ATC (Artist Trading Cards)

 In a recent post HERE the talented Sarn has shown a selection of ATCs along with details of how she achieved the background effects and completed cards.  Seeing this reminded me that it's a really long time ago that I made any ATCs so thought I'd remedy this by getting out stencils and inks for a play session.  This is one of the cards I made using her method for the background and adding some stamping and a fussy cut bird.  It's quite a challenge switching to this small size after working on larger cards but an interesting and enjoyable exercise nonetheless .  It's also of course a great way of maybe using up some of my huge amount of white and cream offcuts although any other colours can be used as the mood takes you.  In case there's anyone who doesn't know, the size of an ATC is 2.5 x 3.5 inches.  As Sarn mentioned, if you don't have use for an ATC, this size is handy for a card topper.

Stamps - stamp of the month (May) set from Crafty Roo
Inks - Distress colours Rusty Hinge and Chipped Sapphire. Versafine Clair (black)

Snippets Playground #482

 Time to pop along to the Snippets Playground with my homework for the current challenge where I'm sure pretty well everyone knows that usually the only requirement is that we try not to harm any full sheets of card or paper when making our cards. My snippets 'mountain' is the first place I look when setting out to make a card and I also have a collection of left over die cuts and other oddments which often remain on my desk once a project is completed.  Obviously we need to cut into whole pieces of  card occasionally but then of course that leaves us with more to add to the snippets pile 😉.  I started with my usual square card blank and trimmed a snippet of cream card to be slightly smaller - this was then embossed with a brick wall pattern.  Next step was to raid my snippets of kraft card to die cut the steps/shelf unit on which to place the plants.  The cats, butterflies, most of the foliage and the pots were found in my collection of useful left over bits and I only needed to find some small snippets for a few extra leaves and pots.  The scalloped border used to ground everything was also a snippet which was lying around waiting to be used.  Sentiment was produced on the computer and die cut from the printed sheet. Sorry no photo of snippets 'cos most were cut ages ago.

Steps/Shelf Unit - unbranded die
Leaves and Pots - mix of dies from Sizzix, Stampin' Up and magazine freebies
Cats - Impression Obsession (I think)
Border - very ancient Tim Holtz die (Sizzix)
Butterflies - die from Crafter's Companion
Brick Wall - 3D embossing folder from Stampin' Up

 

Allsorts Challenge # 784

 The Allsorts challenge this week is ** Flowers Galore** and there are some great cards from the Design Team and Guest Designer Sarn to inspire everyone.  Some super prizes for the winners to be announced at the end of the month as well.  I've managed flowers on three layers, with the background paper, the strip across the centre and the image which I popped onto a postage style die cut which I'd received from a generous friend - for which many thanks, you know who you are 😊

Background - from a 12" x 12" paper which I've had for a long time
Strip - Daisies, printed from a Buddly Crafts download
Image - Stickeroo by Penny Black
Postage Stamp Diecut - die set also from Penny Black

Waiting for an Adventure

 A fun card to share today with these two quirky dogs which have been stamped, coloured and then fussy cut.  The  background was made by smooshing inks around and then over stamping using a variety of texture style stamps.  The border was hand drawn using a fine liner pen. The sentiment was produced using MS Word, printed and die cut.

Dogs - stamp from Crafty Individuals
Background - various stamps mostly from magazine freebie sets

Floral Card

 I've not posted for a few days, partly because I felt I should take advantage of some of the drier days we've been having and attempt to tidy up my wilderness of a garden.  I know we're being encouraged to 'go wild' but a certain amount of control is necessary to keep things under a bit of control. Anyway I have a floral card to share today.  I started with some Distress inks applied to one of the shapes which I made by cutting down an A5 sheet of clear stamp material into a few smaller useful sizes.  Spritzed the ink lightly with water and then stamped it onto a piece of white card.  I then 'smooshed' other colours onto oddments of white card and stamped the floral corner three times and some leaves, all of which were then fussy cut and arranged at the base of the shape. Using these 'inky play' pieces to die cut flowers and leaves results in interesting variations of colour without having to colour in by hand.  A simple birthday greeting and a slightly larger layer of yellow card to tone and that's it - another card for the box.

                                              

Sentiment - computer generated using MS Word
Flowers - stamp set from Crafty Roo One of a Kind Corner (only the flower used)
Leaves - from a Craft Magic Floral set

Allsorts Challenge #783

 The theme for the current Allsorts Allsorts challenge is **lots of layers** or as usual it could be *anything goes* and there is a Christmas related prize to be won by a lucky someone.  There are quite a few layers on my card which uses some birds which were stamped onto a scrap of 'inky play' card and fussy cut; stamping again onto scraps of plain white so that I could also fussy cut the eyes.  There are layers with the die cut shapes and the sentiment. The line the birds are standing on was drawn with a black fine liner pen

Background Layers - dies from John Next Door set
Birds - Crazy Birds by Tim Holtz
Sentiment - computer generated and die cut with retired Stampin' Up die

Allsorts Challenge #782

The theme for the Allsorts Challenge this week is **A Blast from the Past** and although my card doesn't feature retro or Art Deco etc it was certainly a 'blast from the past' for me when I came across a House Mouse CD from years back.  House Mouse designs at one time used to appear on a very regular basis but I've not seen any for some time so I printed off an image and some backing paper to make this card, adding a scrap of embossed card from my oddments boxes and a sentiment.  If this doesn't fit the theme I guess it can come into the **Anything Goes** category which is always an option at Allsorts.

Seeing the card on the screen I've just realised that the embossed design is Art Deco style 😉

Image and Background - House Mouse CD set from Joanna Sheen
Sentiment - from a retired SU stamp set
Ovals - dies from Tonic
Embossed Panel - E/F by Creative Expressions from some years ago