It's almost time!!

I think this has to be my favorite day of each month...(even though it's a busy one!) I am sooo excited to get to share with you our brand new September kit tomorrow called "Hall Pass." The site is being updated and looks great, and every one's gallery is inspiring me this morning. (Even mine...looking at it all in the light of day makes me smile.) I wasn't feeling very crafty when I worked on a few of these projects, and it seemed like nothing turned out how I had planned, but looking at them all together I am happy with how they all came together. I made 6 layouts and an altered envelope for my gallery and I still have 4 sheets of paper and lots of embellishments left over, plus 2 more layouts just waiting to be finished. Holy moly, I think that's the most I've ever gotten accomplished for my gallery! So I'll share a few sneak peeks here and then you must head over to Holly and Amanda's blogs for their sneak peeks as well. So cute!
Okay, these buttons aren't included in the kit (MM Vintage Findings) but Lexi sent them to me...and they were just TOO perfect for this layout. Thanks Lexi!
The super cute handmade felt/fabric star (it's polka dotted on the back)...and yes folks this is the crazy page I made about a monkey in Mexico.

I also went a little crazy with the masking tape this month!! I have seen LOTS of people add it to their pages...but I have never tried using it before. The verdict for me was = FUN! The scalloped edge is just masking tape cut and then layered.

I love the way the Basic Grey June Bug line coordinates with The Boyfriend line by Cosmo Cricket. Such happy, cheerful colors! (Oh, and here's a little more masking tape! LOL.)

See you back first thing in the morning for our BIG reveal of "Hall Pass." It will be up for sale at 8:00 a.m. CST!

TGIF!

I have been under the weather the last few days...ugh! This is one of the busiest times for me...and fitting in spending 2 days on the couch was not on the to-do list! I am feeling much better this afternoon...thankfully. I think I may even take the kids out to eat for dinner. (Tanner is begging for Chinese.) And I am looking forward to a low-key relaxed weekend. No plans besides church on Sunday. Just what the doctor ordered!


I have been super excited to see our designers sneak peeks on their blogs...Samantha's is up HERE. I should be back tomorrow with a few peeks of my gallery.
I love how she outlined the wood grain chipboard letters! And that spinner is just too cute! Hope you have a terrific Friday!

Life is busy...

But I am enjoying it so much!! Productivity gives me a huge sense of satisfaction! I have a couple of things to share today. First is another sneak peek of my gallery. (NO it isn't the crazy monkey page...that one is still under construction right now.) I'm loving that glitter die cut star!
And as I was reading blogs today I came across this image HERE. I am totally loving this idea! Talk about going green and being eco-friendly. I bet I could walk downtown and find stacks of these pallets just waiting for a good home. They would even look good painted I think.

Hope you have an inspired night! Smiles!!

He's mastered the bus...

His only complaint is that it's hot on the bus. Just looking at this picture makes me laugh! His first day when he hopped off...he ran around the back of the bus, not knowing that he should go in front to be safe. (Which also made it impossible for his shutter-bug mom to snap a picture, because she was too busy making sure he didn't get hit by any cars.) But today he had it mastered and once he made it across the street I snapped this pose. LOL. I love the fact that he gets dropped off right in front of our street. (Instead of 2 blocks away like when I was a kid!)
AND I also had to share a little peek of our *almost* here September kit! I have been having fun working with this one. I think I'll have to get the bus picture above printed to make a layout! Even though I am planning to do a few school related things with it, this kit is very versatile. It definitely will work for other themes than just school. For example, I just put together a layout of us meeting a monkey named Coco in Mexico. (Maybe I'll have to show you a sneak peek of that one tomorrow.)
Not only does this kit have two yards of adorable ribbon, but it also comes with 2 very cool pieces of wire as well. Wait until you see what our design team created using them! Lexi posted sneak peeks on her blog today...check it out!
Hope you are having a super week! I'm off to make dinner!

Baby card...

Today I went to a friends baby shower...and so last night I made a little card to take along. The paper is AC, the frame sticker is K & Co. and the chipboard in the middle is KI Memories.

In other news...I am officially exhausted today. This new school schedule is proving harder to get used to than I thought. I am not a "napper" (as in I have taken maybe 2 naps this entire year) but this past week I have already taken a couple power naps just to make it through. Add to that the fact that Tanner is having a sleep-over with his BFF and they have succeeded in wearing me out with all of their silliness. I hope they sleep as good as me. They have had so much fun already...it's been worth it. I'm taking them all to church tomorrow so I will get a little taste of what it's like to have 3 kids to get out the door in the morning. Wish me luck!

Words to remember today...

I wish I knew who to credit these quotes to...but I have no idea who said them. I just like what they say. I am going to put these into practice today!

“A good idea today is better than a perfect idea tomorrow.“
“Don’t let best get in the way of better.“
“Done is better than perfect.“

The perfectionist in me thinks this is hard to do.

I am exhausted after this week! I'm so happy it's the weekend. (Even though we have a full weekend on schedule too! Why is it always like that?) I got a sweet little package in the mail yesterday from Lexi with a few (well more than a few) RVA goodies! I had been wanting a little transfer sticker to "personalize" my iPhone case. I'm weird like that. When I was a very little girl I remember I had a friend named Heidi, who also had blond hair. Only she had long hair and I had my signature "mushroom" cut as I liked to call it. It was a bob...or I think that's what they call it? (I promise this little childhood story has a point...really it does.) So even though I never really loved my hair short. I had it that way for my entire childhood...and the thing I liked the most about it was the fact that no one else had short hair like mine. I was weird like that even back then. I didn't like having anything that was the same as anyone else. As my sister was out buying matching clothes with her best friends...I was searching for anything that I hadn't seen on someone before! I guess I said all of that to say that when I got my iPhone like the rest of the masses...it just wouldn't do for it to be just plain. Here's the outcome!!
The hardest part was picking one! I finally decided the cupcake fit the best (Thank you, thank you Lexi...I love them all!)

I used my Martha Stewart bone folder to rub it on.
And the finished project! And it took me literally 5 minutes. Love that now NO ONE (at least no one I know) has the same old iPhone. Yippee. It's the little things people that make me happy. The tiniest little things.

Have a super Friday!!

Time flies!

Time sure does fly!! Tanner started kindergarten. Kindergarten people!! How is that even possible? I didn't cry, but I did get a little misty-eyed when I got home thinking about it. I am so proud of him, he is settling in there nicely. His teacher has already commented (on day 1) about his artistic abilities. She was amazed. I wasn't surprised. That's just Tanner, he is my little artist.

With the start of school around here...it's gotten pretty hectic, pretty quick. I still have the peanut at home with me for a few more weeks, because preschool doesn't start until after labor day. I think she is missing her bro. She has been helping me clean windows and pick weeds, and even though you would think she wouldn't like all of that, I think she likes to clean even more than I do! Hallelujah! And (just like her mom) she doesn't appreciate having to get up early to drop Tanner off at school. In fact I usually have to wake her up 15 minutes before we're walking out the door to throw on her clothes and comb her hair! Today, when we got home, she let me try on her entire wardrobe to see what still fits and what we need to get rid of. It was a big project because she has lots of hand-me-downs! I love organizing, and even though going through all of those cute size 3T clothes that are too small makes me sentimental...it sure does feel good to get rid of the clutter. It will definitely help as she starts school to find what we need in the morning. It also reminds me of what she has/needs for this fall, and saves me time and money because let's face it...if you haven't seen it in 4 months, you don't remember that it even exists. Here she is with her Windex...give her a spray bottle and she'll be happy for hours!

Now I just need to do the same thing and get organized in my scrapbook room. I work much better in an organized space...I am more creative in an organized space, and I am definitely more productive. I think my biggest problem is all of the projects that I have out at once. I'm heading in to tackle that this afternoon!! (Hoping if I say that here...it will actually make me do it! LOL) Have a great day!

Mid-Month Newsletter!

Freehand Scraps Newsletter (just in case you missed it in your inbox!)

Hello everyone! Time for another mid-month newsletter! There are new backpacks and school supplies filling the house…as my oldest has his first day of kindergarten tomorrow. It is definitely bittersweet. I sit here and think about where in the world the last 6 years went, but I guess the truth is I never thought either of my kids would ever be out of diapers! It’s times like these that I am so grateful for this wonderful hobby. All of the time that has flown past me for the last 6 years is carefully documented in my scrapbooks. The important milestones as well as the everyday occurrences that make up our story are there to look back on and cherish, which is a very good thing since it seems like I just blinked my eyes and my tiny infant is a big boy with half of his teeth missing!

Our August kit “Happy Go Lucky” is up for sale…in case you haven’t seen it, its darling! Check out all of the detailed photos and list of contents HERE. I thought I would share a few of the projects our wonderful design team whipped up with it.
This is a darling mini by Samantha Sibbet, and below is another made by Jen Jockish our guest designer this month!
And of course I can’t stand a mid-month newsletter without a small peak of what’s to come for September!! Eeek! I am so excited about this one ladies and gents. Stay tuned for the full reveal on September 1st at 8:00 a.m. CST. You won’t want to miss out on all of the newly released products from CHA packed into this one!

Ahhh...I've gone too far...I've shown too much!! LOL.
Hope you have a wonderful night!!

And everything is how it should be...

Sorry for my lack of blogging this past week! The kids returned from being with their dad for 3 weeks on Saturday and I had so many things that I wanted to get done before they returned, it kept me away for a few days. I wanted not just to have all of my errands run and all of my work done...but also the whole house cleaned till it was sparkling AND the yard mowed. Because let's face it, for the next week...all I'll want to do is hug them!! Upon their return, they came back both sick...Tanner has a double ear infection (Ouch! He cried tonight it was hurting so bad, and luckily we have the drops that help with the pain.) He is on day 2 of antibiotics and is covered in prayers! Hopefully he'll be okay to start school this week!! Poor thing. Divorce is SO unfair when there are little ones involved. Especially when they feel like they are put in the middle of things. They are exhausted physically and emotionally, but had lots of fun stories to tell me of all the things they got to do. I cannot tell you how good it is to have them home tucked into their beds sleeping soundly. And everything is how it should be...again finally. Hope this isn't TMI for all of you in blogland...it's just me sharing my life. YOU KNOW it will get turned into a page! LOL.

In other Freehand News...September's kit is coming together nicely! I am loving this one *so* much! I can't wait to share a sneak peek tomorrow. I am working on getting a newsletter out since it's the middle of the month! (Unbelievable! Where has this summer gone?) So be checking your inbox for that tomorrow...and as always I'll post it here as well.) Hope you had a fantastic weekend, and don't forget to hug someone today! (You know there will be hugging around the clock here at my house...and I will do my best to be super-mom to my two sick little ones.)

Interesting...

When there are no cute kids around to photograph...you start looking around for other things that your eyes love to capture. Like sunsets. And cornfields (it is getting SO high!)
Like pretty bridges all lit up. I loooove bridges...but if it lights up it gets bonus points in my opinion. And don't ask me why I like them so much, maybe I feel a little bit of danger driving or walking over them? It's kind of like taking a chance. Maybe I think they are just structurally amazing and I have no idea how they hold cars up (even though I'm pretty sure I watched the program on the history channel all about it.)
And even though downtown Peoria is super tiny (as far as downtown's go) I think it being on the river is beautiful!

I thought about doing the color scavenger hunt this week that I have read about on so many people's blogs. (Basically you drive around looking for things that are all one color and photograph them.) Unfortunately we mostly have corn fields...so on the day I photograph green I would be golden...but for all the other days, I would be driving all over the state! We'll see I may have to try it...it would definitely make me really LOOK at my surroundings instead of just zooming by. I like the idea of that! Hope you found some color in your day today!

Work...

Working and waiting for all of the fun things from CHA to get here! The boxes have started rolling in, so it's like Christmas around here! It is going to be a September kit to remember. Full of fun! For now I have another Mother Theresa quote to share...LOVE this! I can truly say that this job is not slavery! I love it!
And this one too...makes me think of two very special small people who are finally coming home this weekend! I cannot wait to put back on the "mom hat."
And here is a little birthday card that I made at CHA a few weeks ago...it's going to my sweet Grandma Suz who turns 83 this coming week! And since she hasn't joined the Internet craze it's safe to share it here a few days early. I love my Grandma, I know 60-year-olds who act "older" than she does. She is amazing and healthy and wonderful and I miss her loads.
Hope you all had a fantastic weekend....and that your work is FULL of love!

Ramblings...

So my kids have been away for 2 weeks now...visiting their dad. I have one week to go before they return. I have tried to take some time for relaxing and sleeping in...as well as tackled some bigger projects that are hard to complete with the kids constant interruptions. But two children were NEVER missed more than mine right now! I miss the constant giggles and singing through the house. I miss tucking them into bed every night, praying with them and reading them stories. I miss getting to act like a kid myself and playing with them. I miss having someone to EAT with. I know that seems silly, but I haven't made any macaroni and cheese in 2 weeks and I'm thinking of making some just so my skills don't get rusty. I ran to the grocery store this afternoon to get a few essentials and schools supplies crossed off the list. When I came home and unloaded the bags...I had bought 2 peaches...tortilla chips and cheese, shredded cheese, hand sanitizer, twizzlers, chocolate, milk, potato salad, and ziplock bags. Real healthy huh? I keep forgetting to eat...and look at the clock at 2 p.m. wondering why I haven't taken the time to eat something? Kids are good, they keep you on schedule...I need mine back! LOL.

Just so this post isn't too boring, I thought I would share a couple photos. This shot is out the window of the plane a few days ago. Don't those clouds just look like you could really walk on them? Ever since I saw the movie "Up" I can't help but looking at clouds a little differently.
iphone pictures are just not the best quality!
And a quote out of a little book about Mother Theresa...full of her wonderful words of wisdom.

In other random news, I have been reading Pride and Prejudice again...such a great book. It's been years. I also just finished reading an unbelievably good book called "Revolution in World Missions" which was totally eye-opening. I loved every bit of it. And am also working on a heritage album for a good friend. Why is it so much harder to scrapbook other people's photos? Off to add some journaling to her pages now! Hope you had a great day!

Newsletter!

Freehand Scraps Newsletter (Just in case you didn't get it...I'm posting it here.)

Happy August! It’s hard to believe that summer is nearly gone, that the kids are getting ready for school to start, and that the night air is getting crisp. I love summer so much, that it’s hard for me to say goodbye. But with the kids almost back to school, it will definitely give me a little more time in the craft studio, if you know what I mean! If you haven’t had a chance to see our latest August kit “Happy Go Lucky” you are missing out on all the fun! Take a look HERE…and get one while you can!

I thought I would take a minute also to highlight some of the awesome projects found in the gallery this month! We have a wonderful guest designer this month…her work speaks for itself…the very talented Jen Jockish! See the rest of her gallery for even more inspiration!

We just got back from CHA, (Craft & Hobby Association) the big trade show where all of the scrapbook companies come out with their brand-new products. The show took place in Orlando, a very hot and sticky place at the end of July, but it was all worth it because of the brand new products we have in store for you in the upcoming months! One of the things I love about my job the most is finding the perfect pieces to go in each of our kits…and my friends I do think we’ve succeeded! Stay tuned!

I just have to say another great big “thank YOU” to all of our loyal customers! You make my job such a joy! Thank you for your continued support of Freehand Scraps! Have a fantastic day!

A few more things...

I have a few more things from my gallery to share...some fav's! My re purposed EXIT sign.
Another card for my sweet boy Tanner. I love this glitter KI Memories paper...I used another Heidi Swapp "Invisibles" star and added some sage acrylic paint. Before the paint was fully dry, I rubbed some of it off with a damp paper towel, to make it a little more shabby.

This one I brought to my sister in Florida. I knotted the flower ribbon and then attached it to the card. This kit is so very much fun to work with!

I am going to be working on a newsletter tomorrow! I mowed the yard today...and so I didn't quite get it finished! Hope you all had a great day!

Checking in...

Oh my where does the time go? It's hard to believe it's August already! I feel like ever since I got back from CHA in Orlando I've been playing catch-up. So if you haven't already checked out our latest kit "Happy Go Lucky" you need to get on over there and see it! There are so many fun things in this kit!

I thought I would share a few things from my gallery today...this little door hanger I made for Chloe. I used the JBS chipboard heart and covered it with the KI Memories glitter heart paper. I loved that paper so much at CHA, that I wasn't sure which kit it would work in, but I ordered it anyway...determined to fit it in somewhere. It just ended up working perfect in "Happy Go Lucky!"
I cut one of the small birdhouses out of the Crate Paper patterned paper and stuck it on a pop dot, and added one of the Prima Pebbles with a cute little bird!

I made a few cards with this kit to send to my kiddos who are spending time with their dad right now. (Man I miss them!) These were put in the mail today! I made the scalloped border on the bottom using my circle punch and cutting the circles in half. I just over lapped them slightly and glued them down. It would have been just as easy to use a border punch too I guess. The chipboard heart is an "invisibles" shape by Heidi Swapp. I used aqua paint to make the image underneath really pop.

I added this to the blog earlier...but wanted to explain how it all came together!

First of all, this Prima printed cardboard paper was *I think* my favorite thing in the entire kit! It's such a change from the ordinary patterned paper. I added white paint splattered and then I blew it in different directions to make it spread out a little more. (I'm sure you were dying to know that technique! HA!)

These crazy pictures are from our Freehand Scraps winter retreat. We put those crazy Hambly rub-ons on with glue dots. We were laughing SO hard the mustaches were falling off!

I sanded the edges of the photo also to grunge it up a little...I thought it went well with the background. More Pebbles and buttons from my stash.

It was very cool to use the stapler with the cardboard...how perfect that the Cosmo Cricket "Elements" sheet had the cute stapler image.

I also had a great time with this Fancy Pants bracket paper.

I used my crop-a-dile to make the chipboard butterfly into a button just for fun.

I added a few brads to the branches and used a paper piercer to punch holes around each tree, leaf, and the border edge of the paper.

This is a little photo shoot we did in Claire's in Orlando. We are silly SILLY girls. Here is our librarian look.

Is my sister cute or what? She totally pulled these crazy glasses off! LOL.

Oh yeah...this was a definite Kodak moment. We are such rock stars! LOL.

I just have a philosophy in life that you are never too old to laugh like an 8 year old...and in moderation act like one! We laughed so hard we cried! Hope you are having a great week!