Gecko Galz: Sea Goddess Booklet

Hello

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

The theme this month is Sea Goddess.

As always, we have free images to download to make projects to enter the Card Challenge, the Christmas Image Challenge, the Fantasy Challenge, an ATC challenge, a Steampunk Challenge and a Gothic Challenge,. The free images can be accessed by the tabs at the top of the main blog page. We also have a quarterly challenge on the blog.

If that isn't enough challenges, we also have 4 Facebook challenges each month.

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 collage sheet.

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

It's a minibook using images from Goddess of the Sea.

I die cut the pages from card and used a spatula to spread several shades of PaperArtsy Fresco Acrylic Paint over each surface. I stamped some fishes (PaperArtsy stamp) and heat embossed them with antique gold powder. I added some white paint splatters and embossed random patches of gold as well as swiping the edges of the booklet in Versamark and embossing them in gold.

The title is stamped with letter blocks and heat embossed in gold.

The pages are held together with a hinged silver ring binder clip.

Each image is edged in gold. 

The image edges were swiped though a Versamark ink pad and then dipped in gold embossing powder and heated.

I die cut some sea grass and seaweed from gold paper.

I fussy cut several shell images from the 'She Sells Sea Shells' paper pack, inked the edges with Vintage Photo ink, and added them in front of the sea grasses and seaweeds.

I also added some white embossed fishes.

Here is the back page of the booklet:

Gecko Galz Products Used:
Goddess of the Sea (collage set)             She Sells Sea Shells (paper pack)

              

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Next I made some digital pieces.

Beauty and the Beach

Here I have one of the Goddess of the Sea images (with background removed) digitally added to one of the Summer Seas Tin Topper images. The wooden background is from the Woodwork ATC set. I added extra blue flowers to the four corners. 

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Let the Sea Set you Free

The background image is another of the Summer Seas Tin Topper images. I added a girl character(removed from her background) from Take Me to the Shore.  The clusters of shells are from image SS05 and the She Sells Sea Shells paper pack and the boardwalk background is an ATC from the Shabby Chic Collection.

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The Ocean is Calling.

The shell frame is from my stash. I used one of the Summer Seas Tin Toppers for the shore image and added a little girl, with the background removed, from the 'Take me to the Shore' collage set. The board walk background is from the Shabby Chic ATC Collection.

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That's all for now!

I hope you'll join our 'Sea Goddess' 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 July with more Gecko Galz projects.

Here's all the info you need:

Gecko Galz blog

Current Gecko Galz Challenge : Sea Goddess 

Gecko Galz Etsy Shop

Gecko Galz Facebook group

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I'd like to enter these Challenges:

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

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* Gecko Galz: Dragon's Roar

 

Hello

Every month over at the Gecko Galz blog we have the monthly free image challenges, as well as the main blog challenge, posted on the first day of each month.. 

There is a monthly card challenge, the monthly Christmas Image challenge, the Fantasy challenge, the monthly ATC challenge,  a Gothic Challenge and a Steampunk challenge. These can be accessed by the tabs at the top of the main blog page and you are able to download the FREE image there. 

We also have the quarterly challenge. and 4 Facebook challenges.

Today is a rainy day, so I thought I'd have a go with this month's free Fantasy image challenge which is a gorgeous dragon. I decided to make my project interactive :)

Here is what I made:

I had some left over painted card from a previous project (the 'Ocean Life' shaker booklet) which was in colours suitable for the dragon background, so I used those. I die cut a 3 3/4 inch circle upon which I mounted the dragon. I used a piece of brayered, painted card for the background and added the alpha stickers to spell 'roar' as well as some sparkly, light purple gemstones..

The dragon was fussy cut from it's background and inked around the edges. I made a cut along his jaw line and adhered the two parts to a clothes peg. I tried to camouflage the peg by colouring with Copics, his mouth being coloured in red, and the ends of the peg above his head in mauve..

Here he is roaring:

And finally here's a short video to show how he roars:

We hope you can find some time to join in the fun.

Here's all the info you need:

Gecko Galz blog

Gecko Galz August 2024 Fantasy Challenge (free Dragon image)

Current Gecko Galz Challenge : "Beauty of the Far East"

Gecko Galz Etsy Shop

Gecko Galz Facebook group

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Thanks for stopping by today.

* PIP Challenges #2433 AG 25/08 HONORARY MENTION

 

* Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #236 AG 25/08

* A Perfect Time to Craft Aug AG 28/08

* Crafty Calendar challenge Aug 28/08 

* Craft Rocket Challenges 117 Animals 28/08

* Heart's Quest Fantasy Challenge 8 AGF 30/08 WINNER

* 613 Avenue Create Aug AG 30/08 TOP ROCKER

xoxo

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

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Path of Positivity: Starry Nights

 

Hello

 Welcome to the Path of Positivity Challenge. #121.

Our challenge is always Anything Goes with an optional theme. We have decided that our overall theme for 2024 will be THE POWER OF WORDS.

This month's option is to design a project that is inspired by quotes about Art /Creativity.

Here are this month's quotes, but you can choose your own:

“Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought.” — Albert Einstein

“Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.” — Oprah Winfrey

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” — Pablo Picasso

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” — Edgar Degas

“You use a glass mirror to see your face. You use works of art to see your soul.” — George Bernard Shaw

Honours and Prizes include:

• $6 worth of images from Scribbles Designs, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all qualifying entrants.
• A badge for the following honours: Top Pick, Voter's Choice, Most Inspirational, Random Winner, DT Delight.

Here is my midway DT project.

I made two postcards which I will place in my A6 journal. 

My all time favourite artist is Van Gogh and I had these lovely Mosaic Sky images from Conjurer of Dreams, so I decided to put them to use. 

I made a finger painted background using PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics, adding blobs and swirls of colour in three shades of blue (Inky Pool, Shutters and Southern Skies). I then watered down some gold paint and splattered all over and swiped the remaining gold paint along the edges.

I matted two of the images onto gold paper and sourced an image of Van Gogh from Gecko Galz. I fussy cut him and inked around the edges in Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I typed two Van Gogh quotes, printed them out and cut them into strips to add at the base of the postcards.

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That's all for now.

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 #121 Path of Positivity.

Many thanks to Scribbles Designs for sponsoring the challenge.

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:

Perfect Time to Craft #5 AG 28/05

Creative Inspiration Challenges #14 AG 30/05

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

xoxo

ArtsyStamper: Winter Florals

 Hello!

Happy Monday!

Today sees the start of a new challenge at the Artsystamper Challenge Blog. 

This, sadly, is the last Artsystamper challenge.

The theme for this challenge is Winter Is Coming.

The challenge runs for two weeks. 

I hope that you can find time to join in the fun!

The winner will receive the stamp set of their choice from TheArtsystamperShop. The Winner and Top 3 will receive a badge for their blog.

Beverly Cole’s selections offer stamps and sentiments in each set as well as pre-coloured images for easy, last minute cards. Why not take a moment and check out what she has in store!

The DT have used winter florals as the focal point of their projects this time. 

Here is mine:

I used the beautiful Amaryllis plant digi stamp in black and white so that I could colour it myself with Copic markers. I fussy cut the plant and added it to a stamped plant pot from #401 Containers by AALL & Create

The background is brayered PaperArtsy Chalk Fresco paints with white heat embossing using a beautiful stamp, #60 Lacy Graffitti, also from AALL & Create.

Amaryllis

That's all for today! 

I hope you will hop on over to Artsystamper Digitals Challenge Blog and enter our challenge! You will also see more inspiring designs from the Artsystamper Addicts Design Team ... so much fun.

Although the challenges have finished, the ArtsyStamper digi shop is staying open and Beverly will still be sponsoring challenges.

Please check out:

TheArtsystamperShop Etsy

Artsystamper Digitals Blog

Artsystamper (YouTube)

The Artsystamper Addiction (FB Public Group)

Artsystamper Challenge Blog

Thank you for stopping by today!
 

I'd like to support the following challenges:

Crafting Happiness #76 AG 26/12

A Perfect Time to Craft #12 AG 27/12

MMM Challenge #138 Make Inky Background 02/12

Jans Digi Stamps Challenges AG 03/01

Penny's Challenges #486 AG 06/01

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* 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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* Cat Lovers Hop: Cat Life

  Hello!

Have you heard? 

It's the Cat Lovers Hop hosted by Janis at Her Peaceful Garden.

This year is the fifth hop and it's a crazy week filled with crafting, commenting and celebrating cats of all sizes. There are fabulous sponsors and prizes to be won, but best of all, friendships to be forged with like minded cat lovers from around the world. Why don't you come and join us?

Here is my seventh card.

 Last year I made a couple of cards using Vera Lane Studio's Les Chats. Well this year I have a pre-coloured digital collage sheet of the same cats, called Cat Life, and I have made a couple of ATCs.

As you can see I had hoped to make other projects with these quirky cats, but it was not to be, so they are fussy cut ready for use some other time. You might also see that I add colour to the cats' eyes and personalise them with white dots and dashes. You can also add glossy accents, glitter, trim and colour over with pens and pencils, so that they become a fusion of pre-coloured image and your own artwork.

I started by making the background by braying acrylic paints in pink. I stamped over the painting an AAll & Create stamp and added white doodled marks with a Posca pen. I cut the ATCs to size and inked the edges in black. I added a piece of black texture trim and popped the cats on top with foam tape. I finished with stickers from Tim Holtz's Small Talk pad. Here are the 2 ATCs in more detail:

I must love Franoise the most as I've just realised I've used him in both ATCs!
I'm also going to pretend that the burgundy spots of ink on the above ATC's cat were intentional :) !

Cat Life                                       Les Chats
  

That's all for now!
Pop over to see what the others cat lovers have been up to
click here

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

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

* Crafty Animals #31 27/10
* SUYP #47 AG 04/11 (#6)
* Polkadoodle #43 AG 04/11
* A Gem of a Challenge #1 AG 05/11
* Cardz TV  #101 AG 07/11

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

Vera Lane Studio: Flower Lover

Hello!

It's my DT day over at Vera Lane Studio today. Janet has a new released out today called Flower Lover. It comprises of two adorable girls and one lovely sentiment.

I used the girl with the bouquet and the sentiment to create my project and I teamed her with some of the Floral Burst images that were released last Tuesday. Here is my card:

As usual, I coloured my images with Copic markers and added some white Posca pen highlights. I fussy cut the images and ran a black marker around the edges.

The background is brayered with PaperArtsy chalky acrylic paints in Butternut, Candy Floss and Mermaid. I added some Snowflake to tone the colours down, then spritzed some Glimmer Mist over the entire background.  Modelling paste was added through an AAll & Create Stencil (#59) and some Flanel Grey stamping added mainly to the edges of the background. The edges were inked with black archival ink.

I tore some polka dot washi tape to ground the images, then glued the orange flower directly onto the background, leaving the petals free. I popped the pink flower head on foam pads. The bouquet girl is also raised on foam pads. I used one of the Flower Burst flower head images as a sun. Finally, I cut the sentiment into strips and glued to the background. 

Flower Lover                Floral Burst
      

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:

* PIP Challenge #1929 AG 29/07

* Lemon Shortbread #98 AG 29/07

* Polkadoodles #29 AG 29/07 DT Favourite

Creatalicious #167 AG 31/07

* Love to Scrap #123 AG 31/07

* Love to Craft #36 AG 31/07

* Get Creative #82 AG 01/08

* Cutie Pie Challenge #137 Girls Just Wanna Have Fun 06/08
* Creative Inspirations July AG 06/08
* Crafty Creations #395 AG 13/08

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