Addicted to Scrap Swap

Kyla and I attended the Addicted to Scrap Swap today and I added another 9 beautiful ATCs to my collection. The theme for this month's swap was Stars of the Silver Screen and there were 2 Charlie Chaplins & Marilyn Monroes, 1 Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Cary Grant, Fred/Ginger & Judy Davis in Wizard of Oz.

I made a Charlie Chaplin ATC and used the Emboss Resist technique out of Bernie Berlin's book ATC Workshop. I used chipboard for my ATC base, painted in Making Memories Copper Paint, next I stamped over the paint with music notes in black StazOn, I then stamped numbers, words & a ticket stubb in clear ink which I embossed with clear powder, the final layer was red acrylic paint. After the paint dried, I cover the ATC with a scrap of paper and then ironed the card twice, which melts the embossing powder and shows the colour underneath. Once the background was done, I used a Microscope slide where I stuck the picture of Charlie Chaplin & pages of an old dictionary, then covered the edges in foil tape. I stuck this to the card by using Dimensional Magic. I'm pretty happy with how the card turned out ... even though there was quite a lot of work involved in bringing this ATC together.

"The happiness that is genuinely satisfying is accompanied by the fullest exercise of our faculties and the fullest realization of the world in which we live."
~ Bertrand Russell ~

Scrapbooks Etc Create-A-Page Challenge

Well I managed to scrapbook a single layout, which I am going to submit to Scrapbooks Etc for their Create-A-Page Challenge. The rules for the June 2008 Challenge is that all the contents of the kit had to be used in some form (although you were allowed to add extra bits) and the layout had to incorporate a distressing technique of some sort, like, sanding, tearing, edging, crumpling etc ...

I'm pretty happy with the result ... let's see if it will win - if it does, I get a $20 gift voucher to spend instore ... heaven!

"The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do,
something to love, and something to hope for."
~ Allan K Chalmers ~

More gifts in the mail today

It's a glorious Monday on the Gold Coast ... it's now over 3 weeks into Winter and other than a slight chill at night you wouldn't know that it is Winter as the days are still over 20 degrees celsius.

I did a swap with a very talented artist through the ATC_World Yahoo Group - Shelly Sessions. I absolutely love the 2 ATCs she's created. She's used mica tiles on her cards, which gives them such a wonderful look and she's also sent some in her package so I get to try them out on some art of my own.

I received another couple of WTA ATCs since my last post, to add to this blog and the one I received from Jill Kaar Hanson folded out to contain a very interesting story inside, which I'll transcribe here:

During the 19th Century the Calling Card played an important role in the Social life of young women. These lovely small works of art were used to let someone know that you had made a formal call. The cards were a message of courtesy and friendship. In the 1840s & 50s the young women started to collect the cards of friends along with bits of poetry and beautiful papers known as German Scrap. They collected all of these keepsakes in albums labelled memories, scrap or friends. Calling Cards - 19th Century ATCs.

(1) (2)
(1) Diane Speer, Montana USA (2) Jill Kaar Hanson, Illinois USA

I also received my first copy of ATC Quarterly in mail today and can't wait to sit down and read this printed journal.

Until next time, enjoy this quote:

"We are told that talent creates its own opportunities. But it sometimes seems that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities, but its own talents."
~ Eric Hoffer, 1902-1983, Author of The True Believer ~

More WTAs & ATCs

On Saturday I attended the Live ATC Swap Meet at the Scrapbook Cupboard and managed to score 10 more ATCs. Most of the regular ATC-ers attended except for Tanya and Kerri, who were noticeably missed. Here's the ATC I completed for the swap, the morning of no less:

I have also received 8 more WTA ATCs since my last post and had to show you what I've received ... they are all wonderful and I'm so grateful to receive such varied and amazing artworks. I feel so giddy with anticipation every time I go to the mailbox to see what goodies may have arrived.

(1) (2)
(3) (4)
(5) (6)
(7)(8)

(1) Tina Swain, South Carolina, USA (2) Pat Blackwood-Condra, North Carolina, USA (3) Jen Gordon, Middlesex, England (4) Lori Otto, Missouri, USA (5) Pamela Gladson, Oregon, USA (6) Elisa Baldan Bellisario, Milano, Italy (7) Faye O'Neal, Ohio, USA (8) Kim Smith, Pennsylvania, USA .

I'm also doing a bit of scrapbooking - this week I'll be at Scrapbooks Etc 3 days doing classes and general scrapping. I even managed to get some photos printed today at Harvey Norman, so I might finish some of those layouts I've had in my work-in-progress folder since January!!

Until next time, enjoy this quote.

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress."

Frederick Douglass, 1817-1895, American Abolotionist

May WTA ATCs starting to arrive

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(3) (4)
(5)
ATCs by (1) Sarah Walker Queensland Australia, (2) Peace Schuyler Colorado USA, (3) Juliet Arrighi Virginia USA, (4) Pam Bechtold New York USA, (5) Kirsteen Wright, Glasgow Scotland

I started today by having a toning session with my personal trainer in the park along with a slight drizzle of rain (very refreshing). I checked the mail box on my way back into the drive and was so excited ... I had received 4 ATCs from the Winner Takes All lottery win I had a week ago on the ATC_World site. 3 of the cards came from America and another from Glasgow - how wonderful to receive a piece of art from all over the world. I have also received Sarah's Vintage Nursery Rhyme WTA ATC in person on the weekend. I loved all of the cards, it's been my highlight of the week receiving them.

Also in the mail I received the book I ordered through Amazon called Artist Trading Card Workshop by Bernie Berlin. I can't wait to try some of the techniques, they look wonderful.

Last night I received an email from Shelly in America (who I am doing a 1-on-1 trade with through ATC_World) and she told me about an actual ATC magazine called ATC Quarterly which originates from Canada. Of course I rushed to the web-site and subscribed for 2 years ... I must be addicted!!! I have sent an email to the editor with some pictures of my work and perhaps will be published in the near future ... watch this space for more news.

That's all for now, must go off and finish my ATCs for the Scrapbook Cupboard Live Swap this Saturday and read my new book on ATCs.

"You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world,
but it requires people to make the dream a reality."
Walt Disney, 1901-1966, American Film Producer/Director/Animator

Scrapbook Convention & ATCs

I had a fantastic day today - I went into the Scrapbook Expo in Brisbane with my friend Jean who travelled from Sydney especially, as well as Pam, Kyla & Sarah from the Coast. I did 3 classes with teachers from the States - Lynette Carroll from K&Co, Shauna Butler & Linda Holly from Imaginisce and Gail Pierce-Watne from Making Memories - and managed to do over 5 scrapbooking layouts (2 doubles & 3 singles).

Once home I was very pleastantly surprised to find that ATC_World has posted my Wind Kissed Tree ATC as the Home Page Art ... how exciting, I never thought that one of my ATCs would ever be good enough to be on the Home Page of the Yahoo Group site.

My ATC on the ATC_World Yahoo Group Home Page

Yesterday, I managed to complete my window ATCs for the Stampers Hut swap, which needed to have an opening window (apparently) ... I think they're a bit busy, but they'll do.

Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage.
You have to fail in order to practice being brave.
~ Mary Tyler Moore, American Actress/Comedian/Star of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" ~

WTA winner ...

How excited was I when I woke up Monday (2nd June) morning and found out that I had won the ATC_World Yahoo Group's Winner Takes All ATC lottery. I checked the list of people who entered to play May's WTA and there are 30 people on this list - there are 2 WTA winners every month and I send one card to the other winner (Pat in USA) and the other 29 people send me one card - how exciting. I counted my ATCs today and I now have 203 cards in my collection - quite amazing considering I only started creating ATCs in January this year.

I finished my doll ATC for the Scrapbook Cupboard swap due at the end of June - isn't the Golliwog the cutest thing (or is it politically incorrect to call the doll that now - I think it's now Gollidoll??) anyway, the little doll on the card has moving arms and legs. I just love Golliwogs ... there I said it again - Golliwog, Golliwog, Golliwog!!

"A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over. "
~ Benjamin Franklin, 1706-1790, American Scientist/Publisher/Diplomat ~

Such a boy ...

I finally finished a scrapbooking layout of Ferg riding around the property on Pom's Quad Bike. This layout's been hanging around since February, so it's nice to have finished it.