Don't you love a good bargain?!? Found these Martha Stewart treat bags on clearance at JoAnn Fabrics...8 for $1.97...

...right up this thrifty mama's alley!! So I thought I would dress them all up for Valentine's treats...

I used all kinds of bits and bobs of ribbons and twine...

...some pretty images from Bety, HERE...

...buttons...die cuts...

...pearls and flowers...

...gotta have doilies for Valentine's Day...

...in classic Valentine's colors...

So much fun using all my favorite things...including the chocolate inside!!

Thanks for popping in friends!! I appreciate you, and hope you're having fun preparing treats for your loved ones!!

See you soon!

Geri

Hello all! I'm excited about this card today...so pleased with the way it came together...and so happy to have played with stamps again! Didn't realize how much I've missed that! I've been loving my digital papers and images, and they have been so practical for my nursing home projects, with all the recent special holidays...but I love the adventure of stamping...and loved making the card for this sketch on The Craft's Meow blog...

That takes a whole lot of work out of a project, now DON'T IT?!? So pretty! I used some watercolor paper and some misting for my circular focal point...

...I wanted that cage to be subtle. I stamped it once on scrap, then misted with water and stamped again. Did it here last year and LOVED the results! The cage and sentiment is from the Fly Free set...love the the mix of pretty fonts! The little fussy-cut butterfly is from the Friend of Mine set. (The tissue butterfly layers are cut from Papertrey's butterfly die...from an old pattern I no longer needed.) I used some new My Mind's Eye paper to create a pretty little backdrop...

...and there she be!! What do you think?!?

Thanks to The Craft's Meow for the pretty monthly sketch and fun chance to win some stamps!

If you haven't visited before, and you are interested in my give away, let me know in your comment, and click here for the details. And thanks so much for stopping in! Hope you're enjoying a relaxing weekend!

Geri

I'm back with a couple projects today...one being my card for the nursing home. I had hoped to post it, along with the "kits" all made up and ready to go yesterday, but it took every last moment I had to prepare it after I dropped the kids off at school. I've never waited 'til the "day of" to prepare...YIKES...can't do THAT again! I didn't even have a little completed "demo" card for them to see...they're always anxious to see what it's going to look like. I told them it was "mystery card" day...

The embellishment are slightly different on this one than what I prepared for them. I have stitched these hearts one on top of the other...didn't have time to do that for 20 kits. I had hearts with punched flowers and pearls for them. They all seemed very happy with their finished projects. I so wish I could take photo's of them with their cards to share, but that's a no-no. The images on the cards were from Bety, HERE.

I had hoped to mix up the give-away items a little, but this memo board was all but complete, so I'll share it today after the last two very full days... It's a much different style than the last...

I made my first of these for my niece a couple weeks ago using a combinations of black rub-ons and die cuts (my favorite so far...wish I had more of what I used) with a Hobby Lobby frame. At 1/2 price it was $7.50--not bad at all for a small gift item. The wonderful thing about those frames, or many of them, is that the glass is put in at the outer-most edge of the frame, creating a shadow-box effect. You can use more dimensional items in those, which looks really cool, if you want to get creative. I used some K&Co. die cuts in this one--several vellum ones in the pack seemed to go together well.

Hope you like it! Remember...it could be yours! Just leave a comment if you're interested, and I'll announce on the 20th.

Thanks for popping in!! Have a great day!! Meredith...I hope you're enjoying all those Papertrey festivities for me!!

Geri

Hello, and welcome! A couple Valentines to share today using some of my favorite things...

...the pocket and envelope dies from Wplus9...so fun to work with...

...Papertrey's Heart Prints stamps and dies...I really love all the patterns in these! They're great all year round!!

Can't forget the doilies and pretty, PRETTY paper downloads from Bety...

Hope something in these creations brings a smile, and that you're enjoying your day today! I appreciate your visit and hope to see you tomorrow!!

Geri

It's a happy day here, friends!! We're unwrapping a gift up for grabs...I sure hope you like it...It's just kind of a fun thing...made with happy little images and fresh colors...

...October Afternoon papers and stickers...

...put together to create this...

...a framed little work of art...(8 X 10, if you're wondering)...

I know, I know...there's a lot of empty space...but that's because it's really made for this...

Yeah!! You can write some happy little reminders on it!! I think these are my new favorite things to do!! So, so easy...inexpensive...and you can make them any style you like!! You MUST try it!! But remember...this one could be yours...each time you leave a comment between now and Feb. 19th, your name goes in the hat for a drawing for this and 3 other gifts! You can see the details HERE.

So glad you dropped in!! I will try to get around and visit as soon as I can...I thought I was doing so good, but the thing is...lots of things are STARTED, but lots of things are NOT FINISHED! ;) (This is also nursing home week...lots of prep there...and "drive WAY out of town to get hubby's car serviced" day tomorrow! ...one day at a time...ONE day at a time!! :)

Have a great day!! Happy craftin'!! And thanks again for stopping!

Geri

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