{french general}

Kaari Meng, the proprietress of French General, doesn't know it, but she has been a creative inspiration to me for a long time! Several years ago I discovered her online store in the pages of the beloved Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine.

I was instantly smitten with her french-infused aesthetic, and immediately ordered one of the Memory Making Kits featured in the magazine. It arrived in a simple kraft box with a lovely red and white label.

I opened the box and discovered a treasure trove of vintage ephemera and findings, all in my favorite red, black, and cream color scheme, accented with white, silver, and green. I adored this box of beauty, and I've kept it nearly intact all these years because I simply loved looking at those gorgeous bits and baubles!

The box came with little tins brimming over with sparkly glass beads, buttons, and cabochons, Visual candy!

Luscious red velvet leaves, glittery fripperies, and delicate sprays of glass flowers took my breath away!

A passionate lover of books, I was thrilled when Kaari published The French-Inspired Home! I bought a copy right away, and carried it with me everywhere! Definitely a tote-worthy volume! I loved French-Inspired Jewelry, and spent many happy hours poring over Treasured Notions, a pictorial account of Kaari's enviable exploration of the fabulous Tinsel Trading Company.

In a happy little bit of serendipity, I found out that French General released a new line of papercrafting goods at CHA winter via EK Success & Jolee's Boutique! {Watch an adorable video about the product line here} Now I can happily hoard my treasures from French General  and easily purchase more at Michael's in the spring of 2012! I'll be anxiously awaiting the arrival of these gorgeous products, and I have a million ideas whirling around in my head for creating with them. It's a dream come true!

And, {saving the best for last!} I just discovered that I won a prize package of the new line via Kaari's blog The Warp & the Weft! I am thrilled and grateful, and I can't wait to receive my package of goodies in the mail. I'll be creating some fun projects and tutorials to share here on the blog, so I hope you'll stop by again! Thanks Kaari and French General for your inspiration, generosity, and beautiful vintage notions!