A Blossoming Beauty

Hello everyone
Time to share another Gecko Galz DT sample.  This sample relates to one of the Gecko Galz January product releases, the lovely My Fair Lady set.  I have already shared one card I made with this set and found I couldn’t resist making another card and yes, once again playing with colour!

Gecko Galz My Fair Lady
Gecko Galz Butterfly Wings
Darkroom Door Lace stamp set
Luminarte Twinkling H20s
TCW Mini Ledger Stencil
Prima blossoms
Ranger Glossy Accents
Extras:- low gloss printer paper, watercolour paper, texture paste, old jewellery, vintage lace, blue lace.

Instructions
Print My Fair Lady onto low gloss cardstock. Lay aside for the moment.
Use stencil and texture paste to create pattern on watercolour paper followed with a wash of colour with Twinkling H20s. Adhere panel to cardbase. Also apply Twinkling H20s to vintage lace. Once dry adhere to cardbase. Now adhere Gecko Galz image, trimming with lace and jewels from old jewellery. Stamp Elegance onto scrap of watercolour paper, ink edges and adhere to right of image, embellishing with paper flowers and butterflies.
I used butterflies which were left over from previous Gecko Galz DT samples, they were too lovely to not make use of.
Adhere the butterfly which had been printed onto transparency to top corner of image.

I looked to the colours of the lady who I believe is the beautiful Lily Elsie, to bring those colours throughout the card.The shimmer hasn’t translated but I used a combination of paints for the background, paints which also included Twinkling H20s, yes I continue to twinkle away, seeming to struggle to step away from the H20s at the moment! I even went as far as to paint the vintage lace with the paints to add that band of colour.
I always like a little bit of stamping somewhere and this Darkroom Door word suited the image.   The flowers I’ve had for the longest time. not my colours  but I forced myself to use, bringing even more colour to this card. them on this card.It leaves me to say that I always appreciate  the time you take out of your day to stop by and visit my Blog and to leave a comment.
Wishes
Lynne

She Wears Butterflies In Her Hair

Hello Everyone
This year at Gecko Galz a new monthly event was introduced.  Each month there is a cross promotion with January seeing us working with Basic Grey digital papers and elements.  For the month of February Gecko Galz has a cross promotion with Arora Wings digital stamps.
As a DT member I was required to create a sample to the theme of All Things Spring, using one of the Arora Wings digital stamps provided in conjunction with Gecko Galz products. However, at Gecko Galz we like to involve other crafters and fans of Gecko Galz so let me share with you some words from Gecko Galz

For this months customer contest we are
asking you to create a spring inspired paper
crafted project.
Show us what inspires you most about
spring…is it the pastel colors? Is it flowers?
Is it Easter? We want to see your inspiration.
The only rule is you must include one
product from Gecko Galz, can be one of the
free products, stamps, collage image paper
the limits are endless to your imagination.
And what will the winner get?
Arora Wings Stamps gift pack plus a
$25 shopping Spree from Gecko Galz.
Just email a picture of your project by
February 28th to
geckogalz2014@gmail.com
And On March
1st we will announce our winner on the
Gecko Galz website.

I will be honest with you and tell you that this did not come easy to me, it took me the longest time to incorporate the Arora Wings digi stamp with the theme of All Things Spring. It only came together for me when looking through the catalogue of Gecko Galz products and I laid eyes upon the beautiful Butterfly Wings image sheets and then the idea formed in my head and I eventually had fun creating this canvas.
This Blog post is very photo heavy, you have been warned and another warning ….. this post contains colour! (LOL)
A long canvas was perfect for what I had in mind, of the Arora digi image, a girl with flowers, poppies in her hair, surrounded by a multitude of butterflies.  I knew from the outset I would not use cardstock, I wanted a delicate feel to this, slightly ethereal so I printed all the images onto transparencies.The transparency allows the colour I built up on the canvas (instructions at bottom of post) to show through and it also allowed me to paint the rear of the transparency and to layer the butterflies.  In real life you see the shimmer of the Twinkling H20s which I used for the flowers.  The flicks of paint represent the flower seeds floating in the air.Then moving from the soft pink tones of her skin I started to incorporate the colours that would make up the majority of the canvas.The colour palette for the canvas was influenced by the butterflies.  I wanted as many of the butterflies as possible, a mass of them in varying sizes.With them being printed onto transparencies, you cannot see it here, but on display the sunlight (not that there is much of that at the moment) shines through them.Not forgetting the edges of the canvasor the very top edge.As this is for Gecko Galz, here is the list of supplies and instructions.
Supplies
Arora Wings Image
Gecko Galz Butterfly Wings
Twinkling H20s
Caran d’ache watrersoluble crayons
Gesso (Golden)
Glossy Accents (Ranger)
Extras:- inkjet printer transparency and canvas
Instructions
Apply Gesso to canvas then create loose washes of colour.
Re-size Aurora image and print onto transparency.
Re-size Butterfly Wings and print onto a transparency. I opened document in Microsoft and re-sized the Butterfly Wings, copy and pasting so I had two copies on one page.
Fussy cut all images.
Paint the flowers in the girl’s hair.
Adhere all to canvas with Glossy Accents

Please remember that you are welcome to join in the All Things Spring challenge yourself.
In the meantime, many thanks for your visit.
Wishes
Lynne

A Scandalous Beauty (Published – The Stampers’ Sampler)

Hello Everyone
I know, I really should be sharing Christmas projects but I drafted this post as far back as August, anyway, now and then it does good to take a break from Christmas.
This post is all about the final feature I wanted to share with you from the Oct/Nov/Dec issue of Stampington & co’s The Stampers’ Sampler (see HERE and HERE for the previous posts I shared). Three cards make up the feature but I am only sharing two cards.
I actually made the first card some time ago when I was on the Dezinaworld DT (unfortunately June had to disband the team). She always had the most amazing images to play with.
The cards I am sharing all feature a Dezinaworld image of a femme, printed onto a transparency.Each image was layered onto text,  layered behind a Crafty Individuals die-cut frame and for each card I painted the cardstock with Gesso and emulsion paint.
The stamps used are available from Oxford Impressions at Austen Gallery site – Scandalous Beauty stamp plate.
If you have a copy of The Stampers’ Sampler you can see that they included a detail photograph which highlights the layers and depth achieved, sorry but I don’t have such a photograph and don’t want to share the one from the magazine. The second card … The photograph above is more true to the colour.
I mentioned Scandalous Beauty but I also used (always using this stamp) the damask stamp from French Script.If I have not caught up with you I will do so very soon, due to various reasons I have fallen slightly behind with Blog visits this past week. In the meantime many thanks for your visit.
Wishes
Lynne

The Days She Spent At The Ocean (Published)

Hello Everyone
I have decided to make the most of the fact I have been able to access my Blog to schedule this post and cram it in before the end of this week.
When I received Stampington & co’s 400 More Ideas (formerly Catch-Up) although  I was obviously over the moon to see so many of my pieces in print,  I had decided I would only share a few of them here.  This particular card was to be one of the ones I wouldn’t be sharing,  however, as the card uses Crafty Individuals products (paper pad and stamps) I realised it would be an opportunity to share some Crafty Individuals links.
Jean and Malcolm are always so lovely but I have to say that those past months when I’ve not been able to create the volume of samples I would normally create for them, they have just been so understanding.  So it seems only right that if and when I can, I will share some links to their site, even if what I am sharing doesn’t utilise their new stamps.  Although I do  have another giraffe project (one of their new stamps) to share with you soon.
Now this card was a quick card!
Using the Crafty Individuals The Seaside paper pad I selected this fabulous sheet which included a row of beach huts.  I knew it would make a fun card design.  I layered it with another sheet from the same pad, adding to the cardbase so that the huts stick out at the top edge.  This meant the height of the cardbase was increased with the beach huts overhanging quite a bit at the top.The Bathing Belle image was printed onto a transparency. This image from  Divas D’Este is no longer available, sadly they are no longer trading. At the time of making this card I was on their wonderful DT. I liked the way the transparency allowed those beautiful papers to shine through. Transparencies are always such fun to play with.Shells were cut from the pattern paper and also a few were stamped. The stamped shells are from Oxford Impressions’ By The Sea stamp plate.
Here are some links:-
The Crafty Individuals stamp plate used:- CI-272
The Sea paper pad – This is available for an amazing price at the moment.
If you are interested in By The Sea from Oxford Impressions then you can view (or purchase!) that stamp plate at Austen Gallery.
Many thanks for visiting especially if you visited earlier in the day to view my DT post for That’s Crafty.
Wishes
Lynne

They Dreamed Of Romance

Hello Everyone
For this post I am sharing a card for Crafty Individuals which I made at the beginning of this year, a  card which is unapologetically  romantic  with a  soft colour palette and a dreamy transparency image.  Unfortunately this Crafty Individuals image is no longer available as they no longer stock their transparency image sheets but the same image is available in the glossy paper format.
Crafty Individuals Supplies
Transparency Image (no longer available)
Shabby Tag
CI-307
CI-341
CI-342
CI-350
My initial idea was merely to decorate one of the Shabby Tags (how I love those tags and you will see them crop up again very soon) but once the tag was completed I decided it would become an element on a large card, a 8″x8″ card.The background was painted before stamping the hearts repeatedly.  The same stamps were used to create stamped embellishments along with a perfume label stamp and one of the lace stamps used to create a faux lace border.  The Shabby Tag on the left side of the card had paint applied, torn vintage text and stamping, building up layers. The end result is very muted with the text and stamping only peeking through here and there.
Can you see another piece of the stamped lace which I used to embellish the top of the tag.  The beautiful transparency was layered onto vintage text.Forever is one of those wonderful free sample stamps that Crafty Individuals are generous enough to include with on-line orders.  I keep any torn pieces from Shabby Tags I’ve used in previous projects, this is what I stamped Forever onto and attached to the edge of the main tag.Thank You for visiting this scheduled post. I am sure that tomorrow (Tuesday) I will manage to catch-up with some Blogs, I sure hope so as I am missing so much visiting your Blogs and viewing your artwork.
Wishes
Lynne

They Were The Jewels Of Paris

Hello Everyone
To start this new week I am sharing the second project created for Gecko Galz as their December Featured Artist.  As with the first project, the Journal, I once again am providing the supply list and instructions.
When I spied the Parisian Jewels image sheet at Gecko Galz I knew I wanted to play with them as this sheet is brimming with images and I will tell you it was so difficult selecting one image for my second Guest Artist project that I had to use two of the images.
Supplies
Gecko Galz Parisian Jewels (Jewel It Collection)
Transparency Sheet
Golden Soft Gel Matt Medium
Heritage colour emulsion (latex) paint
2 jars, vintage and new lace, vintage velvet ribbon, flower/bead ribbon, frames, vintage button, vintage French book text (my stash)
Instructions
Remove the screw top lid from jar. Gather a selection of new and vintage lace. Layer the lace around the
jar until satisfied. Rip smaller pieces of lace and add to the inside neck of the jar. Trim the outside neck
of the jar with either vintage velvet ribbon or fabric flower with bead trim.
Re-size Parisian Jewels image sheet and print onto a transparency, ensure it is set to mirror option prior
to printing. Leave to dry. Select image and layer to piece of Vintage French Text. Remove the backing
from a frame. Paint with Emulsion (latex) paint. Once dry insert the image. Adhere to the front of the jar
with strong glue. A vintage button may be added to the frame.

With the Journal shared last week I showed the Gecko Galz Postcard Memories printed onto canvas printer paper.  This time I wanted to show another surface that Gecko Galz image sheets can be printed onto.   If printing onto transparencies is a first for you then please remember to set the printing option to mirror mode and also printer on the  rougher side of the transparency.
The idea of the altered jars is for them still to have a practical purpose.A home for pencils but it could easily be artist brushes or make-up brushes, etc.Have a wonderful week and I will catch-up with you soon.
Many Thanks for taking the time to visit.
Wishes
Lynne

Memories From The Shore

Hello Everyone
Another scheduled post, this is a short one to share one of the cards that was published in Stampington & co Catch-Up 2012.
I had submitted this card to a Template Challenge at The Stampers’ Sampler but it wasn’t printed so it was a really lovely surprise to see it in the pages of Catch-Up.
Stamps:- Oxford Impressions’ By The Sea
I’d printed the template onto a transparency which allowed me to fill the “jar” with beach mementos:- stamped elements such as shells and tickets, real shells, mica flakes, teeny blue beads, etc. I created tabs which were then inserted into cuts made into the watercolour paper,  it  created a lovely curved dimension. The watercolour paper had a wash of walnut ink (dissolved crystals) before spraying on my homemade ink.  Dyed gauze was wrapped around the lid of the jar.
A shell stamped onto a cork tile.I have a few scheduled posts lined up and it at least keeps my Blog up-dated and then maybe it will not be too long before my normal blogging routine resumes.
Thank you for visiting and hope all is well in your lives.
Wishes
Lynne

A Man Of The City

Hello
I appreciate the visits you made last week and the lovely comments I have been reading, especially the congratulatory messages for my Sew Somerset card.
Looking back at last week’s posts it struck me that there were quite a few sweet projects so to start this week off I will go in the opposite direction by sharing something I created using Oxford Impressions’ London Telegraph set. I tend to lean towards feminine styles but I have to say that I am having lots of fun with this plate of stamps.Playing with textures such as corrugated card, glass circles, mica, cork and a transparency (7Gypsies) to name some.
One of the lovely text stamps was used to stamp onto a tag. He is such a dapper chap!Stamping the stunning London scene then layering with the purchased transparency, this shows the edging of the transparency with another stamped piece overhanging the edge.
At a later date we will be re-united with this fellow!
Have a wonderful week and many thanks for taking the time to visit.
Wishes
Lynne

Let The Story Begin

Romance is starting to fill the air as thoughts turn from Christmas towards Valentine’s Day. With that in mind, I created this hanging with a sense of old style romance using Divas D’Este’s J’adore. I’ve previously dipped into this collage sheet (CS) for DT artwork and happy to return to it once again.Printing onto a transparency allowed me to layer this image onto another Divas D’Este CS, this time French Script.
The script shows through beautifully, especially on their faces.  I always keep this sheet to hand as it is useful to have, adding bits here and there, as I did with tucking it slightly beneath the image.This beautiful stamp of a bundle of letters is from Oxford Impressions’ Season of Giving plate,  a Christmas set of stamps but so useful to dip into throughout the year. Tying it with pink satin ribbon adds a special touch then the postal mark from another O.I. set, this time Art of Being Beautiful. This is a story about love, that particular stamp is from the A Scandalous Beauty plate. Is this  Chapter 1 of a sweeping epic of love spanning decades or a bittersweet novella? I’ll let you be the author of their story of love.
Wishes
Lynne
I am linking to Pink Saturday.

Their Beauty Captivated

My first Dezinaworld DT projects for 2012 focuses on Faces 2, a really stunning image sheet, as you can see, brimming with images. The possibilities for these images are endless, whether cards, tags, altered art, jewellery, etc.A Scandalous Beauty stamp plate by Oxford Impressions’ contained the perfect stamps, repeatedly stamping onto the painted cardstock and also onto the die cut frame (Crafty Individuals) which had been inked with Antique Linen to create stamped backdrop for the femmes.  Dimension is achieved by using silicone glue as an alternative to regular glue when adhering the frame.
The image was layered onto French writing scrapbook paper.A piece of lace and two drop pearls added for a little bit of detail.The other card was made in a similar manner At the stage of re-sizing I always try to ensure I fill up the A4 space. It helps if I have an approximate idea of the projects I will be creating, in this instance cards and jewellery. For these projects I used the larger size of Faces 2 for the cards and for the brooch I copied and reduced in size Faces 2 again.
A brooch with this beautiful image layered over French Book text – la beaute.
As I can imagine those women as having been showgirls I had to use my Great Aunt’s feather fan and  programme from Folies Bergere. You might well recognise these items as it isn’t the first time I’ve used them as a backdrop.
I am sure she never would have believed, in 1938 when she watched this show that in 2012 her Great Niece would be using them in photographs for her Blog.
Wishes
Lynne