An ATC Swap

Good morning. Not much crafting going on here. I was unlucky to trap a nerve in my lower back and have spent the best part of the last two weeks suffering and barely able to sit for more than a few minutes. These things happen! Just hoping to get this done before retiring to my bed again.

I did manage to get a couple of ATCs done for a couple of swaps I had promised myself into.
There is a lovely group over on Facebook, Mixed Up Mag Mixer, that do monthly ATC swaps and this month - also a Valentine goodie swap.
The ATC made was to be mixed media of course.

Some modelling paste, crackle paste, paint, air dry clay and a little metal charm with satin varnish over some parts and matt varnish over others. This was mine and I received a lovely one back all the way from Miriam Gault in New Zealand with a bundle of fabulous goodies.

The Valentine goodies swap was to include a hand made item and other bits to the value of £10.
I have heard my swap partner has received her parcel so can now share a picture of what I made.

This was on the front of a little ATC sized card I enclosed

Chocolate Baroque Stamps. The Pegasus stamp from the April fairy set, this was kiss stamped with one from the Lace Fragments set, trees from the tall trees set. distress ink background.

I gave an altered memory box.

stencils are by Andy Skinner bought from Tando Creative. Tissue paper stuck to the box then painted and various embellishments added. The wooden elements were from Things to Alter.

That's it for the moment folks

Happy crafting

There's more for Today

Over the last couple of days I have been alternately working on these two projects. Drying time for both meant that I could work on one whilst waiting on the other.
First is a Tando Creative grey board heart shape with some of their minis stuck on. Guess whose stamps got used. Yep Chocolate Baroque's. I haven't got round to putting them away and the theme I wanted was covered.

 Covered the heart with first gesso then modelling paste then waited until just the right amount of dry before stamping into it with a stamp from the texture fragments set then painted. The sentiment from the Punky Expressions set stamped onto kraft card. those mini hearts also painted before sticking on.

My second project was on a mixed media board from Tando.

Crackle paste, various coloured paints and the clock and sentiment from the CB Steampunkery set. The clock part also stamped onto tissue paper and fussy cut out before sticking on to add just that little bit of contrast from the image first stamped with paint onto the board. 

A New Year - A New Beginning

New Years's resolution. I will make at least one post per month on this little corner of my world. A catalogue of my crafty makes if nothing else. Also, after talking with a very talented designer, I have also decided to try out for another DT position. I miss that input and impetus generated by being part of a team. Of course it will not be just "any old DT position I go for - it has to be on a team for products that fire my passion.

So, what have I been up to in the last couple of weeks? Well apart from making blankets for my now 2 year old Granddaughter's doll pram and bunkbeds, I have managed to squeeze in time to make a few ATCs.  One for a swap organised by Mixed Up Magazine facebook group. My ATC winged itself out to New Zealand where, I just heard, it made it safely. This means I can share this.

A greyboard substrate with stenciling, painting, a clay flower embellishment and a bee charm.

The package I received back was far beyond what I expected. Not only was the ATC super cute but Miriam enclosed lots of lovely goodies as well.

Now to think on February's one.

It's February

I have managed to squeeze in some more playtime. I have dropped a day at work so now only do four. More me/play time .....yayyyy
I have completed a few more projects.
First up is a little accordion booklet. The front and back made from greyboard - Mixed Media boards from Tando Creative.
One side features a flourish stencil from Tando and stamps from Chocolate Baroque's April Fairy set.
It was made using just two colours in various tones - orange and green and a mixture of paint and ink.

The other side - again paint and inks but now three colours, cream, grey and black. Using Chocolate Baroque's Lace fragment set.  I masked the main image before "2nd generation" stamping the borders and "3rd generation" stamping the bare paint.

I cut two long strips of cream card 9.5 cm wide from an A3 piece of card and joined them. Concertina'd them up at 8cm wide and connected the two boards with this with some thin cream ribbon to tie on each side.

Each page was then given a mat of decorative paper ready to receive either a photo or some journalling.