Midnight at Sunday Postcard Art

Have been trying to get back into entering various Challenge blogs the last few months, but with one thing or another never actually got round to doing any.

So today I've sat down and actually done a new piece and its my first time for Sunday Postcard Art. The theme was 'Midnight'

image used was from Gecko Galz 'Dark Arts'

clock and photo of Edgar Allan Poe from pixabay

quote from Edgar Allan Poe

font is Vivaldi (capital O) & Tempus Sans ITC

Amanda xxx

Feature Day Decking the Halls with Gecko Galz

Today is the day for my Feature Day over at Gecko Galz, and as its December, we're doing something different this month and its Deck The Halls - 24 days of Christmas themed crafts, tags, decorations, books etc. What ever your skill level or time set, there's inspiration for everyone!

My first make is a small polystyrene wreath which you can get at most craft stores, I used 'Christmas Past' Paper Pack, printed out 3 different papers sized to fill an A4 sheet of paper, then cut them vertically into strips. You can then either glue the papers individually or glue a bit of the wreath at a time, I did both but found gluing the wreath easier. Simply wrap the strips alternating the papers till its covered. It is fiddly and the back looks so untidy!. You can embellish how you want, I used Christmas ribbon, ready to stick ribbon and a Spellbinders die cut in Red Mirror card.

Next up, something so quick and easy! It took me longer to find the right glass container than it did to print and glue the images from 'Candy Cane Lane' Digital sheet.

And the last sample, back to a card. I chose three images from the 'Snow Much Fun' Jewel It sheet and sized them to fit one of the square dies.  The backing paper came from a Joy! Christmas paper pad. Cut another sentiment out of red mirror card, and to finish off I stuck red & white twine along the edge of the topper. 

I hope you'll join our SNOW QUEEN challenge where the winner will receive a $25 shopping spree at the Gecko Galz shop.

The only rule is that you must use at least one Gecko Galz product, which can be something you purchased from the shop or a freebie.

If you sign up for the Gecko Galz newsletter, you'll be able to claim a free collage sheet each month and get first claim on the $1 Wednesday deals!

Why don't you pop over to the Gecko Galz blog to see all the fabulous designs by the very talented Design Team - and this month we have new amazing talent on the team, so make sure to check those ladies out! Don't forget to grab the free digi stamp on each post.

We also have a Facebook Group where there are more monthly challenges for you to play in, each with a Design Sheet to win.

Amanda xx

A pretty 60th birthday card and matching insert, I always find these quite hard as I want to do sparkle and shine but can't quite steer myself from vintage.... so I compromised with the blinging the age. Hope she didn't mind!! The backing paper came from a gorgeous paper pack by Jodie Lee designs and I used a matching one for the insert, always feels a shame to cover these up.

Gecko Galz

Don't forget to check out the Gecko Galz blog for news of this months challenge Snow Queen. Take a look through all the Design Teams lovely samples, and let inspiration strike, whether its Christmas Cards, atcs, decorations or a digital project!

(typo in the date, its still 2018!)

Something different today, ATC's aka Artist Trading Cards are 2.5 inch by 3.5 inch, they were originally used as 'calling cards' for artists - little miniatures of their art with their contact details on the back. They are quite collectible and there are lots of groups out there who hold swaps each month etc, and now there are also the ATC coins which measure 2.5inch.

image from Wings of Whimsy

image from Peerless Designs TangleTastic cd

image from Gecko Galz

Two New Year Cards from last year. The top one from a Gecko Galz image, the bottom one I used an ink pad to do the background a, pressing down at different angles to  match the butterfly stamp.

Image and sentiments from Bugaboo Stamps

Simple and plain Christmas card done using a free embossing plate banner off of some magazine, cut out and stuck on to a white card blank, and to finish a red/white bakers twine tied in a bow.

For this card I die cut the deer four times, 2 in white card then 2 in kraft card, I used the white as a 'shadow' to give them a little bit of depth. Matching snowflakes to finish.

This was the recycled front of a Christmas card we received, a wee bit Scottish with the tartan and a wee bit Twee with the doily! Red glittered on the berries to the match the backing paper.

Guess its about time I got round to doing Christmas cards, surprisingly I have actually bought two presents, one for step mum and one for Andrew..... not leaving it till Christmas week this year! Ha! I've even wrote out ready for posting. Ok, where am I? and what have I done to myself? 

All images today from the Gecko Galz email freebies you receive when you sign up to their Monthly newsletter.

Wooden embellishments from The Range, love these! 

The bottom one is my favourite, totally not my colour for Christmas but it the pink just works with the glitter.And that description makes it sound horrible!! Please scroll down and see for yourselves! 

Snow Queen at Gecko Galz

A new month means a new Customer Challenge at the Gecko Galz and the theme for the month of December is 'Snow Queen'. So why not play along - join the challenge with the chance to win $25 at the Gecko Galz shop!
The weather has finally turned and its freezing! As I write this I'm in a long sleeve shirt, jumper and a cardigan.... cannot get warm today. Had a lovely 6 mile walk with OH and Quinn the Border Collie this morning, blow the cobwebs away so I can focus on that C word coming up..... Christmas!! Being a Retail worker, it started about three weeks ago, Christmas is so drawn out in shops by the time it actually gets to the week of Christmas, its 'lets just get it over with!'

But there's still plenty of time to make those Christmas cards, so have a look at all our Design Teams makes for last minute inspiration!! (And to start present buying!!)

My first sample is a 7x5 card, all done digitally in CAP2 and then printed out as a big topper, inked the edges with Glam Gold pigment ink and then stuck on the white card.

image from Snow Queen Design Sheet

Champagne gems

backing paper from First Class Passage Paper Pack 

Next comes a 6x6 card, this is my favourite Christmas card so far this year. 

image from Snow Queen Designs Sheet

backing paper Silent Night paper

plain white card

small oval die

Spellbinders Heirloom Ornaments Stamps sentiment

Royal Blue pigment ink

snowflake die cut

white pearls

Another 6x6 card now

image from Snow Queen Design Sheet

blue glitter card

random blue backing paper

snowflake die cut

blue stars

sentiment done in CAP2 to match the image

My last card, 5x7.

paper from 'Starlight ATC Collection'

Gold card stars

gold gitter

Glam Gold pigment ink (edged card with)

Creative Expressions Sentiment Die Cut

I hope you'll join in with our Snow Queen Challenge, where the Winner gets a $25 shopping spree to spend at the Gecko Galz shop. (The only rule is that you must use at least one Gecko Galz product... this can be one of the freebies, or, of course, you can buy at the Etsy shop).
If you sign up for the Gecko Galz monthly newsletter, you'll be kept up to date with new releases, $1 Wednesday deals and be able to claim a free digital collage sheet.
If you pop over to the Gecko Galz blog, you will see all the fabulous designs by the Design Team - and maybe grab a freebie or two.
If you haven't a blog/and or/ on Facebook, head over to the Gecko Galz Papercrafting Group where there are more monthly challenges, with the chance to win a digital collage sheet.

 Amanda xx 

Feature Day but not quite..

Today I would normally my day to feature my Design Team project for 'Jingle All The Way' over at Gecko Galz but I ended up being ill with an abscess in my mouth which put me out of action for a few days.
So instead I'm showcasing my makes for the Blog Hop - all made from the 'Autumn Bliss' design sheet.

This is a 6x6 digital piece using Craft Artist Professional 2 - using a backing paper from the 'Autumn Harvest' Paper Pack which I faded and twisted round till I got the pattern I wanted to show up,  and an image from Autumn Bliss cropped, made translucent round the edges and then placed on top of the paper. The quote came from the web. Looks complicated but is quite easy when you get used to the tools in CAP2.

This is a 5x7 card using an image from the Autumn Bliss Design Sheet - I cropped the image and resized it to 5 x 7 and printed it out; this acted as my backing paper.

I then resized the image to fit inside an oval die and printed that out and die cut it. 

Using chocolate brown card I die cut a bigger oval and used that to mat & layer my topper.

Finally added some green leaves, smudged with bronze ink, a few sequins and a teeny bit of chameleon glitter. Love how this turned out.

I decided to do an easel card for my last card sample using a backing paper from Autumn Skies ATC Collection and this lovely image from Autumn Bliss, because the colours look a bit washed out  I decided to print it out on off-white linen-look cardstock. Love how this changed the colours slightly, making it look more washed out and whimsical. As the card was white, I bordered the image and topper with white to match, using a burnt orange card stock as mat and layering. I didn't want to use gems are anyhitng on this so for a finishing touch I used 3 skeleton leaves in matching colours.

I love doing atcs, so decided to make one as my final sample. I printed the image out slightly smaller than the atc 2.5 by 3.5, and roughed up the edges slightly. I used a chocolate foil wrapper (the chocolate was nice!) and stuck it to the atc which I make out of used cereal boxes, then dabbed blue acrylic paint on it, once dry I added a little bit of bronze to highlight the colours in the image. Stuck the image down and added the metal twig embellishment and the leaves...….. but then this happened:

The atc became the focal point on my altered canvas!! Using a big piece of tinfoil which I screwed up and then 'smoothed' out; I stuck it onto a decorative canvas I no longer used using mod podge, and painted first the blue then the bronze, making sure I rubbed some off so you could still see the silver foil underneath. This helped to lighten the piece up. I wanted the atc to stand out from the background so found a piece of bright orange mesh to go underneath. Again I didn't want to use any gems or anything so I die cut the words Autumn Bliss from the chocolate card waste from my first card. 

Looks lovely hung near a window so the natural light hits the foil peeking through.

 I hope you'll join our Jingle All The Way challenge where the winner will receive a $25 shopping spree at the Gecko Galz shop.
The only rule is that you must use at least one Gecko Galz product, which can be something you purchased from the shop or a freebie.
If you sign up for the Gecko Galz newsletter, you'll be able to claim a free collage sheet each month and get first claim on the $1 Wednesday deals!

Why don't you pop over to the Gecko Galz blog to see all the fabulous designs by the very talented Design Team - and this month we have new amazing talent on the 2019 team, so make sure to check those ladies out! Don't forget to grab the free digi stamp on each post.

We also have a Facebook Group where there are more monthly challenges for you to play in, each with a Design Sheet to win. 

Amanda xx

Jingle all the Way at Gecko Galz

A new month means a new Customer Challenge at the Gecko Galz and the theme for the month of November is 'Jingle All The Way'
So why not play along - join the challenge with the chance to win $25 at the Gecko Galz shop!

I hope you'll join in with our 'Jingle All The Way' Challenge, where the Winner gets a $25 shopping spree to spend at the Gecko Galz shop. (The only rule is that you must use at least one Gecko Galz product... this can be one of the freebies, or, of course, you can buy at the Etsy shop).
If you sign up for the Gecko Galz monthly newsletter, you'll be kept up to date with new releases, $1 Wednesday deals and be able to claim a free digital collage sheet.
If you pop over to the Gecko Galz blog, you will see all the fabulous designs by the Design Team - and maybe grab a freebie or two.
If you haven't a blog/and or/ on Facebook, head over to the Gecko Galz Papercrafting Group where there are more monthly challenges, with the chance to win a digital collage sheet.

Amanda xx 

Welcome to the Blog Hop!! NOW CLOSED

We want to welcome everyone to the

Gecko Galz 8th Annual Blog Hop

This is your Seventeenth stop on our Tricks and Treats Blog 

Hop! 

We have 18 AMAZING blogs for you to visit this weekend, 

each with some gorgeous projects created using the Gecko 

Galz collage sheets 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

"AUTUMN BLISS ".

Also make sure you leave a message on each blog site you visit

 and on the last blog there will be a phrase that you will email

 to us to be entered in our drawing for a wonderful treat pack.

  So sit back, relax, take your time and enjoy the hop!

We have FOUR amazing prizes up for grabs:

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

·        Second prize is a $75 Shopping spree with Gecko Galz.

·        Third prize is a $50 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, 2 new paper packs each 

quarter, a ATC collection each quarter, and one jewel it 

collection!

 This is a $150 value! 

First of all, you will need to visit all 18 blogs and leave a 

comment on each blog :) **This is important so we know you 

have been to all the blogs **. Collect the phrase at the end of 

the hop on the Fripperies and Butterflies site there will be a 

link to email the phrase to Gecko Galz at 

geckogalz2014@gmail.com.

This enters you in the contest. On October 31st 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 26th of October and the 30^th 

of October and your name goes in again for a better chance of

 winning (each purchase you make that weekend gives you 

another chance to win) 

digital 6x6

easel card

altered mixed media canvas

card

Now have fun visiting each Blog

Gecko Galz

Katie Lamb

Kelley Biser

Patti Fisher

Vicki Romaine

Cathy Norton

Margaret Ashby

Michele Storms

Laurie Davis

Cathy Frailey

Darlene Wright

Carole Jones

Ginny Maxam

Kasia

Gerri Herbst

Leslie Turner

Amanda Hamilton

Leanne Seed

Amanda xx