Gecko Galz: Ethereal Spring

 

Hello

The theme of this month's challenge at Gecko Galz is Ethereal Spring.

As always, we also have the monthly card challeng.e, the monthly Christmas Image Challenge, the monthly Stamp Challenge, an ATC challenge, a Steampunk challenge and a Gothic Challenge on the blog, as well as 4 Facebook challenges. These can be accessed by the tabs at the top of the main blog page. We also have the new quarterly challenge.

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.

***

Today is my DT day and I have some projects to share.

Firstly, I have a Diamond Pop Out card:

I used the beautiful spring girl images from the In Dreams Junk Journal Kit. I used a circle die to cut them and placed one on each of the three pop out diamond panels.  The base of the card id purple card and I used patterned paper from my stash for the background.matting onto white card.. I decorated the diamond panels with paper flowers and foliage and added die cut butterfly borders to the accordion part of the card.

Here are the different ways of folding the card for posting:

Classic Design Challenge #3 AG 12/04

Creatalicious Challenges #275 AG 14/04

PIP Challenge #2414 AG 14/04

Creative Fingers Challenge #275 AG 19/04

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #227 AG 20/04

***

Next I made a spring banner decoration:

I used a die to cut the banner flags. Two flags were cut for each - the larger flags were coloured with Kitsch Flamingo Distress Oxide and the smaller flags were die cut from the Rainbow Connection ATC papers.. I added pink satin ribbon to hold the flags together. 

The lovely children images are from the Spring Charms, and Easter Children collage sets. The lamb and chicK are from the Easter Tokens collage set. All of the images were fussy cut, inked around the edges and popped on foam pads for some dimension. Some cheesecloth was placed beneath each image for a bit of texture and interest. I added handmade, die cut, paper flowers and foliage to finish off the bunting.

A Place to Start April Add Flowers 30/04

613 Avenue Create April AG 02/05

The Outlawz Challenges - Card Free Zone : Easter 03/05

***

As inspiration for the customer challenge, I made a flag booklet. 

More photos and information about this project can be found in this post: Spring Flag Book

And finally some digital art collages:

That's all for now!

I hope you'll join our Ethereal Spring 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.

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 bespoke digital prize. 

Do come and join us!

I'll be back in May with more Gecko Galz projects.

Here's all the info you need:

Gecko Galz blog

Current Gecko Galz Challenge : "Ethereal Spring

Gecko Galz Etsy Shop

Gecko Galz Facebook group

***

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

***

* Gecko Galz: Spring Flag Book

 

Hello

It's April and we have a new customer challenge over at the Gecko Galz blog.  

The theme this month is Ethereal Spring.

As always, we also have the monthly card challeng.e, the monthly Christmas Image Challenge, the monthly Stamp Challenge, an ATC challenge, a Steampunk challenge and a Gothic Challenge on the blog, as well as 4 Facebook challenges. These can be accessed by the tabs at the top of the main blog page. We also have the new quarterly challenge.

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.

***

Here is what I made as inspiration for the Customer Challenge. 

It's a Flag Booklet.

The images I used are from the Colours of the Wind Tin Toppers and Magical Dreamland Tin Toppers. I also used the free images of mushrooms and the fairy girl from the Gecko Galz March Newsletter (get your newsletter here). The spring sentiments were purchased from another Etsy seller.

This is an aerial view:

Here are the front and back covers:

    

Here is the front of the booklet opened:

And here is the back of the booklet opened:

A view from of the full book opened up:

And here are the individual pages:

***

I started by brayering PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paint (in Electric Violet, Dirty Lime and Captain Peacock) onto white card to make a rainbow effect background. I added some stencilling (brayering paint onto a stencil, spritzing with water and stamping it onto the background) and heat embossed the edges of the pages in white. I added lots of white paint splatters.

I took a class a few years ago to learn how to make the book structure, so out of respect for the tutor, I won't go into any details, but it's a fun class and I highly recommend it. You can purchase it here: Tracy Evans Boutique Designs Flag Book.

Here's the basic book structure with brayered paints and splatters:

Next came the fussy cutting of elements from the collage sheets. The elements were adhered in place along with a spring time sentiment. Glamour Dust glitter was applied in some places. The booklet is held closed by a small enamelled bull dog clip from Tim Holtz's  Idea-ology range.

Gecko Galz products used:

Colours of the Wind Tin Toppers        Magical Dreamland Tin Toppers

  

That's all for now!

I hope you'll join our Ethereal Spring 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.

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 bespoke digital prize. 

Do come and join us!

I'll be back on the 10th April with more Gecko Galz projects.

Here's all the info you need:

Gecko Galz blog

Current Gecko Galz Challenge : "Ethereal Spring

Gecko Galz Etsy Shop

Gecko Galz Facebook group

***

I'll be back on the 10th April with more Gecko Galz projects.

Here's all the info you need:

Gecko Galz blog

Current Gecko Galz Challenge : "Ethereal Spring

Gecko Galz Etsy Shop

Gecko Galz Facebook group

***

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

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

*Creative Creases #79 11/04 WINNER

* Mini Album Mania #4 15/04 WINNER

* A Perfect Time to Craft April AG 28/04 HONOURABLE MENTION

* Mix It Up Challenge Fancy Fold 14/05 TOP PICK

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

***

* Gecko Galz: Colour of Summer Flag Book

Hello!

I hope that the start of the new month sees you all safe and well. 

The new month sees the start of a new customer challenge at the Gecko Galz blog. The theme for June is Colour of Summer. We would love for you to join the challenge using one or more products from Gecko Galz.

For me, summer is a time for visiting the seaside. I love the sea air and the salty small of the ocean, so my colours for summer are blues, teals, turquoise and sands.
Here is my project:

I made a flag booklet which, when opened up, has the pages flapping in different directions.  The base of my booklet is 300 gsm card which I have painted with chalk acrylics using a brayer and stencilled over the top. The front and back has additional stamping.
The beautiful images are from the Summer Seas and Sea Life collage sets with a few additions from the Beachy Jewels set.

The front and back of the booklet showing the tags incorporated into the back page. Tim Holtz Small talk stickers are used for the labels.
 

The booklet opens like so:



or individual pages can be turned:






Textured trim, cheesecloth and decoupaging add more dimension. The spines are also decorated with tiny images:

That's all for now!
I hope you'll join our Colour of Summer 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 20th with more Gecko Galz projects.

Here's all the info you need:

Gecko Galz blog

Current Gecko Galz Challenge : "Colour of Summer"

Gecko Galz Etsy Shop

Gecko Galz Facebook group

***

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

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

* Simon Says Stamp Mon Make Own Background 08/06

* Incy Wincy Designs Anything but a Card 13/06 WINNER

* A Bit More Time to Craft #117 AG 14/06

* We Love 2 Create #6 AG MM 22/06

* A Perfect Time to Craft AG 26/06 DT Favourite

* Classic Design Challenge AG 27/06

* Love to Craft #47 AG 30/06 TOP PICK

* Mini Album Makers June 30/06

* Mixi It Up AG 30/06

* Jans Digi Stamps Challenges June AG 30/06

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

* Nibs Flag Book

Hello!

Today I would like to share a Flag Booklet that I made in an online workshop with Tracy Evans. Tracy is a wonderful teacher and a fantastic stamp designer and you can find her Facebook Group here. She frequently does online demos showing her wonderful techniques and explaining how she envisages her stamp sets to be used. She is such a talented lady and is so generous with her time and ideas.

So here is the flag book that I made.  The pages were finger painted with PaperArtsy Fresco paint and then stencilled over. All stamps and stencils are from AALL & Create. The stamps are Tracy Evans's designs, the Knibs and Mushrooms set being the main feature. I decided to dedicate this little booklet to my husband as he is forever writing short stories.

This is the front cover.

It has a shaker element (made from recycled packaging) above the spotlighted Knibs and a Tim Holtz metal nib embellishment. Polychromo pencil colouring is added to some of the white pens:

This is the back cover. Tags are inserted into the back cover and a torn dictionary page definition of the word 'story' is attached. The black alpha tape is Tim Holtz Idea-ology Label Tape:

When it is opened up, the flag pages open in different directions ... such fun!

 

The first pages below have stamped nibs and Tim Holtz alpha stickers spelling 'write', 'ink' and 'story'. There is cheesecloth stitched into the inside cover for some texture. An Index Clip is attached to the sentiment flag:

The middle pages feature stamping from Hexagonal Stem and Nature Elements as well as the nibs. Some torn book pages have been stamped and added over the nibs in the bottom right flag:

The last pages. I love the sentiments 'Imagination has no limit' and 'Create your own magic' as these perfectly describe what my husband does when writing his stories. I used the alpa stickers to spell out the word 'author' which made him smile a lot!

And ...oops - you may have spotted my mistake. I stamped the numbers on the tags upside down!

If, like me, you are missing workshops and craft shows, or just want to have a crafty few hours with like-minded people and have some fun, as well as learning new techniques, then come and join Tracy's Facebook group.

Hope to see you there. 

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

                                                                                                                                            

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Crafting Happiness #48 AG 17/05
* Pammies Inky Pinkies #2019 AG 18/05
*Crafty Sentiments #12 AG 19/05
* Dream Valley #225 Favourite Colours 23/05
* A Perfect Time to Craft May AG 27/05
* Classic Design Challenge May AG 27/05
* Craft Stamper, Take it, Make it AG 28/05

* A Place to Start Custom Background (6/8) 30/05 TOP SPROUT

* 613 Avenue Create  #233 AG 30/05

* Not Just Cards May AG 11/06 WINNER

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

xoxo