Orange and black themed ATC

This is a stamped Kodomo image on orange card which has been softened with orange chalks.

The actual image was stamped in black then embossed. I painted all the flowers orange, and highlight some of the petals with orange copper metallic paint. The butterflies were painted with the metallic paint too. All the other colouring is with pastels.

I rather liked the urn on this stamp - which is supported by rabbits - which too have been highlighted, along with the urn, in the metallic copper which I think looks really pretty in daylight.

It has all been edged with black - and again for some reason the edges have not been scanned in by the machine! But in real life it looks like a perfectly centred picture in a black frame

I hope the recipient likes it.

ATC Colour theme swap - duck egg blue and brown

The backing card is pale duck egg blue - although the scan doesn't show it. The image is stamped on in chocolate brown and parts of the image - namely the beetles are embossed so they look really shiny like beetles should!

The edges of the ATC have been inked and embossed too - although for some reason the scanner hasn't picked it all up.

ATC Duck Egg Blue and Brown

These are two embossed ATCs I made for the above swap.

The geisha on the left is stamped onto patterned and gilded Japanese Origami paper,all the patterns on the paper are edged with gold and looks lovely and rish in daylight. What looks like a pale grey pattern with gold is in fact duck egg blue with gold.

The Geisha head and the seal are stamped in chocolate brown and embossed with chocolate smelling embossing powder. The edges are embossed with gold.

The vintage lady on the next ATC has been enhanced with water colours and embossed in the blue areas. The background paper is pale blue stamped with brown and the border all around in embossed distressed blue - again this looks better with the naked eye rather than the scan.

ATCards Sequel Postage Stamp Swap

This is the last of my Sequel Postage Stamp Swap ATC's off to the USA

I glued on the postage stamp - then stamped the nest - the rest was painted in water coloured freehand.

I wonder what I will get back in return. I will post them up here when I get them

Altered CD door hanger for young teenager grandaughter

I painted this printed image in oranges and reds, and greens for the front and added the orange ribbon for this door hanger and added golden hightlights here and there which really enrich it - but do not show up on the scan



She loves her tabby cat - is mad about him - so I had to put a cat on the reverse. Gorgeous metallic bronze paint doesn't show up - but it really compliments the orange - which is her favourite colour at the moment.

Stamped swirls - and the heavily embossed, stamped and gilded cardboard initial of her name.

I did the same thing for the initial on the one below too.

Altered CD door hanger for young grandaughter

A door hanger for our youngest grandaughter. She is into glitter and cute and girlie things. The scanner does not pick up the gold painted star, the silver painted backing or the pale silver painted disc.

This was not planned as a 'work or art' but a fun little thing for a fun little girl





The reverse - to keep out brother and sister

Looks much better in reality - as it is 3D and glittery

Christmas Card

I haven't made many cards at all - so this is another experiment for a friend.

Once again - the scan doesn't seem to like the gold and has also missed some of the border out!

I painted some paper with inks - red, brown, and grey. Stamped on swirls. Added a collage of a Victorian Santa Clause which I have enhanced with inks.

Stamped Merry Christmas and embossed with gold with a bit of gold above him.

I edged it with a gold 'peel off' border

'In the hand' the card looks marbled with softer shades of colours and the stamped swirls are clearer!

Painting and stamping.

Oh dear - the scan isn't showing this too well!

I painted the background shades of green and cream and brown. Then using a Kodomo stamp I stamped the image and then embossed it with an embossing powder which is the colour of and has the aroma of chocolate!

I edged it with Kyrlon light gold pen, and flecked some of the stamped image with it too, to catch the light.

On a card, I mounted some gold 'Angel Hair' paper, edged the card all around with light gold pen and mounted the stamped image on top.

Painted some more card and stamped and embossed the lettering.

Then finished it off with an insert inside.

Three hours later - finished.

Experimental Card

Experiment with papers, textures, stamping, distressed embossing and inks, gold embossing with stamped calligraphy whilst hot.

Altered CD Christmas

A very traditional Christmas - Victorian Style - Altered Art CD





This took hours of work over several days - so I am keeping it for myself for this year

Gothic Arch for Mandy's Swap

Christmas Decoration for a swap on Zuzu's Forum

For both sides of this decoration I used stamped music scores on thick card. These I coloured with distressed inks to make them look Victorian which the girls are of course - enhanced with water colours, and embossed (differently) on both sides.

I varnished both sides to protect the finished work.



This looks so much better in real life. It is an altered thick plastic business card - really thick so was quite a challenge.

I got my son to drill a hole through it when I went to visit yesterday - then stuck on the trim and made the hanging loop today.

Postage Stamp ATC - 'Catherine of Arogan'

I had fun doing Catherine of Arogan - I just wish I had all six of Henry VIII's wives. Still she was the first and didn't lose her head!

The backing I have made into a mirror image of the postage stamp, water coloured it, white washed it, then gave it two coats of varnish to make it look like one of those old oil paintings you see in stately homes in the UK.

Sadly the scanned image does not show the effect

Sequel Stamp ATCs - Vintage Religious Postage Stamp

The postage stamp I had for this was a religious vintage drawing - so I used vintage paper on the left which I distressed with Tim Holtz inks. Ditto the vintage dictionary page and the stamped image which was collaged on. I then stamped the black swirl. I think I may need to distress the stamp too as it is a bit white - but wonder if that is 'allowed'!

This set of four Artist Trading Cards are for a swap on ATCards Site.

Sequel Stamp ATCs - Zambian Postage Stamp

Randomly dabbed paint on the backing paper.

For the Zambian stamp I have tried to link with the ethnic stamped image which I coloured in.

Sequel Stamp ATCs Tudor Manor Postage Stamp

For this old Tudor Mansion postage stamp I used a similar age rubber stamp.

I started by using a piece of vintage wallpaper on the left, and an torn sheet of vintage dictionary all of which I aged with Tim Holtz distressed inks.

I stamped the vintage like swirls on and added the stamped face on a torn sheet of paper which I had aged too.

It looks darker and 'older in day light.

Sequel Stamp ATCs - Guernsey Postage Stamp

I painted a sea and sky background on white paper for the Guernsey stamp I chose to use.

Then just two stamped images - the seal looks dripping wet in 'real life' as he has been embossed too so is very shin.

Oriental Tag

This is the first tag I have made and it fits in nicely with with the Tuesday Challenge on Created by Hand

I cut out a tag shape on textured red card almost A4 size in length - then stamped using a Kodomo stamp and embossed the left hand side with gold, and used a fine textured Japanese paper bag for the right hand side.

I scanned into my computer a Geisha, enlarged her and then enhanced her with water colours.

On her back I painted the ‘material’ gold, then masked it and stamped it with cherry blossoms masking the stamp to just get three little parts I needed and masking the lady too. I edged it with dark blue ribbon to give it ‘depth’ so that it does look layered.

The patterns on the Kimono I enhanced then clear embossed them, ditto the hair and the shoes which now look realistically shiny!

The calligraphy symbol is made of paper which I enamelled so it looks like an ivory tile,

I edged one side in dark blue ribbon and edged that with gold, using a gold krylon pen to edge the rest.



I punched a hole in the top and added colour co-ordinating fibres.

It took quite a few hours to make - but was fun to do.

Art Deco 4cm x 4cm

Nice and bright and cheerful on a cold and miserable winter's day



Hand drawn and painted with water colours.




I think I might do some more - just for me - I seem to swap everything and have only one or two things for myself!

4cm x 4cm Caz's art deco swap

I have made a start on some Art Deco 4cm x 4cm swaps. I have to make 9 in all. So I thought I would be a bit different and paint them - 'in the style of' Clarice Cliff's art deco table ware.

Shabby Chic using the peeled paper method

I had a 'play' this morning - experimenting with the Shabby Chic method of ATC's using the peeled off paper method.

You use a sheet of dictionary paper and glue it to the ATC. Once dry you stick on masking tape randomly - then peel it off and it takes of layers of paper.

Then you apply ink using ink pads or any other method and leave to dry.

You stamp images onto the ATC or in the above I stamped and added an image.



Once dry you can add other embellishments and sandpaper

Both these ATC's are darker in real life - the flash of the camera has lightened them.

They look far more textured too.

I rather liked experimenting just for the sake of it!

Think Monday Think ATC

This week's challenge is 'Birds'

I used a scrap of white paper from a Japanese shopping bag - they have pretty ones as opposed to the brown paper bags we use over here.

It had very random little gold cranes imprinted on it.




I stamped the large Japanese crane and embossed it.

With acrylic paint, I painted layers of blue to give it a textured look and feel - symbolic of the sea.

As I painted further up I reduced it to a colour wash and the took out areas to form clouds.

I then edged it with the dark brown which I used for the stamping.

This is my first time doing the TMTA - I hope you like it - I had fund making it

Themed Thursday

'You hold a special place in my heart'

Either of this or the one below could be entered for the 'Script Theme' this week - but I will enter this 4 x 4.

Stamped and embossed wording for the background paper. A Vintage card picture torn to fit the page. (I aged it with Tim Holtz distress inks and highlighted parts with water colours.

Another First - a 4x4 inch

Sorry about the photo - the artwork is square and there is no white showing - as in the scan!

I have never attempted a 4in x 4in altered artwork - this is my first attempt.

The image is from a vintage card which I have torn into a 'heart' shape - and painted the edges with distressed inks.

The quote was very kindly sent to my by Caz which I have torn and coloured with distressed inks too.

I have edged it with UTEE to which I have added embossing powder

My very first altered arch

Another all time first - an Arch - bigger than the ATC’s that I have been making so a different challenge. ‘All things pink’ is the theme for the swap.

I stamped pink swirls on mottled pink card then embossed them so to give a raised finish - and painted around them with several layers of gold paint to make them show up. Photos and scans of gold do not really show up well!

There is crinkled gold paper along the left hand side edge. The roses, dotted paper, gypsy image, and labels were all collaged on - and have been highlighted with sublte gold paint, then embossed. Again the embossing doesn’t look ‘right’ in the photo but does look nice and smooth with the naked eye.

I rather enjoyed making the arch so I think I will have another go at one in the week

Another go at the green ATC swap theme

I am going to keep 'plugging' away at the green theme ATC's until I get three that I like - or I may just enter one.

This is another go.

A stamped image which I took ages to paint with acrylic colours, several layers. I embossed areas with several layers too although it doesn't show up on here. The fish and other areas look really 'wet' and shiny.

There is also shiny gold highlights which look dull in this picture.

Still I have fun making it!

For Mandy's Birthday

It was Mandy's 40th birthday this month and Zuzu had the lovely idea of compiling a book for her.

We each made an A5 page decorated both sides any way we wanted - here are my efforts




This is the front of the page - painted lavender then different shades of lavender inks swished across the page - it is paler in real life!

I made a sachet out of paper and filled it with dried lavender from my garden. On a piece of thin tissue paper I painted a butterfly then painted several layers of gold paint around it - and once dry glued it onto and over the edges of the sachet. It looks like a little silk pillow and smells lovely.

I used really thick paint to do the gold pattern to give it lots of texture.

This is the reverse of the above page.



I painted it matt black then whirled lots of thick gold paint onto it and heat dried it to give a nice texture.

The Victorian birthday card print, I enhanced with watercolours - it actually looks better in 'real life', and painted gold around the frame.

It was the first time I have ever done anything like this and it took me several days to do both sides - and allowing for the layers of paint to dry.

I hope she liked it.

Apparently it smelt wonderful when taken out of the packaging - which was just as I had intended

The Theme for November is the colour Green

These are for an ATC swap on Zuzu's forum. We do a different colour each month - and this one is green.

I scanned these into the computer - but I am not keen on scanning as it magnifies the image so that it is bigger than in reality - and so you get a different perspective than you would with the naked eye. The colours are sharper and darker and smoother not 'coloured in' looking as the scan makes them look

I coloured photo paper card with alchohol inks and when dry I stamped on the butterfly image and cut it out.

The backing card is green too although the scan makes it look cream. It
has been stamped, and I have painted colour on the flowers and leaves.

All the edges are painted lime green as a frame - but for some reason the scan hasn't picked up some of them!





For the above I have stamped the butterfly directly onto the card and also the flowers and foliage which I painted as above.

One more to do - might do a totally different medium for that - just waiting for some inspiration to kick in.

Autumn Inches

I have only made inches once before - they were all painted - then embossed - one of which is in my blog header above.

I decided to take up the challenge of making nine inches for a swap on Zuzu's Forum.


The Japanese calligraphy says 'Autumn' and is embossed with Tim Holtz distressed powder.

The little Japanese dahlia stamp is embossed with shiny clear embossing powder to make a contrast.

I rather liked making these.

Bottle top charms

Finished at last my 11 charms for the swap on Zuzu's forum. They took ages to make - ruined my nails - but at least I did it!

Tried my best anyway!

Monthly swap - Blue

This months swap on Zuzu's forum is blue. Now that I have caught up with my other swaps I thought I would try out my new Japanese stamps Haruko got for me when she was in Japan.

Panda

A pastel drawn panda on an ATC

I can't draw a face - ATCards swap

Fan painted gold and black. This will be mounted on backing card

I can't draw a face - ATCards swap

Japanese lady on painted black background. Hand drawn - the fan painted in gold and black

I can't draw a face ATCards swap

The challenge is to draw a face partially hiding the face. The one given as an example was a cartoon person holding big binoculars over the face.

These are my efforts




Top left - the Sci-fi Roman type soldier is wearing a gold painted helmet which looks really shiny in daylight. The squares on the helmet and star on the visor is painted silver so shines too. The rest is painted with several layers of water colour paints.

Bottom left is a deep sea diver. The heavy rubber suit painted with black acryllics to give a matt finish and the mask is painted with luminous yellow paint - so she shows up under water of course! (I saw a similar mask on the internet so got my design for the mask from that.)

Bottom right - soldier in chain mail - and visor which only had slits for the eyes and mouth - again painted with silver paint. The background is several layers of red water colour paint the top layer dabbed to make it look like velvet

More Bottle Cap Charms

The following bottle caps I have scanned before I put the finishing touches of chains and beads on them.

They are really enlarged on here than they are in real life - that is why the quality of the photos look a bit blurred at times.

The bottle tops after being beaten with a hammer, are less than an inch square.

They would make great key rings, mobile phone or hand bag charms, pendants, charm bracelets - with the addition of the appropriate extras.

I have lots of ideas for Christmas presents for these sorts of things.



I might highlight her headdress with silver paint.




This is framed all around like the others - for some reason the scan didn't pick it up.


Another black and white vintage lady


Little cherub




This will coloured one by me will be hung diamond fashion so the eye is central - I forgot to scan it that way!





Lady in red