* Vera Lane Studio: Quirky Bird House

Hello! 

Happy Monday!

These Mondays come around very quickly, don't they?

Today is my DT day at Vera Lane Studio. Now, if you are a VLS fan you will know that Janet's cute characters are now available in stamp form. AALL & Create produce and sell the stamps and you can check out;s the stockists here.  

Last week they were showcased in a One Day Special on Hochanda. Leonie Pujol worked with AALL & Create's founder, Autour de Mwa, and she produced an adorable 3D bird house decoration, and this is the inspiration behind my project for  today. Thanks, Leonie!

I made a similar bird house to Leonie's, using all digital stamps - the great thing about digi stamps is that you can resize them to suit your needs and reverse them (as I did with the Tiny Fleur Fairy) to give you a back to back image.

I have had this wooden bird house in my stash for well over a year and wondered what to do with it. 

I gave it a coat of gesso and let it dry overnight. The next day I applied acrylic paints and then stencilled and stamped in darker shades of the same colours. I applied some Crackle Texture Paste through a stencil on the roof.

I stamped some foliage on the bird house walls, then added my VLS digi images. The images, apart from the Tiny Fleur Fairy, are all the little extras that Janet includes in the digi sets. The bird on the perch is held in place, away from the wall, using foam pads. The sentiment on the roof is from the Tall Town set.

There are lots of options for VLS projects like this one - have a look in your sets and use the elements to create a little scene. 

Here are the sets that my elements came from:

Tiny Fleur Fairy

Woodland Props (WellingtonBird)   Sprinkle and Sparkle (Bee)   Fairy Mushrooms   Sunny (Flowers on back wall)  Lovely Garden (small bird on perch)   May(cluster of flowers on front)   
Tall Town (sentiment)

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

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* A Perfect Time to Craft #2 AG 27/02
* Mix It Up #34 AG with Stencilling 28/02
* Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #126 AG 29/02
* A Bit More Time to Craft #110 AG 29/02
* Dream Valley #219 Hand Coloured Images 29/02
* World Wide Open DT Challenge AG 12/03

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* Watercoloured Florals

Hello!

It's another wet and windy Saturday, so I've stayed indoors and been trying out some new stamps by Rubber Dance. 

They are the Loose Florals Set 1. 

I stamped the floral images onto watercolour card and coloured them in my favourite colour with my Cotman watercolours. I fussy cut them, leaving a thin white border.

The background is on mixed media card - it was first given a coating of white gesso, then torn book pages were added. I applied some Crackle Texture Paste through a That's Crafty Bubble Leaves stencil and when it was dry began to add colour to the background. More white gesso was applied to knock back some of the colour and when that was dry, I stamped some Grungy Borders and some words from the Mix A Sentiment stamp set. I also added some Distress Oxide dots from the new Textured Birds set.

I arranged the flowers and leaves and loosely glued them to the background. I used my finger to add black acrylic paint around the edges of the background for a grungy look and finished with white paint splatters.

The sentiment is a sticker from Tim Holtz's Small Talk pack.

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

                                                                                                                                            

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Lavinia World Challenges #20 AG Real Stamps 24/02

Addicted to Stamps #377 Make Your Mark 25/02

Take It Make It Feb AG 26/02 WINNER

* Cassic Design Challenge  AG 27/02

* Love to Craft #43 AG 28/02

* Mix It Up #34 AG with Stencilling 28/02 TOP PICK

* Dream Valley #219 Hand Coloured Images (3/3) 29/02 TOP 3

* Tuesday Throwdown #451 Favourite Colour (pinks) 2/03 TOP 3

* My Time to Craft #426 Rubber Stamp 05/03

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

xoxo

* Gecko Galz: Mermaid Accordion Booklet

Hello!

Today is my DT day at Gecko Galz.

The customer challenge theme this month is The Age of Aquarius, so I thought I would make a watery themed project. I decided upon a mermaid accordion booklet; Gecko Galz has the most beautiful mermaid collage sheets!

Here is my booklet:

I used the Bubbles mini paper pack for all the backgrounds throughout the project. The edges of the papers were inked with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink.

 The front cover image is one from the Art and Soul collage sheet. I added some gold glitter to the swirls and some gold mesh fabric, along with two die cut flowers and some glitter washi tape.

The back cover has a beautiful sentiment image to which I added some gold mesh fabric and some mulberry paper flowers.

The mermaid pages have die-cut seaweed embellishments cut from distress oxide coloured card along with gold glitter washi and gold mesh fabric. The sentiments are mostly from Charming Words whilst some were typed and printed. 

 


 

  

  

Gecko Galz products used:

  Bubbles


Pretty Mermaids                                             Colourful Mermaids

 

                  Art and Soul                                                 Midsummer Dreams
   

That's all for now!

I hope you'll join our Age of Aquarius 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 weekly $1 deals!

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

We also have a Private 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 1st March with a new challenge and more Gecko Galz projects.

Here's all the info you need:

Gecko Galz blog

Current Gecko Galz Challenge : "Age of Aquarius"

Gecko Galz Etsy Shop

Gecko Galz Facebook group

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Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

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

Mermaid Accordion Booklet
* Pammies Inky Pinkies #2007 AG 23/02
Arty Divas #15 AG 24/02

* A Perfect Time to Craft #23AG 27/02

* Cassic Design Challenge  AG 27/02 Highly Commended

* Love to Craft #43 AG 28/02

* Crafty Creations #406 (1/3)AG 03/03
* Creative Inspirations AG 03/03

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

* Monkey Banjo Band

Hello!

It's a wet and miserable day today, so I've been having a play with stamps and inks. 

I like to try and enter the challenge at Lost Coast Portal to Creativity and this fortnight the challenge is Monkey See, Monkey Do. Yay!!!!  
 I actually have a new monkey stamp! I used Carmen's Veranda's stamp, Monkey with Banjo, for my card. If you haven't visited Carmen's Veranda - you should hop on by and take a look. She stocks all manner of quirky stamps and some fabulous (and often wonderfully snarky) sentiments.

Here is my card:

I wanted to create a monkey banjo band, so I set about masking and repeat stamping my monkey. I used two shades of purple Distress Oxides for the background monkeys (Seedless Preserves and Wilted Violet) and Versafine Onyx Black for the main monkey who was fussy cut and adhered to the card. I added some random music notes to the background using a KaiserCraft stamp called Sheet Music and inked the edges of the background with Shaded Lilac and Dusty Concord.

The sentiment, called Overdose of Satisfaction, is also from Carmen's Veranda - I cut it into strips and arranged it so that it would fit onto my card. Finally I matted the background onto black card and popped it onto a 5 x 7 inch card base.

I hope my monkeys made you smile today!

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

                                                                                                                                            

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Always Fun #150 Animals 23/02

* Pammies Inky Pinkies #2007 AG 23/02

* A Perfect Time to Craft #23AG 27/02

* Cassic Design Challenge  AG 27/02

* Love to Craft #43 AG 28/02
* MMM Challenge #116 Critters 28/02

* Lost Coast Portal to Creativity #93 Monkey See, Monkey Do 29/02

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

xoxo

* Path of Positivity: Be Who You Are

Hello!

Happy Monday!

Today is my midway DT post for the Path of Positivity challenge.

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

Each of us is better for the people in our lives, so we are asking that this month you create a project that shows how much you care for someone who holds a significant place in your life.

Prizes this month include:

• $10 AU gift certificate from Beccy's Place, 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.

Please remember in order to be eligible for the prizes your project must be positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some way. 

You can see my first card here.

 Today I am adoring my fabulous husband. We are heading towards our 38th wedding anniversary this spring, so it goes without saying that we love and cherish one another.
Yes, we do sometimes bicker and yes, we do sometimes get on each others nerves, but whatever happens we know that we will always be together and we will continue to adore one another. 

 I was lucky to receive a Scribbles digi stamp for my post and I chose this guitar playing frog called Carl Fretted. My hubby plays guitar; he sings and has an entire music library in his head, so I thought this image was very apt in depicting him. The sentiment is also from Scribbles and says it all - Be Who You Are - don't change for anyone!



I coloured Carl with Copics and fussy cut him. The background is a clean up page from brayering chalky paints. I stamped a background stamp called Background Mash Up by Tracy Evans for AAll & Create in Versafine Onyx Black, I love the small inspirational sentiments incorporated into the background stamp, such as 'attitude is everything', 'be the best version of you' and, 'big journeys begin with small steps' as well as the partially hidden, ' you are stronger than you think'.  I splattered some white paint into the background, then matted it onto black card and mounted on a white card blank.

Many thanks to this month's guest sponsor, Beccy's Place

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 #77 Path of Positivity.

 

That's all for today! 

I'll be back with a new Path of Positivity project in two weeks time.

Thanks for stopping by today!

xoxo

                                                                                                                                            

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Always Fun #150 Animals 14/02
* Pammies Inky Pinkies #2007 Ag 23/02

* A Perfect Time to Craft #23AG 27/02
* Cassic Design Challenge  AG 27/02
* Love to Craft #43 AG 28/02
* Corrosive Challenges #2 AG 28/02
Creatalicious Challenges #181 AG 28/02
* Dream Valley #219 Hand Coloured Images (2/3) 29/02
* Jans Digi Stamps Challenges #8 AG 29/02

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

xoxo

* Vera Lane Studio: Lil' Bit of Heaven

Hello! 

Happy Monday!

It's the start of another week and my DT day at Vera Lane Studio.

We have a beautiful new digi set release today called Lil' Bit of Heaven and I used the lovely girls along with the sentiment:



For me, these are CAS cards. I coloured my girls with Copic markers and fussy cut them, leaving a thin white border.
The background is blended Distress Oxides through stencils. I popped the images on foam tape, cut the sentiment into strips and adhered them to the background. Three sequins were added to each background.



This little winged girl has Peacock Feathers and Twisted Citron through a  Creative Expressions stencil. She has glittered wings and eye lashes.



This cutie has Fired Brick and Hickory Smoke Distress Oxides blended through a mermaid stencil by Inkylicious.

Lil Bit of Heaven

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

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Love 2 Create AG Mixed Media 24/02

* A Perfect Time to Craft #2 AG 27/02 Spotlight Winner

* Classic Design Challenge #2 AG 27/02

* Crafters Cafe #236 Pink/Red 28/02

* Mix It Up #34 AG with Stencilling 28/02

* All Fun Challenges #2 AG with Wings 29/02

* Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #126 AG 29/02

* A Bit More Time to Craft #110 AG 29/02

* Dream Valley #219 Hand Coloured Images 29/02

* World Wide Open DT Challenge AG 12/03

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