Christmas Robins, Gnomes and a Santa

 

Hello

In the Gecko Galz Facebook Group, we had a Christmas Ornament and card swap. Here is what I made and sent to the USA to my swap partner, Robin. It has arrived safely, so now I can share here.

My first ornament was a large, decorated matchbox with a decoupaged interior scene:

The front of the matchbox was decorated with images from the Gnome for the Holidays collage set. I set it on a gold mat and added sparkle with mica flakes. A half of an Impresslit star was also added at the top. The sides and back of the box were covered with beautiful patterned paper from the Christmas in Nature ATC set.

For the inside I used two collage images from Frosty Garden as well as one of the cheeky gnomes from the Gnome for The Holidays collage set. The images were fussy cut and decoupaged along with some die cut foliage. Lots of glitter and mica flakes were added to represent ice and snow.

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My second ornament is a Santa wooden bauble.

I used the Santa face image from the Christmas Icons collage set. I printed the face twice, reversing one of the faces so that they could be glued back to back. The body of my santa is a flat wooden 'bauble' which I covered with red manuscript paper from the Merry and Bright ATC Collection. I filed around the edges and added some gold embossing powder. I adhered twine to replicate arms and legs and added wooden beads for weight and decoration.

His belt is a strip of glitter washi with a snowflake and gem for a buckle.

On the reverse Santa has three shiny gem stone buttons on his belt.

***

And here is the card I made:

I used the Christmas in Nature ATC Set for background paper and Plaid Paper from my stash. The main image is from The Frosty Garden collage set and I added die cut flowers and foliage and a die cut sentiment.

That's all for now!

I hope you'll join  the Gecko Galz Holly and Ivy Challenge where the winner will get a $25 shopping spree at the Gecko Galz shop.

The only rule is that you must use at least one Gecko Galz product 

(this can be one of the freebies or, of course, you can buy at the Etsy store!) 

Also if you sign up for the Gecko Galz newsletter, you'll be able to claim a free collage sheet each month and get first claim on the monthly $1 deals!

Please pop over to the Gecko Galz blog to see the fabulous designs by the very talented DT.

We also have a friendly Facebook Group where there are 4 monthly challenges, each with a collage sheet prize. 

Do come and join us!

I'll be back on the 11th and 20th December with more Gecko Galz projects.

Here's all the info you need:

Gecko Galz blog

Current Gecko Galz Challenge : "Holly and Ivy"

Gecko Galz Etsy Shop

Gecko Galz Facebook group

***

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

Fab n Funky Challenges #541 Anything Christmas 14/12

Frilly and Funkie Yuletide Delights 14/12

The Four Seasons AG Winter 25/12

A Perfect Time to Craft AG 28/12

Creative Inspirations #12 Christmas 31/12

Let's Create Challenges #178 Vintage 31/12

Crafters Castle #48 AG 31/12

Paper Funday Challenges #36 AG Holidays 02/01

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #106 AG 12/01

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

***

Path of Positivity: Meowy Christmas

Hello!

Today is the start of a new Path of Positivity challenge.

The challenge lasts for the month of December

This month the theme is Anything Goes with the optional twist of 

Give/Help Others.

Prizes this month include:

• TWO images from All Dressed Up, our guest sponsor for this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all qualifying entrants. 
• ONE image (value of $5 or less) from Scribbles Designs, for the post or project that the team deems most inspiring of the bunch based on all qualifying entrants.
• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital SnapShots for each person chosen as a DT Delight

So if you are following the theme this month, we would like you to design a project that focuses on Giving To or Helping Others. A giving heart is a joyful, positive heart and the holiday season is a perfect time for reflecting and thinking about what we can give to others.

This year I lost my kitty, Casey. He was 14 and had been being treated for Hyper Thyroidism for a couple of years. He was the sweetest, gentlest kitty you could meet. He strayed into our garden one winter and seemed to like it. At first he lived in the bushes and stole food from our other cat when no one was watching :) During a particularly bad, cold snap, he developed an eye infection and we took him to the vets, who confirmed that he had no ID chip. We decided to adopt him. This was sorted through the Cat's Protection Society. They do such wonderful work, taking in stray and unwanted cats and rehoming them and we will always be grateful for them allowing us to have time with our darling boy! Each year we donate to their charity so that other kitties can have a better life. My project reflects this.

I used the beautiful Meowy Christmas digi stamp, kindly given to me by our sponsor, All Dressed Up. I used Copics and Polychromo pencils to colour the image. I used a Sizzix circle die to cut the image and added some acrylic ink spatters. When the splatters were almost dry, I sprinkled white embossing powder over and heated it - this gave me some lovely, textured snow flurries.

I used patterned paper for the background and added some heat embossed snow flakes. Kraft card was used for matting and some lovely velvet trim was added along the left hand side.

Many thanks to All Dressed Up, this month's guest sponsor,

and to Scribbles Designs as the ongoing sponsor of the challenge


We would love to see your creations! 
Just make sure that your entry is positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some way!
The link up is here: Challenge #97 Path of Positivity.

 

That's all for today! 

I'll be back with a another Path of Positivity project in a couple of weeks time.

Thanks for stopping by today!

xoxo

                                                                                                                                            

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

All Dressed Up Challenges #123 Christmas/Sparkle 14/12

Creatalicious Challenges #224 AG/Christmas 14.12

Cut It Up Challenges #240 Holiday Cards 15.12

Critter Crazy #57 AG 26/12 

A Place to Start #12 AG/Blue Christmas 31/12

Crafting Happiness #125 Christmas 31.12

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

xoxo

Vera Lane Studio: Happy Holiday Pigs

 

Hello

Today is my DT day at Vera Lane Studio and I have a Christmas card featuring the Happy Holiday Pigs.

Aren't these two sweet! 

They are coloured with Copic markers and on a smooshed Distress Oxide background with some heat embossed crosses and some stamping using Janets #494 X or O stamp from AALL & Create. Bipasha's Power Words washi tape acts as grounding.

Here is a close up of the handsome couple.

Happy Holiday Pigs.

That's all for now.

I hope you'll come along and play on Vera Lane. It's such a friendly, fun place to be!

  

Here's all the info you need:

Vera Lane Studio Blog

***Vera Lane Studio Facebook Group***

Vera Lane Studio You Tube Channel

Vera Lane Studio Etsy Shop

AALL & Create carry Janet's clear stamp sets, stencils and Washi Tape. 

A list of stockists can be found here.

This is me and Casey - a personalised digital stamp from Janet Klein. 

Order yours here.

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

PIP Challenges #2149 AG 12/12

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends 171 AG 18/12

2 Crafty Critter Crazies #57 AG 26/12

Double Trouble Challenge #99 It's Up To You 31/12

613 Avenue Create Dec Holidays 31/12

Corrosive Challenges Dec AG 31/12

Paper Funday Challenges #36 Holidays 2/01

Crafts Galore Encore: Merry & Bright

 

Hello

Today sees that start of a new challenge at Crafts Galore Encore. 

The theme is always 'Anything Goes' and you can enter up to 3 different projects The challenge runs all month until mid day (GMT) 30th December.

Gecko Galz is kindly sponsoring this month's challenge.

Here is a card I made with the Cuties at Christmas collage set and La Boheme digital paper.

I used the collage image as a card topper, simply using a cutting die to give it some shape and cutting a larger gold mat. These were popped up on foam tape on top of the beautiful La Boheme paper with a die cut snowflake border beneath it. 

I die cut a selection of foliage and made a poinsettia with my favourite die. The die cut sentiment was cut into two parts and adhered to the image.

My second card has the same layout, but this time I used a star Impresslit to create a 3D ribbon across the centre and some die cut lace to add along the side of the image mat.  The image is from the Once Upon a Christmas collage set and the paper is another one from the La Boheme kit..

Here is a close up:

Many thanks to Leanne at Gecko Galz for supporting the Crafts Galore Encore Challenge

Please pop over to Crafts Galore Encore to see the DT's wonderful designs. 

We'd love to see your creations.

Remember the challenge is always 'Anything Goes' and so you can create any type of project - it doesn't have to be a card and you can enter up to 3 times.

Thanks for stopping by today!

xoxo

                                                                

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

Girl in Snow

Worldwide Open Design Team Challenge AG 12/12

The Four Seasons AG Winter 25/12

A Perfect Time to Craft AG 28/12

Crafty Creations Challenges #428 AG 31/12

Ellibelle's Corner Baby It's Cold Outside 31/12

Love to Scrap #152 Christmas Bingo 31/12

I choose column B - red, green, gold, die cut

Merry Little Christmas Challenge AG 31/12

Tree Lady

Creative Fingers #220 AG 10/12

A Bit More Time to Craft #15 AG 12/12

Creatalicious Challenges #224 AG Christmas 15/12

Frilly and Funkie Yuletide Delights 14/12

Love to Craft #65 AG 31/12

Merry Little Christmas Challenge #41 AG 31/12

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

Gecko Galz: Holly and Ivy

 

Hello

At Gecko Galz this December, we have yet another busy month. 

All month long, until the 29th, we have the blog customer challenge and the theme is 

Holly and Ivy.

We also have the Christmas Challenge and a monthly Image challenge, as well as 4 Facebook challenges. We hope you can find some time to join in the fun.

The winner of the Customer challenge will get a $25 Gecko Galz Etsy Store voucher and the runner up a $12 voucher. There are plenty of free Gecko Galz images if you don't already own any. Each blog post has a free image to collect and, if you sign up for the monthly newsletter, there is the chance to claim a free collage set each month.  Also if you make any purchase of $2 or more you receive a free image.

For my customer inspiration project, I made a Christmas card using one of the new collage sheets, Holly and Ivy and teaming it with an older ATC set called Christmas Traditions. I resized the holly ATC in order to make a 5 x 5 inch panel as the background of my card.

I love gold and glitter at Christmas, and so I went to town with this. A broad band of glitter tape was adhered along the bottom of the background and the background matted onto gold paper. The image was cut with a die and the matching gold mat was cut with the larger die. Both were popped on foam tape for some dimension and a glitter paper poinsettia was made from a die by Marianne Designs. I coloured the glitter card with Oxide ink and added gold Prills in the centre of the flower. I used a Sizzix die to cut the foliage.

Gecko Galz products used:

Holly and Ivy Collage Set             Christmas Traditions ATC set

That's all for now!

I hope you'll join our Holly and Ivy Challenge where the winner will get a $25 shopping spree at the Gecko Galz shop.

The only rule is that you must use at least one Gecko Galz product 

(this can be one of the freebies or, of course, you can buy at the Etsy store!) 

Also if you sign up for the Gecko Galz newsletter, you'll be able to claim a free collage sheet each month and get first claim on the monthly $1 deals!

Please pop over to the Gecko Galz blog to see the fabulous designs by the very talented DT.

We also have a friendly Facebook Group where there are 4 monthly challenges, each with a collage sheet prize. 

Do come and join us!

I'll be back on the 11th and 20th December with more Gecko Galz projects.

Here's all the info you need:

Gecko Galz blog

Current Gecko Galz Challenge : "Holly and Ivy"

Gecko Galz Etsy Shop

Gecko Galz Facebook group

***

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in the following challenges:

Make the Cards Challenge #43 Christmas 07/12

Fab n Funky Challenges #541 Anything Christmas 14/12

Frilly and Funkie Yuletide Delights 14/12

Creative Inspirations #12 Christmas 31/12

Paper Funday Challenges #36 AG Holidays 02/01

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #106 AG 12/01

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

***

Vera Lane Studio: Moose Hunt

 Hello

For my DT project at Vera Lane Studio today I have a journal page using the Moose Hunt digi set which was released a while back.

I used a brayered paint background, adding white embossing and some stamping. The images are coloured with Copics and fussy cut. Lots of white acrylic ink splatters were added as falling snow and Janet's Wishy Washi tape grounds my little scene.

Moose Hunt

That's all for now.

I hope you'll come along and play on Vera Lane. It's such a friendly, fun place to be!

  

Here's all the info you need:

Vera Lane Studio Blog

***Vera Lane Studio Facebook Group***

Vera Lane Studio You Tube Channel

Vera Lane Studio Etsy Shop

AALL & Create carry Janet's clear stamp sets, stencils and Washi Tape. 

A list of stockists can be found here.

This is me and Casey - a personalised digital stamp from Janet Klein. 

Order yours here.

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Crafty Catz #574 AG 02/12

* Allsorts Challenge #652 Handstamped or Digital Image 03/12

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #170 AG 03/12

CD Sunday #74 AG 03/12

613 Avenue Create #11 AG 03/12

INTASS #122 Winter 03/12

Pammies Inky Pinkies #2148 Animals 05/12

We Love 2 Create AG Mixed Media 22/12

Santa Gift Bag

 

Hello.

At Lost Cost Portal to Creativity this week, the challenge is 'It's A Wrap' and with this in mind, I made a decorated gift bag using Gnome Santa in Chimney, a stamp I won in one of the recent challenges.

I made the panel for the gift bag and coloured and stamped some tissue paper to fit inside.

I stamped the Santa in Memento ink and coloured him using Copic markers. He was fussy cut with a thin white border and popped onto a stencil-stamped background which has some die-cut snow banks adhered.  I used white acrylic ink to add splatter as snow and die cut a banner for the sentiment.

I made a starry stamped background to mount the panel upon, using the Reverse Stars stamp from AALL & Create and a combination of Distress Oxides spritzed with water.

I made some matching tissue paper. I took some plain tissue paper and dabbed it into puddles of Distress Oxides and dried it thoroughly so that it could be stamped with the Santa in Chimney stamp. Whilst I had Oxides on my mat, I added some seam binding and made a pretty ribbon as well.

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Aud Sentiments #288 AG 29/11

The Male Room #156 Gnomes 30/11

* Lost Coast #133 It's A Wrap 31/11

* CRAFT Challenge #619 Winter 31/11

* Creative Knockouts #429 Winter 01/12 WINNER

Addicted to Stamps #419 Any Occasion 10/12

The Holly and Ivy Challenge #106 AG Christmas 30/12