anything goes at the cheerful stamp pad

hello friends.  i hope your summer (or winter!) is going wonderfully! we have had record heat and sunshine out my way.  so creating involves sweating!  at the cheerful stamp pad we are welcoming in a favorite challenge theme -- anything goes!  so whatever you are creating, feel free to link it up!

i was drawn to this dear digital image graciously provided by our challenge sponsor little blue button stamps.  dream time is critical and important time and this little darling is dreaming over her cup of tea.  i used some delightful background designer paper from twisted papers to cover my cardstock.  i colored, the digital image with pencils and fussy cut it to adhere to the background.  the polka dot washi tape created a nice contrast i thought and i also added the "dream" and butterfly stickers to finish the piece.

little blue button stamps is our challenge sponsor.  a randomly selected challenge participant will win a prize from them.  as the challenge theme is so open i hope you will join us!

i'm also linking to the "anything goes" challenge at scraps of color!

love to all.

sweet pea july progressive challenge part 2

greetings friends. for part 2 of the july progressive challenge at the sweet pea stamps friends and fans facebook page we were given a digital image by sandra caldwell called queen of wonder.  she is a queen modeled after the alice in wonderland queen of hearts but she is not stern like that queen.

i can't decide how to interpret the expression on her face.  but in search of a sentiment i used this rubber stamp from silver crow creations -- the sentiment was spoken by eeyore from winnie the pooh but i felt it matched the mood of this card!  as always i colored the digital image with colored pencils and added a few simple embellishments.

can't wait to see what we get to play with in august!  to learn more about the progressive challenges please take a look at the sweet pea stamps facebook page.

love to all.

retro summer flamingo

what is cheerier than a flamingo?  i made a tag featuring a flamingo from the lunagirl "flamingo" collage sheet to remind you of the "retro summer" challenge at lunagirl moonbeams.  you are invited to link up a creation featuring some vintage summer fun for the chance to win a prize from the lunagirl store.

the tag base has some pretty designer paper from my stash.  the pink border at the top is from a border set i bought from alpha stamps. i also added a prima flower, some enamel dots and the sentiment.

i hope you will join the challenge.
love to all.

hearts and flowers, continued

hearts and flowers are always lovely themes for cards.  the current challenge at the cheerful stamp pad is "hearts and flowers" -- link up a creation including either or both hearts and flowers for a chance to win a prize from our sponsor stitchy bear stamps.  our DT was given digital images from stitchy bear artist floppy latte for our creations.  here is my week 2 card:

the digital image is called "large shaded flower" and i printed it on gecko galz paper and then colored it with colored pencils.  i cut that piece and layered it on a second piece of designer paper from gecko galz then added borders, distressing and a punched heart.  this card could be used for a birthday, get well, sympathy or any number of occasions.  you have one more week to link up.

love to all.

july gecko galz inspiration, final trio of seaside ATCs -- and a freebie!

welcome back for my final inspiration post with products from the new seaside splendor kit at gecko galz this month.  this is also a reminder of the july customer challenge at the gecko galz blog this month which is "seaside memories."  if you link a  new creation to the blog this month on our theme, using at least one image from gecko galz, then you'll be up for a prize.  as promised earlier this month, here is the final trio of ATCs i created for my DT samples this month.

this final trio of ATCs showcasing several of the new products from gecko galz is also the bottom row of a pocket letter i created for a pocket letter swap hosted by the altered pages facebook group.  below is a final peek at the completed pocket letter.

details on these ATCs:
supplies:
gecko galz sea nymphs collage sheet (new)
gecko galz seaside paper pack (new)
gecko galz la isla bonita paper pack (last july)
altered pages freebie sheets
retro café arts die cuts
enamel dots
borders
stickers

instructions:
the backgrounds for the far left and far right ATCs are from the seaside paper pack, the ATC in the middle has paper from la isla bonita paper pack.  the mermaids for all three cards are from the sea nymphs collage sheet.  i cut out the mermaids and arranged them on the covered ATC bases.  there is also a postage stamp on the ATC at far rights which is from an altered pages collage sheets.  the seashells and sea star are die cuts from retro café arts.  the borders on all three are from my stash, i am not sure of the companies, same with the stickers at the bottom of the middle and far right ATCs.

this was my first pocket letter.  it was a lot of work.  but i love how it turned out.  i would do it again, but probably not very often!  ah, if only i could create full time!  one day...

hey, here is the promised freebie.  if you came over from the gecko galz blog i am sure you are eager to see it.  this month for our freebies the theme is "midsummer night" and so fairies are what it is all about.  enjoy this goodie courtesy of gecko galz and the design team:

i thought this digi was so sweet i had to make a card with it right away -- printing it on designer paper by gecko galz, coloring with pencils and layering on additional paper by gecko galz.  the "ecstasy" stamp is by "marks of distinction" rubber stamps.

a final reminder: to play along with the gecko galz customer challenge you must use at least one item from gecko galz.  but remember if you sign up for the monthly gecko galz newsletter (sign up available on the blog) you'll get a free collage sheet every month.  and once you get the newsletters you'll find there are often special sales at the etsy shop.  finally, there are freebies on the gecko galz pinterest page as well.  so i hope you will join up and play along.

love to all.

ooh la la!

the theme at tag tuesday this week is all things parisienne.  so of course i looked to images from french kissed postcards to create my collaged tag.

 

i started with some pretty background paper from my stash and then cut and collaged 4 images from different postcards from FKP.  i just distressed edges, added lace, a prima flower and ribbon to finish.

 

there is an "open challenge" theme this summer at collage obsession challenge blog; i'm linking this tag there as well.

 

enjoy; love to all.

retro summer!

it is retro summer time at lunagirl moonbeams.  for the next two weeks link up your creations celebrating vintage summer fun for the chance to win shopping credit at the lunagirl store.  a favorite iconic retro image that i love is this hula girl image, found on the lunagirl "retro summertime beauties" collage sheet.

for my tag I started with designer paper from my stash -- the images on the paper are reminiscent of pineapples.  the shell border at top is a border i got from alphastamps.  the little plastic sea star is from retro café arts and i finished with distress inks, a sticker (memories) and ribbon.

i hope you will play along.  love to all.

hearts and flowers

the new two week challenge at the cheerful stamp pad is "hearts and flowers,"  a challenge sponsored by stitchy bear stamps.  our DT was given digital images from stitchy bear company floppy latte to work with.  i was asked to use a digital image called "doves and heart frame."  i thought this image would make a nice wedding gift tag.

 

i used some designer paper from gecko galz for the background and decided not to color the digital stamp but to just print it out, fussy cut it and add it to the colorful paper. i picked up on the white color theme by using a white die cut border, a white heart brad and white ribbon.  i also added a sentiment stamp from my stash.

 

for this challenge: please link up a new creation to the challenge blog that includes either or both hearts AND flowers.  a randomly selected winner will receive a prize from the stitchy bear online store.

 

love to all.

july gecko galz inspiration, another trio of ATCs

our monthly customer challenge at the gecko galz blog this month is seaside memories and if there is one thing i love it is the beach.   if you link a  new creation to the blog this month on our theme, using at least one image from gecko galz, then you'll be up for a prize.

here is some more DT inspiration for you this month, featuring more new products this month from the gecko galz "seaside splendor" kit:

this trio of ATCs not only shares gecko galz products, it is also the middle row of a pocket letter i created for a pocket letter swap hosted by the altered pages facebook group.  I shared the complete pocket letter at my july 5 blog post, without details on how it was made.  i'll be sharing the final row of ATCs with instructions on july 23-- check back to see the details!

details on these ATCs:
supplies:
gecko galz sea nymphs collage sheet (new)
gecko galz namaste paper pack (new)
gecko galz la isla bonita paper pack (last july, 2014)
altered pages freebie sheets
retro café arts die cuts
alpha stamps sea horse die cuts
tim holtz ideology sentiments
enamel dots
borders

instructions:
the backgrounds for the far left and far right ATCs are from the la ils bonita paper pack, the ATC in the middle has paper from the new Namaste paper pack.  the mermaids for far left and far right cards are from the sea nymphs collage sheet.  i cut out the mermaids and arranged them on the covered ATC bases.  the woman on the middle ATC is from the altered pages freebie sheet i received for joining the pocket letter swap.  there is also a carte postale and a compass on the left ATC which are both from altered pages.  the seahorses came from alpha stamps.  i arranged everything to my satisfaction and adhered it all.  the enamel dots were added last.

to play along with the gecko galz customer challenge you must use at least one item from gecko galz.  but remember if you sign up for the monthly gecko galz newsletter (sign up available on the blog) you'll get a free collage sheet every month.  and once you get the newsletters you'll find there are often special sales at the etsy shop.  finally, there are freebies on the gecko galz pinterest page as well.  so i hope you will join up and play along.

love to all.

marie flies away

this is week two of the two week "marie antoinette" challenge jointly hosted by the cheerful stamp pad and lunagirl moonbeams.  link up your marie-themed creation at both sites for the chance to win a prize from lunagirl.  here is another tag for you.

the designer paper background on the tag base is from my stash but after that i used a bunch of images from lunagirl.  the marie image is from the "marie" collage sheet.  the wings are from "rainbow wings"  the fan is from "fans" the postcard strip is from "ephemera memories" and the button i used at top for the hole is from the "buttons" collage sheet, all by lunagirl.  i added a brad (tim hotlz), lace and ribbon to finish.

i hope you will play along.  love to all.

july progressive challenge at sweet peas stamps

every month we have a progressive challenge at the sweet pea stamps friends and fans facebook page.  last month i won the prize!  this meant i could pick a brand new digital stamp from sweet pea stamps.  i wanted to try a new artist so i asked for a stamp called "fine things:" by artist regan kubecek.  here is the card i made with it, which i am also linking up to the july progressive challenge.

i printed the digital image on designer paper by gecko galz and colored it with pencils.  i then layered the colored piece over another piece of designer paper by gecko galz.  i added a die cut border, some enamel dots and a butterfly to finish.

i hope you enjoy; love to all.

the love of dear friends

happy tuesday all, what's left of it!  the challenge prompt at tag tuesday is "friendship."  i've made another of my tiny tags (about 1x2 inches).  let's just say i once bought a pack of tags in several sizes and there are still mass quantities of the littlest ones left...

the two friends are cut out from a lunagirl collage sheet called "sisters."  there are two patterned papers in the background, both by gecko galz.  additionally i've added simple embellishments of lace and washi tape -- my usual go-tos it appears.

i'm also linking to the "anything goes" challenge at crafty hazelnut's patterned paper challenge which requires the use of multiple patterned papers.

love to all.

"she dreams of the sea" -- my first pocket letter swap!

the altered pages facebook group hosted a pocket letter swap in june.  i'd been reluctant to join a pocket letter swap because it seemed like a lot of work.  you are ultimately making 9 ATCs for the swap so i knew i would need to do this when i had time to really do a good job (hello summer!).  of course i understand you don't have to actually make 9 pieces of art (18 if you consider both sides) but i couldn't be satisfied to have some pockets holding something other than art!

my vision for this piece is that the woman in the middle, despite her hum drum life, has dreams of sea nymphs and the sea.  here she is surrounded on all sides by sea nymphs who call to her in her dreams.

you can click this to make it larger but i'm also posting the ATCs separately (in sets of 3) throughout the month since they all feature brand new gecko galz products this month and are my DT samples for the gecko galz blog and monthly customer challenge (see my july1 post for info on the top row).

the backgrounds for all of the ATCs (which are covered on both sides) are by gecko galz.  the mermaids are all from the "sea nymphs" collage sheet by gecko galz, new this month.  in the center pocket the vintage image lady is from an altered pages freebie collage sheet provided to swap participants.  there are also bits from various other altered pages collage sheets on several other of the ATCs as well (more details on shared in other blog posts).

here is the back side...

i stuck with just the pretty papers for the most part, other than the middle pocket and a little sticker with my blog information at bottom.  not shown, a little handwritten note popped into the lower right hand pocket.

the back side shows all the wonderful gecko galz papers and in the middle section 2 images from the altered pages freebie sheet provided to swap participants and a shell die cut from retro cafe arts.

i hope my swap mate will like it.  i must admit i liked it so much and worked so hard on it i wasn't entirely willing to mail it off but that is the nature of a swap!

don't forget that all july the customer challenge theme at the gecko galz blog is "sea side memories" so link up a seaside themed piece, including at least one item from gecko galz, for the chance at a prize!

enjoy, love to all.

hope

happy independence day to all my friends in the US.  here is a tag with a vintage image and designer background paper by gecko galz.  the statue of liberty represents hope to many and that was the inspiration for this piece.

i'm entering this piece into the scraps of color challenge #10 "red, white and blue" and to the gecko galz papercrafting challenge group on facebook july challenge "red"

i also want to tell you about a giveaway at the "old enough to be a kid" blog but there is only a bit more time left to enter.  see more about that here. 

love and hope to all.

marie antoinette, an iconic face and figure

i've noticed many artists enjoy working with images of marie antoinette.  if you are one of those people this new two week challenge is for you.  offered up jointly by lunagirl moonbeams (the challenge sponsor) and the cheerful stamp pad, you are invited top link up a new creation to both blogs featuring an image of marie antoinette.  here is a tag to get you going.

for my tag i started with some designer paper from my stash which was already covered in french script.  i gave the paper a light going over with watered down white gesso.  next i selected an image from the "marie" collage sheet by lunagirl and cut it out.  i also added a scene from the lunagirl "dreams of paris" collage sheet and a compass from the lunagirl "winds and roses" collage sheet.  i arranged and adhered these pieces, distressed the edges and also added a prima flower, some washi tape and a fleur de lis brad.  should you play along with this challenge you will have the random chance of winning a prize from lunagirl.

though images of marie are lovely to look at, nevertheless her life was an unfortunate one.  though she was born to wealth and ascended to become queen of france, she was apparently vain and frivolous.  the french people were struggling and revolution was afoot.  she was ultimately executed.  if i could rewrite history i would make her a more generous person and arrange a happy ending for her and for the people of france in those treacherous times.

our challenge prompt at tag tuesday this week is "faces."  i'll be linking this tag to that site as well, acknowledging the fascinating face of this intriguing character.

love to all.

the most beautiful thing....

i am delighted to be guest artist at the doodle artifacts challenge blog again for this july.  at doodle artifacts the challenge is always "anything goes" but it must always be something recycled, re-used, re-purposed.  it has been awhile since i've altered an altoids tin so that it what i chose to work with this month.

here is the top of the tin.  i've used a harlequin digital image and a lovely digital sentiment, both by cs designs.  the sentiment says, "the most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious." cs designs is the sponsor of the challenges at doodle artifacts and the company carries so many lovely digital pieces, all quite magical and delightful just like this harlequin.  the designer paper, border, flowers and enamel dots are my own stash items.

the bottom of the tin is covered in digital paper also from cs designs, the "spiral diamond" design which i printed on colored paper.  i use the tin itself to make measurements -- i trace onto my designer paper and then carefully cut it out and adhere with mod podge.  if there is any "overhang" i can trim it carefully with good scissors and then distress the edges.  here are some additional views on the tin:

i use the outside of the tin to trace for the inside pieces too but then i must cut inside the tracing as the inside pieces are a bit smaller.  although i carefully measured and cut various designer papers for the outside and insides of the tin, the sides of the tin are covered in washi tape -- very convenient!  the washi tape is about the right size and it is already sticky.  though i recommend using a product like scor-tape to be sure the tape stays in place. 

i hope you will join the challenge, it lasts for a full month and the only requirement is to recycle, re-use or re-purpose for your creation.  i look forward to visiting your blogs to see what you make.

enjoy!  love to all.

seaside memories -- gecko galz inspiration

as always, the first of the month means new products at gecko galz etsy shop -- as always there are new designer paper packs, collage sheets and digital stamps.  the new month also means a new customer challenge at the gecko galz blog and this month it is "seaside memories."  if you link a  new creation to the blog this month on our theme, using at least one image from gecko galz, then you'll be up for a prize.  here is my first DT inspiration for you this month:

this is a trio of ATCs showcasing several of the new products from gecko galz and the new seaside splendor kit.  this also represents the top row of a pocket letter i created for a pocket letter swap hosted by the altered pages facebook group.  i'll be sharing the remaining two rows later this month as well as the final product -- check back to see more!

details on these ATCs:
supplies:
gecko galz sea nymphs collage sheet (new)
gecko galz seaside paper pack (new)
gecko galz la isla bonita paper pack (last july)
altered pages freebie sheets
retro café arts die cuts
enamel dots
borders

instructions:
the backgrounds for the far left and far right ATCs are from the seaside paper pack, the ATC in the middle has paper from la isla bonita paper pack.  the mermaids for all three cards is from the sea nymphs collage sheet.  i cut out the mermaids and arranged them on the covered ATC bases.  the venus de milo and the carte postale on the middle ATC is from altered pages.  the seashells and sand dollar are all die cuts from retro café arts.  the white and blue borders are from my stash, i am not sure of the companies.

to play along with the gecko galz customer challenge you must use at least one item from gecko galz.  but remember if you sign up for the monthly gecko galz newsletter (sign up available on the blog) you'll get a free collage sheet every month.  and once you get the newsletters you'll find there are often special sales at the etsy shop.  so i hope you will join up and play along.

love to all.