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!

Grace: November FOTM

First and foremost, I would like to apologize on the delay of the FOTM this month. I am sure that it is no secret that I have been severely burned out the past few weeks. Anyone who mingles with me on Facebook has seen my posts of utmost devastation at the loss of my creativity and awful burnout. I am on my way back, gradually, and I seem to be recovering a little everyday. I am just going to take this one day at a time and let the creativity flow, versus forcing it. I can always tell when the work is forced, and I don't want this showing through art that is transparent. I would like to thank my followers and supporters for standing with me through the years. You all mean the world to me and I appreciate you so much. You are my inspiration and my reason to carry on through the trials and tribulations.. I have had quite a few CT members kick me while down recently and it completely opened my eyes to who is real and who is just along for the ride.
okay, on to your FOTM... Winter is upon us, and although I despise it with a passion, I can appreciate the love that you all have for the season. I have to agree that it is absolutely beautiful..fresh untouched snow that brightens the cold dark nights, the actual snowfall itself, the magical feelings that the holidays bring and the fresh , crisp air that come with winter..I am just not a fan of frigid cold and grey skies. This is the time of year some of us go through the blues...I find this very natural, and I am going to try to put the blues and the greys to use this year, and express them on a pallette...and Grace is just the beginning.

Get Grace HERE

So, until next month, take the blues and the greys and create some beauty with it! You would be surprised at how much this helps to get through a seasonal low.

Have Fun!  See ya next month!

Freebie of the month-October

Hi everyone! Running a bit late on the freebie of the month. I was talking with one of my friends the other night and we were talking about one of the first images I had created 3 years ago called "WildFyre". Have you seen this image? I will show you, but, there won't be any discussing how bad I was at it and asking why I didn't just give up and find a new hobby. (Just Kidding) But, it really was THAT bad!

So, I thought it would be really neat to revamp this image for the FOTM for October..I wanted to compare the two and see how much I have grown and learned over the past 3 years. So, that is exactly what I have done.  Here is my revamped "WildFyre"

So, let's do some comparison...In the top image, the first noticeable mistake is the lighting. The image is flat, boring, and has a white halo around the entire tube. HORRIBLE horrible horrible work. Those of you artists out there that skip out on your lighting, I hope you can see how important lighting is...it is the MOST important element in your scene. Take some time to play with different lights and experiment with the setup. It will totally change the entire scene.

The second noticeable mistake is the crazy eyes...wow! Can't believe I didn't notice this in the first image.

Basically I can probably find 20 or so mistakes in that first image. I have come a LOOOOng way, and I know three years from now I will be writing a post for the freebie of the month, and, I will be talking about all the mistakes in "FireFall" I believe we never quit growing when it comes to art and writing. There is so much out there to learn. We never really max our potential out.

So, I hope you enjoy using this image as much as I enjoyed making it and can find some use for her in your private library. 

Get FireFall Here:

Until next month,

Award: Designers that inspire me

Hello everyone! It is Sunday night, around about 7PM and I am bidding farewell to another week-end gone too soon. Seems now-a-days time flies..Summer has passed me by like a warm breeze and sadly enough, the cruel and bone biting winter will arrive and last too long.. 
I am here this evening to pass along an award. An award that was handed down to me by Kaci at Scrappin Krazy Designs. I am so honored to receive this one, "Designers that inspire" to me is at the top of the list as far as Honor is concerned. It is a little ironic that knowing I inspire others, inspires me to keep going, to push a little harder, and to keep going when I feel I am at the end. Thank you so much, Kaci. This means SO, So So much to me <3
So, now it is my turn to pass the award on. Who else is more deserving than my CT? You girls pass along ideas, express what you would like to see, make amazing snags, tags, kits, templates and etc. You all inspire me more than you could ever know! So, here are the recipients of my "Designers that inspire" award:

http://scrappinkrazydesigns.blogspot.com/

http://dance-in-the-rain13.blogspot.co.uk/

http://littlebat-caro-design.blogspot.com/

http://tagsdiseadoresbyantonia.blogspot.com.es/

http://stormlightdreams.blogspot.com/

http://lynxtuts.blogspot.com/

Michelle- Michelle's Myths

http://qtagsbysuzieq.blogspot.com/

http://mommostaglair.blogspot.com/

So enjoy your award ladies, and pass it forward <3

Geek Girl-FOTM/TOTM August 2014

Imagine if you will, a scenario that became my reality yesterday...Alarm went off at 6:00Am. Typical morning, I suppose, rushed around making sure T had his breakfast, back pack and meds before sending him out the door. I came back to my room, started a render that I was going to release last night and sat down to catch the Andy Griffith show. Next thing I know, it is 12:30Pm, I had fallen asleep for 4 hours! I jumped up and ran around the house like a crazy person, running as I pulled up my jeans, grabbing files and car keys and hit the door, We made it in time to the appointment, but my heart  was still pounding! Close call! So, doing paperwork now...the date...what is the date??? I look up to the reception desk and the date hit me like a ton of bricks...THE 15TH! OMFG! It is THE 15TH!!! The FOTM day, The 15TH! My heart jumps into my throat as I realized I hadn't even finished the FOTM, let alone posted it. All the way through the appointment I was in a panic! I didn't know how I was gonna fix this!! I was both relieved and dreadful as the appointment came to an end and we headed home. Then, it happened, a car accident ahead of us had traffic backed up for 2 or more miles. I admit at this point I am cursing.. Finally, we are really close to home and I hear the loud familiar sound....A TRAIN...why not? I mean, this day so far has been a nightmare what is an extra 10 minutes sitting on the other side of the train tracks?  I finally make it home, run to my room, and look at my blank screen...too early for Halloween, so I am thinking back to school. I was thinking this was the idea, but had to come up with something that hasn't been done yet and EVERY group I am involved in has a million and 1 back to school tubes...A cheerleader! That's it!!! Have yet to see one cheerleader! So I quickly mapped her out and sent  her rendering...3 hours later she was finished and I started my postwork.. I finished the post work, zipped her and came  to blogger! I had made an excellent save...a little late, but was so proud of myself that I was actually able to pull it offf and get her out on the 15th like always... AND THEN... OMG then I saw my bestie buddy Kaci's release for the same day (She had posted hers 9 hours previous) to my rushing into blogger to post my FOTM Cheerleader...It was a CHEERLEADER! At this point all I could do was giggle at the irony of it all. It was one hundred percent a total coincidence. We had not spoke about what would be released, or when they would be released. Considering I had just grabbed the idea of a cheerleader 5 hours earlier, I hadn't told anyone because I just thought of it and ran with it. So, We had a good laugh about it and marvelled at the irony and I started a new tube for you all. I figure, I am a total for the way I handled the horrid day yesterday, so I decided to make you guys a "Geek Girl" . Yep, schools back in and I am sure there are a few sexy geek girls out there. I hope you enjoyed the story of my day from hell and I hope you got a giggle out of hearing it. Until next month....

Download Geek Girl HERE

FOTM-July-Autism Awareness

As many of you know, June was a rough month for my family. My youngest son Tristin, who was diagnosed with Asperger's (A form of Autism) in 2006, went from high functioning to low functioning over night. Our household has been turned upside down. Between the sleep schedules (Someone has to be awake at all times to watch over him due to the sleep walking, and the desire just to walk out the door and go on adventures without the slightest inclination of danger) and the doctors appointments, therapy, medications and trying to run a household financially, it has been a very hard time.  Tristin's medication alone is running me around 1250. a month, then throw in the therapy, doctors appointments and etc, I am up to 2000.00 bux a month. I have applied for disability for him, which would take about 730.00 a month off of that, but, looking at 120 days before we know anything. I have started an Autism Awareness Collab group on facebook to help me with these costs, and if there is any way that you could donate a kit, tube, template, word art etc, I would be eternally grateful. Also, anyone who donates, gets the entire collab for free.  So, if you can join us, the addy is : https://www.facebook.com/groups/TristinsAutismAwarenessScrapCollab/
AND now, the FOTM, which of course is Autism Awareness.  I hope that you like it, and can find use for it...I really think we need to spread awareness on the myths and truths of this illness that is stealing our children and their personalities. 

It can be downloaded At my store

So, I hope to see you in the group!!