We're All Going On a... Summer Holiday (Vacation!) - Uh oh... emergency glue supply required!

Last night I made a start on some backgrounds for a themed swap on ATC Addicts this month - Holidays/Vacations. I already had an idea to collage all the foreign postage stamps I had been saving up, so grabbed my glue stick and was off!

Holiday/Vacations Backgrounds (stage 1)

When I woke up this morning, I realised I couldn't really continue with these ATCs as I really, really needed a glue stick and mine had completely run out the night before. Doh! So I quickly went online to order a Tombow (best glue stick in the world... ever!) but needed something ASAP so in the interim, I popped to WHSmith and got a pink (yup, that's right, pink!) pritt stick. Turned out not to be the hottest glue in town, but hopefully my Tombow will arrive in a day or two, and besides, managed to grab the latest copy of Craft Stamper whilst Pritt Stick Shopping :)

A Pink Pritt Stick - Whatever Next?!

For those of you interested in the pritt stick, it goes on clear, dries clear etc. Anyhoo, moving on...

Over stamped postage stamp backgrounds using teal stazon and a mini postcard stamp (prima) and a gold inkpad and an ink pen stamp (argh, manufacturer of that stamp?! Elusive Images?) Then with my pinker than pink pritt stick I could glue on ripped blue mulberry paper, and then attached green netting (not sure where that came from - perhaps some fruit that was bought by Mumsy and has now been recycled into craft supplies!)

Holiday/Vacations Backgrounds (stage 2)

That was it from my crafting brain for today, I hope to get more out of it tomorrow!

Bernie Berlin... again!

Had to take on the challenge and take part in the Bernie Berlin ATC swap on UKATC. I was able to use 3 different background techniques from her book for this swap :)

I used one of the backgrounds I created on 14th July

http://freakydeakycrafter.blogspot.com/2008/07/bernie-berlin.html

I found a suitable image, and once I had that, the rest just came together! A layer of mesh, some mulberry paper, star eyelets and star gems. Made my own little chipboard letters to spell out "lovers".

"Lovers" (emboss-resist)

My second ATC uses a background created waaaaaay back... maybe early 2007? This uses the technique "fun foam". I had glued foam hearts onto an ATC base, layering some up double, then covered with foil tape and alcohol inked over the top. Yet again, finding an image that fitted in with my background gave me a good starting point and just by adding wire/bead embellishments and a word (again, I created my own chipboard letters) this ATC was done and dusted.

"Possession" (fun foam)

My last ATC used the technique "inky layers" though with a little improvisation on my part - I didn't have a coloured glazing medium as suggested, substituting it with diamond glaze... I don't think it made a huuuuuge difference..? This one was fun to make up, using a bottle cap image from Digital Collage Downloads, creating a framey with flowers to lift the image off the background. Added my trademark mesh, and yet more handmade chipboard letters... I think this one is my fave... or maybe "Lovers"... or maybe "Possession"... or maybe... I am just too darned indecisive!!!

"Innocence" (inky layers)

You see, the thing with the techniques in Bernie Berlin's book is, that you don't need to add much to complete an ATC, mainly because you don't want to cover up your lush backgrounds! Anyone fancying a challenge or a change, I highly recommend her book, available on Amazon and all the other usual places!

Artist Trading Card Workshop by Bernie Berlin.

A Crush On Canvas (and crafting with a cold *atchoo*)

Backtracking - 25th June 2008

Why, oh why, oh why do I feel so poorly? Cos I have caught a cold! How did I manage to catch a cold in the middle of Summer?! Cos I am just plain freaky. I should change my blog title to sneezy-wheezy-crafty-atchoo-chick cos I am sneezing like the clappers and it huuuuuuuurts! *sniffle*

But I wanted to craft, so I can't have felt *that* poorly! With my crush on canvas still as rampant as ever, I made 4 backgrounds, using acrylic paints, luna lights, gold ink, stamped tissue paper, applied with modge podge over gold mesh...

...which was great... until I got to the part where I had the idea of using gold ink and embossing powder around the edges to give some texture... and sneezed... then sneezed again, and again, and again... (my record so far these past couple of days is 11 in one go!!!)

So crafter's, if you're out there, take heed - do not craft with embossing powders (or glitters for that matter!) when you have a cold! You're only asking for a room to get covered in sparkles and powders, and you know what that means - hoovering up!

N.B. No backgrounds were sneezed upon during the making of these canvases.

Made It! Father's Day Framey

Backtracking - 15th June 2008

Time to get cracking with that frame for Father's Day, so got up early to finish my masterpiece (?!?!) Took the photo and matted it onto a background I had made that is a continuation of the colours on the frame. I also got brave and added some colour directly onto the photo (eep!) so the sand in it looks yellow. It just looked a bit odd having the photo completely black and white, and I think adding some light sandy yellow to it has made Freaky Deaky Dad and bro stand out more..?

Thanks to my Freaky Deaky Friendie introducing me to gel medium, glueing on the shells and beads was a piece of cake. I put my brain into "seaside" mode and added all and sundry I could think of that would be on the seashore...

• big shells
• pebbles/gravel (I smashed up a few shells and used beads to create these items!)
• driftwood (I used a bit of pot-pourri snaffled from some Mumsy was chucking out!)
• fishing nets (used mesh)
• fish (friendly plastic fish!!! Yay!)
• flotsum and jetsum (covers just about everything else I stuck on !)

I had some star washers - used embossing powders on to distress them, so they fitted in and looked rusty, and like they had been washed up onto the beach. I smashed up a few shells and did the same, used my embossing powders to make them look distressed. The finishing touches were simple - 4 doo-dads in using appropriate words "adventure" "explore" "play" "laugh", and finally, I stamped Brighton 1953 using my fave word generating rubber stamp, the provocraft wheel stamp, and attached with waxy flax, buttons and good old gel medium.

Freaky Deaky Dad was well chuffed, and the frame has pride of place, where else, but in the bathroom!

BTW, they are wearing woollen bathing suits - embarassing!!! All the rage in 1953 - or so I am told! ;)