THAT OLD VINTAGE FEELING

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Well as you know I just can't resist a nice bit of brown vintage, and I made this for the Crazy Amigo challenge which this week is stripes. I had this scrap of ruler paper which I think is Tim Holtz, and the wooden rulers made me think of school, which made me choose this little girl from a Digital Collage Sheet.

I was thinking about memories and how you can recall odd little things from school - starting with the rulers, numbers on my peg, playing bingo to learn numbers, the elegant Victorian
building which housed my first school. There's a lot of memories in this ATC, but if you want to trade for it and share them just get in touch .....

I was convinced I'd posted this earlier in the week! You know how the intention to do something makes you think you've already done it ...? Oh, just me then!

IT'S A BIT WACKY ....

I've been feeling a bit low this weekend so decided to cheer myself up by tackling the Theme Thursday challenge to use orange, always a cheerful colour in my book!

This is one of my distress ink backgrounds - I love how you can blend one colour into another. The image is Artchix and I doodled all sorts of swirligigs from her hat - I was in that sort of mood!!

The edge is another of those Kelly Panacci stamps and though it doesn't show up all that well I have coloured some sections in. Not sure what was going on with the circles at the top, but there was a space that seemed to need filling!

The result is certainly cheerful, if a bit wacky, and actually I LOVE it!!

MY BIRDHOUSE!

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This is what I made for this week's "Birdhouse" challenge over on Awfully Big Art Adventure. Linda and I work so well together because although we have lots in common artistically, when it comes to style we're quite different. I can't seem to help being neat and tidy and she just loves to get messy and paste lots of layers! Who cares why it works, it just does and we're a great team!

One of the things we share is our favourite colour combination of blue and green. The background here is done with Distress Inks - I splodge about in most uncharacteristic fashion (and believe me it doesn't come naturally) and make a whole page which I can cut up for ATCs!

Then I raided my scraps box for this lovely polka dot paper (I just love spots!) and deep emerald cardstock. I added a bit of grass with a Tanda stamp along the bottom and watercoloured the hill.

Well a birdhouse needs birds doesn't it - so I cut these little red chaps out of scraps of card, and drew on the detail and their legs. I added the word just in case the little fellers needed help to find their way! This is sort of my homage to the American Primitive style, which is one of my all-time favourites. I'd find it hard to part with but could be persuaded to trade if you insist .....

ONE BIRD SINGS

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I made this for the TGIF "exotic birds" challenge, which was exactly right for me as I'd just bought a gorgeous set of bird stamps by Inkadinkado!!

The background is an interesting piece of scrap paper which reminds me a bit of a sunrise with that pinky layer. I added the sun at the top and the grass at the bottom. The stamp includes the bird on the branch, but I added some more leaves and branches, and some doodly bits.

I'm rather pleased with this - its turned out the way I hoped it would (well you know sometimes it just doesn't!) so I'm inclined to keep it for my own collection .... unless you tell me that it absolutely definitely has your name on it!

SHOW ME YOUR HEART

Back in my comfort zone (after a very busy week) making ATCs in brown/golden shades! I made it for Sunday Stampers challenge, which this week is on the theme of "girls".

I absolutely LOVE pre-raphaelite art - I can't explain it, but these images send shivers down my spine, so they are always a pleasure to use. The background is a scrap of golden card which I've inked to antique, then overstamped with ... yes you've guessed it, those Kelly Panacci stamps again! Boy have I had my money's worth from those. I also added a strip of paper lace, plus some brass charms and the butterfly.

I was thinking about the inner self (or heart if you like) which we rarely show except to those we love and trust the most, and how this beautiful and secret self is like a rare butterfly that we should treasure .... yes I know, deep thoughts for a Monday morning!!

NEWSPRINT

ATC NOW TRADED














I love using newsprint because it's plentiful and cheap, not to mention the recycling aspects! I usually do what I've done here and chalk ink the edges to give it an "antique" look - these were items I made for the newsprint challenge over on Awfully Big Art Adventure. The ATC is available to trade - just ask!

I went to the Hobbycrafts show at the NEC (Birmingham) yesterday and am paying for it today - even with my zimmer frame it's a lot of walking for me! Didn't buy very much (but only because I didn't need very much), although I did pick up a few bargains. I love the buzz of so many crafters together and how happy and cheerful everyone is!!

BLUE MOOD

I didn't make this for any challenge BUT just because I felt like it ... which felt GOOD!

I was in a blue sort of mood and it went from there. The background is a scrap of blue card in such a pretty shade, and I inked the edge with chalk ink. Once again those trusty border stamps from Kelly Panacci came into play for the edging ... whatever did I DO before I got them?

All the images are from Artchix collage sheets, and the word stamp is Paper Artsy. She looks to me as if she is bursting to say something, but her mouth is firmly sealed. The butterfly symbolises what she wants to say if only she was released from conventions as binding as her corset ....

Yes I know, I do go on don't I?

TIME FLIES ....

I made this in response to Mixed Media Monday's challenge to work on a time related theme.

It's actually going to be a page for a little book I'm making, hence the punched holes down the left hand side for the binding. I love these colours and had a scrap of patterned paper which was just right for this - I used the reverse turquoise side for the wording which reads:-

"Even such is time which takes in trust
Our youth, our joys, our all we have
And pays us but with earth and dust"

I believe it's Sir Walter Raleigh on the eve of his execution, and I didn't have room for the more positive ending which reads "but from this earth, this grave, this dust, my God will raise me up I trust".

You can see that I was thinking about the passing of time shown in old photographs, and indeed something to do with immortality and continuity. The two timepieces are stamps and the whole piece is only 4" x 3.5".

MERMAID

I made this (so good to be making ATCs again!) for Theme Thursday's challenge which this week is beach/nautical. I hope this counts for the general sea theme as I love this image of a mermaid from a Teesha Moore collage sheet.

I made the background with sand yellow card from my stash and stamped it with a swirl from Impression Obsession which, because of it's dotty nature, made me think of sand! The shrine is from a digi collage sheet (086) from Paper Whimsy which I printed onto mid-brown card.

As finishing touches I added a small brass plaque which says "limited edition" and some watch cogs to the background. It's a bit off the wall this one, but I think that's what I like about it! It is available if you would like to trade for it.