June 2014 Swaps & Challenges

Here's a quick visual recap of the Swaps and Challenges I created for the month. 

Swap-Bot Craft Quote Binder Trading Card:

Cutout on my Silhouette Portrait, gelli plate,
seam binding

Swap-Bot Easy Notecard Swap:

Lots of texture with heat embossing powders
and machine stitching

(see video at http://youtu.be/J2bN1uA9ftk)

Made mainly with my own gelli prints

Swap-Bot: Altered Shipping Envie:

Front: Acrylics, stamps, gel sticks,
Dylusion sprays  and pens

Back of envelope: Stamps, acrylics and pens

Closeup of front

Swap-Bot VC: 12 Months of Altered Tags #5:

(see video at http://youtu.be/B9YVbTSIBzQ)

Swap-Bot Friendship Quote Binder Trading Card:

MMSA: Artstamps:

Your Paper Pantry: Christmas Cards All Year Long:

*** MONTHLY GIVEAWAY ***

This month's giveaway is your CHOICE of one of the following:
1. Three rolls of Scrappy Tape
 (1/8", 1/4" and 1/2")

-OR-

2. A set of handmade notecards 
(choice of color)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May 2014 Swaps & Challenges

Here's a quick visual recap of the Swaps and Challenges I created for the month. 

Swap-Bot Handmade Bookmark:

My partner loves Kittens

Used my gelli prints for the kitten cutouts.

Swap-Bot MMA: Anything Goes Postcards:

My first partner loves French Bulldogs and sarcasm!
The base of these cards is made from baby wipes 
which were used to clean my paint brushes.

My second partner loves Disney princesses and 
the color purple.

Swap-Bot VC: 12 Months of Altered Tags #4:

Swap-Bot Quick ATC Swap #144:

Partner loved ravens. 

Swap-Bot Mixed Media Art- Artist Tile Challenge:

Collage: Modeling paste, acrylics, diecuts, 
seam binding, microbeads, Pitt pens.

Your Paper Pantry: ATC Clocks:

Used acrylics, ink sprays, modeling paste, 
embossing, stamps, dictionary,
 Pitt pens, and gel pens.

Your Paper Pantry: Christmas Cards All Year Long:

Used acrylics, ink sprays, gel pens, cutouts

Your Paper Pantry: Mona Leonard's Art Journal Challenges:

Used acrylics, ink sprays, gelli prints,
 Pitt pens, magazine

Used patterned paper, acrylics, newspaper, magazine and music sheet, Pitt pens.

Used acrylics, Dylusion sprays, Pitt pens, paper napkins, gesso and pens.

*** MONTHLY GIVEAWAY ***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coming soon: Stationary and other gift items   in my Etsy shop

Artist Trading Card: Hearts, Hearts, Hearts!!

With Valentine's Day being right around the corner there are loads of swaps and challenges out there with LOVE as their theme. I recently took part in one over at Swap-Bot. It was an ATC (artist trading card) swap called "Hearts, Hearts, Hearts". 

Here is my ATC:

I really love creating ATC's. I can use up so many of my scraps from other projects - I hate throwing anything away!

I started out with some left over patterned papers and a snippet of rick-rack. 

I also had a few  love-related cutouts 

I made with my Silhouette machine. I LOVE my Silhouette. I can do soooo many things with it!  

Punched out lots of small hearts from the scrap paper too.

I took a standard ATC-sized piece of white cardboard (2.5" x 3.5") and went over the edges with a pink stamp pad and then did a little fill in with the pad too.

Threw the "I Heart You" cutout into the Xyron machine - so much easier than trying to glue it down!'Love my Xyron too!

Next I went to the sewing machine and stitched the rick-rack and heart cutouts into place. I love the look and texture of stitching! 

After stitching I "fluffed" up the top layer on the hearts for extra dimension. I love lots of layers, textures and dimension! 

I used Glossy Accents to embellish a couple of the hearts, as well as tack down the tiny heart punches. I love dimension (did I say that already?!) 

OH, here's a little tip: I find everytime I go to use the Glossy Accents the spout is clogged. Now I leave a pin in the spout and screw the cap on to store it. When ready to use again, just give a little "up and down" with the pin and you are ready to go!

So, that's the first of my Valentine's Day projects, more to come so stay tuned!