The Secret Garden

 

 

Hello and welcome.  For those that celebrate it, I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day.  Mine was really quiet as it's still a very hard day for me.   I lost my mother, my best friend, on May 19, 1991 only one week after Mother's Day to metastatic breast cancer.  Just 5 months after I got married.  It probably seems silly, however, there are many who understand.

Today I'd like to share with you a few ATC's (artist trading cards) I made using a free ATC collage sheet from Gecko Galz for their monthly ATC challenge.  After printing out the collage sheet, I fussy cut all of the elements out before layering each of the ATC backgrounds to scrap card stock.  Once that was finished, I started laying out the cut elements over the backgrounds to see which matched to what background before adhering them using Bearly Art craft glue.  While they were drying, I pulled out my MS punches and paper crimper, and began punching out butterflies, flowers, ferns and pine sprigs.  Once I had all of the ferns I wanted, I ran through my paper crimper before adhering those using Ranger Glossy Accents.  The only other embellishments added was pink, pewter and red bling along with crystal ice stickles to highlights parts of the background flowers and/or water.  Close-ups and minor additions below:

Green Apple Fairy ATC - besides the bling and ice stickles added, I also drew the ladybug's legs and antenna using a black 3D glaze pen since I had cut off the ones on the collage sheet.

 

 

Pink Garden Fairy - also added a punched butterfly with bling highlighting the center

 

 

Blue Garden Fairy - for this one I made sure to punch the ferns out of blue scraps and the pine sprigs out of brown scraps.  I added the smoky grey bling to the lock and as the body of the butterfly (inspired by a card Tanis Buckton made for Gecko Galz using bling as the center of her butterfly).  I also made sure to highlight the "lights" of the blue garden and added "firefly's". 

 

 Challenges entered:

 

Gecko Galz ATC Monthly Challenge May 2024 - Secret Garden 

Never Before Used Schtuff (NBUS) #62 - Use Your NBUS

ATC's Around The World May 2024 - Anything Goes 

The Four Seasons May 2024 - Spring See Inspiration Board  (inspired by flowers, greenery)

Inspiration Station May 2024 - See Pic Below (inspired by flowers, colors)

Sparkles Monthly April/May 2024 - April Showers Bring May Flowers

CD Sunday Plus #133 - Anything Goes Digital (Gecko Galz ATC Collage)

Moving Along With The Times #166 - Flowers

Make My Monday #225 - Florals

Gecko Galz Facebook Challenge May 2024 - Floral Fantasy (garden fairies) 

Triple B Challenges May 2024 - Birds, Blooms, Butterflies (blooms, butterflies)

 

 

The Four Seasons

 

Inspiration Station

 

Gecko Galz Facebook Group
 

 Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day and rest of your week.

Stamps: Gecko Galz

Ink: None

Card Stock: Neenah White (for ATC collage); SU Scraps 

Accessories: Computer, Pinter, Bearly Arts Glue, Bling, 3D Glaze Pen, MS Punches, Ranger Glossy Accents, Paper Crimper, Ice Stickles

 

Joyful Holiday Wishes

 

Hello and welcome.  Today I'd like to share a card with you I made using a pre-colored image from the Gecko Galz May Christmas challenge page.  I printed the image out right away even though I didn't know how I would use it at the time.  I will say Gecko Galz's pre-colored images have really saved me more than once thanks to my migraines.  I have several images/collages printed out to use when I need to focus on something other than the migraine pain.  

This month's provided Christmas image is just gorgeous!! I so wish that it was my Christmas tree.  Looking at the image, I decided to pair it up with some retired SU taken with teal, regal rose and blush blossom card stock so the ornaments would stand out.  Once I had layered the image, I distressed the edges using my Tim Holtz paper distresser before adding some small metallic brushed silver brads then setting aside.  I stamped my Christmas greeting first in memento tuxedo black ink before dry embossing my card using a Cuttlebug© Ornament embossing folder and my Big Shot©.  After sanding the embossed images a bit, I sponged taken with teal ink around the edges before adding my layered image panel using pop up glue dots.

 

Challenges entered:

 

Gecko Galz May 2024 Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes Using Provided Image 

Splitcoaststampers IC962 - Liz Marie and Pinterest  (see inspiration pic below; inspired by colors white/teal)

Never Before Used Schtuff (NBUS) #62 - Use Your NBUS (Christmas tree image)

CD Sunday Plus #133 - Anything Goes Digital (Christmas tree image)

Digi Choosday Wk18 - Anything Goes

Peace On Earth #63 - See Inspiration Pic (inspired by the pink/teal colors)

Jingle Belle's Rock - Card Stock Christmas (No Designer Paper Allowed)

Word Art Wednesday Wks 647 and 648 - Anything Goes Uplifting (Christmas)

IC962

Peace On Earth

 Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

 

Stamps: Gecko Galz; Stampin Up Wishes Awash (retired)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Stampin Up Taken With Teal

Card Stock: Neenah White; Stampin Up

Accessories: Computer, Printer, Paper Distresser, Ice Stickles, Pop Up Glue Dots, Big Shot, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Brads, Teal Marker

 

Boo To You

 

 

Hello and welcome.  Today I'd like to share with you a Halloween card I made using some "new" and "unloved stash".  I was inspired to dig into the "pile" after seeing a friend Marie's blog post of a "crafty squirrel" challenge.  Basically, time to find stuff that is over 2 years old/older and/or never seen some love.  No problem I thought.  Since I'm already done with this Spring heat wave, I went digging for a long retired Stampin Up set called Booglie Eyes dreaming of cooler temps.  I bought the set over 10-15 years ago (copyright label says 2006) and never even mounted any of the images to the matching wooden block.  Proof below: 

Once I had cut and mounted the images, I dug out another retired SU set, Web Wishes and stamped the spider web on some scrap white card stock.  Then taking several of the newly mounted images, I stamped them in memento tuxedo black ink on the card stock making sure to stamp the spider one in the corner web.  After coloring everything using markers, I stippled Tim Holtz walnut stain, weathered wood, stormy sky, tumbled glass and mowed lawn distress inks using my paper pouncers to give a foggy night appearance.  Digging through my stash of designer paper, I discovered some purple with black glitter bat paper from Debbie Mumm and pulled that out to add to a purple card base.  After I added a purplish-brown border, I added the layered image panel using glue dots.  The final touch was adding a black glitter gel pen to highlight the web and googlie eyes to all of the characters plus my saying.

Challenges entered:

 

Never Before Used Schtuff (NBUS) #62 - Use Your NBUS (stamp set)

Two Old Bats Halloween May 2024 - Anything Goes Halloween

Splitcoaststampers WT1000 - Googlie Eyes

Gem of a Craft Challenge Wk9 - Anything Goes 

Crafty Calendar May 2024 - Anything Goes 

Park Hopping My Happy Place April/May 2024 - The Great Movie Ride (inspired by vintage Alfred Hitchcock movies and The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland)

 

Two Old Bats

 

Park Hopping My Happy Place
 

 

 

 Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Stampin Up

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Walnut Stain, Stormy Sky, Mowed Lawn, Weathered Wood, Tumbled Glass Distress Inks

Card Stock: Neenah; Stampin Up; Debbie Mumm Havest and Holidays Designer Paper

Accessories: Prismacolor and Copic Markers, Googlie Eyes, Glue, Brads, Glue Dots, Castle Arts Black Glitter Gel Pen, Paper Pouncers

PIP Challenge 2418

 

Sponsored by 

Penguin Palace

Hello and welcome.  Today begins a new challenge over at Pammie's Inky Pinkies and this week we're being sponsored by Penguin Palace.  I would like to thank them for their sponsorship.  Since I make my Christmas cards year round, I decided to use their digital set Merry Christmas.  

 

I started out by combining all of the elements I wanted to use from the set in Photoshop© and then printed the finished scene on Neenah white card stock.  I then pulled out my Prismacolor and Copic markers, colored the scene before lightly stippling some so saffron ink to help fill in the white areas.  Once that was done, I layered the image then added some matching brads before setting aside.  For my card base, I dusted off a long retired SU jumbo wheel to stamp the background poinsettia's.  I then adhered the layered image panel using glue dots.  The final touches were adding Sunburst and Orange Slice ice stickles and 3D glaze pens to highlight parts of the image.  I'm really happy with how this turned out since I was coloring it with another migraine.

Challenges entered:

 

Never Before Used Schtuff (NBUS) #62 - Use Your NBUS (image)

CD Sunday Plus #132 - Anything Goes Digital (images)

Digi Choosday Wk17 - Anything Goes 

Christmas Crafts All Year Round May 2024 - Hot/Cold Drinks and/or Christmas Movies (movie Home Alone)

Christmas Craft Creations April, 2024 to May 7, 2024 - Non Traditional Colors (shades of yellow)

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day and don't forget to join us at Pammie's Inky Pinkies.

Stamps: Penguin Palace; Stampin Up

Ink: So Saffron

Card Stock: Neenah White; Stampin Up

Accessories: Computer, Printer, Photoshop, Prismacolor and Copic Markers, Brads, Ice Stickles, Stipple Brushes, 3D Glaze Pens

A Couple More ATC's

 

Hello and welcome.  Today I'd like to share with you a couple more ATC's (artist trading cards) I made over the last week and a half.  I know I've made a lot of ATC's lately, but it's the only thing right now my health, migraines and life in general, are allowing me to do.  I'm trying to push through the migraines because NOTHING is helping them and crying/going crazy just makes them hurt worse.

First up is this cute little snowman (retired I think) from Colorado Craft Company that I received from a friend as a RAK.  After I stamped him in memento tuxedo black ink onto a Neenah white card stock scrap, I then colored him using my Copic markers.  Once the coloring was finished, I then lightly stippled some tumbled glass and stormy sky distress inks using my blending brushes.  I then layered the image panel onto scrap navy card stock before distressing the edges using my Tim Holtz paper distresser tool and added some tiny light blue brads.  After adding some pop dots to hold the brads in place, I layered it two more times before adding some plum pudding snowflake sequins and ice stickles to finish it off.   Here's a close up of the finished ATC:

 

Challenges entered:

 

Never Before Used Schtuff (NBUS) #62 - Use Your NBUS (3C snowman set)

ATC Around The World #113 - Anything Goes 

Gem of a Craft Challenge WK9 - Anything Goes 

Krafty Chicks #714 - Stamps (Colorado Craft Sweet Snowman mini set)

Christmas Crafts All Year Round May 2024 - Hot/Cold Drinks and/or Christmas Movie (Frosty the Snowman)

Next up is this cute bunny I received as a freebie from Colorado Craft Company  called Butterfly Kisses (retired I think( during their mail art not a lost art promotion - which is basically decorating your envelopes.  I used to decorate them regularly but got away from it.  I'm not sure why but I think I need to start again.  

 

I started out by stamping the images in memento tuxedo black ink onto scrap Neenah white card stock before coloring using copic markers.  After coloring, I lightly stippled some Tim Holtz tumbled glass, mowed lawn and old paper distress inks using my blending brushes then layered my image panel onto scrap designer paper and scrap light green card stock.  Taking my old Martha Stewart punches, I punched out several "fern branches", flowers, butterflies and pine sprigs before crimping the fern ones.  I then built a floral spray using all of my punched pieces and Ranger's glossy accents.  I finished my ATC off with some "faux brads" and silver pearls for the flower and butterfly centers.

Challenges entered:

 

Critter Crazy #86 - Anything Goes With A Featured Critter (bunny)

Snippets Playground #479 - Use Those Scraps (whole ATC)

Word Art Wednesday Wks 645 to 646 - Anything Goes Uplifting (saying)

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #229 - Anything Goes 

 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Colorado Craft Company

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Tumbled Glass, Mowed Lawn, Old Paper

Card Stock: Scraps

Accessories: Prismacolor and Copic Markers, Punches, Distresser Tool, Pop Dots, Bling, Ice Stickles, Sequins