January Gecko Galz Feature: Art Journal

Hello and welcome to everyone visiting me from the Gecko Galz blog. First of all I want to say how thrilled I am to be part of the 2016 Gecko Galz Design Team. The wonderful papers and images are entirely my style. The creative group of ladies that are on this team are so inspiring to work with. 2016 is going to be such an exciting year.

I decided to use the beautiful stamp that the Gecko Galz provided as a freebie for all of you. It was the perfect sentiment for the art journal that I was creating for 2016. I paired it with one of their other digital stamps from the Fairies Stamps digital stamp collection.

 I printed the images off separately on my HP Inkjet printer. I started with the Beauty and Truth stamp and coloured over the foliage and banner with pencil crayons. I then began shading with my spectrum noir alcohol markers being very careful not to allow the ink to saturate the paper so much as to smear the inkjet image. I found it works best to colour small areas in isolated patches and allow them to dry before colouring the adjacent spaces.

The incredible fairy image comes to life with just a few highlights on her dress and some bold blue on her wings.

After the images were completely dry I adhered the fairy to the sentiment and began highlighting using stickles in pink, green, yellow and silver.

Using some purple and white paint along with a bit of teal glitter paint I created a background on white cardstock.

 I adhered the cut out coloured image to the background and then used mod podge to add it to the cover of my art journal. Making sure all the wrinkles were our I gently dabbed an extremely light coat of Mod Podge over the entire image and background paper. Let me stress.....extremely light. Once that layer was dry I applied another coat of Mod Podge to the entire page.

Using some adhesive backed gems from the Dollar Tree, I outlined the image border and also the page border.

I am so excited to use this new journal for all my inspiration notes this year. Working with the ladies on the Gecko Galz design team, I am sure that it will be filled up in no time.

Be sure to grab the free stamp and also visit Gecko Galz store to purchase the fairies stamps collection.

If you love working with the Gecko Galz products be sure to show off your creations and get inspired by following the Gecko Gals Challenge group on facebook.

January Challenge: Gecko Galz "All that Glitters"

Happy New Year Friends. I hope that your holidays were wonderful and that you are looking forward to 2016 with an optimistic view. The holidays were busy around here as well. It's always busy when the children are home from school, my husband is home from work and everyone we know seems to pop over to say hello. Its a wonderful time of year that reminds me of our many blessings.

Between Skylander quests and origami overseeing, I had a chance to get a tiny bit of creative work done.

I created this beautiful card using the new High Society paper from Gecko Galz. The exact paper is HS09. I also used the beautiful image from the Pretty Portraits 2 Collage sheet.

You will need:

1. 5x7 card base or cardstock to create one
2. Red cardstock of your choice (I used Bazzil)
3. Glitter glue
4. floral spray (I found mine at the dollar tree in with the Christmas decorations and chopped it up)
5. rolled roses 
6. handmade hat pins

Making the Card:

1. Cut your red cardstock to 4 3/4 x 6 3/4 to create the large mat
2. Cut the High Society paper to 4 1/2 x 6 1/2
3. Cut red cardstock to 3 3/4 x 2 3/4 to create small mat
4. Cut image to 3 1/2 x 2 1/2
5. Create two rolled roses. I used the CTMH Artiste Cartridge and then inked them using Tattered Angels Glimmer mist in scarlet and cranberry.
6. Adhere large red mat to base.
7. Adhere design paper.
8. Arrange flower spray and paper roses and adhere to card.
9. Adhere focal image to small mat and attach to card using foam squares.
10. Insert hat pins under the edge of image or spray and adhere.
11. Using a fine tip glitter glue, trace the flourishes on the design paper.
12. Allow to dry completely.

Enjoy!

Gecko Galz Seasons Greeting Challenge

Aren't the challenges on Gecko Galz so much fun. I wish that I had known about them sooner as I am having a blast creating all these new styles. 

This challenge was of course a Christmas Challenge. I really like the way it turned out. I find challenges that don't limit colour choice are much easier for me.

Material Used:

• Gecko Galz Oh Christmas Saying OCS09
• Do Crafts Denim Lace
• American Crafts Cardstock
• Close To my Heart Colonial White Card Base
• Close To My Heart Artiste Cricut Cartridge Rolled Rose
• Ebay Leave
• Old Paper Distress Ink
• Crayola Pencil Crayons 
• Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers
• Stickles
• Flat Back Pearls

1. I always start by colouring my focal image. It sets the tone for the whole card. Depending on the colours that come out of it determines what supplies I will use on the card. 
2. Double mount the focal image on dark and then lighter blue cardstock creating a 31/2x31/2 square.
3. Cut a piece of cream cardstock 4 1/2 x 3 3/4 (I ran mine through my cuttlebug to add some dimension). Ink the edges with Old Paper Distress ink and attach it to a piece of dark blue cardstock.
4. Attach the blue lace to the blue and cream layer, securing the lace on the back with a piece of tape. Attach the layer to  the card base.
5. Using Foam squares attach the focal image to the card base. Be sure to add a bit of extra pressure where the foam squares attach to the lace. 
6. Arrange your leaves and rolled flower to the bottom left corner. Add three half back pearls to the bottom right of the focal image.

Ta-Da....you are so creative!

Gecko Galz Gold and Cream Colour Challenge

Admittedly I rarely work in gold. Its just so flashy and I tend to lean...bend...hang right over on the muted vintage coloured side of things. It is always fun though to pick up a challenge and run with it. You would have laughed if you had seen my husband's face when he came home from work and saw the gold foil card on my bench. I think he wondered if I was having a midlife crisis. Truly, that's how predictable my colour palette is.

Materials:

• The card is 5x7 and I used a card base from core'dinations.
• Colonial White Cardstock from Close To My Heart
• Gold glitter mac tack from the dollar store
• Berry Sprig from the dollar store
• Cream Coloured Lace from Do Crafts Madame Payrauds collection
• Focal Image Gecko Galz Angelica Stamp A06
• Green leaves from ebay

1. First I coloured the image using a combination of coloured pencils and spectrum noir markers. I like the contrast that you can create with the shiny gold pencil crayon and the deep blue inks. 
2. Once the image was coloured I set it aside for a moment and took the gold foil and attached it to a 51/4x 31/4 piece of cardstock. Trim the focal image to 5x3 and adhere it to the foiled cardstock.
3. Next I cut a 5x7 piece of cardstock and covered it with foil. You could put it directly on the card base if you are brave. I am not, so I used the extra cardstock.  Cut another 6x4 piece of cardstock and and mount it to the gold foiled piece. Attach these to your card base.
4. Cut a 5 inch piece of lace and layer it on the left hand side of the card.
5. Using foam squares attach the mounted focal image to the card base.
6. Arrange your berries and leaves in the bottom left corner and you are done. 

See how crafty you are.

Christmas Tag Using Gecko Galz Winter Magic Image

Gecko Galz Christmas Tag

I was so excited to be chosen for the 2016 Gecko Galz design team, that I decided to jump right in and create my first project. My fingers are still blue with ink but I was so anxious to share how my tag turned out that I did not even wait to clean up.

The image that I used of the little girl and also the Winter Magic Sentiment are part of the Winter Magic image set that is free with a purchase from the Gecko Galz Etsy shop during the month of December.

Materials Used

• Gecko Galz Winter Magic
• white tissue paper
• blue Distress Ink
• Dazzling Diamonds glitter
• Sparkling Poinsettia Leaves Stamp and Die
• Swirls Embossing Folder
• Reclaimed vintage lace
• Pretty Pearls 3D Paint
• Iridescent paper (mine is off white)
• Colonial White Cardstock
• Die cut rolled flowers

Making The Tag:

Cut out layers for tag first. 

Use the iridescent paper for the smaller inset layer. Emboss using the swirls folder. Ink the embossed image as desired. Mount the layer onto the cardstock base. Attach lace to bottom of the card. My lace was quite thin so I used 4 layers of the off white lace and two of the blue lace. 

Punch a hole in the top of your tag. Pull a piece of lace through the hole. Attach a paperclip at the back of the tag to hold the lace in place and then thread the other side back through the hole. Now your bow will stay put. 

Next I printed off my Gecko Galz images using my HP inkjet printer. I used the iridescent paper for this but you could just as easily use the plain cardstock. I trimmed out the images I wanted to use for this project. Using my Sizzix I die cut the little girl image then inked the edges using blue distress ink. The Winter Magic sentiment I inked the edges with the blue distress ink and then rolled the ends in opposite directions to create a scroll effect. 

Using the white tissue paper cut a chunk about 2 feet long. At one end cut several sections vertically 1/3 of the length. These will become your branches. Twist each branch as firmly as you can and then put a bit of glue on it to make it stay. When you get to the end of the small sections keep twisting and create the trunk of the tree. Again, apply a small amount of glue to help it stay tight. Allow the tree to dry thoroughly. 

While it is drying stamp your leaves on white cardstock using the blue distress ink and cut them out. Once they are cut edge the leaves with more blue ink. Allow the ink to shade towards the centre of the leaf. Assemble your rolled flowers and ink them with blue distress ink.

Once everything is dry you can lay out the pieces to see where you would like it all to fit. Once you are happy with it, use liquid adhesive or hot glue to attach the pieces. Using the Pretty Pearls 3D paint go over the branches of the tree where you think snow would gather as well as a large dollop to cover the base of the tree and under the little girls foot. Use the Diamond glitter to create a frosty look all over your flowers, leaves and tree. Let the tag dry well before moving. Enjoy.