Wishing you and yours a beautiful New Year!
Here's a few more sneak peeks from my gallery...this kit will be up for sale first thing in the morning at 8:00 a.m. CST!
The kids chose to eat chinese out tonight to celebrate...I wish I knew how to say Happy New Year in Chinese! See you here for the reveal in the morning!I've been hard at work (if you can really call it that) in the scrap studio. I'm putting the finishing touches on things getting ready for the first. Here are a few sneaks from my gallery.
I'll be back tomorrow to share a few more! Oh, and Samantha posted a few sneak peeks on her blog too. Check them out HERE. Have a wonderful night!few days of 2009, and I am in major "reflection" mode. What a blessed year it's been! I celebrated my birthday yesterday and as I was putting Chloe to bed the night before she said "Oh Mommy, are you just SO excited for your birthday tomorrow?" I tried to explain to her that as we get "older" *ahem* adults don't get as excited about birthdays as kids do. She couldn't understand how in the world I couldn't be positively thrilled. You know, I think she's right. Another year has passed and that time is definitely something to celebrate! I really am looking forward to the year ahead with great expectation. There is so much to be thankful for and to look forward to. There are lessons to learn and places for improvement, there are things to celebrate and chances and possibility...and I just can't help but get a little smile on my face. I love what a new year brings....HOPE, and more love than I deserve! So from little old me...sending you wishes for a wonderful New Year to you! :)
I have been busy at work preparing for our fabulous new January kit to be up for sale on the 1st! (8:00 a.m. CST) It's called "Old Acquaintance" and I think you're going to LOVE it! Wanna see some sneak peeks? Check it out HERE. Now it's straight back to the scrap studio for me...lots to accomplish! 
Back with more sneak peeks tomorrow!
Freehand Scraps Newsletter
Happy Monday! Are you about as busy as I am? My goodness, it seems no matter how far ahead I am, there is always so much going on the week of Christmas! So I’ll make this newsletter short and sweet so you can get to the important business of enjoying the season! If you haven’t seen our latest kit “Give” you really should head over to the website and take a look at the contents. It’s totally packed full of vintage goodness and character that is sure to make your pages stand out from the rest! We still have some available, and don’t you deserve something nice too? After all of your hard work this holiday season, the least you can do is treat yourself to some new scrapbook goodies. Only these goodies are delivered straight to your front door, no crowded malls and packed parking lots…and most importantly NO hassle!
This kit comes complete with loads of patterned paper, fabric, ribbon, handmade PixiePetal crotched flowers, vintage book page, and a great color combination!
And now for a little sneak peek of what is in store for January! Oh my goodness, I love this kit. Lace doilies…how is it possible I have not put these in a kit before? I think this one’s beautiful! It will be up for sale Jan. 1st at 8:00 a.m. CST!
I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued support of Freehand Scraps! Praying you have a beautiful holiday season, a Merry Christmas… and a Happy New Year!
And when I feel like I'm being pulled in every direction and like I'm losing my patience...I just stop and remember how grateful I am for this beautiful season. And for the gifts in my life that are already "opened" and that I get to enjoy everyday! Like this girl who is one of my best friends...and is so totally fashionable everywhere we go. I just can't help but smile! :)
We finally got enough of the white stuff to really play in it! Yippee!
We shoveled and went sledding and attempted a snowman (but the snow was just too fluffy.)
We even went for a walk in the woods looking for woodland creatures. I told the kids that if they were very quiet we might see some. The only sound was our feet shuffling through the fluffy snow as the sun set and the stars peeped through the clouds. It was magical! I'll be back tomorrow with the newsletter! Hope you had a fantastic weekend!
And happy to say that I DID prevail!! All the gifts have been shipped, all the cards have been mailed, all the gifts have been bought and NOW...the fun begins! This is my favorite part of the holiday season. The kids are almost out for a much needed break from school, and their anticipation is building with each and every minute, they are just SO much fun to be around at this time of year! These pictures are from Christmas 2007! I need to take pictures of my little reindeer this year and see how much they've changed!
I have this one framed on my desk...her expression is just priceless!
Reindeer don't pick their noses!! :)
How are your plans coming along? Are you taking a few minutes away from the chaos and enjoying the moment? I hope so! It really is the most wonderful time of the year! I am just like a little kid when the holidays roll around! I am going to be working on a newsletter this weekend to send out with sneak peeks of our January kit so be checking back here and also you inboxes!! Hugs!Here they are...a little stack of "MeRRy ChRistmaS" cheer. I decided to use up my stash of acrylic cards this year. These ones are from our Dec. 08 kit that sold out. They have what look like snow flurries on them, and instead of making something elaborate, which I have done in the past...embossing {NEVER AGAIN} I decided to just make a super simple card!
I bought 2 sheets of paper from the Cosmo Cricket "Jolly by Golly" line and a sheet of their chipboard shapes and I have roughly 30 cards made from about $7 worth of product. (Not including the cards...but those don't count because I was using them up right? Right!)
I decided to capitalize on the fact that the cards were clear. This way the photo (from the last post) will take center stage.
I love this little snow guy!
I added a few gems to the chimney.
I added a little ribbon to this one...it's one of my favorites!
How cute is this little cup?
I kept the same theme on all of the cards. One simple embellishment with a small square behind it. (I adhered the paper to the inside of each of the cards, using glue dots just behind the chipboard shape so that the adhesive wouldn't show.)
Cute trees!
I don't send these to everyone on my list...only to the people who appreciate handmade cards. I have a whole stack of cute store bought cards that go out to the other 75 people on the list! Now I have to get the photos printed and finish getting the envelopes addressed, AND finish wrapping the gifts that need to be mailed out of state. I hope you are having a happy Tuesday! Do they ever go smoothly? I can remember when the kids were infants taking them to get pictures at 3 months, and six months and a year and so on...that was always interesting. You had to time it perfectly with naps and feedings. You would think by now it would be less complicated right? A 6 year old should be able to sit still and smile for at least a few shots...right?? I should think SO! This is the adventures in Christmas card pictures...hang on, you're in for a ride!
They posed for a few without any shenanigans. Even the dog wandered over to be in the shot, which was unplanned.
I finally had a "mom moment." This was after 40 or so shots, and not a lot of cooperation!
We just could NOT seem to get it together! LOL!
And then...it happened...a Christmas miracle! ONE good shot!
Are you tired of seeing all these yet?
Wardrobe malfunctions are a requirement it seems for every photo shoot!
My dog is crazy...he gets jealous when we hug! :)
Chaos!
So thankful to Christie for taking the time to do this photo shoot! And she had the patience of a saint! I'll be back tomorrow to share the Christmas cards I designed for this year! They turned out super cute! Hope you're week is off to a great start!It's a very frosty day here...the wind chill is in the single digits, the snow is blowing and the wind is howling, but the weather inside is just fine! Just made myself a cup of cocoa. I spent most of the day on a ladder with vacuum-in-hand getting all the cobwebs from the rafters. It's not my favorite job...but it sure felt good to cross it off the list finally! I'm looking forward to having a crafty day tomorrow since I got most of my "work" done today. Christmas card design is a big priority! I have already gotten quite a few cards and each one I open, I love! Especially the ones that have a picture! (Of course.)
I made myself workout tonight...I figured I drank a lot of hot chocolate today to compensate for the freezing temps outside, so I had better get to it! I also had to glue my button tree back together as it became a casualty of a light saber earlier today. Are you all finished with your Christmas shopping yet? I still have 2 or 3 things to get...and can't seem to find the time or the will power to shop. I am not a fan of buying just any old gift...I like to put thought into it. Wish me luck! And for some warmer weather...because shopping in the frosty air isn't likely to happen! LOL.
Happy December! I wanted to introduce you to our latest kit “Give.” It’s full of vintage goodness and character that is sure to make your pages stand out from the rest!
This kit comes complete with loads of patterned paper, fabric, ribbon, handmade PixiePetal crotched flowers, vintage book page, and a great color combination!
And of course I have to show off a little of our gallery this month! Don't you just want to run and grab your scissors and get busy? Grab a cup of cocoa, put on some Christmas music and get in the spirit! This first project is by Samantha Sibbet, and the following layout is by Jaime Warren. So cute!
Remember that if you are starting your Christmas shopping, 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 have a sweet project to share that our designer Lexi Bridges made using the December kit to share! Go check out her BLOG for more pictures and the details of how she made them...super cute! Quick and easy gift tags!!
And my gallery part deux...click to enlarge if you want to see details.
Here I added paint to the little flower to tint it with a little color...I added the JBS rub-on to a circle I punched from the border of my old vintage book page. I popped it up off the page using a pop dot.
This was a fall day we spent at the local apple orchard (it's one of our favorite IL. traditions!) It was WARM, like 85 degrees, and Chloe was convinced that she had to wear her cowgirl boots. I thought she would swelter in them, so I tried to talk her out of them, but in the end I let her. She wore them with pride, stomped and played all over the orchard and never complained once about being too hot or her feet hurting. Hence the close up shot of her boot...taken while she did a pony ride, which is her favorite thing to do every year! So she must be a real cowgirl! Right?
The little "Farm Fresh" phrase is from the strip you trim off the bottom of a sheet of patterned paper. I thought it coordinated well...and talk about stretching your supplies!!
I added a few pearls from my stash scattered around the background die-cut paper for fun! Voila! A layout that has nothing to do with Christmas, and yet looks perfect with the supplies in the kit! So very versatile! Hope you are having a great Saturday! Sending hugs your way!