Geckogalz Swap completed

Way back in April when I first started making these ATCs, I joined a couple of groups.  
The Geckogalz website looked a very busy site, plenty of swaps, sales and blogs so I followed the link and joined the group.  The first swap was 10 / 10 - I send 10 and get 10 different cards back - this looked a good way for find out exactly what ATC cards are!!   So I made 10 cards - post - and sent them off.  

Many emails were sent, one girl had reneged so 'did we wait or carry on but be one short' - we said 'carry on', then we were informed that they had been posted to us............... nearly two weeks later they have arrived - certainly worth waiting for!!

Love the envelope idea from Diane.  The lining is a larger format of the backing paper on her ATC - or is the backing paper a smaller version of the lining?

Thank you Diane   






The gold extension and ribbon are totally different to anything I have seen.
Thank you Jess.  

I just love Japanese so really appreciate this one.

Thank you Margie  

These two speak 'Geckogalz style' to me, using lace and ribbons.

Thank you Heather

Thank you Deb

A vintage beautiful lady with pearls.
Thank you Helene

Mixed Media with embossed flowers.

Thank you Beverly

 and............ 


The shiny coffee card was held in place on a take away coffee cup!
Thank you Penny

The glittered and altered  strawberries came held in place on a giant strawberry.

Thank you Barbara

Circle of Crafters - Cities of Choice

Paris!
There is no other city for me!


I printed out a page of stamps to size and then decorated with gold peel offs.

I printed out the Eifel tower and then over-stamped with words and flowers.  I placed a glittered lilly peel off in the corner.

This one is Paris!   
Eiffel Tower, couture, feathers, hearts and roses.

I have received the following ATCs wrapped with a very clever card from Karen:-


There are two 3D Decoupaged scenes, one with the mountains decoupaged



and one with a Bridge across the river decoupaged.  



The boulders are also decoupaged 
(I have tried to show the decoupaging with a side view but I am afraid it is not all that clear).

 It looks a fantastic place to live ...............   

BTW ....... 
it is in Denmark!  

Karen enclosed a little note to me inside this wonderful card............



Front view...........

..................back view

and one of the note. 

I love all of it!  Thank you Karen

Fun with ATCs Challenge #91

I don't remember subscribing to Fun with ATCs Blog but I am so glad I did.  The new post dropped into my mailbox this morning and I thought that this challenge sounded too good not to enter.
I have a printout of daisies which I painted up yesterday. (as it is on watercolour paper!).  No reason ..........  just felt like it........... made quite a few actually..........
But when I saw this challenge I knew that I would be able to use my painting.

I did not colour the daisies so I thought I would clear emboss them but the embossing pen remained blue which meant the original clear embossing showed on the paper as blue........... and we all know daisies are white!!!  
I added some white puff embossing powder to the daisies but it was not very good, guess I am going to have to go and buy all new stock in order to continue my embossing life ......... no!  honest!  non of these powders are under five years old, not been touched for at least that long.  
I then added some printed words and when they had partially dried added a layer of clear glitter embossing.  The words remained only partially flat so I embossed the whole card again and it has given it a beautiful finish........  flat but 3Dish.

ATC World - Giraffes

Not a subject that stirs my heart but I know that somewhere I have some digis of giraffes..............

Then PJ opened one of his pressies from Father's Day and I did a double take on the packaging............




Giraffes.
Lots of Giraffes

I removed the packaging to my craft room and contemplated what could be done.  

I managed to get six useable ATC shapes from  all the cardboard and so I went to work.






I selected one Giraffe for each ATC and embossed it with clear powder.  I then embossed just the heads with self colour powder.  I trimmed and finished the ATCs but felt that they needed something to link them together.  I added a little heart on the black background.  These three have been sent off for a swap in my ATC World Group.


I photographed them at an angle so that the little hearts could be seen.  I have these three left to look at and enjoy for the moment.  I may trade them or use them on cards or just enjoy them .......




So there Mr Packaging - transformed you are!





 I embossed both heads on this card, exaggerating the purple one by embossing in a deeper purple. 

UPDATED 24.08.2013 to show off the lovely cards I have received by return.........


This tall silhouette of a giraffe is backed onto a lovely brown paper.
Thank you Becky



 What a cutie this one is.  He is standing in the same pose as the photo that is on the back taken by the artist at a wildlife park.
Thank you Kathy S


This is a very detailed watercolour - a proper watercolour painting! - and I just love it.
Thank you Jan C

ATC World - Art Medium Series - Pencil

While I sit and wait for this old machine to do something, I sometimes sketch .......

I sketched out a couple of scenes from my memories of Africa, never thinking they would be anything other than a few memories.

However, Resi chose this subject for one of the swaps this month so I dressed them up a bit and added another and posted them off.

This is a view of an Artist's stall which was opposite one of our B & B in Ibadon.  I loved the paintings and always snatched a quick look as we drove past.  One day we left the compound and walked along to have a closer look. 

There were lots of horn hooting and calling out to us and waving but it was good to be able to look at all the paintings up close.



Along the roads in all the towns and villages women set up their stalls, selling everything that can be sold.  

Tomatoes were often piled up on plates and laid out on tables.  The women, with babies strapped to their backs, carried on their chores, washing, cooking etc.  while they waited for customers.  These stalls brought a shock of colour to the scene.

One of the hazards of the road from Lagos was 'bandits' and I feel very blessed that nothing serious happened to us.  The only sign usually that there were checkpoints ahead was a few branches strewn across the road, so that the cars had to edge into a single lane to avoid the branches.  We were normally waved through when it was explained we were missionaries but on our last visit there was no warning.  

A boy ran out into the road and we had to stop to avoid hitting him, he told the Pastor some story and then guided us off the road.  We were taken to a clearing and held at gunpoint while our driver and our host Pastor negotiated with 'bandits'.  It was unnerving at the time, but sometimes God takes us to places where all we can do is pray to Him and depend on Him for we are weak in our own strength.  We were released and continued on our journey.

These are my three pencil ATCs.
UPDATED: 5th August 2013
I have received these swaps today -



A beautiful dark abstract, looks as though it has been created with chalks, gorgeous!
Thank you Christi

This great knight, in armour and with his pencil in his hand!  Soooo funny!

Thank you Kay

This one is a magical one, softly shaded and coloured.  
Thank you Becky.

ATC World - Artist's Choice

What to use is the question ...................?
I love embossing and stamping although I am not good at either..he!he!
I love butterflies so there we have it...........

Emboss background, stamp a butterfly and emboss in different colour.  Stamp a sentiment and leave it plain.  Bingo!  no actually - my choice!

Butterflies were embossed with glitter powder. 

And I received this very modern take - love the colours of the papers.
Thank you Christi

This is a watercoloured (I think) painting  and is so much brighter in reality, once again using a playing card.
Thank you Bonnie





This one made me laugh ............ it looks like an ordinary ATC with a tag then when you move the tag ........

..................................................

..................................................

this little fellow is revealed - very clever!

Thank you Judith. 

Circle of Crafters World Wide Swap

Lynsey is very kindly running the World Wide Swap on Circle of Crafters and has requested to swap with me so I have selected the following cards.

This is one of the Bingo cards, one of my first ones made way back in April.

 This is a Lacy Sunshine image - Jamie.  I stamped the background and embossed with clear powder.  Thinking Circus -   I then added a strip of fine paper and some paint as it  looked pretty boring to me!!    I coloured the image with watercolour pencils and gave it all a brush with water.  After it had dried, I fussy cut and adhered him to the background. 

 I love him...... except for that yellow blob ........ maybe it is someone's  balloon floating away!!!





One from my 'Eclectic me' set completes the three cards needed for the swap.








UPDATED: - 22nd June



Received today - aren't they just the cutest!!! 
I never thought to make Pyramage for ATCs ........ how excellent are these.
Thank you Lynsey


Gotta have a go haven't I?  Maybe my Pyramage days are not over .....................