Decked Out!!

I am so excited to introduce you to our December kit "Decked Out." It is packed with inspiration and a little holiday cheer. It has just the right mix of a little holiday and a lot of fun! It is my favorite kit yet...and once you see it, you'll know why!

I am happy to introduce to you our guest designer this month Chataqua Yardley. Her gallery is full of fun! Jaime Warren's gallery will be a little bit late this month as her computer crashed from a virus and she lost everything! Poor thing. Look for it "coming soon." Here is a little gallery preview...I made these little "wish list" books for the kids so I could write down what they were wishing for (sometimes it's so easy to lose track of all that they have their hearts set on!)
When I asked Tanner what he was going to ask for from Santa he said "I really just want some birds." I had to document it! I'm sure this phase won't last long where you can buy him a happy meal and he acts like you gave him the moon! I WILL enjoy it while I can. LOL.


Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I will be sending out a newsletter in the next day or two, so be checking your inbox for that...and I will also post it here as well. Get this kit while you can! It will be for sale first thing in the morning at 8:00 a.m. CST. Be sure to check it out!

Happy Thanksgiving!

For all of our family and Freehand Scraps friends!

"It's not so much what's on the table that matters...as what's on the chairs." WS Gilbert

Isn't it true? I would take macaroni and cheese instead of a big turkey dinner, as long as it meant I could spend time with my family. I am soaking it up! We had a giant dinner and played lots of dominoes and had a coloring contest. Good times, great food, great company and SO much to be thankful for!

Back in Business!

Tonight I got my laptop back from the shop! I guess I had a nasty little virus on it...which when he tried to explain it (malicious spyware etc, etc.) all to me, it was way above my comprehension level, because I had NO idea what he was talking about. All I knew was that it was something bad that was infiltrating MY stuff, and it had to be taken care of asap! Now that I have it home I am back in business, but I must say that I felt some weird sense of loss not having it for the last 48 hours. Like I misplaced my wallet...that kind of a feeling. The universe was just out of whack. But order has been restored and that is something to be very thankful for! Oh and if you emailed me...I will tackle those in the morning!

In other happy, happy news...my family made it here today. So now the fun will begin.

Here is another peek into my gallery this month.

And I had to share one of the pictures from the Christmas card shoot. We were driving home and there was this gorgeous sunset and so we pulled over ran across the road and posed. I think it's so funny because I think I look like super woman. (That is a corn field behind us. LOL.) Maybe it was all the wind blowing or how the kids were clinging to me. (It was getting really chilly.)
So it wasn't Christmas card worthy...but it made me laugh! Hope you are having a great day!

Another little peek...

This may be my favorite project I worked on...hmmm...I think it was because spray painting was involved. Yep...that must be it!

I'm crossing my fingers that it is above freezing for our photo shoot after church tomorrow. It is just so hard to get a good photo of all three of us. I'm preaching to the choir I know!

Hope you have a great weekend...and if you live someplace warm...you have something extra to be thankful for!

In-spi-ra-tion!

Let me just tell you that the scrap studio got a work out last night! I was on a roll and was up until the wee hours of the morning working on gallery projects. It was around 2:00 a.m. that I looked at the clock and thought to myself..."maybe I'll just do the spray paint so that it's dry in the morning???" Craziness, I know! I don't think people should be allowed to operate paint sprayers at that hour. I kept adding a little more and then a little more...and then a stamp or two here or there. I felt really free this time working on my pages...I didn't have a plan in mind...just wanted to get my hands dirty and create some art! It was very "freehand" which is exactly why I named my business Freehand Scraps. I am not one to start with a "plan." LOL. It felt more like I was working on an art journal...than on scrapbooking. I love how the two go hand in hand. Here's a peek of one of my projects...

And another sneak peek of what you'll be getting in your December kit...would you look at that? Vintage milk bottle caps...be still my heart! I hand-picked these and sorted through to find the best ones. Yummy, yummy, yummy!
And on a totally random note...I am playing along with this fill in the answer game today.

1. The last band I saw live was John Mayer & Colbie Caillet.

2.What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is spending time with my family, stopping to truly be grateful for everything, and the STUFFING!

3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is mostly done...hallelujah!

4. Thoughts of my to-do list are filling my head.

5. I wish I could wear thongs today...but it's below freezing so I'm thinking that's not a good idea.

6. Bagpipes are absolutely beautiful! I love it when they are played in parades and even at weddings...any occasion they make me teary-eyed.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I am looking forward to more scrapbooking, tomorrow my plans will include cleaning and errands, and Sunday, I want to get a good Christmas card worthy photo of the kids and I after church. (I even have the spot in mind.)

Play along if you'd like! Hope you have a fabulous weekend. Check back for more sneak peeks tomorrow!

It's Official!

It must be the beginning of the holiday season...I bought my Christmas stamps today. (I didn't like either one of the designs all that much though.)I am long-lost friends with all of the employees at my local post office...we see each other so often. LOL. I am thinking of cute Christmas ideas of what I could make for them to thank them for all that they do for me. (I am not a bad cook...but I am not the best at baked goods...I like to blame it on my oven, because it's never at the temperature it says it is. Am I the only one who does that? LOL.) So I either need to find a super-easy recipe...or think outside the "baking" box. Any ideas?

I have been busy placing all of my orders for our next kits...I can't hardly wait to see all of the pieces pulled together! I seriously have the best job ever! Getting the mail everyday is like it's Christmas everyday. Tonight I am heading into the scrap studio to work, work, work! But can I really call it work? That's debatable.
Does this girl look like she's on the "nice" list or the "naughty" list this year...that's debatable too! LOL. Just kidding, I think her list should say "mostly nice." She is just so cute...that she gets away with a LOT! Look at the devious expression on her face.
And finally...this is Tanner's latest masterpiece. I think this one is getting framed and hung up I like it so much. I love the little "x's" on the wheels and the funky windows. He informed me that the bus driver was looking back at the children to make sure they were sitting nicely...but that he needed to be careful and watch the road too. Smart kid. He also thinks that when his Papa gets here for Thanksgiving he is going to go out into the "dark forest" and kill a "wild turkey" and then cook it for us. I hate to burst his bubble that our turkey is coming home with us from the local market next week...and it will already be dead. Thank heavens.

Have a great night!

Mid-Month Newsletter!

Freehand Scraps Newsletter

This is such a wonderful time of year. It’s a time to be thankful for the big things in our lives, and the small things. It’s a time to gather together with friends and family and celebrate being together and traditions. It’s time to gear up for the busy holiday season and to try to get things crossed off the list early! If you are like me, you are resolving to give gifts that are meaningful this year. Those heartfelt gifts always seem to be the gifts that loved ones cherish the most. They may even cost less money than a store bought present, but make up for it in the creative department! What better way to gear up for those creative projects than with a Freehand Scraps kit! From place cards, to Christmas cards, to altered items, to brag books for grandparents…you just can’t go wrong! We have you covered here, with the latest scrapbook products and a gallery full of ideas and inspiration. It’s sure to save you time and gas money to have a stash of supplies on hand when you need them. What better way to shop than from the comfort of your own home. You may even think that one of our kits would be the perfect gift for a friend or crafty family member, and we would be happy to ship and wrap, and personalize your greeting for you. We can either ship it directly to you, or to the recipient. So bring on the season of giving!

Speaking of being thankful, I have to brag a little about our design team here at Freehand Scraps. I am so blessed to work with each one of these talented ladies who never fail to inspire and amaze me each month. So Celeste, Jamie, Amanda, Katie, and Nicole… you ladies rock! Just look at some of the projects in November’s gallery. Thanks for all of your inspiration!


Now it just wouldn’t be a mid-month newsletter without a little peek of what’s to come in our next kit, right? Seriously…is it December yet? I am in *love* with this kit, and it is packed with fun! If you are feeling like you’ve lost your creative mojo…this is just what you need to get a jump start! These cute little wool felt mushrooms (handmade by my wonderful Mom *smile*) are just the “icing on the kit.” I can’t wait to show you the rest!

Last, but definitely not least, I want to thank each and every one of you for your support of Freehand Scraps and all of your kind words and emails. I have loved getting to know so many wonderful people in this industry. I am so grateful! And for all of our US customers…have the best Thanksgiving ever!
Heidi

December sneak...

I had a chance to sit down today and work with my sweet little December kit. And yes that swirly clear card is included! I love this kit! But I have mentioned that before...LOL.



I am sending out another newsletter tonight, so be checking for that in your inbox. I will post it here on the blog also! Have a super weekend!

Totally random...

I was just looking through some pictures today and thinking of how much I have to be thankful for. My goodness, could a girl get any luckier? I am convinced that I have experienced more love in my 31 years than some people have in their entire lives. I am blessed beyond belief!

My DD. I am smitten by this little sweetie. What a gift! I need to take some video of her soon.

My sister and my best friend in the whole world. She is the person I can always count on, and I love spending time and just talking with her. We really have so much in common, and I think we bring out the best in each other.

And my little guy is just growing like a weed. He was talking about t-ball today on the way to school, and I decided to post this picture because he has already out-grown his cleats from this summer. I just took them out of his closet today to be passed along.

What are you thankful for today? If you're like me, it's a long list. Have a great Thursday!

It's one of those days...

It's rainy and cold and the perfect day for sitting next to the fire and snuggling under blankets. The kids have the day off of school for Veteran's Day. Which is fine with me, but they have definitely inhibited my productiveness...if you know what I mean. LOL. I have been meaning to get the pictures of my Thanksgiving place cards taken to share with you here. Sorry the lighting isn't the greatest, but we have super overcast skies here today. There were so many little extra pieces left over from my November kit that I thought they would make the perfect place cards for Thanksgiving. These could easily be translated into cards also. The only thing used that isn't in November's kit is the alphabet, which is from our Sept. kit. But the alphabet from November's kit would also work.
I used a mixture
of the antique
birds, and the
glitter die cuts
from Crate Paper.
I even used the
burlap fabric on
a few of them
to add some
texture.

I love

having a

few of the

letters stick

up over the

top of the

card.

This one with the trees on it may be my favorite. I just trimmed one of the glitter borders to size, cut little trunks out of the wood grain paper and attached 2 of the die cut glitter circles for the tree tops. Easy! Hope you are having a cozy day!

Quick share...

I was catching up on blogs this

morning and Heidi Swapp has

a really fun project with free

downloads for Thanksgiving.

You can find it here. I printed

out the cover on a piece of

Scenic Route grid paper that

I trimmed to 8.5X11. I think it adds some texture. Another tip she gave us at the Scrap Etc. event in April was to print out the journaling boxes and accents on photo paper. It adds a glossy, more professional look I think. Even if you don't want to make the album that she created these for. You could make a great layout using these elements...AND they are free! Have a great weekend!

Is it December yet?

I am super excited about our upcoming December kit. It is full of fun stuff! My dear, sweet mother made these darling wool felt mushrooms for everyone's kit. Can we all agree that that is the cutest exclusive item ever? And the alphabet is just perfectly coordinated with the rest of the kit contents!
It just has such a great color scheme! Tons of red mixed in with green and blue and teal. Be still my heart!
This kit is absolutely perfect for anyone. It is not Christmas themed...but would work beautifully for seasonal pictures. It has Jenni Bowlin, KI Memories, Prima and much, much more!

I just want to sew buttons all over the top of that mushroom for fun! Hope that you are all having a great weekend! I will post more peeks soon!

Honored...

I cannot believe that I have failed to mention yet that Freehand Scraps has had the honor of being featured on Willow Traders as the Featured Kit of the Month! If you are unfamiliar with Willow Traders it is an online kit club resource, a message board, and a place to find inspiration. It has been such a privilege to get to know the girls over there. They wrote the sweetest review of the kit and also of myself! Thank you Willow Traders for helping to get the word out about Freehand Scraps!

Also, I have to say that I am getting ready to kit December's kit and have gathered all the bits and pieces. This has to be my favorite kit that I have ever put together! (And I don't say that about all of our kits here every month!) I love all of the previous kits, because I love different color combinations and styles, and all of the fun bits and pieces that make the kit really come together. But there is something about December that I am SO in *love* with! It is full of great colors and funkiness, and I can't wait to share some sneak peeks with all of you!

So here is another layout from my gallery to share. I took this silly picture because I want to forever be reminded of what it was like to have little ones around the house. Don't get me wrong I complain all the time about them cleaning up their toys and finding lizards in the toes of my shoes. But one day I realize that I will look back at those little things and really miss them. So I snapped this picture of Tanner's penguin perched next to my sugar canister in the pantry. I know the day will come when I wish I had to drag their toys up the stairs again, and help them wash their hands, and help them cut up their food...because one day, they won't need me anymore to do it. The title of this layout is "Penguin Proof."

I know that I have mentioned this little bird paper is one of my all-time favorite papers! I used one of the decorative edges from one of the Sassafras Lass papers and layered on top of that another one of the Crate Paper glitter borders trimmed to fit, and the photo is matted on the Mr. Campy wood grain paper.

So I just had to share a few pictures of Chloe from this evening...she is completely infatuated with my little red ipod. She asks to wear it every time she sees it! I love it that we both love music...and we love to sing together.

Hope you have a great night!

More of Happy Trails...

What a day! I had an appointment to get Chloe's shots today, because her school had informed me she was missing one. After all kinds of phone calls to the old pediatrician and the new pediatrician. We waited for 40 minutes in the waiting room all for the nurse to come out and say she didn't need any! Ugh. I knew I was right, and that she wasn't behind on any of her immunizations. So she got her flu shot while we were there...she was so brave and didn't even cry. I was a very proud mom. Then the dog had to go to the vet today. He needed his shots and also last night I discovered a tick on his neck which I got to extract! Ewwww. After a call to the emergency vet late last night, I decided I had better have him checked out. I actually cried because they just aren't as gentle with animals as they are with children. He was such a good dog. The vet and his nurse just marveled at how calm and sweet he remained while they had to be pretty aggressive to get the rest of the tick out. This may be the biggest reason I don't like living in the woods! He also got a cortisone shot for the swelling and pain and he seems to be just fine. And finally I got the Christmas lights hung up late this afternoon. Makes me want to put on some Christmas music. I definitely made the most of the last of our 70 degree days!

Here is a card from my gallery I wanted to share...I know my day needs some brightening up!

I actually made the base of the card from the cardstock that was included in the kit and sandwiched it together and punched holes in the left hand side to string the burlap through and tie it together. I thought it gave it a "woodsy" feel, it almost looks like sticks or branches.

I cut the tree trunk from the Mr. Campy wood grain paper freehand and stuck it on. I thought that the Fancy Pants green pom pom trim looked like it was a branch with leaves on it, so I just cut a few different lengths of that and adhered it to the card with glue dots. I finished it off with a few of the leaves hand cut from the Mr. Campy paper tucked in, and again adhered them with glue dots. I like to slightly fold the leaves to make them look more 3-dimensional. And then I slightly roll the glue dot so that it just adheres the leaf along the center. The sweet birdie is already glittered for you so I just stuck him on the branch.
These are a few of the place cards I made with Happy Trails. I will try to get a little better picture of them tomorrow in the daylight! And share the ones I made with the birds on them as well. Hope you are all having a wonderful night!

Politics Shmolitics...

This is just my own personal opinion...take it for what it's worth. I almost didn't post about this topic, but I needed to get some of my feelings about the matter written down. (So I guess this is just mostly for me.)

I know there is a LOT of chatter out there about the election, and I just had to share a few of the reasons why I am disappointed today. Why do all politicians have to be such schemers? No one could stand up there and tell you exactly what they believed in and expect to get elected because there would be too many people that would disagree with this or that. So instead they have to be completely FAKE and say whatever different groups of people want to hear. For example, you wouldn't talk about your support of partial birth abortion to a group of mothers...you would talk about your great healthcare and education reform. The same goes for speaking to military families...you wouldn't say that the war was a mistake, you would wait until you were speaking to a group of people who were ticked off about the war to say it. And then what does that mean you really beleive? The #1 thing that drives me crazy is fake people. But I guess to have an opinion and be willing to express it, and not change your views depending on who is sitting in the room, doesn't make you "politically correct." I guess that makes me a not very "politically correct" girl. I don't change what I believe in just because someone might not agree with me. We don't all have to agree, that is what's so great about our country. Frankly, I didn't like either of my options for president...but I believe that I voted for morality. Which is something I think we could use a LOT more of in this country! I actually feel sorry for our new president elect because the entire world has expectations that could never be met...not even close. We have a lot of problems in our country and those will not just be gone in January. It just seems to me that the entire world has jumped on the Barack bandwagon, including almost every celebrity (we won't even go into how messed up most of their lives are...but really why would anyone take their advice?) The media has also had a field day making Mr. Obama into a hero. I am very concerned for the future of this great country. All I can do now is pray, and put it in the Lords hands. He is in control. What a releif!

Details...

I don't know why today seemed so perfect. Maybe it was because I had a few hours to myself. Maybe it was because it was election day and I saw so many people out voting at the polls. Maybe it was because it was 72 degrees outside. Maybe it was because the price of gas here was $2.02 today. (CRAZY! A little over a month ago I was paying almost double that!) Maybe it was because I got to go to my favorite junk store. OR maybe it was because of all of these reasons wrapped up into one. I am thankful for my life, for this great country that I am proud of (anyone who has traveled to other places in the world can see just how good we have it here,) and for each and every blessing that has come my way. Nothing could wipe the smile off my face today!


Today I wanted to share a layout and explain some of the little details of how it all came together. On this layout I liked the idea of having the brown scalloped edge being the "frame" so to speak. So I trimmed all of the added elements to fit within the white grid...this was a freehand process. I just drew a few pencil lines and trimmed it until I got the curve right. It isn't perfect, but I don't think anyone would notice unless they examined it. I used mostly the Sassafras Lass paper with the trees on it for the photo mat and also the little extras I added.

Here I layered the green vine Crate Paper glitter border underneath the photo mat and tucked behind it the number 2 from one of the flash cards that were included. The red number "6" and little bluebird are just trimmed from that same sheet of Sassafras Lass paper with the trees on it. (Okay, technically it's called "Fawned of you too.") The little yellow circle flower is one of the Crate Paper glitter die cuts. I used a pop dot to give it even more dimension.
The story I wanted to tell on this page was not the obvious one...that we carved pumpkins...but I wanted to tell the story behind the pumpkins. Which for me was the fact that the kids love pumpkins, but I am the only grown up around to help carve them, which makes a lot of work for mom! Which is not my favorite job. Don't get me wrong I don't mind carving one pumpkin. But 4 is a lot! The title reads "2 kids...4 pumpkins...lots of work for mom!" I used the Pink Paislee alpha and then hand wrote the last line. The little snail is another element I cut from that same Sassafras Lass paper, I decided he looked good just sitting on the top of the photo. The number "4" is hand cut from the same flash card, I used my x-acto knife. The other bird hanging out down by the red poppies is cut from one of the vintage birds you get with this kit. I popped him up with pop dots to make it really look like he was perched on top of the flowers. Super simple!

Oh and I got creative with the alphabet stickers because I had run out of the letter "p" so I used a "d" and turned it upside down and it looks just like a capital "P." Perfect, and you would have probably never guessed that!

So I have so much more to share with you, but I'll save it for tomorrow. I have been raking all the leaves in the yard this week and have picked up around 20 bags...but I'm no where close to being finished. (We have 6 acres here.) And while it's 70 degrees I am seriously thinking of hanging up the Christmas lights while I'm at it! Hope you are having a wonderful evening!

Halloween...

I have to post a little peek of Halloween around here...the kids and I carved and painted pumpkins this year. The painting part is so much easier for them than carving. So that was their favorite!!
Tanner painted his with bats and spiders.

We went trick-or-treating with Tanner's buddy Marcus. It was actually called "trunk or treat" and they went from car trunk to car trunk and collected candy. I thought this was a great idea. They were parked in a big circle, so we didn't have to walk for miles and miles! Now that's my kind of trick-or-treating!

We ended the night with dinner at Pizza Hut and pumpkin shaped doughnuts. I thought those doughnuts were just about the cutest things I had ever seen! We all had a great time!

I will be posting pages from my gallery tomorrow!! Hope you have a wonderful night!

I've been tagged!

The lovely Katie tagged me today. It was kind of fun a fun thing to go back through and randomly pick the 4th file with the 4th picture in it to post.

This picture brings back some fun memories! It is from Christmas 2 years ago. Christmas morning seems to take forever, because every time my kids open a present they want to stop and play with it a little before they open the next present. But that's what I love about Christmas morning! Tanner got this googly-eyed dinosaur book from Aunt Holly, and immediately we had to stop and have story time! Too funny. Other funny things I notice about this picture is that my camera is in my lap...of course. I am the total annoying photographer on Christmas morning. Always trying to get the perfect shot that will capture the moment perfectly! And as you all know...anytime there are kids in the picture..you'd better take lots to get a few good ones!

I am wearing my favorite pajama pants from my favorite store Anthropology. The little details that make me smile in this picture are Tanner's pajamas...he grew out of those ages ago! But boy did he love them. They were a gift from my Aunt Sandy and they had bugs and funny little monsters on them. He called them the "bug jammies." It also perfectly shows his complete and total *love* of books and reading. Another thing I love about him!

So here is what the rules are:

Go to your pictures file and go to the 4th folder and pick the 4th picture and post it. Then tag 4 other people to play along! Oh and make sure to tell us a little about the picture!

The lucky 4 are: Holly, Amanda, Celeste, and Jamie.

I'll post more from Halloween and my November gallery tomorrow!