ATC's

Seriously, I am in love.

Why have I never made these gorgeous wee creative 'things' before now?

Why has no-one ever suggested them to me?

I've been missing out.

I plan to change that.

Right here!

Right now!

The lovely Betz is hosting an ATC swap and you guessed it, I put my hand up.

I'm in!

Here's one of my very first ATC cards.

Are you ready?

Here you go.

I made a set of four very similar to this one and in my favourite colour - well I just had to do that - no brainer my friends.


So what did I do.

I grabbed two pieces of water colour paper and pulled them out of a pad.

I applied clear gesso all over and waited for it to dry with a little bit of help from the good old heat gun.

I then grabbed a plastic bag and crinkled it up a little bit.

A distress pad was wiped over the top of it and then I dribbled a little cold water over the top of it.

I then placed a piece of the water colour paper on it applied a little pressure lifted it and then dried it once again with the heat gun.

I didn't care if it didn't cover all of the water colour paper [and it didn't]  still lots of white space showing here and there.

I grabbed another plastic bag and I used a paintbrush and some Shimmerz and water and did the same thing again.   And once again I dried it.

Up close and personal there is a little bit of a shimmer going on my friends honest.

I then cut pieces 2.5" by 3.5" to use as each individual base.

So every base looks a little different depending on the way the base colour was dribbled and subsequently dried.

I then used a round corner punch.

I have randomly stamped an image using a Kaisercraft stamp and an archival stamp pad and I let this dry naturally whilst I was cutting out heart shapes and finding my Kaisercraft butterflies - clear stickers.

I have pulled apart a little of the corrugated cardboard - top layer and tied a little string around added a little white gesso and some art stones and then I have dribbled a little more purple colour on the art stones.

I have inked around the edge of my card base.

Printed off a quote cut into strips and inked around the strip edges.

Last but not least I have applied a little more gesso.

Voila - done and dusted.

So watch this space.

I've been playing a little with pink.

Happy creating everyone.

CYA

I'm sorry

Dear blog,

I'm sorry.  I truly am.

Life just kinda got in the way ... again.

I promise to try and do better.

Nope, let's be a little more positive than that.

I promise that I will do better.

My sincere apologies.

Your owner.

Ummmmmmm ... that would be moi!

Back soon.

CYA

Honey ... I'm home ...

Or hello ... I'm back to all my crafting friends around the world.

And tonight I am sharing a tag that I whipped up for the FabScraps team using a gorgeous collection - their C91 - Call from the Wild collection.

For This Project You Will Need

•   FabScraps C91 – Call from the Wild collection

•   Metal foliage dies and a cutting machine

•   Seam binding

•   Sentiment cut on cardstock

•   Bloom

•   Muslin

•   Cotton

•   Butterfly and leaf die cuts

•   Stamp

•   Gesso

•   Black Staz on ink

•   Shipping tag

•   Hole punch

Instructions for your tag

1. Using a shipping tag as the base of your tag cover in C91 – 004.
2. Cut out a tag using a piece of cardstock slightly larger than the shipping tag and cover in C91 – 001.
3. Stamp image of butterfly on the right hand side of the smaller tag.
4. Adhere both tags together.
5. Cut out pieces of foliage using various metal dies and C91 – 004.
6. Layer butterfly and leaf die cuts and foliage and muslin and then place a cluster of purple cotton.
7. Adhere a piece of corrugated cardboard [packaging box] for height.
8. Adhere a nice bloom [flower] on the top.
9. Cut out a sentiment using white cardstock and adhere slightly tucked in above the top of the bloom.
10. Punch a hole in the top of the tags and thread through seam binding.
11. Randomly apply gesso over the tag and around the edges with your finger tips or a paint brush.
12. All done.

Happy creating.

and again ...

Proud to design for FabScraps.