ATCs - Faces

I created these for a Swap on UK Stampers and the theme was faces. The first one is called Tightly sprung and uses Lady  from Octopode. I added cogs, wheels and springs from a bargain book called "Workbench Ephermera". Some of the pages are vellum and let me have layers of detail. I also used a piece of the wood paper as a background. The stamps were coloured with ink and watercolours.

I gessoed the background and added layers of inks. The face is Dylusions Dependable Dotty which was masked before stamping with Paper Artsy ledge stamp. Scrabble letters and title added and watercoloured.

I stamped a flower head from Paper Artsy Hot Picks HOXT02 numerous times on scrap paper. I also stamped it directly onto the inked background. I coloured all the faces using dylusion inks and cut out and added to the effect. I then overstamped using the complete stamp. If you look hard you can make out various faces.

This is a continuation of the idea of faceless numbers. I created a reverse mask and stamped ruler stamp from Paper Artsy into head space. On an acetate I traced the Dylusion head shape and filled it with alcohol inks. I then journalled on the actetate using black and white pens about the power of faces and stuck the acetate to the inky background.

Gingersnap Creations GC133: Chestnut Theme Challenge - Use a Set

This is my first entry for the Gingersnap challenge but when I saw the theme I thought of  my new Alice Octopode Factory stamps. I created these ATCs for a swap on the Alice theme on UK Stampers. I had seen an example of a Triptych ATC and decided I had to try it.After working out how to create the Triptych I cut out some of Tim's Holtz's festive craft paper and then stamped each image onto cream card. I then created masks for each stamp and sprayed each card with a different colour. I used Dylusions Inks for the Queen and Mad Hatter and Cosmic Shimmer Chalk inks for Alice and the white rabbit page boy.

I am going to use the masks for another set of ATCs as I like how the colour went on them.

I used a key charm, pearl brads, ric rac and part of an old necklace to decorate the front of the white rabbit ATC.

 For the front of the mad hatter I cut out the watch face and tape from a sheet of lost and found and added liberal amounts of crackle glaze and ink.

 Because I kept thinking of the Looking glass and Alice I used some metal to cover the front and inside of her ATC. I added the eat me and drink me stamps from Octopode.

 You can see more of the front of the Queen in these photos. I coloured roses red (of course) and added red velvet ribbon and hearts cut from paper and stamped crowns.

ATC Chain and Charm Challenge

The theme for this challenge was chain and charm. As usual we are asked to make 3 ATCs for the UK Stampers swap and I decided I wanted them to be the same which I find makes it trickier. First I had to obtain some charms which I did from the lovely lady at EK Craft and Crop (but forgot her name...) then I went through the broken jewellery box for some old chain. I sprayed Cosmic Shimmer Chalk Mists onto the background and then stamped the key and rule stamps from Paper Artsy. Next I layered some thin tissue/fabric style paper, that I frayed, in pink and white. This gives a lovely tactile feel to the card.

I sprayed a small sheet of Lost and Found sunshine paper and stamped the typewriter. Then to be quite honest I was stuck. How would I put it all together and which charm should I use? I searched for apt quotations and sayings but nothing seemed right until... my return from a hellish 10 hour day at school yesterday. We have been back for 10 days and the pupils a week and any of their goodwill has worn off combined with a hellish timetable  and various other factors. I came home drained and in a tired (Lens Guy would say foul) mood and that's when it came to me: Break the chains that stifle creativity.  Inspiration! I used the Stencil Font, printed the text, sprayed and cut it out. I attached charm to chain and chain to ATC with a brad.

Vintage Affair ATCs

I made these for the May ATC swap at UK Stampers with the theme of A Vintage Affair. I really struggled as I could not find any suitable vintage stamps in my stash and I am not allowing myself to buy anything until I win the lottery... or receive a massive pay rise. I found three images on Graphics Fairy and began creating backgrounds for them. I applied distress ink to some of TH Kraft resist paper and matched images and bits and bobs and thought I was ready to go... but wait no stamping - quick rethink. Does anyone else begin with an idea in their head only to discover the finished item is totally different?

I used TH Shabby French and Spooky scroll stamps on the backgrounds and then embossed and inked them some more. I also stamped over the images.

It worked quite well with this one and then I added the flower things that I had coloured with alcohol inks, a piece of inch ruler and little bit of text.

I also sprayed some inks on this one and mixed some Blonde Moments pigments to give it a shiny effect. The lace is antique (my grandmother's) and I then sewed on pieces of a broken bracelet.

I ended up redoing the background on this one by using dictionary definitions and adding distress ink and an embossed stamp. I added the image and stamped around the edge. More lace and then some buttons and ribbon. I made the ribbon flower and added it to. I like them all but think the first one is my favourite. 

Thank you for dropping by - I always appreciate the comments people take the time to make.

Freestyle Tri Colour Competition sponsored by Craft Barn

The Craft Barn is sponsoring a competition on UK Stampers using the colour swatch below. The piece of art was to use the three colours below and it must contain stamping.

I decided to make ATCS. I began by applying splodges of water colours to a paper towel and then dried it with a heat gun and stuck the paper onto my card.

I then stamped the cherry blossom stamp, butterfly and dragonfly (Woodware) 

I also stamped the butterfly onto an old dictionary page, coloured with Sakura gel pens and then added Crackle glaze.

I coloured the blossom white and then printed out and inked Flutter By One day.

The bird and smaller butterflies were stamped onto Shrink Plastic coloured with Pro Markers and shrunk - I made some extra ones for future projects. I had lots of problems with the Ranger Archival Ink Smudging.

ATC - It's In the Mail

These are for the UKStampers April swap where the theme was "It's in the mail". I had been wracking my brains over this one and then inspiration hit as I was sitting in the garden enjoying the sunshine and looking at blue skies, green grass, yellow daffodils etc. I decided I wanted to use those colours and the ATCs should have a little envelope on them. Each one contains a ticket with today's date and a little stamped piece with trains, plane and boats on it as that it is how mail travels. I used TH Visual Artistry stamps for the birds and postmark (embossed). Royal Langnickel Journey stamps for the other images. I used a Tonic Borders butterfly punch and stuck tissue paper behind it. The backgrounds were made using Distress Ink in Shabby Shutters, Faded Jeans, Lavender and broken china.

The envelopes were cut down from bigger ones and the flowers came from my stash - think the yellow ones are Prima flowers. There's a message on the back of the tickets but that is to be read by those who get them in the swap. The ticket was in a digital kit from OTS TG called new beginnings and I added the date and stamped on it.

Woodland Theme ATCs

The theme for March was woodland. I began by swiping green acrylic paint onto the card and then spraying it with my fave inks. I stamped - patchy - a TH Shabby French stamp and Trees from a DB set. The ink was not taking on the ink/paint so I painted the stamp and inked it and then did a sketchy outline. The stamps come from Woodware Nature Fun and are the only woodland type stamps I own. I have a fairly limited number of stamps that I am adding to as cash flow allows. All stamped images were coloured with pro markers before being stuck onto card and the mushroom and stalk things also had distress ink and crackles added.

First Ever ATCs

These are my first ever ATCs made for a 3 x 3 swap - one was to say Health, one Happiness and one Hope at UK Stampers. I used my homemade foam stamp for the purple background and then sprayed it with pink inks. I stamped Olivia three times (Stampotique) and coloured her with pro markers. The wings and hats are from Love Struck  Lucy (Dylusions) stamped onto leftover backgrounds from my Valentines.