SCHOOL DAYS

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This week's challenge on TGIF was to do a school theme. I've been looking for a chance to use this little fella from a Lisa's Altered Art collage sheet for a while - serious sort of chap isn't he? From the look of him he's wearing an awful lot of itchy woollen underwear!

Now you know I can't resist the vintage look so used more of the gorgeous Cosmo Cricket paper that I can't get enough of, and the ABC letters and the words came from Tim Holtz distressables. I made the blackboard myself with a scrap of black card and a white pen.

Actually he's a budding genius and is gazing scornfully at his Nanny, who is trying to teach him the basics. He's actually been reading Einstein with Papa in the evenings ... his name is already down for Eton obviously, and his ambition is to become a member of the Royal Society of Mathematicians. Oh I do ramble on .....

ALTER THIS

Created By Hand challenged us this week to alter something! Some while ago I was sent these bamboo tiles - I'm not actually sure what they're FOR, but they have two holes drilled top to bottom.
So I rummaged about to make something with it and found this mask.

I coloured the tile with alcohol inks then stamped the crackle over the top with dark blue Staz-On. I also used alcohol ink to make the eyes blue. The mask isn't exactly flat so although I superglued it down I used wire as well - both to anchor it and act as a decorative element with a few beads threaded on. I glued a brooch back on this - but it could easily have been made into a pendant by using the pre-drilled holes. I've never attempted anything like this before and I'm quite pleased with the result!

I WARN YOU THEY'RE ADDICTIVE!

I got into making these via my mate Linda and she introduced me to the original designer Dot, and well ..... the rest is history. These are about 4 inches by 2.5, but I think anything goes as long as they're quite small. It's great for me because I can't just sit and watch TV, I have to have something in my hands and I find hand sewing so relaxing.

So when the This Thursday challenge was to use beads, my contribution had to be these gals!
I'd never done any beading before so my earliest efforts aren't too brilliant, but I think I'm beginning to get the hang of it now. People keep asking me what they're FOR? What a silly question - I don't know! But if you would like to swap for one, make me an offer I can't refuse ....

A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME ...

It seems a while since I've made one of my slightly wacky ATCs, but this is definitely one of them. Sometimes it's just fun to let your sense of your humour show through!

The background is a paper scrap and the tree/leaves are done freehand with lots of my beloved water-colour pencils.
The little birds are a Cat's Life Press stamp, and the grass is by Tanda Stamps.

I don't think I've ever said that my workspace is in a bay window (right at the top of the house) looking out over our enormous jungly garden. I watch the tall trees every day so the Arty Girlz nature theme just came naturally ....

HOME SWEET HOME

I feel I'm cheating a bit, but this ATC works for two different challenges this week - firstly for the Crazy Amigo's "house" challenge, and secondly for Leonie's pretty paper challenge. I love this paper and it made a great background for my little house, done with a stamp from Invoke Arts. I embellished it a little more with white and blue pens. The image inside is from an Artchix collage sheet, the blue swirl is die cut, and the title computer generated with a "stamp" font.

It makes me think of Rapunzel because she's wearing a pointy hat and seems to be stuck in a sort of tower ....? OK OK maybe it's just me!!

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TGIF's challenge was "oh baby" this week, which set me off with this sweet image of an Edwardian mother and baby. She is obviously so proud of her beautiful infant and I was off making up stories again ...

This baby lived to see so much - powered flight, the space race, two world wars. His mother would be astounded at the lives of modern women and how much we have (and take for granted). She might have fought for women's suffrage - and perhaps be amazed that many girls of today hardly seem to appreciate their right to vote! Yes I do know I'm rambling on ...

I made the background with a script paper and the clock face is a Cherry Pie stamp. The tape and little tag were bits and pieces I had in my collection - heaven knows where from - and the paper lace came from Lakeland. As ever, this is available to swap.

SERENITY

The Arty Girlz challenge this week was to use a "hint of pink". Well as you know I'm more of a full on PINK sort of girl, so this was quite a challenge for me! The background is scrapbooking paper (I keep all my little bits for ATCs) and the flower image is by Lavinia Stamps. The main image is from a plate of art nouveau domino stamps by Enchanted Gallery, and I love the delicacy of this one. I watercoloured it subtly adding just a touch of pink. You can hardly see it but the title is on vellum.

Bit of a change from my vintage passion to make something like this, and I enjoyed using delicate shades for a change.

MORE BIRDIES

Several of you have contacted me for the birdy template, so I hope this means lots of little birdies will be winging their way to me? I'm still making them, so this is a sample of what you might get back in return ...

What is it about birds we love so much - there's been a lot of birdy stuff around in the scrapbooking world lately, and bird rubber stamps appearing everywhere? I wonder if is that they are a symbol of the freedom of flight, and of course there are all manner of sayings that speak to us such as "stretch your wings and fly".

IT'S A "TWINCHY"!

I always swore that I'd never do "inchies" because they're just too little, but then the Wednesday Stamper challenge was to make a "twinchie" which is 2" square rather than 1".

So I set to and had a go, and quite enjoyed it - this size is big enough to work within, and not so small that you go blind in the process!

The story is that Frida is going to Paris (a long time ago so that's why the crackle background to suggest age) and she has her ticket to travel on flight 45. The ruler is to do with measuring success ... well I know what I mean. I might actually make some more of these!

BLIMEY I MADE A CARD!

I don't often make cards but a dear friend's birthday is coming up and I wanted to create something special for her. There's a new challenge here which asked you to use "fresh" colours, and this was the result. I used a scrap of striped paper which went well with the cardstock, then I used a background stamp from Crafty Individuals in grey on some ice blue card. The image is one of my all-time favourite stamps from Hampton. Added some stamped scrolls, a silver charm, and some paper lace.

Made this for the Crazy Amigo's challenge which was to use song lyrics. That suited me very well because I've got new album by Kate Rusby (I'm just a folkie at heart) and I couldn't get this song called "The Bitter Boy" out of my head. Not sure that making an arch about it necessarily helped get rid of it, but I really enjoyed doing it and trying to tell the song's story.

I made it this shape for a book I've been putting together for a long time, where all the pages are arches. The background is Basic Grey paper which I've inked and distressed a little. I found the image online and thought it was really striking - definitely a young man to pine away for! Because of the lyrics of the song I had to include a golden heart (a charm from Scrapz with the hanging loop cut off). I stamped a swirly frame for the picture then mounted the words. At the bottom I added a strip of lace and tucked into it a sheet of music to represent the song, and a little keepsake packet of letters. The stamped heart just seemed right for a sad love song. I'm really pleased with how this turned out and it will be a lovely page for my book.

BIRDIES

We've had torso templates, triptychs, houses and now ..... designed by yours truly (toot toot) the BIRDY TEMPLATE! And yes, it fits exactly inside the dimensions for an ATC, so if you want to mount them on an ATC card you can. And of course they also fit in the storage sheets so many of us use. Email me for a Word document template.

The two above are my prototypes and the pink one is available to trade - I'm keeping the russet one for my own collection.

The background of the russet "mummy bird" was made on my first attempt with Adirondack Colour Wash sprays (this is terracotta), and I then stamped over it with a Crafty Individuals floral background stamp. Black card provides wings, beak and tail in both birds, and the nest on the wing is from a Lisa's Altered Art collage sheet, and I made two tiny eggs from copper card. The writing is a rub-on alphabet, and I finished off with some gold pen doodling.

The pink birdy was made with a textured pink paper onto which I added a crackle stamp in black. I used a swirl stamp to decorate the body, then more doodling using silver this time. I'd be delighted if any of you want to do a birdy swap with me - just email me - can't wait to see your creations!!

I MADE ANOTHER ONE

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Did I mention yesterday that these Russian Doll ATCs are completely addictive? Well they are. I made this one for the Crazy Amigo polka dot challenge. I used a print paper for the background, embellished with a white pen. The face is from an Invoke Arts stamp "Swirl Cloud Face". German scrap provides the crown and the white wings, and the other additions are from an Artchix collage sheet.

Thank you to all of you who've left comments to say they like the new style for the blog. I was going to go with a brown and vintage look, but broke out into pink and funky which actually feels more me! Well they both are really.

RUSSIAN DOLLS

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I've been so inspired by the Russian Doll ATCs on Linda's Blog and on The ATC Club that I HAD to have a go! Now I know why they're so addictive.
Thoroughly enjoyed creating these from paper scraps - the one on the left recognisably from the K & Co Wild Saffron range.

Please PLEASE ask me if you'd like to swap for any of the ATCs here (unless marked as already traded) because I make so many that I CAN'T keep them all and may disappear under them ....

SEASIDE

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Made this for the Mixed Media Monday challenge "Beside the Sea" theme. I love this image of lots of bathing beauties in their 1920s costumes - sort of reminds me of the swimsuit beauty contests they used to have in the seaside town where I grew up. My own story is that this is the Debutantes' annual outing to the seaside to try and catch themselves a rich and titled husband!

This is also my first attempt with Adironack colour washes (using stream) and I was trying to get a watery effect, but I found the stuff very concentrated and have been recommended to dilute it somewhat. The "waves" at the bottom are a combination of a Paper Artsy stamp with some white pen doodling, plus a couple of charms from Scrapz.

secrets 1945

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I made this for the Arty Girlz "Faces" challenge, and this face came from Digital Collage Sheets.com. She looks such a feisty character, someone brave and fearless who can hold her head up high, so as usual a story was unfolding in my head .....

Her code name is Justine and she was dropped into occupied France in 1943, where she operated an escape route. No-one ever guessed her secret identity but many people have cause to think of her as an angel ... Even after the war she kept the secret of what she had seen and done. Yes I do know I have a vivid imagination, but I've always been that way. When I used to make miniature scenes I could never begin until I knew the story of the person who lived there!

The background is a Paper Artsy stamp and the numbers and word "secrets" are Tim Holtz Distressibles.

FAIRIES AMONG US

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This was made in response to the Dans ma Maison challenge - this week the theme was Fairytale. I'd been waiting for an opportunity to use this gorgeous Luna Girl image, and this seemed right - I love this style of illustration, which reminds me of beautiful fairytale books when I was a child.

I stamped the background paper with some Autumn Leaves flourish stamps, before adding the fairy, a butterfly and a brass flower. I layered the whole thing onto bronze card and added some copper German scrap. It's too tall for an ATC really, but who cares?

WINDOW ON THE WORLD

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You can tell I'm feeling better - I'm back in PINK mode! The background was done with a Paper Artsy plate, and so are the swirls at the bottom. The window is a Cherry Pie stamp which I've lightly water-coloured and the lady is from a Crafty Individuals sheet. I added some German black scrap, a length of cord (recycled from some packaging) and a little brass tag which says "Limited Edition". The tiny rose is from Alpha Stamps.

I was sort of thinking about Rapunzel in her tower at the time because the lady looks very sad as if she's waiting for a handsome prince to turn up. But then the swirls at the bottom turned into briars and brambles growing up, and I realised I'd got my fairy tales mixed up! Never mind - if you want to rescue her and take her home just ASK!

BELIEVE

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I was in reflective mode with this one - and doing my best to escape the brown vintage rut! I've only recently got this set of shrine stamps by Invoke Arts and I LOVE them. Couldn't resist framing this sweet image with a little house, and I hardly need explain why the wings and stars do I? I just thought she had a madonna quality to her, very tranquil and reflective ... which incidentally is the complete opposite of how I am feeling, so maybe it was wishful thinking on my part!!

HEART MEMORY

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I do seem to be in full-blown vintage mode at the moment!! Perhaps it's a reaction to all the cobalt blue in the Crete holiday photos I'm scrapping at the moment? This is my entry for this week's Theme Thursday challenge.

This photograph is one of my all-time favourites - it's particularly crisp and clear for the 1920s and I just love her outfit, particularly her bouquet. The only thing is that she doesn't look very happy does she? The story unfolding in my imagination was to do with a much older lady looking back at the treasured picture of herself as a bride ... the keyplate represents the secrets she chooses to keep.

The background is a mottled brown paper, with the addition of a swirl and crown stamp. I used a scrap of real lace and aged the brass keyplate with a chalk ink.