April Swap

I have used some of my latest creations made some time ago.

I love these text pages used to expose a picture.  

I have used a fish, bicycle and piece of music.

I received these lovely cards from my partner:

A rose and calendar month.

A second card with the Spring theme.

This card is such a cutie, miniature work at its finest.

Thank you Gwen.

April Theme - Goth

Never done a Goth swap before!   I wouldn't normally go along those lines so this could be a big challenge to me....... not could be but WILL be!
I checked with my friend Google to see what Goth ideas I could get and decided on a dark victorian theme, then found that I had some suitable scenes in my scrapbooking folder so printed some out to size.  
After attaching them to a blank ATC, I added some glitter and sentiment banners to them.   
In this package there were a few figures so I sized them down and then printed them out three times, fussy cut them out so that I could make a 3D decoupage on the card.

I received the following cards by return:



This is a True Gothic.
Thank you Kate.

A good Gothic Arch.

Thank you Mel.

Young love surrounded by black velvet.

Thank you Barbara B.

April Colour - White

This is an unusual swap for me but one to which I have looked forward.
I have used some white card through my Grand Calibur and a free rose die.

I touched a green chalk to each leaf, very gently, to add a slight touch of colour.

The sentiments were printed on my PC, cut very close to the letters and attached at a angle.

I received these beauties by return - thanks to our hostess Jan.



A very clever use of a trellis diecut here!!
Thank you Jan S.

White net over a white card with white flowers and bling.

Thank you JudithAnn. 

More white trellis work, embossing and diecuts.

Thank you Margaret. 

May Colour - Dots

Dots, spots, dotties, dotty .....

I have Washi Tape .... red spots, white spots, blue spots ...  lots of spots.....  and papers!!!

I used some gold with white spots paper for the background with a line of striped paper down the left side of the card.
I used some multicoloured spotted washi on some extra paper bits then roughly drew out some tulip flowers and fussy cut them out.  After I had attached the 'tulips' to the card I filled in the outlines with a micron pen.

I used some paper from Craftwork Card gardening set for the background on this card.  I used a couple of die-cut butterflies to this paper and some candy on the spots on the background paper.  One word rub-on completed the design.

I took a selection of spotted washi tapes for my last card.  I placed them across the card and then added a vellum sentiment - you may notice the spots on the vellum .. glue dots!!

I received the following cards:


Assorted sizes!

Thank you Judith Ann.

A note in a pocket.

Thank you Phillipa W.

Blingy dots!

Thank you Jan S.

May Swap

My selection for May was taken from my stash - I have decided to share them after all!!!

My first card is from my Gold Leafing afternoon - vintage image and gold leaf.  After I had finished using the roll of gold leaf, I used the left overs on my sheet along the torn edge of the sentiment.


My second card uses a vintage image but this time I masked his face and spritzed the card.  I wiped the torn edges of the sentiment through the spray that remained on my sheet and then added it along the lower edge.

As a coffee addict this card is a good statement!!  A background from a magazine of coffee cups, wipe the edge of the card with sepia ink and then add a fussy cut cup and saucer image.

I received these jewels by return.
I have never seen anything like these, they are amazing and must have taken ages to make.




A tiny sailor.....

.... tiny handbag and shoe ......

.... and then the piece de resistance!

.... a garden shed .....

.... with an opening door!!!!

Well done Gerry and a BIG thank you for such jewels.

March Theme - Daffodils

I don't think I will ever get used to making just one card for this swap ...... but here goes ......

I stamped and embossed and coloured with my promarkers but it looked very bare.  I added some peel offs and a quote from the Bible to complete the design.




I received this amazing card by return:

The frame and the card were all grunged with a golden yellow and glitter.  The frame contained a close up view of one of the daffodils.




Thank you Caro.

February Theme - Violets

I used a vellum sentiment in this card and selected paper petals and leaves.  
I have had these paper flowers a long, long time and I wish that I could remember where I keep them!!!  When I find them I put them in a safe place!!!



There are varying shades of mauve for the flowers, and varying leaf sizes and colours





I received this gorgeous card by return .....  

The flowers are stamped and then coloured.
Thank you Chris N.

July Swap

The theme for this swap was - Take to the Skies
I took some of my travel cards from a Docrafts goody bag as background.  



I attached some silvered peel offs, butterflies and dragonfly across the background.

I diecut a Tattered Lace aeroplane out of brown card for my second card.

I used some cutouts from a French magazine to make my third card.  I cut out a patio scene for my background, some balloon shapes from two different pages and then attached these with some silver thread to the card.



I didn't receive any cards for this month's swap.

May Theme - Circus

I decided I would use some images from my digi library for this swap, colouring them up with metallic gel pens, cutting out each image and placing it on a theme related background.


I managed to find some circus themed papers and attached them to each card.  

I found some small circus tent images and added them to the cards.  

I then added my coloured clowns ......

I received the following cards by return:



The roaring lions.....
Thank you Barbara B.

The amazing Ringling Brothers!!

Thank you Kate G.

..... and always the clowns! ...

Thank you Mel.

May Theme - Architecture

I have taken a different look at the theme this month.  
I have used some wall paper with views of Paris printed on it as my architecture.
I selected my views of Monuments - Arc de Triumph, tour del'Eiffel and Pont Alexandre III.

Once I had attached the background brick paper, I added the cutout Monument fragment.  I added some cutout black flowers from another wallpaper selection.  A silver semicircle strip and then a black rubon sentiment completed the card.

The real thing!

My second card was created the same way except I didn't add a flower, instead I added part of a cafe bill and a vintage servant with her dog.

The real thing!

For this card I just used the wallpaper cutouts, added a cut out flower and then the rubon.

The real thing!

I received these pretty cards by return - Paris, Sidney Opera House and the Australian Parliament buildings.

Thank you Helen.