Altered Paint Brush

Good afternoon everyone!

Hope you all are enjoying a wonderful summer!

I haven't done much creating this summer but I am slowly trying to ease my way back into it.

A card here,

a tag there...

Today I want to show you a first for me,

I altered a paint brush!

I've painted quite a few walls in my time but never a paint brush! 

Here it is.....

Not being one who plans out her projects I decided that I would with this one...

so pulled out a couple of wooden diecuts...

a house, a tree and the letters to spell HOME.

Do you see them? 

No?

Really?

Oops, here they are...

 laying here on my desk!

So much for having a plan!

LOL

I gesso'd the brush, 

added a crackle look with texture paint and a stencil,

sprayed it all over with several different sprays,

then after a few different lace placements, 

embellishment placements, 

flower placements

and the elimination of the original idea...

I finally finished my piece!

Here are a couple of close ups.....

The flowers I used are from Prima.

I tucked a few pieces of bead trim in here and there between them.

The brown gem spray coming out of the bottom of the flowers is one that I've had for a while.

I've tried to add it to a few other projects and it never quite fit in...must have been waiting for this!

What do you think?

I used my bow-it-all to make the bow using a piece of lace and a piece of seam binding.

The dangling gems I've had for ages!

I think they worked quite nicely here!

Below is another look at the finished piece!

I'm entering this in the

Moore Art from the Heart - Altered Paint Brush challenge HERE

Thanks for stopping by!

Gecko Galz Cross Promotion

Good morning everyone!

We, on the DT, at Gecko Galz were given the challenge to use 

Gecko Galz and Itkupilli products

to show you how well Gecko Galz products play with others.

This is the card I chose to make.....

I started with a couple pieces of brown cardstock for matting my patterned papers.

The floral paper is from Gecko Galz Mori Girl paper pkg.

Also from Gecko Galz.....

the little girl and butterfly are part of the La Vie En Rose collage sheet.

The background paper that I put the cute little girl on is from Itkupilli.

I love the "stage" look of this paper.

I added a bit of stickles to highlight the corners of the stage.

I added some sticky back lace trim to the top.

I spread some stickles on the butterfly and put that on top.

The sentiment was stamped onto a diecut I cut with my Cameo.

Now.....

I this challenge may have been for the DT to create,

but you can be the winner!

Yes, 

that's right! 

YOU can be the winner!

Just hop over HERE to check out all of the DT's creations 

and send in your vote (before Aug 30th) for your favorite and you could be the winner of all of Septembers products from Gecko Galz and the Itkupilli prize package.

And that's not all! 

Just for sending in your vote you will receive a free mini stamp set from Gecko Galz.

Good luck everyone!

Have a great weekend!

It's Always Tea Time

Good morning everyone!

Today I'm sharing one of my Gecko Galz DT samples.

I used a Tea Time Stamp & 

Mori Girl paper (background paper) 

from Gecko Galz.

I also used a piece of paper from Itkupilli paper collection.

Over at Gecko Galz our cross promotion this month is with Itkupilli  and I thought this pretty blue paper went well with the Gecko Galz paper I chose.

The shimmery blue cardstock was used for the punched ribbon as well as the mat for the stamp.

I made the ribbon with my bow-it-all and topped it with a little teapot trinket from my stash.

*****

Gecko Galz Blog Hop is coming soon!

Oct 30th - Nov 2nd

I hope we'll see you there!

*****

Right now we have the Very Vintage Customer Challenge going on!

All of the DT have created a wonderful variety of samples for you to check out!

I hope you can join the challenge!

The only rule.....

use at least one product from Gecko Galz!

The winner will receive a $25 shopping spree from Gecko Galz 

and a Itkupilli gift pkg as well!

*****

Thanks for stopping by!

Hope you're having a great week!

Stepping outside of the norm

Good morning everyone! 

Sorry nothing crafty here today...

unless of course you count the picture of the blueberry muffins I made this morning. 

(I'll get to that soon)

I don't usually get too personal on my blog,

we were taught that our private lives were private 

and that always stuck really strong in me. 

No sorted details coming,

 just a glimpse into my diet evolution over the past couple of years 

and my cruddy mood since this past winter.

For whatever reason I feel the need to share.

Feel free to keep hopping on by if you don't want to read this,

 I'll never know!

Here goes.....

First,
 I have dealt with depression for way longer than I care to remember...

lots of ups and downs.

Won't really get into that but it will get a mention eventually.

I've added thyroid issues and asthma within the last 10 years.

And...

I have, 

like a lot of people,

 for many years now, struggled with my growing weight.

I'm not really big,

as a matter of fact my kids, as well as my doctor, 

have told me that I look good.

The doctor said maybe I could lose 5 lbs but she didn't see the need for anymore than that.

(I see/feel the need for 30-40 more)

One of the bigger complaint for me, I think, is my belly bulge.

I know they say the older you get the more likely you'll have a belly bulge that you'll never get rid of but that doesn't make it any better to deal with!

I'm also not fond of my lack of flexibility as I get older.
(too many years of not needing to exercise topped with more years of sitting at a desk)

So a couple years ago at the request of my 

BOLB (Best OnLine Buddy)

I joined her on a vegan adventure.

Lots of research...sounded okay, I want to lose weight, so why not?

All was good!
I had the new diet high!
I even lost a few pounds!
Everything seemed to fall into place!
(for a while anyway)

I lasted just short of a year.

STALL!

I no longer had the new diet high,
I was starting to drag again,
and the weight I lost was back,
 so I was off to do more research.

While doing my research I leaned more toward vegetarian than vegan.
Adding dairy & eggs.

That, however, wasn't enough.
In my research I found that I needed the proteins in meats (turkey & fish) for my thyroid, so I added that as well.
It did help but I needed to do more research.

Now I'm about 2 years
 (this past December)
into this diet changing adventure and my depression has kicked in big time and I can't find a way out.
I thought it would get better when spring finally showed up but I was so wrong!

A couple of months ago I had a light bulb moment!

Every so often I get these wicked upset stomachs after a meal that keep me really close to that special room where all those things your body rejects can be flushed away.

GLUTEN!

I don't believe I have Celiac but I do know now that I have an intolerance.
I did not go to see a doctor because in order for them to test you you have to have gluten in you and I wanted results faster and less painfully.

I immediately went on a gluten free diet and felt better for a few weeks.
Upon reintroducing gluten back into my diet the stomach aches return.

Darn, goodbye French bread and a whole bunch of other goodies!

Oh well!

At least now I know for sure that I'm on the right path and that is a good thing!

I have been Gluten free for 2 months now and feeling much better.

This is not however the end of the story.
Shortly after going gluten free I found the Paleo diet.

I've already added meats,
 taken breads, pasta's, and other processed products with gluten in them, out of my diet
So.....
why not go all the way and go as organic as I can get?

So now I've been on a Paleo/Gluten-free diet for the past month.

I feel better/healthier.
I'm losing weight!
My depression has eased considerably.
I am sleeping better.
I have more energy.
I even "want" to exercise!

Oh, that exercise.....
 it doesn't have to be the push I thought it needed to be.
Recommended, in a few books I've read,
is yoga & strength training!
Easy!

And that belly bulge I mentioned earlier.....
smaller!!!
(And that happened before the exercising...
all due to diet change!)
Oh yeah, happy dancing!

Ok,
I know,
 I'm only two months into this Paleo/Gluten-free life but I'm already not missing breads, processed foods, sugar, etc...
I'm really hopeful...
I believe I'm going in the right direction now!

 And my sweet tooth is doing fine with the few treats they have been given.....
including these Blueberry Crumb Muffins!

I'd love to give you the recipe but unfortunately I'm not talented enough to make this on my own.
The recipe came from a cookbook by
Tammy Credicott called Paleo Indulgences.
(this is not an advertisement...
I am not paid for referring you to Tammy or her book....
I just love the book and the yummy recipes!)
Tammy has three books that I refer to often these days.....
Easy, Delicious recipes! 

*****

Happier & Healthier

*****

Thanks for stopping by and hanging in with my story!
Hope you are all having a great summer!

Gecko Galz Very Vintage Challenge

How is everyone this morning? 

Hope your summer is going well!

Today we, 

at Gecko Galz,

are kicking off our latest challenge...

Very Vintage!

Simply make anything vintage using at least one of Gecko Galz products on your project!

You can use one of our collage images, digi stamps, gem images, digi papers.....

you can even use one of our freebie pieces!

It can be a card, atc, scrapbook page, tag, something altered.....

your choice...the sky's the limit!

Here is a look at the sample piece that I made for you.....

I made a post card.

Starting with one of the papers from this months

Mori Girls paper pkg.

Then I used several images and the sentiment from the 

La Vie En Rose collage sheet.

I fussy cut the rose and the stamp.

I added a Tim Holtz (postcard) stamp,

some vintage photo distress ink,

diamond stickles (love that shimmer),

pop dots (I'm addicted to these)

and 

some lace trim from my stash.

I hope you can join us in this challenge!

The winner will recieve

a $25 Gecko Galz shopping spree

& an Ikupilligift gift pack!

For more info on the challenge and more DT samples

 hop over HERE

Hope to see you all there!

Good luck!