Time to catch up!

Wow.  The holidays just seemed to fly by for me.  How about you?  It seems like just a blink of an eye and weeks are gone!  I have been MIA from the blog for a few weeks while I played with all of my kids and enjoyed Christmas with the family.  So, maybe a bit of a catch up?

All of my kids were home for Christmas!  Woohoo.  I just love waking up in the morning and knowing that all 5 are under my roof!  It's just an amazing feeling.  My parents also came in and stayed with us for a couple of weeks.  That too is am amazing feeling!  But of course having all these "extra" people in the house creates a bit of a scheduling nightmare!  It took me a long time to figure out how to not cook for an army.  And then they come home and bring friends and I have to revert and remember how much to cook for that army!  Fun stuff.  That brings me back around to the fact that the kids always bring "strays" home.  Strays are the boyfriends, the girlfriends, the friends who just need a place to hang out for the holidays (stunned at how many kids do not actually go home for the holidays).  Essentially anyone who wants to come to our house can - we have an open door.  The more, the merrier!

Some days morphed into a constant kitchen cleaning, cooking and repeat kind of thing.  But those days were outnumbered by the ones spent talking, laughing, and making memories with family and friends.

Amongst all of the people I did find some time to play and have some fun.  I still taught classes until Dec 19!  So, I thought I would post some pics of the December things to sort of catch everyone up:

The first 2 pics are of a mini album made using the G45 Christmas papers.  I used a Bo Bunny Misc Me binder (covered the brown spine with metallic green).  It is filled with tabbed pages perfect for holding 4 x 6 pics.

Love the Tim Holtz pocketwatch on the front!

And my favorite - a mini album made with the Tim Holtz Merriment stash.  It is made with one of the worn covers and filled with vintage goodness.

Inside has interactive pages like this one that flips and folds out.  The other is a paper bag that has been folded to make multiple pockets for tags or pics.

And then there is this:

This is a December Daily made using the adorable My Mind's Eye Christmas paper and the embellishments.  I just love this so much!  There is a page for each day in December.  On the days that fall on a weekend there is a bit more room (assuming we would be doing more activities that I would have pics for ).  I have envelope pages, flip pages, and then some page protector pages too.

I just can't tell you how yummy this paper line is!  Those of you who are fans of MME know how lovely the glittered papers are!

This page is one of the page protectors from Bo Bunny for the Misc Me line.  I used it to add more pics in the Daily.

Love that Santa!

The December Daily was a class and I had to kit 24 class kits.  I pre cut all the pieces to make it easier for my peeps but also for me (cuts down on the frustration and speeds up the process).  After 3 days of cutting and kitting there was red glitter everywhere in my craft room!!!  Even on the animals!  It was really funny to see the gray cat walking around with a thin layer of red glitter on him!  Ready for the season I guess.

Well, I am ready for the new year.  Lots of changes in my life already.  I am hoping to define my craft more and bring more to you.  I am on the Gecko Galz Design Team again for this year.  Love those images!  If you haven't checked them out just click on the button on the right.

Many blessings to all my crafty friends this year!  Thanks for supporting my blog!

A little taq inspiration with Gecko Galz

Today starts the incredible Tags of Christmas on the Gecko Galz Blog!  Each day features a new and different tag created by the Design Team using holiday images from Gecko Galz.  Trust me.  These tags are amazing!  Today is my tag!

Head over to Gecko Galz Blog to see the tag and the FULL INSTRUCTIONS to make it!  Yes, that is the really cool part of the Tags of Christmas.  You get to see some wonderful creations but you also get the instructions!

Bonus:  You can get a FREE stamp set from Gecko Galz by following my blog.  To get your stamp set you need to follow my blog.  Once you are signed up to follow this blog you will need to email Gecko Galz and let them know that.  Email them at geckogalz2014@gmail.com.  If you are already a follower here then leave me a comment and then email geckogalz2014@gmail.com to let them know.  Your stamp set is emailed to you!  This offer is only good for today!  There will be bonuses each day so keep checking the Gecko Galz blog to get your Freebies and see the amazing creations.

Christmastime is here ladies!!!!

Guest Designer for My Artistic Adventures

Good morning everyone.  Wow has the time flown by!  I blinked and the month of October was gone!

Today I am thrilled to bring you some wonderful projects using images from Heather Hudson and My Artistic Adventures.  She is a super talented lady and her stuff is amaaaaazzzzing!!!

For the guest spot today I got to pick (woohoo) my images.  So.....

The first image I choose are these adorable vintage candy canes.  I love that the sheet comes with them in different sizes already.  I printed them on cover weight glossy  paper.  I then decided to use my Silhouette Cameo to cut them out (save some time).  Grab the Pixscan mat and work my magic and Voila!  Perfectly cut images!  I chose a small one and adhered 2 alike ones back to back.  I then attached a thin wire through the top edge of them and placed the candy canes inside my ornament with some snow glitter.  I then threaded the wire up through the ornament top and topped the whole thing with a bunch of seam binding.

These images can be found at:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/170125119/vintage-classic-candy-cane-christmas?ref=shop_home_active_11

Keeping with the vintage images, the next image I chose is this Baby Jesus image.  The moment I saw it I knew I wanted to make a shadowbox ornament from it.  The images were printed as above and cut out.  I cut the angels from the top.  The baby image was adhered inside a box made from chipboard.  I distressed it and glittered it.  Next I added the angels to the top, glittered the star, added some vintage lace and added tiny roses.  The back has a ribbon hanger for it.

These images can be found at: https://www.etsy.com/listing/117199735/shabby-vintage-baby-jesus-christmas?ref=shop_home_active_6&ga_search_query=jesus

Heather is having some give aways as well!  Here is the info for that:

***$50 Digital Collage Sheet Give Away***

Get the details here.

All you need to do for a chance to win is to

LIKE  My Artistic Adventures Facebook Page

Sign up to follow by email  Personal Blog

 and the

 My Artistic Adventures Challenge Blog

Subscribe to  Youtube Channel.

When you are finished with all the tasks, please send me an email letting me know what sheets you would like to win..or a general idea.  So I know you played along.

heatherahudson@gmail.com

Head on over to My Artistic Adventures to see more goodies from the other guest designers.

Hope you have a great day!

Gecko Galz Blog Hop

Hello Everyone!

I want to welcome everyone to the 13th destination of 

Gecko Galz 4th 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 21 AMAZING blogs for you to visit this weekend, each with some gorgeous projects created using the Gecko Galz collage images, that we are giving you for FREE! Each blog you visit will have another free Gecko Galz Collage sheet for you to down load, The one here is 

"LAND OF THE FEY". 

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!

We have FOUR amazing prizes up for grabs:

·        First is the Kit Club for each month for an entire year. This is exclusive sets for club members which include a paper set, stamp set, and collage images in each set! That is 12 different sets! This is a $144 value!

·        Second prize is the monthly collage sets for an entire year! Each month you will receive all 4 sets absolutely FREE! This is a $96 value.

·        Third prize is all of the individual collage sheets each month for a year, this includes the jewel it sheets! This is a $90 value!

·        And our Grand Prize ONE FULL YEAR of Gecko Galz PRODUCTS!!! That will Kit Club Set, 4 individual collage sheets, Jewel it set and 4 collage sets each month for the entire year! This is a prize worth $330!

Read on to learn how you can win!

First of all, you will need to visit all 21 blogs and leave a comment on each blog :) **This is important so we know you have been to all the blogs **. Collect all 20 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 3rd 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 site 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;

THE

Please enjoy this free Gecko Galz Collage sheet 

“Land Of The Fey”

 as well as the samples I have made using the images! 

(Just click on the picture for link to full size sheet)

To grab the images click HERE

Before I show you my designs I just wanted to say how much fun I have had creating with these designs!  I made more than what I will show you but tried to picture the ones I really, really loved.  Are you ready to see my creations?  Here we go:

So, first up is a tag that I created using one of the fairy images.  I love the colors so much in this image! I added some cheesecloth, coordinating papers, and of course some vintage ribbon and seam binding to round out the tag.

Next up is a card with a little different design.  Again, I love the colors here.  Blues and turquoises.  Aaaagh.  I decided that I wanted to have a clear acrylic front on this card to showcase the image.  I began by cutting a rectangle from the acrylic and highlighting the edges with silver precious metals.  I then stamped tiny butterflies with white staz-on ink.  I added the image with foam tape on the center of a deep blue mat.  It appears that the image is floating when you look at it.  Completed the card by attaching a sentiment inside.  Love that it is visible from the front.  I do think this is definitely one of my favorites!

A little close-up of the sentiment on the card:

This image is so fun and colorful.  I had to use it!  Sometimes simplicity is perfect.  I think adding the colors and simplistic mats and then coordinating with fibers really allows the image to show its stuff!!!

And last, but certainly not least, is a tiny mixed media canvas.  This precious little trumpeting fairy is absolutely adorable.  It really struck a cord with me.  I began with a 3 x 5 canvas that I covered with a book page.  I then added turquoise gelato and some stamps in frayed burlap ink.  Next I began layering the images (also from Gecko Galz!) until I was happy with the background.  Add the image, vintage ribbon, and some trinkets here and there and Voila!

 It really needed the pearl dangling from the bottom!

A close-up of the layering:

Well, I hope you enjoyed my projects.  Please visit all of the blogs and see the wonderful creativity our team has!  Leave me some love in the comment section!

If You missed checking out one of the blogs or want to go through them again here is the rotation

Here is the Blog Hop Rotation

Sharon Rogers

Joan Liddle

Vicki Romain

Jules Eickmeier

Patti Fisher

Heather Hudson

Diane Bove

Yvonne Garner

Michele Storm

Jessica Moore

Helene Huber

Terri Burnette

Lisette Baker

Barbara Bird

Gerri Herbst

Amanda Phillips

Carol Salisbury

Wendy Waldorf

Leanne Seed 

Banner love!

Today I want to share with you some banners I recently made.  I love making banners because you can make them simple and get a great look or you can make them more complex and set the mood in a room.

I wanted to hang the banners on my fireplace but did not want to put nails in it.  So, I made some blocks that have hooks on them that just sit on top of the mantle and the banners can hang from them.  Perfect!

Here are a few of the Halloween banners:

I used the Authentique halloween paper for these.  Great fun prints.  Also used some great images from Gecko Galz  They have wonderful image that can fit any season or need.

And of course, Christmas.......

Sorry for the turned pics.  I am having technical difficulties this morning with uploading pictures; that is why there is not a pic of the whole banner!  Ugh.  Anyway, this banner is also made with the Authentique Christmas paper line called Believe.  I love the vintage feel of the colors and patterns.  I think my favorite is the snowflake banner (made the snowflakes with an Elizabeth Craft Designs die).  It is so soft and vintage like.  Again, I used images from Gecko Galz on this banner too.

Just a quick inspiration today.  Have a great day!

I am SO ready for Autumn!

I am so ready for autumn!  I am ready for the cooler weather.  The leaves.  The smell of pumpkin baking in the oven.  The yummy soups.  Come on fall.......

Here in the south it is still hot.  Hot and humid.  I don't mind the hot, but, I hate the humid!  It is hard to "get into" the spirit of fall when it is still 90 degrees outside!  There are wonderful scenes of pumpkins and all those wonderfully colorful gourds all around.  So, as long as I stay in my house or car with the A/C blasting I am good!!!

So, one afternoon when my soul was A/C cooled and the leaves were fluttering by my craft room window, I thought deeply of autumn:

I made this cute little mini album to celebrate autumn.  I have used Moxie Autumn Glory papers and some fun embellishments as well.

The papers were so lovely to begin with that I did not want to cover them with much!

I was working with my Silhouette Cameo and found these wonderful leaf shapes in their store.  Needless to say, I now have cut a whole bunch of them to use throughout the house!

Some of the pages are quite simple.  This one is a small pocket on the front for tags or pics and it also lifts up so you have a little more room for pictures.

Had to have some linen ribbon too!  And I see that I have lost the bead from the center of the flower!  Better find that......

This is the back of the album.  Just love that paper line!  The spine is a simple piece of canvas that was distressed inked.  It adds texture to the book and seemed like a perfect choice.

I am so ready for autumn!  Now I have the perfect little album to put my fall pictures in.  Here's hoping the weather starts cooperating!  What is your favorite season?

Sharing some goodies!

Oh what a lucky day!  Tomorrow that is.  I am headed to visit with my 2 oldest kiddos and I can hardly wait!  4 luxurious days with them....

I thought I needed to share a few goodies with you before I left.  I have been crazy busy teaching and designing these last few weeks.  But that is always a good thing :)

Now, on to the goodies:

Texas Book

 The Texas Book is an 8 x 8 album that is full of all things Texas.  Like bluebonnets....

 Vintage Texas road map for a page......

Heirloom album

 Love this Kaisercraft paper collection.  This album was a 2 day event and was filled with fun ideas.

Visit the Gallery page to see more of these pages.

Gecko Galz.....I love this little blue bird!  

 Gecko Galz again....mixing papers and images - so fun!

Have a great weekend!  See you next week with some really fun stuff!