ATCs For All - Decades ...The 1960s

Another excuse to use the Ephemera packs I bought in February.

Although I am not a Beatles fan, I can appreciate their music, and music is one of my joys in life.


So here are my cards, the Beatles x 2, the Monkees x1 and good old fashioned racing cars.



I covered the cards with joke catalogue pages to which I added some coloured cards of the groups, and some pictures from a toy catalogue.



In among the papers in the pack, I found enough words to make up some sentiments.


I added colour  to the cards by 'showing' them some inkpads!!!



UPDATED: 09.05.2014
I received these little beauties today ...


The Beatles came back to me.
Thank you Elena. 

Hey, Hey, the Monkees returned as well!

Thank you Julie S.   

Bringing me peace and colour.

Thank you Kathy O.    

UK ATC - Triptych

I researched this subject but nothing seemed to catch my eye ....

I took my three cards and placed them together .....

Using Washi tape, I placed lines across all three cards so that they were one large card.

I used three dress forms, one for each card, and decorated them with sequins and words.  I separated the cards and edged the long side of each card with floral Washi tape

I love these cards but I do not think I have completed the swap correctly .... we will see.

I have received the following cards:-

Thank you Bev.

ATC World - April Showers

Apt subject for the month!!!
I used an image from the web and fussy cut after printing.  I used some paper given free with a magazine and cut it to size before attaching the image.  Once the image had dried I coloured the canpies with different coloured Crystal lacquer and left it to dry.

All the sentiments were printed in blue on my PC using a 'snow' font and cut out for the ATC.

I used another of the free papers for this card and fussy cut a single umbrella shape.  I covered the canopy with black lace, cutting the straps to size.  The blue sentiment was cut and glued onto the card.

This great image from kids colouring pages was just begging me for colour.  I used my watercolour pencils to colour the canopy, dungarees and green grass over the 'peel off under my worksheet' to give them texture.    

The blue sentiment was cut and glued onto the card.

I printed two of these umbrella images and then fussycut one to use as a mask.  That was the idea anyway!  I found my 'tapestry stamps'  and stamped over over the canopy on the mask, following up with a black pen to emphasise the ribs.  Then I realised my mistake!!!  I attached this 'mask' onto the original image, using a gold pen to colour the rips of the ribs, the top and the tube.  I used the black pen again for the handle.  A metallic blue pen to highlight the raindrops and added the printed sentiment. 

UPDATED: 27.04.2014
I received these cards in my exchange....



Some pretty little diecuts all pieced together.
Thank you Lauretta.

This metallic painted umbrella is sheltering a cute little bird.  Thank you Cherry.

A very pretty card with metallic coloured raindrops.

Thank you Jeanne.

UKATC Colour - Mixed Colours

Not having much imagination 'Mixed Colours' is not a good theme for me ... then I remembered the encaustic cards I had tried some time ago.
I had two cards left from that time so needed to make one more for this swap.
I used a pencil sharpener and wax crayons to place the sharpenings approx where they were to go.  My idea was the inevitable field of flowers under the blue sky.  I started with the 'grass', then the 'flowers' and lastly the 'sky'.  I heated each colour using my heat gun from underneath, when the wax melted I then 'stroked' it with a stirrer and left to cool.  On the third card I 'stroked' the melted wax with the crayon itself.
They looked such untidy pieces of work that I cut a frame out of two Costa Takeaway packs and one frame from some packaging.  I stroked an inkpad round the edges of the frames and across some of the ridges.

Once the backs with the info were attached, they were finished and ready to post.


UPDATED : 23.04.2014

 Lots of crayons to colour with.
Thank you Gerry.

Such tiny details on this card.

Thank you Margaret.

Shades of blues and greens with some bling.

Thank you Philippa.

ATC World Ladybirds

I love ladybirds - that is proper ones .... red ones with black spots, the fewer the better.  The yellow ones I do not like - they kill my pretty ones.
After spending some time looking through my stash I decided I would colour some pictures for this one.  Did I tell you I love colouring!!!


This ladybird  just asked to be coloured so I used my watercolour pencils and set to work.  After colouring I used my waterbrush to paint over the leaves, adding Crystal Lacquer drops for eyes to the Ladybird.

I used my watercolour pencils to colour the rest of the cards.  I added punch waste to two of the corners.

I kept this card to monochrome, well, would have been but I added some red to the Ladybird to cheer up the card.

I coloured the background lightly, placing over the flower sticker under my sheet to give it some texture.  After colouring the rest of the picture, I wanted to add something to make this one special so that it would go to be a 'hostie' gift.  I added some punch waste along the bottom, using leaves and three sizes of flowers.  A flower in the top left added balance .... although if one is righthanded it might not!!!

These were the cards I received in return: -


A little blue felt ladybird.
Thank you Jennifer J.

This litlle die cut  on a raffia branch.

Thank you Lori. 

This ladybird is called Victoria and she has a secret ..... the artist has a brilliant sense of humour too.

Thank you Kathy.

UK ATC April Colour - Red

How I love this colour!!!!

I am going to try really hard with this swap to produce the sortof card I imagine  ......

Background, focus, embellishment ......

After I had cut a bookpage to size, I tinted it with a red Spritz spray and left it to dry.   Sorting through my diecuts, I found a miscut Eiffel Tower which would just fit over the page, and a bright red frame diecut covered the miscut part of the tower.  All I needed was the embellishment ...  where was I going in April - destination!! I found the perfect word tag, which I cut to shape and popped onto dimensionals.

Background, focus, embellishment ......

Using a bright red card as background, I added another piece of bookpage, spritzed it with red and left it to dry.  I found this butterfly in my stash, two actually, so I adhered the first one to the card.  I adhered the centre (body) of the second butterfly into place and placed a shot of Collall glue under each wing to raise it above the first butterfly.

Background, focus, embellishment ......

A white card this time with the same background drying on the side of the desk.  A diecut bodyform begging to be dressed so, using some gorgeous red and gold spotted fancy paper, I cut out the shape and then tore some strips to stick over the skirt (forming pleats).  I then used a diamante strip and some red & gold ribbon to embellish the side.  I added the red washer at bottom left to try to balance the design and then placed the tiny centre spot at the top right.



UPDATED: 23.04.2014

I received the following cards ....

 Red roses with buttons.
Thank you Jan.

Red Embossing with a touch of glitter.

Thank you Janice S.

Red Quilt with golden hearts.

Thank you Christine I. 

CWS April - Easter

I decided to use this theme to give myself a chance to make some Easter cards ... cutie Easter cards ...

This picture of a sheep came through from Paperprintables so I printed out the coloured version, cut it to size and applied Crystal Lacquer to the little chicken.

I used green pleated background paper to this card with a small border along the lower edge.  I printed out this bunny and used colour pencils to to paws and ears.  Once I had positioned the rabbit onto the background, I added some Flower Soft to the rabbit and along the 'grass' at the bottom of the card.

Taking a pink and white spotted card, I added a green ribbon along the lower edge topping it with a piece of multicoloured lace.  A few gold egg peel offs nestled inside the lace, a gold sentiment and a pink bow finished the card.
I added a flowered Cross to each card as I really cannot let Easter go without bringing Jesus in it.

ATC World - Children due April 20

Nice Crane designs have some wonderful children images, I had a great time looking round their site.


I love the way these two children are posed - so grown up!!!
I chose this design, coloured it using my watercolour pencils, sprayed it with clear water and left to dry.  I didn't use watercolour paper for this printout as I wanted the picture to have that 'aged' olden days look - like the old black & white photos that have been coloured up.
I am happy with the finished card.

I used the 'Time to Play'  sheet by Faye Whittaker to make up my second card.  I cut it out, decoupaged it and cut it down to size.  I added a tiny shot of red gel to the apple behind the little one's back.



My third image came from Vintage Field & Garden, I thought this was sooo pretty.  After I printed this design and attached it to the card, I realised that it needed something else ...




I used Crystal Lacquer colours to highlight certain areas making them shine.

I think this is so pretty .....

UK ATC April Swap

MacDonald's on a Sunday afternoon.
Mothering Sunday in fact.
It was a variation of factors that led all of us to MacDs.  We had a smashing time ... and there was this paper bag ..... wish I had taken a photo .....
Inspiration hit me as we sat there chattering and eating .... ATCs!

As soon as I arrived home I cut the bag into four pieces and began to work ....

I added lace down the centre of all of the cards and then embellished.

I inked two silver butterfly peel offs using a Dovecraft purple inkpad.
I added the butterflies to the two purples and brown papers, followed by four stitched triangles to the brown one.

On the last card I added two stitched and spangled butterflies.

Thank you MacDonalds!

UPDATED: 23.04.2014

I received these super Zentangle design cards. 

I have been reading about this artwork, have seen several examples but these are the first ones I have held in my hand!

Thank you so much Andrea. 

UK ATC April Theme - Angels/Fairies

I don't usually blog my cards until I have put the envelopes into the post box but this set of cards contains a truly, truly pretty one (in my opinion) that I don't really want to part with  ....

One of my favourite themes - fairies and angels - calls for my full attention!
I love the Faye Whittaker poppets, I have lots of them and chose this one for my card ... actually .. it was the only one that was the right size!!

I made up the decoupage and then cut the background to size.  Once I had the decoupage attached to the background, I rounded the corners to finish.

I found this next fairy among my printouts so cannot credit anyone but .... if you recognise it let me know....
Once I had cut and decoupaged the fairy I added some stickles glue to her wings, and some silver glitter along the edges of the card.  I rounded the corners to match the previous one.

I used one of the Whoopsi Daisy fairies for my third card.  How I love these designs, any excuse to use one!!

I fussy cut the precoloured fairy from the sheet, and then adhered the fairy to one of the backgrounds from the ATC kits.  I coloured some of the background leaves with a brownish colour metallic pen.  I used sparkly gel pens to highlight her dress, the yellow spots on the mushroom and green for the leaves.  I attached all these pieces with Colall so that some parts of the images could stand proud.  The wings were left unglued but coloured with stickles glue.

Isn't she gorgeous?  I hope you love her as much as me ....



UPDATED: 23.04.2014

I received the following cards ...

 Love the humour here.
Thank you Liz.

Cleverly stamped on 'Angel Hair', I think.

Thank you Philippa.

This card reminds me of 'Midsummer Night's Dream' by Shakespeare.

Thank you Margaret.