Poppies

There's just 'something' about poppies .....  I entered this swap last year and had some great returns.
I want to do something different this time .... there will be a Steampunk one among them.... and then I have a poppy stamp ......

I sketched out my first poppy onto a card from my 'kit' and used my promarkers to colour it.  The effect I am achieving with these pens does not appear to be as good as others I have seen so, I am wondering if maybe it is the paper I am using.  I think that I will make some cards from different papers/card and see what the results are ...... watch this space!
But for the time being my first card is sketched, coloured and finished.

  I stamped out my next poppies in brown onto a steampunk background.  I used various gelpens to colour the design - plain, metallic and glitter.


I looked for some ideas through my magazines and found a superb picture of a field of Californian poppies - all blowing in the breeze.  I covered the card and then used my poppy stamp, embossing it in black.  I used my gelpens to colour in the poppy, makes it 'pop' from the background.

Among the pages of my magazines I found an article on the Himalayan Poppy, I have so often tried to grow this in my garden - without success.   I used a several photographs as a background and then cut out a detailed photo.
It makes the poppy touchable ..... know what I mean?   Love it.....

Cardmaking January - New Beginnings

I fancied at least one Steampunk card among the three cards in this swap so I found my background paper out from my stash.  Among my offcuts I found some chainlinks, cogs and leaves.
I wrote the sentiment with a gold Sharpie pen along the bottom of the card.  Then I added some of the chain links across the top corner and a couple of cogs.  The leaves I coloured with the gold Sharpie pen and then tucked them under the rim of the central cog.

I used an old map for my background paper for this card.   I wrote the verse across the centre -ish of the map and added two clock faces.

For a new beginning we have the Chinese New Year. 

Red paper for Good Luck, some gold, as in spots, and a quote .... in Chinese of course!  I found an oriental coin, whether it is Chinese or Japanese I do not know.

 I found out that, for this swap, we only swap one card.  Ah! Well!  Someone had a bonus!
I received this little beauty by return.



Tiny envelope and invitation, tiny champagne glass ..... looks like a wedding in the air!!
Thank you Lucie. 

UK ATC February Theme - Flying Creatures

I discovered some Iris Folding patterns on Michael's blog and just knew that I wanted to fold them with some thin brightly printed paper.

I found a bamboo design and some other various designs among my stash and formatted them to the sizes I required. The bamboo design was printed on a thicker paper and the four coloured designs on some very thin, not tissue, paper.

Wonderful!

I printed the Iris Folding patterns twice, backed the designs onto the bamboo paper then cut out the designs once.

I could now place this cut out over the pattern and started to add the folded strips of paper to the card.

I loved this but when I was finished I felt that the iris folding was not visible to I outlined each creature with a white gelpen.

Better!

Add  a sentiment and they were done.

UKATC February Colour - Red

Red, Red, Red, my favourite colour!

What to do?  What to do?

I have some red paper left over from another swap  .....

I added a strip of Washi tape across the top of one piece and then sat waiting for the muse to arrive!  While I was waiting, I did a bit of tidying up and anything red went into a small box on my desk.  I found some die cut flowers and then ... my muse returned!

I added one of the smaller flowers to the bottom right of the card, a ladybird from my prizewinnings at Robyn's blog went onto the middle.

I added two more flowers to the corner of another piece of paper.

Then I added a sentiment to the ladybird card and a Chinese symbol to the other piece, sticking the English translation just above the leaf.

I have a couple of papers off some takeaway cups, red ones!

I cut one piece to size and attached some spotty ribbon to the back of the paper.

Enjoy!

UKATC October Colour - Orange

I decided that I would use a stencil on this swap but that thinking went out of the window when I started.

I started off with a check background, followed with a Kraft label and orange diecut.  I sorted through my orange butterflies and adhered a small ine to the centre.

Adding orange text to the background, I adhered one of the larger butterflies.  I used 'confetti' to make some white flowers with orange centres.

I embossed this card and then added some grunge and painted the flowers orange.

I received the following cards:


An orange diecut over an orange grunged half serviette.  Perfect.
Thank you SylviaF.

A vellum embossed hand points to the corner but is surrounded by hearts.

Thank you JanW. 

I also received this little card

Thank you Rubes.  

UKATC October Swap

I used some 'ready made' cards this month.



This cards was made using magazine clippings, I love the colours.

I used some of the travel ephemara from a docraft goody bag bought when I first started creating ATCs.

I love using the papers and stickers from this pack.  I wrote across the tape just in case it wasn't obviously a travel card!!

I used metallic paper for the background and then added a metallic sentiment.  A gold outline Peel Off was adhered to gold paper and then semi fussy cut and adhered to the black metallic background.  Beautiful.

I received the following cards by return:



What a pretty vintage card this is.

Tapestry Stamps!!! Clever use for this card.

And an elegant stamp used here.

Thank you Bev B

UKATC September Colour - Burgundy

After sorting burgundy, maroon and dark red papers, I searched for some matching embellishments.


I used a burgundy tartan paper as background and then matted some plain maroon and deep red papers.  I added two red flowers, one on top of the other, with stickles in the centre.
I added a Happiness printed out in red.

Small pieces of paper covered the card and I added a strip of burgundy and gold ribbon down the centre.  A gold label completed the card.

I added some small torn and cut pieces of paper to this card and then topped it with a printed sentiment and a pearl button topped bow.

I received the following cards:


Gold peel offs add elegance to this photo.
Thank you Kate.

What else is Burgundy?

Thank you Margaret.

                                                Love these delicate die cuts.

Thank you JuneB.

CWS November - Wedding

I decided that I would use different techniques but keep to the theme.



I used a dress form as the base for the Bride card.  I 'dressed' the form with ribbon straps, lace bodice and net overskirt.   I cut and placed metallic paper 'curtains' at each side of the card with a 'valence' across the top.  I then added my dressform to the centre.

I drew the Groom's jacket and coloured it with felt tip adding a brown revers with matching handkerchief in the pocket.  A smart bowtie finished off the outfit, so I added a metallic blue curtain at the back.

I cut out different papers in the shape of the cake and then drew the figures for the top.  I used a small spotted blue paper for the background and white brocade ribbon to represent the tablecloth and then 'built' up the cake and added the figures to the top.  

I received these cards in return:

Loving hearts on red background


Silver cupids on black.


Really gorgeous gold carriage on red.

  Thank you Helen

Funky Polka Dots

How funky is Funky!???

I used lots of washi tape in this swap!

I gessoed the first card and put to dry.  I added a russian doll image and the added the spotty washi tape along the lower edge of the card.
A few more strips coming down from the top edge completed the card.


I gessoed the card and pounced some red ink haphazardly across the card.
I then added some diecuts from envelopes - love recycling!

I punched out some dots - or spots - and added them to the tree.

Spotty washi wrapped around this card was the background, it was very colourful so I just added a diecut butterfly, pounced with red ink.

I received the following cards:


Doncha love this animal!
Thank you Machek.

Love this glittery lady.
Thank you masheri.


Abstract spots with a dotty ribbon.
Thank you thouartdelyrias.

Spirals

I used some paint samples as backgrounds for these cards.

I cut out circles from other paint samples and then cut into them to make the spirals.

I added them to the backgrounds,wiped gesso all over to seal the whole card and then put them to one side to dry.


I diecut a 'rose' but left it flat so that I could write the sentiment 'some people walk in the rain ..... others just get wet' around the spiral.
I edged this spiral with blue metallic marker.

A few words added to this red paint sample.

I added a torn sentiment to the yellow paint sample.







I received the following cards:

 This is a cutie.
Thank you Chickasawdancer.

Bright and gold.

Thank you Evalia.

Sea greens and washi tape.
Thanks you Valentina22.