August ATCs

 Although I haven't been blogging, not much going on, I have still been swapping out cards and ATCs so I thought I would share some ATCs for this month.

I imagine you can work out this Theme!!  Free stamps to the fore again.

The Theme for the second set of Coins was 'In the Air' so I have gone all Steampunk . . . . . long time since these stamps saw daylight!  I splashed on some paint then stamped my little heart out . . . 

The personal swap used up several left over designs . . I just love the corrugated ATC and those numbers!!

My partner was quick off the ball and I received these beauties before I had even thought about mine!  Well done Carol, a great selection and thank you.

Colour for this month was Lilac and Grey.

I have had these images, from the web, for some time and they are perfect for this month's swap.  The background was a master board in greys and silver so a little bit of colour added to these stupendous images was perfect. 

The Theme was Toys and I had the perfect stamps, they rarely see daylight so this was a treat!  lol   I started off splashing a bit of colour onto paper and then added some Washi tape to define the areas.

I added some stamp and stencil work which left me with a good selection of designs.

Choosing carefully where to cut . . . . stamp the design in black and three ATCs on the theme of Toys completed!!

I just have to post another photo of this Saliva, it lights up my heart every time I go out into the garden.

     

Catching up . .

 I have missed most of this year's craft creations . . . all of this year come to think about it . . . 

I shall start in January and hope I can catch up before February finishes!!!

As always I shall start with UkATCs as this is my favourite Group.

In January the Theme was . . . 

Snowy Days

I used received Christmas cards as backgrounds and added a few Vera Lane images.  I shrunk them down, watercoloured them and added a printed sentiment.

I received the following:

Thank you PaulineM, Rubes and PaulineY, super selection thanks to PaulineM.

Colour: Orange and Brown

Remember the bicycle wheels?  Pretty pleased with how they worked out. Printed out the sentiments from my laptop . .  as appropriate as possible!

I received the following from PaulineM, PaulineY and Thelma.

Thank you all.

Coin 01: Bears

Stamped on painted backgrounds and watercoloured.

I received these from PaulineY, Thelma and PaulineM.  Love all the dainty, tiny work on Thelma's coin!  Thank you all.

Coin 02: Leaves

I used some goldish paper for the backgrounds and added some diecuts.  Used up quite a bit of my stash here.

I received these from Pauliney, PaulineM and Thelma.  What a superb selection again.

How I wish Blogger would sort out the text . . . I start out with it all the same and then they decide to change it!  Not even in a way that makes sense!

Just Flitting

I am not the best today so I am flitting around doing this and that . . .. 

My desk has the workings of another set of ATCs for January . . . 

The theme is Snowy Days so I have printed off a few backgrounds and a page of images to use. 

The backgrounds were found on the net and I cut them down to size.

What I love most about digital images is the bonus of re-sizing.  I have reduced these images in size to fit landscape ATCs . . . .

After printing and painting, I am now fussy cutting them out.

Perhaps they'll be finished over the weekend . . . . perhaps . . . . perhaps . . .

Brown / Orange ATCs for January swap

 In the early hours of the morning I had a light bulb moment . . . . had to write it down so that when it was light I could remember . . . . .

I soon sorted out my components for this swap . . .

                   

The ice cream packaging will be cut for the ATC backing.

These dies came free with Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine, some time ago . . 

My wonderful brown colour acrylics were chosen . . . .

                                          

Here we are going full ahead . . . I have covered my desk with paper, painted the packaging and now chosen some stencils with a few paler brown acrylics.

The orange colours have been sponged on with a natural sponge ready to cut out the bicycle wheels orange slices.  

                                              

I've printed some sentiments ready to cut and paste . . . . literally!!

Now to finish them off with the sentiment, label on back and a swipe round with a Sharpie pen!!!

Catcha later . . . .

December Creations

 Apart from Christmas Cards, I have managed to get some ATCs and Coins made and posted . . . . don't know when or if they will arrive but . . . . .

The Theme being Christmas

there is an Angel, Victorian and Modern designs.

The Colour being Red/Gold

I played around with my dies and various pieces of card and paper

Coin 1 was Birds

While I had my machine out I carried on.  I cut the birds from white card and then painted them roughly to suggest a robin.

Coin 2 was Snowmen

Found these super guys on the web so painted up some 'snow' for them to sit on.

The About Oriental Stamps lottery this month was Christmas.

I did manage to stamp some bamboo and decorate it to look like a Christmas Tree.  Lots of 'snow' in the background.

That's another year wrapped up . . . .

January ATCs

Four swaps still continue although our Honoured Leader, Jan, was taken from us too soon.  Barbara and Pauline joined forces to keep the swaps going . . . . . for Jan's sake, she so loved these swaps . . . .

Theme - A Winter's Day

The images were printed on copier paper and adhered to the cards.  Diecut snowflakes formed a border round the images.

These beauties were received from Rubes, Margaret and Barbara.  Thank you one and all 

Colour - Pink/Grey

I started with some pink paper backgrounds.  After finding this serviette in my stash,  I managed to tear it so that I had enough pieces to cover the cards.  I smooshed a printout with picked raspberry and, once dry, cut out the appropriate sentiments.  The sentiments were adhered diagonally.

I received these beautiful cards from PaulineM, Barbara and Margaret.  Thank you all
There were only two of us who entered the Coin Swap.

Coin One - Oriental

This theme meant I could use up my leftovers from the Chinese New Year ATCs.

I used the same process as before, only this time . . . . in the round.

Beautiful gentle coins from Pauline.

Coin Two -  On the Farm

I was going to use some animal stamps but looking at them closer, they weren't really farm animals so it's back to chickens!!  I used some leftover shaving foam papers for the backgrounds, fussy cut the chickens and added a sentiment.

These were my swaps from Pauline.

Partner Swap

I did this stencilling some time ago, kept carefully in my stash it was time to show it off. I added a few diecut butterflies, which were cut from gelli plate prints.  I found one gold frame so added that with butterflies coming through for card no.1 leaving the other two just plain.

These cards had papers which highlighted the subtle shades of the foxes, very pretty.

Thank you PaulineY

Trying to catch up

I have realised as I am having to sit around a lot, so that I can rest until my results come from the hospital, that I have not blogged any of my cards for a long time.  I intend to rectify that so, if you're not interested in my creations, please feel free to pass my posts by. . . . .

I will start by showing my ATCs and Coins swaps for October.

I do not enter any hallowe'en swap as I cannot justify this celebration but here are the others.

My partner swap

 and the received cards from ChrisF.

Thank you Chris.

The colour was for us to choose Any Colour

   Great selection from me don't you think?!?

I received these cards from Rubes, PaulineM and JanS.  Thank you girls.

The first coin theme is Transport 

 bit of a selection with some collage.

I received the following from JanS, Philippa and Dawn.  Thank you girls

The second theme was Times and my thoughts turned to Steampunk . . . . of course!

Not very clear but there is an Owl, Mouse and Cat.

The coins I received are from JanS with Holiday Times, Dawn with clocks and Thelma with Time Capsules.  

Thank you girls, love the interpretations.

The cards are yet to come . . . . 

ATCs for August Colour

 Wish I could capture this beautiful warm cream colour but  . . . . .

I didn't sleep much last night, so gave up and got up.

I was in the midst of creating this months Colour ATCs so sat down and played.

this is how I left my desk at 04.55hrs this morning!  I have managed to create the basics of the ATCs and now only need to complete them.

 I have attached some cream fancy paper to the base.  I will let you into a secret here . . . . the bases are punched from MacD's coffee carriers!!  

DDN keeps me supplied!

I digress . . . on top of the paper I have added some diecut flowers, leaves etc. and made a note of the words i will use and left the inkpad to remind me to use brown not black!!!

I stamped some words from Phill Martin Stamps, fussy cut and attached them with foam tape.  Running the inkpad round the edge of each ATC completes the look . . . . .

I so wish I could show you this wonderful shade of cream . . . . . so warm . . .