Gothic Arches Received

These are the two return gothic arches i received and they are both lusherly. The first one as you can see is very colourful with flowers and butterflies, which reminds me of summer, or at least what summer should be

The second one as you can see is very different in the way it has been created and the colors used are far more muted but work really well for the style and composition of the art work. This one reminds me of two people uniting somewhere very peaceful

I was well chuffed with both of these and know that a lot of time of effort has gone into creating them

Anyone for a game!!!!

These are altered large playing cards for a swap on UKATC. The idea was to alter them in anyway you wanted to so you could use either side have some of the base showing or cover it entirely. I covered all of mine as you will see below

This had white geeso applied to begin with. Once it had dried i began to add scraps of different types and colours of papers covering the whole card. I then used a versa mark all over and randomly sprinkled some B-Muse embossing powders on, heated them and hey presto that was my background about finished.

Next i took a stamped image that somene had very kindly sent me a little while back ad i colourised using marvy Le Plumes, added some string brading and some sequin flowers. A few more embellishments were added and this one was done!

To begin making this one i painted a couple of layers of geeso and left to dry between each coat. I then painted it copper and stamped a background stamp using a versa ink pad applied clear embossing powder and heated. Then i pained the whole card turquoise and put it to one side dry. While it was drying i cut my focal image and mounted it onto copper card and got together the other elements i was wanting to use on this card. Ocnce it was dry i place a piece of scrap paper over the card and then took a hot iron and ironed over the top. The paint that was on the embossing powder then came off onto the the piece of scrap paper (emboss resist technique) and was ready for me to put it all together as you can see

This card also started with a couple of layers of white geeso. Then once dry i used B-Muse embossing powders to create the background. I wanted to use this image that someone had very kindly stamped and sent to me and so i wanted to create a completely different background for the image. I brayered ink over the stamped image and then embellished with accent beads and a friendly plastic butterfly. Around the edge of the card i used wire like thread to create a stitched effect

Again the card was primed with geeso. I then used the emboss resist technique as described above. The colours i used for the background came from the colours that were in the image i had chosen to use. I Then embellished with a big 3D flower, gems, a circle word charm and added some dangly using wire and teeny tiny brass flower charms

They were all great fun to do and was nice to have the challenge of a larger surface than that of an atc. As i have been describing them it makes it all seem as if it was all soeasy and that they all just came together but let me assure you that was not the case but i was pleased with the finished results and hope the recipients will be too.

Long Time no action!

Well it has come to my attention that i have been neglecting my blog and there hasn't been any new activity since august 10th and it is now the 6th Sept!

Over the next few days i am gonna update you all with what i have been up to and what i have been creating and showing any new bit's and bobs off. I have no idea rally what order they all happened in so i will just methodically work through my list and that way hopefully i won't forget anything!

I must check out my fellow bloggers blogspots to see what they have been busy with and to get a look at any new creations they have been making.

I have had lots of crafters block and that has resulted in periods of no creating and then i get a night like last night and i couldn't sleep or settle, sat at my craft desk and hey presto produced something i hve been trying to do since the 15th August! Phew got those bits done and off in the post so i know they will arrive on time.

Right off to compile my list and then will be back later to update my progress with my creations.

Bye for now!

Wax Crayons

Wohoo lots more colours of crayons to try for resist projects and in my melt pot. Looking forward to playing with these and my thanks go to my freaky deaky friend for giving them to me. Looks like i have a few bits to play with and use in the up and coming swaps.

My Lusherly stash has grown

My lusherly paper stash has grown :) My freaky deaky friend and i ordered these papers from frantic stamper in the clearance sale. At one point we weren't sure if there would be any left by the time it got our order, but thankfully we got them. They are lusherly and i'm looking forward to being able to use them as i am sure my freaky deaky friend is.

Men Men Men

I was looking forward to doing these because it isn't often that i do atc's specifically with Men. I found the images i was going to use first and then worked from there. I also had a card i had received from my freakydeaky friend which also inspired me. Once finished i was really pleased with what i had created and was happy to send them in to the group to be swapped and i am looking forward to receiving my return swaps.

UKATC August partner swap

These were for the August monthly partner swaps on ukatc. I was really tempted to keep the middle one but i was strong and sent it to my partner. Hope she likes it as much as i do.

Favourite Colour swap

These were done for a "my favourite colour" swap on ukatc. I have a few fav colours at the moment but decided to go for lilac and blue as i have done some of my fav colours for other groups and have used some of my other fav colours.

second gothic Arch

This is the 2nd arch finished. Again i have added words round the edge using wax from my melt pot. I then had an image that i took the flat looking wings off and added some new pink textured and slightly squidgy wings. I also added a couple of vellim flowers in the background. Added lace at the bottom but with the lace coming down below the bottom of the arch. I alcoholed a butterflu which i put on the top of the arch. Added a lilac shimmer butterfly as well as adding some butterfly gems to finish it off. This is the words used

If you ever watched a butterfly
You would think the same
To call him rather flutterby
Is more a fitting name.

Gothic Arch 1

kies so this is one of my arches finished. I added lace at the bottom and then stamped the butterfly ladr and added her to the arch. I then alcohol inked two butterflies and added these along with a sequin flower. I added wording around the edge of the arch and added swirls going off the gothic arch using some mega chunky monkey wire. Then hay presto it was done. Here is what is said around the arch

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit
the
changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty

RAK for Kathleen

This is a little thank-you for Kathleen who is guest hosting the gothic arch swap. So i have made an atc gothic arch

Gothic Arches

This is the second gothic arch at the first stagemand will soon be transformed into a butterfly heaven. Come back to this one as well.

This is the first stage of my first gothic arch with a butterfly theme. There will lots more on it soon so will come babck to it then

Purdy Puss

This is my little companion Purdy Puss. She makes herself very comfortable in my beanbag! I think she has decided to claim it as hers!!!!

Jam Swaps

I recently took part in a jam swap with UKATC and these are the three atc's i received. I love them all and was well chuffed when they dropped on my doormat. I would definatley participate in another jam as they are so much fun and ending up with three atc's that 3 different people have worked on it great.

The people who contributed to these are Anne, kirsteen and Paula. My thanks to all three.

Bernie Berlin swaps

These are the swaps i created for UKATC using 3 different Bernie Berlin techniques. The first is the emboss resist technique, the second is glass like resin and the third one is the resin fresco technique. All of the techniques were ones i had not tried before and now i want to do more!

New Home Card

I finally got round to making my freaky deaky friends new home card. I decided that i wouldn't put new home on the front so that she can keep it up as long as she wanted to and i could write a personal message about her new home inside.

I created hte card by using the emboss resist technique using a light green and a teal colour as my base colours. Allowed them to dry and then using versa mark stamped my friend stamp and clear embossed it. hen using gold acrylic paint i went over the base colours and stamped image. Once this was dry i place a piece of scrap paper over the top and ironed over it to remove some of the base colour around the stamped image.

I was pleased with how the colours worked on this so will defo use that combo again

Then i placed the resist embossed image onto gold foil and created texture on the foil edging and then mounted this onto the card over a crafty individual background paper and added some butterflies and some flower gems.

Hey presto card made!

My Uber talented Niece

My Uber talented niece desperately wanted to make my freaky deaky friend an atc for her new home. She has never before created an atc so this was her first! She created it totally on her own and even used my melt pot to use wax to add the stamped image that she had brayered with a multi coloured ink pad. She then stamped corners (she know my freaky deaky friend is into corners!) and used my dymo to create the extra wording she wanted from that on the stamp as she wanted to say "Go Girl in your new home"

I was very impressed with what she had created and the different techniques she used to create this atc which will be treasured by my freaky deaky friend.

Girls girls girls!!!!!

Well the theme of girly swaps came up in the group i co-own with my freaky deaky fwendie and i was like oh heck what do i use for this! I was trying to find girly things in my crafty stash and i couldn't believe that i am really lacking for girly stuff! Stamps and altered art stuff etc i have and i am fine with but girly stuff was so difficult. Finally i did manage to create my 3. ?They are more basic than some i have done but they are at least done! Here they are:

One of my girly swaps which i stamped the background and then stamped the bag out and cut it out and added a charma dn gems and used my dymo to add words.

The second of the three has a stamped background and then pink vellum over the top. Then i layed some friendly plastic out and heated it and stamped into it. I then added embellishments and another charm.

My third one i inked and stamped my background and then cut a piece of acetate with swirls on and attached it to the base. Then stamped and colourised shoes and added a strip of measuring tape to use the words if the shoe fits.. Added a pink heart gem and a couple of charms to finish it off.

scrap Heap Challenge

This one has a mix of scrap pieces of paper and embossing powders over silicone, the red tapebacking heated, scrap canvas a crafty individual image and words stamped onto scrap bits of thick card

This one has again got scraps of paper, tissue paper, canvas, can ring pull embossed with pearl utee and a stamped image onto tissue paper and wax over the image. Also 2 different types of brads to embellish

Finally this one has a background created from paper that i have worked on top of when making other projects and have stampe or smoohed ink. A CI image has then been used with a metal flower embellishment that has been alcohol inked, words cut to fit and 3 star embellishments and marvy metallic round the edge

Waterfall ATC's

This waterfall has a CI background paper and black/purple card and purple angel hair and then i printed some images and put it all together. Think this is my favourite.

This one has a green base and a white handmade paper with an embossed pattern on it. The flower images were sent to me from a friend

This one has a darker blue base and a pale blue layered on top that has been stamped onto with a music background stamp using versa mark ink pad and perfect pearls brused over.

Saturday 26th July

Well it has definitly been one of those days today!!! So much to get done but so hung up and stuck on one thing taking time away from the other things. I spent about 3hrs if not more trying to get 3 atc's together and it was like pulling teeth! LOL

Then sat back at my craft desk after having a break and knowing the swaps i was mega brain dead with were done i whizzed through some of my others. Managed to get 5 atc's done in just over 2 hrs. So that leaves me with 2 left todo tomorrow and i might even get the chance to make a start on next months swaps :)

Hope you are all enjoying the lovely warm weather while we have it. I have been stuck inside missing it but it's nice to have the windows open to let some air through my flat.

Wonder what tomorrow will bring? x

Coaster Swap

Here are my 4 coasters completed for a swap with advanced atc's. I used acrylic paints for the backgrounds and then used wax melted in melt pot and applied it with a paint brush. You have to work quite quickly for this as the wax dries really quickly. Then either stamped into it or used perfect pearls over and other embellishments and this what i created.

Summer match box

summer match box and contents. Watch this space for the Autumn match box

spring match box

match box and the atc's included in it.

Pressie for bestest freaky deaky frendie

My bestest freaky deaky friendy has moved into her penthouse suite and i wanted to give her something very special. I decided on a canvas so she could have some art on her wall because i didn't think it was something she would have time to do herself.

I also used my melt pot for the very first time on this project. Saved it for something special and what better occasion.

Canvas Backgrounds

Had a play with bmuse embossing powder and acrylic paints on canvas. Now i want to do more :)

Bottle top swap

Just recently finished doing a bottle top swap. The bottle tops could be left as they were or flattened. I got my trusted frind out gandelf and squished all of mine to create the look i was looking for

Jam Backgrounds

For UKATC we are doin a jam and these are the backgrounds i created and sent onto the next person

Art received from my Fwendie Wendies

Gorgeous pieces of art i have received and treasure. Very talented ladies.