Gecko Galz blog Hop with a FREE image

Hello Everyone!

I want to welcome everyone to the sixth destination of

Gecko Galz 5th 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 14 AMAZING blogs for you to visit this weekend, each with some gorgeous projects created using the Gecko Galz exclusive blog hop collage sheets, that we are giving you for FREE! Each blog you visit will have another free Gecko Galz Collage sheet for you to grab, the one here is

"FLY FREE".

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!

My samples using this collage sheet:

First up is a mixed media canvas.  I used all of the images plus some other goodies from my stash to make it.  Love all of these images!!!

Next, a few Christmas ornaments.  This is one of my favorite Sizzix dies from ages ago.  Each ornament was cut from chipboard then painted with a sparkly acrylic paint.  I added the images between acrylic pieces and added them to the ornaments.  Large bows and a bit of glitter complete them.

A mini journal.  After playing with Altoid tins at the Gecko Galz retreat, I had some ideas rolling around.  I decided to make this mini journal using one of the tins and love how it turned out.  The tin was alcohol inked with greens and blues to match the images.  I also used some Tim Holtz rub-ons and some other Gecko Galz papers and tags.

The inside is an accordion book.

And of course I had to make a tag (for my tag wall).  I chose to use scraps from my work table to make this little cutie.  Rolled flowers.  Lattice background.  And of course those beautiful butterflies!

You may remember this from a few weeks ago.  I brought it back because it uses the same images.  This is by far one of my favorite tags ever!  Many Gecko Galz images were used for this tag.

We have FOUR amazing prizes up for grabs:

·        First is a Gecko Galz shopping spree for $100!

·        Second prize is a $50 Shopping spree with Gecko Galz.

·        Third prize is a $25 shopping spree!

·        And our Grand Prize ONE FULL YEAR of Gecko Galz PRODUCTS!!! This includes the 6 new collage sheets each quarter, a new stamp set each quarter, a new paper pack each quarter and a kit club pack each quarter!

 This is a $150 value! Plus you get a prize pack from some of our favorite sponsors worth $150!

 Read on to learn how you can win!

First of all, you will need to visit all 14 blogs and leave a comment on each blog :) **This is important so we know you have been to all the blogs **. Collect all 14 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 2nd 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 ETSY STORE between the 29 of October and the 1^st of November and your name goes in again for a better chance of winning (each purchase you make that weekend gives you another chance to win) 

Your Secret Word is;

TO

Now that you have it go to the next blog on the list below 

Michele Storms

Amanda Phillips

Gerri Herbst

Joan Liddle

Vicki Romain

Nancy Smith

Heather Hudson

Leanne Seed

Thank you for joining the hop and enjoyed your free collage sheet and my samples!

Something wicked this way comes

"Double, double, toil and trouble;

Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Double, double, toil and trouble;

Something wicked this way comes!"

Halloween is on its way.  I think the lines above are from a Harry Potter movie but I can say that I have heard different versions of this my entire life.  I do really enjoy Halloween.  I don't mean the evil, scary Halloween.  I mean the fun, cute costume, cool decorations type of Halloween.  

Each year when my children were smaller I made their costumes.  Thoroughly enjoyed doing it too!  Princesses, pumpkins, Buzz Lightyear, Simba, more princesses, various saints, Woody, anything Star Wars, ...........  And of course the costumes were passed down to the younger ones.  I remember the year of the capes - there was a huge argument over who got to wear the brown Star Wars cape I made.  Well, everyone got one that year.  Each one of them had a costume with a cape!  And I love that we still have those capes and the kids (even the adult ones) still wear them!  We had not 1 , but 2 costume bins in our house.  I guess with 5 children there was a need for a lot of costumes!  Just recently we purged the costume boxes.  Very sad to see some of those leave my house.  I kept a few just because I couldn't let them go (like the Simba head that I hand made! and the St Nicholas costume.   Oh, and the St Michael costume).  I do wish I had taken a picture of each and every one of them.  I guess I do have them in  a way - I am sure I have a picture of the children wearing them and that is better.

Each year I make a Halloween mini album.  Of course when all of the kids were home I had lots of pictures.  Not so much this year.  But I made the album anyway :)

I chose to use the new Tim Holtz Regions Beyond paper stash and all the goodies that go with it.  I love the papers but as I made the album I felt it needed "more".  So I added some Gecko Galz images to it.  Perfect.  The vintage nature of the paper and the vintage images I chose perfectly complimented each other.  I used Gecko Galz Wicked Words 1 and 2 and Halloween Kids 1 and 2.  Visit Gecko Galz to see these sheets and so much more (the papers for October are fabulous!)

So, I thought I would show you some of the pages:

 This is the spine of the mini.....I used canvas that I painted with Spiced Marmalade distress paint and then distressed it further with Black Soot distress ink.  The Tim Holtz Halloween line also has these cool plastic words (Alpha Words) - the 31 and the spider were part of those.  I also added some of the charms from the collection and a mini wishbone from earlier releases.

 Inside cover.  You can see I have used Gecko Galz images here.  Just a mixture of the papers and GG images.  I also pulled out all of my Halloween die cuts to use (the 31 on this page).  Each of the mini album pages have pockets flip out pages, and extra large side pockets.  Loads of room.

 I love this page.  It is a simple flip top.  You can also see that one of the tags for the side pocket hangs over onto the page.  I love this page because of the "boo".  It is an older die but still available from Sizzix. It is rather fragile when cut so I cut it from chipboard, painted it with black soot distress paint and then topped it with glossy accents.  I was in a hurry when I added the glossy accents so not all of it got covered.  I think the spotty texture adds to the effects of it.

 These are 2 of the tags from the album.  Again I used the Alpha Words to add to the tags.  I also made many of the tags "cards".  I think it adds some interest when they hang out of a pocket and then you can pull them out all together.  GG images....perfect addition.

 Another fav page....it has a mini gatefold.   Like Christmas.....you just keep opening it!  You can see more of the GG images here as well.

 A few more tags.....another card fold tag.  Don't you just love those chalkboard images?

 And this.  The coffin tag.  I have made coffin tags before but this one is larger, almost 6 inches, and has a bit more detail.  I used the Washi tape, the brads and an image from the paper stash for the front.  I like using Washi tape but sometimes find that it wants to peel off.  Frustrating.  So I usually add a light coat of Ranger Matte Medium over it (dries super fast) or depending on where it will be I may add some adhesive underneath it.  I used Washi around the edges on the tag and then coated the front with the matte medium when I was done adding my image.  It dries clear and matte so you don't even notice it.

 Inside of the coffin tag....another GG image (to cover the back of the brad at the top).  I also added a tiny pocket on the right bottom.....perfect to hold a tiny tag with a GG image on it!

And the back.  What a perfect way to end the mini than with a GG chalkboard tag.  Again, I used the matte medium to attach the tag.  It seals it down so that it will not lift off.  You can also see the black lace I added to the covers.  It is some of my vintage stash.  I found a huge roll of it years ago for $10!  Score!  It is not all that old, from the 50's.  But I love using it!

Well,  I hope you enjoyed a little wickedness!  Stop by again....I can hardly wait to share my projects for the GG Blog Hop (last week of October).  I had soo much fun making them!  And there will be some freebies too!  Enjoy your day.

A little birdie told me

Good morning.  Today is Gecko Galz day for me!  I have had the best time playing with the October images from GG.  Just in case you don't know, each month Gecko Galz has new images and a kit club that has papers, stamps, and other images.  This month they are fall type images and boy are they lovely!  Visit Gecko Galz to see all of the amazing images.

No further ado....

I will apologize for the pics....the sun was bright and shining today!  And unusually fall-like!

For this card I used the fall papers and one of the dominoe images from this month.  The image is just stunning.   I could just dream about being at that exact spot!  I paired the paper and the image with some die cut leaves and fun textile yarns from my stash.

A little birdie told me......I love birds.  Don't know why.  Maybe because they are amazing!  Anyway, there are some of the most adorable bird images this month.  The card pictured below is made with one of the October papers and the precious bird image.  I have layered the paper, corrugated board, ribbon, moss and some bling to create this card.  I really love how it turned out and decided to re-create it for my Thanksgiving cards this year.

And another little birdie.....again using one of the papers and this simple bird image.  This reminds me of the Aspen leaves in Colorado.  So serene.  I double matted the image on cardstock then on top of some die cut leaves.  All of this is placed on top of one of the yummy papers.

Well, a little birdie will always be around here!  I hope you enjoy your fall day!