Bits and Pieces

A Bit of Brown

2010-07-18T19:48:00.000+01:00

These are for Cazro's colour swap this month. This month's colours are toffee and chocolate, which are definitely colours I'm a bit more comfortable with!

UTEE, Bleaching and Watercolour Pencils

2010-07-18T19:43:00.002+01:00

These are for Cazro's Let's Stamp Swap on the DoCrafts forum. This month's theme is triple embossing for a glossy finish.

I visited the Lake District a few weeks ago and was lucky enough to call in at the factory shop for Derwent Pencils. I picked up a HUGE box of watercolour pencils half price, and there were some pastel pencils free with it as well. As you can imagine, I have been exsperimenting with them ever since.

To do these ATCs, I started off by inking and stamping the backgrounds, stamping the main images and then bleaching out the colour from the main images. I then coloured them using watercolour pencils and triple embossed them with three layers of UTEE.

Encaustic Art

2010-07-09T11:45:00.001+01:00

I had a day off last Friday, so managed to make some encaustic art ATCs. These are the first ones I've done in a while, so I'm a bit rusty, but I think they turned out OK.

I'm off today as well, but not because I want to be!

The Stamp Man ATC Swap

2010-07-08T14:50:00.000+01:00

These are my ATCs for The Stamp Man ATC Swap. Well, three of them are anyway. I got a bit carried away and made a a couple of extras. This month's theme is "wings".

Unfortunately the photos don't show up the shimmeriness (is that a word?)

I made the background using Starburst Sprays, with Papermania Vinyls as masks.

I then stamped the backgrounds in distress inks and the flowers in black archival ink. I also stamped the dragonflies directly onto the ATCs because I am lazy and didn't want to cut out the legs. (Well, I tried, but they kept falling off!)

Next, I stamped the dragonflies onto white card using black archival ink and coloured them with watercolour pencils. I added highlights using white and glitter gel pens. I stamped the wings separately onto some shimmery cellophane , cut them out and stuck them on. I attached the dragonflies to the ATCs, curved the wings and put some foam pads under the wings for a 3D effect.

Silhouettes

2010-07-06T20:08:00.000+01:00

I got some beautiful new stamps at the Happy Stampers North West show a few weeks ago. These are from Lavinia Stamps and I absolutely love them. The background is layered ink, masked with torn paper.

I have some trees as well, so there will be more to come!

Blind Drawing!

2010-07-05T18:43:00.001+01:00

Most of these are for a swap on ATCs for All hosted bt AnnD, but they are very addictive so I made a few extras.

The idea is to draw a face with your eyes closed and then to make it into a character.

I've added a bit about each character at the side as well.

The images are drawn using Promarkers and black artist pen, with a bit of white gel pen.

The backgrounds were created using collage, inks, acrylic paints and pens.

Bleaching

2010-07-04T10:31:00.000+01:00

These were done for one of Cazro's Let's Stamp Swaps on the theme of bleaching. I've inked and water sprayed the backgrounds, (stamped on most of them), stamped and embossed the main image and then used bleach to take out some of the colour.

Sun, Moon and Stars

2010-07-04T10:25:00.000+01:00

These were for a swap on ATCs for All. I also did a moon and a star, but I haven't posted them becasue they didn't photograph very well.

I used printed text and music score, watercolours, tissue paper, acrylic paint, glitter gel pens and Precious Metal paint.

Yellow (Another Colour I Find Difficult)

2010-07-04T10:19:00.000+01:00

These are some more ATCs I did for cazro's colour swap. The colours for these were yelow and cream. Yellow is another colour I don't use very often, because I find it dificult to work with.

I used layered stamping, and I used wax crayon resist on the owl and the angels.

Another Silly Collage ATC

2010-07-03T16:51:00.000+01:00

This was another silly one I did a while back.

I used printed papers, part of a sewing pattern, printed images, inks, acrylic paints, Promarkers, white gel pen and black art pen.

Pink!

2010-07-03T16:47:00.001+01:00

Pink is not my colour, but these were for one of Cazro's s colour swaps. I've done every one since they started, so I'm not going to let a bit of pink stop me!

ATCing With the Boys

2010-07-03T16:43:00.000+01:00

These are some ATCs I made with my boys, Alex who's 7 and Adam who's now 5 (but was 4 when we made these). They were done for a swap on ATCs for All. They were started by the boys and finished by me.

More Metal

2010-07-02T09:53:00.000+01:00

This is some more freehand metal embossing I've done, coloured with alcohol inks and then sanded, and this time I've added some gems.

Another Silly Collage ATC

2010-07-02T09:49:00.000+01:00

This is another silly collagwe ATC I did.

I used printed papers, ink, acrylic paints, printed images and text and pens for this one, (and probably one or two other thigns I've forgotten about!)

I'm Still Alive!

2010-07-02T09:33:00.001+01:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been such a long time since I last blogged. Between working full time, looking after two children and making the most of the lovely weather, I seem to have very little free time lately.

I have a rare day off where I'm not trying to cram a million things into it, so will try and catch up a bit.I've still been creating things as and when I've had the time so will post pictures of some of the things I've been doing.

These are some emboss resist ATCs I created using distress inks.

And Finally... a Bit of Love... or was it just the wine?

2010-02-28T23:00:00.000Z

This one has a gesso resist and distress ink background. The heart is cut from a book page and I've used ink and gesso to colour it, using sequin waste as a stencil. I've added the swirls on the heart using white gel pen and have stitched around the edges of the ATC and the heart. The word "Passion" is rubber stamped and the rest of the words are found poetry taken from a page of "David Copperfield"

Doodling on Metal

2010-02-28T22:26:00.000Z

These are embossed alumininium which I coloured using alcohol inks before embossing. I've done them all freehand, which is just like doodling on metal.

Green and Fruity

2010-02-28T22:20:00.000Z

These are for Cazro's colour swap on the DoCrafts forum. This month's colour is leaf green. For the grapes, I've inked and stamped the background, added three layers of UTEE over the top and stamped the grapes into the UTEE.

For the apple, I've stamped half of the background, used book text for the other half, inked it and then added the stamped apple image over the top. I've watercoloured the apple using distress inks. I added some acrylic paint around the edges, edged with black and white pens and added the printed image of a caterpillar and written words.

For the pear, I inked and stamped the background, stamped the pear over the top, watercoloured the pear with distress inks and added Glossy Accents over the top of the pear.

Mushrooms!

2010-02-28T18:05:00.000Z

These are for a hand drawn and painted mushroom swap. The blue one is acrylic paint. The red and yellow ones are done with Promarkers, black fineliner and white gel pen, and the purple one is coloured pencils on black paper.

A Bit More Weirdness

2010-02-28T18:01:00.000Z

These are some more collage ATCs I've done. I definitely don't think I can do collage without getting either silly or just plain weird!

Rock Salt and Acetate

2010-02-28T17:24:00.000Z

These were created using backgrounds created with rock salt and watercolours. I added some acrylic paint around the edges which I applied through sequin waste then stamped and embossed the image. I then stamped the image again on acetate in black Stazon and attached it over the top with brads, making sure part of the embosed image showed through to give a shadow effect.

A Bit of Sillyness...

2010-02-14T17:31:00.000Z

...because I just can't help myself. I can't seem to do collaged ATCs without getting silly. I did these last night:

This one has a text background covered with gesso and ink, acrylic paint stamped with bubble wrap and rubber stamping. Collage using printed images and rubber stamped across the head, a bit of white gel pen and colouring with Promarkers.

This one has a background made from a vintage dress pattern (a bit lost under the layers) painted using watercolours, rubber stamped, with a collaged layer on top using printed images, acrylic paint, more rubber stamping and more collaged bits, with a bit of pen around the edges.

...and Some Red

2010-02-14T17:19:00.000Z

These are all for a PIck a Theme swap on ATCs for All. I started with similar backgrounds for all of them, created using inks, rubber stamping and acrylic paint, and then I did something different with each one.

The fish is painted in acrylic.

The bird and the branches are made using various pieces of printed paper, pieced together and shaded using coloured pencils. I've drawn the various bits using a PITT artist pen and accented with white gel pen.

For the kiss I have done a gel medium image transfer, added a definition from a dictionary and edged with acrylic paints and rubber stamping.

The rooster is done by piecing together pieces of printed paper in a similar way to the bird. I've added shading using pens and pencil and a dictionary definition.

Finally I have done a zentangle style ATC using PITT artist pen and white gel pen (background as above) and have added a bit of Cosmic Shimmer glitter paint.

Some Orange...

2010-02-14T17:07:00.000Z

For Cazro's colour swap on DoCrafts.

The top one is rubber stamped on a stamped, inked and acrylic paint background.

The middle one is stamped on a background made of various pieces of printed paper and inked. I've added white gel pen to accent.

The bottom one is Grungeboard and Grungepaper on an inked and stamped background.

Mermaids

2010-02-14T12:15:00.001Z

These are for a swap on ATCs for All. I've drawn the mermaids using Promarkers, PITT Artist Pen, white gel pen and Sakura Stardust pens (although the shimmer unfortunately doesn't show up on the photos.

For the background, I've used tissue paper, Cosmic Shimmer Sprays and acrylic paint.

...and some more

2010-01-20T18:34:00.000Z

I've had lots of fun doing these. I like anything a bit weird and I love bright colours. They're so much harder to do than they look though! I created all the background bits myself using Promarkers, acrylic paints and gel pens.

A BIt of Zetti

2010-01-10T16:34:00.000Z

These are a couple of ATCs I've made for a Teesha Moore inspired swap on ATCs for All. They're my first attemtps at anything like this, and I think maybe I've gone a bit OTT on the colour, but I had to put a bit of me in there too, and I do love colour!

Friendly Plastic and Mica Powders

2010-01-10T16:30:00.000Z

This is a RAK for a friend. I've used Friendly Plastic on a background which I've stamped in Versamark and covered with mica powders in various colours. The butterfly is printed on acetate and shows up more in real life. The word "Imagine" is stamped into Friendly Plastic.

It's a lot more colourful and shiny than it appears in the photo.

Funky Hair

2010-01-09T12:15:00.000Z

These are for another swap on ATCs for All. The backgrounds are created using inks, water spray, rubber stramping and acrylic paints. I've used vintage images and given them funky hairstyles which I've drawn using coloured pencils, altered their makeup a bit also using coloured pencils, added some pen outlines and printed words. These were great fun to do.

I think this one looks like Boy George! (It's the makeup, I think).

More Found Poetry

2010-01-03T12:27:00.000Z

These are some more found poetry ATCs I've made. I love doing these. They're a lot of fun. (See post below for details of what found poetry entails).

The pictures are gesso image transfers. I've used inks, acrylic paint, gesso, pens, gel medium, printed papers, paper flowers, gems, and the butterfly images are printed on acetate

A Bit of Black & White

2009-12-30T13:47:00.000Z

These are for a stamping swap hosted by Cazro on the DoCrafts forum. The idea is that the first month's swap is simple - stamping in black ink on white card. Well, it's simple in theory, but making an interesting ATC with simple black on white stamping was a real challenge for me! I think I like my colour too much.

It's Quiet Around Here

2009-12-20T17:30:00.001Z

I have just been too busy for art. I've hardly made anything over the last few weeks, as I seem to have just been running from one place to another with no free time.

These are some 4in hearts I made for a swap.

I've used a bit of everything on these - printed papers, acrylics, watercolours, inks, gel pens, fineliners, glitter pens, mica flakes, 3d fabric paint and more!

Funky Birds

2009-11-08T23:11:00.001Z

These are some funky bird ATCs I've made for a swap on ATCs for All. I've used allsorts on these - printed papers, book text, inks, acrylic paints, PITT pen, white gel pen, Promarkers, some marbled paper I made ages ago and probably one or two other bits and pieces.

A Bit of Doodling

2009-11-08T23:07:00.000Z

These are a couple of zentangle style doodles I did a couple of weeks ago. I love doing these as I can do them anywhere. I added a bit of colour using Promarkers.

Friendly Plastic Pendant

2009-10-26T12:16:00.000Z

I don't make much Friendly Plastic jewellery, mainly because I'm not really sure what I'm doing, (anyone want to teach me?), and I never think I will be able to come up with something that someone actually wants to wear. Anyway, I was feeling very inspired yesterday after doing lots of blog hopping (and I have lots of blue clothes and no jewellery to wear with them), so I decided to use of some of my FP scraps. This is what I came up with, and whilst I know it's not perfect, I'm actually quite pleased with how it's turned out!

I started off by making the frame using ArtEmboss aluminium. I rolled in the edges using a cocktail stick to start me off and make sure they were reasonably straight, and pressed down with an embossing tool to create the indentations. I used acrylic paint to create the slightly aged effect. Then I found some FP scraps, heated them with my heat gun and pressed them into the frame, makign sure there were no gaps. If the FP started to cool too much I just gave it a blast with the heat gun whilst in the frame - this helped it to stick too. Then when I'd filled the frame I added a glaze over the top and left it to dry. I was originally going to solder a jump ring onto the top, but have discovered that soldering doesn't really work with aluminium (or maybe I just need more practice)! Anyway, I settled for punching a tiny hole through the top and adding wire. I added some FP beads and some small seed beads on the wire and twisted it around to make a loop at the top.

At Last! Something other than ATCs

2009-10-25T14:59:00.001Z

This is my (rather late) RR Journal page for Heidi. Heidi had an open theme for her journal but (I hope) I know what kind of thing she likes. The page is created from mountboard and I've cut a recess for the figure, backing it with regular card. I've added freehand embossed aluminium on the left, which I painted with black acrylic and wiped off when almost dry to age it a bit, then added some metallic rub-ons over the top to add a bit of colour. I painted the page with black acrylic (bronze in the recess), added some book text and painted over the top of that with an acrylic/PVA wash, then added some clear UTEE on the right hand side and stamped into it. I then went over the top of it with various colours of metallic rub-on and set it. The head of the figure is moulded and I pressed a metal chain into it for texture. The body is a poker chip painted black and covered with metallic rub-on. The wings are Grungeboard painted in silver acrylic, the arms are wire with beads on the end, and the legs are made from wire and sea glass. (I spent my entire holiday this year picking up bits of glass from the beach - they must launch a lot of boats on their maiden voyages from Brixham!) The word "fly" is Grungeboard painted with silver acrylic.

To those of you I still owe journal pages to (Cindy, Sherry and Yvonne, I think), I am really sorry for the delay. They will be done as soon as I can find some inspiration.

...and Some More!

2009-10-25T14:44:00.001Z

One day I'll lear n to take a straight photo! These are some more Friendly Plastic ATCs I've made. The top one has a background created from book text, inks and acrylic paints with a layer of crackle medium over the top and metallic rub-on over the top of that to pick up the cracks I've used mica flakes on the corners and a heart gem. The wings and the FP piece at the corner were made by dragging a needle tool through hot FP, and the face was done in a mould.

This next one was done with a collaged background using various printed papers, gesso, inks and acrylic paints. The faux stiching around the edges was drawn on using white gel pen. This is one of my first attempts at Liz Welch's lacework technique with Friendly Plastic.

The background on this one was done using inks and acrylic paint. I've added a layer of sparkly mesh, (yep, I still love the mesh), and some red sand around the edges (very cheap from Ikea, but I'm sure it would be easy to make your own since the ingredients are listed as sand and acrylic paint). I've cheated on this one and used stick on letters, but in retrospect I think it may have looked better with the word "hot" painted on. The FP sun was done in a mould and I shaped the swirly bits by hand.

I'm very unsure about this last one as I think the FP flowers are competing for attention with the tree. I might have to pull it apart and use the flowers on something else. The flowers were made using a mould and the leaves are lacework again. The background is inked and the tree is stamped and highlighted with a white gel pen. I made this one when I was tired, and I think it shows!

Some More Friendly Plastic

2009-10-18T19:30:00.001+01:00

I tried something new here and shaped the FP with my hands to create the vines and leaves. The frog was made using a mould.

Oh, I actually made something other than an ATC this week too. Can't post pics of it yet though as it's not gone to the recipient.

Faux Verdigris

2009-10-18T18:57:00.000+01:00

I had fun making this one. The paper was aged using distress inks which I spritzed with water. I freehand embossed the copper and then created the verdigris effect using acrylic paints, first adding a layer of black, letting it dry a bit and then wiping it off and then adding a further layer of light green and white (a bit of both, not mixed) by stippling it on, letting it partly dry again and then wiping it with a tissue. The star is cut from Makin's Clay and I created the texture on it by pressing a piece of vintage lace into it. I painted it black and added some metallic rub-on over the top. I made the wire look rusty using Distress Embossing Powder.

Found Poetry

2009-10-09T21:28:00.002+01:00

These are for a found poetry swap I've joined on the ATCs for All forum. The idea of found poetry is that you take a page from a book/magazine/leaflet etc and take words from it to make poetry.

The top one uses words from an article about insititutionalised prisoners in the Legal Executive Journal. (In my defence, I did read it before I cut it up!) Matt says it could be about me. I'm not sure quite what he's getting at, but if he wants to think I'm still 30, that's fine by me!

I used a page from an old children's encyclopaedia for the background which tells you how to renovate your stockings! Why a child would want to know about that I really don't know. I used Distress inks for the background and spritzed with Cosmic Shimmer spray (which doesn't show up in the picture. I stamped over it and highlighted with a white pen then hand stitched around the edges.

For the second one, I used alcohol inks on the background with a bit of gold mixative. The background is a letter Sudoku puzzle. Again I stamped and highlighted the background then added the image and words and stitched around the edges. This one and the bottom one use words from Charles Dickens' David Copperfield.

The third one is an inked and stamped background with a bit of acrylic paint added over the top and then a layer of book text. I added the image and words and then stitched around the edges. For this one, I have used words from a nasty excuse for a book which was free with a women's magazine I bought years ago.

Umm... not sure how this pink one crept in! This one has a collaged background which is inked and then acrylic painted. I added the image and words and then stamped the swirl on some acetate, alcohol inked the other side and then stitched it over the top. I've used black and white pens on all of these to highlight the images and words.

I've had a bit of a crazy week with one thing and another, so am trying to cram in as much arty stuff while I still have the time. Both my boys are at school all day now and I am returning to work full time a week on Monday - aaargh! I have a feeling I will be very tired for the next few weeks until I get used to full time work again, and unfortunately I fear I may have even less time for arty pursuits. Sadly there are just not enough hours in the day.

I'm off to the HSNW Rubber Stamp Festival tomorrow and, sod's law, I have come down with a nasty cold today. Fingers crossed I will feel a bit better in the morning.

Experimentation

2009-10-06T11:10:00.001+01:00

I've been doing a few more messy, experimental ATCs recently. I've been kind of neglecting them lately, which is a shame because I think it's probably what I'm best at. The first one has a background made form stamping and book text, coloured using Distress Ink and spritzed with water. I've used fusible fibres and a chipboard flower which I've covered with shiny blue UTEE and stamped into it. The letters are the bottom are coloured with distress ink and I've gone over the top of them with a layer of crackle medium. The Second one is an experiment in shimmer and shine. The background is again distress ink which is spritzed with water. I've stamped on it with Versamark and added mica powders. (As usual, the shimmer doesn't show up very well in the photo). I've added some shiny mesh and a butterfly stamped on acetate and glittered on the back using Stickles. The flower is stamped and embossed in black on black card and painted using pearly watercolours. The bottom one has an alcohol inked background and the main image is stamped on shrink plastic.

I am also experimenting witht he new text editor, apparently without much success. More practice needed, I think!

Some More Metal and Friendly Plastic

2009-09-29T11:40:00.005+01:00

I've been doing some metal embossing again. These are embossed aluminium coloured with alcohol inks. The bacground on the left one is inked and stamped. On the one on the right I've added a marbled Friendly Plastic piece that I made ages ago and hadn't got around to using yet.

I'm doing well at the moment. I think my inspiration has finally returned after deserting me for almost a year. Now I just need to get back to doing something other than ATCs...

(The lower one is cut straight, I promise! It's my photography that's wonky.)

... and Some Friendly Plastic

2009-09-27T21:47:00.002+01:00

It seems like ages since I last did anything with Friendly Plastic. These are a couple of ATCs I've made using various techniques. I've combined the Friendly Plastic with metal embossing on the one on the left.

A Bit of Stamping...

2009-09-27T21:43:00.002+01:00

These are for a stamping swap where you can only use stamps - no embellishments or hand drawn elements, but you can add colour. I've used inked and water spritzed backgrounds, layers of stamping and have added a bit of colour to the main images.

Haunted Houses

2009-09-22T18:57:00.003+01:00

Well, it's that time of year again, so here are some halloweeny house shaped ATCs. The backgrounds are done using emboss resist for the cobwebs and inking and stamping. I've also spritzed them with a bit of water for a grungy effect. I've added a bit of Stickles on some of the cobwebs to make them sparkle.

The rest of it is collage using a combination of printed images, stamping and a few hand drawn elements.

My youngest son is in school full time from next week, so I'm hoping to find the time to do something other than ATCs. I've also banned myself from joining any more swaps until I've got my journal pages done for those I still owe them to, so hopefully that will inspire me if nothing else does!

Zentangles

2009-09-16T21:26:00.004+01:00

Zentangle style ATCs in shades of black, white and purple. They're more purple and less pink than they appear in the pictures as the photos were taken in bad light...

...and I think that's finally all for today. Whew!

Crows!

2009-09-16T21:16:00.003+01:00

These are for a swap I've joined on the ATCs for All Forum. The backgrounds are alcohol inked and the crowns are Friendly Plastic.

Going Green

2009-09-16T21:04:00.003+01:00

These Three are for a green themed swap. I decided to do three completely different styles/techniques. The top one is done using moulded air dry clay faces and acrylic paint. The middle one is Friendly Plastic adn the bottom one is rubber stamped.

UTEE Tiles

2009-09-16T20:53:00.003+01:00

These are some ATCs I did for a UTEE demo I did at Cazro's meet. I did ten of them in total, all in bright colours. (I can't seem to get away from the bright colours at the moment).

Metal Embossing

2009-09-16T20:38:00.002+01:00

This is the name badge I made for the meet. It's ATC sized and is embossed purple metal which I then went over with some fie sandpaper. It's all done freehand.

Art

2009-09-16T20:31:00.004+01:00

Well, I've been a bit slacking in my blogging lately. I've been on holiday and have been really busy since I got back with Alex going back to school and Adam starting "proper" school. I was lucky enough to go up to Geordieland at the weekend to meet my friend Cazro and lots of other fantastic people. I had a brilliant day. This is an ATC I made for the "Art" swap at the meet, and it's the first very textured and 3D one I've done for a while.

Mixed Media Trees

2009-08-13T18:41:00.003+01:00

I made these using inks, pearlescent watercolours, acrylic paints, book text and pens

Faux Tintype ATCs

2009-08-13T18:36:00.003+01:00

These are some faux tintype ATCs I made for a swap on ATCs for All. They're done using images printed on acetate with aluminium duct tape behind. I added the colour using alcohol inks on some and Promarkers on others.

Passion

2009-07-24T11:01:00.006+01:00

This is the first "just for the sake of it" ATC I've done in ages. The background is heated acrylic paint and metallic rub-on. The heart is freehand embossed on aluminium and I've coloured it using alcohol inks and sanded it for a distressed look. I've added a heart gem and some mesh, and the word "passion" which is stamped into Friendly Plastic.

Unfortunately I couldn't get a very good photo of it, probably because it's dark, or maybe because my photography skills are not up to much! It's not quite as dark as it looks in the picture.

Feeling Blue

2009-07-21T10:20:00.004+01:00

In complete contrast to my previous post, here are some pretty flowers!
Done using alcohol inks and gel pens.

Inspired by Clive Barker

2009-07-21T10:13:00.002+01:00

These are some ATCs I made inspired by the artwork of Clive Barker, for a swap on ATCs for All.

I did them using oil pastels, which I have to say is easier said than done when working on an ATC scale!

I can't seem to get over the obsession with all things grim and gory. Still, it's better than that bout of prettyitis I had a while back!

MIxed Media Cats

2009-07-11T23:27:00.002+01:00

These are some cat ATCs I've made using watercolours and pens on an inked and stamped background. I'm really enjoying doing ATCs with a hand drawn or painted element at the moment, and of course I love bright colours!

Sharpies, Promarkers and Pens

2009-06-30T17:04:00.003+01:00

Markers are my latest passion. I LOVE drawing with them! These are some ATCs created using Sharpies, Promarkers, india ink artist pen and white gel pen.

Eggs & Nests

2009-06-30T17:01:00.004+01:00

These are some collaged ATCs I've made for a swap on ATCs for All.

Still none of my messy stuff as it's mostly still in boxes. :(

Some Stamped ATCs

2009-06-30T16:58:00.002+01:00

I've been doing a lot of stamping lately, mainly because I made sure I kept most of my stamps out when we redecorated. These are a few of the ATCs I made. (I still don't seem to be able to find the tiem to make anything bigger).

Helloooo!

2009-06-30T16:53:00.003+01:00

Wow! I didn't realise it was so long since I last posted. I'm still not being very productive due to the fact that I've got a lot going on and also half of my stuff is still packed away in boxes until I can afford to buy a new shelf to put it all on!

Anyway, these are some ATCs I made for a mixed media peace sign swap. They're done using book text, inks, rubber stamping, pearly paints and pens.

Pastel Colours

2009-05-10T14:33:00.003+01:00

Yay! I'm on a roll now! These ATCs are for Cazro's colour swap on DoCrafts, which is pastel colours for this month. It was a good opportunity to try out some of my new acquisitions - some of the new Adirondack lights alcohol inks (well actually I got the whole set of lights, but it was a good deal), and some great background stamps from Crafty Individuals.

I've used Brilliance inks for the background stamping on these, so they're nice and shimmery, which unfortunately doesn't show up in the photos.

I also bought some more new stamps, Cosmic Shimmer Mist, Friendly Plastic, embossing metal and tools, pearly paints and Grungepaper, so watch this space!

Back on Track (Sort Of!)

2009-05-10T14:23:00.002+01:00

Well, I have my desk again (at least until the plastering's done later this week), I can get to some of my stuff (although a lot of it is still trapped behind various pieces of furniture where it's temporarily stashed in the conservatory), and I spent yesterday at the Happy Stampers North West festival at Port Sunlight so have bought a few new things too (well, quite a lot of new things actually).

Anyway, I finally managed to sit down and make some ATCs last night, and the boys are all watching the footy so I have time to blog.

These are for Crafty Critter's Three of a Kind swap on DoCrafts. The idea of the swap is that you can only use three stamps and three inks on each ATC.

No Time for Art :(

2009-05-06T09:45:00.002+01:00

Well, I have not been very creative lately, the reason being that we have been completely redoing our lounge and dining room. I have had no desk and all my bits and pieces are in places where I can't get to them. I have also had only intermittent internet access. Needless to say, I am very frustrated.

We're at the stage now where we've had a new floor put in and have redecorated two thirds of the room. We still need to have one wall replastered and then wait a couple of weeks for it to dry enough to paint it, and we also have lots of flat pack bookshelves to build, but after that we should hopefully be back to something resembling normal. I've spent the last week moving furniture, climbing up and down ladders and painting (sadly walls, not pictures), so I will be glad when I go to work tomorrow so I can have a rest! I think I need to sleep for a week.

Encaustic Art

2009-04-20T19:06:00.004+01:00

Told you I'd been busy! These are some encuastic art ATCs that I managed to do on Saturday morning before it got too hot in the conservatory!

I'm putting a few in my trading album (link on the right) if anyone's interested.

The Sun is Shining!

2009-04-20T18:58:00.003+01:00

The weather has been beautiful here over the last couple of weeks, and it's made me feel a hundred times better!

I've made these sunny ATCs for another swap on ATCs for All. They're all hand drawn or painted and I've done them all in different styles. The top left one was done using coloured pencils and a black pen. The top right was done using Promarkers and a black pen.

I used acrylic paints for the middle left and the bottom one, and the middle right one was done using a gold marker and watercolours.

Flowers

2009-04-20T18:49:00.002+01:00

I'm still alive! I haven't blogged for a while because I've been really busy over the Easter holidays. The boys were incredibly well behaved for once - I don't think we gave them chance not to! I've had some time off work and we've had lots of days out, so I'm now feeling all refreshed (although I'm sure that feeling will vanish on Thursday when I Go back to work!)

I have still been finding them time to make a few ATCs, and these are some I made for a mixed media flower swap on the ATCs for All forum.

One day I will manage to sit down for long enough to complete some of the bigger projects I have on the go. I apologise to the people I owe RR journal pages to. I'd rather do them when I have a bit more free time than rush them and mess them up!

Bright and Colourful

2009-03-30T14:48:00.003+01:00

I love experimenting with bright colours, and I made these backgrounds using twinkling H2Os and clingfilm (they're shiny in real life). The trees are hand drawn and I've aded some Stickles.

One Extreme to the Other

2009-03-30T14:43:00.003+01:00

After all the dark and weird stuff I've been doing lately I thought it was time for a change, so here are a few pretty ones (but a bit grungy too - I CAN'T do proper pretty).

Just to Prove I CAN Still do Cards

2009-03-21T20:05:00.002Z

This one's for my mum.

...and A Bit More Weirdness

2009-03-16T22:47:00.002Z

These are some ATCs I've made for a mixed media medical textbook-esque swap on ATCs for All.

I've used inks and stamps on the backgrounds, shimmer sprays, printed images and text, pens and acrylic paints

Some More Skeletons

2009-03-16T22:38:00.003Z

These are the rest of my ATCs for the skeleton swap. The top one has an inked and stamped background. I've used a printed image of a skeleton and drawn over it in pen because I didn't like the original image. (It wasn't dark enough for the style of the ATC). I added the hair, flower and jewellery which are hand drawn in pen.

The second one has and ink and acrylic paint background. I've used printed images of skeletons and added the hearts which I cut from a book page and inked. I layered more acrylic paint over the legs of the skeletons and added the printed words which I've coloured using ink.

For the final one, I inked and stamped the background, used a printed image of the dancer and a stamped skeleton which I cut out from white card. The words are printed and inked and I added a layer of acrylic paint dabbed through sequin waste at the top and bottom.

Watching You

2009-03-11T17:24:00.004Z

This is an ATC I made this afternoon. The skull is hand drawn in pencil, and I've used pencil, coloured pencil and pens for the eyes and stuck them on. The background is ink, acrylic paint and rubber stamping.

I've been feeling very creative over the last couple of weeks, so I think I'm finally back on track!

Metal

2009-03-10T10:50:00.005Z

These are some ATCs I made for a metal swap on ATCsforall. For the top one, I made the heart from Friendly Plastic and stamped into it. I then freehand embossed a piece of aluminium to fit around it and aged it using acrylic paint and sandpaper. The background is acrylic paint, which I heated to make it bubble, and I added shiny mesh, brads and knitted wire.

The second one has an acrylic paint background which I creased a bit to age it. I stamped over it in black Stazon and added some more black Stazon around the edges. I attached a piece of aluuminium mesh using brads. I made the doll's head and dress from aluminium which I again embossed freehand and aged using acrylic paint and sandpaper, made the arms and legs using wire and beads and the hair from bent wire which I attached using a flower brad.

The third one has a textured background which I created using lace and mesh attached with PVA glue then painted over with acrylic and added metallic rub on to bring out the texture. I cut the heart from copper and freehand embossed it, then heated it until it went bright orange. I painted it with black acrylic and then sanded it. I added a piece of aluminium mesh behind and German Scrap wings, and a tiny gem on the top left. Finally I added a German Scrap star border at the bottom.

Number 4 has a background made from mesh and heated copper acrylic paint. I then dry-brushed it with various metallic paints. I added the wire, and the brads which I aged using black Stazon ink and sandpaper. The hearts are freehand embossed aluminium which I coloured with black Stazon and then sanded.

My final ATC has a background which I created using extra heavy gel medium, painted over with black acrylic and then added metallic rub-ons in shades of red and gold. I stamped the image onto copper using Versamark and then heated it. (The Versamark protects the copper, so it changes colour around it but the image remains unchanged.) I then freehand embossed around the image. I layered the image over a piece of aluminium mesh and added some brads to finish it off.

A Fabric ATC

2009-03-07T18:45:00.002Z

This is a fabric ATC I made yesterday. I started with a felt background and have added fabric, fabric mesh, sequin waste, fibres and beads. I coloured the fabric at the corners and the mesh using inks. I haven't got a sewing machine (yet - it's near the top of my wish list), so it's all hand stitched and it took me about three hours!

Layered Stamping

2009-03-07T18:43:00.001Z

This is a stamped ATC made with three layers of stamping over an inked and water spritzed background. I added a piece of ribbon and a paper flower at the bottom to finish it off.

Encaustic Art

2009-03-03T22:39:00.003Z

These are some encaustic art ATCs I did at the weekend. The purple one is on white pearlescent card and the other two are on white glossy card.

Oh, and I just realised it's my blog's first birthday today. I can't believe how quickly the last year has passed!

Design a Cat

2009-03-01T12:19:00.004Z

For some reason I am struggling to find free time at the moment, so have been making mainly ATCs. (I have three different altered art projects on the go but can't seem to find the time to sit down and get them finished). I have decided to do a few more international swaps, and these are some ATCs I've created for a swap on ATCs for All. The idea of the swap is that everyone uses the same line drawing of a cat and then decorates it in their own way. I enjoyed doing these as it gave me the opportunity to do something bright and funky! The top one is done using mostly acrylic paints and I've used pens just to outline the cat and draw in the features. (I couldn't find a really fine paintbrush anywhere!)

The second one has an inked and stamped background and the cat is painted using acrylics. Again I've used pens just to outline the cat and add the features.

The third one is an inked and stamped background with Radiant Rain spray. The cat is made up of bits of paper patched togehter and I've drawn on the stitching using gel pens.

The final one was done using scrunched paper for the background, acrylic paints, and extra heavy gel medium on the cat. I've added the markings and features to the cat using and artists' pen, and the whiskers using a white gel pen

UTEE, Grungeboard and Friendly Plastic

2009-03-01T12:04:00.003Z

I recently bought some platinum UTEE, and I have to say I don't know how I lived without it! I LOVE it! (Yep, I know, I need to get out more). These ATCs are the product of my experimentation with the UTEE and a few other bits and pieces.

The top one was done by stamping into the platinum UTEE and then using metallic rub-ons over the top. The letters are Grungeboard which I've covered with copper embossing powder.

The second ATC has a copper acrylic paint background which I've stamped over in black Stazon. The skull and the letters are Grungeboard which I covered with platinum UTEE. I then stamped into the UTEE on the skull and added some Stickles in the swirls.

For the third one I created the background using pearlescent watercolour paints which have a kind of two-tone light reflecting effect (which obviously doesn't show up too well in the photo). I covered with with three layers of clear UTEE and stamped into it with silver ink. I've used a watch face and created wings using Friendly Plastic and added some small gems, and the words are stamped into Friendly Plastic and emphasised with a bit of Stickles.

For the final one, I created the background using distress inks spritzed with water and rubber stamping on one side and acrylic paint which I heated until it bubbled on the other side. I drew the woman using pen and pencil on top of some book text, and the letters are stamped into Friendly Plastic.

Acrylic Paint Backgrounds

2009-02-21T18:14:00.002Z

These are some ATCs I've done with acrylic paint backgrounds. I was aiming for a slightly grungy look for these even though I've used pastel colours. They're for this month's swap on UK Stampers,

on the theme of Friends.

I started with an acrylic paint background and then added two layers of stamping with the printed images over the top.

Then I added a bit of ink around the edges and a few embellishments.

ATC Tags

2009-02-21T18:11:00.004Z

These are some ATC sized tags I've made for a hosted swap. The whole of each ATC (except the ribbons/fibres) fits within the size of an ATC. They're all inked and rubber stamped with several layers.

Hearts and Flowers

2009-02-10T21:06:00.003Z

These ATCs are for a hearts and flowers swap I've joined. They're probably not what most people who've joined the swap are expecting to receive, but I hope they'll like them anyway! I did think about doing a more traditional hearts and flowers type thing, but it's just not me, so I decided to go for a grungy look instead.

The backgrounds are inked in various colours, spritzed with water and stamped. I cut the hearts from mountboard, inked them, stamped them, covered them with UTEE and stamped into it.

A Bit of a Doodle

2009-02-10T21:02:00.003Z

This is a doodled ATC I did. It's intended to represent contrasts, with one side all hot colours and sharp edges, the other side cool colours and soft lines. I used a black artist's pen and Sharpies.

Smellis!

2009-02-08T22:32:00.007Z

These are Smellis, named after their inventor Smellihelli (who needs to update her blog). They are made using a 10cm (4 inch) protractor as a template. These were done for a swap organised by Helli on the DoCrafts forum,

with the idea being that each person in the group chooses a theme and everyone makes them a Smelli on that theme and sends it to them. These are my Smellis on the themes of oriental, garden quotes, travel and buildings.

Feeling Silly

2009-02-08T22:22:00.002Z

I was in a bit of a silly mood last night and decided to make some ATCs. These are the results.

They're all rubber stamped and collaged.

Make a Moo or Two: The Number 1

2009-02-06T18:19:00.002Z

This week's theme at Make a Moo or Two is the number 1, to celebrate Make a Moo or Two's first anniversary. There must be a number 1 somewhere on each Moo.

I made my Moos firstly by brushing a thin layer of gesso over the background so that it only partly covered the card, then inked over it using two colours of inks and added some background stamps. I added hearts, wings and a crown to my main images which are cut from book pages and inked, as are the number 1s. I printed the words out from the computer and inked them in the same way, and finally added some tiny pink gems.

Think Monday Think ATC - Rock Music

2009-02-02T16:03:00.003Z

This week's theme on Think Monday Think ATC is rock music. Despite the fact that I am a big rock fan, I have got no stamps, images or anything else in my ATC stash relating to rock music, so I had to improvise with this one!

I created the background using a leopard print stamp, first inking the card in bright colours, then stamping the background in Versamark and clear embossing it. I then painted over it in black acrylic, left it to dry, put a piece of paper over the top and ironed off the embossed image. I really wanted to use a silhouette for my main image but struggled to find one that was just right, so I found an image of a guitar player, coloured over it with a black Sharpie and cut it out. The word "rock" was typed in Word and printed out, then I inked it, cut out the letters and mounted them on black. I added a chipboard star which I inked to match the background and some bright coloured gems.

Encaustic Art

2009-01-31T16:05:00.005Z

These are some encaustic art ATCs I did a few days ago. They're the first ones I've done for a while, so I'm a bit out of practice!

Make a Moo or Two - Vintage Love

2009-01-30T19:38:00.002Z

I haven't joined in Make a Moo or Two for a while and thought it was about time I did, so these are my Moos for this week's challenge on the theme of vintage love.

Little Houses

2009-01-26T16:49:00.006Z

I've made these for a mini house swap being hosted by Carol (who's just started a new blog), on the Docrafts forum. They are ATC sized, with the whole house (including the roof) fitting inside the size of an ATC.

For the top one, I stamped text on the background, added some texture using moulding paste which I then stamped into, gave it a coat of gesso and inked over it. Then I added the image, lace, buttons, fibres and paper flowers.

The second one has an inked and stamped background and I've created a collage using various printed images, lace, paper flowers and brads.

The next one was done in much the same way as the second, but using a different colour combination.

Finally I created my last house using pewter acrylic paint which I heated to create some texture then dry brushed it in copper. I stamped the images on tissue paper and stuck them on with Mod Podge. Then I freehand embossed some copper for the roof, painted it with black acrylic and sanded it to give it a distressed appearance, and finally added the copper chain and micro beads to finish it off.

Think Monday Think ATC - Ice Blue

2009-01-26T16:19:00.004Z

This is my ATC for this week's Think Monday Think ATC, the theme of which is ice blue. I decided to use the colour but do a non-icy ATC, plus the shell stamps were sitting in my drawer unused, which wasn't right!

It's an inked and stamped background, with a bit of Cosmic Shimmer spray which doesn't show up too well in the photo. The rest of it is a collage made from various printed images.

Number One

2009-01-18T12:39:00.003Z

This one's for a numbers swap I've joined. I cut the number 1 from mountboard and then covered it with UTEE and various colours of embossing powder and then stamped into it. Then I wrapped wire and beads around it. The background was done using inks and Cosmic Shimmer spray, then rubber stamped, and I added some silver embossing powder around the edges

Playing with Fabric

2009-01-18T12:28:00.005Z

This is an ATC I made using fabric. I'm still not very good at this, but I keep hoping that one day I'll be able to produce a masterpiece! (Well, there's no harm in dreaming, is there?)

The main image is a gel medium image transfer onto fabric and the background is inked and rubber stamped. I've added ribbon, lace, raffia, a button and a paper flower, and some faux stitching around the edges of the picture using white gel pen (I didn't have the patience for the real thing when I made this one).

Metal ATCs

2009-01-11T19:50:00.003Z

These are some ATCs I've made for the monthly swap on UK Stampers. This month's theme is metal. The top one is stamped and embossed on alcohol inked copper and the background was done using acrylic paints and stamping.

The middle one is stamped and embossed on alcohol inked aluminium and the background is inked and stamped.

The bottom one was done by alcohol inking a piece of aluminium, stamping the image onto it using archival ink and then wiping over it with a damp baby wipe to
take off the archival ink and leave the negative image. The background is inked and stamped.

Tartan!

2009-01-10T17:25:00.005Z

These are some ATCs I've made for Cazro's monthly colour swap. This month's theme is tartan. I'm not a fan of tartan, but I've joined the swap every month since it started and I'm not about to stop now! I stamped and embossed the backgrounds on these. I cut the hearts from mountboard and covered them with tartan paper, then added three layers of UTEE and stamped the swirls into it. I don't often use printed papers as I prefer to make my own backgrounds, but I thought I might struggle with tartan without!

Next month's theme is hot pink, and I don't DO pink (although if you look back through my blog you might not believe me)!

...and Some More

2009-01-04T17:31:00.005Z

The background on this one was done using distress inks and Cosmic Shimmer Spray so it's nice and shiny, although this doesn't show up in the picture. I've stamped three layers over it and added some brads.

Some More Stamping

2008-12-31T12:24:00.003Z

These are some more ATCs I made using layers of stamping and lots of ink. (Yes, I now have multi-coloured fingers that won't come clean). The star on the top one is triple embossed chipboard which I've stamped into, and on the bottom one I've used some tiny bits of Stickles to highlight the flowers on the tree.

A Bit of Stamping

2008-12-30T10:37:00.003Z

This is a stamped ATC I made a couple of days ago. I created the background using three colours of ink and the Tim Holtz Idea-ology Timeworks Masks, which I got for Christmas and absolutely love! I stamped some text on the background in turquoise and stamped the main image in Timber Brown Stazon then added some brown around the edges. I stamped the words "tick" and "tock" on separate card and tore them out then inked them in turquoise, and then finally added some turquoise seed beads at the opposite corners.

I've joined a rubber stamped ATC swap, so there will be more to come shortly!

I'm Back!!!

2008-12-27T14:46:00.006Z

Well, I just realised I haven't blogged for over three weeks! There are a few reasons for this, but mainly I've been very busy with Christmas and also haven't been feeling too good and have been totally lacking in inspiration.
Anyway, I was lucky enough to receive a melting pot for Christmas (thanks Matt! :) ), and lots of other bits and pieces, so am finally beginning to get some inspiration back (and some spare time too).
The ATC on the left is one of my first experiments with the melting pot. I mixed up some UTEE, silver embossing powder and reinkers, (yes, I know you're not supposed to use reinkers in it, but why would that stop me?). I poured some of the mixture directly onto the ATC and stamped into it. Then when it was almost cool I trimmed the excess off the edges and dumped it back into the melting pot to be used again.I painted the ATC below the UTEE in pewter and then dry brushed over the UTEE with the same colour to pick up the raised bits. I used antique gold metallic rub on over parts of it. Finally, I stamped the words "tick" and "tock" into air dry clay and used the same paint and metallic rub on on those.
It's available to swap if anyone wants it - you can email me from the link in my profile.
I've also done some other bits and pieces with the melting pot, and will put the results on my blog when I've made them into something.

Happy Birthday Cindy!

2008-12-05T11:34:00.004Z

This is what I made for Cindy for her birthday. I know I'm a few days late saying happy birthday, but I didn't want to post a picture until I knew she'd seen it.

I won't go into full details of how I made it, but I've used rubber stamping, a gel medium image transfer, moulding paste which I've stamped into, acrylic paints, a plastic lizard, fabric, buttons, Liquid Pearls, paper roses, sticky ribbon, a watch face, wire and some micro beads (I think that's everything but there may be one or two other things that I've forgotten about).