Another Body of Work......

More Torso ATCs!! Cannot explain the attraction of these. One of my contacts said that she thought that if they were 3.5 x 2.5 ins at the longest/widest part you could call them ATCs. MMM. But as she also said, if you don't want to trade one don't ask!! Anyway that's all of those for now until I get some new mountboard!!

Torso ATCs

Saw these on the Scrapz blog. I'm not 100% sure if they can actually be called ATCs given that the size of an ATC is a rectangle which these aren't of course. However just a bit of 'armless fun (must stop making that joke it is really BAD), quite like moving away from the constraints of the straight lines as I tend to get a bit linear when working inside a regular framework. Anyhow this is the first batch, have a few more drying to post later. I would be up for swapping these they in my flickr trade album but would like a like for like swap. Oh and not sure where all this 'LOVE' stuff keeps coming from - I am the most unromantic person I know (well apart from my OH). I don't know, Sian has got a case of the pretties and I've got the love bug. Whatever next?

More clay heads.....

Did so many of those clay heads I'm now on overload!! The blue mermaidy one is called 'Sea Spirit' had great fun playing with her hair but although my makins was a new pack it seemed a bit dry and was being most unco-operative. The background was a bit of stamping I had done previously which I put some extra bits on and then added some of the rather silly little fishy embellies. The bit of blue background is something I picked up in the pound shop designed to be used to stop things (ie ornaments) slipping around on your highly polished furniture. No use for that in my house so inked it and then sealed with clear EP as being plasticy it was going to take forever to dry. Was very careful with heat gun in case a) went up in smoke b) knocked me out with noxious fumes but seemed OK but I wouldn't want to encourage anyone to do anything dangerous lol but another interesting texture to work with.

For the second one, 'Happiness', I again used some card I had stamped up before with some extra stamping for the background, leaves and the clay head - I think she looks a bit like a 'cameo' head. I have been playing with sequin waste as a stencil, either to ink through or just to add versamark and clear embossing powder - it gives a nice texture. Still haven't got it perfect but am getting there. The text is a transfer - I've had some computer transfer paper for ages - quite chuffed I managed to reverse the text, print it out and basically make it work. Unfortunately it was the opaque sheet - quite frankly I think you might as well do it on a piece of paper because you can't see through it. However this was the 'practice one' to see if I could make it work. I have some clear sheets to try as well but I'll probably have forgotten how to do it by the time I decide to have another go. Seriously, I think I might use it to do some text for a Flickr ATC swap I've joined - the ATCs have to have text as the main feature and this might work quite well for one or two.

Chalk and cheese

Well, today's efforts couldn't be further apart. First we finally have a runner for the hand drawn challenge swap with Paula - weeks ago this should have been done. I have to face it I can't draw (so Paula don't feel so bad aboutthe image transfers - that's how I feel about drawing!! I tried to do things from 'life (strangely, NOT the cheetah lol) but gave up and copied from a picture in the end. I just cannot do all htat pencil shading stuff. A bit of smudging is the best I can do.

So back to the bits of clay for me. Here are two very odd little cards, - I'm hoping that if I ever win one of her clay ATCs the host on the current DC challenge will like one of these. I'm not sure if they are very kitsch or rather naff.

I've really been going off at all sorts of tangents today - trying out something different I saw on a web site, thinking about another project with lots of beading, painting some of my clay heads, buying even more stamps.... (somebody stop me).... still more of that tomorrow, the rest of today's output isn't ready to upload yet but as I'm at work tomorrow it will give me someting to put up tomorrow evening.

This week I will be mainly making......

ATCs with resist emboss backgrounds. Or at least seems like it. I've also been busy with the clay and it's all nearly dry now and ready to start painting so I expect I shall start adding those bits to the ATCs as well. I have made a couple of things using the colours in this ATC as I'm trying to get it right for another project - ATCs are so useful for tryng things out on a small scale and I hate waste!!I think this combination of greens and orangey coppers works quite well together so am going to have a go at making the background for the new project in a mo.

Round Robin No 2 - Remember Cairo

Also finished and posted off the next of my round robin art journal pages. The theme for this one was memories and I got all tied up in knots about why I chose the pictures I did etc etc - had too much time to think about it that's the problem. Anyhow, it's basically my favourite type of collage/decoupage, everything plastered together with heaps of diluted pva to make a nice flat page with the photograph mounted on top to give it a little dimension. I uteed the photocopied image to make it shiny and then cracked it and distressed it - not sure it worked too well, think maybe I need to actually try some proper crackle stuff. I would have really liked to have added some real photo corners but couldn't find any round here and I'm not going shopping anywhere else for another week. I'm sure there are some in this house somewhere... Just thought, think I have got some 'pretty' ones, could have just coloured them in. doh. Too late now!!

I dare you swap (3 and 4)

You really need to read the last post first - if that makes sense!!

For the something altered I decided to make a fridge magnet using a large jigsaw piece. I gave it all a quick coat of pva for protection and am quite pleased with the way it turned out. I think the sayig is funny but I hope the recipient has a sense of humour - I suppose it could betaken the wrong way. I've got another nearly finished that will be looking for a home soon.



I had already made up a house shape with slide mailers - I was going to do an Alice in Wonderland/Living in a mad house thing for myself (think the kids were driving me mad that week) but decided I would use that as it had sat there for weeks. Started off kind of grungy and then got a bit prettier. Used resist emboss again (I'm loving this technique) and some image transfers, stamping etc. Attempted, rather unsuccessfully to put UTEE in the alcoves of the slide mailer (prefer not to think about it). Still you have to try these things and on the whole it came out rather well even if there is a slightly bizarre collection of styles used in the making of it.

I dare you swap (1 and 2)

Have had a good time this weekend making my 'I dare' you swaps. I really like it when you just get something done and dusted without too much angst.


The challenges set were for a textured ATC, an ATC sized tag, something in the shape of a house and something altered. The first one gave me the chance to use some ground glass I had bought (sort of dictated the colour too as I only had it in shades of pink and red). Stuck it on with pva glue. It is certainly textural but the finish is a bit gloopy. Might try it again with liquid UTEE as that probably dries more glossy clear but then of course you might lose the texture. Any ideas?

For the tag, I had a go at the emboss-resist technique, then stamped over the top and just generally layered it all up. I actually made three similar tags and put them together to make one item. This one is for Sparkles so hope she likes it.

And the winner is............

SIAN, though I'm sure she could do a much better one herself. And it's pretty, mmm, Sian doesn't do pretty. Ho hum well she's lumbered now.

Well, have been beavering away today in between doing the washing etc and all the other boring stuff one has to do when one comes back from holiday. Have managed to get one ATC done in return for a swap that arrived while I was away, and made a start on my first of the round robin pages which is for Yvonne so should have some art to post very soon. Thought I was going to have a nice peaceful day to myself but Ryan stayed home from school and is currently practising his rock guitar.....loudly. Chelsey only had a short day and is sitting in the garden with some friends with the radio blaring playing games. Huh.

Here is a picture of the lovely PEACEFUL hotel where I was staying in Calla Llonga. I really wanted to get home yesterday but I'm already reminded of why I like to have my week away on my own!!

Slide Mailer Give Away

Am going off on holiday tomorrow so will be offline for a while. To make life ineteresting for anyone who comes along for a nose, I am offering this slide mailer as a give away. If you would be interested, leave a comment and I'll draw a name out of a hat on Thursday week. It's a bit pink, and a bit romantic (must have had too much wine that afternoon) so won't suit everyone but I made it when I was practising with image transfers. Anyhow, will miss you all but am looking forward to a week lazing on a sun lounger.

Obsessed with tiles

I have just bought a great big bag of UTEE and am now obsessed with creating little glossy tiles for my ATCs. I have always been fascinated by lacquer and enamel work, I think it's as near as I can get to it! The great thing about using UTEE rather than glossy accents or similar is that should you accidentally crack it you can just reheat.

Anyhow this ATC is really a bit of a happy accident. I had already made and discarded the background and wanted to practice a bit more with the 'tile making' so cut out an image I wasn't very fond of. After making the tile, which I was intending to put on an alcohol ink over green mirri card background (that one did go in the bin, horrid), I was looking around for something to put it on and saw the discarded backings. Somehow it all came together and I ended up making two I was quite pleased with. No fantastically arty techniques but a composition that pleases my eye anyway. Isn't it strange how that just happens sometimes?

Tiresome but...

Just realised I have spent nearly 2 and a half hours answering a few messages, uploading a few photos, putting some things in envelopes.....all this art admin is almost like having a part time job lol!! I tend to think I should save things up and then do a batch at once but then everything takes so long I wonder if that's the best way round it. So tiresome... Amnyhow have just finished uploading all my DACs for the last week. Not sure what I'm going to do nextweek when I'm on holiday, think I feel a series of zentangles coming on cos then all I need to take with me is some card and a pen!! All my cards this week have just been playing with techniques, using up some bits and bobs I've had around and some new bits I've had in the post like the wing stamps. Really haven't felt very inspired and the garden calls...oh yeah and packing I suppose.

Round Robin Swap

Have joined a round robin/journal swap and this is my attempt at the theme 'woman'. I have no idea why this ended up like this, and I'm not really sure I like it but the mojo has definitely been a bit thin on the ground this week.

The pages are 6 x 6 which is a size I had intended to move to for my daily art cards but given how long its taken me to do this I might have to reconsider that. Not sure I've got time to do anything else, will have to check the posting dates.

Gosh, have you been burgled?....

You know that joke thing you see when someone walks into a messy room and says ' gosh you've been burgled and the occupier says, no it always looks like this.... well that is the state of my house at the moment. So much as I would like to sit and craft today I think it's time to have a quick whizz round and put a few things away. I have had a pleasant hour sitting here while everyone's asleep updating my galleries doing my DAC etc and answering pms but time to crack the whip. May be back later.

Meanwhile just wanted to show this ATC, just a simple triple embossed tile but I used alcohol inks on mirri card for the background. Hadn't done that before but quite like the effect. mmmm shiny. Think I was a magpie in a previous life.