How to isolate images for enlargement on a collage sheet

 

I want to share with you how I isolate an image (crop for those of you who know what that means) so that when I make my cards I can make my image any size I want.  These sweet images are 2 of 9 images from Gecko Galz Pretty Seed Packs, they were all on the same collage sheet together.  So how did I blow them up to make them fit on my 5 x 7 card front you ask?  Well I showed you how to make the card in Word, but I did not show you how I isolated the images.  This is a step by step instruction on how I do it using PicMonkey free photo editing software.  I do want to mention they have some really awesome photo editing tools if you sign up for the purchased version, but for this tutorial, the free version is all you need. 

I am using one of the free collage sheets that Gecko Galz gives away every month just for signing up for the newsletter, a wise choice I might add.

 Go to PicMonkey, free and safe photo editing web site.

 Click on the icon that says edit, right next to the icon that says touch up.

 That will open a dialogue box (file upload) on your computer allowing you to choose where the collage sheet is stored.  After you have done this a few times it has a memory and will remember where you get things from and where you want to save them to also.  If the sheet is not in the first set of files you see, look to the left side of the dialogue file upload box, your choices (among many others will be desktop, or computer,) you will have to know where you have saved these collage sheets to, I saved mine to A Pic Monkey Tutorial here.

  Depending on your filing system (as in how you save your files), keep clicking on folders or whatever you have to click to open until you can click on the actual collage sheet.  Once you have the collage sheet click on it (the collage sheet) and then click Open at the bottom of the dialogue box.

 That will put the collage sheet on the Pic Monkey editing page. This was the free sheet I received in the Gecko Galz newsletter.

 On the left side column of that page you will see a bunch of tools, under Basic Edits, you want Crop, click on it and you will see a box inside your collage sheet.  You can click on the center and move the box, then drag the corners in or out, by using the click and hold (left side of mouse) to drag it into position on just of the 1 if 9 images on your collage sheet. 

 Once you have it framed in exactly like you want, look to the Crop toolbar again you will see  a green Apply.  Click on that, the rest of the picture will fall away.

Now look above your picture, you will see OPEN, SAVE, SHARE, and arrows pointing left and right.  You want to click on SAVE, you will be taken to another page where it will say Save this masterpiece to my computer, HERE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART, you will see FILE NAME, the name or title of the image, YOU MUST CHANGE THIS IN SOME SMALL WAY, ADD A NUMBER OR A LETTER, I USUALLY ADD THE NUMBERS 1-9 FOR THE 9 IMAGES.  IF YOU DO NOT CHANGE THE NAME, YOU WILL BE LEFT WITH ONLY THE 1 IMAGE YOU CROPPED in your storage, YOU WILL LOSE THE REST OF THE PAGE.  Also, be sure to keep the name of the collage sheet with the "addition " of numbers or letters, otherwise when you do another collage sheet 1-9 it will ask if you want to overwrite these you just did and it would then erase them if you said yes. (it would come up and say a file with the same name exists, do you want to change that file? saying yes would replace it)  Sometimes I forget to add the number, so when that message comes up you can say Cancel and go back and add your number). 
Image below shows original file name

Image below shows ALTER BY ADDING in the place where I want you to ADD the number 1

Then after changing the name, you can click on the green bar that says "Save to my computer"  the dialogue box will appear asking you to choose where to save it to, it is best to save it to the same place you took it from, I usually make a folder and put the images all together in that folder. 

  Once you have chosen where to save it to just click SAVE.

Now this is the fun and easy trick I have learned, you just clicked save and the single image is on your screen, all you have to do is click on the arrow that is next to the word "share", remember open, save, share and arrows?  If you move your cursor over it it will say "undo the last action", (you already saved it to your computer so undoing it here will not change that).

 That arrow will bring you back to the full sheet where you can do this again to the second image, that arrow will keep taking you back to the full sheet.  Once the full sheet is done, you can go to Open and start over by bringing in another sheet.  Just remember to save with an altered name by adding a number.

Well that's it, sorry it was so long, but I really wish someone would have shown me this when I first started working with digital images, it would have made it so much easier!

I will show you another time how to add a watermark using PicMonkey photo editing tools, and thank you PicMonkey for making them available to us all.

Thanks for stopping by, I'm looking forward to reading your comments on this.   If you have any questions, I would be happy to help.   ~Diane

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

Christmas Card A Week #2

 Hi All, here is my second card for the Christmas card challenges.  I started a bit late but I hope to catch up later in the year, if not I will still be ahead of last year!  I used a Gecko Galz image from the Darling Girls collage set,  along with Gecko Galz paper set called Wild Roses.

The doubled up die cut is from Carina Gardner.  Its hard to see but I flocked the little bird and added some Stickles to both the roses in her hair and to the die cut.  I like using the softer pink and green for my Christmas cards.

Please come join us, and see all the other great Christmas ideas at both of these link ups.  That's it, thanks for stopping by and thank you for your encouraging comments.   ~Diane

I am joining Marina's link party at My Perfect Life

 12 months of Christmas link up at Decosse's Dynamite Doodles

I'm joining the challenge at Emergency Crafters Red or Pink

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

More Word card making tips

Hi All, I just loved this set of 9 images from Pretty Seed Pack by Gecko Galz, so I made quite a few cards by merely printing them on Matte Photo paper.  So nothing fancy here, just print and go, you are done!  All I added was a bit of Ranger Distress ink to the edges.  I know these are really simple cards, you can dress them up with anything you like, Stickles, ribbon, fussy cutting, but I really wanted to demonstrate how simple and easy this really is.  Before I learned about digital printing I had no idea it could be this easy.  I thought you needed to know special programs like Inkscape, Paint, Gimp or Adobe Photoshop.  I get lost in those but Word is an easy program that most people understand, there is even an alternative to Word that is free called Open Office that I am sure could be used just as easily.

Here is an enabler alert for you, Staples Office Supply has the photo paper free this week at my local store, check a flyer in your neighborhood to be sure they are participating!  All you have to do is go buy it and fill in a rebate form to get all but your tax money back!  Maximum of two 50 sheet packs of 8.5 x 11, now that's a real steal!

Today's tip is more of a printer tip than a Word tip, I have the Epson WP4530, and I can not print a true "borderless" photo.  I had tried in the past to set this up to print right on a 7 x 10 card that would fold down to a 5 x 7, but the printer actually changes my dimensions and creates a small white border around the left and right side of the card.  Over the years and many printers I have tried to correct this to no avail.  I have found ways to work around it and make the card slightly smaller but it is a nightmare of work to set it up perfectly.  So the "easiest" way to print a true "borderless "5 x 7 card is to print it on to a larger size like 8.5 x 11, just make it 2 columns and place your image on the right side of the card, it is easier to trim it than to play with adjustments.  Well that's it for today, thank you for stopping by, and thank you for your sweet and encouraging comments.  ~Diane

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

Insects at Tag Tuesday this week

Hi All, the prompt at Tag Tuesday this week is Insects, so I chose butterflies as it is the only insect I don't run from.  I have not stamped in a long time, but I decided to bring out the ink, stamps and embossing powder and give this a whirl.  I used Stampin Up's Bliss stamp set along with some Stampendous embossing powder from the Encrusted Jewel Pink set and the Goose Bumps spray.  Some ranger ink, velum butterflies, and Stickles were added too.  I uses a piece of pretty pink lace to tie on the top of the tag.   I must say making tags is a real challenge for me but one I am glad my friend Valerie suggested I try.  It really is pushing me to grow and try new things, and  although I sometimes feel insecure about it, I love the challenge.

Thanks for all the nice comments you leave, it really is encouraging, and thanks for looking.  ~Diane

I am joining the City Crafters Challenge - flowers and lace.

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

How to make a card in Word

Hi All, this week for my Gecko Galz DT work I want to show you how easy it is to work with digital images in Word to make your own greeting cards.  This image is just 1 of the 9 images from Gecko Galz Pretty Seed Pack Individual collage sheet, it costs a mere $1.50 US.   I thought they would be perfect, just as they are, no need for further embellishing, and so easy to do.

To make this card I open a page in Word, use the 8.5 x 11 sheet size, set the margins to zero, change the orientation to Landscape and add 2 columns to the page (make sure the space between columns  is zero).  I push enter until I get to the bottom of the left column, then go to "Insert" and choose "Picture", find my image (which I had already cropped out of the collage sheet) click on it, and then press "Insert".  (By starting from the bottom of the left side, this will automatically place your image in the right hand column where you want it to be).  I then right click on the image and bring up the "size and position".  Since my card is going to be a 5" x 7", I set the height to 7.00", (sometimes that will make the width of the card an odd size like 5.6"),  in that case I then un-check the box that says "lock aspect ratio", and change the width to 5.00.  I print it on Staples Matte Photo paper (which feels more like card stock than paper).  Then all I have to do is score it with my Martha Stewart scorer, fold and cut off the unprinted edges.  Use distress ink around the edges for a more finished look. 

The envelope liner was printed using a different method that keeps the image sized in perfect proportions.  I learned this from my friend Lindsay, the Frugal Crafter.  I find my image on my computer, click on in and at the top of the page there is a print option, click print and it will ask you what size and how many, I choose 4 x 6 for the envelope liner and I also choose fit to frame, that's it, just click print and you are done!  It really does not get any easier than this!  I print my envelope liners on regular copy paper also, just trim the edge with fancy scissors.

Be sure to check out the Gecko Galz Customer Spring Fling Contest going on now through the 28th of February.  Some great prizes are up for offer, a $25.00 Gecko Galz Shopping Spree along with a set of Aurora Wings digital stamps. 

Well that's it, thanks for stopping by and thanks for looking.  ~Diane

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead. 

1 Christmas card a week

 

I found Marina's My Perfect Life blog through City Crafters, she is the guest artist there this week (stop by, its all so beautiful.)  Marina's blog has a challenge to make 1 Christmas card per week and link up to her blog to keep us motivated.  Heavens knows I need motivation to get my Christmas cards done before the last minute.  Of course I have the greatest of intentions, I will try my best to do this and stay with it, but please don't be too hard on me if I don't OK?

I used a Gecko Galz image from the Darling Girls collage set,  along with Gecko Galz paper set called Wild Roses.   I wanted the ribbon to look like a shiny satin so I tried adding some Diamond Glaze, a brand new bottle and it was full of bubbles, not sure why, I did not shake it, but I did store it upside down.  I added some pretty pink pearl nail polish on top of it to hide the bubbles a bit.  I must say I normally use Stampin Up Crystal Effects and I never had this problem, I store it upside down too.  I also added some white flocking to her muff and the trim of her hat.  I used Ranger Distress ink on the edges, a combination of tea dye and frayed burlap.  I lined my envelope with the matching paper.  Well that's it, thanks for looking and for all your sweet comments.  ~Diane

I am joining Marina's link party at  My Perfect Life

 12 months of Christmas link up at Decosse's Dynamite Doodles

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

Australian Jillaroo

 This week over at Tag Tuesday the prompt is Australia.  I decided to do a little research since I had this great female image that I wanted to use.  I know they have a lot of big ranches in Australia, actually they call them "stations" not ranches.  There are women trainees who work on a sheep or cattle station in order to gain practical experience in the skills needed to become an owner, overseer, or manager, they are called Jillaroo, (a Jackaroo is the male equivalent). 

The word originated in Queensland, Australia in the 19th century and is still in use in Australia and New Zealand in the 21st century. Its origins are unclear, although it is firmly rooted in Australian English, Australian culture and in the traditions of the Australian Stockmen.

I used these fab images from Gecko Galz called Yee Haw

I embossed the tag with a Spellbinders folder reminiscent of a ladies leather purse, used some Distress ink, Stickles, ribbon and a flower from my stash, then added the snake for a little extra excitement.   I am still new at making tags so I am working hard to be comfortable with how I lay them out.  I hope you take a look at all the lovely tags at Tag Tuesday and see what the other artists came up with for the Australian prompt.  Well that's it, thanks for looking.  ~Diane

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

Layering objects in Word tutorial using Gecko Galz and Aurora Wings images.

 Hi All, I want to show you this card I made using Gecko Galz It's not Easy Being Green papers along with a digital stamp from our cross promotional partner this month Aurora Wings.   Poppies is the name of this stamp.  They work beautifully layered together.

This month I want to share with all of you how easy it is to work with digital stamps.  Although this card could be made with programs like Photo Shop or Gimp, not many people know it can also be made with simple to use programs you already understand like Word.  So I will take you step by step through the process on this card, I put all your action steps in italic to make it easier to follow, you will be amazed to see how easy this is to do in a program like Word.

  First I Opened Word, brought up the Gecko Galz paper by choosing Insert Picture, I sized it to my 5x7 card size (right click will bring up sizes), then I went to Insert Picture again and brought up the digital stamp, while I had that (second) image selected or boxed on my screen I selected Text Wrap and Place in Front of Text, then I moved the image on top of the green paper (it will still be in a white box, don't worry).   I went to Picture Tools and clicked on Color, then at the bottom selected "Set Transparent Color", went to the image and and clicked on the inside of one of the flowers, this made the white boxed background all fall away so I was left with a transparent image.  Then I sized and positioned it to my liking (to re size it grab the lower right hand corner of the box with your mouse, and push in or pull out to make it larger or smaller) on top of my green background paper.  I then printed it on matte matte photo paper.  Then I went back and removed the green paper by deleting it, and printed the Poppies image on white card stock and again on ivory.  I colored in the face on the ivory and fussy cut it and glued it on to the green.  Then I colored some of the flowers from the white close to her face and placed them to cover where the face was glued down, I colored in 3 more random flowers and placed them on to where I had already colored in all of the flowers on the green image.  (In hindsight I could have printed the image on ivory and not bothered with the white, colored in the face and a few flowers and glued it down.)  I went in to her eyes and colored them in with a white marker along with the centers of a few of the Poppies too.  I mounted it to a 5 x 7 card and printed the 4 x 6 Gecko Galz Its not easy being Green paper for the envelope insert.

That's it, although it may be a lot to just read, if you opened your Word program you would see how easy and how few steps this really is!   I hope I am able to help someone with this tutorial, I will do another this month.  Thanks for looking, I always appreciate your comments.  ~Diane

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead. 
I am linking up with Make it Monday Party, its been a while since I joined them.

Last chance for the Gecko Galz Very Valentines contest

 

Hi All, this is my last card for the Gecko Galz Very Valentines Contest.  It was a lot of fun working with the Gecko Galz images and the Basic Grey papers for this challenge (which must be emailed to Gecko Galz by tomorrow the 31st).  Don't for get the buy 1 get 1 (of equal) also ends tomorrow so there is still time to stock up.  For this card I used Gecko Galz Valentine Wishes image along with
the papers from Basic Grey  True Love paper set.  All images and papers were printed on Staples matte matte photo paper with my computer.

I am entering the Valentine above into the City Crafters Challenge create a card/project for Valentine's day or have the word STORY on your project.  I did not see the Or originally, lol.

On another note, Blogger was not only not letting me comment on blogs this week, but it would not let me put my Tag Tuesday tag on my blog.  I did manage to blog it over at Tag Tuesday though, for those of you that did not see it there, here it is. It is not my usual style I know, but I am trying to grow a little and try new things, like tags also.  The prompt this week was Decay, I printed the image on my printer from MelsBrushes right on to the tag, used some Glitz Spritz and Distress ink along with a die cut Zombie hand done with my Zing.  Be sure to stop over and see all the other beautiful tags at Tag Tuesday.

Well that's it, thanks for stopping by and thanks for looking.  ~Diane

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

Gecko Galz wants to see your Valentine!

Hi All, there is still time to join the Gecko Galz Valentines Contest, you have until January 31st, and there are some great prizes.  This is one of my Gecko Galz  design team cards I made for the challenge.   I used the image from Gecko Galz Valentine Wishes along with the Bingo sheet from from Gecko Galz Bits and Pieces.  I printed them both on matte/matte photo paper from Staples.  Ribbon is from Stampin Up, red hearts are from my stash and I used Stickles Crystal on the rose.  For the envelope liner I used Basic Grey True Love papers. 

 Instructions:  I printed the Bingo sheet twice and fussy cut the rose out of the second sheet.  I printed the Valentines Wishes image and mounted it onto a piece of brown card stock,  I used my Perfect Layers Rulers to trim a 3/16th border, then mounted that on to the Bingo sheet. I added the red ribbon and red hearts and then mounted the whole sheet on to a white 5 x 7 folded card.  I trimmed the edges of the rose with Stickles, then placed a piece of dimensional foam underneath it.  For the envelope liner I printed a 4 x 6 image of the Basic Grey True Love papers and used a fancy edge scissor to trim it on the top edge.  I put it in position inside the envelope and then fold the crease, once it is folded I use a little little white glue to hold it in place.
Well that's it, thanks for stopping by and thanks for looking.  ~Diane

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

Hearts, lace, roses and the key to my heart

Hi All, I have another card to share.  This month Gecko Galz is teaming up with Basic Grey to show how well the products work together.  Pop over to Gecko Galz and get the details, I would love to see one of you win, there is a fabulous prize too, a $25 shopping spree at Gecko Galz and the Basic Grey digital paper pack True Love. This is not my DT piece, but it was so much fun working with both products I just did this one for fun, lol.

I used Gecko Galz Valentine Wishes for the image and 2 of the papers from True Love paper set.  Also used Gold Stickles, Baby Blue liquid pearls, leaf punch from Stampin Up, paper flower and scrap lace I cut the flower design out of and a gold Stickled key from my stash.
This was fun to make, you can do it too as long as you have a Word program, its really easy.  I printed the Basic Grey blue once and the lacy square piece twice on to matte matte photo paper.  I cut one of the lacy squares in half and glued it top and bottom behind the the other square, then I fussy cut the edges on the whole lacy piece.  I mounted that on to the 5 x 7 blue, added the baby blue Stickles to the centers of the roses.  I printed and fussy cut the image from Valentine Wishes, trimmed the heart and scrolls in Stickles Gold, put some dimensional foam underneath and mounted it on to the card.  I then added the trimmed piece of blue lace, the flower and the key.  Then I just glued that on to a folded white card base.
Here is the fun part, for the envelope liner I went into Word, chose insert picture and added the blue paper, right clicked to size it to a 6 x 6, then left clicked on to the white blank part of the page (this is important).  Then I  went back to insert, picture, chose the lacy piece and added it to the (now second page), right clicked to size and made it 4.95 x 4.95.   Then at the top of the page where it says Wrap text, I clicked and chose in front of text, that brought the lace piece on top of the blue piece for me, I clicked on the lace piece and dragged it to the centered position I wanted and then I printed it on plain white copy paper, trimmed it with some fancy scissors, folded it in place in the envelope and glued it.  I don't know how to use the fancy programs but I can do most of what I want to do using Word.
Well that's it, thanks for stopping by and thanks for looking.  ~Diane

This is for City Crafters Challenge the key to my heart

Try it on Tuesday challenge Celebrations (Valentines)

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

My Artsy Trees

 

Hi All, don't be shocked I'm posting again so soon, lol.  I was really inspired by the challenge at City Crafters this week called Artsy Trees.  I used a Gecko Galz image from the Winter Garden set along with the Gecko Galz paper Zen Garden for the envelope liner, the colors matched and there was something snowflake like about the purple and white image.   I gave you a side shot to show the white flocking I added to the trees.  I used a Sakura Quickie glue pen (looks like a ballpoint pen) to add the flock.  The ribbon tape is from Michaels it has a bit of glitter in it and the pearls are from Pizzazz Aplenty.  I printed the image on Staples photo paper matte/matte twice, fussy cut the man with the umbrella and mounted a little foam behind the umbrella only.  The purple paper is from Stampin Up. 

By the way, this is what the weather in Michigan looks like right now.

 Don't forget the buy 1 get 1 sale at Gecko Galz.  

Well that's it, thanks for stopping by and thanks for looking.  ~Diane

This is for City Crafters Challenge Artsy Trees

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

Chubby Little Winter Birds

Hi All, here's another card I made for the Gecko Galz DT using the Winters Garden set for both the image and paper.  I love it when we get a paper image included in the collage sheet set!
Here are the products I used.   Gecko Galz Winters Garden collage set, Starburst jewels from Pizzazz Aplenty and dimensional foam.
Directions: I printed the blue leaf background on matte matte photo paper and glued it to my 5 x 7 card base.  Then I printed the bird image twice, fussy cut just the birds from 1 image and used the dimensional foam to pop them up, I also glued the birds down on the left side only.  I mounted the bird image to a piece of black card stock, I used my Perfect Layers Rulers to trim a 3/16th border, then mounted that to the leaf paper.  I glued the 3 acrylic sunburst gems on to the side.  For the envelope liner, I printed the image on regular copy paper 4x6, cut the outside edge with fancy scissors and glued the top into the inside of the envelope.

And don't forget this month at Gecko Galz we are having our bi-Annual buy one get one sale.  Buy any product and get a second of equal or lesser value FREE! Just place your order as usual then send an email to us at geckogalz@yahoo.com with a list of your free products. Now is the perfect time to stock up!

Well, that's it for today, thanks for looking.  ~Diane

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

Yes you can can!

 

Hi All, hope you are keeping comfortable and enjoying the weather where you are.  

I made this card with one of the Gecko Galz images from the Individual collage sheet Showtime.

My friend asked me to make a special card for a friend of hers that is going through a tough time with cancer, this image really spoke to me in hopes of inspiring strength, yes you can can (for those of you not old enough to remember, this looks like one of the girls that did a dance called the Can Can, lol).  I also used some Stampin Up card stock, embossed the lavender sheet and placed the 1/16 trimmed edge with my Perfect Layers Rulers,  love how it trims it up perfectly!

I did a close up to show the Stickles Frosted Lace I used.  When I bought it I had hoped it would be a bit more opaque, so I was a bit disappointed at the time.  I decided to give it a shot on the lace ruffle of the dress and I just love the effect, it really gives it a lacy feel, my camera makes it look sparkly, but it is not, just a real nice ruffled lace look.

I can't forget the envelope liner, I used Gecko Galz Pocket Full of Posies Paper Pack for this, I really love the vintage feel to it.  Speaking of Gecko Galz, be sure to stop by the store, Leanne is offering her bi annual  buy 1 get one (of equal or lesser value) free sale, it's a great time to stock up!

Well that's it for today, thanks for stopping by.  ~Diane 

I am entering this in the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge
Anything goes, and stop by to see the amazing work from their DT too! 
 

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

From the Winter Garden Collection

 Hi All, we had a "warm" day here in Michigan, all of 19 degrees out there, dropping to 1 tonight, but this is far better than the -37 degree windchill of the last few days so no complaints ha ha. The below zero temperatures have been unbelievable, even for Michigan, ha ha.  

I made this card with an image from  Gecko Galz Winter Garden Collection, it has so many gorgeous images in the set, I love playing with it.  For this card I printed the image twice and fussy cut the thick branches and birds.  I used a bit of glue on the base of the tree only, so the cut image is loosely resting above, it really gives it a different dimensional look.   I embossed the white cardstock for more dimension.  How did I get that perfect mat of blue you say, with my  Perfect Layers Rulers of course.  

 I am entering this card into the January Color Challenge Blue and White at Gecko Gals Ephemera group.  We have quite a few fun challenges going on there with some great prizes too, I would love to have you join us.    

And don't forget this month Gecko  Galz is having our bi-Annual buy one get one sale. Buy any product and get a second of equal or lesser value FREE!          

That's it, thanks for looking, and stay warm!  ~Diane  

I'm linking this card to the Snowbirds Challenge at City Crafters
     

 Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

Happy New Year

 

 Happy New Year to all of you!  I am excited to start the new year on the Gecko Galz design team.    

This month we have teamed up with Basic Grey to show everyone how well the their products work with Gecko Galz Products! So enter the Gecko Galz  & Basic Grey Valentine Challenge, more details on the Gecko Galz site.   

I used the Gecko Galz Valentine Wishes ephemera set to make this card, along with the gorgeous paper from the Basic Grey True Love Collection for my envelope liner.  I fussy cut the heart, added some Stickles, Liquid Pearls, and foil corners, then popped it up on some foam, I love the effect so much I had to share a close up.   You can create your own Valentine project using Gecko Galz and Basic Grey products and win the new Basic Grey "True Love" digital paper pack and Gecko Galz February products.  How cool is that!  Speaking of Kool, check out these Kitchy Kool Papers from Gecko Galz, that I used to make this little notebook for my daughter, also part of the January release. See the cute flags and buttons, those little gems are from the Basic Grey True Love Collection  too.   I printed them up twice and glued them together then punched some little holes to thread the bakers twine through, I threaded that up the spine of the notebook along with the thin red ribbon so she can use them as dividers or bookmarks.

Well thats it, hope you have had a wonderful New Years Day, and as always, thanks for looking.  ~Diane

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

Snowflakes

 Hi All, today it is snowflakes inside and out!  It is snowing here in Michigan and the snow is coming down hard too!  Looks beautiful but so very, very cold!  Today is the perfect day to post these cards I made with Gecko Galz Snow Queen Collection  and the Snowflake Z card cut file from BirdsCards.com.  I made mine a 5 x 5 size and used some shirt/gift boxes I purchased at Dollar Treasure (3 boxes for a dollar)  to cut the sparkly snowflakes from.  You can not see it in the pictures but I added some flock to the Snow Queens furs and also some Stickles to her buttons. 

Two announcements for you, stop by Gecko Galz to see what the weekly Holly Jolly December Giveaway is and stop by Pinterest to Pin it to Win it!  Every month Leanne gives away a beautiful stamp set to 1 lucky winner, it should be you!  All you have to do is pin it to your Pinterest board.  To make it easy for me I set up a Pin it to Win it board, so many companies are offering opportunities to do the same.  Wish you all tons of luck!  Thanks for looking.  ~Diane

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

Happy Thanksgiving

 Hi All, I just want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.  We all have so much to be thankful for, I know I do.  I hope you are enjoying time with family and friends today too.  This card is not really Thanksgiving focused, but it is a thank you card I made so I thought I would share it today.  The fabulous image is from Gecko Galz, check out their website, they have a special giveaway going on right now.  The frame is from Delightful Doodles and they have a Black Friday sale going on now.

For those of you shopping on line this weekend.

I also want to share with you my Ebates link.  I have been using Ebates for over a year now and I am really happy with it.  It is basically free money, an added coupon for you to use while shopping on line.  All you have to do is sign up with them, they send you special deals via email, sometimes some stores offer bigger coupons than the norm and they will alert you to that.  Or you can do like I do, if you intend to buy online, just go to the Ebate site and see if they have a link to follow to the store you want to buy from, follow the link they provide to the store and you will automatically qualify for a cash back rebate, pretty much free money.  Refer your friends and they will send you money for that too!  If you follow my link I will get money for it, but that's not why I am posting this though.  I am just so happy to know about this deal and I want to share it with all my friends too, so sign up whether through my link or not, you will be happy you saved a little extra.  You won't get rich off the savings, but it is money in your pocket you would not have otherwise had is how I see it.

Click on the yellow EBATES below for my link to Ebates or find it in my sidebar.

For more information I copied this from their website.  About Ebates

Ebates is the pioneer and leader of online Cash Back Shopping. The company was founded in 1998 by two Deputy District Attorneys in Silicon Valley who used to prosecute online fraud & identity theft before starting Ebates (so you can be sure we are very into secure online transactions!). So go ahead, sign up and start shopping now. Joining Ebates is always free - you'll never pay us anything. And four times a year or more, we'll mail you a Big Fat Check, or transfer the money to your PayPal account if you'd prefer. We can even send the money to your favorite charity. All 100% free.
People often ask: "This sounds too good to be true, how are you able to do it?" It really is quite simple. Just like almost every other online shopping center, we get a commission from the stores when you make a purchase. Instead of keeping that money - like almost all other sites do - we share it with you!
So, as long as 1,600+ of the world's top online stores are happy to pay a bonus to attract the new, valuable customers we send their way, Ebates is going to continue to send Big Fat Checks to our satisfied customers across the globe.

Well I hope you all have a wonderful day, hope you did not mind my sharing my link  since there is some profit for me in it.
Wishing you all a very Happy and thankful Thanksgiving, enjoy your Black Friday shopping too!  Thanks for looking.  ~Diane

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

Birthday card for my friend

Hi All, I am sharing a card I made for my friends Birthday, she does not follow my blog so I should be safe posting it the same day I am mailing it.   I used one of my favorite papers, Gecko Galz Arabian Dreams, it is so very rich and colorful, it worked perfectly with the Gecko Galz image from the Hindu Beauty collage set.    I looked it up and I believe the Peacock feather is to signify prosperity, the image is stunning.  I framed the image with some skinny black ribbon with an eyelet edge, then a die cut frame behind that, I used a little bit of Copic marker on the edges of the die cut frame and I used some foam tape to lift it up and give it some dimension.  I finally used some of my prized ribbon I have been hoarding, (sometimes they are so pretty I am afraid to use them, lol)  I had to cut it in 1/2 to fit it on the card, I pretty much built the card around the ribbon, if you look closely you can see the sequins and tulle.  

Well that's it for today, thanks for looking.  ~Diane

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

Great news to share!

Wow, I have some awesome news to share!  Gecko Galz just announced the new Design Team for 2014 and I made it!  I am so excited, in case you had not noticed, (I know, how could you miss it, you probably thought I was already on it for as much as I showcased their products, lol.  I love, love love their products!  I truly can not say enough good things about them, and now I get to say I made the team!  So now that I have gushed all over, I will share a card I made with one of the beautiful Gecko Galz images from the HO Ho Ho collage sheet that was a free giveaway in the October Blog hop.  PS: check out the free giveaways with purchase for this month!

So you are sure to see a whole lot more Gecko Galz images on my blog in the future!  Thanks for looking and sharing the good news with me!  ~Diane

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

Cards I made with my Zing

 

 

 

Hi All, thought I would share some of the things I have been making with you.  I have been busy playing with my Zing, learning how to alter files and make my own with the Make The Cut program.  For those of you who have asked, the Zing is a KNK Zing, it is an electronic or digital die cutting machine.  It cuts all different thicknesses and does print and cut too.  I did not know what it was either, until I started looking to replace my Cricut, so happy to say goodbye to that company!  I won't even buy their embossing folders, they don't play fair at all in the crafting community, selling machines with the promise of letting you use software to make and import cutting files, then pulling the rug and suing the companies who made the software that made their machines so popular, just so they could lock you into buying 80$ cartridges!!  That was a real dirty deal!  Well I don't need their folders anyway because I can make my own with my KNK Zing!
The 1st card is a Bendy card, the cut file is available from Birdscards.com.

The 2nd and 3rd cards were done with the Pixel trace tool in MTC using free clip art I found on the web.  The 4th card was a round door file from Bird that I changed out a bit to look like a more modern door, her file used a rounded door.  Well, that's it for today, I have more cards to share, I hope to post them later in the week.  I hope to catch up with your blogs this week too.  As always, thanks for looking.  ~Diane

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.

Getting Ready for Sweetest Day with a sale!

 Hi All, I thought you might enjoy a peek at a sweet little 

Sweetest Day card I made.  I am sure you could use this for any occasion, even no occasion, lol,  just a chance to send a sweet suggestion to the one you love.  I used Lindsay's Stamp Stuff Ooh LaLa SVG for the corset and cut it using MTC and my Zing.  Such a cute way to send a love note or make it small and stick it in an invitation to a bridal shower with the brides bra and panty sizes.  Speaking of Lindsay, swing by her My Graphico shop and take advantage of the 40% off sale she has going on October 3rd through the 5th!  

Just in case you noticed, I had to have an envie liner to go with this, the shoe is from laobc, there was only 1 shoe so I positioned them together in MTC, the shoes positive is on a piece of Zyron paper so you can use it as an envelope sealer too.  I edited this in Pic Monkey because my photography is poor, it is actually black and white in real life, sorry the photography does not reflect it.

 That's it for today, thanks for looking.  ~Diane

Please join me by Banning Word Verification from your blogs, please be kind and choose comment moderation instead.