Ready for Spring!

I am so ready for spring!  My grass is turning green.  My flowers are starting to bloom.  The climbing mini rose on the back fence is loaded with buds.  They are yellow.  So happy.  Even the geraniums that I really thought were dead have green leaves!  If only the season could last longer!  I love the cool mornings and the warm afternoons.  Hate knowing that the hot and humid is coming back!  Ugh

So let's just enjoy the spring while we have it.  Today I want to share with you a card and tutorial that I designed for Gecko Galz.  All of the images are from their store and I have combined them to make this lovely card:

I love the soft, cool colors.  Images are from the Vintage Tags, French Connection Stamps (the bird stamp), Beautiful Borders, and Coquete Papers 2 from the February Kit Club.  All of these images, and more, can be found at Gecko Galz Etsy Shop

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(close-up of the bird stamp transfer)

On to the tutorial....Begin with a white card base sized 4 x 5.  Cut your pink Coquete Paper to be 3 3/4 x 4 3/4 and mat it with pale grey cardstock.  Size your other images and print them.  Mat the floral frame on pale grey cardstock as well.  (For size reference, the floral frame is approx 3 x 3 1/2 and the bird is approx 1 x 1 1/4)   Print your bird stamp (note it is black and white).  Next we will create an image transfer of the bird.  Using a piece of clear packing tape, cover your bird image with the tape.  Burnish tape to bird very well.  Then spritz the back of the tape image with water and begin "rolling" the paper off of the tape.  Continue doing this until most all of your paper is gone.  You will be left with the bird image on the tape.  Color your bird on the reverse side using acrylic paint or Tim Holtz markers.  I used the markers to get a nice, pale coloring.  My tape was still sticky on the edges so I added a small amount of glossy accent on the bird and stuck the image to the vintage music tag.  Cut your other 2 tags out and add the ribbons and pearls at the top.  Assemble your images according to the pic.  I stamped a friendship saying to pale pink and matted it on grey.  All pieces were distress inked on the edges using Tim Holtz Brushed Cordouroy.  I added vintage lace and ribbons as well.  I also brushed the tape with a matte gel medium to take the gloss away.  You could not even see the tape when I was done!  I also think the little bit of paper that was left on the back of the tape helped give it a vintage feel.  

I really like how the bird turned out.  I think it looks like the image came that way.  This precious piece went to one of my best friends, Susan, for her birthday.  She loved it!  

Hope you were inspired to make some Spring happen in your house today!  I think I have some more of the new February images from Gecko Galz that I need to go play with!  

Have a spectacular day!