BABY WIPE BACKGROUNDS

The challenge at MAMMA this week was to create ATCs using baby wipes as a background a la Bernie Berlin's technique in her book, Artist Trading Workshop. As a regular thing I keep the babywipes I use to mop up and clean stamps (unless I have just been using black ink - that is not very exciting!!) and I also toss them in the little box I use for 'spritzing' card with glimmer mist. So I already had some baby wipes done, although the colours were perhaps not so vivid as some of those who had used other inks and paints (pop over and have a look here - they are all stunning).




These are the two I am entering for the swap. Because they were only so so colour wise, I added a bit additional colour and some stamping before the main images and embellishments. I am very pleased with he waythey turned out, the baby wipes add a certain fabric like texture to the ATC which is very tactile. I am a little worried about the bits I stuck on though - one doesn't want to use tons of sticky stuff as it spoils the texture of the wipe but I am a little concerned that the papers don't have good adhesion Still they are holding up so far. Here are two more.




The final one I stamped and embossed using a heat gun. I was a little nervous about this as I did wonder what the flammable temperature of the baby wipe might be - to be safe I did it next to the sink, but it was fine. I liked the effect of this one so much I decided not to add much in the way of embellishment - the tile hides a splodge of ink I didn't much like! Catch you soon,

Technique obsession time....

Have just spent a pleasant hour updating my gallery and sorting out 'available to trades' etc - amazing how quickly everything gets out of date when you start doing a few trades!! However, what I have mainly been doing tis week is preparing two sets of four ATCs for a Technique swap over on Flickr - only three of us signed up in the end so we are doing straight 4:4 trade with both of the other partners. So the challenge was four different techniques...

RESIST EMBOSSING...
is a favourite technique of mine for backgrounds. With the right paper, you can sometimes almost get a batik type effect. So these two are both made using RE backgrounds with a little bit of collage for good measure.





IMAGE TRANSFER
I also really like doing image transfers using gel medium, but I find it harder to marry them up with appropriate backgrounds. When finished I like to cover them with several layers of dilute PVA - they seem to end up almost like paintings.






RUBBER STAMPING AND MASKING

Well thought that rather than just stamp I would use masks to make these a little more interesting. For this first one I used the same stamp three times to get a little cluster of fish. I finished this one off with a single 'lumpy' layer of EP to give it a 'watery' look.



For this second one I used masks to enable me to create this collage using 7 different stamps. By leaving the masks in situ I was then able to build up the colour in the background using ink pads and foam.



WATER COLOUR STAMPING...
I was struggling a bit for the last technique, I had suggested beading or sewing but was reluctant to get out my ancient sewing m/c (bobbin winder has broken making that very tedious - winding them by hand is a pain!!) but I had seen this technique on Tim Holtz' blog. I had tried quickly before without success but read through the instructions properly this time and was very pleased with results. Tim explains it much better then me so if you want to look at it go here. It's a bit trial and error - I think the success depends largely on choosing the right stamp, something that is going to be recognisable when 'blurred'. Anyhoo ended up making quite a few (a bit limited in colour combos as I only had a few of the right type of ink pads lol) but these are the two I will be snding to the swap.





AND BECAUSE I CAN'T HELP MYSELF....

It was the big Stamping and Scrapbooking Show at Ally Pally last week and I had a mad idea about making a bag to display all my trades in.....



I don't expect it will last very long but it's just a bit of fun - I shall just keep it for craft shows. I got quite a few comments but unfortunately didn't remember to get to any of the public trades - too busy shopping!!

A year of Art Cards is over.......

and am I sad? No way, I am really glad it's finished, above all I am a little surprised I did finish, and I guess it is some kind of achievement.

Here is the very last card....



I actually got to no 365 last week, but haven't had a a lot of time to blog the last few days, but have had a bit of time to reflect on the experience. You know me, shallow is as deep as it gets, but it has brought home to me how I am not good at the regular commitment stuff. Although arty things are on my mind most of the time, I am more of a 'let it stew for a few days and then do 10 things at once' kind of a gal. This exercise was never a joy, it was always a chore and by far the biggest challenge was carrying on when most of the others had finished. The 'project' began properly on 1 Jan 2008 but I didn't join it till later.

So now the pressure is off I am just going to take it easy, potter around doing what I want to do when I want to do it, and just seeing where the muse takes me. I have so many things I want to try that I have left on the back burner because I felt obligated to do my daily card, there is plenty to keep me occupied .... so watch this space....

and this is one I did for fun this week.



and if you ever see me signing up for a challenge like this again you have my permission to hit me over the head ..... repeatedly....

winner.....winner..... winner.......

Just to say, the winner of the April giveaway is NANCY a wonderful lady from across the pond.

It will be on its way today as I already have your address, hope you like it Nancy.

Anyhoo, don't forget there will be another giveaway uploaded around the second week of May so keep checking!!

Back soon with some new photos.

HAPPY EASTER and APRIL GIVEAWAY

Well, the long Easter weekend has finally arrived and if you are anything like me you have spent a lot of time this week out in the garden - it has been glorious!! This is a favourite time of year, as the garden starts to unfurl and everything is so full of promise - usually all goes to pot for this weekend but you never know!!



For the April giveaway I decided on a change of pace and this month's item should (hopefully) appeal to those among you who like a touch of vintage. As regular readers will know, I have been making a daily art card for a year and to vary things a bit I have occasionally made some 4 x 4 journal pages. I have put together 8 of these pages to make a little book (well I really did have to try out that bind it all I got for Christmas!!). They are all of vintage children and if you would like to see what you are getting you can look at the complete set on my flickr album here.
So if you would like to own 8 little pieces of art (lol) all you have to do is leave a comment on this post between now and 8.00 pm on Monday 20th April. The winner will be announced on the 21st.



I do hope a few new people will join in, so please feel free to advertise on your own blogs. Meanwhile, I would like to wish everyone a very happy Easter.

Cindy xx

A few ATCs....

Lots going on this week but I've been hopping from project to project (now there's an image) so not much finished but here are a couple of things that are presentable ...




First of all, the theme at MAMMA last week was Easter - using an 'egg' shaped ATC template. I had this urge to make something with a bit of a depth, so on my base layer I cut out the egg shape and then created a little flowery picture. The background is a piece of 'caught in crystal' I made a while ago (the last bit I have actually, time to get messy again!!) in lovely blues and the flowers are peel-offs (am I bad?) filled with crystal laquer. For the actual egg I used a piece of embossed gold paper and used gluey gold seed beads with small green beads pushed into it - very fiddly and sticky but great fun. Then I started adding little 'diamonds' - just couldn't stop, so this ended up as my tribute to a Faberge egg. Anyhow, we've swapped out now and this is off to Texas.

THE END IS NIGH!!!! or in sight anyway. Have reached Daily Art Card no 357 - here are a couple from this week:




COME ON!!

A bit disappointed to the response to the Pay it Forward lottery on my last post. (Thinks - was it because it was April 1st?). Belinda has joined (and you'd be MAD not to sign up for hers as she is a brilliant artist) and good old Trudy will be getting something even though she can't advertise the lottery on her blog (as she hasn't got one lol) as she is one of my best crafting mates and I KNOW her intentions were honourable. But that still leaves two places free.....

so COME ON .......... SIGN UP!!!!!

PAY IT FORWARD

Intrigued?

Well, in advance of my April giveaway which isn't quite finished, and because when I finish the DAC challenge in a few days I won't have much to do, (ha ha ha) I thought it would be interesting to challenge you take part in this.

This is a little Blog lottery, which has come my way from Sassy in the UK. The idea is this, I promise to send a little crafty surprise sometime before the end of 2009, to the first 3 people who leave a comment on this post. They in turn will need to contact me to let me know their address, but... they must continue the chain and offer to send a little something to the first 3 people who make a comment on a similar post on their own blogs.

It should be a fun way to get to know new crafting buddies but please don't comment here unless you are intending to take up the challenge to 'Pay it forward'. The regular giveaway slot will be along soon!!

I wonder who it will be?