WOYWW #452

What'sOnYourWorkdeskWednesday - if you want to find out more then checkout the WOYWW tab at the top of the page - and our thanks go to Julia for hosting this weekly meet up.

This is a very hasty post as I am full of a head cold and feeling yuk!

I had this post all ready scheduled to go and then remembered that, now all my Blogs are centred here, a certain someone may just read it and the secret would be out!  

Quick change of plan, almost a jump out of bed and new photo taken - no best angles, no display, just good old this is it ......

I posted off to my Hostess the latest Alphabet ATCs and then realised I had posted PQ & T....

....that should have been PQ & R.   

I blame my cold!

I quickly had a look through my stamp folder and decided R is for Rain and Rainbows so stamped and coloured and PJ will post today.  This is the chaos caused by my actions - please note that the stamps have been put back in the folder!!

I hope to attach the backing and find an envelope at some point today BUT this morning, I remembered my original Blog post and OH! No! She mustn't see that! 

so here is a hastily photographed desk.

Paints, pencils, brushes, water bottles, scissors .... the lot!  Enjoy!

I hope to catch up with you all later but I am not being very good on that front at the moment, when my head clears a little I will try to pop round and visit you all.

Stay warm and dry.

January Theme Swaps

Travels


I used some pages from my (PJ) Atlas for the background.  

I rounded the corners on one of the tickets from one of the Open Days at Tyseley Loco Works and attached it to the centre of one of the cards. The Tim Holtz Book of Words came to the rescue again for the sentiment.

On this map card, I used part of the pass I had in Paris.  I cut a circular edge to the image and attached it to one side of the card.

Sentiment from 'the book'.

I found some really tiny jigsaw pieces, with map images, and added them to the third card.  the sentiment remained uncut and I placed it diagonally across the card.

The following cards were swapped with mine:

Beautifully collaged and a stamp.
Thank you GwynethRose.

Great stamping and collage.

Thank you Kathleen.

                                        Watercolour and Vintage!

                                        Thank you PaulineM.

January Colour Swaps

Amazing to think that this is the start of my 2018 adventure in ATC creating.  I never expected to still be creating them but I just love these working on these small works of art.
Onto the new year's swaps....

Glitter.


I cut three ATCs from a Gltter paper Pad from The Works, two teal coloured and one grey.

I used some Stickers from my stash for the fronts of the cards.  The 'book of words' came to the rescue again.   lol

On the third card, I applied some ribbon along the left side and applied the sentiment along the top of the card.
                

I have received the following cards:




Glitter paper, butterflies and buttons!
Thank you BarbaraB.

Glittery snow shining on the trees.

Thank you KateG.

Art Deco!  Wow! Love it!

Thank you Margaret.

Alphabet Swap - M,N,O.

M is for Maps  
We certainly have plenty of those!  I started to look through PJ's European Atlas that he used when he was trucking and got a bit carried away with some of the pages.  He has marked his 'trips' on the relevant pages and it was lovely to travel back down to Milano again!
But I digress.


I chose a map of one of the cities for the background and then fussy cut from a leaflet the map of Inverary - the castle can just be seen at the top of the black and white map.  Another sentimental journey and then ...... back to the card.

I didn't want to add any sentiment this time so just stamped a simple - M is for Maps - nuff sed.





N is for Neon & Numbers.
I was going to use a page from my neon colouring book for this card but I couldn't find a suitable design.  
I managed to find one that could be used for the background and then tried to colour up some number stickers.
The card just wouldn't accept the Highlighter Pens - never known that before - so I added the plain numbers as they were.


O for Owls.
While trying to clear a paper box, I came across some freebies and some of them were of owls - perfect!!!
I chose the pink spotted paper as it seemed to be the only one to match an owl.  The owls were already diecut so I just popped them out and added them.
Silly me forgot to take a photo and then yahell went down so ....... no photo!

I received the following cards:



M for Mosiac + Master Artwork
Thank you Mel D.

N for Nuts + Nature = copper diecuts

Thank you Kathleen

O for Owls - Great minds think alike!

Thank you GwynethRose

October Swaps

Here is the second of my Joker cards, the Vintage one.

I printed out two 'vintage' images, one to use as the background and a small one to use as the main image.    I loved the sentiment but felt that it would be spoilt if I retyped and printed it out on my PC.  I left it as is and then cut it into an oblong and rounded the corners before placing it on the lower corner, using 3D foam.

I used one of my beautiful Lady stamps for my second card.  I used some floral paper as background, stamping the image into the clear space as much as I could.  I bordered the edges of the card using a blue gel pen and then added a cut up Tim Holtz sentiment.

I have made this card several times, using a Craftwork Cards topper.  I inked round the edges of the card, added a flourish in the same colour and the attached the topper flat to the card.  I added a PC printed sentiment diagonally across the lower edge.






I have received the following cards by return:


What a great selection of cards! 

 
Collage, sketching and wooden owl.

Love them all.

Thank you GwynethRose.

Welcome to all my new followers ......

I want to welcome all my 'new to this Blog' followers - lots of you following me from my other Blogs which are now closed.
All my Blogging will now appear on this Blog so there will be many more diverse subjects on here.  I am having a real tidy up time and 2018 will be my final year of tidy up and out ..... it will!!

I used to post all my cardmaking exploits on Cardius Bloggus  - they will be here now.

All my travels and 'what I'm up to now' information usually logged on My Recollections - they will be logged here now.

So there will be a right mish mash here but if you want to find me - here I am!

I hope you will enjoy this Blog (you can always pass on reading the 'boring to you' bits), and stay with me - maybe commenting now and again.

I look forward to a bright and colourful 2018 together.

WOYWW #451

What'sOnYourWorkdeskWednesday - if you want to find out more then checkout the WOYWW tab at the top of the page - and our thanks go to Julia for hosting this weekly meet up.

I cleared my desk of most of the border detritus and am now working in the centre of my board. There is a C6 card in the centre of said board....looks so lost and lonely ....
I am preparing for a tissue technique swap.


I have this ATC card on which I have used Brushos on the crumpled tissue. 

I want to try a couple of other ways before I decide on the one to go with. 

To the left is a box full of ATC basecards which have been cut from Christmas cards, birthday cards and packaging.   
Just a tiny bit more tidying up!!!!

Looks like the snow has now gone and, although the weather is a bit dank, I would like to point out that the Snowdrops are in flower and the Daffodils & Bluebells are pushing their heads through the soil..... Spring iz a cumin ......

Thank you to all my visitors last week, I really appreciated the comments and am so pleased that so many of you liked my little village layout.

Little Soldier and I did not make Stay and Play as when we got off the bus he just wanted to come back home.  I think that fighting the bitter wind and awful cold air was just too much for him.... and me as I quickly agreed, popped into the supermarket to buy a cooked chicken and we came back home.  
I was exhausted by it all and have had to rest for a fair few days so, I'm sorry, I did not make my visits to you all.  
This week will be different, I'm back on my feet and catching up ....... so .... see you later.......

First Swap of the Year for UKATC Group

So we go bouncing into January with our swaps!  I say bouncing because we are having SUCH problems with yahoo that both my Groups will be going over to Groups io ASAP.
We have been unable to save our photos on these Groups, which is such a shame as it is good to see what everyone is making.  I show my cards and my received swaps on here but no-one gets to see all the other swap cards - I have started calling yahoo - yahell, it is frustrating to try and sort things out and yahell keeps their silence!

Onto the good things in life...... January Partner Swap.


I used one of my Chinese New Year Cards for my first card and then kept to the theme for the other cards.

This image is from TLC Creations and I printed it out slightly smaller than the ATC basecard so that I could back it onto silver card.

I don't know where I obtained this image, it was in my files.  I backed this printout onto a blue backing paper.

I have received the following cards:

They comprise of delicate shades of blue, green and pink papers and images.

A matching diamante is placed in each corner.

Isn't this little girl cute!!

Thank you so much PaulineY.

WOYWW #450

What'sOnYourWorkdeskWednesday - if you want to find out more then checkout the WOYWW tab at the top of the page - and our thanks go to Julia for hosting this weekly meet up.

Wrapped up nice and warm today cos it's COLD!   My heart cries for the folk stuck up North on, near or around the M74 .... I cannot imagine the awfulness of it.  
The nearest I ever came was once when the electrics on PJ's truck stopped while just south of Paris.  We had to pull onto an Aire de  and, if you have travelled in France, you will know that it is a basic parking area.  Well, it was New Year's Eve and we were stuck there for three days .... most places shut down, we had to wait for someone to come out from England to repair the truck.  It was a cold and lonely three days, stuck in a 6ft x 6ft cab with toilet facilities a few yards away in the snow!!!  We had really good sleeping bags thankfully,  as up in the Alps it could be really cold at night, but this time we had no heating ..... fully dressed in a sleeping bag with extra clothes on top .... we couldn't even cuddle as we were in bunk beds!!!  lol  I don't envy any folks stuck in snow.
But enough ....
You're here to see my desk......

I am about to make a start on a white on white card for one of this month's swaps.  I am going to use this embossing folder - something I don't use very often - but this came free with a magazine, Crafters Inspiration No 15.  
Underneath the papers, there's some stamps  - free with the final copy of Quick Cards, so sad - which I have yet to file.
On the left there are the papers drying ready to make a 'New Beginnings' ATC.  
This is an additional make for the month because one person entered the swap and she needed a partner.
Thank you for all your comments last week on my latest purchases, thought you might like a couple of shots of 2017 Christmas' layout.  
Hastily created as we were so close to Christmas!

Not very good photos but they keep me going all through the year and add to the excitement as the new Christmas gets nearer........
such a child!!!  lol

We are thinking of making something better for next year than a piece of batting over the fire!!



Once again, thank you for your visits and lovely comments.  
I hope to visit later today because when we come home from Stay and Play, we have a new Thomas sticker book to play with .... it's all go round here you know ...... all the best fun!!

WOYWW #449

What'sOnYourWorkdeskWednesday - if you want to find out more then checkout the WOYWW tab at the top of the page - and our thanks go to Julia for hosting this weekly meet up.

I'm not at my desk today, I'm back at the 'Christmas Shop'..... not quite the North Pole but I'm sure it's not much warmer!!!

Father Christmas came late.  Well, actually..... we found a shop selling my village houses .... half price .... yeah!  half price!

PJ and I went over there and 'had a look' ....


...... he chose one (ice rink - all ringing & dancing) and then I chose one ....

.... a row of shops all with flashing lights......

....half price .....


... so we chose another one each .....  
.... a fountain with actual water for PJ ...

......and a French Bakery for me .... 

....had to be didn't it?!    lol


..... and then we paid for them.

So that's Christmas definitely put away!



Well, these two children were never very good at waiting for Christmas.... 

....and the houses may go up in price next year ..... so ....

.....Christmas came early for one little girl....


...back we went to the shop .....

A drinking house and a row of shops .... all with flashing lights ....soooo beautiful .... 

I have to wait until next Christmas now to set them all out on show ..... the waiting will kill me!!!

Then we found out that we could get a club card and gain points ..... and where were the previous receipts?   Back home!!!  

But it doesn't matter cos the nice man at checkout said we could have the points added to the card at any time.

If we go today we can take the Little Soldier to the soft play area, have a cup of tea at the same time.

So we are off to the shop again .... keeping our hands in our pockets this time!!

I tell you there has been some weird conversations round here, mostly concerning houses and Wills!

So have a good week, take care of yourselves, stay warm.

December Swap

The theme is Red and Green

This must be the first time I have used free stamps from a magazine on the day I received them!  I thought this sentiment was perfect for the swap.

I had decided to use my Neocolours to colour the backgrounds on these cards.  I cut the paper to size and then coloured it with random strokes.  I sprayed some water and then put the cards to one side to dry.  I stamped the bows on a separate piece of paper, coloured them in with the red crayon and then fussy cut them.  I stamped the sentiment onto the dried cards and then added the bows.

Once the whole card had dried, I edged the card with a scarlet sharpie pen to finish.

I have received these cards, the last of all the December 2017 swaps. 
  

Tiny gold flecks add the the beauty.
Thank you Helen P.

Love the 3D effect.

Thank you Jill B.

My sort of ATC!  This one will be added to my decor.

Thank you Sheila C (also thanks for the pretty envelope).

Sad to see another year finished with but looking forward to 2018 colours, themes, and all the creations.

Year of the Dog

So 2018 has started here but for China .... well, they have to wait another month.  In the meantime, I have visited ATCs For All Forum to see if there is a swap open .... there is ..... I signed up!!!
2018 is the Year of the Dog - brown dog to be correct, check it out.

I gathered my supplies, die cuts, printed and drawn images, backing papers and envelopes.  I then started all the colouring, cutting, sticking that is needed to create an ATC....the best part!



I cut out some small cards from watercolour paper, attached some backing paper on both sides and rounded all the corners. 




I cut, coloured, drew and attached the images for the fronts of the cards.




I made up the frames and attached to card bases, cutting the opening beforehand and ensuring that the small cards would fit inside the openings.


I used a scarlet Sharpie pen to edge all the cards, small and large, before putting them together.



Each card had a cream backing this swap, and was placed in a red envelope with some 'craft' money - my New Year gift.



I am posting these four cards to VickiZ - hope they arrive safely.

They all arrived safely and she was suitably impressed .... I did so enjoy creating these.
I received the following cards by return:


Very impressed with this card, came over from Ohio.
Thank you Wolf_moon.

Here's one from Las Vegas, golden and shiny.

Thank you Karch.

Love this acrylic on newsprint from New York.
Thank you AmySi.



Another excellent batch of cards.
Thank you Vicki for hosting another superb swap.