Gecko Galz Blog Hop

Hello Everyone!

I want to welcome everyone to the 12th destination of

Gecko Galz 4th Annual Blog Hop

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 21 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 another free Gecko Galz Collage sheet for you to down load, The one here is

"ANGEL DARLINGS".

Also make sure you collect all the “secret” words on each blog so at the end of the hop you can send in the phrase to enter our drawing for a wonderful treat.  So sit back, relax, take your time and enjoy the hop!

We have FOUR amazing prizes up for grabs:

·        First is the Kit Club for each month for an entire year. This is exclusive sets for club members which include a paper set, stamp set, and collage images in each set! That is 12 different sets! This is a $144 value!

·        Second prize is the monthly collage sets for an entire year! Each month you will receive all 4 sets absolutely FREE! This is a $96 value.

·        Third prize is all of the individual collage sheets each month for a year, this includes the jewel it sheets! This is a $90 value!

·        And our Grand Prize ONE FULL YEAR of Gecko Galz PRODUCTS!!! That will Kit Club Set, 4 individual collage sheets, Jewel it set and 4 collage sets each month for the entire year! This is a prize worth $330!

Read on to learn how you can win!

First of all, you will need to visit all 21 blogs and leave a comment on each blog :) **This is important so we know you have been to all the blogs **. Collect all 20 words (one on each blog site except the home site) and at the end of the blog on the Fripperies and Butterflies site there will be a link to email the phrase to Gecko Galz. This enters you in the contest. On November 3rd we will randomly draw the 4 winners and email each of you, then we will post the winning names 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) 

 

My Secret Word is:

ILLUMINATE

Please enjoy this free Gecko Galz Collage sheet

“Angel Darlings”

as well as the samples I have made using the images!

(Just click on the picture --- or the link addy below it --- for link to full size sheet)

https://sites.google.com/site/geckogalzdesigns/angel-darlings

My Samples

Make yourself familiar with the angels and behold them frequently in spirit; for without being seen, they are present with you.

Saint Francis De Sales

Cyber Angels

Digital Composition

My first sample is a totally digital creation using a tag from Gecko Galz Christmas Tags collage sheet and the paper and several icons from Robin Gough's Merry Wishes digital paper pack.  I added shadowing for dimension.  

Earth Angel
Mixed Media

My second sample is a digital hybrid.  First I cropped the angel. Then I altered the color by applying "old paper" and then "sepia tint" in Adobe Photoshop Elements before printing.  I wet distressed the edges and then edged with Ranger Vintage Photo Distress Ink
I used a 6x6" burlap canvas for the base of my mixed media project. For some added texture and background interest, I used the Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Brick Wall stencils for art along with her white embossing paste.  I added flowers from the Paper Studio Mixed Media Burlap Roses and Petaloo Textured Elements Ivory Burlap Blossoms, and two pinecones made with the Sissix (Tim Holtz Alterations) tattered pinecone die topped with Marvy Liquid Applique (snow with heat tool) to mimic the display in the photo. 
Trims include mini scrabble tiles, brown leaf vine, corde jute, and canvas fringe.

Guardian Angels
Cabinet Card

My third sample is a cabinet card.

My base is a Tim Holtz Cabinet Card Frame.  I chose the one that said "Blessing and Co" on the bottom which seemed an appropriate pairing for the angels image.  Soft colors and gentle trims complement the ethereal feel depicted in the photo.  

If You missed checking out one of the blogs or want to go through them again here is the rotation

Here is the Blog Hop Rotation

Sharon Rogers

Joan Liddle

Vicki Romaine

Jules Eickmeier

Patti Fisher

Heather Hudson

Diane Bove

Yvonne Garner

Michele Storm

Jessica Moore

Helene Huber

Terri Burnette

Lisette Baker

Barbara Bird

Gerri Herbst

Amanda Phillips

Carol Salisbury

Wendy Waldorf

Leanne Seed 

Altered Playing Cards 9 and 10

This 6th week Claudine is working with a Halloween theme, tissue tape, stamps, torn napkins, and a stencil.   You can see the cards she made at her blog HERE.

Early on, I decided two things about my set of cards:
1) I would NOT do a mix of horizontal and vertical designs because I want all the cards "going the same way".  This has limited me in some product choices.
2) Even after the discussion regarding memorizing the cards by their designs, I DO plan on actually using this set--even if it's only to play Solitaire.  Therefore, I'm resisting the temptation to turn them into ATCs by using 3-D embellishments or going beyond the borders.  I'm really hoping these can be shuffled when all is said and done.

Card 9:

I chose a card where I had added crushed tissue paper when applying the gesso base coat.
I painted the card with USArtQuest Perfect Pigment Acrylic Orange.
I added USArtQuest Vintage Mica Color Copper Pipe Watercolor Paint, highlighting the folds and creases of the tissue paper.
Instead of covering the card with tissue tape (since it already had the tissue paper base), I added two patterns of washi tape to fill the void..
acrylic stamp of houses is from a Martha Stewart set.  I knew I wouldn't get a clean stamped image because of the textured tissue paper but I like the eerie effect that was created--almost like ghosts are popping out of the windows.
witch digital image is from Gecko Galz Little Witches collage sheet

Entering Card 9 in the following challenges:
Anything Goes With a Twist--this is a new challenge blog and this week is Challenge 2 with the twist FEMALE
Gecko Galz Papercrafting Challenge Facebook Group:  Halloween Ladies of the Night


Card 10:

I chose a card where I had added drywall mesh tape when applying the gesso base coat.
I painted the card with USArtQuest Perfect Pigment Acrylic Orange.
I edged with what was left on the paint brush from highlighting card 9 with USArtQuest Vintage Mica Color Copper Pipe Watercolor Paint
I was able to find the same paper napkin that Claudine used and created the torn napkin effect.
rubber stamp of eye is Red Lead Paperworks
Poe digital image is from Gecko Galz Poe collage sheet
Dylusion stencil and black Sharpie pen down right side
black ink splatters
old numbers and letters from stash

Entering Card 10 in the following challenge:
Gecko Galz Papercrafting Challenge Facebook Group:  Halloween Theme - woohoo!  I WON!!

Guest Designer at Country View Crafts' Challenge Blog

I'm honored to be guest designer at Country View Challenges for Challenge #20 and the theme has been chosen by Doreen - 'Sparkle and Shine".   Please visit them to see the amazing inspiration from the design team HERE.  And the post about me and what I made for my guest designer spot is HERE

I decided to use one of my Prima Doll stamps, created by Julie Nutting, to make Glinda the Good Witch, from Wizard of Oz.  It's time to think about Halloween costumes, and why not choose one that has lots of sparkle and shine?

Sparkle and shine for her dress and crown come from Core'dinations silver glitter cardstock, wide shimmery ribbon, and Starfoam heart stickers. There's a glitter star for her wand and Stampendous silver dot sparklers to shimmer in the night sky.  I used Graphic 45 papers to create a Halloween theme. 

For those of us who like to dress up on Halloween and want to be good while treat or treating....
-- 
I can't wait to see what sparkle and shine YOU come up with.  In the meantime.....
I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

Mema's Crafts:  October Challenge Tic Tac Toe  (3 across--flowers, bling, sparkle)
Crafting By Designs:  October Anything Goes
Fab n' Funky: Halloween  (ends Oct 7)
Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge Happy Fall Y'All--I hoard Graphic 45 paper collections!
The Cheerful Stamp Pad  Challenge  96Halloween Costumes and Fun
All Crafts Challenge:  October November 

Altered Playing Cards 7 and 8

We're in Week 5 with Claudine Criner.  You can see her altered playing cards 7 and 8 on her blog HERE.

For the second week in a row, we're using acrylic paint for a background.  The other card background is a torn paper collage.  Also doing some stenciling, fussy cutting, and doodling.

Here are the two I created:

Card 7: SOAR

Because I don't do much painting and have limited success with stenciling, I followed Claudine's tutorial closely.

Base is the same pink paint I used last week as I painted this card and then decided to use a different one with more gesso design.  It was perfect for this week.

New products  out of the packages:

Red Lead stencil journaling spots which I used for my circles

Wendy Vecchi stencil down left side

Crafty Individuals ink splats rubber stamp

Old stuff from stash:

Tommy Boy image from Paper Imagery Designs

Tim Holtz SOAR ticket cut down to size

Adirondak Acrylic Pain Dabber:  Lake Mist and Juniper

What I learned:

Still not good with stencils--this time I used a black Sharpie but it bled through when I switched to a larger tip.

For me the best white circles were made with a Sharpie white paint marker--messy but this white pen showed up the best.

Easist black circles made with Zig black 5mm pen

Having to add water to old hardened Adirondak paints still not effective for covering base paint. -----retiring this set.

Fell in love with the ink splats stamp and am leaving it out on my craft table for more projects.

The overall messiness works for this background. And I'm pleased with the end result.

Card 8:  RESCUED RELATIVE

Since I had done torn paper backgrounds and collages before, this one was an easy make for me.  I just had to figure out which products to use from my stash.

Breaking open these products for the first time:

Papers from Pink Paislee London Market

Image from Red Lead Paperworks Ancestors 42 collage sheet

TJ Designs Vintage Ephemera & Photographs rubber stamp collection for word label Rescued Relative

From the stash:

Tim Holtz number stamp

Ranger Antique Linen distress ink

Ranger Seedless Preserves Distress Paint

Ranger Spun Sugar distress marker

Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write Marker

What I learned:

The stained dress technique was new to me so I should have practiced on something else first.  The color was too dark and the paper got pithy when I watered it down.  I ended up adding the spun sugar distress marker and then covering up most of the dress with the word label.  

I love the total vintage look of this one.  

I would like to enter my Rescued Relative in the following challenges:

Simon Says Monday:  Finishing Touch-Sentiment

Artistic Inspirations: Challenge 111 Anything Goes

Fantasy Stampers Challenge:  Here Come the Girls

October UPA RAQ

This month's theme at Unruly PaperArts is Painted Perfection. The introduction to this month's issue of our blogozine, along with the schedule of contents, can be found HERE.  THe UPA issue posts new articles all month long so be sure to refer to the schedule of contents so that you don't miss any of the columnists' pieces as well as features and guest artists.

One of the features is our Reader Art Quest.  This month's theme is Harvest Bounty.   Our sponsor this month is Pan Pastel who is giving a wonderful prize to the lucky RAQ winner.  You have the month to create something and submit it HERE.  I made a RAQ sample this month.

I chose grapes as my harvest bounty and went with the dark purple color and some green.

My design team sample is made with a paper napkin and a Prima Julie Nutting doll stamp.  After assembling, the card is coated with melted wax.

To celebrate a big birthday, I've been given a trip to Napa, California wine county.  This card is all about me looking pretty darn sophisticated as I sip wine from a tall stemmed glass while touring Napa's finest wineries.  Now if only I owned a dress like that?

Rain or Shine

This week we players at Tag Tuesday are working with the prompt Opposites.   My idea for my theme came together while I was sipping coffee this morning and looking through on-line challenges. Cloudy Sky (Rain) vs. Sunshine   Perhaps I'm being influenced by today's stormy weather!

Materials:
Stampin' Up Sissix clouds embossing folder
Tim Holtz rays stencil
Ranger Distress Ink:  Mustard Seed, Weathered Wood
Stampin' Up label punch
Stampin' Up Rain or Shine rubber stamp set
Core'dinations gray card stock
blue card stock for tag base
Maya Road gray ribbon

Challenges:
Shopping Our Stash Challenge #171 Sunshine On a Cloudy Day
4 Crafty Chicks #214 Sun or Clouds
Creative Moments: Anything Goes Use 3 Layers
Tuesday Throwdown:  Opposites Attract (color wheel) 

Gecko Galz October

Happy October!

IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM GECKO GALZ:

We unfortunatly are still having issues with our website and have pretty much given up the ghost on it, we do appologize for that, however we are updating our Etsy store and creating a great shop for you to discover new and wonderful paper crafting products so come check out all the latest including our SALE area!

I used this adorable image from the Gecko Galz October release collage sheet, Vintage Thanks.  I layered several of the Song in My Heart papers we were given to create this totally digital design. After layering two of the papers, I added computerized words.

These papers from Song in My Heart are perfect for fall.  A link to their Etsy shop is HERE 


Our Gecko Galz Customer Challenge for October is Jeepers Creepers.  Prize for the lucky winner is a $25 to spend in the Gecko Galz digital store and a prize pack from Bo Bunny.  For all the details and creative inspiration from the rest of the Gecko Galz design team, please go to our Gecko Galz blog HERE.















Here is my Jeepers Creepers design team sample:

Since our website design team gallery can't be updated, to see some amazing idea from our design team please go to our Pinterest Page and check out all their new works!

I'm posting the directions here since they won't be in the site gallery.

Digital Creepy Portrait

Gecko Galz collage sheets used:

crop photo frame from Vintage Portraits

crop bat from Spooky Circles and Squares

crop skull from Day of the Dead

crop the hat from Haunted Ephemera 

crop flowers from vab

layer all objects

add photoshop effect of  Old Paper and Sepia Tint

Also very exciting this month is our 4th annual blog hop...this will be our biggest and best yet and it is as always the big kick off to our holiday countdown.

Share our Blog Hop Banner on your page and comment on the blog entry found HERE with a link to your blog and we will pick one lucky winner on October 29th who will win a fab gift pack with all kinds of fun goodies!