ATCs for All - Chinese New Year

My daughter brought home a magazine from a restaurant 'just in case I could use it' - well, had to didn't I?  lol

I cut some of the pages out of the magazine and attached them to three cards.  I had already printed out the main focal point and after some fussy cutting attached them on top of the background.  I 'googled' the character of the Year of the Horse, cut them square and edged with red ink.  

I added some green backing paper to fill in the blanks and also to back the fourth card, which would be my Hostess card.  

I placed two pieces of magazine paper on this card, a different 'horse' and then some gold mesh strips to the top right hand corner.  I outlined all the horses in matching colours including the hostess card. 

I received the following cards for my swap:- 

 

 Love the way the coin is added to the card.
Thank you JenUrebel.

One sturdy horse .... brilliantly added to the background.

Thank you NovaScotiaCrafter.

Love all these embellishments.

Thank you MargoArtist.

UKATC February Colour - Pink & Black

Love these two colours together .....
Have to make a good job of these .....
I cut four ATCs from some black card, heavy weight stuff.
Drew a picture using my Inktense and Watercolour pencils but on second thoughts maybe not use it .....

I cut a piece of dark pink spotted paper slightly smaller than the black card and then a smaller piece of pale pink spotted paper.  I peeled a tag in half to make it thinner and attached it at an angle on top of the ATC.

I laid some Gesso on this card and attached some pink tissue paper, layering three times down the centre.  When this has dried I glued a piece of pink chiffon ribbon printed with an outline rose and lettering.  I used  a pink pen to draw some flowers on both the black card and also the side tissue.  I wiped the gesso from off the sides of the card so that the black showed better.

I cut a piece of pink wall paper slightly smaller than the card and then attached a sentiment.  A small pink rose was placed in the corner. 

Ready for the post.

UKATC January Theme - Nursery Rhymes

I bought some digital designs from Day for Daisies as I love her sweet drawings, nothing fancy here, sweet and simple and drawn along the lines of Margaret Evans Price.

Jack & Jill, Hush a Bye Baby, Mary Mary and Ring a Ring of Roses.  I also bought Bo Peep but after colouring it decided to keep her for another day.

I used watercolour pencils for these drawings, placing the grass part of Jack & Jill over a peel off flower stuck on my desk!!!

I coloured the basket using a little piece of fine ridged card underneath to give it depth.

Mary, Mary completed the trio.

I enclosed Ring a Ring of Roses as a gift to our Hostess, who does a marvellous job of distributing these cards out.



I received the following cards swaps:-

Rock a bye baby 3D with the verse.
Thank you June B.

Little Bo-Peep who's pretty in pink.

Thank you Margaret. 

Incy Wincy Spider was so neat!

Thank you Phillipa. 

UKATC January Monthly Swap

The production of these ATCs was halted after the I made the first card due to illness.

I cut one of my green backgrounds and then remembered my new Mantra - background, focal point, embellish .....  I added a cut out embossed flower and added the sentiment.

When I came back to health again, I looked at the card and decided I didn't want two the same so I picked out an embossed background.  

I used two diecuts to represent Winter and Spring and attached them to the background with a spray glue. 

 I can't understand how two die cuts sprayed in the Bathroom sink can make one background sooo sticky ......  when the words were printed out and cut I didn't need to add any more glue!!!

I have invested in some Inktense pencils and have been trying them out on watercolour paper.  I cut out this design, then applied some water so that I could paint out the shapes.  

The water makes the pencil shading JUMP out with colour. 

It didn't need any more adding to it. 

I have received the following swaps:-

Decoupaged figures on a pretty border.

Glittered butterfly with ribbon embellishment.

A printed flower, glittered and attached to a glittered base and a tag added to finish.

 Thank you Janice B

UKATC January Colour - Glitter

I have sat with a piece of cream glitter paper all cut to size since Christmas .... I have now put it to one side to use later, I really don't know what to do about 'glitter'.

I remember a technique that used double sided tape - three strips, add some glitter powder .... and then what?  I filled in the gaps with some tape, added a rose outline peeloff which has a red stone.


During a shopping trip to Solihull I picked up a box of stamps in the sale at Paperchase.
Now to my glitter ATCs!!!!


The Eiffel Tower - glittered!!!

I stamped the tower and added a plane and a cloud - oo la la!!  Not wanting to detract from the glitter I drew some vegetation round about.

I used another stamp (given free with a magazine) to form a line of houses along the lower edge.  I coloured them using various pens but I am afraid the glitter didn't like them at all.  I added a moon and stars from a nail accessory pack.  The sky was coloured using glitter gelpens.     

I added a tree and blossoms in the grass to this Eiffel tower, I thought a few butterflies brought Spring to the scene - Springtime in Paris any one?

Yes! actually.  I am spending a few days in Spring (April) in Paris.  Meeting old friends, PJ's not mine .....

I have received the following cards back: -

Beautiful drawn flowers, glittered and embellished.
Thank you Jan S.  

Peel offs filled in with glitter on a glitter background.

Thank you Liz R.  

Flourishes and flowers, glittered beautifully.

                                              Thank you Sylvia F

ATCs for All - Houses

I did enjoy making the houses for the previous swap, so much so that I had to join this one.
I cut out several house shaped cards, some folded, some single.
Then what should I do with them?

I cut up some 'room' designs - dining rooms, bathrooms, lounge, stairwells from here.

I think this is going to take too long to make these folded houses .... the houses will have to be single fold and collaged.

I went with the single fold houses .... back on the PC I printed out some Gina K designs and some elements from other scrapbook collections.

Ideas formed in my mind......

I took the little house frame and adhered it to some steampunk paper, put the little boy just inside so he could look at his ladybird safely.  This was placed onto a 'garden' paper and cut to a house shape.

This little hut begged not to be left out!

I just added a toy truck, and a fuzzy frog - see the green behind the frame on the right.  Every boy deserves a motorbike ....

If you've gotta house, so have the fairies!!!
Mushrooms ....  magic?!?!   could be  ... there's a VW parked up behind!  lol

I decoupaged the small mushroom and the grass  (grass?!?!)

So these are my swaps.

I also made a hostess present....

A folded house ....

I pasted some torn print sheets across the front of the purple house and drew on the windows and door with  purple gel pen.  

Inside I pasted the rooms and stairs.  

I had plenty of designs to choose from so I hope the Hostess likes the way I have furnished this home.  

I cut some stamped flowers to use as a garden for the back and then realised I didn't need them as the card details would go here.  
I printed some flowers on a sheet and then printed the card details over them.  I cut the details over a flower and leaves so it conveyed a garden.

Lovely.
Honest!
I have received the following cards:-


A pretty little modern house.
Thank you Camprose.

Embossed, bronzed and blinged house.

Thank you Hinlieltje.

A stately residence.

Thank you Leonarda.

This little house is a gift from the Hostess.

Here is the roof open.

Here is the back of the house.

Thank you Jewels

ATCs For All - Hysterical Historical Snowmen

What a title!
Sounds so much fun so I joined in this swap!
I started off by drawing three snowmen - I knew that I would do King Louis XIV but who else I don't know.  I 'googled' historical figures and then settled to use Caesar and .... later on while playing a Boney M disc ... yes!!!   Ras... pu... tin - Lover of the Russian Queen ....
I printed off black and white prints so that I had a guide to follow and cut up my watercolour paper to size - four cards to a sheet.


I painted Rasputin with gardens behind the drapes of the Royal Palace.  I gave him a Faberge Egg decorated with yellow diamantes on glittered paper.

Caesar was draped in a white Toga, tiled floor, pillars and sky.  He leans against one of the pillars holding a bunch of grapes, although his wine goblet must be empty at that angle!!!

Louis is dressed in red brocade shirt with a gold waistcoat and stands in front of his magnificent gardens of Versailles.  His cane has a jewelled top.

 

Then along came me ...

I am hysterical - most people laugh at me a lot.  At my age I am planning my funeral service so I shall soon by Historical!!  he! he! he!

See you're laughing at me!!!!

Just to make sure that my snowmen can be recognised, I added a small pocket at the back into which I placed a miniature picture of my model.

UPDATED 03.02.2014
I received these beauties in return ....



Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
Thank you Heather K. 

John Lennon.

Thank you Gloria.

Abraham Lincoln.

Thank you Cassidy.