Thanks for popping in today!! So good to hear from you yesterday! For those of you returning, I'm so glad you're joining in on the fun! (If you didn't see yesterday's post, better check it out when you're done here.)

I dug through some "trash" for today's projects (only the BEST for you, my friends! ;) ...some things I couldn't bear to toss in the trash, actually. I HATE to throw away glass jars and bottles, and if I come across a can that's a handy size, I hang onto it rather than recycling it with the rest of the junk. Anyway, I grabbed a few I had saved and turned them into some Valentine treat containers...

I didn't spend a huge amount of time on any one of them. (probably shows!) I don't know about you, but I have to pick and choose where the time, energy, and tiny details are gonna go...and these were meant to be simple and quick...like this old Coke bottle...

...a little strip of unbleached cotton, trim, seam binding and flowers dressed it right up. I did the stamping AFTER I adhered the fabric...

Here's another bottle...Snapple Tea...with a pretty 'S' at the top (for "sweet", of course)...

Pretty self-explanatory! The next is one of the cans...primed and painted white, with a strip of trim and some buttons glued on...

The next can has a little wire handle...that little cherub needed a good spot to keep an eye on the treats...

This one was very subtly decorated...but I like how it shows off those pretty candies...

Well... I think that's it for today! Hope these gave you an idea or two for turning some trash into treasure.

I think tomorrow we should open a present, don't you? It's so hard to wait for these things! Again, if you missed yesterday's post and don't know WHAT I'm talking about, just click HERE! I would love for you to be in the running for the PRESENTS!!

Have a great crafty day!! See you soon!!

Long time, no see, my blogging friends. I have missed my little blog and visiting many of you. Please forgive me!! I have been storing up my creative time and efforts to prepare for a little party, you see?! This weekend...Super Bowl weekend...marks the second year of existence for my little blog. AND...the 20th of this month marks my 48th birthday! YIKES!! Anyway...I thought would prepare a little party to celebrate both events that will start today and last til the 20th...with lots of posts and projects...and PRESENTS!! Not for me, though...for YOU!! I'll get to those details later in the post...better move on to this pretty photo from The Shabby Tea Room...

(So nice of them to prepare such a pretty table for me! ;) So, so sweet...I knew I had to use it for this special post. Our project had to include the colors in the photo and postal elements or words. I chose to dress up a little envelope (I used one of my Wplus9 dies)...

I've placed it on top of one of Bety's pretty little digital pieces and a little heart-shaped doily. Kind of romantic looking, don't you think? I thought it would work well for the challenge at the Kraft Journal, "So Romantic", too. I have wanted to play along there for a long time, and knew I wanted to use some Kraft cardstock with the neutral background in the photo.

There is some subtle stamping with some Papertrey stamps. I've also used their border die at the top, along with some hand-dyed seam binding and My Mind's Eye paper. Thanks to the gals at both The Kraft Journal and The Shabby Tea Room for these sweet challenges!!

Some party details for those of you who are interested...

I'm close to having enough projects for daily posts between now and Feb. 20th. (I've tried to create a variety, not just cards.) I have 4 handmade gifts prepared and hope to squeeze out a 5th. Those will be revealed in posts before the 20th. You don't need to be a follower, but each time you comment between now and then, your name goes in a hat (Literally!! My kids and I like to do this the old fashioned way!!) for a chance to win one of the prepared gifts. (I have checked on and can accommodate shipping for as far away as Canada, but cannot commit to other international shipping...a couple of items are larger and rather fragile. So sorry!)

I think I've covered the biggies. I sure hope you'll join me! It's just something different and fun to inspire all of us, to say thanks to my faithful friends out there, and to hopefully breathe a little new life into this 2 year old blog!

Thanks so much for stopping in! I WILL be back TOMORROW!!

Hope you're having a great day!

Geri

Happy new week, everyone!! I'm honored to be guest designing in The Shabby Tea Room this week, with this beautiful photo for inspiration...

The challenge calls for the colors of gray, lilac, peach and pink...and some lace...

Decorating this cake (a Crate Paper sticker) was a treat! I thought of my mom, who was known throughout our county and the surrounding ones for the wedding cakes she baked and decorated. I trimmed off some little bits of lace for it, added some pearls, and just a dab of stamping. The challenge this week also calls for a metal embellishment (or two)...

I utilized some silver bead caps to create the trinket pins, and incorporated the little silver "Love" tag. I also incorporated more lace into my layers of scallops at the bottom (Papertrey's Border Banner die).

The floral paper, one of my favorites, is SU, and the gray gingham/matching ribbon is October Afternoon. The large heart was trimmed from a heart-shaped doily. The little sentiment at the bottom is from Papertrey. And I guess that's it. I must thank Debbie and the rest of the girls in The Shabby Tea Room for allowing me to join them this week...it's always an honor and just a special treat!

Hope you know how much I appreciate your visits, so thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a great crafty week!!

Geri

Hello, everyone! Hope this post finds you snuggly and warm! Winter has finally come to Indiana, but it sounds like folks down south have been dealing with our spring-like tornadoes...hope everyone is safe and sound.

2 cards today...the first was this month's project at the nursing home. We really enjoyed friends there at the holidays. Our children's department at church made 100 cards to deliver there before Christmas. We caroled and passed out candy canes. It was wonderful. My two youngest kids' classes and I got involved in door decorating there also. Jonah's class made snowflakes out of silver cupcake liners and I did the rest...

Jillian's class cut out handprints for a wreath...

All the doors were done by various volunteers and the whole place looked quite cheery!! Fun... and a great thing for the kids to get involved in!

Then Jonah and I got busy making cookies for a Random Act Kindness activity...

These are just some of them. We packed up 13 little boxes and bags of cookies for the residents at the nursing home that are my regulars for card making. Jonah and my older son, Caleb went with me to deliver the treats, along with our family photo Christmas card. It was a great night! The more we get to know eachother, the more I look forward to visiting to create a card with the residents each month. They are always anxious to see the sample, to know what it's going to look like...this was this month's...

They were thrilled. Simple card, but it turned out pretty. The next card made my heart happy as I finally got to get into some new things (for me) and create something sweet for Valentine's Day...

I've been wanting some of these hearts from Melissa Frances. I framed it in with some of my favorite papers...downloads from Bety...

The new Papertrey die cut from felt added some soft detail.

Soft and sweet...just the way I like it! Hope you like it too!

Thanks so much for popping in!!

Geri

Hey, strangers! Finally have the kids in school for a full week and am getting back around to a little crafting. We so enjoyed the holidays...sad to see it all end...but here we are starting a fresh new year!

Just a couple cards today using some digital images from Rhonna Farrer. Not my typical cards, but the images were so pretty, I just had to get a kit and play around a little...

I cut the full image out with my Papertrey die, then did a little fussy-cutting with a couple extra copies of the image to layer and embellish...

Here's another image from the same kit, Spring Mix...

Love that little Melissa Frances frame from Henny!

(The inside of the card says, "Just me...thinking of YOU!)

Rhonna has lots of lovely, lovely images! I think their detail can be appreciated more in a larger version, rather than on these tiny cards (and in better light!! Sorry!!) She has lots of accents, fonts, and background papers...I just got this one kit to investigate with, but I know I'll be returning. I'm even gettin' the itch to do a little scrapbookin' just looking at all she has to offer!

I think that's it for today, but I'll be back soon. My nursing home card "demo" is ready. Now for the cutting and preparing of all the elements to make it happen on Thursday with the residents. It's a simple one, but I like how it turned out. I'm also finishing a card for The Shabby Tea Room for this coming Monday. When these two projects are done, I plan to devote what crafting time I have to some SERIOUS Valentine's love, with some new papers and embellishments. Can't wait!

So good to be back!! Sure have missed crafting with you all!!

Take care!

Geri

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