A year of ATCs - Day 31

What with one thing and another,

 I have had very little chance to get into my craftroom
 so far this year -

 but there was one thing I thought I would like to do in 2017...

Try and post a new ATC each day!

I have been so impressed with those of you who have done 100 consecutive ATCs -

 a year of inchies, a year of twinchies 

or some equally amazing achievement...

so this was my New Year's Resolution...to make 365 ATCs this year (at least!!)

AND I have managed the whole of January!

Here are the ones I have shown you up to now...

For January 31st - I understand that today is...

How to depict this I wonder??

I decided to go with a Dia de Muertos sort of image - sugar skulls placed backwards on a body.

The image is formed using stamps from Ranger Dylusions Pin Up Queen which I stamped, photographed and printed small enough to fit an ATC.

I coloured the images using my new Zig real brush pens and then cut them out...

I then added these to a base of two layers of Tim Holts DP scraps.

Sort of backwards and back to back and upside down...

Heres another compilation of most of my January ATCs...

Now some time ago I came across Darnell's 'Never Used Before Schtuff'

and as the sugar skull stamps were virginal and this is celebrating National Backward Day
I will add this ATC to  NBUS CHallenge #10
Hopefully I will get chance to play with some bubble wrap before the end of the challenge...



Happy Crafting!

A Year of ATCs - Day 30

This is my 30th make for A year of ATCs...a lot of layers...

This ATC comprises many layers of green card and scraps of DP from my stash.
Next I added the image - I overstamped with LOVE (a freebie stamp from a magazine) and black Versafine .
Finally I added some flower embellishments.

I was quite pleased with the result - until I accidentally dropped the stamp on the finished ATC - and made a black mark!!

Happy Crafting!

A Year of ATCs - Day 29

This is my 29th make for A year of ATCs...
I love to see the first snowdrops of the year...

I started with pink card matted with a scrap of Tim Holtz DP.
Next I added the image which you will find as a freebie at Ike's World Challenge Blog coloured  with my new Zig real brush pens and a clear Wink of Stella.
Finally I added some pearls.


Happy Crafting!

Time Out Challenge

I have just come across Time Out Challenges.

The current one is Case with Your Own Twist

This is my entry:

The image is one I won at the last retreat I went on - not sure where it came from.

 I have coloured it with my Zig real brush pens.

I then cut the image out with a stitched rectangle die. Using the same die I cut a pink rectangle and then layered the two pieces on a small rectangular card base.

I will link this to the challenge!

Happy Crafting!

A Year of ATCs - Day 28

This is my 28th make for A year of ATCs...

I started with black card matted with a rectangle of yellow.
Next I added the image - Knitty Kitty's Purrfect End coloured  with my new Zig real brush pens and a clear Wink of Stella.
Finally I added a bow and some heart embellishments.

I will link this to Wicked Wednesday Challenge #242
and SUYP Cat Lovers Challenge

Happy Crafting!

A year of ATCs - Day 27

This is my 27th make for A year of ATCs...and another ATC for my Poe mini-album!
This time I was inspired by the quote
'There is no beauty without strangenes'

This time I started with a red card and then added some rectangles of white card that had been 'triple stamped' with a mini cracked critter from Lost Coast Designs.
I interspersed a couple of rectangles of black card. You will have seen me use this technique many times.
I then added the the customary beads and ribbon...and a couple of bows...

As I said in an earlier post - this is a work in progress - I am now gradually zentangling the sleeves...

So here are my 6 ATCs for the little album:

And this is my book so far:

Happy Crafting!

A year of ATCs - Day 26

This is my 26th make for A year of ATCs...to celebrate Australia Day!
I have used the current Fusion Challenge as inspiration for my card
 and I will link it to this challenge:

I have followed both the sketch - and the photo which features wattle, the floral emblem of Australia.
I have used scraps of card and DP for the layers and banners on the card.
The jar is stamped using a magazine freebie stamp with Versafine.
The stalks of the flowers were drawn using a Zig real brush pen and the flowers are beads.
I printed 'Happy Australia Day!' on the computer...
this photo was taken in electric light...

This was taken in daylight...

I will also link this to the FabrikaFantasy Challenge #5 - Happy Anything

Happy Crafting!

A year of ATCs - Day 25

This is my 25th make for A year of ATCs...to celebrate Robert Burns!
This is an 'Inchie' ATC, featuring inch-square pictures...

I started with black card matted with a rectangle of Tim Holtz DP.
I used these two little wood block stamps to print the two images with Black Stazon and then coloured then with my new Zig real brush pens.

The pictures are taken from a set of postcards depicting postage stamps from the 90s.
They were on PHQ postcards reproducing stamps designed by Tayburn McIlroy,
 issued by the Royal Mail on 25th January 1996.

I printed these images as square inches and cut them out...
Finally I added some roses...

Happy Crafting!

Ike's World Challenges #80

Today I would like to show you my make for Ike's World Challenges!

The current Challenge (#80) Anything Goes with a Twist - Add a bow...
and this is my midway post...

If you pop over to Ike's World Challenges you will find there is a super freebie to pick up:

Snowdrops

This would be perfect for the Challenge - but your image is free choice...

I decided to show you another part of my Poe inspired ATC mini album today!

You will see more if you scroll down through my posts.

This ATC uses Poe Death Bed, ripped out, and coloured with a variety of fineliners.
I layered it onto blue card and black card. I then added ribbon, beads and a bow.

In other sections I have used Ike's Knight and Raven.

Look forward to seeing your creations in Challenge #80...

Happy Crafting!

A Year of ATCs - Day 24

This is my 24th make for A year of ATCs...and another ATC for my Poe mini-album.
Of course I had to add a black cat - this is a Smeared Ink digi. 'Forgotten lore' is a smeared ink rubber stamp and the raven is a tiny Viva Las Vegas rubber stamp.
The background is a Tim Holtz DP matted onto black card. 
I then added the the customary beads and ribbon...

As I said in an earlier post - this is a work in progress - I am now gradually zentangling the sleeves...

This is my last item to add to the Poe Hop Linky...

Happy Crafting!

An InLinkz Link-up

A Year of ATCs - day 23 - I Poe-test

This is my 23rd make for A year of ATCs...and another ATC for my Poe mini album!

I Poe-test!

The image is I must protest from Bloobel, coloured with various markers.
The raven paper (matted on a piece of black card) was a freebie from Ikesart

Find more details of the Poe Blog Hop here - just one day more -
 and my previous posts by scrolling down here

EAP Posts

Hop through the linky at the bottom of the post...

Happy Crafting!

An InLinkz Link-up

Edgar Allan Poe Appreciation Day Blog Hop - New Poe-ject for 2017

2017 POE BLOG HOP

The hop starts on January 19 at 9am PST and is a progressive hop spanning over 5 days.
Sign up not required...simply join the hop at any time before 5 to midnight PST on January 23 to join the fun!

Find more details here and my previous posts by scrolling down here

EAP Posts

Here's my main Poe-ject for this year - still really a work in progress...I have used a variety of rubber (Smeared Ink) and digi stamps (Ikesart) to make an ATC mini album.

First I made 6 sleeves (3 by 4 inches) from some Tim Holtz DP, to clip together with a ring.
Each sleeve will eventually hold an ATC.
I then started decorating the sleeves.
The back sides feature Eldorado and Ike's Knight printed and then cut out - the smaller ones with a stitched rectangular die. I added a small amount of colour with a Promarker and a silver Wink of Stella.

The front sides have Smeared Ink skulls, Ike's Raven and the Spellbinders Drip Drop die.

I printed the quote "There is no beauty without strangeness"
  

So far there are two ATCs illustrated - you already saw the first on Day 1 and in the first picture.
The new one today is my Day 22 of 'A year of ATCs?'.

It features  Lost Coast Designs Whimsical Lily which I was very pleased to win in a recent Lost Coast Portal to Creativity Challenge.
I coloured this with some pens I haven't used before - Zig fine real brush pens from Kuretake - and cut it out. The background is some upcycled packing from the beads I have used on the two ATCs.

Hope to get the 4 other ATCs made soon...

Happy Crafting!

An InLinkz Link-up

Imagine That Digistamps Creative Playground Link Up - Midway Post

Here's my next inspiration post as a member of the Dynamite Delights DT of

Imagine That Digis By Kris!

This is a reminder post for the current challenge over at

Imagine That digis Creative Playground January Link Up

Anything Goes

Find all the rules in the Creative Playground


The link -up closes on February 3

I have made a treat box for you today:

Using Jammin' Janey

and Romance Set 1

Hope to see your make in the Link-Up!

While I was playing with Jammin Janey,
 I decided to make a digital card too, to go with the treat box.
This was put together in Serif Craft Artist 2.

This used papers from Steampunk Papers 1

I will link this digital card to Digitally Sweet Challenges - January