FTU Birthstone - Ruby

Ruby

Beautiful  deep red  and  part of the FTU Birthstones Collections

Perfect for anyone born in the month of July and you can find her and all of the birthstone FTU tubes to download here 

Tag and FB Timeline using a kit from  Bibis Collections

More information and a free FB timeline header on my blog here

CT Timeline Set and Snags for GraphFreaks with her FOTM "The Birthstone Collection:Alexandrite"

Here is the next tube on "The Birthstone Collection"

for the month of June here is "Alexandrite" FTU 

with a beautiful lilac color, she is available now 

only at the GraphFreaks blog here 

I used a kit by Tammy's Welt called "Gates to Heaven"

PTU, with a sweet palette of beige and lilac, 

72 elements and 8 papers, available at SNCO here

Matching FB Banner

For Snags please visit my blog at 

QTags by Suzie Q

Ruby-July Freebie

Hello everyone! I almost made it on time for this months FOTM. I am guessing to be just a few minutes late this month..Been a very busy time for us, but, I am making progress on getting these freebies out to you on time. That is always a good thing! One of the things I have been thinking about is my notifications to you on these FOTM. I have decided I will no longer advertise when they become available. If you would like to know when they are released, please follow this blog. The reason behind this decision is simply my schedule. I am SUPER busy right now, and in all honesty, I really don't have the time to spare. I apologize for this, I have spent a while thinking about it and have focused in on the small areas that I can save time, and this is just one option. Another thing I would like to focus on is availability of the freebies. I would seriously suggest that if you like a freebie, you grab it when you see it. Right now we have a ton of links that are now expired because we closed the Graphfreaks store. We are going to go through and update these links, but, let's face it, links expire. NOTHING is forever and your best bet is to grab them ASAP before it happens to you. okay, enough with changes that really aren't any fun and onto the good stuff...the whole reason you are here, the goodies. So, our freebie of the month for July is of course the Ruby, and here are your fun facts... The red July birthstone, The Ruby, was long accorded a lofty position in the order of gems by the ancient Hindus. It was christened the ‘King Of Gems’, a tribute to its blood red intensity, believed to protect the wearer from evil, signify love and intense passion. Besides the ancient Hindus, tribes in other parts of the world were fascinated by this stone, and its deep red color was synonymous with War and victory. Other attributes of the Ruby are harmony, contentment, integrity, strength, protection from Evil and success.
In the days of Yore, rubies adorned Kings, head of warrior tribes and political rulers as it was believed to enhance their leadership skills and power of decision-making. The belief has evolved through the ages, and today the stone is believed to aid wearers in making important decisions in life, particularly financial decisions. In the Hindu culture, the July birthstone, Ruby, was associated with Power, Passion and Protection. The ruby was also believed to have curative properties and used to improve blood circulation. The belief entails however, the one must not wear a ruby anywhere close to the Solar Plexus as the stone has adverse effects on the area. The blood-red stone is said to symbolize strength, vitality, confidence, leadership, and courage. The red ruby is associated with passion and love.
Ruby is the gemstone of those born in July, under the Cancer sun-sign.
The ancient Hindus called the July birthstone “Rajnapura” or the King of Gems and believed the stone radiated a warmth and luminosity from an internal flame. This was linked to Love and passion that emanates from the heart, making this stone the perfect gift for ardent lovers, since its discovery about 2,000 years ago.
The stone has featured prominently in the famous children’s movie, The Wizard of Oz, with the protagonist’s shoes made of Blood Red ruby.   According to sources, the casting director was fascinated by the stone and wanted the stone featured in his movie.
Interestingly, the Ruby and Sapphire are from the same gemstone family, Corundum, the only difference being their color. The Sapphire is Blue, the green Sapphire is Emerald and the red, Ruby.
The July Birthstone, Ruby is considered one of the four precious stones, along with emerald, diamond and sapphire.

and finally, HERE is your download link

So, that is all I have for now. See you in 30 days <3

June FOTM: Alexandrite

Okay, so, I owe you big apologies. I once again forgot to post the FOTM. I admit it, I am getting bad about this. I guess the reason I forgot to post this one is because I spent many, many hours on the dress and when the entire tube was finished, I wasn't real happy with it and decided that I would give myself 24 hours to decide on whether or not to release her, and with everything else going on, I totally forgot. So, all my apologies on this over (under) sight. As I stated above, I am really not happy with this one, but, I am releasing her in hopes that  someone will be able to find a use for her, but, if not, at least we will have a complete birthstone collection...

So, to wrap things up, here are some interesting facts about Alexandrite:

Alexandrite : A birthstone of June

As the title suggests Alexandrite gemstone is the birthstone of people born in June. It is named after the king Alexander II. It is an anniversary gift for 45 and 55th marriage anniversary. It looks green in color in daylight whereas dark purple in artificial light. Alexandrite was discovered in the late 19th century in Russia. These days it is difficult to find natural Alexandrite gemstones. Major varieties of Alexandrite Gemstones are found in heated or treated form. The major mines producing Alexandrite gemstone are located in Burma. 

Color change in Alexandrite

There are not many gemstones with a color changing property. Color changing quality of Alexandrite gemstone is very significant. The color actually changes from bluish green to purplish red. Alexandrite belongs to the Chrysoberyl family. Among all the members of Chrysoberyl family, Alexandrite is identified because of its color change property. The color change has to do with the spectrum theory. Blue green and purple red colors are equally transmitted and hence color changes according to daylight or artificial light. 

Discovery and Information of Alexandrite gemstone

Late in the 19th Century, Alexandrite gemstones were found in the Ural region of Russia. That was the only resource of Alexandrite and hence people started getting these stones from Russia. And hence it is a rare variety and thus an important and valuable gemstone. Later on mines were also found in various regions worldwide such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Brazil etc. According to recent analysis real Alexandrite is very difficult to find. The Russian Alexandrite gemstones are kept reserved in museums. Sometimes this gemstone is so highly priced that it becomes expensive then diamonds and sapphires.

There is a huge demand in Jewelry market since it is rarely available. Among the various jewelry items alexandrite rings are very special. Alexandrite gemstone is believed to boost the self-esteem of a person. In todays market, India ranks among top positions in production of Alexandrite gemstones, but USA is the largest market. 

You can download Alexandrite HERE

So, that's all I have for now. I will see you in a few weeks.

The Birthstone Collection:Emerald FOTM

Hello Everyone! I owe you an apology! I forgot to blog this yesterday! I was soooo proud of myself for having her finished on the 15th, and I go and forget to release her. All apologies! I have waaaay too much on my mind these days! I won't delay the release a second longer...

Download Emerald

and here are your Emerald fun facts:

Fact 1 - Definition: Emeralds are precious stones of a rich green color, a variety of beryl (beryllium aluminum silicate) that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gemstone

Fact 2 - The origin of the name Emerald is derived from the Greek word "Smaragdos" which means "green stone" reflecting the color of the emerald

Fact 3 - The most common color of Emeralds is green

Fact 4 - The Emerald is the birthstone of the month of May which relates to the Zodiac Sign of Taurus. Taurus dates: April 21 - May 20

Fact 5 - The alternative Birthstones for Taurus are Sapphires, Garnet, Agate and Diamonds

Fact 6 - The symbolism associated with Emeralds is as follows:

Loyalty

Faithfulness

Friendship

Fact 7 - Emeralds are also the Wedding anniversary gemstone and are given as gifts for the 20th, 35th and 55th year of marriage

Fact 8 - Emeralds come in a vast range of natural colors and shades of green. Elements of chromium in the crystal produce the color

Fact 9 - The color is mainly determined and caused by the gem's selective absorption of certain wavelengths of light called the body color.

Fact 10 - The colors of the Emerald gem consist of three components, the hue, tone and saturation:

The Hue which gives the first impression of the color

The Tone which relates to the the lightness or darkness of the color of the Emerald ranging from light to medium to dark

The saturation which relates to the intensity of the Emerald's color, which is measured from dull to strong to vivid

Fact 11 - The grades of emeralds are usually referred to as Commercial, Good, Fine, and Extra Fine. Each grade represents a range of qualities

Fact 12 - All gemstones, including Emeralds, are graded by color, cut, clarity and carat weight

Fact 13 - The tradition of giving gifts of birthstone jewelry containing Emeralds dates back many hundreds of years

Fact 14 - There are specific birthstones and gemstones, such as Emeralds, which are traditionally given according to the month that a person is born

Fact 15 - Pure crystals of Emerald are used as gemstones. The crystal structure of Emeralds are hexagonal.

Happy Birthday May Babies!

See you next month!

The return of The Birthstone collection: Aquamarine and Diamond

Hello everyone! It has been quite a while, hasn't it? How is everyone? Are we ready for spring and summer tubes? I am ready for BBQ's, pool parties and summer night bonfires, for sure! What do you think about the changes we have made? Do you like your new CT hosts? They are doing an amazing job! I think this is the best team I have ever had. We finally seem to be going somewhere! Suzie has become our Advertising manager, and Ruby our CT manager. We have become 300% more active, and I hope that you are enjoying everything we have changed. Speaking of changes...I had decided to shit can the FOTM and no longer offer them. I hardly ever see them being used and felt that I was wasting my time. I have decided to go ahead and finish up this series, and then, if they still aren't being used,  the freebie of the month will be coming to an end.
So, here we are...March ...The birthstone for this month is Aquamarine...and here are some interesting facts about the Aquamarine...

The origin of the name Aquamarine is derived from the Latin words "aqua marina" which means "sea water" reflecting the color of the crystals.The most common color of Aquamarine is natural blue. The Aquamarine is the birthstone of the month of March which relates to the Zodiac Sign of Pisces. Pisces dates: February 20 - March 20.  The alternative Birthstones for Pisces are Amethyst, Ruby, Bloodstone and Jasper. The symbolism associated with Aquamarine is as follows: Faithfulness, courage, friendship.
And April, The Diamond:
The word "Diamond" comes from the Greek word "Adamas" and means "unconquerable and indestructible". The diamond is the hardest natural substance found on the Earth. Most diamonds found in nature are between one to three billion years old. Diamonds were first discovered in India and then in Brazil. Diamonds worn in ancient times were believed to promote strength, invincibility and courage.

So, with no further delay, here are your 2 new freebie girls, Aquamarine and Diamond...

DOWNLOAD Aquamarine

DOWNLOAD Diamond

See you in less than 30 days with my personal star of this show, EMERALD!

 ENJOY!

Amethyst-February Birthstone Freebie of The Month

Hello everyone! As most of you know, the new year has been not so good for me. My graphic system was  down for a month,  and I was really missing creating. It was fixed yesterday, and we are sailing through now, Thank Goodness!! My mom lost everything she owned for the second time in her life this month and was hospitalized for smoke inhalation. It is a miracle that they survived, they were asleep when the fire started. I have been traveling back and forth (an hour each way) to help her and get things back on track. They have found a new apartment they will stay in until they are able to sell of the land and buy a new house. We are all really thankful that they are safe, and that my animal brothers and sisters were rescued.
Soooooo, anyway, Amethyst is finally finished for you guys. I am sooooo sorry for the delay, I appreciate your patience and understanding, and I look forward to creating like crazy for you guys. I couldn't make this post without adding the "InterestingFacts" section, though, so, here we go, Interesting facts about the Amethyst:
Amethyst is one of the many varieties of quartz. It's beautiful color is caused by traces of iron, giving amethyst a range of colors from almost white to deep purple. Amethyst has been used as a gemstone for thousand of years. It was highly prized in ancient times used by the Babylonians, Egyptians, and the Greeks and Romans. These ancient people carved it into many things including cups, charms, vases, jewelry, and amulets.
 Amethyst is found in many places like most quartz minerals. Fine amethysts are found in Brazil, Namibia, Russia, India, Zambia, and in Uruguay, where it is the national gem. There is also many deposits here in the U.S.A. such as, Virginia, Montana, Maine, Yellowstone National Park, and the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan. Amethyst can also be found in North Carolina where there is a mine open to the public so you can find your own.
Many powers have been associated with amethyst through the ages. The Hebrews believed it induced good dreams, in the Middle Ages amethyst was a symbol of celibacy and piety, Leonardo da Vinci wrote that it 'dissipates evil thoughts and quickens the intelligence'. The strangest power amethyst supposedly possessed was that of the Greeks who believed it to be an antidote for drunkenness.

So, here she is, your very own Amethyst:

and you can download her HERE 

See you next month, with March/Aquamarine!

Freebie of the Month AND kick-off of new Freebie line

Happy Holidays every one! I hope this finds you doing well and enjoying the 2014 Holiday season. I am, as I usually am at this time of year, hibernating and patiently waiting for the sweet sound of the birds songs, announcing that Spring has arrived. A midst all the craziness that this time of year brings, I am making some changes to the GraphFreaks line. The new year will find us with an additional blog strictly for tutorials, using the GF tubes. So, stay tuned on that.  Among a few changes, Some are happening right now. This months Freebie of the month is a special one. This post kicks off a series of 12 tubes that will be a complete Birth Stone set. For the next year, the 15th and the FOTM will highlight the stone for the next month. So, That being said, The FOTM for December is: Garnet, the stone for January.

Just for fun, before I unveil her, Here are a few little known facts about the Garnet..

Did you know...The origin of the name garnet is derived from the Greek word "granatum" meaning "pomegranate seed" which reflects the shape and color of the crystals?  That garnets come in a vast range of natural colors and shades including pink, red, purple, orange, yellow, violet, green, black, brown and many shades of red and green? Or that garnet has long been thought to have healing powers, credited with improving every sort of ill health from heart palpitations to heart disease?

So, here is Garnet, the first in a year-long series.

I hope that you like this new line and that you stick around to collect all 12. 

Download Garnet HERE

Happy Holidays everyone! 

See ya next year!