Inspired

There are so many talented ladies on the Gecko Galz Design Team.  It just amazes me.  So, there I am this morning, just surfing through Facebook and boom!  there they are!  Posted on our little group are the lovely photos of new works from some of the ladies!  And poof!  Inspiration hits!

So, this is what I made:

 To make this, I began with with a bare wood "book" box that I purchased from Michaels.  It has a hinged front and a small magnetic closure.

I added several of the postcards from Gecko Galz Postal using matte medium.  Once it was dry, I painted the entire surface (even over the postcards) with pink and green Viva Decor shimmer paints.  The wood really soaked them up so I had to make a couple rounds with the paint.  Next, I painted the scroll frame with gold shimmer paint.

The inside of the box was covered with Primavera papers from Itkupilli (Deviant Scrap).  These green papers are so lucious!  The photos do not do them justice.  Lots of details and depth.  I also used these papers to cover the outside book edges and the back of the scroll frame.

Next, fussy cut the floral heart (again from Deviant Scrap).  I printed several of this image so I could fussy cut specific areas.  Adhere the frame to the front of the book.  Using matte medium, add the main floral heart image.  I then added different areas with foam tape.  I added pearls of different sizes and colors, a small cream bow, and more Gecko Galz images (the butterfly from Birds and Butterflies).   You will also see a bit of my vintage lace stash on the spine and around the frame.  To complete the book I added a bit of Precious Metals in Lilac to highlight areas.

Gecko Galz has amazing images ladies.  You really should check them out:  Gecko Galz.  Also, it is voting time on the website.  Follow the link and you can see other projects from the Design Team for this cross promotion.  Vote for the one you like the best (mine is that last one shown, hint hint ) and you get some freebies!!!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Let Your Dreams Take Flight

Today is a rockin' kind of day for me!  I have a live post over at Design Memory Craft.  Just to give you a little tidbit.....

Now, you MUST go to the Design Memory Craft blog to see the project and the supply list.  You won't be disappointed!  Leave me some love on their blog please!

To see the entire post:  Let Your Dreams Take Flight

Fun with Gecko Galz and iTKuPiLLi

Good morning everyone!  And before you think I have lost my marbles - no, I did not misspell my title!

Today I am bringing you some wonderful goodness from Gecko Galz and iTKuPiLLi imagenarium.  Of course, you probably already know Gecko Galz.  They are an amazing digital image company.  I LOVE their stuff.  You have to go check them out:  Gecko Galz .  I just adore all the amazing images and digital stamps.  You can do ANYTHING with these - make them any size; print them on any papers; add layers to them.  And did I mention that they also have papers?  Oh yeah they do.  Beautiful ones.  I never thought I would print my own papers but these are just so pretty.  Anyway, Gecko Galz is teaming up with  iTKuPiLLi imagenarium this month to bring you some amazing stuff.  Once you have checked out Gecko Galz then you have to head on over to iTKuPiLLi imagenarium.  Wow!

So, let me show you one of the fun projects I made using images from both companies:

I found this cute little wooden birdhouse in the garage and decided to dress it up a bit.  I added the Primavera papers from iTKuPiLLi and then added acrylic paint to all the edges.  The paper needed to be distressed a bit more so I made a wash of water and a bit of brown acrylic paint and "painted" over the surface of the paper.  It gave it a more worn look.  So, I completely, totally fell in love with the cherry blossom flowers from  iTKuPiLLi!  I just think it is beautiful.  Had to use it!  I made several prints of the flower and fussy cut them all.  Using foam tape I layered the flowers onto the birdhouse.  The one at the very top is flat on the birdhouse (I used gel medium).  The lovely little songbird is from Gecko Galz - birds and butterflies collage sheet.  Again, I made 2 copies of the bird and fussy cut them.  They are adhere using foam tape so it looks like he is sitting on the perch of the birdhouse.  A little silk greenery finishes out the birdhouse.

So loving' this!  I just am amazed at the detail and dimension of the images.  

A little tip :  I love using digital images but worried that printing them on my computer printer at home would just eat up the ever expensive color ink.  You too?  Well, I have a solution!  I send my prints to Office Depot.  It is .59 per color copy and you can have them printed on heavy 100lb coverstock for an additional .10.  The papers, digital stamps, and the images can be sent and print perfectly.  Just call your local store and get their email.  I usually send the email and then go pick it up in an hour.  Of course, there are those times that I just don't want to leave the house and so I print them at home.  But honestly, the prints from Office Depot are clearer and so easy!

Inspired?  You really need to go check out both companies.  Also, stop by the Gecko Galz website and click on the picture under the iTKuPiLLi cross promotion section.  You can see some wonderful papercrafting from some of the other ladies on the DT at Gecko Galz.

Check back often.  I have so much to share with you.  Have a great day everyone!

An Artful Journey

Today I want to share with you an Artful Journey.  Some of you may know that I teach at a LSS and just love it!  I get to design my own classes and teach them.  How wonderful is that?!  About a year ago, I began a class that I called Artful Journey.  It began as a technique based class to teach students about the different kinds of ink and what to do with them.  Then it morphed and I added a class about the different distress products and how they worked.  Then I put my personal style on it and morphed it into a mixed media journey.

There are so many wonderful products on the market for mixed media.  I am a fiend about the Design Memory Craft products.  I absolutely love them.  They all play nice with each other and really make it so easy to create.  That is where my Artful Journey class has morphed again.  Yesterday I got to spend my day creating with a group of wonderful ladies in my Artful Journey class.  We worked with the 6 x 6 mixed media board book by Design Memory Craft (an incredible little bundle of joy!) and all of their products.  The previous 2 classes I covered different ways to use the products and how they work together.  So this class was about how to put all that knowledge to work and make an end result that you will love.

Here is the cover of the mini we started:

There are so many different techniques that we used.  I wanted to create something that the students would love on its own as a showcase for what they can do.  We have so much fun getting messy and playing.  Here are the other pages we created in class:

As you can see, some of the pages are not complete.  They had to take it home and play too!

A little tip:  To make the book work together I chose a set of colors and used only those colors in the entire book.  It really helps the book feel like it all belongs together.  The supply list is below.

There will be more Artful Journies.  Won't you come explore with us? You can see more wonderful ideas by visiting the Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft® blog.

Supplies:

Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft®:

Gelatos® Double Scoop® -  Metallic Mint, Metallic Melon, Green Tea, Snow Cone, Chocolate

Stamper’s Big Brush Pen (s) - Nougat and Black

Glass Bead Glitter Gel

Whipped Spackle

Gesso

Gel Medium

Tim Holtz rub-ons and Distress ink in Frayed Burlap

Papers included:  G45, Authentique, We R Memory Keepers, Kaisercraft, Bazzill, and Basic Grey

2 for 1 with Design Memory Craft

Good morning papercrafters!  What a wonderful weekend it has been.  Here is Texas we had a cold front move through.  Yes, I said cold front.  And yes, it is July.  Weird.  Reality is that it just lowered our humidity and keep our temps in the low 90's.  I really think it should not have been called a cold front - that was very deceptive!

I have had some fun this last week creating great things in my craft room.  Today my post is live over at the  Design Memory Craft blog (just click and it will take you right there!).  I am so blessed to be a part of the Design Team.  The other members are amazing and I love the inspiration I get from them.  Want a peek at what you will see?  Alright:

The layout above is shown in detail with step by step instructions on their blog today.  Go visit and leave me a comment.

So, what else do I have for you today?  What is your 2 for 1?   Well, when I was trying to decide what to do for the blog I was very indecisive!!!  I had printed some of my favorite pics of my kids and just could not decided which one I wanted to use.  So I made 2!  Below you can see the other one I made.

Both of the layouts were  made using the Design Memory Craft products (gesso, gelatos, pitt pens).  I just love them both.  Of course, it could be the pics!  I love my kids!  I also added some fun cut outs that I cut with my Silhouette - still my favorite tool in the craft room.  On the layout with my daughter I was trying to use some paper that I have had in my stash for some time.  I think the reason I had not used it is because it was somewhat "bright".  The pattern and colors just seemed to overtake any photo I put on it.  Solution?  - a light coat of gesso to dull the colors.  Voila!  Perfect!

I really am pleased with how these turned out!  What do you think?  Leave me a comment over at  Design Memory Craft blog (just click and it will take you right there!) and let me know.

Have an inspired day everyone!

Time for some inspiration

Hello everyone.  I thought I would share some layouts that I completed this past weekend.  I am still working on the never ending Spain album!  Will it ever end?  I hope so.  I made great progress this weekend so it has spurred me on!

I spent Friday and Saturday at a fundraising crop called Kaitlyn's Promise.  I had so much fun!!!!  I saw a bunch of scrapping friends and I truly enjoyed spending my days across from my inspiration buddy Tove!  Just love her talents!

On to the layouts:

This is a simple and quick double page LO.  I just love the turquoise mesh ribbon (May Arts) and the popped up words that I added.

I also added the Prima frame and quote.  It just seemed to fit the picture.  And don't forget about the washi tape - just a little bit it perfect!

This is just a single page LO.  The Bo Bunny paper used for the background had so much dimension that I really did not need to do much.  And can I say again just how much I love my Cameo!  Oh.  It cuts so nicely and I love that I can make an image exactly what I want!

The next 2 are parts of a double LO.  What can I say?  I grabbed a bunch of my favorite antique ephemera pieces, ribbons, a few new stamps to fussy cut, and a few fun pics.  Done!  Love these the best of all from the weekend.

Well, this was meant to be a quick and inspiring post.  I hope you enjoyed these layouts and maybe they inspired you to work outside of your comfort zone.  

Check back on Saturday.  My next post with Faber Castell Design Memory Craft Design Team goes live Saturday morning.  There is a wonderful post there but more yumminess here!  Leave me a comment and tell me what you think.

Fun in the sun with Design Memory Craft

Happy day everyone!  I am here at the beach this week.  A little playing in the sun and a whole lot of remodeling a bathroom!  Yeh.  You read it right.  We have had the house for 6 - 7 years and the bathrooms needed some serious updating.  Pulled everything out and started over.  Nice!

Finally got to a spot to get internet connection that would allow me on my blog.  So, I thought I needed to share my latest blog that was on the Faber Castell Design Memory Craft blog.  You can find the entire blog post and SUPPLY list for this on their site : designmemorycraft.typepad.com


For this post I created a fun card using the Gelattos, Pitt pens,  and Paper Crafter Crayons.  I love how it turned out; just happy and fun.  I think it would be perfect for a thank you or just a note to a friend.

Visit their blog and see how it was made!  Until next time, have some summer fun!