Happy New Year!

Welcome to my studio.

My very first post for the new year is about new life.

This gorgeous stamp is one of the newest at Sparkle N Sprinkle, and it's called,

Early Spring Nest

I embossed it off the edge of my cardstock with Copper Peddler Embossing Powder. I embossed the sentiment with it as well. I used a die set from my stash to create some pretty corners. The entire background, as well as the die cuts are brushed with my new favorite Nuvo Mousse:

Worn Linen. It's an Expanding Mousse, and we will have it available in a couple of weeks!

It truly makes a lovely background on white...just enough shimmer to make it look extra special. I didn't expand it here. It can be used simply to add the shimmer. 

I also shimmered up the sentiment after cutting it with a die set from my stash.

I chose to only color the eggs, to create a focal point. I love our Nuvo Pens. They are awesome alcohol markers that blend effortlessly! They also have a super price point. I used the Aquamarine Set  for my eggs. 

Such an easy way to use this stamp set...Not much coloring!

Finally, I mounted the card on High Gloss Mirror Cardstock in Rose Platinum. 

Such an easy way to use this stamp...Not much coloring.

Be sure to join us for our challenges on Facebook here.

Thanks for stopping by...next week I'll have a new card with a video for you!

Have fun,

Retro Summer with Gecko Galz

I've never been to Hawaii, but I love pineapple...does that count?

With all that's burning there right now, I thought I would pay tribute to their

beautiful state...and the delicious fruit that comes from there.

I do have a pineapple plant I am growing from the top of a pineapple. I have actually seen pineapples growing in my neighbors' yards...so cool!

Being a transplant (like most of my friends here in our community) from the north, I am truly captivated by the flora and fauna here in Florida...the birds are amazing too!

Anyway...

the above card was created with some of the newest images from Gecko Galz. The background is from the, First Class Package paper pack. 

My gorgeous lady is from the, Aloha Digital Collage Set. She is framed in black to match the framed sentiment, which is found in the, Quotes to Live By set. 

I made a flower using a soda can and alcohol ink, with the Tattered Floral and Tattered Poinsettia dies by Tim Holtz. The dry embossing folder is by Tim Holtz's Alterations. It's embossed with a polka dot folder from my stash, and has Stickles by Ranger in the center. I also put Stickles on her lei, but they are difficult to see here. They look great in real life though!

The cardstock is "vintage" CTMH...years old!

I am entering this in the following challenges:

Crafty Gals Challenge #167 Summer Colors

Little Red Wagon Challenge #449

That's Crafty Challenge Blog - All in a Summer's Day

Enjoy life today...and have fun!

In the Garden with Gecko Galz

Hello! Welcome to my studio.

Here are a couple of cards I made for this month's Gecko Galz Customer Challenge. The other card is in the next post.

This second card reminds me of my best friend. She loves plants. This gardener image from the How Does Your Garden Grow? digital collage set, sets the mood. A bit of Stickles adorns the flowers. I also included a butterfly from the same set. The love letters image from the Postal set, is accented with more Stickles. I also distressed all the edges of the elements with Vintage Photo Distress Oxide Ink by Ranger.

A little tag from, Tag You're It and some melted ribbon from my stash dress up the corner of this card.

The background is from the Kensington Gardens ATC set. I dirtied it up with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink. Some strategically folded patterned paper creates a sort of, clapboard siding, reminiscent of a house where this woman lives and tends her garden.

The sentiment is from the Charming Words set...lots of perfect words for any mood. 

The vines were cut with a die set called, "Trailing Ivy" by Creative Expressions. I added some Distress Oxide Ink to provide some real life color. 

I hope you enjoy using these images as much as I do.  I am an artist, and illustrate stamps, paint and draw. I also enjoy making cards, junk journals and collage. Gecko Galz is my go to place for all things gorgeous, unusual and vintage. Be sure to visit the Etsy Shop.  Every Wednesday there are Dollar deals!

Challenge entered with this card:
Hiding in My Craft Room #339

Have fun,

I Love Spring with Gecko Galz

This is one of two cards I made for this month's Gecko Galz Customer Challenge. The other one can be found in the next post.

I have been having fun with the Artsy Domino Digital Collage Sheet by Gecko Galz. So much variety and COLOR!

I also used a butterfly from Butterfly Dreams. I coated it with Glossy Accents, and attached it with the same. I used one of the Tim Holtz Alterations Die sets that I got for Christmas. I ran a piece I printed on cardstock from the Playing with Marbles ATC Collection. Behind the cutouts, I used some Marabu Mixed Media Art Spray in Cherry Red. It's an acrylic spray paint and it's so cool!

The Postmark is from the Birdie Darlings Set. I simply cut it out of one of the images. I used some Stickles to create the cancellation lines. 

Finally, I used the Charming Words set for my sentiment. 

I hope you enjoy using these images as much as I do.  I am an artist, and illustrate stamps, paint and draw. However, I enjoy making cards, junk journals and collage. Gecko Galz is my go to place for all things gorgeous, unusual and vintage. Be sure to visit the Etsy Shop. Right now Easter stuff is on sale, and every Wednesday there are Dollar deals!

Have fun,

Paris Birds in the Spring

This is one of two I made for this month's Gecko Galz Customer Challenge.  The other one follows in the last post.

I used the following Gecko Galz products. I just LOVE these vintage images!

Butterfly Dreams Collage Set

Birdie Darlings

C'est La Vie Mini Paper Pack

Junk Journal Page Header Craft Kit

Join The Gecko Galz Paper crafting Challenge Group for some really awesome fun. 

Visit the Gecko Galz Etsy shop, especially on One Dollar Wednesdays and now for Easter deals.

That's all for now...happy shopping and vintage crafting!

A Love for the Past

"Thoughts of Love" featuring Gecko Galz 

Gecko Galz Products I used in the above card:

Ladies of the Court Digital Collage Set

Very Vintage Junk Journal Kit

St. Peters Square Mini Paper Pack

Hello and welcome to my studio.

It's a fresh new year!  We all have a clean slate...a chance to start again. 

In my life, and here on my blog, I have found the need to spend the next year being as purposeful as possible.

As I pondered this idea, I came up with some questions for myself. Here they are:

"What am I passionate about?"

"How have I been gifted?"

"What can I share that my family, my friends, and my followers need?"

After giving these matters some thought,  I concluded the following...First, I am passionate about the past. I am drawn to historical fact and fiction. Stories of times past draw me in...causing me to explore further. Historical sites intrigue me. I realized that I also enjoy saving and repurposing items from the past...making them useful once more, if only as décor in my home.

Secondly, I am an artist. I have been told I have an innate sense of design. I am thankful for several wonderful teachers in my younger years, who have helped hone my gift. 

These two facts bring me to the final conclusion that I can share my designs and art with those who might share a love for the beauty of our past, or who are just discovering how history is reflected in our own lives. 

So here we go! My year will be focused on using historical references to create not only art, but repurposed items which have a history of their own. I will endeavor to give them new life, new purpose. 

This excites me!  My work will not be all that different from years past, but will definitely be redefined and more purposeful. I have been self-directed toward a definite purpose. 

Items I repurposed on the above card

Aluminum drink cans (flowers)

Necklace (flower centers)

Doily

If you find that you are also looking for a directed purpose, I hope you will take a few moments to ponder the questions, 

1. What is my passion?

2. What is my talent?

3. What can I share that others can use?

Let me know what you come up with!

I hope you enjoy what you experience here this year.

Cheers to 2018!

Flourishes Hops with Imagine Crafts...Imagine That!

Happy Cyber Monday!
Welcome to my studio.

I am privileged to be included in the Imagine Crafts and Flourishes Hop!

I had so much fun experimenting with embossing powders and ink on this card.
First, I cut out a frame using Flourishes' Exclusive Classic Frames large die.
Using Delicata Pigment ink in Celestial Copper, I inked up Flourishes' Diamond Background stamp. I sprinkled half of the stamped image with Imagine Crafts' Verdigris Embossing Powder and half with Imagine Crafts' Clear Embossing Powder.

After melting the powders with my heat tool, I inked the edges of the frame with more of the copper ink, and embossed it with the clear powder.

Then I did something cool...I inked up the whole die cut
with a Brilliance Pearlescent Dew Drop Ink Pad in Beige. I heat embossed the die cut using the clear embossing powder again.

The flower image comes from the Winter Blooms stamp set by Flourishes.
The flowers are called, Paperwhites. I had never heard of them until Jan Marie asked me to illustrate this set. I researched and learned about them. Now they are one of my favorite winter flowers!

Winter Blooms

 The Paperwhites are colored with Dew Drop Pearlescent ink pads in Beige, Poppy and Crimson. I stamped the three colors on an acrylic block to create a sort of, "palette", then used my waterbrush to paint the flowers.

The sentiment is from the set entitled, Christmas Sentiments.

This set was fun to create...I even wrote a little poem for it!

 The sentiment is stamped with Brilliance Galaxy Gold ink, onto a die cut

from the same set mentioned above.

Hopefully you can see the Imagine Crafts' Shimmer Spritz Sparkle

I added to the entire surface of the card. It give it such a festive touch.

 I have another card done with Imagine Crafts and Flourishes...



You will find more info for this card HERE.

Here is the blog hop list for you to enjoy more creations made with Imagine Crafts products and Flourishes stamps, inks, papers and more.

Make sure to leave a comment on each designer’s blog

as we will be giving prizes away randomly from two of the designer’s blogs.
We have a 30% off all products sale going on in the store!  Code is cybermonday.   If you buy new stamps released since June, 2016 you will get an older one free!

 Barbara Thompson - http://cardsandpaperfun.blogspot.com/

Toni Storie - http://sweetpeasstory.blogspot.com/

Alison Heikkila - http://alisonsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/

Beverly Cole - http://bevsbliss.blogspot.com/

Kren Kurts - http://afourthlife.blogspot.com/

Neva Cole - http://snippetscrafter.blogspot.com/

Roni Johnson - http://inkstainswithroni.blogspot.com/

Linda Lucas - https://lovelylindascraftcentral.blogspot.com.au/

Davi Long - http://alstromeriaartistry.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Vanderbeek - http://www.scrapsoflife.com/

Naomi Gong - http://www.naomigong.com/

Vickie Yeakley - https://stuffbyvickie.blogspot.com/

Nadine Carlier - http://myscrapnstuff.blogspot.com/

Rebecca Ednie - http://eclecticendeavours.blogspot.com/

Gloria Hayoung Lee - http://iiroom1004.blogspot.ca/

Mark Melnick - http://latidart.blogspot.com/

Shirley Qu - http://mypinkieisinkie.blogspot.com/

Martha Lucia Gomez - http://stampartpapel.com/

Terre Fry - http://terresscraptherapy.blogspot.com/

Mary Prasad - http://artbymdp.blogspot.com/

Trisha Traxler - http://simplystamping.blogspot.com/

Monica Edwards - http://scraps2treasure.blogspot.com/

Enjoy the Journey,

My Turn to Host!

Hello and welcome to my studio.

I am so excited to be the Artist in Residence at the new Flourishes!
Every Friday our Senior Design Team is challenged by one of the designers on the team.

For today's blog hop, it's my turn!  I have challenged the team to use:

Non-traditional Colors

I have the great pleasure of using the Year of Flowers 3 set

And Christmas Sentiments

I used Patriotic Colors instead of the usual Christmas red and green, and I threw in some striped in the pieced background to add to the "theme".

Today's card images were masked and stamped with Memento Ink.
I colored them with Prismacolor Premier Pencils, blending with a blending pen.

The sentiment is framed using one of Flourishes exclusive set of dies.

a few sequins and some gold Stickles, ribbon and I'm done!

Here is the blog hop list for you to enjoy more non-traditional colored creations:

Flourishes Blog
Barbara Thompson

Beverly Cole (me)

Linda Lucas

Naomi Gong

Rebecca Ednie

Tricia Traxler

Enjoy the Journey,

Flourishes November Release Day 3

Hello, and welcome to my studio...

Today I had fun using a stamp set I illustrated for Flourishes this month.

It's the third day of the Flourishes' November Release.

We are featuring,

Camellia Love

Using dies from the Flourishes store, papers from my stash, and alcohol markers,

I only fussy cut part of the image, using a square around it, using my paper trimmer.

It's difficult to see here, but I sprayed it with Shimmer Spritz in "Sparkle"

by Imagine Crafts to dress it up.

This card was created for my friends who got married on Saturday evening.

It's so wonderful to be able to create one-of-a-kind cards for the special people in your life.

Be sure to stop at all the Designers' blogs and the Flourishes store.

Flourishes Blog
Barbara Thompson

Beverly Cole (me)

Linda Lucas

Naomi Gong

Rebecca Ednie
Tricia Traxler

Enjoy the Journey,

Flourishes Friday Design Team Challenge Hop

Hello and welcome to my studio!

Today's Design Team challenge is by Linda Lucas.
She has challenged our team with,

"Let's get Sentiment-al"

The technique I decided to use, I learned from Jennifer McGuire. Using my newest toy, the Misti.

I was able to repeat the sentiment with ease, using the ruler on the Misti.

 I masked the image after stamping and coloring it with Prismacolor markers, and then proceeded to stamp the sentiment over and over, moving the card 1/4 inch at a time. I know, the spacing is a little off, but is was my first time using this amazing tool.

The stamp set I used is one I illustrated exclusively for Flourishes. It's called,

Winter Blooms.

Be sure to visit the rest of the team to see more amazing cards focusing on sentiments.

Flourishes Blog
Barbara Thompson
Beverly Cole (me!)
Linda Lucas
Naomi Gong
Rebecca Ednie
Tricia Traxler

Enjoy the journey,

Silver Mum

Silver Mum...Silver Mum...sounds like a song, doesn't it?

This stamp set was my very first released. That will always make it special to me.

Fuji Mum

The patterned paper and gray marker works so well together,

allowing the yellow accents to just shine!

I used "Fuji Mum" by Flourishes of course,

and Authentique paper sold at the Flourishes Store.

Glossy Accents and a bit of twine from my stash finish off this card.

The fussy cutting was kept to a minimum. 

I simply used my paper trimmer to cut straight cuts,

and skipped wherever the flower overlapped the cuts. Then did the fussy stuff.

I added some Stickles to make the Fuji sparkle.

The black strips frame the design.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

The Artistic Stamper  10/1

Penny Black and More 9/30

Thanks for stopping by. I truly appreciate you looking at my designs.

Enjoy the Journey,

My First Stamp Set is Released for Sale!

This is a Fuji Mum.  I love its long, graceful petals.

It is one of the images from my stamp set called, Fuji Mum!

Fuji Mum Set

I designed this set exclusively for Flourishes.

I am so thankful to be able to draw stamp sets. I work in my studio at home,

which is so great! My work is my vocation, but feels like an avocation...because I love it so.

Here are a couple of cards I made with the set.

This card was created using designer paper by Authentique,

as well as Color Made Easy card stock, both available in the Flourishes store.
I used watercolor markers.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
Fashionable Stamping Challenges - #115 Autumnal Colors
Penny Black and More  - Add a Sentiment
Pile It On - #117 Autumn

I created this watercolor card using watercolor paper and one of

Flourishes exclusive dies. I enjoyed drawing this

wind-blown Fuji Mum, with all the loose petals!

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
Fashionable Stamping Challenges - #115 Autumnal Colors

Penny Black and More  - Add a Sentiment
Pile It On - #117 Autumn

Please take a peek at the Flourishes Blog and the other Design Team members' creations,
beginning with our newest Senior Design Team member, Rebecca!

Rebecca Ednie

Beverly Cole (you are here)

Linda Lucas

Naomi Gong

Thanks so much for stopping by. I truly appreciate it.
Enjoy the journey,

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