Once upon a Christmas

A new month means a new Customer Challenge at the Gecko Galz and the theme for the month of December is 'Once upon a Christmas'. So why not play along - join the challenge with the chance to win $25 at the Gecko Galz shop! 

Can't believe its nearly Christmas..... again! This is the first Christmas card I have made, and to be honest if I wasn't in the Gecko Galz DT, I don't think I'd have done this one, I'm not intending too make any more this year. I just won;t have time this year as I started a new job role in October and its taking up all my time, I used to do 25hours with 3 days off, but now I do 35 hours with 2 days off so I'm a bit stuck for time but I'm doing a lot of crafty things in my role as Community Champion - for Christmas I've made up a lot of Reindeer food whihc still need labels doing, and the santa keys below all for Christmas at work, all proceeds go to Clic Sargent. (Community Champion is a role to help each Morrisons store get out into their community, and bringing the community into store  - working alongside community leaders, helping out projects, helping raise funds - donating prizes, hampers etc. I've only been doing it since the middle of October and its very rewarding).

So, here's my card - I love traditional (I won't say old fashioned) Christmas so I choose a lovely stag image for my card.

image from Reindeer Jewel It

other papers from stash

wooden snowflake The Range

red glitter glue it

(I did sand paper the glitter down slightly as it was too red for the card)

assorted faux vintage keys - amazon

red ribbon - The Range

Poem - the internet

Santa from Christmas Dreams Craft kit

I hope you'll join in 'Once upon a Christmas' Challenge, where the Winner gets a $25 shopping spree to spend at the Gecko Galz shop. (The only rule is that you must use at least one Gecko Galz product... this can be one of the freebies, or, of course, you can buy at the Etsy shop). 

If you sign up for the Gecko Galz monthly newsletter, you'll be kept up to date with new releases, Super Sunday weekly deals and be able to claim a free digital collage sheet. 

If you pop over to the Gecko Galz blog, you will see all the fabulous designs by the Design Team - and maybe grab a freebie or two. 

If you haven't a blog/and or/ on Facebook, head over to the Gecko Galz Papercrafting Group where there are more monthly challenges, with the chance to win a digital collage sheet. 

 Amanda xx 

Feature Day @ Gecko Galz

Today is my day to feature my Design Team project for the month of December over at Gecko Galz.

I was inspired by a lovely lady and fellow crafter whose blog Its Oddly Appealing showcases her awesome talent.

A book folded Christmas Tree with Gecko Galz Christmas Dreams Craft Kit paper and draped sequins on cotton strands (you have no idea how much I suffered doing these).
Its an easy pattern to do, just gets a bit fiddly holding the folded pages down. There are plenty of videos and different style of trees on the old t'internet if you want to have a go.

I hope you'll join our In Dreams challenge where the winner will receive a $25 shopping spree at the Gecko Galz shop. The only rule is that you must use at least one Gecko Galz product, which can be something you purchased from the shop or a freebie.
If you sign up for the Gecko Galz newsletter, you'll be able to claim a free collage sheet each month and get first claim on the weekly Super Sunday Deals!
Why don't you pop over to the Gecko Galz blog to see all the fabulous designs by the very talented Design Team, don't forget to grab the free digi stamp on each post!
We also have a Facebook Group where there are more monthly challenges for you to play in, each with a Design Sheet to win.

Amanda xx

24 Tags of Christmas from Gecko Galz

It is the most wonderful time of the year with Gecko Galz our 24 days of Christmas tags and giveaways. Each day on the Gecko Galz blog we will share a fun tag using our products and one of our amazing followers will win a Christmas gift from Gecko Galz. All you have to do is leave a comment on our blog or make a purchase and you are in the drawing to win. 

And on Christmas Eve we will pick one lucky winner who will win our 2020 products lines!

Have fun!

Both images were from page fillers when I've made other projects - I don't like wasting printing card so I tend to have a quick browse and pick random images and make them different sizes to fill the A4 card up. Still have a few to use, eventually.

I used brown tags from The Range -the top one used backing paper from stash, a doily and a wooden snowflake embellished with Tonic Nuvo Drops in vintage green.
The bottom one I used a sample of wallpaper with an embossed pattern on it, DIY stores come in handy, and then a little blue to match the ladies coat. Another wooden snowflake - I absolutely adore these! - embellished this time with a sparkly peel off snowflake, last but not least I found a sentiment to bring it all together.

Don't forget to keep checking out the Gecko Galz to see all the amazing tags and for a chance to win!!

 Amanda xx

Feature Day @ Gecko Galz

Today is my day to feature my Design Team project for the month of November over at Gecko Galz.

Tis' the Season is fast approaching (eek!), so I thought I'd best get round to doing some Christmas cards, I've already bought one present but unfortunately decided I liked it too much to give it away and its now hanging with my other bits and bobs on my little display branch in the other room. Oops.

image from Gecko Galz 'Winters Garden'

paper from HunkyDory

I hope you'll join our Peace on Earth challenge where the winner will receive a $25 shopping spree at the Gecko Galz shop. The only rule is that you must use at least one Gecko Galz product, which can be something you purchased from the shop or a freebie.
If you sign up for the Gecko Galz newsletter, you'll be able to claim a free collage sheet each month and get first claim on the Super Monthly Deals!
Why don't you pop over to the Gecko Galz blog to see all the fabulous designs by the very talented Design Team, don't forget to grab the free digi stamp on each post!
We also have a Facebook Group where there are more monthly challenges for you to play in, each with a Design Sheet to win.

 Amanda xx

Peace on Earth

A new month means a new Customer Challenge at the Gecko Galz and the theme for the month of November  is 'Peace on Earth'.
So why not play along - join the challenge with the chance to win $25 at the Gecko Galz shop!

The Trick or Treat blog hop was a huge success. lots of visitors, freebies and gorgeous design team makes! So thanks to everyone who took part.

Two cards for my samples for Peace On Earth, I love nature at anytime of the year, currently I can be found wandering round woods looking for fungi to photo.... one hour, 132 photos later. So I decided to base my cards around nature/animals/scenes.

top two images from Christmas Filigree

bottom one from Snow Much Fun Jewel It

image cut out from Christmas Cuties

embossing folder from Crafters Companion

 I hope you'll join in 'Peace on Earth' Challenge, where the Winner gets a $25 shopping spree to spend at the Gecko Galz shop. (The only rule is that you must use at least one Gecko Galz product... this can be one of the freebies, or, of course, you can buy at the Etsy shop).
If you sign up for the Gecko Galz monthly newsletter, you'll be kept up to date with new releases, Super Sunday weekly deals and be able to claim a free digital collage sheet.
If you pop over to the Gecko Galz blog, you will see all the fabulous designs by the Design Team - and maybe grab a freebie or two.
If you haven't a blog/and or/ on Facebook, head over to the Gecko Galz Papercrafting Group where there are more monthly challenges, with the chance to win a digital collage sheet.

Amanda xx

Feature Day Decking the Halls with Gecko Galz

Today is the day for my Feature Day over at Gecko Galz, and as its December, we're doing something different this month and its Deck The Halls - 24 days of Christmas themed crafts, tags, decorations, books etc. What ever your skill level or time set, there's inspiration for everyone!

My first make is a small polystyrene wreath which you can get at most craft stores, I used 'Christmas Past' Paper Pack, printed out 3 different papers sized to fill an A4 sheet of paper, then cut them vertically into strips. You can then either glue the papers individually or glue a bit of the wreath at a time, I did both but found gluing the wreath easier. Simply wrap the strips alternating the papers till its covered. It is fiddly and the back looks so untidy!. You can embellish how you want, I used Christmas ribbon, ready to stick ribbon and a Spellbinders die cut in Red Mirror card.

Next up, something so quick and easy! It took me longer to find the right glass container than it did to print and glue the images from 'Candy Cane Lane' Digital sheet.

And the last sample, back to a card. I chose three images from the 'Snow Much Fun' Jewel It sheet and sized them to fit one of the square dies.  The backing paper came from a Joy! Christmas paper pad. Cut another sentiment out of red mirror card, and to finish off I stuck red & white twine along the edge of the topper. 

I hope you'll join our SNOW QUEEN challenge where the winner will receive a $25 shopping spree at the Gecko Galz shop.

The only rule is that you must use at least one Gecko Galz product, which can be something you purchased from the shop or a freebie.

If you sign up for the Gecko Galz newsletter, you'll be able to claim a free collage sheet each month and get first claim on the $1 Wednesday deals!

Why don't you pop over to the Gecko Galz blog to see all the fabulous designs by the very talented Design Team - and this month we have new amazing talent on the team, so make sure to check those ladies out! Don't forget to grab the free digi stamp on each post.

We also have a Facebook Group where there are more monthly challenges for you to play in, each with a Design Sheet to win.

Amanda xx

Image and sentiments from Bugaboo Stamps

Simple and plain Christmas card done using a free embossing plate banner off of some magazine, cut out and stuck on to a white card blank, and to finish a red/white bakers twine tied in a bow.

For this card I die cut the deer four times, 2 in white card then 2 in kraft card, I used the white as a 'shadow' to give them a little bit of depth. Matching snowflakes to finish.

This was the recycled front of a Christmas card we received, a wee bit Scottish with the tartan and a wee bit Twee with the doily! Red glittered on the berries to the match the backing paper.

Guess its about time I got round to doing Christmas cards, surprisingly I have actually bought two presents, one for step mum and one for Andrew..... not leaving it till Christmas week this year! Ha! I've even wrote out ready for posting. Ok, where am I? and what have I done to myself? 

All images today from the Gecko Galz email freebies you receive when you sign up to their Monthly newsletter.

Wooden embellishments from The Range, love these! 

The bottom one is my favourite, totally not my colour for Christmas but it the pink just works with the glitter.And that description makes it sound horrible!! Please scroll down and see for yourselves! 

Snow Queen at Gecko Galz

A new month means a new Customer Challenge at the Gecko Galz and the theme for the month of December is 'Snow Queen'. So why not play along - join the challenge with the chance to win $25 at the Gecko Galz shop!
The weather has finally turned and its freezing! As I write this I'm in a long sleeve shirt, jumper and a cardigan.... cannot get warm today. Had a lovely 6 mile walk with OH and Quinn the Border Collie this morning, blow the cobwebs away so I can focus on that C word coming up..... Christmas!! Being a Retail worker, it started about three weeks ago, Christmas is so drawn out in shops by the time it actually gets to the week of Christmas, its 'lets just get it over with!'

But there's still plenty of time to make those Christmas cards, so have a look at all our Design Teams makes for last minute inspiration!! (And to start present buying!!)

My first sample is a 7x5 card, all done digitally in CAP2 and then printed out as a big topper, inked the edges with Glam Gold pigment ink and then stuck on the white card.

image from Snow Queen Design Sheet

Champagne gems

backing paper from First Class Passage Paper Pack 

Next comes a 6x6 card, this is my favourite Christmas card so far this year. 

image from Snow Queen Designs Sheet

backing paper Silent Night paper

plain white card

small oval die

Spellbinders Heirloom Ornaments Stamps sentiment

Royal Blue pigment ink

snowflake die cut

white pearls

Another 6x6 card now

image from Snow Queen Design Sheet

blue glitter card

random blue backing paper

snowflake die cut

blue stars

sentiment done in CAP2 to match the image

My last card, 5x7.

paper from 'Starlight ATC Collection'

Gold card stars

gold gitter

Glam Gold pigment ink (edged card with)

Creative Expressions Sentiment Die Cut

I hope you'll join in with our Snow Queen Challenge, where the Winner gets a $25 shopping spree to spend at the Gecko Galz shop. (The only rule is that you must use at least one Gecko Galz product... this can be one of the freebies, or, of course, you can buy at the Etsy shop).
If you sign up for the Gecko Galz monthly newsletter, you'll be kept up to date with new releases, $1 Wednesday deals and be able to claim a free digital collage sheet.
If you pop over to the Gecko Galz blog, you will see all the fabulous designs by the Design Team - and maybe grab a freebie or two.
If you haven't a blog/and or/ on Facebook, head over to the Gecko Galz Papercrafting Group where there are more monthly challenges, with the chance to win a digital collage sheet.

 Amanda xx 

Frosty the Snowman

Retro style Christmas card today, using a cute Snowman image from Gecko Galz 'Frosty' design sheet. The blue backing paper is a HunkyDory one - one of the crafting magazines digital freebies I came across, I printed it out onto an A4 sheet of card and it just about matches the blue  in the image.

In one of the swaps I took part in over at CardExchangeUK was some gorgeous patterned holographic card - the red one was just perfect to bring out the red hat & gloves Mr Snowman is wearing.

Totally in love with my stringed snowflake die at the moment, so I cut another one out and snipped the individual flakes out, to embellish this card, then stuck silver gems in the middle, and used a silver peel off sentiment to finish off.

Pop over to the Gecko Galz on Etsy to find many more retro/vintage images.

Christmas in summer link up

With the weather at the moment, we feel like we're in winter, so its apt that I felt in a christmassy mood this week. Over at Merry Monday christmas challenge blog, we're on a months 'catch up on challenges you may have missed' to cover the summer hols.

Image from Gecko Galz 'Blue Christmas' kit

white doily

blue ribbon

sentiment die

blue gems

This is similar to one I did earlier in the year but this time on a 5 x 7 card and I used my new sentiment die from Creative Expressions, I bought it to use on 6 x 6 cards but I think its a big too big unless I use it as a topper.

entering in - Merry Monday = Christmas in July Summer link up using the 'monochromatic blue' challenge.

monochromatic blue

Quick card this morning, before we went to Hardwick Hall to watch the Ladies Cycling Tour whizz by.

The image is from the Gecko Galz 'Blue Christmas' kit, reminds me of the old Willow Pattern grandma had when I was little. The die cut sentiment is a Tonic one, silly me die cut it out then stamped on it, my aim was good though *lol* As a finishing touch I added the blue gems to the Mistletoe's around the frame. (just about see them in the photo)

entering in: merry monday = monochromatic blue


We parked at Hardwick, then walked across the fields to Ault Hucknall and waited at the church, normally open Saturday afternoons for coffee and a look round, but not this afternoon which was a pity, beautiful old graves most people aged 70+ in the late 1800's. Must have been the farming life - plenty of fresh air and hard work!

The ladies whizzed past at about 1.30pm, if I have a decent photo I will pop one up. Not as many as you would get in a Mans race, again a female sport that isn't as high profile as its male counterpart, but its getting there.

colour challenge

Hey I did a Christmas card!

Yep, that's my shout out for today, that and I took the dog for a walk to fetch my prescription and ended up doing 5.28 mile.......some detour!

but, hey I did a Christmas card!

I have had some Christmas papers in my stash for years, which were free with a magazine. I had a quick look through the snippet sleeve (one sleeve for loose untouched papers and one for the offcuts)  and came up with the challenge colours, just so happened they all had a snowflake pattern, which in turn got me to use my snowflake punch and the snowflake stamp.

You'd have thought this was all planned.....

It wasn't!!

Cut the paper into little strips and glued on to the card, punched snowflakes out of  the same paper then stuck on the end of the strips, finally popped a gem, matching the strip of paper, in the middle of the flake.

paper off cuts

The Hobby House gems - Lilac, Sea Blue & Aqua

Nitwit sentiment stamp & Vibrant Violet stazon ink

snowflake punch

With hindsight I should have made the middle strip slightly smaller so the strips went up as a proper diagonal but *shrugs* gonna go with it.

entering in: merry monday christmas = colour challenge
                   -snippets playground = challenge 281/282

Red, Green and White

Time for another Christmas card today, coincidentally the image was going to be used in last weeks Merry Monday challenge of 'bells' but I never got round to using it, but this weeks challenge of the colours fitted perfectly so I used it this time. Best laid plans!

Found the image on Pinterest, added some blue holographic card as a border then made it up to an A5 white card, using Debbi Moores chameleon glitter I traced the outside edge of the roof tops and along the fence to add a bit of sparkle, then lastly coloured the peel off sentiment in blue promarker to finish the card off.

entering in: Merry Mondaychristmas = red, green and white

Snowmen in Twin Peaks!

Okay, posting this, still in a state of AWESOMENESS that Twin Peaks is returning....... Its kind like Marmite, you loved it or hated it... I LOVED it..... Oh My God.... one very happy Peaker here...

*cough*

*squee's some more*

*ramble, ramble, shlock, amazeballs, ramble*

Anyhoo, onto my card:

Image coloured in  with promarkers, added silver glitter on printed snowflakes, over frosty nights  and in middle of wooden embellishments

snowman from bugaboo stamps 

backing paper from stash

wooden snowflake embellishment

promarkers

silver glitter

entering in:   merry monday christmas challenge = snowmen

the magic is 5

Slowly getting my crafting mojo going again, here's a Christmas card done using the 'use 5 of something' challenge from Merry Monday.

Its an odd colour for a Christmas card but I think it looks kinda cute.

white snowflakes punched using a DoCrafts punch.

Dovecraft pigment ink Hot Pink

The Hobby House gems 

bits and bobs from stash

sentiment rounded edge using tool from DoCrafts

entering in: Merry Monday = the magic is 5

Reindeer

I spent all one afternoon, tidying my craft desk and shelves trying to find the sleigh die & rubber stamp which matched this reindeer one..... looked everywhere, find some other stuff I forgot I had.... didn't find the die.
Started on this design and went in Christmas stamp box to get a sentiment and found the sleigh die/stamp...well who'd a-thunk it, I actually put something away in the right place.

Andrea Jaynes 'Jolly Santa' paper pack

white card

Creative Dies Elegant Reindeer

DoCrafts shading pigment ink

Spellbinders Heirloom Ornament stamp

The Hobby House olive green & plum gems.

 

entering into: merry monday= reindeer

Noel (with a Scandinavian style)

This is my take on a CAS in a Scandinavian style. Dearie me, this card took ages to do and when it was first finished I badly itched. no, ached to bling it up. So I compromised with the small beaded star over the 'e'.
(Still feeling the urge, so its now cellophaned up and put away in my Christmas card box - out of sight is out of mind *lol*)

Noel is a wooden stamp, bought in a sale but hardly used.

Strip of paper came from a free paper pack in a magazine.

Red & White bakers twine DoCrafts

Ruby promarker used to edge the topper and around the card edges.

Star from stash

 

entering in: Merry Monday = Noel