In My Heart

February is the month of love - apparently! I love taking part in swaps and made this ATC for a recent Valentine's swap on Facebook.

I am trying to use up old cardboard so recycled some for the base. I used Dyna Paints first and then embossed with a wood effect folder. I dry brushed white paint over the embossing and then sanded some of the paint back. I used Tim Holtz Washi Tape on the background and a text stamp. The heart is wooden, painted red and edged with Black Soot Distress Ink. I wrapped the heart in wire and added a Tim Holtz sticker as a sentiment.

It was quite hard to part with this one!

Challenges I am entering :
A Vintage Journey - Your Hearts Desire Challenge
Creative Artiste - Anything Goes
An Inky Mess - Anything Goes Mixed Media

Messing About with ATCs

Its been a long time since I made some ATCs. I don't why as I love the fact you can go wild and experiment with techniques in such a small space.

I was inspired to make these cards by Lynn Kopas' work and whilst no where as fabulous as hers, I really enjoyed making these.

First I stuck on a layer of hessian type material and then added found objects, beads, shells and other trinkets. I covered the whole piece with Gesso. For the first time I used a texture paste and a stencil to create the flourishes - I am now hooked!

Once dry I spritzed blue and green inks onto different areas and stamped the butterfly image.  To bring out the texture I dry - brushed gold acrylic paint onto shells and flourishes.

I think I may be making more of these!

I am entering them into the following challenges:

That's Crafty Challenge Blog - ATCs

Stamps and Stencils - Oh So Blue

We Love to Create - Anything Goes

ATC - Tim Holtz Style

A bit of a blast from the past as I haven't made an ATC for ages. That's what really started me off crafting seriously some years ago.

Over at A Vintage Journey Challenge the theme is to make an ATC with "a little touch of Tim" (Holtz)

I created the background by embossing the background with a Tim Holtz embossing folder and then embossing with gold powder. The washi tape, images and tickets are all from my "Tim Holtz stash"

Enjoy Your Crafting!

Window on ATCS

I haven't made an ATC for a while and love the theme of windows and doors over at Fun With ATCs.

I made this one using my favourite set of stamps from Creative Expressions. I stamped the window image and cut it out before layering it over a stamped scene. I coloured the ATC using Mica paints for a midnight shimmer effect.

Have a great day crafting!

Other Challenges I am entering :

Artistic Inspirations - Anything But a Card

Dreaming of Summer

Well here on the South Coast and the rest of the UK we can only dream of summer - although at least it stayed dry for my son's sports morning today.

Here on my blog today are 3 ATCs I have made for the Stampman ATC Swap. I haven't done ATCs for a while, but it would be good to do some swapping again.


The theme is summer, so to make these I used the fabulous free stamps from the artist Emma Ball which came from Simply Homemade magazine. The three beach hut ATC was made using a stamp from Docrafts by Michael Powell. All have been coloured with Aquamarkers to give them a soft look. Two of the ATCs have been decoupaged and the deckchairs stamped onto coloured paper to give some depth.


I look forward to seeing the ATCs I will receive in return!


Other challenges I am entering with these:
Everybody Art Challenge - Summer
Paper Crafting Journey - Summer

ATC Spotlight Challenge

These are three ATCs which I thought I would enter into the Spotlight Challenge which at the moment is on ATCs. I stamped the text then over stamped the butterflies, and flowers. I used a variety of techniques - embossing, colouring with Promarkers and using Pearl Powders over versamark ink.

Atc Challenge - Last minute entry!

The challenge at ATC Challenges for the last two weeks has been household items or anything goes. Well now my Polka Doodles stamps have arrived this was the perfect time to try them out for the anything goes category. A simple card using Memento ink pad, Promarkers and a blender pen.

Trees ATCs

I'm really busy at the moment getting ready for a craft market on Saturday, but managed to squeeze in these three little ATCS for the Stampman swap.

I used a Kanban tree stamp, Big N Juicy Ink Pads and Inkdusters to brush on the ink. The silver moon is embossed.

Away in a Manger ATC

With the run up to Christmas I haven't much time for crafting, but I couldn't sleep last night so got up and made some ATCs! Here is one for the Joanna Sheen ATC Challenge this month.

I inked the background with distress ink and foam, layered a peel off on the top and added white gel pens for stars.

Stampman ATC Swap - Travel

For this ATC I used Crafty Individuals stamps for the background and places images, stamping with memento ink and distressing with distress inks. The tag is from another stamp set which I stamped and distressed and tied on with string.

Oriental ATCs

Have been trying to fit crafting around school holidays. Managed to finish a trio of ATCs for the swap on the Lots to Do forum. It was exciting to get out my box of Oriental goodies which I haven't used for awhile.

The first one is a peel off sticker coloured with Aquamarkers, the second is an inked background, with a stamped imaged which I gold embossed. I then filled in the gaps with a glaze pen to give an enamel effect. The last one is simply stamped and chalked.

Fairy ATCs

Another fantastic day. Have just found a great new craft shop near me selling Distress Inks, the Debbie Moore range, crafters companion and the thing I most wanted a speedball brayer - can't wait to try it out.

Just a litte project to show you,three Fairy ATCs for a Docrafts Swap. I made them by swiping the card over big n juicy ink on a craft mat. I then stamped the fairies in black ink and highlighted them with cosmic shimmers.

Lots more fairy projects to come as I've spent most of the weekend experimenting for the Gingersnap Creations Fairy Challenge. Watch this space!!

Fairy ATC

The theme for Think Monday, Think ATC is Fairyland.

Here is my entry. I love the sparkly wings this fairy has.