The Holiday is Over; 1 down 1 to go!

Hooray, hooray, it's a holi-holi-day! Done and dusted, 4 Holiday/Vacation Themed ATCs, 3 of which will go in for the ATC Addicts R Us themed swap for August. The other one... aha!

Anyways, to each ATC I chose an image from either the "funnies" or "travel" ATC paper pads, adding colour using direct to paper technique, to lift them up off the background. Also added 4 fancy corners to make each image look like a snapshot from a holiday photo album.

Got Tuna?

Attached the phrase "Got Tuna?" with mini micro brads, adding a fish charm (thank you FDF!) which I had alcohol inked. Final touch, a wavy peel off (yup, you read that right, a *peel off*!!!)...

Memories

Added an alcohol inked metal plaque - memories - and some rustic looking gold glass chips, to create the effect of a pebble beach...

Dip Your Toe In

Added a windsurfer charm which had been alcohol inked, attaching it with a brad. Another wavy line peel off (am I feeling alright?!) and this one was done!

The Gene Pool

My favourite I think - attached an alcohol inked sea conch charm using a mini micro brad, and added the phrase "The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard" - the final touch was a few of those rustic gold glass chips.

And, hip hip hooray, 1 down 1 to go - I have completed one of my gothic arches. I was drawn to them as soon as I woke up, so took advantage and got cracking with finishing one off.

So what have I added to what was once a mere background? 2 stamped images of teeny weeny flutterbies in spring pansy, coating the images with diamond glaze. I also stamped teeny weeny swirls in gold, attached a wire coil/ribbon to the bottom left hand corner, then, using wire, attached tiny lilac sequin flowers all the way round the arch so they kinda hang off - added a bit of ribbon to one of them. I bedazzled up the dark butterfly images on the backround paper using, those things I can never remember the name of... accent beads!!! I also gave both of these butterflies antennae (could resist!) Finally I added my alcohol inked metal butterfly and voila!

The Master Calls a Butterfly

Shower Power, Scrappy Wappy Friendie, Shopping!

Lush, I love you! I think they knew I was moving somewhere with just a shower and no bath... I swear! They have just bought out a new range of products called Emotibombs (they must know I am an emotional wee lass who desperately wants a Lusherly smelling bathroom!)

"Just when you thought that Lush had come up with every possible variation, we managed to invent yet another fascinating way to have fun in the bathroom. Mo, who invented the Bath Bomb and the Shampoo Bar, felt rather sorry for people who were missing out on the delights of a Bath Ballistic’s fragrant fizziness. People who only have showers, for example. One of the joys of a Ballistic bath is the way that they fill the bathroom with scent and if you leave the door open they’ll fill up the whole house. The beautiful, natural perfumes which are released when the water hits the bomb, change your mood as you inhale them so Mo decided that shower owners really ought to experience the same delights. Bring on the Emotibomb. Here’s what you do. Put it on the floor of your shower and as the warm water hits your Emotibomb, it fizzes up into the atmosphere, surrounding you in a cloud of fragrant steam. Everyone’s first question has been this, “But doesn’t it just go straight down the plughole?” Of course it does go down the plughole eventually, but doesn’t everything in life? While you’re in the shower, it lasts long enough to transform your daily cleaning into a magical mist."

And they do that! My Scrappy Wappy Friendie (also a self confessed shopaholic) came to see me today and took me to Lush to buy me shower gels for a flat warming gift... anyhoo... we're browsing shower gels when a Lush Lady comes up and tells us about Emotibombs, and I was sold, and I ended up with a lovely selection of bits and bobs for my shower, and a handmade new home card to boot!

Emotibombs: Up The Wooden Hill, Sex in the Shower (steady on!!!)

Shower Gel: Flying Fox

I am now not quite so miffed by the fact that I do not have a bath. And we copped some free samples of soaps, Rock Star and Extra Virgin Olive. Lusherly! Thank you Scrappy Wappy Friendie for the gifties and card.

Her shopaholic side influenced me and I ended up purchasing 2 new hooded tops (best tops to have IMHO) but they were quite a bargain at 2 for £30 in Republic. I couldn't resist... and she egged me on... besides, you can never have too many hoodies, right?

Cupcake Hoodie

Close Up of Cupcake!

Touchy Feely Hoodie

Lovely Buttons!

This hoodie had a spare button... a diamante heart... now I am faced with the dilemma - do I...

a) keep the button in my jewellery box in case I happen to lose one?

or

b) put the button straight in my craft stash?

Answers on a postcard!

My Scrappy Wappy Friendie asked me to show her how to make an embellishment using wire/beads, so I helped her to do a beaded heart, our efforts are shown below...

She can use it on a scrapbook page... once I send it to her! Cos she left it behind - doh!

You've Been Framed, Flutterbies and Domestication!

Gone all domesticated! Have done my washing and tumble dried it today. Never used a tumble drier before, it's all new to me! Thankfully both the washing machine and tumble drier survived my usage! :p

Found a lovely piccie of dear old Oscar (kitty left behind and Mumsy's and Freaky Deaky Dad's) to put in a frame sent to me from my bandy wandy friendie, along with a new home card. BTW, she gonna be famous soon! On a Tesco advert with Paul Daniels!!!

Card and Pussy Cat Framey Wamey from Bandy Wandy Friendie

Also got my beads and wire out tonight, got butterflies on the brain, so had a crack at making one from wire and beads - melikes!

Fly Away Home

Coasting!!!

Finally my finished Altered Coaster for a swap on Advanced Artist Trading Cards have been completed and sent off in the post! Backgrounds were all done using Bernie Berlin's background technique "emboss resist", then, the theme being numbers, I had to pick my fave no... 2! (no rude jokes please!)

The harlequin background on this coaster gave me a great starting point, and it was easy to choose an image for it - this one is stamped onto acetate, and I had layered 3 strips of mulberry paper underneath, to add a bit of depth to the image. I cracked open a packed of "diamond" Ranger pop outs that I have been hoarding for some time, and used B-Muse embossing powders on them, and then swiped round the edge of the coaster with versamark and used the same colour embossing powder as I had done on the pop outs. Beaded chain around my no.2 and around the diamonds, plus a few diamante stars, and this one was completed!

2 Little Angels

The next coaster was a bit tricky-wicky, as it was the first time I had used my crop-a-dile to attach organza ribbon onto a surface with eyelets. I didn't want to spoil ye olde coaster, and fortunately, after a bit of faffing, I got the effect I was after. Added some velvet ribbon too, for a bit of touchy feely-ness. The no.2 and edge of the coaster have B-Muse embossing powders on them, and the no. is attached with 4 teeny tiny "screw head" brads. I alcohol inked a round frame from The Fruit Pixie, and attached it over my chosen image with brads. A touch of bling was needed to finish off, so I applied gems, beads and wire to complete the coaster.

2 Hearts Beating as 1

This is my secone fave coaster out of the four I made. Image is crafty Individuals, a little ric rac down one side (thank you FDF for your advice!) and interlocked the image into a die cut swirl that I had embossed with, yup, you got it, B-Muse embossing powders (and the edge of the coaster too!) Alcohol inked a washer and a button, using the washer to frame my no. and the button as an embellishment. Completed my chosen phrase "2gether" (not good English I know - but I think it looks good on arty farty stuff) The finishing touch was a flower from a sheet of prima flowers sent to me as an RAK by a member of the group ATC Addicts R Us (thank you!)

2-gether

My most favourite coaster of all... really hard to part with this one, yet I didn't like it at first! How odd... Anyway, attached some vintage lace using some large eyelets, tucking my image (Crafty Individuals) underneath on one side. Added my phrase "IT TAKES" and my no. 2, and used gold trim under both the no. and the image. Used some pink gems to create a corner on the top right, attach these with wire (unusual gems these, they have 2 holes on the top). Finishing touch, attaching some musical note charms with wire, twisted this way and that.

It Takes 2 (to Tango)

If no one wants this one in the swap... I wonder if I could have my own back?!

Go Girl!!! Tummy Rub!!!

Wow, today I received a very special ATC - my Freaky Deaky Friendie's top notch niece wanted to make me summat for my new flat, and bearing in mind she is just 11, what an awesome ATC she has created for me! Not only that, but it is the first one she has ever made too :D

Go Girl In Your New Home

I feel privileged to be the recipient of her first artist trading card, and not only that, I know the time and thought that went into making (corners!!!) I had a sneaky feeling I was going to get a lickle summat, so I had made an ATC to give to my FDF's niece to say thanks muchly! Couldn't resist adding some beads and wire!

My FDF had made me the bestest new home card too! Getting quite a collection now :)

Ooh, crafty individuals backing paper and flutterbies :)

Oh... and the other day my pinky winky friendie shared with me the most gorgeous piccies of her doggy woggy, I just have to put one up on my blog to show the world how cute Matilda is! Her latest trick is "tummy rub" - all you have to do is call out those two words and she rolls on her back ready to have her tummy tickled! I want a doggy woggy!

Hands off my bag!!!

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.

Nail Varnish Backgrounds Fluttering By!

Finally turned those nail varnish backgrounds from 4th July...

http://freakydeakycrafter.blogspot.com/2008/07/nail-varnish-high-and-somewhere-to-be.html

... into completed ATCs!

I added gorge flutterby sequins which I had embellished myself with beads...

... and a swirly wirly die cut (courtesy of my craft penpal from the U S of A) ...

... then I stuck gems onto the die cuts to lift them off the backgrounds ...

... and used my new mini alphabet stamps from The Fruit Pixie to stamp either "soar" or "fly fly away" ...

I am liking flutterbies at the mo! Really excited as there is a butterfly themed Gothic Arch swap coming up on ATC Addicts in July/Aug... yay! :D

Inspired by Primark?!

Backtracking - 30th June 2008

I had a mega hectic day yesterday (I made it to London to see my mate, thanks to Freaky Deaky Dad's support) and was introduced to the world of Primark. Totally bargainous store, but mega busy and really too much, so we soon retreated to Starbucks!

Today, I made use of the labels that came of the pair of cargo trousers I bought (was well surprised they had trousers long enough for my legs in such a cheap shop!) and I made a card :)

Been ages since I actually made a card, as for months all I have really done is ATCs and altered art bits and bobs. It wasn't too painful though to make my brain think on a bigger scale.

The bits from the clothing tags are the ripped rough brown paper, and the length of twill that I have attached with an eyelet over the top. I stitched down the left and right side of it using wire. Used backing papers that have been kicking around for a while, ripped it, and embossed the torn edge with one of my de-lovely B-Muse embossing powders. Got inky and used direct to paper in various colours over the rest of the card to co-ordinate, then finally used a wooden heart and wrapped wire round, adding some coils top and bottom, and 3 stitched crosses onto the right hand corner of the card, as finishing touches. It was fun!

Note to self: make cards more often!

But... I couldn't resist making an ATC too!!!

Feeling Better = Feeling Crafty

Backtracking - 26th June 2008

Cold going, going... gone! (Well, ish!) At least I am not sneezing in quick succession anymore! I felt it safe to return to the craft room! Canvas is a theme on ATC Addicts R Us so I finished off the canvases I had been working on. They just kinda came together...

And kept one for me... cos I might soon need lots of ATCs and other crafty stuff that I have made myself to decorate something I might have in a new place I might be going to, some time soon, but not very soon, in fact, it could be months but anyhoo, I be keeping this ATC:

Button Moon

Backtracking - 22nd June 2008

I've been to button moon, I've followed Mr Spoon, button moon! (Hope some of you out there reading this remember that TV programme?!) Yup, you got it, buttons!

The challenge on ATC Addicts is "Button It" - I already had the faux washi backgrounds at hand and an idea in my head to use buttons to create frames... so all I had left to do was to find suitable images and buttons and get crafting! I wanted a variety of buttons on each card, so I could show all kinds of buttons you can not only buy but create yourself! My ATCs include ones such as:

• miniature buttons
• cats' eye buttons
• shaped buttons
• decorative buttons (ones with blue stars courtesy of Mumsy)
• plain buttons I have colourised with alcohol inks
• homemade buttons created using punched out shapes of shrink plastic
• recycled buttons (from old clothes etc.)
• buttons rec'd in an RAK from Twiggy (cheers big ears!)

The images are from one of the Crafty Individuals image books (think the one I used is called People and Places) and I matted them onto angel hair to soften the look slightly. I attached the buttons with wire (that took forever!) but I had all night... I needed words to finish off the ATCs, so searched through my stash and found these vellum words... and on a couple of the ATCs I added a lickle flower to make the images stand out more, then I was done! :D

I kept this one for me :)