A sweet gal many of you probably know, Kristii Lockart, has issued a fun challenge to use a digital image in creating your card. I really admire Kristii's work, and have really fallen in love with using digital images, so I've been trying to get a card done for this little challenge for about a week now!! I was actually trying to get 2 done!! What was I thinking...no time for crafting these days, so I am hoping I am getting this little solo number in on time. I used an image from Beatriz (I keep going back!!) and used a Papertrey Tag die on it...

...put some pretty Simple Stories paper with it, along with some hand-dyed ribbon, trim and jingle bell trinket pins...

I think I really like this one!! Hope you do, too! (And you, too, Kristii!! Thanks again for the fun challenge!!)

Thanks for visiting! Hope you are enjoying all your Christmas preparations and crafting! I promise I'll be by to visit soon!!

Geri

Hello, dear friends and family!! Hope everyone is enjoying kicking the Christmas season into high gear. It is certainly happening in the Freeman household...the race is on!!! What fun! I must confess, it's not all fun, though...especially when everyone is tired on a Friday morning after a busy, busy Thursday night. My darlin' baby girl and I didn't exactly start the morning off on a positive note. After a long talk and a few tears, which cut into about an hour of her school day, I finally got her headed off in the right direction. I really felt like I deserved a therapy session with some of my favorite Christmas papers and trims...don't you AGREE?!? One of my finished products was for this sweet little sketch at Card Patterns...

Boy, it has been a LONG time since I have played along. But I thought this sketch was perfect for a little Papertrey notebook. And I was also excited that when I was done I would have a little Christmas gift done to tuck away...but I ended up embellishing it for MYSELF. (Oops!)

I used a pretty image from Beatriz Jennings...love, love, love her downloads! And a new favorite paper from Simple Stories...I think I'm hooked!...

All the paper on the front is stitched on, with a piece adhered to the inside to cover all the backside of the stitching. Probably should have stitch those buttons on, too...

I love it! Makes me happy just to look at that cheery red gingham paper!

Thanks to Card Patterns for the pretty sketch! And thanks so much to YOU for stopping! I appreciate your sweet visits!!

Geri

Hello, all! And a Happy Thanksgiving to those of you celebrating this week! Tis the busy season and I've not had much time to post here recently. But I did want to share a few things that have been keeping me busy. Cards...

...for the nursing home and to sell to my dentist office ladies...

Had to keep them simple, both for the nursing home residents, and to keep the cost down on those that were sold. My buddy, Jack, at the nursing home was concerned that his doily was "a little stained"! I said, "Now, Jack...I worked long and hard to get it to look that way!! No complaining!!"

And look at these cuties peeking out...

These were the treat bags I wanted to try out for the office gals, and for the kids' teachers that I experimented with in the previous post...

I really liked these...and they were really very simple...

The little images from here were just too sweet! I am loving being able to dye my own ribbon so that I can keep the cost of it down, and use it more freely on projects like this. Can't wait to start experimenting with Christmas colors!

Remember, this was the smallest glassine bag (from Papertrey or from Henny)...

I was able to get about 10 chocolates in each...

I'll be making more for Christmas!!

I leave you with a closer shot of my favorite card. Loved the image, the warm sunny paper, and one of my all-time favorite colors of ribbon from Memrie Mare on Etsy. Hope you know how thankful I am for each of you...whether or not you are celebrating Thanksgiving this week!

And just one final thing that occupied my time last week...a little baking, a little shopping...a little party planning...

He's 9 now! Boy...how time does fly!

We had better enjoy it while we can!!

Warm wishes to you all!

Geri

Happy Sunday, everyone! Super quick post today! I wanted to get this little project done in time for The Shabby Tea Room challenge, Homespun Fall...

I had two projects in mind for the coming week. My nursing home card and some little "grateful" treat bags to take to the lunch room at my dentist's office. I took some of my cards to sell there last week and the ladies were tickled pink! I thought some little treat bags for Thanksgiving for family and friends might go over well. I saw the cutest ones on Melissa Phillips' blog yesterday and thought I HAD to try my own. I thought they would work well for the STR challenge, too, and then I would be one step ahead!! (I'm NEVER one step ahead!!! ;)

I made a simple burlap sleeve-type bag that the smallest Papertrey glassine bag would fit in. I just loved the idea of a bag in a bag!! I used an image from Beatriz Jennings, which I had in mind for my nursing home project anyway. (so many cute ones to choose from!)...

I was thrilled to find some Dove chocolates for 1/2 price the day after Halloween. They were perfect because they were wrapped more for Fall than Halloween!

Next was the tiny card that would fit in the bag also and accompany the treats...

The sentiment was computer-generated. On the inside I stamped "for you". I cut a Papertrey doily from some Crate Paper and stamped the other patterns with Papertrey stamps. The leaves were from a Fiskars punch.

I thought it turned out kind of cute. Not bad for a first run through, anyway.

It's a simple project, if you would like to give it a try! I would love to see what you come up with!!

Thanks for popping in!!

Geri

Hello, Friends!!! (I think of my daughter's Kindergarten teacher everytime I write that! I DO realize you're grown-ups!) It's another gorgeous Fall day here in Brazil, IN!! So I've used one of my all time FAVORITE crafting tools for today's card...my Leaf Print dies from Papertrey Ink...

I love cutting felt and burlap from them in the Fall...they just give a card a warm, cozy feel, don't ya think? I've combined two challenges for this card...the Color Trends with Die Cuts challenge from Embellish, and the October sketch challenge from The Craft's Meow (did you see their last release?!?)...

I've used the pretty Friend of Mine sentiment from TCM. I just love the font with it's pretty details. I embossed it on a Martha Stewart tag and added my leaves, hand-dyed ribbon and a pretty button. And I can't forget the twine from my cream burlap (I may never buy twine again!!)...

I guess that's pretty much it. Simple sketch...subtle colors...that came together just fine!

Thanks so much for stopping! Enjoy your weekend!!

Geri

Belated Halloween greetings from the critters and me!! Said I would get this done yesterday, but I lied...another busy day! Sorry to post these goodies the day after, but maybe there will be a little somethin' here to inspire ya...we'll see...

This was this month's nursing home card made with images from this Etsy shop, and stamps from Papertrey's "Embellishments" set...

...a little fussier than usual for the residents, but ALL the little parts and pieces were prepared ahead of time and they really enjoyed it! (They love all things festive!) The little panel at the bottom (pink and orange) was adhered ahead of time, and we built it all from there. We also put a little jewel by the "Hello" sentiment. I almost forgot it at the nursing home, but they wouldn't allow it!! ("Where's our little jewel!!") LOL! Here are the other images they had to choose from. (Since the cards are designed the same--it was nice that they got to choose the image that would make the card "their own".)

There were two more images that were horizontal, not shown--8 in all for $2.50 for the download. I know I have to keep in mind the ink used to print them--but all in all, this works out great for these cards for the nursing home. I'm thinking of using similar images for Thanksgiving. (Oh my gosh--we make that next WEEK! Better get busy!)

Next are some cards modified just a little, with some of the extra images...

These were used for teachers, and I made a couple more treat bags similar to Sunday's here, with one of the horizontal images I couldn't use on the cards.

These two went to the school media specialist and her assistant. My kids love 'em, and I figure they're often overlooked at the holidays. The report is that they were tickled pink!

This card was made a little dressier with an image from the same set, and went to the next-door neighbor who lives alone now...

Here is a birthday card for Grandma. Camera issues kept me from getting it in on Papertrey's monthly blog hop with stuffed fabric pumkins in colors of fresh greens and oranges in the inspiration photo...thus, my fabric leaves from Papertrey's leaf dies...

Finally, some clips from Hobby Lobby that I painted cream and added little bits of ribbon to. I use these on the glassine bags I deliver my cards in...

Love the way the bag gives a sneak peek as to what's inside. I would love to hear how YOU package YOUR treasures for delivery! For me...like this post...the card is often late...so the packaging has to be quick and easy! LOL!

Thanks for stopping in! Love hearing from you!! Have a great rest of the week!!

Geri

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