soaps by wrapping everyday soap in pretty scrapbook papers and bundling together with twine..

A few extra sea embellishments and a crisp linen backdrop complete the summer shabby chic vignette.

This quick up-cycle can be completed in less than 2 hours for instant summer appeal. Try it out on a forgotten shelf in your own home :)

LOVE  &  UP-CYCLE NATION!

Jacquie Wheeler

Hand of Bela Peck

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Blog Party Sunday -- Show Us Your Handmades

Welcome to our Blog Party Sunday. We would love to have you show us what you are crafting.

You are allowed to add 3 links to your shops or your blog.

The rules are simple:
1. Follow our blog
2. Handmade items only.
3. You may list up to 3 items each week.
4. Family friendly items only.

The success of this link party depends on the participants so spread the word to your friends, visit the shops,  post about it on your  blog, in a forum or on your favorite social networking site, grab the button and put it on your blog or website.
Just click on the Add Your Link button below and add your items.
And if you would like to add a link to the party you can grab this button below.

<a href="http://www.byyourhands.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy110/ByYourHands/blogparty.jpg">, </a>

Update on Veggie Bags

I thought I would post an update on how the recycle jeans veggie bags are working out.
The most important tip I have found is to feed them with Miracle Grow fertilizer every week or two. What a difference in the plants since I started doing that.
Their potting soil is real nice, too, as it holds the water better than the cheaper kind but the cheaper stuff will work as long as you fertilize the soil.
I am so excited about my first cucumber. This was taken a few days ago. It is even bigger now. They surely do grow fast!

Another thing I did was to put pots under the bags so I am not wasting the water that drips from the bottom of the bags. Next year I will put bush type vegetables in them.

Here is a picture of Deena's tomato bag. Http://www.ewenmeprintables.com

Now I am trying to figure out how I can use these bags for fall vegetables. Please leave a comment if you have any ideas on what type winter vegetable would grow in them.