Is anyone else as inspired by this picture as I am?! When I saw it, I knew I had to get in on this challenge...I just love those flowers! Then when I saw the Design Team projects, I was even MORE inspired. And how about those Waltzingmouse stamps!? Oh, my goodness...it was love at first sight for me. They're already on my Christmas list. I almost hate to admit it...I've never heard of them before! I know, where have I been, right? I also have to admit that I'm totally new to EM's challenges. I've only checked in on one other and thought it was way out of my league!! But this one was just so inviting, so here I am. I knew when I saw the photo, I HAD to make some flowers. I used my Papertrey Beautiful Blooms 3 dies for them and thought they turned out nice. The centers are full of some little coppery seed beads.

Next came the "Label" part of the challenge. This initally worried me, because I don't have any of the new labels that are out there (although I sure have been admiring several) and I didn't want to use something outdated-looking. I decided on the classic Spellbinder circle, framed it in and freshened it up with some Tim Holtz grungeboard, and added the Crafty Secrets sentiment (which stamped like a dream!) and the handmade flowers. The photo makes the grungeboard look darker and "flatter" than in person. I sprayed some Vibes in 'Penny Pincher' On top of the brown StazOn, it gives it subtle copper shimmer that doesn't show here.

I used my new Technique Tuesday "Rococco" stamps and Lemon Tart Ink to stamp the panel on the left side and framed it in with strips made from the Fiskars Upper Crest border punch. I added some scrunched up Cabbage Rose ribbon (MemrieMare - Etsy...vanilla creme?) to the panel, and put it all on top of that rich brown and creme Paper Studio paper.


I'm pleased with the finished card...my first attempt at an Embellish Magazine challenge. Yeah!...I'm so excited to create again after a long vacation! I would love to know what you think!! Hope everyone has a great day!!

Geri

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Other Supplies not mentioned above:

Cardstock: Melon Berry, Lemon Tart, Vintage Creme (PTI)

Patterned Paper: Brown Floral Medallions (Paper Studio)
Inks and Paints: Sunset Strip, RazzelDazzel Berry, Penny Pincher Vibez (Shimmerz), Close to Cocoa (SU)

HAPPY SUMMER, EVERYONE!!


This very exciting post for me finds my family home only 4 days from our vacation on the beach and at Disney in Florida. What a wonderful time!! Talk about Summer fun!! And speaking of Summer fun...it just happens to be this week's theme for the challenge in The Shabby Tea Room...for whom I am Guest Designing this week! What an honor! I do so appreciate this opportunity given to me by Debbie and the DT! Thanks so much, girls, for your vote of confidence and your weekly inspiration. I can't say how much I have enjoyed the inspiration from this blog!! If you have not already visited there, just click on the badge to the right (sidebar). OK, lots to say...I'd better move on!

Our summers aren't complete without a trip to the beach, so this was my inspiration for my project. I have even used some of our beach treasures on my project, a 6" x 9" clipboard to help us remember all of our fun summer plans. I thought this would be just as good a way as any to preserve and enjoy these little pretties! I also used a sweet little image from Crafty Secrets' Creative Scraps for the focal point...a sweet little couple on the beach.

These clipboards are easy...and so much fun to make. If you haven't tried one, you have to! They make the nicest gifts, too! Just use Mod Podge over your favorite papers, paints, rub-ons, etc. and embellish until your little heart is content! I used Paper Studio and Papertrey Ink papers, rub-ons from Basic Grey and K and Co., Hobby Lobby's basic pearls (found in wedding section) and Cabbage Rose ribbon from Memriemare (Etsy). As an extra added touch, I used my orange sticky tape and covered the clip in silver micro beads. It's subtle, but pretty in person. I also used opal and teal Glimmerz paints on my shells, along with a touch of prisma glitter. The paint and glitter gave them their "just washed up" look again...I really liked that. The Martha Stewart pine punch reminded me of that tiny, delicate seaweed that tangles around everything on the beach.

For those of you visiting from The Shabby Tea Room...Thanks so much for stopping by! I would love to hear who you are and where you're from, if you would care to leave a comment! I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with this week, and hope to visit lots of blogs to see what everyone is up to now that I'm home. I so enjoyed our vacation, but am chomping at the bit to get busy creating and posting again. If you care to scroll on down, I have included a few more clipboards I have done for other occasions, and my post closes with some exciting news!



The clipboards on the left (I know...bad photo) are the 'legal' size and were made for Teacher Appreciation Week door prizes at my kids' school. I used my Olivia Cuttlebug font to personalize them after the winning names were drawn(not shown in this photo--name was placed in the lower section). The legal size is nice, because when the lower portion is personalized, the name shows even when papers are clipped on.














These 6 x 9 clipboards were also door prizes. They were given away with their little easles so they were "desk ready". Each one has "Notes" added to the lower portion.












Finally, this 6 x 9 board was a Paper Crafts submission for a 'Christmas project using sheet music'. It wasn't a winner but I was very pleased with it. The snowflakes were punched with Spellbinder dies out of creme wool felt. The ribbon is velvet and the buttons were especially pretty, although you really can't appreciate those details in this photo. I really loved the soft look and color combination of it all...the photo just doesn't do the project justice.





Lastly...not only has Deb, from the wonderful Shabby Tea Room, given me a big "thumbs up", but I have also received a vote of confidence from Paper Crafts Magazine. I had a winning card in their Stamping Royalty contest in the Spring in the 'birthday' category. My card will be published in the Nov/Dec issue...a HUGE honor and 'dream come true' for me. Just had to share the good news!! Thanks for hangin' in with me on this long post...I had a lot to share after a long break!!
I'd love to hear from you all!!
Have a day full of blessings, and a whole lot of crafty goodness, too!!
Geri

This post finds my family and I early in our vacation to Florida. We're having a great time on the beach, as you will see in some of the later photos in this post. My card, as you can guess, was created quite some time ago...no time for creating on the beach, ya know! :) I glittered up the 'thanks' sentiment from my Cuttlebug Olivia font (out of PTI's Summer Sunrise cardstock) and layered three different PTI Pretty Pastels papers after punching them with my Fiscars border punch. The cardstock and ribbon are Lemon Tart (PTI). Simple and easy card, but I really like the way it turned out. I must send out a special THANKS to Jan and Tracy for visiting and leaving me comments last week. If it wasn't for you two, I think I would have fallen into a sudden and deep state of depression with no other visitors after months of blogging. (OK, I'm exaggerating!!) I do appreciate you two and hope to continue to hear from you!! (And YOU, Susan!!) I don't think I have anything to post next week as we will still be vacationing and I have nothing else photographed. To keep myself from going into withdrawal, I'll probably continue to post some vacation photos. I do have a special project ready for the following week in The Shabby Tea Room when I get to Guest Design!!

Here are Jonah and Jillian checkin' out some sea critters at the Mote Marine Aquarium. We love this place and had a great time there today!!

We're pretty big into creating in the sand. So far our castle has survived the tide so we've worked on it both days we've been here. We've already got plans for additions tomorrow.

This is how we left the beach this evening...another beautiful sunset. I'm so thankful to have a chance to spend this week with my family at one of my favorite places EVER! (But I sure am missing my best shark tooth hunting buddy, Daddy!!)

Have a great day!

Geri

Busy week here at the Freemans! We'll be leaving on Sunday for our 2 week (almost) vacation, and this is the LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL!! My critters are so excited, and there's so much to do!! I have pulled out a card that has not yet been posted since I have had little time to create this week. I created it for PaperCrafts Stamping Royalty contest but, sadly, it was NOT a winner. I am so proud of it, though! Kind of created a scene, I guess...a happy little scene, I think! I don't have a challenge to link it to, though, and because of that, I would really love to know who might be visiting. I had only family and close friends visiting before I started posting for challenges in http://www.theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com/. I would be curious and appreciative to know if anyone is visiting on a regular basis, regardless of a challenge. Even if you don't normally comment, please condsider leaving me one today to let me know who you are and how you found me. If you're a regular in TSTR, I'll probably recognize your name anyway.

The "Hi" sentiment on my card is from my Olivia Cuttlebug font. There are a few words in the set in which the letters are connected. (That makes it so nice and easy!) I hope to have another post ready for next week that features a "thanks" sentiment from the same set. (Will you still visit next week if I tell you - it's another NON winner :)?)

Almost everything else on my card is from Papertrey Ink...except for the Martha Stewart butterfly punch. If you have any questions on specific items used, I will certainly be pleased to answer those!

Thanks so much for coming by!!

Have a great day!!

Ahhhh! It's so good to be back to posting. I've been busy the last couple weeks creating some door prize gifts for Teacher Appreciation week at my kid's school. I'll also have to share that I created 3 projects for PaperCrafts' Nov/Dec issue and none were accepted:( Can't say that I wasn't very disappointed...many long, late hours creating and submitting. I was really happy with my projects though, and will save them to share later in the year.


I'm just thrilled to create again for my favorite challenge blog: http://www.theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com/. It really gets my creative juices flowing, and I love using chipboard, so I was excited about creating this project. Here are the pieces I used:


Some Tim Holtz (butterfly wings and oval...I LOVE HIS STUFF!) and a piece from a wonderful JoAnn Fabrics set that is no longer available.
Each piece was altered a little differently:

1. On the oval, I added glue and paper and inked edges then backed with contrasting paper.

2. On the wings, I painted, stamped in Fresh Snow, stamped with VersaMark, and embossed with clear glittered powder, then inked image and edges.

3. On the flourish, I painted, inked and embossed with same powder.


The papers are so, SO pretty(BoBunny - Jazmyne)!! My dear friend, Susan, got them for me (along with the seam binding from Etsy's MemrieMare - Sugared Grape and Easter Meadow) for Mother's day. Is that the SWEETEST gift, or WHAT. I LOVE it all! The colors are gorgeous!! I HAD to make a couple seam binding flowers to embellish. I really like the way they turned out!

...put everything together in lots of layers...even got some matching thread!! I know...it's a little overdone...I got carried away with the papers and ribbons...I'll tame down the next one! Hope you can take a little something away from it you like!

Thanks for visiting! I'd love to hear from you all...seems like it's been a long time!!

Have a great rest of the weekend!!

Geri

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Papertrey Ink: Spring Moss and Vintage Creme Cardstock; Ripe Avacado, Fresh Snow and Scarlet Jewel ink

Punches: Martha Stewart Lattice border, Fiscars border and oval

Recollections pearls, Glittered clear embossing powder, Technique Tuesday "Rococco" Stamps, "Many Thanks" set (maker unknown)

Other supplies listed above

I am posting very (very) late in the week, and I can tell you, there is much inspiration to be had by both the DT and participants in The Shabby Tea Room challenge this week. We were to use this photo as a sketch/inspiration. There are so many beautiful projects that have been made as a result. Check them out at http://theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com.

I've had a hard time finding time to get my card done this week, and I've been frettin' and fussin' over it just a bit. I wanted to stick with the "tea" theme and had only ONE very OLD stamp that was appropriate...my chunky little tea cup from DOTS (told you it was OLD!). I could picture the cup as a little vase with some pretty little blossoms spilling out. I also wanted to try making the flowers out of my vintage seem binding, but I hated the thought of making flowers, only to find I didn't like the look of the whole thing, and the binding...the TREASURED (and, in my case, very LIMITED) seam binding would be wasted!! Yikes!!

I finally took the plunge and began assembling the flowers. I really liked the look of them, and they only take 3 1/2" to 5" (max.) of binding each (and, they're pretty quick!) Here's a close up...

I punched out a few other tiny little daisies (Fiskars) and added some pearls. I used a Sizzix die for the leaves. (What a pretty little stem that is!) I embossed the tea cup and distressed it, and arranged all the little blossoms and leaves. I also cut out the large circular die cut from Spellbinders Lattice pendant, and cut off the bottom edge to resemble a doillie/table top. Finished the whole thing off with a little trim, stitching, a glittered "Hello" at the top, and a little binding bow in the corner. Overall, I'm pleased...the binding blossoms weren't a waste after all!!

Thanks so much for visiting me on this fine Sunday! Hope you're enjoying your day!

Geri

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Supplies:

Cardstock: Vintage Creme, Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst, Spring Moss (Papertrey Ink)

Paper: Paper Studio, My Minds Eye

Ink: Dark Chocolate, Summer Sunrise, Hibiscus Burst, Fresh Snow, Vintage Olive (Papertrey Ink)

Dies/Punches: Spellbinders Lattice Pendant die, Fiskars Daisy, Cuttlebug Olivia font, Sizzix Branch with Leaves

Other: MemrieMare (Etsy) seam binding, Studio His&Hers pearls, Papertrey Ink button (SB), DOTS Tea Cup stamp, JoAnn Fabrics trim, Personal Stamp Exchange gold embossing powder

I know...these pictures don't look like they're destined to be together, but hopefully my completed card will show that they ARE, they really, really ARE! I'm not fond of combining challenges, but I really wanted to do both, and the more I looked at the pictures and thought about the challenges involved, it made perfect sense to combine the two...in fact one seemed to enhance the other for me! The photo on the left is from Melissa Phillips' (http://lilybeanpaperie.typepad.com/) photo challenge...simply for inspiration sake (photo from Creative Mint). The top photo is from The Shabby Tea Room (http://theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com/) - It's Hip to be Square challenge to use squares in the project design. There are lots of squares and patterns in Melissa's photo done in some of my most favorite colors. When I saw the roses, I new I wanted to make some of my own...

I used the Spellbinder Flower Creator dies to make these (Thank you again, Susan!!)...they're so fun and I love the vintage look and feel they have!


I cut some other white squares and gave them some soft pretty edges with Hibiscus ink and another peach color. Paired these with some beautiful square shapes found in the Spellbinder Lattice and Fleur De Lis dies. I felt like a little tile layer after putting all these together. Yes, I know...it's a fussy card...I got started and couldn't help myself. It's for my sister who's in the middle of a long adoption process out of Guatemala for her family's little princesa, Nola. She just got back from another trip to try to help the process along...Her post brought tears to my eyes this morning, and while this most recent experience was very difficult, she did come home with some new hope. She could use the prayers of any of you out there who spend time doing so. You can find the details of this last trip at her blog, http://journeytonola.blogspot.com/ , along with some sweet pictures of the little princess and the rest of the family, including sweet Maria who also came to them from Guatemala. I think she'll like the card! Hope you do to!! Have a wonderful day...count your blessings and hug your family!!
Geri


Supplies:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink: Lavender Moon, Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst, White
Ink: Papertrey Ink: HB, Fresh Snow, White StazOn, peach color from Color Box Petal Point set
Punches/Dies: Spellbinders: Fleur De Lis pendant, Lattice pendant, Fiskars border punch, McGill Multi Tags punch, Kane dec. edge scissor
Other: Xyron Sticker maker, prisma glitter, Studio His & Hers pearls, Martha Stewart vellum leaves, Offray ribbon, buttons from my own collection, sentiment from computer, tag stamp from M&MBI Sassy Icons set