Monday, November 30, 2009

It's almost here!!

Tomorrow morning our newest kit for December "Give" will be up for sale!! I'm super excited to share it with you! Here are a few sneak peeks from my gallery...
This kit was so much fun! It's full of vintage goodness. I love vintage embellishments because they have character!

I also see that a few of our designers posted sneak peeks on their blogs also! Check them out!
Here's Lexi's
I also have the updated link to our blinkie for December!
So be sure to check the site tomorrow when it's updated at 8:00 a.m. CST and get your hands on this one while you can!! Have a great night!

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Surprise!!

Yep folks...I pulled off the most amazing Thanksgiving surprise EVER! I had to keep it on the down low here on the blog, because I have "followers" that could of gotten hints and figured out my sneaky plan. (Especially my mom the birthday girl!! Her birthday is the 25th so I told her that even though I brought her a gift...I was the real gift! LOL)
I made them all pose for this photo...all acting really surprised. I was laughing so hard shaking the camera when I took it! But doesn't it look legit?

We had so much fun! It was definitely worth driving 14 hours through the night to be there!

This is what I woke up to on Thanksgiving day. Typical Colorado beauty. Snow capped peaks that can be seen everywhere and a beautiful 60 degree day! I had to stop just to take it all in.
I don't think I could ever take that view for granted again!! Hope you all had a beautiful Thanksgiving, surrounded by loved ones. I am so grateful!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Projects...

The upcoming December kit has a sweet little page from a vintage children's' book in it. So cute. I literally went through all the pages and smiled at the cute illustrations and the short stories. It was a little hard for me to put it in the kit because it was soooo cute. But it is better to give than receive right?? Here is a little project I made with it this afternoon.
I loved the illustrations and wanted to include them on one of the flowers. I also love the vintage colors used on them. I just dug into my old button stash and viola...cute paper flowers!



I also tried making one from a sheet of canvas paper by Prima...I like this one also and plan to make a few smaller ones to group with it. How cute would it be on top of someones Christmas present? Love it!
Hope you all have a wonderful night! And be sure to check back here for more sneak peeks...the December kit will be up for sale the 1st at 8:00 a.m. CST!

Monday, November 23, 2009

A Glimpse...

Hi there! Hope you all had a great weekend! I'm back with a tiny peek at what's to come in our upcoming December kit...I'll give you a hint...vintage goodness and lots of it!
Oh my, is that a giraffe I see there? Cute, cute, cute! And considering that I could NEVER stitch around these cute little guys with my sewing machine without it looking like a hot mess...it's so nice that it's already done for me!
Did you all have a good weekend? I spent most of Saturday Christmas shopping, the stores were already packed with people. But now I am almost finished! Woo hoo! Now I am needing to come up with a Christmas card design...hmmmm...any ideas? (If you want to share a link in the comments to your blog for all of us to be inspired, by all means do!) I haven't really come up with anything that I feel like I haven't done before. Know what I mean? Happy Monday!!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

It's a big deal...

While on the phone with my favorite sister today she all the sudden started squealing with delight and told me to get to my computer quick. In the middle of the day to find out that I had a layout featured...well it definitely put the perma-grin on my face. What is it that makes us want other people's validation? I think when you love this hobby and are passionate about the "story" you are telling, it just feels good to have other people recognize your work. It's like someone complimenting you on your shoes, hair or clothes...but so much better than that. Better in the sense that you created that work...and I know I don't own any clothing I made and I don't cut my own hair, so I really can't take much credit in those other departments. So there you have it...it was a big deal (to me) today when I saw this on the Sassafras blog!

In other Freehand Scraps news...the November kit is allllmost gone! I have literally a couple left, so if you are interested...seize the day! I have been working my fingers to the bone in my scrap studio as of late. I am working on a heritage album that is nearly completed and have been pouring hours and hours into making it a special keepsake. This has definitely been the most challenging album I have ever put together. It's for a dear friend of mine and so I had to learn their entire family tree. There also aren't many details...mostly just names and a few dates, so it's hard in the sense that you can't document the story of their lives. (Another reminder to write down the details!!) I have been pouring over these beautiful black and white photos for the last week or so, and find myself staring at them, wondering what their lives were like back then. To see where they came from, how they wore their hair (this is long before curling irons and straightening irons girls!) and how they dressed is fascinating. You can see the children wearing hand-me-downs and the women wearing the same winter coat year after year (gasp!) And it makes me wonder if life was just simpler back then. The "less is more" philosophy so to speak. They look genuinely happy and most of them don't look like they had much! It is a good thing to "take inventory" from time to time and keep yourself reminded that...

"The most important things in life aren't things!"
(This coming from the girl who just got J.Crew's latest catalog in the mail today and drooled all over it!) And OH how I wish I could share some of the layouts here with you! It's not everyday that you have such beautiful and OLD photos to work with! Treasures I tell you! Treasures! I am feeling so blessed! Hope you all have a great night!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Newsletter!

Freehand Scraps Newsletter
Here at Freehand Scraps we have so much to be thankful for! We have a wonderful kit this month called “Gather.” If you haven’t had a chance to place an order, you had better hurry. This one is flying out the door!

As I shared in the last newsletter our guest designer Brandy made this gorgeous project. Super creative!

And here is another layout by Holly Stork. I love all the white space on this layout and her funky photos!

And I finally get to share with you a sneak peek of December’s kit…yippee! I love this one…seriously.
Remember that if you are starting your Christmas shopping early, a Freehand kit makes a wonderful gift…and we would be happy to ship the kit with a personalized card straight to the recipient, or to you. My aim is to please, and also to make this holiday season as stress free as possible!! All you have to do is email me with instructions of who you are sending the kit to, and where you would like the kit to go to, and I will take care of the rest! Easy…right?
I am so thankful for each one of you! For our US friends we wish you a safe and blessed Thanksgiving and thank you for your continued support of Freehand Scraps! I’m sending warm thoughts your way. Have a great day!

Friday, November 13, 2009

Let there be art!

Art and Fridays go hand in hand around here. (Actually, everyday and art go hand in hand around here...but it's not EVERY day that I let them get out the paints!) I know, bad mommy. Here is what you need to have a successful art session...a new set of IKEA brushes and lots of pots of paint in yummy colors.
A little cupcake (found in the art section at Walmart for 62 cents) that was begging to be brought to life.
This girl decided that she really needed her "painters hat" (part of her artist Halloween costume from last year.) But you could skip this step if you aren't the fashionable artist type. LOL!

A giant paint smock (which literally would fit me, even though it is kid sized)...this is a must for Mommy's mental health. I know bad mommy.
Lots of colors to choose from. (And a mommy to continually wash out the brushes for you. Again this may be optional for some of you! LOL)

Fun with a cherry on top!
Have a great weekend!!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

I collect penguins...

I don't know really how it started but I seem to have a growing collection of them. They keep me company at my scrap desk and this one even snuck into the picture!! Sweet and simple...here's a little card I made today. Turquoise wood grain. Yummm! I inked the edges of a small chipboard heart and then added red paint over the top of it, and stuck a pearl pin through it. The fabric swatch is from our July 2008 kit from forever ago. I used my sewing machine to stitch it on and then left the long ends of the string so I could tie it in a small bow. This picture doesn't show the correct color. It's cuter in real life.
I'm not so sure about mailing this one...it could be hazardous to the mail handler.

And this is what greeted my tired eyes this morning as I went to make the kids breakfast. The chalkboard in the kitchen has been getting some love lately. The kids are SO into art. Last night Tanner wanted to know what I was making for dinner (a detail he is usually couldn't care less about.) I told him...he appeared a few minutes later with a paper menu of chicken a (+) sign and broccoli and the amount of money it cost. I think he estimated it cost 2 cents. So he drew a coin to pay for his dinner! I wish paper money counted in the real world! LOL!
Hope you all had a beautiful day!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

It was a forget your earrings kind of day...

You know. The day you forget your mascara. Or you forget your earrings...and suddenly even though you are completely clothed...you feel completely naked! LOL! It was a gloomy, rainy day so Chloe and I spent the day inside. I had a chance to finish a little album I had been working on. And here is my desk afterwards...hmmmm...looks like I need to organize again!
This album is called "5 Good Things" and I added this little metal rimmed tag to document the start and end date. You basically write down 5 things you're thankful for or that were "good" each day for a week. Easy peasy. Here is the link if you'd like to make one of your own!
For the cover I used my ancient eyelet stash to reinforce the punched holes and strung all the pages through a metal ring. I stapled a Heidi Swapp heart in the corner and also a K & Company little red bird. (Man I love that little bird.)

I decided to make the colors fun and mixed up with unexpected color combos.
I added a Sassafras Lass decorative border to either side of this page at the bottom. It looks fun sticking out of the bottom of the book too!
As you can see the "good" things in my life are simple. I'm easy to please!
I mostly embellished with little bits of this and that I had laying around my desk. (The "love" charm is from this month's kit!) {Oh and I also misspelled Swedish...oops! But you never would have known unless I pointed it out right? LOL}
IKEA is always on my "good" list!! The back of the previous page up close. I used a lot of staples to attach things in this book. I tried to make it easy and quick!
I added a #5 Sassafrass Lass card from our kit this month and added a tiny gold star in the corner. Too cute. Love this.
And we're already to Friday...see how easy it is to do this. (I think this would be great to do with kids...my youngest just had a birthday and needs to be reminded of all the good she has...instead of all the good she wants!)
I should have taken more time to make my jounaling a little neater...and maybe more thought out. This was the day of her birthday party...so it's all about her. And I just noticed that the book originally has numbers #1-5 on it and mine printed it without. I just added bits of this and that to the bottom to "decorate" a little!

And Sunday...my favorite day of the week (except it leads to Monday.)
On the flip side of the metal rimmed tag...it has the date of the end of the book.
As we near Thanksgiving...this might be a great little project to get you in the mindset of being thankful and conscious of how many "good" things our lives hold. I am thinking of all the veterans that have served our country now and through the years...and if that doesn't make a person thankful then I don't know what will! I am grateful and blessed to live in this country...to be free...to not wake up to bombs exploding outside my front door. Thankful doesn't even cover how I feel about the sacrifices our servicemen have made and are still making daily. Take the time to remember. Freedom has a price...

Monday, November 9, 2009

Monday...

It's Monday. It always seems like Monday is one of the busiest days of the week to me...am I the only one? I'm finally catching my breath tonight and getting the kids to bed e-a-r-l-y! I have several "projects" started all around the house, and have had a super productive day...but I still feel like there is so much to be done! I feel like shutting myself into my studio and creating because I am feeling inspired, but I am too distracted by everything else. I think I'm feeling the holiday stress already. This is not a good sign. Deep breaths!! LOL!
As I was running around today, I was reminded of how much I have to be thankful for. And of how many times I choose to worry about the details instead of focusing on the bigger picture. I saw an elderly woman raking her leaves this morning as I dropped Tanner off at school and had the urge to stop and help her with it, but Chloe has been sick with a fever and needed to get home and rest. I am thinking of ways right now to get out there and help someone else. Show them a little of God's love. In some small way. Brighten someones day. Reprioritize. Reprioritize. Reprioritize! The best feeling in the world is giving of yourself. Now I need to take action! Hope you had a wonderful day to be thankful for!!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Blinkie link!

This was the view from my window this past week. Fall is such a fleeting season! This week most of these leaves have fallen now and it's looking a lot like winter outside. And since I have forgotten to share the blinkie link here yet (shame on me!!!) here it is:

http://freehandscraps.com/images/fs-ad-120x120-nov09.gif

A few silly shots of Chloe and me playing photographer in the car with the iphone. (She loves doing this!) And when we are waiting for preschool to start, there's nothing better to do!

And I'm sharing the rest of my gallery too...you may have seen this leaf garland I shared here using the fabric and ribbon in the kit. But just in case, here it is again.

And last but not least the little card I put together using the sweet little Prima elephant. I painted a little strip behind the embellishments to make them stand out a little bit more. I trimmed the bird sitting on the elephants back and the cloud from a sheet of patterned paper, and finished it off with a decorative edge from the Sassafras Lass paper on the bottom edge. Wouldn't everyone you know love to get a handmade card from you?
Hope you all have a great night! And check out the November gallery for more!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Good Gallery!

Time again to share a bit of my gallery. I have a confession...I literally spent a few hours coming up with mine this month. That's it. That was all the time I had. Seriously!! I was SO SuPer busy at the end of the month...and I loved this kit!! It's a shame I didn't have more time to make MORE! So here are a few things...the first one says "you two are so very spoiled." These pictures I took last Christmas, where my parents were carrying the kids around on all of the furniture they were moving around. Chloe even had a wooden spoon for a scepter. Royalty I tell you....that is how we get treated there. There is NO place like home!
I used my circle punches to make a little posy and crumpled the paper up to make it fluffy. I added the little KI Memories charm for the center and added the little dots with my white paint pen to give it a little more dimension.
Love these glitter letters! I added the KI Memories heart to dot the "i" and my handwriting to the cloud sticker by Crate Paper. I used my sewing machine to stitch around the various rainbows, but it's hard to see in the photo.

This one documents the love that Chloe has for her 2 puppies, Spinkles and Cupcake. They go with us everywhere!! Here they are at the park "swinging." As long as they are around she is a happy girl!
I added 2 buttons from my stash to compliment the KI charms.
I splattered a little grey paint on the base of my layout before adding the photo and embellishments.
This one documents her first gymnastics showcase. She was so cute!
Lots of clouds on this one! So fun! These Buzz and Bloom chipboard clouds were perfect for this kit! (and they are very hard to come by here in the US.) You can see I used the outline from the Crate Paper cloud sticker in the previous layout to add here. (I just trimmed around the outside of it.) I also trimmed one from another sheet of Crate Paper.
Here I've added some layered flowers and geometric shapes from the Sassafras Lass patterned paper. I used dimensional glue dots and pop dots to raise them at different levels off of the page.
And speaking of my little Chloe...she is under the weather and I have had to type most of this post with her napping in my arms. (Boy does that bring back memories from when I had infants!) Hope you are having a healthy and happy day!

 
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