Splish Splash Freebies

Hi Everyone

It is a rainy dismil day here in Katy Texas so my thoughts are driffting to wonderful sunny days I spent in Galveston on the shore and thought it would be fun to shre with yousome of my favorite vintage beach images as well as show you the cards I have created this year. I love doing beach inspired cards and projects and always feel a great vintage image lends itself well to shabby chic designs. This weekend I will be teaching my sea side  card class at Novel Approach down in Friendswood Texas, if you live in the Houston area I would love to have you come take the class or if you dont have the time just swing by at some point and check out this amazing store!
Here are the cards we will be doing

Mermaids Pearls

Just Relax

Sand Dollars

In The Stars

Moonlight Mermaid

Horsin' Around

All these cards were inspired by Gecko Galz Digital stamps from their "Mermaid Garden" collection.

And now for some images that I hope will inspire you as well

I hope everyone has a happy and safe summer and enjoy the free images!
Happy Scrapping
Leanne Seed

Altered Composition Books

Even though Christmas is still 6 months away in retrospect that is not that far off when you are like me and make a good number of your gifts. So I am always looking for fun little gifts that are functional as well as beautiful and thought I would share with everyone some of my gift ideas.

The first one I am sharein is hand altered composition books. You can get composition books really cheap at dollar stores and I dare say Walmart is $.98 and then with a bit of decorative papers and pretty little collage images you can come up with a breathtaking notebook perfect for that special some one.

Here are a few designs I have come up with for my Etsy shop.

SORCIERE NOTEBOOK

With this one I found an awesome image of the evil fairy from Sleeping beauty and great hand made paper in this black and green. I cut a mat to go behind the image and then I took pearl ex in gold and dusted it then sealed it with "Pastel" fixative. I added some great brads down the side and a lovely piece of tulle ribbon to tie it all together.

CELTIC JOURNEY NOTEBOOK

So for this one I created the images in photo shop by combining a background I made with digital stamps. I printed them out on my home computer added some great lime paper by K & Co, black and white ribbon along the edge and to make it a one of a kind I added metal flowers along her bow. to finish I used black paint to distress the edges.

BOMBSHELL NOTEBOOK

For this book I found a great film noir inspired backgroundand in photoshop I altered it by adding the Marylin Monroe pin up and sentiment frame. I found some great girly pink and black polk-a-dot paper for the background and on one of my antique outings found some amazing vintage polk-a-dot ribbon. to finish it off I added some amazing animal print bling by spare parts (you can get them at Hobby Lobby). This is perfect for the retro friends in your life!

SAMURI NOTEBOOK

I have a number of friends who are very into all things asian so I created these background papers in photoshop by layering them until I got the effect I wanted. For My background paper I used Bo Bunny swirl card stock and added some hand dyed silk ribbon along the edge and knotted it off to create the dangles. Then I took oriental coin brads from creative imaginations and ran then down the spine and tied one to the ribbon dangles along with a cool metal oriental finding I found in my stash.

JUST BREATH NOTEBOOK

this one was inspired by my best friends favorite movie "Everafter" and in photo shop I created a image by layering images I found on the internet and some of my digital Webster Pages papers. Then as a background I had this amazing Cosmo Cricket papers and then using gold acrylic paint and a dry paint brush I antiqued the book. I added some pretty rust colored ribbon from my stash and metal flowers along the bottom edge.

I do sell mine in my Etsy store but I also love to give these as gifts to friends and family.

This week the DYSU blog is having a hollywood challenge and I invite all of you to pop over and check it out and perhaps even enter your own designs.

If you make some of your own composition books I would love to see them so be sure and add a thread to this entry.

Oh and dont forget tonight on TLC CRAFT WARS begins!

Happy Crafting

Leanne

FUN WITH JEWLERY

This month I am teaching with fellow artist Stephanie Jones a Jewlery class at Stamp Antonio Arts in San Antonio. This is a new passion I have stumbled into which I am having a wonderful time coming up with new inspirations. So I thought it might be fun to show everyone what I have been coming up with and invite you all to come take my class if you will be in the San Antonio Area on the 30th...or just have fun at home creating works for yourself or for gifts (it is never to early to start thinking about Christmas). So sit back and enjoy the show and at the end there will be a HUGE surprise for you all!

ASIAN CANVAS PIN

for this I used a wonderful 2x2 mini canvas that I found at Micheals in the art supply area, a bottle cap to place a 1" circle image in (I got the image from Gecko Galz), red twine by May arts, beads by Blue Moon and a great asian script stamp by Studio 112.

LITTLE SHRINE PENDENT

For this little pendent I got a mini shrine from Retro Cafe (they are our Shop of the month listed on the left side) and a cute little bird image from Gecko Galz Aviary collection, gold UTEE, glossy accents and glimmer mist to add color to the shrine.

TREE OF LIFE PENDENT

This was a fun pendent to make because not only did I get to try my hand at wire wrapping but altered a domino with paper, paint ad alcohol inks.

MERMAIDS DELIGHT PENDENT

To create this pendent I took a domino and brushed on clear stickles then alcohol inked it with juniper and shell pink then sprayed with polly seal spray which can be purchased at Hobby Lobby in the spray adhesives. Then I found this amazing glass mermaid at Micheals and adhered it on with glossy accents along with a filigree bead.

NEVER MORE PENDENT

Okay so I am way into altering dominos lol, this one I painted using alcohol inks then adhered the crow image and painted the entire domino with glossy accents. Once it was dry I added the copper bail and the decorative finding I found at a junk fair.

LEONARDOS CAPTAIN PENDENT

This domino I painted with copper acrylic paint then once it was dry I stamped a Leonardo Divinci image on the top using black Staz On then added glossy accents to seal in image. Last I added a copper bail on top using glossy accents.

WELL OILED MACHINE

Okay this one was amazingly fun...again I started with a domino and alcohol inked with Butterscotch, ginger and ecspresso then sprayed with a polly sealant this makes the colored run diffrently for a cool oil effect (make sure you get the glossy sealant). Then I added some Tim Holtz metal cogs to the top with glossy accents for a true steam punk look.

I hope you enjoyed my little collection and now I want to give every one the chance to win some fantastic domino and bottle cap ephemera from Gecko Galz.....you will get 4 sets of collage sheets and all you have to do is leave a comment to this thread then next Wendsday we will randomly choose a winner! Easy hu? Well lets get crafty!

Leanne

FREEBIE FRIDAY.......IT'S FOR THE BIRDS!

Hi Everyone!

So this weeks challenge on the DYSU challenge site is all about the birds and this is one of my favorite themes so I thought...it's Friday.....I want to take part in the challenge....and I do have alot of bird images...lets have a Freebie Friday that is for the Birds!!!! So today I am going to share some wonderful birday images with you as well as some of my works that feature birds for inspiration and then encourage you all to hop over the the DYSU challenge to take part in their little birdy challenge! Have fun!
Oh and let us all have a happy and safe Memorial day, I will be heading up to San Antonio to do my Gecko Galz classes and if you will be in the area come check out Stamp Antonio Arts it is a stampers and altered art artisans paradise. Have a great and scrappy weekend where ever you spend it!


MY DESIGNS

PEACOCK CARD

for this card I used Gecko Galz Too Tweet digital stamp set, Prima papers, hand dyed silk ribbon and Distress inks in Peacock feathers & Vintage photo.

PEACOCK FEATHERS CARD

for this card I used Gecko Galz Dominos collage collection, May Arts duel colored ribbon, peacock colored gems by recolections, and a peacock feather I got at hobby Lobby.

ROYAL BIRD CARD

For this Card I used Gecko Galz Springtime Jewels collage sheets, May Arts black velvet ribbon, small doillie by Wilton, and paper by Paper Studio.

TWEET NOTES CARD

for this card I used Gecko Galz forth coming paper Story book Lane, also their Too Tweet digital stamp set, rusty hinge ink by Distress Ink, May Arts Ribbon, gold acrylic paint from Hobby Lobby, and Vivas Copper pearl pen.

YOUR FREEBIES

Hope you enjoy the images and to take part in the bird challenge hop over to the DYSU challenge!

My New Stamps

Hi everyone

I am so excited because it is official my art has been made into stamps! Third coast Stamps has release several sets of stamps featuring my art work....so if you love stamping (and who doesn't) then I invite you to check out all their new stamps, but I thought I would give all of you a little preview of the stamps they are carrying...please enjoy and be sure and pop over and take a peek at all their amazing stamps!

A big shout out to a wonderful small business

Happy Scrappin

Leanne

Summer Splash Down

As we near the end of Spring my thoughts are wandering to the beachs of summer. There is something calming and comfortable about the sea side I love the colors of summer, the sound of the waves and yes even the fresh sea smell.....though in August the smell in Galveston (which is my sea side meca) is a bit sketchy but I still will brave it if for no other reason then to place my feet in the warm waters of the gulf. So today I thought it might be fun to share with you a collection of sea inspired cards I did using Gecko Galz Splish Splash Digi stamps and their Beechy Keen digital papers and By The Sea Collage Images.
I had so much fun using them that I wanted to give you all a chance to win a set of each so you too can create some summer fun cards....so what to you have to do to perhaps win, just leave a comment on this entry and next Thursday (May 24th 2012) I will randomly select a winner....yipeeee! For now please enjoy my little card projects!

BEACHY KEEN DAY CARD

by

Leanne Seed

for this card I used Pool and Citrus Alcohol Inks on glossy paper to create my back ground piece. Then painted the sea horse using watercolor pencils. The strip behind the sea horse image is from the Beechy Keen Paper Pack. I found some wonderful citrus colored lace at Hobby Lobby in the sewing area ribbons. and the inks I used to distress the sentiment was Broken China and Shabby Shutters by Distress Ink.

HANG TEN CARD

by

Leanne Seed

Again I used the glossy paper and Lettuce colered Alchol ink to color it for my background piece. then I used a manilla tag I got at my local scrapbook store and using the same inks I used in the above card I distressed it. I took a piece of paper by My minds Eye (you can get this at Hobby Lobby) and cut a piece the size of the card top then cut in half diagonally. Adding adhesive to the bottom of one of the halves and along the left side place it along the bottom edge to form a pocket for your tag to slip down into. The tear away the bottom half of the other piece and ink the raw edge with your green ink and place at top of card. Then I took some fun beechy looking ribbon from my stash and adhereed down each side and throu the hole of the tag. And add your images to finish it off. Now one other thing I did when I gave it away was I used my personal cutter and on the tag cut small areas in each corner so I could place a gift card in the tag.

LIVE OUT LOUD CARD

by

Leanne Seed

So this is a pretty straight forward card, again I used the alcohol inks to color a glossy piece of paper as my back ground and created mats with some water inspired card stock. The image was from Gecko Galz and I jazzed it up with blue and lime green stickles. And I created the sentiment banner using Gecko Galz Celebrate Alphabet soup frames and of corse more stickles because you can never have to much bling. and then topped it with some pretty ribbon I found at Micheals and a bit of sea glass in each of the corners.

MAKE A SPLASH CARD

by

Leanne Seed

So again I used alcohol inks and glossy paper to create the background for my card. Then I watercolored the turtle stamp using water color pencils and cut it out. I took a sheet of Gecko Galz Beachy Keen paper and cut out some of the waves and layered them on the bottom of the card to create a sea scape. then slide in your turtle as a removable tag...this is great to give to kids.

AT THE SHORE CARD

by

Leanne Seed

For this card I did alot of the same techniques as the others but I found this amazing yarn that I wanted to use at Jo Annes and cris crassed it on the left side of the card then using glossy accents adhered some wonderful little shells, now if you want to use shells you collect from the shore just place them in a bowl of rubbing alchol for 24 hours this will get rid of any unwanted hitch hikers.

DIVE INTO FUN CARD

by

Leanne Seed

So like the others I used alcohol inks and glossy paper to create my back ground then placed a piece of Gecko Galz Beachy Keen paper ontop of that. Then watercolored the seashell and the funky mermais using water color crayons (I work from the tips using a small brush). using an exacto knife I cut away the face area of the mermaid and placed a vintage womans photo. Then take adhesive and add to sides and bottom of the sea shell and adhere to center of the card, this will form a pocket. Next distress your sentiment and place it at the top then slide in your mermaid. add some blue and green bling (you can find fun summer colors at Hobby Lobby) and tie a fun ribbon around the inner edge.

SUNSHINE WISHES CARD

by

Leanne Seed

Again take your glossy paper and using pool and lettuce alcohol inks color it for your background paper theb take a piece of the Beachy Keen paper and cut into a circle (if you do not have a circle cutter then you can use a small plate as your template) on the back side using your inks distress then mark very center and with ruler and exacto knife cut like a pie into wedges leaving a 1/4" around outer edge. Water color the mermaid using water color pencils and place her in the center of card. Then add circle over her and adhere then take a small container and mix glossy accents and sand (you can find the sand at micheals or JoAnnes in the floral area) and then using tooth pick place around circle and let dry completly.

Then take your wedges and pull them back exposing your mermaid and tack down using glue dots or red line tape. place a pearlat a few of the points. And last take your glossy accents and create your bubbles around the mermaid. It is a fun way to make your own aquarium.

I hope you enjoyed my little cards and have fun creating your own images!

Also hop over to DYSU Challenge blog and check out their "Landscape Challenge".

Have a happy scrappy day
Leanne