Amour, there is nothing more thrilling

Heres a card that was featured as the June designer spot light  in newsletter for Gecko Galz. The theme is love but black and gold just seemed like the right color combination. Do colors speak to you?

To make this card I printed out the free June paper on glossy paper and just folded it as a card base. I water-colored the edges for depth. I layered tulle, an image of a vintage photo album and then the Miss Louise image from the June "Miss Louise" sheet. The accents were numerous with the AMOUR banner, black metal roses, lace stickers and gold corners. Miss Louise was detailed with black paint and gold Stickles. The  total sentiment reads "AMOUR, there is nothing more thrilling in this world."

Hope you will find amour this week!

artfully yours, Gerri

"Amour, there is nothing more thrilling in the world."

Green Flapper Friendship Card

For Retro Cafe Art here's a dainty little card with one of my favorite colors Green! I have a lot of green in our home from dusty sage to pine green to khaki green. It is such a soothing color and is a great neutral for many of our possessions too. The green in this card was inspired by the Heritage Golf greens on Hilton Head Island...I included some photos too!

Here is this little "Friendship card: that I created. It is  very a bright green, but I think it works.
The  RCA vintage image is from the Vintage Ladies Glass Negative Sheet and it was put under the Film strip cutout that I painted black. All this was layered on green paper, gold tulle and finally on a green and white patterned card stock. The embellishments include green feathers, black feather rub ones, a fabric rose, Stickles and watercolor paints. The hand cut sentiment says "Friendship"

Hope this week brings lots friends your way.
Take care my friends,
Gerri

"Friendship"

"The green fairways on Hilton Head Island"

Anatomy of a Motorcycle Mama

I was honored as Designer Spot Light on the Gecko Galz newsletter this month.
Here was my favorite piece for this spotlight: To make this collage I was inspired by the "Miss Louise" image from the June Gecko Galz sheet with Miss Louise and two sharp shooters. I layered her on a leather frame and added the copper sticker grommets and the metal gear halo. She was layered on a city map with the "Anatomy of a motorcycle" free image, a transparency that says "Life is a daring adventure" and  watercolored chip board license plates. The motorcycle image was painted and brads were used to spell "MAMA". Additional accents include metal gears and clocks in the corners, stitched leather  trim and Stickles. All this was layered on a piece of brown paper that looked like wood.

"Anatomy of a Motorcycle Mama"

Here are the questions they asked me, if you read them you will learn a little bit more about me and my art.

How long have you been paper crafting?

Since I could hold a pair of scissors..LOL. Our family is a creative one and often  we had to move the art projects off the kitchen table, so we could eat dinner. In regards to true paper arts, I would say  I have been creating probably about 10 years or more .

   

What is your favorite kind of projects to do?

I love making cards and ATCs (artist trading cards). I like these formats since I can then share my art. I get pleasure in sending my little beauties into the world for others to enjoy. For me, it's the exploration during the  process of creating as much as, the finished art it'self.

In the industry who do you most admire and why?

OK, I must admit I am in totally love with Tim Holtz. I have been following him for many years. Also  Ranger Industries is in New Jersey, where I am originally from so, he's been on my radar forever.

  

What brands (besides Gecko Galz) do you enjoy working with? 

Retro Cafe Art is one of my favorites for the variety of mixed media items that it offers. They have Chip board items, 3 D items, German scrap, jewelry pieces and so much more. Kristin  Hubrick the owner has really has an amazing selection. I happen to be on their Design Team so,  I am lucky because they have everything I could ever want to create with.

My other favorite brand is  anything from Ranger Industries including  their stamping inks, alcohol inks, Stickles , embossing powders etc...I could go on and on. They really make  great products.

  

What is the one thing in your crafting tote that you cannot live without? 

That's a hard question, but I would say my  numerous bottles of Stickles. I do so adore glitter , shine and sparkle. It is the finishing accent that tells me my project is done. After that, it would be a black sharpie marker to outline my fussy cut images and my watercolor paints to add, change or correct colors on everything.

Where have you been published? 

I have been honored to be published in Take Ten and Stamplers Sampler, both Stampington magazines.

What is the best thing about being on the Gecko Galz Design team?

I would have to say the friendship and support of my art. The Gecko Galz team members are really there for you and always offer  words of encouragement and praise. I am thankful for their friendship.

What is your favorite scrapbook shop and where is it located? 

I do go to Michaels a lot...they are  a large art and craft chain  store located in Bluffton , South Carolina. They have great coupons and sales too.

But my favorite haunts are thrift shops, around here they always have craft supplies. It's the  hunt for bargains and unusual items that excites me.

Truthfully, if you saw the size of my art stash, I really shouldn't be buying anything more!

How would you describe your crafting style?

Sparkly Vintage inspired Story telling

If you could have a job in the crafting world what would it be and why?

I would like to teach and travel to art conferences around the country. I love  travel, meeting different people and funny... I do like figuring out the logistics of getting it all done. To be able to help  people to explore their creative side is a very important aspect of life that  I believe sometimes gets lost in our day to day living.  We are all creative individuals and sometimes someone just has to encourage us to try.

  

Share your blog site:  

http://gerriherbst.blogspot.com

It's called "it's all treasure"  cause "Everything and anything we create, is all treasure".

Any last words for our friends and followers? 

You go Gecko Galz !

Keep on creating!

How shall I compare?

Here's two pieces for Gecko Galz for the month of June. I recently made a homemade gelli printing plate and have been creating  tons background papers. I had fun with stencils, bubble wrap, stamps all all sorts of paints. Really don't know what I am doing yet but have had fun making them! LOL.

                                              So, This card started with hand 

printed paper that I made in turq 

with a gold filagree stencil.I 

layered the  turq arched door  

image from the "behind the door" 

sheet and layered the pretty 

female image from the "Her 

beautiful colors" Gecko Galz 

June sheet. The  gold german 

scrap borders on the card and the 

door came next. Lots of pearl 

stickers added shine. The 

accents include Gold Stickles and 

the hand cut sentiment from 

William Shakespeare "Shall I 

compare thee to a Summers 

day? Thou art more lovely and 

more temperate."

"How Shall I compare thee"

                        For my second project, I started with the pretty image 

of the  red head from the June 

"her beautiful colors " sheet 

and layered her on the blue  

Art Nouveau door from the 

"behind the dooR sheet. This 

was glued to some hand 

printed paper then an 

embossed scalloped sheet 

and finally put on a blue print 

paper. The scalloped paper 

was watercolored and stickled 

with pink and blue. The 

accents include the beaded 

scepter, crown, pink tulle, her 

necklace, pink ribbon borders 

and sparkly  rhinestone 

flowers in pink and blue. The 

hand cut sentiment reads" the 

Queen grasped Fate's hand"

"The queen grasped Fate's hand"

Add caption

Hold a True Friend with both your hands

For Retro Cafe Art Design Team, here's a little tag that I made. The inspiration is our beautiful azalea's all around us here in the south! Last weekend we went on a gorgeous house and garden tour in Bluffton and saw such amazing gardens and interiors! Thank goodness by hubbie like to take those tours too!

To make this tag, I hand printed than watercolored the azalea flower background. Of course, it is layered with red Stickles too. The  RCA flower 3d item was painted  green and red then layered on green tulle. The cute little girl  image was put under glass.  A green braid trim piece was tied on top. The hand cut sentiment says " Hold a true friend with both your hands."

Hope you will hold your true friends this week.
Artfully yours,
Gerri

"Hold a true friend with both your hands"

"Background details"

"Flower Details"

Sweet Dresser Drawers with a tiny Bouquet

Happy Mother's day my friends. For Retro Cafe Art, here's a little set of dresser drawers  topped with a tiny bouquet for you for Mother's day. I do so like to build tiny things  It is now on my art table and I put  my eraser, pencil sharpener and little tools in the open part.

The  little paper chest of drawers is  covered with the wild flower collage sheet cut for the sides, back and drawers.  I added the swirlie flourishes  and painted them pink. I added a pink Stickle covered knob and some green Stickles accents  to the flourishes for the drawer decoration. The entire piece is edged in pink Stickles. On top I made a tiny bouquet using the paper tiny flowers and put them in a glass vase.

Hope you have a pleasant Mother's Day!
Artfully yours,
Gerri 

It seemed a thrill of pleasure

Recently for Retro Cafe Art I created this bird cage tag combining two of my favorite themes,  vintage Victorian and birds. It also has a bit of everything with china flowers, ribbons, lace and of course a feather!

 I painted and distressed the  Birdcage shape and added the Elegant Background collage sheet with the pretty female image  in the center. The edge is trimmed with ribbon then I added all the embellishments: china roses,Stickles, heart , ribbon and a pink feather. The hand cut sentiment reads "The birds around me hopped and played, it seemed a thrill of pleasure."

Hope your week is full of the thrill of pleasure!
take care,
Gerri

"The birds around me hopped and played, it seemed a thrill of pleasure. "