Wild West Card

This is my design team example using some of the July releases at Gecko Galz.

I wanted to show how the Gecko Galz dominoes can be used to make 3 panel cards.  And how the Gecko Galz Jewels can be used in bottlecaps and rosettes.

My selections are based on a theme Cookin' Up Birthday Wishes.

Gecko Galz Wild West Jewel It collection from July 2012 release.  Select 3 Dominoes, resize and print.  Select one Jewel and resize to one inch circle, print and punch out.  Put Jewel inside bottle cap.

Gecko Galz Deadwood ATC paper pack; crop and enlarge 3 ATC backgrounds and print.  Cut two for layering mats and place on cream card base.  Use third for domino mats.
Edge all papers with Ranger Distress Ink in Rusty Hinge color.

Cut strip of paper 3/4" wide and score every 1/4".  Glue ends together and make into rosette.  Place bottlecap on top.
Assemble card and add embellishments. (Artgirlz charmz silver boot)

Wild and Reckless

We all know about Alice and her wild adventure in Wonderland.  When I saw this week's color inspiration at Summer of Color, I couldn't help but use this particular page from the Gecko Galz Wonderland ATC paper pack.   I enlarged it as the base of my card. 

I thought a black and white image of Alice fussy cut with a bit of white around the edge was a good contrast to the bold design on the paper.  I paired it with an equally simple handmade sentiment strip in black and white, using what I consider to be the perfect sentiment from Lizzy Ann Designs (American Art Stamp).  Both black and white pieces are up on foam pop dots for added dimension.  I'm very pleased that the photograph picked up the contrast so well.

I designed this card for this challenge:

Summer of Color 2: Ice Cream Inspirations Week Five:  Wild 'N Reckless Sherbet

"A green apple, blue raspberry, and fruit punch flavored sherbet party. 

Fruit has never had so much fun."

- Baskin Robbins

Sweet Treat

This little girl, a Gecko Galz image, is a very sweet little girl who is looking for a very sweet treat, perhaps a strawberry lemonade ice cream cone?

Materials:
Gecko Galz image and background paper from the June 2012 Lemonade paper pack.
Stampin' Up label and word stamps
Ranger Distress Ink: summer seasonal series: Picked Raspberry
Miscellaneous cloth trim from my stash
Wilton paper doily

Challenges entered:


Summer of Color Week Four Ice Cream Inspiration: Strawberry Lemonade

Art With No Boundaries: Summer Skies:  my dad made an impressionistic painting of a pink sky at daybreak.  This Gecko Galz paper reminds me of that pink sky along with a very sunshiny yellow sky--hot yellow sun because it's been over 100 degrees here for at least a week!

Frilly and Funkie:  Let's See Some Texture including material:  my paper doily (reminds me of the doily you get under your glass of ice cream at the parlor), label up on pop dots, and fabric trim 

Gecko Galz  Ephemera Emporium Crafting Challenges Yahoo Group: With A Touch of Fabric challenge due July 15

Celebrating the Fourth of July

Family reunion plans to spend the Fourth at the lake have been squashed by oppressive heat and drought.   All open fires have been banned.  It's too darn hot to have a roasted marshmallow at a bonfire anyway.  But also the town's fireworks have been cancelled.  The sun has burnt our grass to a dormant brown.  No rain in sight.


We'll still get together--but inside where there is air conditioning and an indoor pool.  Not a bad second choice.  And we'll enjoy wearing our tee shirts that celebrate ten years of fun at Sunfish--the lake property. 


Wishing everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July!


As long as I have to stay inside to keep cool, I put together this little Independence Day project. I went with a sailor suit theme.


I'm joining in the Crafty Secrets Vintage Paper Crafts Linky Party.


The shadow box is Crafty Secrets. I painted the chipboard with Golden acrylic glaze to thin the paint. Paper is 7 Gypsies.  I edged with Adirondack gold paint dabber. I fussy cut Gecko Galz images from the Star Spangled ephemera set as well as from the new June 2012 release, Yankee Doodle.  The image of the girl on the far left is from Altered Artifacts. The sheet music behind her was a free printable from Crafty Secrets.  Bingo cards are the mini examples off the back of the Jenni Bowlin package. Across the top, the 3-D effect is created with pop dots.  I used the wet distress technique on the image on the left to crinkle the edges.

 

My bottle cap is a mix of stickers from my stash, some D3 gel and a metal screen number (an antique store find).  

I used my Stampin' Up Crumb Cake Writer pen to edge the images--softer than using black.  I like how the boy's hand looks like he's got it cupped around the shadow box frame.  The balloon image is floating on pop dots. 

I'm also linking this up to Inspiration Journal for this month's Red, White and Blue Challenge.  This is a new challenge for me but I've seen it on several blogs that I visit, so I decided to join in the fun.

Later this week, I'll be linking this up to Beverly's Patriotic Pink Saturday because this time around it's also is Red, White, and Blue Saturday.

For those of you who also listen to my music, today I have Irving Berlin, composer of God Bless America, singing it on the Ed Sullivan show in 1968.  He wrote this song in 1918.

Weather Worn Seaside

CATCH THE WAVE with us this month of July at Unruly PaperArts blogozine. Our Catch the Wave Issue is dedicated to seaside scenes and wonderful water techniques. 

I've created this 8x8"sample for the Reader Art Quest: Beautiful Beach.  You, as a UPA reader, are encouraged to create something beach themed in any type of paper craft or mixed media project and link up your unruly work at UPA between July 1 and July 25.  Don't forget voting for the top five projects takes place between July 26 and July 31.


As I walk along the ocean front, I feel like I'm walking back in time.  Does this place really exist or is it just a figment of my imagination?

A few things to explain my composition: 
1) I created the marbled paper in a workshop and wanted to incorporate it in this piece because of the water technique used to create it--perfect for a water themed month. I chose this particular paper because the pink looked to me like rays of sunlight on an early morning summer day.  The rest reminded me of white caps and ocean waves.  
2) In selecting products, I chose muted colors to give a feel of a weather-worn beach retreat. I wanted the two images to evoke a ghostly quality--children of another era still appearing to play on the beach (if you squint really hard in the sunlight, you'll see them)--so I chose a pale color to stamp with--my new favorite, Crumb Cake.  To catch the sunlight, I added a little sparkle and bling with the embellishments. 
3) I kept the composition to a minimum in order to keep the focus on the design in the paper itself.

Materials:
hand crafted Spanish marbling paper made in a Prairie Stampers Club workshop


Tim Holtz Alterations Artful Dwellings die
Adirondack Lake Mist acrylic paint dabber
ProArt Gesso
Ranger Distress Inks: Weathered Wood, Tumbled Glass
Ranger Picket Fence Distress Stain
German Dresden Border Fleur BROWN (from Retro Cafe Art)
Sissex embossing folder for roof
Sissex Tim Holtz Alterations embossing folder "wood" for the sign
Petaloo Dazzlers


Rogue Red Head Designs LLC Beach Babes stamp plate
Stampin' Up Crumb Cake Ink
Images and sign elevated with Stampin' Up Dimensionals (pop dot adhesives)


Unidentifiable Manufacturers products:
white corrugated cardboard (Michaels I think)
netting trim and rope fishnet from old scrapbook kits
German dresden fish, crystal sprigs, and specialty stamping paper all from Prairie Art Stamps store in Springfield, IL
pearl/crystal strip from a box store (Michaels I think)


If you'd like to learn more about paper marbling and see the process in action, you may want to check out this You Tube video.  I couldn't find any information on the man (John) who taught our workshop, but came across this interesting video.
http://youtu.be/vk-Ta7ichz4


This project is my second entry in this challenge:

Craft Room: Friendship

Keeping Cool

It's another Pink Saturday and nothing is better in this 100 degree heat than sharing with a friend some raspberry swirl vanilla ice cream and a trip to the ocean front.   (See my challenge entries below.)

I used lots of new product that arrived in my craft room.  
As a Stampin' Up Card Club member, I bought a set of frame stamps with the matching punch.  I added to them a sentiment from the Rogue Redhead Designs LLC Beach Babes stamp plate.  (The main image is from that plate as well--my choice for the Craft Room friends challenge and also the nature (ocean) challenge at Fashionable Stamp.  The sandy background stamp on the crumb cake paper mat also is from this RRD plate.) The card design is part of the Rogue Redhead sketch challenge.

I used for the first time my Stampin' Up edgelits--die and embossing set.  I used the die 3 times to layer the edge.  I thought this Basic Grey Kissing Booth paper was a perfect representation of the Baseball Nut ice cream flavor for this week's Summer of Color challenge.  I went a little heavy on the cashews (crumb cake paper and ink).

Materials Used:

Paper Studio ivory cardstock (the paper is a creamier color but it didn't photograph that way)
Stampin' Up Sissex Impressions and Edgelits Adorning Accents
Basic Grey Kissing Booth Lip Lock patterned paper
Stampin' Up Crumb Cake card stock
Stampin' Up Crumb Cake ink
Stampin' UpPunch Extra Large Decorative Label
Stampin' Up Four Frames (label stamp)
Rogue Redhead Designs Beach Babes stamp plate (image of two friends scooping shells, sentiment, and sand background stamp)

Challenges:

Rogue Redhead Designs challenge: Tilt It with this sketch:

Fashionable Stamp Challenge #24: Nature 

The Craft Room: Friendship

Colors of Summer Week #3:  Ice Cream Flavor: Baseball Nut

"A smooth, vanilla flavored ice cream swirled with a black raspberry ribbon and loaded with cashews" -Baskin Robbins

 I'm also linking this up to Beverly's Pink Saturday.

Baby Girl Card

If you are a follower of my blog, then you may remember my little dress card made with a template from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff.  When I purchase that one, I got a few others including this onesie template.    Link to onesie template site: http://www.mygrafico.com/svg-cutting-templates/sweet-baby-svg/prod_3592.html  
I think you know my blogging buddy Diane keeps me in the loop with these great templates which I see on her blog HERE.  

I reduced the size to fit on the card base. I don't have SVG files; instead I fussy cut the template.  I didn't make a folding card with the pattern so I pieced together the back of the onesie to show along the bottom edge, using coordinating paper. 

You may also remember that both of my daughters tried their hand at mom's hobby and decided to give it up.  In the process, I was the recipient of all their stash. So I broke out dd2's DCWV Nursery paper pad to make the onesie.  The pink card is from one of my fave stores, Prairie Art Stamps.  I used the Cuttlebug folder on the card front for the embossed word background. Making Memories flower brads also from dd2.  Ric rac is from an auction (got a whole box full).  And I can't believe I dug out my eyelets for the bottom of the onesie.  I saw eyelets on the template sample and just couldn't resist copying--too cute!

Entering these challenges:
All Sorts Challenge #159 Paper Piecing/Piercing 
I pieced the onsie.  I pierced for the brad flower buttons and the eyelet snaps. 

Vicki's Cheerful StampPad Challenge #45 In the Garden
because one of the highlights of the day is carrying around my granddaughter and looking at all the flowers and critters in the backyard--birds, squirrels, rabbits.  On a recent stroller ride, we even saw deer run through the McDonald's drive-thru--yes deer in town!!!!!

My frustrations continue.  Still having trouble with my Droid phone camera.  And I dropped an open jar of Claudine's matte medium on the carpet this morning.

Father's Day Project

My dh is a life long learner.  He reads, learns, and is amazing at anything he tries.  He golfs, gardens, builds things from a photo in a magazine--our two car two story garage, his Wright-like oak floor to ceiling bookcase across one wall in his library--,fixes up an old car for dd2, etc.  He tinkers and is the "go to" person for anything that needs fixed.  I made this card for him for Father's Day.


I started with two images from the June 2012 release Man o Man ephemera sheet from Gecko Galz.  I resized and fussy cut the man for the front of my card.  I resized another image from the set for a bookmark.


I cut cardstock 11"x5-1/2', scored at 4-1/2" and 2" to create a tri-fold card that would include a bookmark for my avid reader dh.  The first photo is the true color of the crumb cake Stampin' Up cardstock.  Have no idea why the other photos look more gray--all taken same time, same place.  Tim Holtz Alterations folder on Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante paper, highlighted with Stampin' Up Crumb Cake ink.  Tim Holtz Ideaology numeral.

You will note that I attached the bookmark with two glue dots so that it can be removed from the card easily. Tim Holtz ideaology sprocket gear and Kaisercraft copper pearls.

Both outside and inside sentiments done on my computer.  I layered this sentiment onto a black ATC which I ran through the Cuttlebug with the Tim Holtz Alterations sprocket gear folder.

Overview of entire tri-fold card:

Entering these challenges:  


Gecko Galz Yahoo Papercrafting Group: Heavy Metal due July 1
Art With No Boundaries Bonus Round: Heavy Metal 
(in the top five--woo hoo!)






Still having blogger issues.  Spam broke through and got posted yesterday.  Boo.

Stampin' Up Card

Stampin' Up Club met again and here's one of the cards I made.  I love this color crumb cake and bought the paper, ink, and color writer.  Of course I haven't used any of it yet at home so I was happy to use it again at club.  Yesterday I dug out the paper and am in the process of making a card with it.  I'll post it later. 

Having blogger issues--nothing through Firefox--had to go through Safari to access my posts list.  There I have a message that my browser is no longer supported by Blogger and to try Google Chrome.  


If all else fails, reboot, right?

Summer Sherbet at Sunfish

We have some big news at Gecko Galz.  I'm very excited to help announce the extremely talented new members to our design team:  Kristin Rhodes, Sharon Rogers, Jules Eickmeier, Carol Salisbury, and Debi Ryan.  Check it out HERE.


Kristin at Twinkle Twinkle is hosting the  Summer of Color challenge again.  This time around the six-week long party is focusing on and creating art based upon the luscious color combos of our favorite ice cream flavors.  Can't beat that! Week One's prompt is Rainbow Sherbet.

I wanted to do something modern and fun.  I used my Spellbinders Nestabilities Curved Rectangles for layering my rainbow sherbet.  My image is from the Gecko Galz Girlfriends ephemera set, and all the yummy patterned papers are from the Gecko Galz June release, Lemonade paper collection.  The plaid ribbon is from an early Gecko Galz prize.  My three rainbow sherbet colored pearls are from my stash. 


I'm also entering this card in  TallyScrapper Try Something New card challenge hosted by one of our Gecko Galz design teammates, Barbara Bird.  And Gecko Galz is sponsoring the prize!  My something new is stacking (layering) nestabilities dies using several Gecko Galz papers.  (I normally use just one). 


I think this card works well for an ice cream challenge too, so this is my second entry at All Sorts Challenge Week 158.


We sisters-in-law have fun getting together.  This summer marks the tenth anniversary of my SIL's lake property, Sunfish.  So I made this card to give to her when we get together at the lake to celebrate the Fourth of July and the Sunfish anniversary.