A Bit of Black & White

These are for a stamping swap hosted by Cazro on the DoCrafts forum.  The idea is that the first month's swap is simple - stamping in black ink on white card.  Well, it's simple in theory, but making an interesting ATC with simple black on white stamping was a real challenge for me!  I think I like my colour too much.

It's Quiet Around Here

I have just been too busy for art.  I've hardly made anything over the last few weeks, as I seem to have just been running from one place to another with no free time.

These are some 4in hearts I made for a swap.

I've used a bit of everything on these - printed papers, acrylics, watercolours, inks, gel pens, fineliners, glitter pens, mica flakes, 3d fabric paint and more!

Funky Birds

These are some funky bird ATCs I've made for a swap on ATCs for All. I've used allsorts on these - printed papers, book text, inks, acrylic paints, PITT pen, white gel pen, Promarkers, some marbled paper I made ages ago and probably one or two other bits and pieces.

A Bit of Doodling

These are a couple of zentangle style doodles I did a couple of weeks ago.  I love doing these as I can do them anywhere.  I added a bit of colour using Promarkers.

Friendly Plastic Pendant

I don't make much Friendly Plastic jewellery, mainly because I'm not really sure what I'm doing, (anyone want to teach me?), and I never think I will be able to come up with something that someone actually wants to wear.  Anyway, I was feeling  very inspired yesterday after doing lots of blog hopping (and I have lots of blue clothes and no jewellery to wear with them), so I decided to use of some of my FP scraps.  This is what I came up with, and whilst I know it's not perfect, I'm actually quite pleased with how it's turned out! 

I started off by making the frame using ArtEmboss aluminium.  I rolled in the edges using a cocktail stick to start me off and make sure they were reasonably straight, and pressed down with an embossing tool to create the indentations.  I used acrylic paint to create the slightly aged effect.  Then I found some FP scraps, heated them with my heat gun and pressed them into the frame, makign sure there were no gaps.  If the FP started to cool too much I just gave it a blast with the heat gun whilst in the frame - this helped it to stick too.  Then when I'd filled the frame I added a glaze over the top and left it to dry.  I was originally going to solder a jump ring onto the top, but have discovered that soldering doesn't really work with aluminium (or maybe I just need more practice)!  Anyway, I settled for  punching a tiny hole through the top and adding wire.  I added some FP beads and some small seed beads on the wire and twisted it around to make a loop at the top.

At Last! Something other than ATCs

This is my (rather late) RR Journal page for Heidi.  Heidi had an open theme for her journal but (I hope) I know what kind of thing she likes.  The page is created from mountboard and I've cut a recess for the figure, backing it with regular card.  I've added freehand embossed aluminium on the left, which I painted with black acrylic and wiped off when almost dry to age it a bit, then added some metallic rub-ons over the top to add a bit of colour.  I painted the page with black acrylic (bronze in the recess), added some book text and painted over the top of that with an acrylic/PVA wash, then added some clear UTEE on the right hand side and stamped into it.  I then went over the top of it with various colours of metallic rub-on and set it.  The head of the figure is moulded and I pressed a metal chain into it for texture.  The body is a poker chip painted black and covered with metallic rub-on.  The wings are Grungeboard painted in silver acrylic, the arms are wire with beads on the end, and the legs are made from wire and sea glass.  (I spent my entire holiday this year picking up bits of glass from the beach - they must launch a lot of boats on their maiden voyages from Brixham!)  The word "fly" is Grungeboard painted with silver acrylic.

To those of you I still owe journal pages to (Cindy, Sherry and Yvonne, I think), I am really sorry for the delay.  They will be done as soon as I can find some inspiration.

...and Some More!

One day I'll lear n to take a straight photo!  These are some more Friendly Plastic ATCs I've made.  The top one has a background created from book text, inks and acrylic paints with a layer of crackle medium over the top and metallic rub-on over the top of that to pick up the cracks  I've used mica flakes on the corners and a heart gem.  The wings and the FP piece at the corner were made by dragging a needle tool through hot FP, and the face was done in a mould.

This next one was done with a collaged background using various printed papers, gesso, inks and acrylic paints.  The faux stiching around the edges was drawn on using white gel pen.  This is one of my first attempts at Liz Welch's lacework technique with Friendly Plastic.

The background on this one was done using inks and acrylic paint.  I've added a layer of sparkly mesh, (yep, I still love the mesh), and some red sand around the edges (very cheap from Ikea, but I'm sure it would be easy to make your own since the ingredients are listed as sand and acrylic paint).  I've cheated on this one and used stick on letters, but in retrospect I think it may have looked better with the word "hot" painted on.  The FP sun was done in a mould and I shaped the swirly bits by hand.

I'm very unsure about this last one as I think the FP flowers are competing for attention with the tree.  I might have to pull it apart and use the flowers on something else.  The flowers were made using a mould and the leaves are lacework again.  The background is inked and the tree is stamped and highlighted with a white gel pen.  I made this one when I was tired, and I think it shows!

Some More Friendly Plastic

I tried something new here and shaped the FP with my hands to create the vines and leaves.  The frog was made using a mould.

Oh,  I actually made something other than an ATC this week too.  Can't post pics of it yet though as it's not gone to the recipient.

Faux Verdigris

I had fun making this one.  The paper was aged using distress inks which I spritzed with water.  I freehand embossed the copper and then created the verdigris effect using acrylic paints, first adding a layer of black, letting it dry a bit and then wiping it off and then adding a further layer of light green and white (a bit of both, not mixed) by stippling it on, letting it partly dry again and then wiping it with a tissue.  The star is cut from Makin's Clay and I created the texture on it by pressing a piece of vintage lace into it.  I painted it black and added some metallic rub-on over the top.  I made the wire look rusty using Distress Embossing Powder.

Found Poetry

These are for a found poetry swap I've joined on the ATCs for All forum.  The idea of found poetry is that you take a page from a book/magazine/leaflet etc and take words from it to make poetry.

The top one uses words from an article about insititutionalised prisoners in the Legal Executive Journal.  (In my defence, I did read it before I cut it up!)  Matt says it could be about me.  I'm not sure quite what he's getting at, but if he wants to think I'm still 30, that's fine by me!

I used a page from an old children's encyclopaedia for the background which tells you how to renovate your stockings!  Why a child would want to know about that I really don't know.  I used Distress inks for the background and spritzed with Cosmic Shimmer spray (which doesn't show up in the picture.  I stamped over it and highlighted with a white pen then hand stitched around the edges. 

For the second one, I used alcohol inks on the background with a bit of gold mixative.  The background is a letter Sudoku puzzle.  Again I stamped and highlighted the background then added the image and words and stitched around the edges.  This one and the bottom one use words from Charles Dickens' David Copperfield.

The third one is an inked and stamped background with a bit of acrylic paint added over the top and then a layer of book text.  I added the image and words and then stitched around the edges.  For this one, I have used words from a nasty excuse for a book which was free with a women's magazine I bought years ago.

Umm... not sure how this pink one crept in!  This one has a collaged background which is inked and then acrylic painted.  I added the image and words and then stamped the swirl on some acetate, alcohol inked the other side and then stitched it over the top.  I've used black and white pens on all of these to highlight the images and words.

I've had a bit of a crazy week with one thing and another, so am trying to cram in as much arty stuff while I still have the time.  Both my boys are at school all day now and I am returning to work full time a week on Monday - aaargh!  I have a feeling I will be very tired for the next few weeks until I get used to full time work again, and unfortunately I fear I may have even less time for arty pursuits.  Sadly there are just not enough hours in the day.

I'm off to the HSNW Rubber Stamp Festival tomorrow and, sod's law, I have come down with a nasty cold today.  Fingers crossed I will feel a bit better in the morning.

Experimentation

I've been doing a few more messy, experimental ATCs recently.  I've been kind of neglecting them lately, which is a shame because I think it's probably what I'm best at.  The first one has a background made form stamping and book text, coloured using Distress Ink and spritzed with water.  I've used fusible fibres and a chipboard flower which I've covered with shiny blue UTEE and stamped into it.  The letters are the bottom are coloured with distress ink and I've gone over the top of them with a layer of crackle medium.  The Second one is an experiment in shimmer and shine.  The background is again distress ink which is spritzed with water.  I've stamped on it with Versamark and added mica powders.  (As usual, the shimmer doesn't show up very well in the photo).  I've added some shiny mesh and a butterfly stamped on acetate and glittered on the back using Stickles.  The flower is stamped and embossed in black on black card and painted using pearly watercolours.  The bottom one has an alcohol inked background and the main image is stamped on shrink plastic.

I am also experimenting witht he new text editor, apparently without much success.  More practice needed, I think!

Some More Metal and Friendly Plastic

I've been doing some metal embossing again. These are embossed aluminium coloured with alcohol inks. The bacground on the left one is inked and stamped. On the one on the right I've added a marbled Friendly Plastic piece that I made ages ago and hadn't got around to using yet.

I'm doing well at the moment. I think my inspiration has finally returned after deserting me for almost a year. Now I just need to get back to doing something other than ATCs...

(The lower one is cut straight, I promise! It's my photography that's wonky.)

... and Some Friendly Plastic

It seems like ages since I last did anything with Friendly Plastic. These are a couple of ATCs I've made using various techniques. I've combined the Friendly Plastic with metal embossing on the one on the left.

A Bit of Stamping...

These are for a stamping swap where you can only use stamps - no embellishments or hand drawn elements, but you can add colour. I've used inked and water spritzed backgrounds, layers of stamping and have added a bit of colour to the main images.

Haunted Houses

Well, it's that time of year again, so here are some halloweeny house shaped ATCs. The backgrounds are done using emboss resist for the cobwebs and inking and stamping. I've also spritzed them with a bit of water for a grungy effect. I've added a bit of Stickles on some of the cobwebs to make them sparkle.

The rest of it is collage using a combination of printed images, stamping and a few hand drawn elements.

My youngest son is in school full time from next week, so I'm hoping to find the time to do something other than ATCs. I've also banned myself from joining any more swaps until I've got my journal pages done for those I still owe them to, so hopefully that will inspire me if nothing else does!

Zentangles

Zentangle style ATCs in shades of black, white and purple. They're more purple and less pink than they appear in the pictures as the photos were taken in bad light...

...and I think that's finally all for today. Whew!

Crows!

These are for a swap I've joined on the ATCs for All Forum. The backgrounds are alcohol inked and the crowns are Friendly Plastic.