ATC swap for CNY #7

This is the ATC (Artist Trading Card) that I created for a swap for the day of stamping of the Central New York Splitcoast stampers. We are gathering at the Arnot Mall in Elmira, NY February 2nd and I am by no means close to being ready!

I was signed up for another swap on ATCards.com where you had to use book pages somewhere on your ATC. I had a old english English dictionary that I found in the dorm room when I went to Oxford University's summer school with the National Trust for Historic Preservation way back in 1983. I stamped the pear image from Art Impressions on a dictionary page with black Stazon ink. Next, I cut out the image using a deckle sissors and then washed it with acrylic paints and Modpodged it. I glued the pear to an antiqued gold metallic paper, wrapped it with metallic fiber and adhered to final layer of SU mellow moss cardstock. I created enough to use for both swaps and a few extras for one to one trading.

This is my favorite ATC so far!

Christmas break

The university that I work at shuts down over Christmas (yeah for me!) so I get a week to visit with friends and family if the weather is not too bad. In the past, I have gone to Arlington, Texas to see my Godchildren and to Rochester, NY to visit friends and just hang out. This time I spent a few "girly days" with my cousins down in PA near Lake Wallenpaupak. Betty and I drove down to meet up with Rosemary and Donna and with drinks in hand, this is the project that I completed!

Since I used bits of mirror, mine is not a suncatcher and with that in mind, I picked out glass that really shows well when not seen through a window.

Betty also completed a beautiful piece that you can see in her blog. Her photo does not do the piece justice! (hmmmm, you would think to take a picture with it in the window....it's a suncatcher, no?!!!) As Rosemary would say..."Betty, what were you thinking?!"

Rosemary has a business of creating stained glass pieces. Her celtic crosses are gorgeous and check out this celestial lampshade!

I finally posted my stained glass panel because a friend of Betty's saw her suncatcher and wants to do one also. This reminded me that I had something else to brag about beside paper crafts! So it looks like another "girly weekend" is in my future for more stained glass crafting!

Manila File Folder Album

This "album" is actually a birthday card I made for my friend, Judy, from a folded manila file folder. I really enjoy making interactive cards and that really poses a challenge when I make ATC's that are only 2.5"x3.5"! This card is oversized and is quite easy to make - just follow along with the instructions from TayloredExpressions.


The tags slide out and Judy can add her favorite photos to each one. I changed this from an accordian album to a "book" album by using double sided tape on the back fold. I love the vintage feel to this which seems to be my current trend - distress everything!


I used 6"x6" Basic Grey papers, 12"x12" Old World Paper Stack, and Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip 8.5"x11" cardstock. Go to the A.C. Moore web site to print out their current coupon and then go buy some of these amazing papers!! I used Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip ink with stamps from Paperbag Studios, Autumn Leaves Clear Stamps and Stampin' Up.

Gaack!

Ok, I have been dealing with bronchitis for 4 weeks now - enough already! I cough, I don't sleep, I'm tired, I'm a slug! I have to clean up my work room before I get started on my Christmas cards since I noticed this morning (as I was frantically recreating an ATC that someone wanted to trade for) that I only had about an 8" square space to work with!

I did have an enjoyable Thanksgiving with my family - first with my parents on Thursday and then again with them and my sister's family on Friday. I am probably the only one in the history of this foodfest weekend to actually lose weight!

Dragonflies

I created this card for my shoebox for the February gathering of Central New York stampers. I used Stampin' Up stamps Measure of a Life, Print Pattern, French Script, and Warmest Regards. The dragonfly was colored with watercolor pencils and then blended with water.

This is the Artist Trading Card that I created for the ATC swap. I used the same stamp but cut it closer and used Twinkling H2O's for a much richer color palette. This is my favorite ATC so far!

Best Blossoms

This is my shoebox project for the May gathering of CNY stampers. I used Stampin' Up's Best Blossoms set and colors that are not normal for me! The two large flowers were inked using the Rock and Roll technique to give them more color. One of these flowers is popped up with a 3d foam dot to give it more definition/dimension. I always create a "how to" direction sheet and get a kick out of watching other stampers ignore the directions and go their own way. Some turn out fantastic and others I just shrug and point at the direction sheet - doh! My friend, Judy, gets exasperated at me when I forget to look at the directions for her shoebox - I eventually get there in the end!

Judy's mom taught us how to Tole paint which uses outlines to follow.....needless to say no two projects ended up the same! They always reflected our own personalities though and isn't that what it is all about anyways?!

Spinner Card

Recently, I got together with 39 other stamping fanatics at the sixth Central New York stamping gathering in Syracuse. We all have to prepare a shoebox that included all of the components for everyone at your table to make your card. I brought along a Spinner Card. I embossed the white background with a Cuttlebug and then used a brayer to add Versamark to the raised floral design. I used to chalks to give the design its color. The butterfly image is a retired stamp from Stampin' Up and I painted it with Twinkling H2O's to give it some shimmer when it spins!