Unruly ATCs Arrive!

Happy mail yesterday!  I received the eerie Halloween ATCs from the Unruly PaperArts Yahoo Group swap.

Here are the ones I made and sent in.  We had to create four different eerie ATCs to be swapped out.  I had posted them individually with details as I completed each one.

Here are the ones I received:

Love the texture on the glass, the eerie figure, and the amazing shiny embossed background

Love the glitter down the left side, the spooky font, crazy eerie skeleton and awesome pop of color with the spider and gems

love the texture of all the trims.  And of course I'm a huge Poe fan--- so happy to have this one in my collection.

love the awesome owl and vintage witchy woman.  That one pumpkin looks pretty worried while the other one seems to be in on the prank!

This is my last Halloween themed post.  I'm ready to move on to November with a new blog background.  I'm putting away all the Halloween stuff and tucking away my ideas until next year.  I'm working on some design team projects to post later this week.  Whether or not you celebrate Halloween, I hope you get lots of treats!

I'm sending best wishes to all affected by the storms on the east coast.

Last Day for Gecko Galz Blog Hop

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE GECKO GALZ BLOG HOP, IT IS HERE (click on the word HERE or go down two posts)

Taking a Chance

I went with the headline prompt to create my second piece for Fall Fearless and Fly at Artists in Blogland.  

Taking a chance:  
I thought this was a timely choice of words since the news last week was all about Fearless Felix who fell 128,000 feet from the sky at 833.9 miles per hour and captured several world records. I immediately thought of the Graphic 45 steampunk man so I wanted to incorporate him (talk about a leap of faith flying in that contraption!).  I also thought of the Websters' Pages balloons.  And then there's Dorothy and Alice, both of whom did their own falling fearless.

Headline Prompt:  Taking a Chance:  When did you take a chance or a leap of faith?  How did it turn out?  What did you learn?

My answer before I made my page-  I've taken several leaps of faith--going off to college, moving cross country, believing my dh would safely return home from two deployments (which thankfully he did) while I survived by myself in a city far from home (it was all a big adventure back then), changing jobs, climbing Indian ruins in spite of a fear of heights, putting my papercrafting out there through blogging and being on design teams.  What I learned is that I have an inner strength to persevere in these great leaps of faith and, after managing to (gratefully) survive the experiences, I have a sense of satisfaction that I am able to fall fearless and fly.  Perhaps it's my inner Dorothy and Alice.

My answer now that my page is done- the biggest leap of faith is doing this art cleanse.  When I look at the other entries,  I feel  I am out of my league.  I'm out of my comfort zone.  I'm a papercrafter learning to art journal.  Jumping in with both feet.  I'm so new at this art form and know that I have so much to learn to get better at it.  It just is what it is.  My tenacious personality will have me continue on this journey because I love the prompts and love being part of this project, seeing such amazing talent displayed by the rest of group.

What did I learn from this particular assignment?  My thick paper didn't hold up well to lots of water from the acrylic paint wash.  Pithy and wrinkled, I kept on, covering with products that reacted to the paper.  That was quite a lesson.  Next time, I'll be using canvas paper or  manila tag.  Throughout most of the process, I didn't like how the page was looking.  In the end, I think it's acceptable to me and reflects the theme I was going for.  Even though it's the second prompt, I've made it my journal cover.  I will place inside all the pages from this art cleanse.  And in the end, I will click my heels like Dorothy, and say I made it home from one incredible journey.

Materials:
Webster's Pages:  Your Life Beautiful  6x6 background balloons  (keeping to this size for all the prompts)
Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante (image of woman on worldly balloon and image of man flying)
Ranger Picket Fence Distress Stain and Adirondack Cloudy Blue washed over the paper to tone down the balloons
Eyelash trim covered with Adirondack Juniper and Peeled Paint Crackle
Dyan Revely stencil to create my own yellow brick road, Delta creamcoat: Old Parchment; Ranger Distress Stain: Tarnished Brass
Graphic 45 Cling rubber stamps by Hampton Art:  Magic of Oz2 ; Copics E50 and E31, Prismacolor PM 198
wings from Heartwarming Vintage Crafty Secrets Altered Fairies page
blue text from Pink Paislee She Art paper dolls collection: She felt like she could fly.  She decided to leave her fears behind.
American Crafts Thickers for letters FALL pounced with Ranger distress ink in Worn Lipstick and stamped with Ranger distress ink in Faded Jeans using Rogue Redhead Designs background from Relish Reading stamp plate
Tim Holtz Ideaology Plain Alphas used as a stencil for the word FLY

computer generated words; black markers, white Sharpie

This prompt features Ronda Palazzari who is giving away her book to one lucky participant.

GECKO GALZ TRICKS AND TREATS BLOG HOP

Welcome to the 2^nd Annual Gecko Galz Tricks and Treats Blog Hop

 I am the next stop on your “hop”.  Welcome to my blog! If you started here you might want to go back and start at the beginning at the Gecko Galz blog so you won’t miss anything!  

We have 14 AMAZING blogs for you to visit this weekend, each with some gorgeous projects created using the Gecko Galz collage images, that we are giving you for FREE! Each blog you visit will have a free Gecko Galz Collage sheet for you to download, mine is "Oh My Goddess". Also make sure you collect all the secret words on each blog so at the end of the hop you can enter to win our wonderful treat.  So sit back, relax, take your time and enjoy the hop!

We have FOUR amazing prizes up for grabs:

• First is the ephemera collections for each month for an entire year. That is 60 different sets! This is a $120 value
• Second prize is a $50 shopping spree at the Gecko Galz website….you pick it and we send it!
• Third prize is one free digital collage set each month for an entire year, you get to pick the collage sheet you want each month and we send it off to you! This is a $24 value
• And our Grand Prize ONE FULL YEAR of Gecko Galz  COLLECTIONS!!! That will be 1 paper pack, 1 digital stamp set, and 5 collage sets for the entire year! This is a prize worth $240

Read on to learn how you can win!

First of all, you will need to visit all 14 blogs and leave a comment on each blog :) **This is important so we know you have been to all the blogs **. Collect all eleven words and at the end of the blog on the Fripperies and Butterflies site there will be a link to the Gecko Galz website where you will email us the phrase the words make up. This enters you in the contest. On October 31^st we will randomly draw the 4 winners and email each of you, then we will post the winning names on our website and on the Gecko Galz blog site.

For an extra chance to win make a purchase from the Gecko Galz site and your name goes in again for a better chance of winning (each purchase you make that weekend gives you another chance to win) 

Finally, we are having one more give away! If you post our Gecko Galz badge (found on the Gecko Galz Blog) on your blog or website you will be entered to win a Gecko Store Gift Certificate worth $25 - super easy right?  Just post a link to your blog on the Gecko Galz Blog so we can come visit :).

My Secret Word is:   MAKE

Now go to the next site and collect the next word plus your next FREE collage sheet.

 Here is the Blog Hop Rotation 

 Carol Salisbury

Hazel Harler

Starr Timmons

Barbara Bird

Joan Lindle

Penny Walker

Sherri Levington

Debi Ryan

Heather Hudson

Sharon Rogers

Gerri Herbst

Jules Eickmeier

Helene Huber  (you are here)

Leanne Seed

Please enjoy this free Gecko Galz Collage sheet “Oh My Goddess”

as well as the samples I have made using the images

Since Halloween is fast approaching, I took these Goddesses to the dark side.

#1 Doomed Goddess:  Her fate was sealed because others saw her as too beautiful, too intelligent, and too powerful.
paper pieced tag

Gecko Galz Ooh La La envelope
Gecko Galz Tag Your It collage sheet (background tag)
Gecko Galz Repunzel from Ever After digital paper pack (baroque label shape)
Gecko Galz Ooh La La banners with computer generated sentiment layered on top
Gecko Galz skull from Shakespear collage sheet 
Ranger Distress Ink Iced Spruce
The Paper Studio wax sealing
Tim Holtz Alterations Baroque die cut
Gold foil dresden scrap and Wilton gold foil doily, both dabbed with Ranger distress marker in Vintage Photo to create a tarnished gold effect
Cardmaking and Papercraft designer templates dabbed with Ranger distress ink in Vintage Photo
cameo skull  my source-Alpha Stamps
trims from my stash

#2 Goddess of Dark Visions (dark visions is the name of one of the papers in the Gecko Galz Hocus Pocus digital paper pack--had to go with those words!)
mixed media piece
 

Gecko Galz witch's potion paper from Hocus Pocus digital paper pack
Gecko Galz Fortune Has It collage sheet
Slide Mailer and dresden foil scrap --my source is Alpha Stamps
Ranger Distress Ink Pads:   Walnut Stain, Wild Honey (also in stain), and Rusty Hinge
upholstery cloth sample cut up for curtain effect
strong adhesive--I used red line tape and Glossy Accents liquid glue
Ranger Stickles in Diamond
trims and embellies from my mixed up stash.

Ink technique:  cover mailer with gesso.  Use wild honey liquid stain as base.  Ink up with wild honey and rusty hinge inks.  While inks are still wet, add clear embossing powder, shaking off excess.  Heat set.  Now there is an orange peel effect.  Rub in walnut stain ink and then wipe off excess. 

#3 Enchanted Goddess (went with the fairytale Snow White theme here)
hybrid digital art
 

Gecko Galz Shrine collage sheet
I converted the shrine and the goddesses to ping files and layered them together.  When I used the photoshop paint tool on the left panel, I liked the color and dabbed it on the right panel to give an eerie effect on the goddess holding the treasure box (does it contain the heart?)  After printing on cardstock, I fussy cut the shrine and edged with gold metallic marker by American Crafts.
Bring Me Her Heart sentiment computer generated, paper torn, rolled, and distressed with Ranger Distress Ink in Vintage Paper and Stampin' Up ink in Crumb Cake.
the symbolic mirror, as well as the treasure box, are from my personal vintage finds
Tim Holtz Ideaology key, word heart is accented with Ranger Adirondack snow cap acrylic paint dabber

I Can Make This Too!!!!

I saw this idea both at Archiver's store and on Pinterest.  It's a smaller version of the original idea, in 4x6" rather than a square.  When I found a used shadow box at Goodwill for 99 cents. I thought I'd give this idea a try and printed out this black and white image from Gecko Galz Midnight Hour digital stamp set.  And then of course, to complete the totally lifted idea, I added to the shadow box my favorite candy corn (the chocolate kind).

Posting this little project is my way of reminding you to enter the A Wee Bit Of Whimsy Challenge which is due November 10, 2012 at Gecko Galz Papercrafting Yahoo Group.

For this challenge we ask that you create a project with a bit of whimsy. We want you to use your imagination and let your inner child out when creating this challenge-- use whimsical papers, stamps, images, fabric-- whatever your heart desires.
  
This month when you buy $25 or more in Gecko Galz Products you get a FREE Mini Digital Stamp Set "WHIMSY DOODLES 2". It has 12 fun and whimsical stamps for you to use in your paper crafting!

And don't forget to come back on Friday when we start our Gecko Galz blog hop!  You don't want to miss this one!

Glittery Dots

This is my latest card for Rogue Redhead Designs.  The circle background, sentiment and couple are all from the RRD Snow Hugs stamp plate.

I was anxious to go dotty and glittery with this background.  I used a double heat embossing technique.  First I stamped the background with Versamark embossing ink, sprinkled on Stampin' Up Heat 'n Stick Powder, and used the heat gun.  Then I sprinkled glitter on the sticky surface and blasted with the heat gun a second time.  I love the effect of the glitter on these circles. 

I thought Ranger's Broken China distress ink matched the glitter the best.  On the image I also added crystal glitter and Copic sketch marker BG72 ice ocean. I happened to have matching metallic ribbon and a metallic brad in my stash.

Would you like to create something dotty? You have until November 4 to enter the Rebel Challenge GO DOTTY at Rogue Redhead Designs. Up for grabs is a US$15 voucher to the RRD store. See the details at the RRD blog HERE
 

A Couple of Cards

Stampin' Up Card Club met yesterday afternoon.  Here are two of the cards created for club members and executed by me:

 I like this set of leaf stamps.

I like this card suitable for giving to a man.  We all agreed we need to make more guy cards to have in our collection.

Next month it's my turn to come up with a card for everyone to make. Mine will have a December theme.

A New Challenge

I've joined the Fall Fearless and Fly art cleanse at Artists in Blogland.   I chose the Challenge prompt:  Abraham Lincoln Quote 
The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time
from this challenge's co-hosts, Jessica and Carolyn.

I decided to use the calendar as my theme for the quote.  I found in my stash a really old piece of Flair calendar paper.  I added some Tim Holtz stickers.  I wanted the days to look as though they were cascading down, one day at a time.  I chose the woman in a Hampton Arts rubber stamp to symbolize receiving her future one day at a time.  A Stampabilities lace border stamp and a number stencil were used on the background with Stampin' Up Crumb Cake ink writer.   The woman and my handwritten quote were done with Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip ink writer.

I'm posting this under the wire as I head out the door to Stampin' Up card club.  So I'll be visiting the other submissions when I get back to my computer.   This is a slightly different journaling style, but this is the outcome of how the quote spoke to me.

Pink Pumpkin Saturday

When Beverly designated this Pink Saturday as Pumpkins and More Pumpkins, I had to take a photo of this special one on my front porch--the Porcelain Doll Pink Pumpkin.  Part of the proceeds from the sale of this hybrid pumpkin goes to Breast Cancer Research.

Textured Canvas Halloween ATC

This month's focus at Unruly Paper Arts blogozine is Canvassing.  There are two Reader Art Quests this month.  RAQ2 is Textured Canvas.  You have until October 25 to submit before the voting starts.

At the Unruly Paper Arts Yahoo Group, I'm participating in the Eerie Halloween ATC swap.  This is my fourth and final ATC that will be sent off to be swapped.

I was fascinated by my fellow Unruly Columnist Brenda Brown's example of textured canvas.  I couldn't wait to try the technique and decided to make a textured canvas ATC for the swap.

I painted everything a mixture of gesso and black paint.  I've lightened it up so that you can see the texture.

This is what I started with before I painted it:

Materials used:

canvas ATC
gauze and misc. trims from my stash
felt spider from a collection of stickers that have long since lost their name
fussy cut image from a sheet I've had in my Halloween collection forever--it says Ramay's Hand-I-Works.
fence created with Martha Stewart punch
strip of text from an old Edgar Allan Poe book (love the word delirium--which is the state I'm in around spiders!)
Ranger Distress Ink in Weathered Wood

A Skeleton ATC

Here's another Halloween ATC.  This one features my favorite Halloween character, the dancing skeleton wearing a top hat.  The skeleton and sentiment are from Red Lead's Story Stamp Set, A Halloween Tonic Story.

This skeleton is so scared he dropped his key!
I heat embossed the skeleton with Versamark and Ranger Seafoam White Embossing Powder.  I added a couple of orange gems from my stash. The skeleton key is an Industrial Chic charm. 

You might recognize the background ATC paper from a previous post.  If I have to get out the sprays, I use the finished product for more than one project.  On a neutral (manila) base, I sprayed three autumn colors using water misting and kitchen roll techniques. I used Dylusions Ink Spray in Fresh Lime and Squeezed Orange along with Luminarte Radiant Rain Shimmering Mist in Autumn Leaf. 

I'm linking this ATC to

Crazy4Challenges:  #157 Halloween Favorite Character 

and sending it off to
the Unruly Paper Arts Yahoo Group for their Eerie ATC swap.

No Bones About It

This particular ATC is created for the Repurpose, Re-cycle and Re-invent blog challenge: October-Halloween-No Bones About It   and the Bonus Round to use bones (skull on bottle label and of course the arm)

The recycled material I used is hard plastic packaging.  To show the plastic, here is a "before" pic.  I stamped the bottles on the plastic packaging and then cut them out.   (I see the reflection of the sun in this photo looks like the bottles are double stamped! Too late to retake the photo-- the bottles are already cut out! And you can see in the ATC the stamped images are fine.)  I printed green paper and placed it behind the bottles.  I was going for "slimy green goop"!

The sentiment (an Alice in Wonderland quote) tells the story--a little too much from these bottles led to this person's demise!  All that's left is a ghostly warning and the remnants of a boney arm!

I'm also entering this ATC at the Gecko Galz Papercrafting Yahoo Group Ephemera Emporium Halloween challenge due October 7.  Lots of challenges here so please join in.

This ATC will head to the Unruly Paper Arts Yahoo Group for their Eerie ATC swap.  The swap sign up is closed, but please consider joining our group.  Something is always happening  there.....

Materials and how I used them:
Bottle labels, green paper for bottle backing and sentiment, and ATC paper base all from Gecko Galz Hocus Pocus digital paper pack
taller bottle from Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Art Inspiration (Stampers Anonymous)
smaller bottle from Red Lead Story Stamps A Halloween Tonic Story
bottles stamped with Staz-On black ink onto plastic packaging
bottle cap stamped second time onto paper and pounced with Ranger Distress Inks in Weathered Wood and Black Soot
sentiment from Heartwarming Vintage Crafty Secrets Greetings from Wonderland stamp set
arm from Boneyard Skeleton garland bought at the dollar store
I used Ranger Glue and Seal to glue paper onto the plastic and to glue on the skeleton arm
Ghost fussy cut from Graphic 45 The Wizard of Oz Collection Journey to Oz paper
Black Sharpie for outlining

Getting Eerie with Edgar

The entire month of October prompt is October and Halloween at Art With No Boundaries.  The dt work displayed at their blog is down right eerie.  Got me in the mood to make what I consider the ultimate eerie in Halloween art--Edgar Allan Poe.

The image of Poe and the bird with Poe's words are both from the Gecko Galz collage sheet, Poe.
So I'm also entering this ATC at the Gecko Galz Papercrafting Yahoo Group Ephemera Emporium Halloween challenge due October 7.  Lots of challenges here so please join in.

This ATC will head to the Unruly Paper Arts Yahoo Group for their Eerie ATC swap.  The swap sign up is closed, but please consider joining our group.  Something is always happening  there.....

Materials used:
background ATC paper: Memory Box Blackbird 6x6 collection
Tim Holtz Alterations Movers & Shapers Sizzix die Artful Dwellings:  I took the arch shape and turned it into a tombstone, using thick mulberry paper for texture and gesso mixed with a bit of black paint to create a gray color.
Gecko Galz Poe collage sheet.  Punched one inch circle around Poe photo.  Glued on top the rim of a circle tag.   Fussy cut raven and adhered with foam dot.
Martha Stewart fence punch
Tim Hotz Ideaology metal pen nib

A Very Special Pink Saturday

I'm linking up to Beverly's Pink Saturday, a great blogging idea to post something pink each Saturday and to visit others who do the same.

Today's theme is Show Us Your Fall or Pink.  Last weekend we visited a pumpkin patch and came home with some pumpkins to add to the mums outside.  But today it's cold and raining so no photo of the outdoor decor.   I'm still decorating inside so no photo of that either.

Instead, I'm going the traditional pink route this weekend with a very special shirt.  To take this photo, I put it on a dress form that I won over at Heartwarming Vintage/Crafty Secrets.  (I haven't altered it yet and decided to put it to work for this photo.)   
Yes, this is how big the dress form is!  
It will take me a while to get it altered.  I'm working towards January for a special design team post.

The breast cancer awareness shirts are being sold by our local Breast Cancer Support Group.  At the complex where I work, there was a huge outpouring of support and many of us have purchased and are wearing these shirts to work every Friday in the month of October.   Because so many bought the shirts, the local newspaper is taking a group photo of us wearing the shirts next week.  We're to meet prior to the start of our work day to snap the pic.  I think it's a great opportunity to continue awareness and support for such a worthy cause.  

Regarding my Mixpod song playing:  I love Adele and was so happy for her that she got the new 007 movie theme song. These lines from the lyrics are perfect for both this supportive post as well my new artistic venture, Fall Fearless and Fly at Artists in Blogland.  I'll be back by week's end with a post for that challenge.

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together

Autumn Picnic

Today I have my first post on the Rogue Redhead Designs LLC blog. I used the Getting Grizzly stamp plate to create a sidestep card.  For details, please visit HERE.