Happy Mail!

A happy day here for me!  So happy you had a moment to share it with me!  I'm such a lucky gal to be posting my first project for the Creative Paper Trade blog today...so blessed to have the opportunity to work with Andrea, her delighful products, and the rest of this fun team!  While we have lots of fun challenges in the works (starting next week!), this first introductory project was a 'free for all' shall we say...we got to do whatever our little hearts desired.  So I came up with a fun little gift for my daughter...a way to surprise her with some happy mail and little love notes on a regular basis with this little jean pocket 'mail bag'...

I had been saving some old jeans of my son's for the perfect project, and in pouring over my box of goodies from Andrea...this little idea came to me.  After dressing out the stitched up pockets (I used some of Andreas cute fabric trim for that) and including a ribbon for hanging, I thought I could use the sweet journaling notes from the 'Take Notes' set just as they were to write some sweet little notes and create some 'happy mail' for my baby girl.  She's in 2nd grade now, so she should be able to read about anything I would want to write to her...

I created some sweet little envelopes out of Andrea's pretty patterned papers (so many pretty ones to choose from!) to 'mail' the notes in.  I had originally and very quickly altered the size of the note cards before printing, to fit my Stampin' Up envelope template, but later decided the original larger size of the card was more in proportion to my pocket and gave me more space to write.  I then just enlarged the envelope template on my copier to fit the cards.  (It is nice to know, though, how quick and easy it is to change the size of the images to meet your needs.  If you have any questions about that, just holler!!)

(I've used some PTI stamps on the little labels on the front.)  I want to be able to re-use my envelopes a few times, so rather than use stickers or adhesive...I used the little circular images off the note cards to embellish some cute paper clips to close them up...

I don't know...I think those may be my favorite part of the project!  PTI dies were used to make the flower behind (as well as the butterflies on the picks up top in the pocket), using more of Andrea's papers!  The little 'Happy Mail' banner/flag in the pocket was made from a sweet digital set called 'Let it Fly'.  A few of the banners in this set are left blank like the one I've embellished, but others already have some sweet sentiments printed on them...cute, CUTE set!!  I'll put that little flag in the pocket to let Jillian know some happy mail has been delivered.  Otherwise...she'll have the cute little butterflies hanging out, keeping her company.  Call me crazy, but I think she'll love this!  Her 8th birthday is later this month, but thank goodness, for now, she's grown back into the 'pretending stage'...enjoying her baby dolls again...playing 'restaurant'...so I think she'll LOVE getting her own 'mail' on a regular basis.  I think it will help me focus on giving her some special positive feedback on a regular basis, too!  I do have a concern, though...I'm concerned I may have to make a couple more for her bigger, older, tougher brothers once they see her getting all this 'happy mail' from mom! (Then their dad and I will need one so they can write us back...!!!) Oh well, worse things have happened!!!
OK...I've taken up way too much of your time!  Thanks for visiting and hangin' in here with me!  Don't forget to go comment at the main blog, HERE, for your chance to enter for today's 2 free digital packs from Andrea's shop.

~Geri~