Everyday Card Using Gecko Galz Ephemera

If you are like me you are constantly making cards and yet when an occasion
arrives it seems you have no card that fits.

I mean, I tend to create Sympathy, Congratulations, Christmas and Birthday cards in large numbers but I more often am sending a "thinking of you" or "thank you" card.

My new plan is to create a bundle of cards that can have a sentiment stamped as they are needed. Its my attempt at getting....gasp....organized.

This is the first card for my stash of ready when I need it cards.

Gecko Galz Feet Challenge

I laugh even now as I am typing that title. I wonder how many hits this post is going to get from people with medical issues with their feet? I assure you, all the Gecko Galz are in fine shape. Just in case you are here looking for foot advice, you may want to try The Mayo Clinic Page.

Ok enough of the silliness, this crafting business is serious stuff. Well, not really, but I need to get to the point of the post before you all think I am totally off my rocker.

This was my sample for the February Gecko Galz Challenge featuring Feet! Yep, Feet! Mine likely won't qualify as I can't honestly say that there is a foot in this boot for sure...but I thought it was as close as I wanted to get to having a foot as the focal point of a design.

This ATC was created using kraft cardstock with archival black ink and a finbair stamp and then going over it with tea dye and rusty hinge distress ink. I then adhered the lovely vintage boot from the Ephemera Fun Collage sheet. I have a bucket of vintage buttons and these two made me think of the buttons that women used to have to deal with on long boots such as these. I attached a metal corner flourish, the buttons, a mulberry flower and a bit of glitter to give it a finished look. I stamped the sentiment using Colonial White ink and a Close To My Heart stamp. Voila. My ATC was complete. I hope you like it. Be sure to go and join the Gecko Galz Papercrafting challenge group. It is a great place to put your 'BEST FOOT FORWARD" get it...sorry that was sad.

March First With the Gecko Galz

Can you imagine, March already. I have already started my countdown to camping. Spring is by far my favourite season. The warm breezes and return of green grass lifts my spirits. It is also my favourite time to be a crafter. All the challenges become focused on soft palettes and flowy themes, My kind of themes.

Here is my sample for the March Customer Challenge on Gecko Galz: Shabby Chic Easter. Be sure to visit the blog for lots of inspiration and then enter your own creation to win a F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S prize.

I decided on a tag, mostly because I only had one of this particular colour of rolled flower left and wanted to use it. I made a whole bunch of rolled flowers a couple of years ago so that I would be ready in case of a crafting emergency. That is my standard practice though, if I am cutting out die cuts or leaves or anything I always cut a few extra for future use. It has served me well over the years as I am able to quickly put together a card for a forgotten event in lightning speed.

Gecko Galz Pink and Blue Colour Challenge Sample

When you hear pink and blue do your thoughts immediately run to nursery decor? Once I got past that thought it was a pretty simple palette to work with. Gecko Galz has allot of vintage images that fall into that category. The challenge really was choosing just a few.

For this card I used the background paper from Bygone Days. I loved the soft flowy feel of the design. The two focal images came from the Beautiful Birds Collage sheet. Finally the sentiment is from the Close To My Heart stamp set "A bit of thanks".

Jane Austen Inspired Valentine Card using Gecko gals Digital Stamps and Ephemera

This is my absolute favourite project so far this month. The soft colours and imagery are so me. The lovely girl in the stamp caught my attention because she reminds me so much of Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. I don't think you would be shocked to know that it is my all time favourite movie. The first time I saw the movie (the A&E version with Collin Firth) was somewhere around 16 years ago. It was playing on A&E at some ridiculously late hour and they were in fact playing it like a true mini series. I ended up missing a couple of the chapters but fell in love with it none the less. I ordered the DVD series right away at a whopping $80 US plus way to much shipping to discuss in polite company. It arrived on my birthday and I sat down and watched all 5 hours in one shot. Then I invited my girlfriend over a couple of days later and we sat up and watched it again. It is now my birthday tradition to watch the entire 5 hours of this wonderful show. My husband has been a sport some years and sat up with me to watch it. My daughter has watched with me a few times. It is that special thing I look forward to every year. If you have a chance try to watch this classic and definitely read the book. They don't make love stories like that anymore (especially not in shades of neutral colours ;) )

To Make This Card You Will Need:

tiny pink rosebuds
sheer ribbon
white paper doily
5x7 card base
Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Tattered Rose and Victorian Velvet)
Graphic 45 stamp from Mon Amour
Gecko Galz Ephemera, Digital Stamp and Digital Design Paper
Glue or double sided tape

How To:

1. Ink the edges of your card base using the tattered rose distress ink
2. Print off your digital paper and trim it to 4 3/4 x 6 3/4
3. Ink the edges of the design paper
4. Using a length of ribbon just longer than the paper, adhere it to the lower third of the card and fold over and tape to back of the paper.
5. Adhere the paper and ribbon to the card base.
6. Ink the white paper doily and adhere it just to the left of the card centre and slightly closer to the bottom.
7. Adhere the pocket watch image slightly askew.
8. Colour your focal image using alcohol markers and then distress the edges with the tattered rose ink. Go back over the very edge of the image with the Victorian velvet to create some shadow.
9. Adhere the focal image just over the corner of the pocket watch.
10. Glue on the rosebuds and a bow to finish off the embellishments.
11. Stamp the sentiment on a piece of cards stock and ink the edges with both colours of distress ink.
12. Adhere to the bottom right of the card.

Valentine's Day 4x4 Canvas using Gecko Galz Ephemera

I like making special little pieces of art to give to bus drivers and teachers to let them know we appreciate what they do for our children. Unfortunately with three children all in separate classes and even schools it gets a bit hard on the family coffers. If you are like me, it's really important to be as thrifty as possible. This next project certainly fits the bill.

What you need:

4x4 Canvas (I picked mine up at the Dollar Tree 2 for $1.25)

Crystal gems (again $1.25 at Dollar Tree for a huge package)

Tissue Paper

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist (I used Scarlet and Dazzling Diamonds)

Plastic Vines from the Dollar Store (One vine was $2.00 and I will be able to create hundreds of projects from it)

Rolled Paper Roses

Mod Podge (it's even thriftier to make your own)

How To:

1. Prep canvas with a thin even coat of mod podge (you can make homemade mod podge with equal parts white glue and water)
2. Take a piece of tissue paper slightly bigger than the canvas and scrunch it up in your hand. Really give it a good crumple. Then flatten it out slightly and use it to cover the canvas. Don't rub out the creases as it creates texture for your background.
3. Lightly dab mod podge over the tissue using a brush.
4. Spray it thoroughly with Tattered Angels glimmer mist.
5. Allow it to dry.
6. Adhere your Gecko Galz image and use the the crystals to create a frame around the focal image.
7. Attach your greenery (I used Craft Medley Multipurpose glue) and once it is secure and the glue has dried add your rolled flowers.
8. One last step, spray a light mist of Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds on the entire project.

This project definitely costs less than $1 to create if you are making multiples and will use up all the leftover supplies. If you want to turn it into a magnet just add a round magnet to the back of each corner using a strong glue. They are going to love it.

Easel Valentine's Day Card using Gecko Galz Ephemera

I love February. It's not just because it's the month I was born in (though I do like that part too), it's just far enough from Christmas that life has returned to normal and not so close to Easter that we are gearing up again for holiday business. Groundhog's Day, Valentine's Day, Family Day...they are all pretty low effort fun holidays without much fanfare attached. My point being, it's a great time to craft. If you are a vintage inspired crafter like me February is your month to shine. In February there is no such thing as too many doilies in a piece or too much lace. You can just decorate to excess and it will be considered on trend.

I made a pile of projects for February. I won't inundate you with them all on one day, so be sure to come back often to see what I have been working on.

I love the lollipop flowers on the cute Valentine's card. It looks complicated but it actually is a very fast card to put together.

You will need:

Gecko Galz Ephemera Sheet
Red 12x12 cardstock (2 sheets)
flat backed adhesive gems
small piece of white or cream cardstock.

First assemble the card base. You do this by cutting your 12x12 sheet into two 12x6 sections. Set one 12x6 aside and cut the other in half forming a 6x6. Fold the 12x6 in half forming a 6x6 card base. Now score and fold the top of that card base back creating a doubled over 3x6. This will act as your hinge mechanism. Next take the 6x6 square you cut and adhere it to the card base. Be sure to only apply adhesive to the bottom half of the folded piece so that it can pop up.

Now that the base is done you will need to cut your design paper. I used Gecko Galz Ephemera and matted it on colonial white cardstock. The mat should be 5.5 inches square and the design paper should be 5.25 square.

Mat your chosen ephemera onto red cardstock and mount on card. Decorate as desired.

Use the piece of cardstock to create a sentiment and pop it up on foam squares to use it as the stopper to hold the page up.

Decorate the base as you feel appropriate,

Voila....you've done it again.

Thanks for visiting

Tracy

DIY Planner Pages: Cricut Explore Slice Feature and Gecko Galz Ephemera

Well we are finally coming to the end of this particular project. I hope you are feeling confident in your ability to use the upload and print then cut features of your Cricut Explore.

Today we will take those lessons and combine it with the Slice Feature. I have to tell you this is one of the most useful functions on the Cricut Explore. Having the ability to cut shapes inside other shapes makes it so easy to mass produce elements for classes and clubs.

Lets go back to our Cricut Design Space and insert one of the images from Gecko Galz that we have previously uploaded.

 Next you will want to select the shape that you are going to use for the planner page. I am using a cut from my Artbooking cartridge but many cartridges has page shapes you could use.

Click insert image, cartridges and the filter to your cartridges.

Select the shape that you think works best with your image. Choose insert.

Cricut Explore Air™ Machine + Ultimate Machine Set

DIY Planner Dividers: Print then Cut Feature with Gecko Galz Ephemera

So yesterday we walked through how to upload silhouettes to your Cricut Design Space. That is the option that I find that I use most often. Sometimes however you will want to use a particular image as the background for your project. You could always trace the pattern onto the image and fussy cut it. A more efficient way to do it is to upload the image directly into your Cricut software.

In this example I will be using images that I received from Gecko Galz. These incredible images make a wonderful backdrop for my cuts.

Begin by logging into your Cricut Design Space software. Then click on upload image just like we did in the tutorial yesterday. This time we are going to browse to the folder where we saved the images from Gecko Galz. You can see in the picture I already have a few in use.

Once you select your uploaded image from the library you can click the cut button. This will take you to the Print then Cut dialog. The first time you use this feature it will need to run an alignment (much like a new printer). The image must be printed on white paper in order for the Cricut to read the registration marks. Once prompted print the image on your printer and then adhere it to the cutting mat. The Cricut will make all kinds of beeps and bumps as it reads the registration marks on the paper. Once it has figured out where on the mat your image is it will quickly do all the fussy cutting for you.

Tomorrow we will explore (no pun intended) using Print then Cut images along with the Slice feature to create the lovely planner pages I showed you on Monday.

DIY Planner Dividers Using Gecko Gals Ephemera

Are you a planner addict? I used to be. When I worked in an office and had meetings to attend and important tasks to complete. After I began working from home I fell away from using a planner and graduated to the big calendar on the fridge and post it notes on my computer. Very professional.

The truth is I missed having my planner. I still have countless meetings and tasks that in hindsight are far more important than the ones I was responsible for in my twenties.

Last year I printed many of the lovely printables I found on pinterest. I found that it was costing me as much in ink as it would to just break down and buy a planner.

This year I decided to go with the "Color Crush" planner from Webster Pages. It is beautiful. I love the monthly and weekly calendars, there is plenty of space to write in. The downfall, I wish there were more pages for capturing ideas. So it looks like I will need to go back to Pinterest to find a few more add ons.

The one thing that I did love about my printed planner from last year was the dividers that I had made. Having my favourite images right in my planner is very inspiring to me.

Last year I used my Cricut Explore to cut out the pages and then just adhered to images I liked. This year I decided to get a bit more savvy and I uploaded the beautiful images from Gecko Gals directly into the Cricut Design space and used the print then cut and slice features to create beautiful layered dividers.

This week I will begin a mini series to walk you through uploading digital images to Cricut Design Space, Using the Slice feature and Print then Cut to create these beautiful planner inserts. Tell all your friends that got a Cricut Explore for Christmas to join us as I show you how to used each of these really fun features.

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter as I will be sending out freebies this year and you wont want to miss out.

Happy New Year!