Monday, December 29, 2014

A Four Card Set for Ephemera's Vintage Garden

Here is my third project using "A Happy Place".  I had so much fun creating these whimsical cards for Ephemera's Vintage Garden.  The images and backgrounds were designed to create a beautiful art journal that anyone can easily create just by cutting out all the bits and borders and mixed media background papers that look like you spent hours creating. I was drawn to this set the moment I saw it, but I thought it would be fun to take these amazing images out of my journal and onto my desk (in my first project using this kit) and onto my wall (in my second project using this kit) and finally in my third project onto some note cards that I can share with others to brighten someones day.  I created these cards quickly and easily.  I like to print out my papers then cut out the images while relaxing in front of the TV in the evening.  Once the images are cut out, the fun truly begins when you start arranging.  I hope you like them!  For other projects I created with these papers,  please see the labels section at the right sidebar here on my blog under Ephemera's Vintage Garden.






Digital Design Paper from Ephemera's Vintage Garden


Also Part of The Set:

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Other:

Laser cut cardstock doilies by Gina's Designs


Friday, December 19, 2014

Christmas Altoid Tin - Gecko Galz Winter Wonderland Challenge

Today I'm sharing this Wintery altered altoid tin using images from Gecko Galz.  I have entered this into the Winter Wonderland Challenge on the Gecko Galz Blog.  You have until Dec. 30th to join in the fun for the chance to win a $25 Gecko Galz shopping spree!




I used images from the following digital collage sheets:



Christmas cards for friends - More fun with Gecko Galz images

I don't recall ever having this much fun making Christmas cards!  The images and backgrounds from Gecko Galz are a ton of fun to work with.  I used several different Gecko Galz collage sheets and/or Gecko Galz freebies which I will link to at the bottom of the post.  All of these cards are entered into the Gecko Galz Holiday Card Challenge on the Gecko Galz Papercrafting Challenge Group on Facebook.  We have several themed challenges to chose from each month.  Come join us for fun and prizes!





The top card is very vintage looking and the bottom two cards are retro styled.  For the bottom two I used one of our free backgrounds you can find on our Gecko Galz Pinterest.  I also used the following collage sheets in creating my cards:







Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Vintage Kitty Christmas Card

Hello Friends!  Today I'm sharing a Christmas card I made for a dear friend of mine.  As a fellow crazy cat lady, I knew I had to choose a cat image.  I wanted a vintage look, and didn't want anything that screamed of Christmas, but rather something more soft and subtle.  I remembered seeing some gorgeous non-traditional Christmas trees on a collage sheet from My Artistic Adventures on Etsy a couple of weeks ago, and when I took another look, I knew I needed it for this card!  I mean, my goodness, there are even birds sitting on a wire in these trees!  What could be more perfect in design, and the color complemented my subtle color palette perfectly.  The sheet also had some gorgeous pink candy canes, that I glittered and was going to add to the card, but in the end, I left it alone.  As tempted as I was, I didn't want to over embellish this particular card.  

I found my image on Pinterest.  I cut off the bottom of the image where it said A Merry Christmas, and used the sentiment at the top, mounted on foam tape.  I layered the image with several coordinating paper scraps, tying a bow in between the layers.  I created the bow with my brand new Zutter Bow-it-All.  It's my new favorite tool and it's the best thing since sliced bread!  Once I had the card topper assembled, and glittered up a bit, I mounted that onto a plain cream colored card base leaving room at the bottom for a strip of coordinating paper cut in a banner shape.  I glittered my gorgeous tree all around the edges (cut an outline around the tree when you fussy cut to accomodate your glitter outline), and I mounted the tree onto foam tape.  
I ended up with just the perfect subtle softness I'd been after.  Thanks for visiting my blog!




The collage sheet for the Christmas Tree can be found HERE.

Entered into the following challenges:


Sunday, December 7, 2014

Holiday Card for The Gecko Galz Facebook Paper Challenge Group


 Hello Friends!  Today I have a Holiday card to share.  I am entering this fun and colorful card into the Holiday Cards Challenge in the Gecko Galz Facebook Paper Challenge Group where each month you will find plenty of fun challenges to enter in many categories with free collage sheets for the winners!  We also have a monthly theme-based challenge on the Gecko Galz Blog.  Come visit and play along!


The bow underneath the Santa circle-shaped image was cut from one of the other images on the Old Fashioned Christmas collage sheet.  All images are elevated with pop dots for dimension, and I've added stickles for shine, but the sparkle doesn't really show in the photo.  The doily behind the Santa image is lazer cut cardstock from Gina's Designs.

I have used two collage sheets from Gecko Galz in creating this festive card.


Visit the Gecko Galz on ETSY where you'll find tons of backgrounds and images for your Holiday cards!

Click on the image below and head over to the monthly challenge on the Gecko Galz Blog, for the chance to win a $25 Gecko Galz shopping spree!



Friday, December 5, 2014

Whimsical Shadowbox for Ephemera's Vintage Garden

Hello my friends!  Today I'm sharing my second project featuring art journal backgrounds and whimsical page elements from "A Happy Place" by Ephemera's Vintage Garden.  I had so much fun creating this!  One of my favorite things to do when crafting is to create a scene.  No, of course I don't mean that I enjoy causing disturbances in public places LOL.  I meant that I like to portray a feeling through the depiction of a particular scene.  It may be a place where I've been in real life, such as I might create with a traditional scrapbook layout, but more often the scene is one where only my imagination could take me.  We all need a touch of whimsy in our lives now and then, and this kit, A Happy Place really makes me smile.


I began with an 8 x 10 wooden shadowbox frame that I purchased from Michaels.  I painted it with several coats of gesso so I would have a bright white surface on the base of the frame.  I wish I could say that I created all of the fabulous mixed media technique on the frame, but I didn't have to, it's already there on the background papers!  I printed the background papers onto tissue paper and then used Mod Podge to adhere it to the frame.  Let it overlap, it's fine, you'll trim and sand it later.  Don't trim it out and sand until it's completely dry, overnight is best.  To print onto tissue paper, I run a glue stick around all four sides of a 65 lb weight sheet of cardstock.  I place the white tissue paper on top pressing it firmly to the glue on the edges, starting at one side and smoothing it firmly over the cardstock backing to prevent as few wrinkles in the tissue paper as possible.  I trim it out so nothing is hanging over the cardstock backing so it doesn't get hung up in the printer and cause a jam.  Most of the time, I can easily remove the tissue paper from the cardstock  backing, but if not, you can just cut the edges off.  When I was finished with the frame, I simply fussy cut all the amazing and whimsical bits from the set, and arranged them inside and around the frame using pop dots for dimension at different levels within my shadowbox.  I added a few things that were not from the printable kit that I will list below.

I always like to remind my followers that many of the digital papers are designed to make incredibly amazing art journals.  The backgrounds look like you spent hours perfecting mixed media techniques.  Don't stop when you've finished creating your art journal.  You can print the papers again and again to create all kinds of projects!

Digital Design Paper from Ephemera's Vintage Garden

Also Part of The Set are:

*The Blackbird at the lower left corner comes from one of the recent freebies called Merry and Wise

Sign up for Freebies Here and receive them weekly in your email box!

Other items used in this project are chipboard shapes by Gina's Designs including:
Birds on a Wire
Birdhouse
Clock Hands
Bird Nest






Thursday, December 4, 2014

Santa Clock - My First Gecko Galz Challenge Entry


I'm so excited to have completed my first project using Gecko Galz products.  I am not officially part of the team until 2015,  but I couldn't wait to get started,  so I am entering this fun piece into the Holiday Decor Challenge in the Gecko Galz Facebook Challenge Group where each month you will find plenty of fun challenges to enter in many categories.  We also have a monthly theme-based challenge on the Gecko Galz Blog.  Come visit and play along!


I began by painting the dimensional chipboard clock by Gina's Designs with gesso, followed by a cherry red acrylic paint.  On top of that I painted Tim Holtz Distress Rock Candy Crackle Paint. When that was dry I rubbed on some gold distress paint and wiped it off quickly so it settled in the cracks.  I followed that with some Bright Gold Gilder's Paste around the edges and on the feet.  I also added some gold microbeads to the bell on the upper right.  I used collage sheets from the Gecko Galz to decorate the inside and the bell on the left hand side of the clock.  I then finished up with some stickles, some sparkle texture paste spread inside, and a tiny bottle brush tree from my stash.

Gecko Galz Christmas Icons (the Santa face image and the holly from the bells with holly image)

Other:  Gina's Designs Chipboard clock and Intricate Doily used as a background inside the clock.

Thanks for looking!


Click on the image below and head over to the monthly challenge on the Gecko Galz Blog, for the chance to win a $25 Gecko Galz shopping spree!


And don't forget to join our Facebook Challenge Group!