Freedom ATCs and a journal page

Freedom to write

 The theme on UKStampers for this ATC swap was Freedom. When I thought about what freedom meant to me it was the freedom to express yourself wherever you live in the world.
I began by inking and embossing the four backgrounds with different stamps from TH.

Backgrounds ready and waiting

I then stamped the relevant image for each Freedom onto vintage dictionary pages with suitable words: To write (typewriter from Lost and Found); To be (watch and saying from Craft Stamper); To talk (Dotty's head fromDylusions) and to protest (Text and pointy hand from Paper Artsy).

Freedom to Protest

I added some more distress inks and text for each one and highlighted certain words in red.

Freedom to be

To be ended up with a very thick layer of glossy accents - too much as it almost fell apart.

Freedom to talk

Finally I sprayed some orange chalky glimmer mists and popped them in the post.

The set but the picture is a little blurry and they now in the post...

The journal page followed the prompt to use numbers (from Julie Kirk) and emboss. The page had one of the experimental transfers on it - this one using a transparency. I added distress inks and the journalling.

I have a collection of Lens Guys beer bottle caps to use one day... I filled them with alcohol inks and glossy accents and then squished them in the Big Shot... A minimal page but I thought the image needed space.

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.

UKScrappers Challenge - Who Me? Spoilt

The challenge was to use the word "Who" in the title, use red and or earth tones and scrap about something new. My experiments with my birthday stash seemed ideal. The background was an old piece of paper I had had for ages, the journalling block was from 7 Gypsies, I painted and then embossed old chipboard letters and Jill Bean Soup Corrugated letters, photos mounted on coredinations card. Image of boy angel with wings from Stampotique stamped and coloured with pro markers and then I added firebrick red distress ink.

Art Journal - Worst Gifts

This is Page 1 of  a double page entry. This nearly ended up crumpled in a ball on at least 3 occasions but I decided I couldn’t do that with a journal page. Worst Gift was easy – scratchy undies. To be fair to Lens Guy it has been a long time since he gave these to me as a gift and he maintains they were black not red and black. It is now a running joke between us and I like that we can both laugh about it. 

 I found a corset image on Graphic Fairy’s website and coloured it with black, red and blender aqua markers on glossy photo paper.

 I then used pointy tool to scratch words. I used freebie magazine stamps of presents and stamped them on page and then clear embossed them. 

I stamped and coloured a woodware toadstool above one present. Added distress inks and aqua makers to colour. Then purple stazon but I used the cleaner to remove and blotch the page. I stuck corset down with mod podge and then rubbed mod podge over the page with my fingers.

At this point it was heading for the bin

I do create a huge mess ... I just use greaseproof baking powder as craft sheet bit pricy

 When dry I journaled with a sharpie. The Gifts panel was clear embossed and again scratched out words. Some details below.

Subtle textured background and one of the hardest los I've ever done

I have been struggling with this lo for three days. It is the first time I have tried to scrap pics of my little brother and me (sadly he died 2 years ago). I so wanted to created a happy lo of our childhood memories but everything I tried seemed wrong and I made many mistakes.

The wrong embellishments and too morose

punched border, and glitter alphas

 After matting photos with Basic Grey Romani and creating a scalloped edge I decided to mimic doodle lines in paper onto card with white pen. It  ran out... so I used gel pens to go over bits already done and created more. The trying out embellishments I struck them down by mistake and ripped paper taking them off.

adding doodled texture

ink, stamps and embossing helped to make journalling area

I used a ranger pen to create more texture and then embossed it and thought I was finished but it seemed too morose so I liberally added flowers and butterflies and I think it happier now.

Card making and more uses for that linen shirt and I made a mess!

This was my desk once I had finished the cards!

Dragonfly card

Today I made four cards and played with paints, punches, stamps, my old linen shirt and a bit of fun. The dragonfly card was to thank middle daughter for lunch she made us last week, The backing paper came free with Scrapbook Magazine as did the blue flower paper and the letters. The dragonfly came from the Graphics Fairy - a great resource for images - and I printed, painted and cut it out. I used the shirt to make a mat and had fun fraying it.

Detail of butterfly thank you card

 I used one sleeve and cut out the embroidered part and then frayed the edges. The butterflies were from a free paper in Scrapbook Magazine that I bent and added pigment powders, the stamp was free in a card making magazine.

Birthday card for Father in law

We are treating in laws to a few nights camping in the Mull of Galloway at Port Logan. We loved it there and know they will too. It's a hipstamatic photo and then I just stamped the greeting on the front. Suitably masculine and combines gift voucher too. If you haven't guessed by now you can probably tell I like to make my cards for as little as possible.

Birthday card for brother in law - sheep

Brother in law has recently invested in 20 ewes and lambs so this is relevant to him. The image came as a black and white from the Graphics Fairy which I coloured with water colours and matted with linen. The weathered paper was another freebie as was the stamp,

Butterfly card - to thank mother in law for having youngest daughter to stay

Work in progress - nice and messy

I was using up scraps of green paper torn into strips and inked and then pva glued to card blank. I then added water colour paint. Once it is dry I will make it into card number five.