Special "2-4-1" Crossover Post: JULY TAG- The 12 Tags of 2015 Meets Compendium of Curiosities Vol.3 Challenge #33: Altered Surfaces !

July....WOW. What a month this has been! Guess it's a good thing I decided to put together two events into one Tag (The 12 Tags, and CC3#33) because I'd have not had the time to get one of the two finished in time with so much else going on in my share of the radar!  It finally stopped raining here in Indiana...our part anyway...& summer finally REkicked in. A bit late for most kids going back to school, though.

With help setting up from several Besties, we've got a new larger pool almost ready once again- YAY!!

 I don't know about you, but I am just CRAZY for Tim's JULY TAG! This is truly one for me and my home decor! I'm not sure why I never thought of doing something like this before, but you can bet your Big Shot that I am going to be using these techniques in other projects in the future- that tearing is my kinda thing I just LOVE doing to tags!! So, of course, I stuck pretty closely to all of his instructions....EXCEPT for the trinket items. I get a bit carried away using those IdeaOlogy Mirrored Stars. ;)

      So, here is where I parted ways with Tim's Tag just a bit. I chose to use my drill and choosing one of the tiniest drill bits I have, I carefully made holes in the star for hanging onto a Trinket Pin. And after that, I took a 'wavy road off the main highway' so to speak, and added a neat backside Tag to the frontside. And added photos from our July Fourth gathering here at our house with the new front porch as the background. You won't find the ChiefHubby in the photo as he was off to the far left of me and I kept telling everyone to move over, but alas....he and another Hubby got cut off. The usual that happens when you have alot of folks in one photo, the weather is very hot, and everyone just wants to sit back down asap. Oh well. ;)  I try.

    From there, I took the opportunity to use the CC3 Challenge #33 for the number on the frontside of my Tag. And since I was also making another copy of this same Tag (front and back also) for Wendy Cotner (One-half of a caring and truly talented team of "Mr&Mrs DoItAll"), I chose to make hers into the July 4th with "brave" for their Military SonInLaw serving in Germany and mine into July 14th with "love"- for the ChiefHubby and I celebrating our 31st Wedding Anniversary. I think BOTH Tags turned out PERFECTLY, and are probably one of my VERY FAVES!! (I think I always say that about the July Tags, but who's keeping track??) So, for the numbers, I can't share the details on how I did them, but you can check it out for yourself if you get your hands on your own copy of Tim Holtz's "Compendium of Curiosites Vol. 3". There's only ONE MORE CHALLENGE LEFT, and that makes me kinda sad. Here's hoping Tim has Volume FOUR coming out soon!! Or the fun will have to come out of doing the same three Volumes all over again...???

In both cases; there are PRIZES!!!

For Tim's "12 Tags": I just won for my JUNE TAG and used the gift certificate Mario (Tim's right-hand BTS helper) sent to me to purchase another Ranger Spinner, so I can have a second rack for storing Mini Ink-Blending Tools and have the bottom rack only for the regular sized Blending Tools. I had enough leftover to also restock a few IdeaOlogy items- including the new Mini Rosettes which are TOTALLY COOL!!! I also recieved a Badge for my Blog, that I still need to get up... which I tried several times but Blogger was acting up...Grrrrr!!

And MORE PRIZES: there are a few different ones awarded from the CC3 Challenges- one is sponsored by the oh-my-gosh-so-talented! Linda Ledbetter's The Funkie Junkie Boutique - another PRIZE is sponsored from Inspiration Emporium (the same store from which The 12 Tags get awarded from, too), and...best of all- CC3 PRIZES for every odd Challenge from Tim Holtz himself, sent by the wonderfully helpful Mario Rossi, Master of the Postal Sendings !! 

I'm all geared up for the rest of summer as best I can after fighting off 2 bouts of Upper Respiratory Infections, a rotated hip, and a pool that went "KA-BANG!" louder than a July Fourth Fireworks show. The ChiefHubby has summer-end plans for us as usual; a trip to Minnesota to see the Younger Purdue couple kids getting into a new place (moving from a small apartment to a full, 3 bedroom house), and check out Holli's new Teaching position (she still has yet to choose at this point having gotten not ONE great job offer for teaching, but TWO great OFFERS!); a trip to Florida to see family there, & hopefully regroup with a couple of restful beach trips, and spending time with 'our' four beautiful girls we proudly claim as Nieces by choice!  Coming up this week- a camping trip with the group of Besties will be fun while we get eaten by tons of Indiana mosquitoes left over from all the June rains. Earlier, we helped the Older couple kids move into a brand newly built, 3 bedroom house, and celebrated Brian getting permanently hired to SIA (beginning Aug 17th) with Ashley continuing her straight A college status. We are VERY BLESSED with these four kids, and so many Loved Ones!! After that, it will be all downhill with Fall coming. I really wish it was July Fourth all year long. Summer is just way too short for this gurl ! *sigh* I could totally do without winter at all.

But, we still have THREE MORE TAGS to look forward to after AUGUST TAG- YAY!!!

THANKS SO VERY MUCH, EVERYONE for all the SWEET, SWEET comments on my projects, and for all the "Congrats!" sent for my Winner JUNE Tag !!!

    It's so FUN to share with so many TALENTED people doing these!! I am so awed each time I check out any other Tags or CC3 Challenge entries... I am so humbled to be crafting among all these SWEET folks !! Just think; if we all banded together and managed to create enough to pass out to the rest of the world full of people and put a smile on every face. WOW!

Cause, that's what happens when I come into contact with any of YOU!

THANKS for making me SMILE!!!

....as always....

Be Safe & Happy Blogging!