New Year, New Challenge.....

Hi everyone! 

I'm not one to make New Years Resolutions

I've always looked at them as frivolous attempts...

I've seen so many fail or give up so quickly into the New Year I didn't care to try!

Give up smoking, lose weight, be better organized...

We've heard them all!

This is not

 my New Years Resolution 

but my

 2015 Creative Goal!

(at least one of them)

As much as I love paper crafting I seem to be feeling like something is missing.

I love the many different types of altering things...

from bottles, boxes, bags, tins, canvas's, etc...

I've done them all and had loads of fun and will continue to do them but now I want to get a little messier.

I want to play more with paints, textures, gels, etc...

I have been looking around the internet and fell upon

  Donna Downey's Inspiration Wednesday video's 

and well,

appropriately titled,

I found inspiration

and

I've decided to make a journal 

and start playing along!

So here it is!

My first art journal...

I went through my hoarded stash of fabrics and found this one to use for my cover.

It's a heavier fabric much like a canvas so I thought it would be perfect.

After tying the pages in I decided

 instead of cutting the ribbons, 

I would keep them long and used them to tie the journal closed!

Here is a look at my first page...

Each page has a little inclusion page. 

The idea with this little inclusion is to use a different material/paper than the paper (cardstock) used for the pages to see how a different material/paper would react to the same treatments.

I started with gesso

then added some super heavy gel medium all over for the texture.

I smooshed the letters and numbers (thickers) into the gel medium then added a bit on top of those as well.

Adding the word "Artist" was a bit of a challenge for me,

although I've been crafting for years I've never called myself an artist!

I topped the letters with a bit more gesso, 

then got out the gelato's that I bought 

umm...

last year? 

Or was it two years ago?

They have been buried in the back, on the bottom, of one of my drawers!

Using the gelato's, some water, paper towel, a brush and my fingers 

I spread on my color.

This was a hit and miss endeavor for me...

Spread it on, wet it, spread it, dab it off a little...

oops too much dabbed off,

start again!

LOL

To finish it I decided to add a little bit more,

the stamped butterfly in one of the above pictures...

the flower from die cut fabric pieces and a little leather flower sitting on my desk...

and an old tag I've had for ages

stamped with a sentiment.....

I am so pleased with how it came out!

I can't wait to do more!

*****

~ edit ~

Ok, 1 1/2 hrs later...

I couldn't help myself...

I added some Dazzelerz texture paste in a couple of corners!

*****

A new art journal 

and 

I got to use some hoarded goodies!

Win, win!

Hope you are having a Happy New Year so far!

What are your 2015 Creative Goals!

Thanks for stopping by!

Challenge #1 at My Artistic Adventures

Good morning everyone! 

Happy New Year! 

It's time to start off the new year with a new challenge over at 

My Artistic Adventures! 

And our first challenge of the year is...

Anything Goes!

Create any NEW tangible item, Card, tag, ATC, Layout, altered art piece, Banner, pretty much anything you can come up with that is tangible using some of my digital images (or others).

(Sorry no digital entries)

Here is a look at what I created.....

I used...

The pink & aqua angel hearts digital collage sheet

(click on the image below to go to this sheet in the Etsy shop)

How cute is that little angel?

Adorable, I think!

I also got to use one of Heather's first paper sets...

Woohoo Heather!

I added some glitter to the wings, 

some liquid pearls heart candies on the tray & around the little hearts scattered on the card,

 a bit of glitter to give the tray some sparkle,

and some glossy accents to the heart on the tray and  

the sentiment added with the bow!

Below is a wall hanging that I had loads of fun making!

It feels like it's been ages since I've done a mixed media project like this!

I used the same angel collage sheet 

as well as a piece of 

Gecko Galz Love Potion #9 Kit Club Icons

Below are a couple of close ups 

I love the texture I added all over but especially on the hearts!

Gotta love texture paste!

Below you can see that I'm having fun making the little hearts with liquid pearls!

Also used on the card.....

this tag set...I used the script tag

(click on image to go to Etsy)

The piece of doily was cut with my new Martha Stewart circle puncher.

That was a Christmas gift from me to me! 

heehee

On the card  & the wall hanging...

Decembers ribbon kit ribbons
(that I won...yay me!)
 for hopping along at Really Reasonable Ribbon.

The pink seam binding is also from RRR.

I made the bows with my bow-it-all.

The white crochet trim under the Love Potion #9 Icon & cheese cloth is also from the December ribbon kit.

You can get all the ribbons in the kit separately if you'd like as well!

The couple of lace trim pieces on the top of the wall hanging were from my stash.

*****

Please remember you can use other images to play along & win the "Top three badge" 

but in order to win the Random Draw (a free collage sheet) and Designer's Choice (chance to Guest Design and receive free images) 

you must use one of My Artistic Adventures images. 

I hope you liked my inspiration!

I can't wait to see what you create!

*****

Links...

My Artistic Adventures Challenge Blog

My Artistic Adventures Etsy

Gecko Galz Etsy

Gecko Galz Blog

Really Reasonable Ribbon

*****

I will be linking up with .....

Really Reasonable Ribbon's
Lookie what I got with Ribbon or Trim Theme

Frilly & Funkie's
Anything Goes

LOVE...a card...

Good morning everyone! 

I hope you all had a 

Very Merry Christmas 

and will enjoy a 

Happy Healthy New Year!

Today I want to share a card I made for my

Gecko Galz DT project.

This year Leeanne has added kits into the mix of all her wonderful collage sets, paper packs, stamp sets, etc... over at Gecko Galz Etsy

(more about the KIT Club below)

To make this card I used a few of the pieces from our first set

Love Potion #9!

I made this card for my husband

I used a brownish piece of cardstock for the card, another redish piece on top...off centered.

I topped that with one of the Love Potion papers.

I used a shimmery red paper in back of the heart die cut and added that topping it with the Love Potion Icon heart with pop dots. 

For the ticket I started out with a bead of glitter glue around the edges but wasn't happy with it so I got out my handy dandy finger and smeared it all over. 

LOL 

Now I was happy with that 

but...

 it was a bit sticky so I added glossy accents on top which gave it some extra shine!

Yay bonus!

 I put a pop dot in the center and glue on the ends to give it a bit of a wave over the hearts.

I wrapped the fibers behind the ticket and topped it with a couple of flowers I made with 

a Seeing Red paper (red & cream) as well as 

a scrap off my desk (the pink paper), 

added the leaves and topped it with a black Irock gem. 

The Candi's (brad's) were added to the top.

Inside I simply matted a piece of the Love Potion papers so I can add a sweet sentiment to or a mushy letter to my hubby!

*****

Gecko Galz products

Seeing Red paper pkg (Drk printed paper for flower)

Love Potion #9 kit - Paper pk (background & inside of card) & Icons (postcard heart & Love ticket)

My stash

Die cut heart (I used my Cameo to cut that)

Candi's (brads)

Pop dots

Glitter glue

Glossy Accents

Red fibers

little leaves (Really Reasonable Ribbon)

Card stock

Brushed Corduroy distress ink

Irock gems

*****

A note about the  

Gecko Galz KIT Club

The kit club is sold at Gecko Galz Etsy Store HERE!

The club version will include papers, stamps, icons

 and 

an exclusive collage sheet.

If you join the club it is $100 for 12 kits. 

If you just want to purchase the kit monthly you will get the papers, stamps & icons 

but 

the exclusive collage sheet will not be included. 

If you chose to purchase them individually they will be $13 per set. 

You will receive your kits at the end of the month....

January's kit will arrive Dec 31th,

February's kit will arrive Jan 30th,

March's kit will arrive Feb 28th,

and so on...

For more info about the kits you can go HERE

*****

Thank you for dropping by!

(comments are always welcome)