ATC

My entry for this weeks Stampotique Challenge 'Blue and Brown' ...

Challenges

Trick or Treat

An ATC for the Wicked Wednesday ATC challenge and Eclectic Ellapu Halloween

ATCs for swaps

TMTA

An ATC for TMTA challenge ... theme is blue and green ...

Another ATC

This one uses a background paper created using Sarah Lawrences instructions in her book "Stitch, Cloth, Shimmer and Shine" ... I have added some 'plastised' paper made by covering and old dictionary page with resin and an image transfer on a chipboard heart ..

ATCs

I've been on a bit of an ATC kick lately - here a few I've made ...

These all fit the 'Word' theme on Our Creative Corner so I might just enter them!

Another ...

... ATC for a swap. Theme was 'Greens' and I used 5-6 different shades of green on this ATC with inks, sprays, glimmers and acrylic paint ..

... also uses my favourite Stampotique stamp 'Marci' and a touch of red for contrast.

Doors ...

... ATC made for a swap. I used wood grain paper which is distress stained and distress inked with a die cut leaf spray and a bit of bling for the front ...

... the door opens to reveal this ...

ATCs

Three ATCs made for a swap - they have a printed text background which I have painted over using Paperartsy's Fresco Finish paints. The die cuts have been layered up to give them some dimension and then painted and stamped with a Paperartsy text stamp. They are glued down and then a swirl stamp has been used around the edges of each card and words stamped and added. The ATCs have been finished with a couple of layers of gloss medium

Another project

This is an ATC accordion book I have made using pictures of Mata Hari ...

folded ...

and stretched out ... the background papers are a cotton rag paper coloured with Adirondack Colour Wash Sprays (I know it's spelled without the U but I just can't bring myself to use this way). They are stamped with  wonderful Paperartsy stamps - including the fine background text stamp, Mini 61, which I love and then over stamped with some swirls using copper Brilliance ink ... text paper has been added to the bottom, and the images and ATC edges are finished off with Derwent Inktense pencil in Bark. I've added some star shaped brads and given her a halo with Liquid pearls - many would say she doesn't deserve a halo - but I love her. The words are computer generated, printed and cut out. 

Here are some close ups with a little more detail ... the light is terrible today despite the snow and my camera flash has washed out some of the rich colour the sprays give.

I do like how this project has turned out and just need to finish the cover.

Altered Surface

I recently took part in an ATC swap with the theme 'Altered Surfaces'. I knew immediately that this was the perfect opportunity to try out techniques and follow a tutorial by Lin Brown ... this was the result ...

I love it! Thank you Lin.

New Year - New Start

Happy New Year to you all.

I plan to use my time better this year making more and surfing less. Watch this space to see if I keep it up or not!

To get me off to a good start I have been making swaps for the groups I am in and they have been going well BUT I can't really upload those until partners etc are sorted so they are scheduled for later in the month.

I can show a couple of ATCs though that have already been swapped out ...

This one is for the theme 'Fabric and Fibres' and I found this really difficult - not sure why - but my head just wasn't 'there' so in the end I used fabric background, piled a load of threads on top of it and covered with tulle - I then stitched a grid pattern over the top and finished with a dictionary paper embellishment and a charm.

This one was for the theme 'rust'. I already had some fabric which I had rust dyed so I added some stamping to it and some foiling using 'Hot Spots' glue from Nid-Noi - I then embellished with a swirl die cut, butterfly die cuts and punches and some seed beads.

Fabric ATC

Just sharing a fabric ATC I made for a swap (actually I made nine!) ...

The background is made from strips of fabric and lace woven together (sorry I couldn't get a better photo) ... I've then added a fabric 'patch' with a stamped birdcage and a die cut bird made from 3 layers of card and patterned paper on the top. The little circle embellishments are a bit like brads - they have little spikes on the back that you can poke though the fabric - I have had them years!

WOYWW 181

Resurrecting this blog again ... it's not that I'm not creating, just that I am lazy about uploading :-)) Anyway I am inspired to join in Julia's blog 'hop' today ... you will find dozens of other desks to visit here ... most of them much more interesting than mine ...

Some finished ATCs for a swap and some background paper ready for another project.

Edit 22/11/12 - sorry the ATCs are a bit blurry and a bit distant - deliberate because they are meant to be a surprise BUT they will show up on here in the future when they are swapped out :-)) and YES I do use the flat iron to straighten stuff out - it is nice and small and heavy,

Time ...

... where does it go? I didn't continue with uploading LSEDN pages - too personal - but there were some great prompts to get you thinking.

I have been making ATCs and mini albums - I love both ...

This ATC was made 9 times to share/swap with a group of internet friends and the theme was 'Creative Embossing' ...

The background is made from paper that has been scribbled with wax crayons, spray inked, crumpled and inked with an ink pad and then over stamped. This background has been fused to a felt background and then I have used some fabric paper (Beryl Taylors method) to make the heart and free machined this to the back ground. It is embellished with a UTEED  and pearlexed hand made button and finished with a machine stitched boreder and a coat of matte medium over this and the background.

I put my mini albums onto Youtube (I'm too lazy to take all the photographs) and if you would like to look at these just click here  for my channel ... or on the individual links below ...

Black and White ATCs with ...

... a touch of red ...

... I am showing these because they were on my desk yesterday and I did finish them ... however they are far from my best work. I have been felled by the 'Migraine Monster' for 4 of the last 6 days and to be honest it's been grim. If anyone out there has had any success in reducing (curing???) or at least managing their migraines please get in touch - I'm getting desperate ... jacqueline@jchimes.orangehome.co.uk

ATCs

Here are the ATCs from previous post ... they are all for swaps

Domestic Goddess

Exotic Dancer

Prima Ballerina

Shakespeare Lady

Pets

WOYWW 153

Wow - three weeks since I did this? Not sure how that's possible! If you like to see what crafters around the globe are up to visit Julia's blog here.

This was my desk this morning - just to prove I work in a complete mess a lot of the time and within an approximate 6" square of desk space! It always starts out clear ... but quickly deteriorates however much I tidy as I go!

I've been making ATCs for swaps ... and I obviously stopped tidying as I went somewhere along the way. I'll photo the ATCs properly and put them in the next post. Hope I can visit you this week if you are entering but there are so many now!

Have a good day.

Alice in Wonderland

Four more ATCs for a swap with an Alice in Wonderland theme - the playing card shapes are very well 'stickled' but this doesn't show up too well on the photograph - adds a nice finishing touch though!

ATCs

Regular readers (if I have any left) will have noticed a distinct lack of crafting over the last year - life really got in the way for a while. I am gradually getting back to it though and have signed up for a couple of ATC swaps to get my mojo going! I have always loved making ATCs and if you have followed my dabbles with mini albums it's fairly obvious that creativity on a small scale is where I like to be. My previous post showed the backgrounds and here are the finished cards. Four for the swap and one to keep.

When I am making anything for a swap I almost always have a couple of extras that I 'play' with first and in this case it was the one with the Z. If you look closely there are some subtle changes to the background stamping and my first attempt used a smaller focal point stamp. I also tried the fountain pen as a cut out piece. Neither worked well. A larger stamped image was chosen. It also took a while to come up with the metal mesh behind the stamped image - I knew it needed 'something' and the light dawned as I was dropping off to sleep late last night. I have had the mesh - unused- for years - literally years!

All the stamps used - except the pen - are by Paperartsy.