Hello, Everyone! Thanks so much for dropping in! Wanted to play with my Halloween papers and embellishments just ONE MORE TIME before putting it all away, so I've whipped up some treats for the kids to take to school tomorrow using the challenge from The Shabby Tea Room. Here's the pic...

We were to use orange, purple, neutrals and twine to make a Halloween project. I pulled out my glassine bags from Papertrey and fancied them up...

Tried to make them all a little different...

I was almost out of my pretty cream twine so I pulled some strands off my burlap to use...

Works fine for me!

I haven't used those pretty Tattered Angels frames in awhile...they're still a fave...

And a final top-to-bottom close up of one...

They're full of "grown up" candies (chocolate!). Papers are from Basic Grey. The pretty deep purple trim is from MemrieMare on Etsy. The little pumpkins came from JoAnn's. They came in 3 different sizes and are actually iron-ons. I loved the traditional looking faces of them, though, and thought they would work fine. I think they did!

Thanks again for stopping! Pretty, pretty inspiration pieces from the girls at the Shabby Tea Room! (Since I am barely getting this in on time--you've probably already seen them!)

I'll have one last dose of Halloween tomorrow! Hope to see you then! If not, have a great week and a Happy Halloween!!

Geri

So nice to be posting!!! It's been a long, LONG time! (Sure seems like it anyway!) I've missed this little blog--and so many wonderful challenges! Hated to miss this one, though--look at these gorgeous Fall colors from The Shabby Tea Room...

We were also encouraged to make our own flowers, which I love to fiddle with, so I couldn't pass this one up! Wanted to keep things simple, like the photo, and focus on the rich colors of the flowers. I made the large one from these cuts...

Didn't have a punch for a Dahlia so I adapted some PTI Beautiful Blooms dies and gave them pointed petals. (and I inked 'em up real good!) I also used a little Marvy punch for the center of the large flower and used the same for the smaller ones...

I put the finished flowers together with PTI Kraft cardstock and and lots of cream in my ink, paper, trim and ribbon for this finished project...

There are so many pretty projects the designers have put together. Everyone came up with their own pretty handmade flower! You should go check it out if you haven't already! Thanks Debbie and Team for your inspiration once again this week!!

A couple other projects...to celebrate our fine, flying, fuzzy friends, the BEEs...

These were a couple cards I submitted to CARDS that didn't make it in...

It was all good though, because 2 of the 4 I submitted DID get accepted!! YIPPEE!! I was thrilled for my first try with CARDS! These were for a style challenge with the theme of bees/honeycombs, and the colors of lemon yellow, lime green and melon pink.

Gotta love a good challenge!!

Hope everyone is doing well! I try to zip around and peek in on everyone's creations, but I don't always have the time to stop and comment as often as I would like. I SO look forward to visiting--especially when I don't have time to create, myself!! (Gotta get my "fix" somehow!!)

Thanks so much for visiting today! I am hoping to have a little Halloween to post later in the week!

Have a great week!!
Geri

So little time to craft and visit around lately. But I thought this challenge of Deb's was too much fun to pass up...so I squeaked out this card earlier in the week. Should have been doing a thousand other things...

Love that sentiment! The challenge was about goin' retro and using Crafty Secrets products, if possible. The above image came from a page of images/scraps that I received as a freebie with my last order (and it was a tiny order--but they always send a freebie!) It was perfect for this challenge. I used some pretty Crate Papers and some parts of an old hanky...

And of course, I paid no attention to how uneven my gathers were until they were stitched down! Oh, well! It was nice to play a bit! Here's the inspiration photo if you're interested. The challenge is open til midnight. Thanks, Deb!!

Have a good week, everyone!

Geri

Isn't this a lovely photo Nichole has offered for this month's bloghop?...

I loved it when I saw it at release time and had an idea in my head of a little treat bag to fill. Melissa Phillips has made these out of the pretty glassine bags, and depending on how fussy you want to be they can be a pretty quick little project... You just fold up the bottom portion to form a little pocket and add some pretty paper and trims...




Stitching makes it secure and that much sweeter! I used the Larger Than Life stamps and dies for my little bouquet of flowers poking out of the pocket and a Tiny Tag peeking out from my bow...

It could be packed up with all kinds of slender little treats...and a matching card in the back slot is always nice. I wanted an all-over pattern showing through, like the one in the pretty lining of the little case in the photo, so I stamped a background pattern using Boxes Bags and Tags and Mehndi Medallion. I thought this subtle pattern would look pretty even when the treats were packed in...

I love the new Think Big Favorites sentiments and added one to the bottom. Some little pearls in the centers of the medallions and flowers would have been sweet but, sadly, I am out. I didn't have my treats to pretty up and pack in on hand--really didn't think I would even get to participate today, so I wasn't quite prepared. But you can use your imagination on what would be nice to tuck in. Hope you've enjoyed your visit today!

Enjoy the rest of the hop! I have only glanced at the entries so far but saw some awfully pretty ones and can't wait to do some visiting!

Geri

I had all but finished another Craft's Meow August Sketch card this past Sunday evening, but just wasn't crazy about it so I set it aside (and stuck my tongue out at it as I walked away!!). But I picked it up today and decided to put on the finishing touches and post it anyway. Nothing I worked that hard on should go in the trash! This was the sketch...

I used the pretty birdcage from the Fly Free set, embossed it and cut it out...

...then dangled it down over this too big frame. There was one of my issues right there...needed it to be big enough for the cage, but then I felt it was too big for the card, and I didn't have enough room for a sentiment. Poo-ey, I say!! I ended up using a Papertrey Tiny tag for a tiny sentiment...since that was all I had room for!

My other issue was that these colors would be great for a "welcome baby" card...but this wasn't a "welcome baby" card now, was it?! They ended up a little too light and syrup-y sweet, I thought. Anyway, it is what it is, and I'm not a perfect card-maker, am I?! I, and my cardmaking, am a work in progress, and I'm o.k. with that! (Hope you are too, and will come back again anyway! ;)

Have a goodie!! Thanks again, Lisa, for the chance to win some sweet stamps!

Geri

Cosmo Cricket...for you!

ETA: Photos were removed for publication in CARDS--March, 2012.

Hello, friends (and let's not forget FAMILY!) Found this pretty little sketch from Debbie Olsen that is up on the Cosmo Cricket blog...

Love it, and was so happy that just this past weekend, when we went to "the BIG city", I made my very first Cosmo Cricket purchase ever! Then I saw this sketch and was so thankful I had something to play along with. The only problem is that I don't usually tempt myself with all the the matching embellishments, stickers, etc. A very small stack of pretty new papers is usually my treat, and two lovely pieces of the Odds and Ends collection were in my stack. Love them, and have been admiring them on Debbie's blog for awhile now. Anyway, (enough of the blah, blah, blah)...with none of the fancy schmancy embellishments/stickers...I had to get creative with a focal point. Loved how kraft and creme looked with my papers, so I made a rolled rose out of a natural fabric...


...and layered it with some pretty label type images from the scrappy side of one of my pieces. (Thank goodness for that "scrappy side"!!) I also used some Papertrey Ink dies...for the little notebook page and the "you"...

And there she is! As always, I'm already picking it apart in my head as I type...but, oh well! Sometimes I really feel the urge for a do-over, and this is one of them, but time won't allow...housework is calling! (actually...housework is SCREAMING!) Hope there's something in it that inspires you a bit, and hope you have a great day!

Thanks, Cosmo Cricket for the sweet challenge!!

Geri

Hello, friends! A little challenge today that I'm excited about. I finally had time to experiment with my new Craft's Meow stamps. I only have two small sets but I just love them, and I WANT MORE!!! So I'm participating in this sketch challenge...

A lucky random winner will win a set of their choice!! I flipped the sketch for my card. I used a $4 set, Friend of Mine, ( 4 BUCKS!!! And shipping was SO reasonable!!!) for my focal point, along with a Maya Road chipboard frame...

Is that sentiment not the prettiest thing!?! I also used some pretty MMEye papers (hope I'm right on that...forgot to check) and stamped the tiny butterflies from Fly Free onto a Making Memories journaling piece. And stitched a little (of course)...here she is...

Lots goin' on, huh?! Maybe too much! Oh well, craft 'n' learn...hope it doesn't scare you away! I don't mean to be greedy, but I hope to get a couple more done by the end of the month to increase my chances! So there could be a Crafts Meow August Sketch Challenge part II and III ;) Thanks for the chance to win, Lisa!!

Have a great day!!

Geri