Masking ATC

I finished my ATCs for The Stampers Hut swap last night as they were due today, so I got them in just on time. This month's theme was "Masking". The ATC looks pretty basic, but did take a bit of time as there are three layers to the card. I stamped and embossed the lady first, then covered her over with a piece of paper cut to the exact size, I then stamped the barcode and covered that over with a piece of paper and then finished off with the final stamp, which is the script. I like the combination and was happy with how it all turned out.

I also finished all of my "gesso & magazine images" for the ATC Workshop #3 swap through ATC_World. They're not the best cards I've ever done, but it was the first time I've done this technique from Bernie Berlin's ATC Workshop and they're an experience. I ended up making 6 cards even though only 3 are required for the swap, because Pam & Kyla are also participating, so we're swapping with each other also ... the more cards the merrier I say.

I still have a set of ATCs due for the Live Swap tomorrow at The Scrapbook Cupboard, which I will be finishing as soon as I complete this post, as well as the "Stencil" ATCs for ATC_World, 3 ATCs for WTA Winners and my "zettiology" ATCs for the Advanced Artist Trading Card UK Yahoo Group swap that all need to be sent out on Monday ... I'm going to have a very creative weekend, luckily Ferg (dh) is in Sydney until sometime tomorrow, so I should get quite a bit done.

"The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible."
~ Arthur C. Clarke ~

Beau @ 12 Weeks Old

Here's a few recent pictures of our beautiful puppy Beau. He turned 12 weeks old on Thursday, 23rd October and has gotten so tall and is much more agile now. We take him on a 30 minute walk most days and it doesn't come near to wearing him out.

He does the cutest thing when he wants us to throw the ball, he crouches or lays down on the ground and does not take his eye of the ball, then when we throw he shoots off and chases it. This is apparently what Kelpie's do when they're "working" the cattle or sheep ... it's amazing how this skill is inbred into them. Beau's not great at bringing the ball back to us yet, but he's getting there ... we're trying to bribe him with food to drop the ball when he gets to us.

The last photo is Ferg & I giving Beau a bath in the laundry ... he doesn't like it at all. We've got a real "tick" epidemic at the moment, so we're washing Beau and checking him everyday. Two out of the three other dogs we have on the property (not including Beau) have now had two ticks removed each in the last 2 days. These things can kill a full grown dog in no time.

Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.
~ Henry James, 1843-1916, American-born Author and Literary Critic ~

A new ATC

I started and finished my ATCs today for the Addicted to Scrap Swap that I'm attending on Thursday. This month's theme was "PINK", so rather than just do a "pink" card, I decided to have "Pink" the singer as the focal point of my ATC. I used the emboss resist technique for the background and started with a base layer of Making Memories Rose Petal glaze, I then stamped music notes and embossed in clear and the final layer is painted with Making Memories Capri acrylic paint. I then stuck the picture down and added a small strip of Pink German Scrap along the bottom.

I think this is such a cool photo of Pink, not to mention that I love her music and style.

You can begin right now to feel healthy. You can begin to feel prosperous. You can begin to feel the love that’s surrounding you, even if it’s not there. And what will happen is the Universe will correspond to the nature of your song.
~ Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith ~

PaperArts Home Page

I decided to log onto the PaperArts Yahoo site today to thank Barb Thomas for sending all the various shaped and sized Punchinella / Sequin Waste, and was pleasantly surprised to see that my "Confection-Fairy" ATC that I made for the Weird & Wacky Wings swap was selected as the Home Page Art. The card will only be there for a week, so feel free to check it out - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/paperarts/. If you happened to have missed it, here's a picture of the Home Page anyway:

"I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavours to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."
~ Henry David Thoreau ~

My first Zetti ...

Here's a pic of my first Zettiology or Zetti ATC. I was inspired to give this technique a try as I have an upcoming swap at The Scrapbook Cupboard with the theme "All About Me" and the Advanced Artist Trading Card Yahoo Group in the UK has a Zetti Swap coming up in November and I'm itching to get a few Zetti's in my collection. Sharon McCallister referred us to Teesha Moore's web-site, which is phenomenal, as well as a Tracy Moore's website for inspiration. My ATC is not too abstract, but I think it's ok for a first attempt.

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."
~ Benjamin Franklin ~

Punchinella & Pay-It-Forward

I received another Pay-It-Forward ATC in the mail today from FranSkoog in Arizona, USA. This takes my total Pay-It-Forward cards received to 18. The card looks like it's been embossed with an image and has a dictionary definition of "art", then various coloured alcohol inks or acrylic paints on a transparency and the transparency is cut up into various shapes overlapping each other, and finally a stamped butterfly on a transparency. It's a really interesting technique and must have taken quite a lot of time ... I love it.

I received some wonderful gifts in the mail today with another envelope from Barb Thomas through the PaperArts Yahoo Group containing a whole bunch of Punchinella / Sequin Waste. I received four different sized circles, two different sized stars and moon shapes and one that has had numbers punched out ... I'm going to have so much fun playing with all these different stencils.

I've been playing with some of the Bernie Berlin techniques for the ATC_World ATC Workshop Swap. Here are a couple that I thoroughly enjoyed playing with, the first one is Magazine Paper and the title of this card is "Eye Door Ewe" (I adore you) and the second one is Gesso and Magazine Images ... I'm really enjoying these ATC Workshop swaps, they're really stretching me outside my comfort zone.

I've also done my first zettiology or zetti ATC for an Advanced Artist Trading Card Yahoo Group swap in the UK ... when it's finished, I'll post a pic ... I'm having fun with it though.

Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for truth.
~ Benjamin Disraeli, 1804-1881, British Statesman and Prime Minister ~

Another RAK

I received another ATC in the mail yesterday from Linda Baldock, a very talented artist in New South Wales ... in fact she lives about 5 minutes from where my parents live ... such a small world. Linda has a wonderful blog if you'd like to check it out - http://atclindab.blogspot.com/. The scan of her card didn't come out very well because it's lumpy bumpy, but take my word for it, it's wonderful. The background is embossed in gold and then there's a little metal placque with wire and beads threaded through it ... I love it.

The other day I posted a message to the girls on the PaperArts Yahoo Group asking where I can buy Punchinella / Sequin Waste in Australia. Next thing I know Elizabeth Harms has sent me a huge amount of the stuff, with large holes in it. It's great as I can now share it around with the local girls so they can use it to stencil backgrounds on their ATCs. It also helps me to have a play with some background techniques so I can participate in the ATC_World Yahoo Group ATC Workshop Swap #3 based on Bernie Berlin's book. Some people are so incredibly generous ... I'll have to make a special ATC in return.

A moment's insight is sometimes worth a lifetime's experience.
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., 1841-1935, American Jurist ~